Global coordination in the measurement of domestic financing for education: How UIS and GPE collaborate

• In Event: Highlighted Session: Meeting the Challenge of More and Better Domestic Financing for Education

Proposal

Abstract:

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is currently the most widely used source for internationally comparable education sector data, and publishes 18 indicators related to education financing. UIS data is collected via a survey that is sent to the Ministry of Education, which often collaborates with the Ministry of Finance to obtain and process data on financing. Data received from country governments are then processed and quality assured by UIS. While the UIS network of contacts and focal points across almost 200 countries provides the global education community with more regular data that any other institution, in practice, the regularity with which countries report to UIS varies. Furthermore, there is a time lag (typically two to three years) in the reporting of finance data.

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has a unique role in mobilizing development financing from public and private donors around the world, and in promoting effective dialogue around increased domestic financing for education. As described in Presentation 1, in 2015 the Secretariat was mandated by the Board to develop a framework and associated methodologies that would allow GPE report on results related to the strategic objectives articulated in Vision 2020, including those for education financing, in a way that more closely reflected real-time operations.

Following collection of baseline data in 2016, the GPE Secretariat conducted a study to assess the technical feasibility of integrating the production of Indicator 10 (see Presentation 1) into UIS data collection processes. This review found no technical obstacles to the initiative, leading to the signing of a formal agreement outlining collaborative work arrangements. Starting in 2018, data on government expenditure on education collected by the UIS will inform both GPE’s indicator and related indicators published by the UIS. AS such, moving forward, UIS data for education expenditures will reflect a mix of data collected from both surveys and publicly available budget data.

This presentation will first outline some key technical considerations in aligning the UIS and GPE approaches, including data sources, defining a common budget perimeter for education expenditures, and treatment of debt service in the denominator (total public spending) when reporting government education expenditure as a % of total government expenditure.

The presentation will then turn to the benefits of working together as a means to facilitate more robust discussion on domestic financing for education, and next steps envisaged to reinforce this cooperative arrangement. Collaboration is argued to expand country coverage, improve data quality and allow for more timely release of data on government expenditure indicators, both as published by the UIS and under GPE’s Results Framework. Furthermore, it creates an important opportunity for better coordination across technical partners, allowing for a more consistent global understanding of education financing flows at country level, and serving as a key driver for effective policy dialogue on domestic financing.

Author

• Friedrich Huebler, UNESCO Institute for Statistics