How non-state actors can ensure sustainability and scalability of innovations in ancillary service delivery

• In Event: Scaling and sustaining private innovations in public education systems

Proposal

The chair of the Private Support to Public Education Systems working group will present a white paper (to be published in September 2023) reflecting the key insights and recommendations resulting from the working group.

The presentation will focus on the following considerations that emerged in the working group:

1: Promote innovations that reach the most marginalized. To improve the quality of education for disadvantaged students, non-state actors should concentrate on innovations that address the specific needs of rural and marginalized communities.
2: Align and partner with governments from the inception. Involvement of the government during the design, implementation and monitoring phases is critical to ensure alignment with government priorities and increase the likelihood of government ownership and adoption.
3: Design solutions that can be financially sustainable. Innovations must be cost-effective to enable scale, adoption into government systems and long-term sustainability.
4: Set up procurement systems to foster an environment conducive to innovation. Governments should align procurement systems to support engagement with service providers for testing innovative solutions in education.
5: Ensure quality during scaling process. Governments and non-state actors should work together to identify the factors that influence the success of scaling efforts and develop targeted strategies to maintain intervention quality and effectiveness throughout the expansion process.
6: Develop strong monitoring and evaluation systems. Strong monitoring and evaluation of pilots is crucial to demonstrate the outcomes and impact of the solutions being tested.
7: Collaborate for success. Non-state actors, governments, educational institutions, and communities should foster effective partnerships and collaborations by sharing experiences, resources, and expertise.

Author

• Raymond Chipfakacha, Higherlife Foundation