Increasing Accountability to Boost Learning Outcomes: A Reflection on Ghana’s Systems Strengthening Journey

• In Event: Improving and Sustaining Learning Outcomes through Systems Strengthening: Why, How, and the Journey

Proposal

This presentation will discuss the implementation of Strengthening Accountability in Ghana’s Education System (SAGES), a five-year initiative funded by USAID. This program is designed to improve primary education service delivery by increasing accountability at all levels in Ghana’s primary education system. The initiative consists of two complementary components: a government-to-government component that consists of direct funding to the Ministry of Education (MOE) to operationalize Ghana’s Education Accountability for Learning Framework and a systems-strengthening intervention that provides technical assistance to the MOE and its agencies to support the implementation of its accountability framework and strengthen the capacity of system actors. The joint implementation of both components, informed by a robust research process, aims to catalyze sustainable transformation and improve system-level administration and accountability in more than 1,200 primary schools in Ghana.

SAGES employs a dual-pronged approach to systems strengthening. At the national and subnational levels, the initiative is working on top-down accountability by increasing regional- and district-level supervision of schools, reducing teacher absenteeism, improving teachers’ ability to teach, and ensuring the regular assessment of student learning. At the local level, SAGES is working with school communities and civil society organizations on bottom-up accountability. By strengthening school management committees through democratic elections and introducing community scorecards, the program is increasing awareness about the importance of education and mobilizing parents and community leaders to hold schools accountable. Through more robust education systems and increased citizen engagement, SAGES aims to improve both teaching and learning outcomes. Progress toward this objective is being measured through regular student assessments and monitored by school management committees.

During this session, the system strengthening intervention and Ghana’s Ministry of Education will discuss the rationale for an increased focus on system accountability and the program’s track record after two years of implementation, including challenges faced and addressed. Presenters will discuss how the program’s technical approach is informed by a large-scale school profile and gender analysis as well as a baseline assessment. Finally, the session will highlight the initiative’s efforts to promote data-informed decision making by supporting the development of an education accountability framework dashboard, and by digitizing accountability mechanisms and school inspection data collection. Presenters will use the session as an opportunity to seek inputs from the audience on lessons learned in the implementation of similar interventions, which will inform the program’s remaining three years of implementation and research.

Author

• FREDERICK BIRIKORANG, Ghana Education Service Headquarters