Country-led aid coordination in Ghana

But given the size of the reforms envisioned and the level of development support promised, the MOE soon realized the need to make major changes in the way it managed external funding. This paper, written by the Education Minister who administered the FCUBE from 1993-1997, explores how the MOE external funding management system was transformed in that period. Essentially, this took place through a series of ad hoc meetings in which donors began to communicate as a group with the minister, who, in turn, began to assume the lead in the funding management. By 2/97, the MOE had institutionalized a mechanism (the Government of Ghana-Funding Agency Consultative Panel -- GOG-FACP)) for the coordination of aid for basic education, which reduced low priority programs and ensured better planning of aid missions and less duplication of effort. Several lessons were learned from the experience. (1) Strong political leadership, at every level and every stage, is essential in formulating goals, plans, and implementation strategies, as there are always those ready to criticize without suggesting alternative solutions. (2) Funding agencies need clear guidance from host country governments so that they have a better chance of getting approval to provide funding. Funding agencies also appreciate a well-organized means of communicating with one another, which prevents them from duplicating one another"s efforts or working outside of the host country"s interests. (3) A single implementation unit for procuring and disbursing the funds of every donor is more efficient than assigning each donor its own implementation unit. (4) Building a forum for ministry officials, funding agency representatives, and other stakeholders in the education system is a gradual process; the GOG-FACP was the institutional culmination of a working relationship that evolved over a 4-year period, beginning with the ad hoc meetings. Appendices include: a timeline of aid coordination events and other education reform events; key issues raised at the 7/94 Ministry Funding Agency Forum; areas identified for in-depth analysis at the 2/95 status review; elements of a sector strategy proposed at the 5/95 workshop; FCUBE components and responsible ministry divisions and units; and references.