Education Decentralization Support Activity (EDSA) Third Quarterly Report (April-June 2009)

The program works intensively in six districts and divisions to implement MoEST decentralization policies and systems. Lessons learned from the operationalization of decentralization tools are fed back to the MoEST for system refinement, scaling up, and national replication. The EDSA program supports the goals and activities outlined in the Government of Malawi's Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) by identifying factors that promote and negate effective education decentralization at the district and sub-district level. This information is used to refine and promote systems and policies that work to promote education efficiency. EDSA also contributes to the National Education Sector Plan (NESP) goals, including promoting NESP as the main reference for Government Education planning, identifying and clarifying educational management roles, strengthening monitoring and evaluation throughout the system, and assisting primary and secondary directorates, decentralized authorities, and communities to ensure effective decentralization and community ownership and participation. The EDSA program is divided into three main components: Component 1, which focuses on strengthening MoEST policy and strategy articulation, interpretation, and implementation; Component 2, which aims to improve decentralization implementation, planning, and data utilization for informed decision-making; and Component 3, which enhances the role and participation of communities in monitoring education service delivery. The program works closely with MoEST departments, SWAp advisors, and civil society organizations to achieve its objectives. During the third quarter of 2009 (April-June), EDSA made significant progress in implementing its activities. In Component 1, EDSA developed policy briefs on decentralization, HIV/AIDS, and School Health and Nutrition, established an information feedback loop, and coordinated with MoEST departments and SWAp advisors to contribute to the achievement of the MoEST annual workplan. In Component 2, EDSA provided technical assistance to develop the NESP Overarching Framework, reviewed and refined the NESP M&E framework and strategy, and participated in Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and coordinated with MoEST SWAp advisors to ensure EDSA's technical assistance complements SWAp technical assistance. EDSA's work presents a unique opportunity to USAID, MoEST, and other development partners to gain more insight into how a projectized system of technical assistance may be operationalized within a SWAp approach. EDSA's approach has been to integrate its activities into the education sector framework, focusing on operationalizing MoEST policies, guidelines, and strategies within the Government of Malawi decentralization framework. This has been done by deriving EDSA's annual workplan from activities outlined in the MoEST programs of work, ensuring that activities focus on directly contributing to the MoEST planned targeted results. In the next quarter, EDSA plans to undertake an inventory of education decentralization documents, map out current planning, budgeting, management practices, and resource flows governing education, provide technical assistance to MoEST to further risk mitigation and policy refinement capability, and work with counterparts to design and implement risk mitigation and decentralization. EDSA will also collect information on the usage of NSCPMPS over the course of the first year of EDSA involvement at the district level, initiate data collection for decentralization research activity, dialogue with HIV and SHN Focal Points on the status of national guidelines and strategies, and participate in TWGs and provide input into Programs of Work on a continual basis.