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EdData II

Information for Education Policy, Planning, Management, and Accountability in Ghana: Report of Findings of the Data Capacity Assessment of Ghanas Education Sector, June 2011

EdData II Technical and Managerial Assistance, Task Number 11 Contract Number EHC-E-11-04-00004-00 Strategic Objective 3 19 September 2011 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by a team of RTI International staff and consultants.

Information for Education Policy, Planning, Management, and Accountability in Ghana:

Report of Findings of the Data Capacity Assessment of Ghanas Education Sector, June 2011

Prepared for United States Agency for International Development Prepared by Jennifer E. Spratt, Christopher Cummiskey, and Amy Mulcahy-Dunn, RTI International;

and Helen Perry, Consultant RTI International 3040 Cornwallis Road Post Office Box 12194 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194 RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.

The authors views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

Information for Education Policy Planning, iii Management, and Accountability in Ghana

Table of Contents List of Tables ......................................................................................................................... vi

List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... vi

Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................ vii

Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................... viii

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 1

1. Purpose and Objectives of the Assessment ..................................................................... 1

2. Approach and Methods Employed .................................................................................... 2

2.1 Data collection and fieldwork ....................................................................................... 2 2.1.1 Document review ............................................................................................ 3 2.1.2 Interviews with principal users of education sector data and

information ..................................................................................................... 3 2.1.3 Interviews with managers of data and information systems............................. 4 2.1.4 Guiding questions ........................................................................................... 4

2.2 Analysis process ........................................................................................................ 4

2.3 Limitations ................................................................................................................... 5

3. Ghanas Medium-Term Planning Context ......................................................................... 6

3.1 Overview of Ghanas current education goals and objectives ...................................... 6

3.2 Education management structure and the policy-planning-management-review cycle............................................................................................................................ 7 3.2.1 Management structures .................................................................................. 7 3.2.2 New standard-setting and advisory agencies .................................................. 8 3.2.3 The medium-term planning process ................................................................ 9

3.3 Commitment to information-based performance management .................................. 10

3.4 USAIDs education strategy directions ...................................................................... 12

4. Findings on Data and Information Needs and Uses ........................................................ 15

4.1 Information for strategic functions: Needs, sources and challenges .......................... 15 4.1.1 Ghana's framing of strategic information for the education sector ................. 16 4.1.2 Use of information in national medium-term and annual planning ................. 18 4.1.3 Resource allocations, funding formulas, and deprived districts ..................... 23 4.1.4 System performance management and evaluation ....................................... 26

4.2 Information for operational functions ......................................................................... 29 4.2.1 District management of national-level requests for data and

information ................................................................................................... 29 4.2.2 Decentralized planning and budgeting .......................................................... 31

iv Information for Education Policy, Planning, Management, and Accountability in Ghana

4.2.3 Financial management .................................................................................. 34 4.2.4 Teacher deployment, management, and capacity development .................... 37 4.2.5 Teaching and learning curriculum and materials ........................................... 38 4.2.6 School management ..................................................................................... 38

4.3 Information for accountability .................................................................................... 41 4.3.1 Accountability and system management ....................................................... 41 4.3.2 Accountability to the broader public .............................................................. 43

5. Overview of Key Existing Information Systems for Basic and Secondary Education ....... 48

5.1 Education Management Information System (EMIS) ................................................. 49

5.2 Student learning assessment and examinations data systems .................................. 53

5.3 GES Budget and financial management information systems ................................... 58 5.3.1 Customized ActiveX database for budget development ................................ 59 5.3.2 Managing data on expenditures and for resource distribution ....................... 61 5.3.3 Government Integrated Financial Management Information System

(GIFMIS) ...................................................................................................... 62

5.4 GES human resources information management ...................................................... 62 5.4.1 Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database (IPPD) ...................................... 63 5.4.2 HRMD paper-based systems ........................................................................ 66

5.5 Other Education sector approaches to managing strategic and operational information ................................................................................................................ 67 5.5.1 Basic Education Division ............................................................................... 68 5.5.2 Curriculum Reform and Development and Supplies and Logistics

Divisions ...................................................................................................... 68 5.5.3 Secondary Education Division ...................................................................... 68 5.5.4 District and Regional Education Office efforts ............................................... 69

5.6 Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) census and survey information systems ................. 69 5.6.1 Population and Housing Census ................................................................... 70 5.6.2 Household and labor surveys ........................................................................ 71

6. Conclusions and Recommendations .............................................................................. 74

6.1 General conclusions .................................................................................................. 74

6.2 How well do Ghana's data systems support and inform the development and implementation of education sector policies, plans, and strategies? .......................... 75 6.2.1 For strategic functions (development of policies, plans, and strategies) ........ 75 6.2.2 For operational functions (implementation) ................................................... 78 6.2.3 Special focus on EMIS .................................................................................. 82

6.3 How well do Ghana's data and information systems provide a basis for coordinating and aligning external assistance and development partners activities in support of education? ............................................................................. 85

Information for Education Policy Planning, v Management, and Accountability in Ghana

6.4 How well do Ghana's data and information systems and capacities support and inform the development and implementation of USAIDs five-year strategy? ................................................................................................................... 86

6.5 How well do Ghana's data and information systems produce data to report on progress in the education sector, including evaluating and reporting on the outcomes and impacts of USAID assistance? ........................................................... 88 6.5.1 Sector-wide performance and performance standards .................................. 88 6.5.2 Evaluation of classroom process .................................................................. 89 6.5.3 Evaluation of student learning ....................................................................... 89 6.5.4 Evaluation of community engagement and accountability ............................. 89

6.6 Summary of recommendations of the Data Capacity Assessment ............................ 90

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1: Terms of Reference (Scope of Work: Education Data Capacity Assessment Pilot Country Effort, Ghana, 01 April31 July 2011)

Attachment 2: Documents Consulted Attachment 3: Persons Contacted Attachment 4: List of Questions and Discussion Topics (Ghana Data Capacity

Assessment: General Study Questions to Be Pursued Through Document Review, Interviews, and Data Set Review)

Attachment 5: Sample Policy Cost Matrix Attachment 6: Sample ADEOP FormsDistrict Expenditure Forms for Zonal Meeting Attachment 7: Sample MTEF Forms Attachment 8: Sample Completed MTEF for One District Attachment 9: Sample of Capitation Grant Expenditure Information Provided by

Schools Attachment 10: Sample Monthly Expenditure Report for One Region Attachment 11: Sample School Report Card Attachment 12: Sample EMIS School Report Attachment 13: Sample DEO-Developed Form for Collecting School Data

vi Information for Education Policy, Planning, Management, and Accountability in Ghana

List of Tables Table 1. Ghanas Education Sector Plan: Policy objectives by thematic areas ...................... 7

Table 2. Annual planning, budgeting, and monitoring cycle of activities (2010) ..................... 9

Table 3. Education objectives and indicators ........................................................................17

Table 4. Cost of meeting Aide Memoire and AESOP priorities, 20112013 ..........................21

Table 5. Summary of study findings and analysis of the EMIS .............................................49

Table 6. Summary of study findings and analysis of the National Educational Assessment (NEA) system .....................................................................................54

Table 7. Summary of study findings and analysis of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) data system .................................................................................57

Table 8. Summary of study findings and analysis of the ActiveX data system as used by GES for the Ministry of Education ......................................................................59

Table 9. Summary of study findings and analysis of the GES Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database (IPPD) ..................................................................................63

Table 10. Summary of study findings on Ghanas National Population Census ......................70

Table 11. Summary of study findings on key household surveys conducted in Ghana (GLSS, GDHS, and MICS) .....................................................................................72

Table 12. Summary of recommendations of the Data Capacity Assessment ..........................90

List of Figures Figure 1. Diagram of the framework for data capacity assessment ......................................... 2

Figure 2. Capitation grant enrollment figures from Greater Accra schools .............................35

Information for Education Policy Planning, vii Management, and Accountability in Ghana

Acknowledgments This work was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Education Data for Decision Making (EdData II) project, Task Order 11.

The study was conducted and the report prepared by Jennifer Spratt, EdData II Technical Advisor, RTI International; Helen Perry, Consultant; Chris Cummiskey, EdData II Staff, RTI; and Amy Mulcahy-Dunn, EdData II Director, RTI. Any errors and omissions, which are inevitable in a paper of this type, are the responsibility of the authors.

The assistance of the USAID/Ghana education team of Bob Davidson, Meredith Fox, Emmanuel Mensah-Ackman, Luis Tolley, and Marisol Perez is gratefully acknowledged. The thoughtfulness and patience of all Ghanaian and development partner key informants with whom we met are also much appreciated. Special thanks go to Emilia Aning, Director of the Ministry of Educations Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation unit (MOE/PBME), for hosting our team; the UK Department for International Development (DFID) education team led by Rachel Hinton, which hosted a small joint meeting of development partners; Kwame Agyapong Apiadu Agyen (MOE/PBME Development Partner Coordinator), who provided immeasurable assistance in lining up key interviews with busy people, in addition to sharing his own knowledge and experience of the Education Sector Performance Review process; Godwin Addo, Ghana Education Service/National Examinations Coordinator; and Ernest Otoo, MOE/PBME, who accompanied us on visits to District Education Offices and schools.

viii Information for Education Policy, Planning, Management, and Accountability in Ghana

Abbreviations ADEA Association for Development of Education in Africa ADEOP Annual District Education Operational Plan ADPR Annual District Performance Report ADSR Annual District Sector Review AESOP Annual Education Sector Operational Plan AF Administration and Finance AG Accountant General AREOP Annual Regional Education Operational Plan ARPR Annual Regional Performance Report ARSR Annual Regional Sector Review ASU Assessment Services Unit AUDEM Advisory Unit on Decentralized Education Management BECAS Basic Education Comprehensive Assessment System BECE Basic Education Certificate Examination BED Basic Education Division BoG Board of Governors CAGD Controller and Accountant General Department CBO community-based organization CCT conditional cash transfer COTVET Council for TVET CRDD Curriculum Research and Development Division CREATE Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions & Equity CSA civil service agency CWIQ Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire DACF District Assembly Common Fund DDG-AQ Deputy Director General for Access and Quality DEO District Education Office DEOC District Education Oversight Committee DFID Department for International Development, UK DG Director General DMCS Data Management and Communication Strengthening DP Development Partner DWAP District-Wide Assistance Project ED Examinations Division EdData II Education Data for Decision Making project EDI EFA Development Index EFA Education for All EMIS education management information system

Information for Education Policy Planning, ix Management, and Accountability in Ghana

ERP Economic Reform Program ERRC Education Reform Review Committee ESAR Education Sector Annual Review ESP Education Strategic Plan ESPR Education Sector Performance Report fCUBE free Compulsory Universal Basic Education FM Financial Management FTI Fast Track Initiative GAR gross admission rate GDA Global Development Alliance GDHS Ghana Demographic and Health Survey GDP gross domestic product GEA Ghana Education Act GEDP Ghana Education Decentralization Project GER gross enrollment ratio GES Ghana Education Service GET-Fund Ghana Education Trust Fund GIFMIS Government Integrated Financial Management Information System GIS geographical information system GLSS Ghana Living Standards Survey GNAT Ghana National Association of Teachers GNI gross national income GoG Government of Ghana GPC Ghana Population Census GPI Gender Parity Index GPRS Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy GRATIS Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology Industrial Service GSFP Ghana School Feeding Program GSGDA Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda GSS Ghana Statistical Service HDI Human Development Index HE higher education HEI Higher Education Institute HIPC heavily indebted poor country HIV/AIDS human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome HND Higher National Diploma HQ headquarters HRMD human resources management and development HRPT Hard to Reach and Post Terrain ICT information and communication technology ID identification; also Inspectorate Division

x Information for Education Policy, Planning, Management, and Accountability in Ghana

IMF International Monetary Fund IPA Innovations for Poverty Action IPPD Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database IQR inter-quartile range ISE Inclusive and Special Education JHS junior high school JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency KG kindergarten KNUST Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology LAN Local area network LEAP Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty LES less-endowed school MDA Ministry Departments and Agencies MDBS multidonor budget support MDG Millennium Development Goal MDRI Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative MEO Municipal Education Office MESW Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare MICS Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey MLGRD Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development MMDAs Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies MOE Ministry of Education MOESS Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport MOFEP Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning MoLG Ministry of Local Government MP Member of Parliament MTEF Medium-Term Expenditure Framework NAB National Accreditation Board NADA National Data Archive NALAP National Literacy Acceleration Programme NAR net admission rate NCCA National Council for Curriculum and Assessment NCTE National Council for Tertiary Education NDC National Democratic Congress NDPC National Development Planning Commission NEA National Education Assessment NER net enrollment ratio NESAR National Education Sector Annual Review NFE Non-Formal Education NGO nongovernmental organization NIB National Inspectorate Board

Information for Education Policy Planning, xi Management, and Accountability in Ghana

NTC National Teaching Council NYEP National Youth Employment Program OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development PA Parents association PBME Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, and Evaluation (unit) PCE per child recurrent expenditure PE personnel emolument PER Public Expenditure Review PESPR Preliminary Education Sector Performance Report PMT Performance Monitoring Test PPS Pilot Programmatic Scheme PRS Poverty Reduction Strategies PTE per teacher recurrent expenditure PTLMR pupil to Teaching and Learning Materials Ratio PTR pupil-teacher ratio PTTR pupil-to-trained-teacher ratio RECOUP Research Consortium on Educational Outcome and Poverty REDATAM + SP REtrieval of DATa for Small Areas by Microcomputer REO Regional Education Office SEA School Educational Assessment SED Secondary Education Division SHEP School Health Education Programme SHS senior high school SMC School Management Committee SPAM School Performance Assessment Meeting SPIP School Performance Improvement Plan SQL Structured Query Language SRC School Report Card SRIMPR Statistics, Research, Information Management, and Public Relations (unit) SSA sub-Saharan Africa SSSCE Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination SWOT strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats TCAI Teacher Community Assistant Initiative TED Teacher Education Division TIMSS Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TVED Technical and Vocational Education Division TVET technical and vocational education and training UBC Universal Basic Completion UBE Universal Basic Education UCC University of Cape Coast UIS UNESCO Institute for Statistics

xii Information for Education Policy, Planning, Management, and Accountability in Ghana

UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNICEF United Nations Childrens Fund UPC Universal Primary Completion USAID United States Agency for International Development WAEC West African Examinations Council WASSCE West African Senior School Certificate Examination WB World Bank WUSC World University Service of Canada

Information for Education Policy, Planning, ES-1 Management, and Accountability in Ghana

Executive Summary This report presents the findings of a data capacity assessment funded under the United States Agency for International Developments (USAIDs) Education Data for Decision Making project (EdData II). The Ghana assessment, joining parallel pilot studies carried out by EdData II teams in the Philippines and Mozambique, contributes to a larger effort to develop and stabilize a useful framework and methodology for future data capacity assessments in other countries. Given USAIDs focus on basic education support going forward, the Ghana assessment placed special emphasis on basic education (i.e., kindergarten, primary school, and junior high school).

Overview of study purpose, objectives, and methodology

The purpose of the assessment was to evaluate the data needs of Ghanas education sector, and the capacity of existing data systems to produce the information necessary to develop education sector policy and plans, implement them, and evaluate their progress. An additional objective was to examine the extent to which data systems in Ghana can be used to monitor, evaluate and report on the performance and impact of USAID interventions in the education sector.

An international team of four people carried out the study, using a combination of literature review, interviews with both users and producers of information, review of system documents and reports, and structured analysis of the material thus gathered.

Specifically, the assessment team investigated, drew conclusions, and posed recommendations relating to: the strategic, operational, and accountability functions of the education sector, and

how well existing data systems that supply information on basic and secondary education support these functions;

strengths and weaknesses of existing data systems, including whether and how education actors and stakeholders actually make use of these systems and the information they contain; and

areas for improvement in data and information coverage, accessibility, efficiency, and utilization.

Principal study findings

Strategic uses of data. The team found that well-documented, information-rich sector analysis supported the policy decisions of the 2008 Education Act and the elaboration of the ESP 2010-2020. The annual review process is also efficient and evidence-based, focusing on a selected core set of key indicators. Annual and medium-term planning and budgeting at the national level rely heavily on data from the EMIS, joined by expenditures projections, current resource allocations, prioritized policy goals, and centrally derived budget ceilings driven by resource allocation formulae. Considerable

ES-2 Information for Education Policy, Planning, Management, and Accountability in Ghana

and extensive effort is spent each year to collect, organize, and review information about the education system, culminating in the Education Sector Performance Report (ESPR) and the National Education Sector Annual Review (NESAR). Development partners collaborate closely and effectively with government on the review process. Weaknesses noted in the process included: limited analysis of disparities among districts, even though this topic is high priority

for Ghana; limited analysis of relationships among access, quality, and cost; reliance on sometimes dated secondary sources, even when more current data were

available for primary analysis; lack of cost-effectiveness analysis or tracking of funding and actual expenditures at

the central level, including household and other non-government contributions; limited number of high-quality research studies carefully planned, commissioned, and

overseen by the MOE; and absence of an efficient system for gathering, compiling, and tracking activities and

contributions of development partners at local as well as national levels.

Operational uses. Key data and information systems used for education sector operations and policy implementation include human resource management and financial management systems, the EMIS database, and a number of ad hoc systems. District and regional operational planning and budgeting are able to build on performance and expenditures data and information from previous years, following a process that parallels national-level planning, with annual reviews, projections, and budget preparation. An ActiveX-based system is the repository for resulting budgets, and serves as a basis for the following years budget exercise.

Data challenges found in the operations area included: General lack of confidence in the accuracy and timeliness of data in the EMIS school

census and database for operational management purposes; Absence of a nationally standardized system for quickly producing robust beginning-

of-the-year enrollment and teacher numbers, despite clear demand for rapidly available, current data from a variety of users;

Overlapping and highly duplicative information and data systemsthat is, central divisions that need data tend to descend upon districts in an uncoordinated manner, resulting in multiple data collections, reports, and inefficiency of effort;

Lack of routine, systematic data verification processes for either EMIS data or other information collected from DEOs;

Highly variable technical abilities and understanding of EMIS data usage among DEO staff, despite their critical role in operational management and the provision of information on schools; and


A surprising degree of paper-based and manual data transmission even by critical departments such as the GES Administration and Finance and Human Resources Management Divisions.

Accountability. The assessment team explored the use of data and information for transparency and accountability among the various levels of the education sector and with the public being served. It also considered whether stakeholders perceived the information shared to be accurate and unbiased. At the district and school levels, a recently introduced School Report Card system shows promise as a tool for local education managers and the broader community on school process and performance.

Accountability issues that the team noted included Problems with instrument quality and comparability over time of national and local

assessments of student performance (NEA and SEA); Inconsistent use of assessment results for programming improvements; Near absence of detailed expenditure information tracked and made readily available

at the national level; and Inconsistency across districts and schools regarding activities such as posting budgets

and expenditures, using tracking charts to monitor and support teacher performance, and involving the community (School Management Committee, PTA) in education oversight.

Review of available data and information systems. The assessment team also examined the features, overall performance, and potential areas for improvement of four key categories of information systems:

EMIS, the sector's principal source of official statistics on pre-university educational institutions;

the NEA and other student performance systems; Financial management and budget systems; and Human resource management systems.

EMIS. The annually updated EMIS database provides comprehensive data and official statistics on schools for national-level reports and planning meetings. In principle, the EMIS should also be the primary source of operational management data for the system. As a key source of data and information for the sector, the reliability of the EMIS is of great importance. In recent years, important strides have been made to improve the utility of data reports and to decentralize a number of EMIS database management functions and increasing capacity of DEO statistics and planning staff to handle the data at their level.

Nonetheless, the consistency, reliability, and accessibility of EMIS data and reporting are regularly called into question by central GES managers and development partners, leading to multiple parallel data collections. Development partners also lament the


limited transparency and availability of disaggregated data in a form that would encourage secondary analysis. Standard EMIS reports present data and indicators in a number of different formats, but without providing in-depth trend analysis or readily accessible comparisons of differences in inputs or performance between regions or districts. EMIS reports present information in the form of pre-processed indicators only for the most part, often with little analysis of apparent anomalous information, and only partial presentation of the base data underlying some indicators. No standard data verification procedures are in place. Finally, funding to manage and maintain the system is erratic, despite annual preparation of a detailed budget. Often, development partners have been obliged to come to the rescue, in order to obtain the EMIS data.

NEA and other performance measurement systems. Ghana has demonstrated its commitment to measuring student learning in a rigorous manner over time, through efforts for local and district performance monitoring and formative evaluation such as the Performance Monitoring Test (PMT) and the School Educational Assessment (SEA); periodic, sample-based country-wide assessments such as NEA; participation in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) program; and participation in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

The NEA's limited sampling frame constrains the sector's ability to assess performance at subnational levels; sampling inconsistencies have also complicated appropriate weighting. There is unknown comparability of NEA test instruments over time, with testing carried out at different moments of the academic year, therefore limiting the validity of inferences made from observed trends. The NEA also suffers from significant time lags between data collection and dissemination. WAEC scores, particularly in their raw form, are not routinely available for external analysis, while annually normed scores do not permit trend analysis.

Financial management and budgeting systems. The MOE and GES use financial data systems that, once fully operational and decentralized, should provide the education system with accurate, accessible data at all levels of decentralization. Current systems include a customized ActiveX-platform database system (used for annual budgeting and preparation of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework [MTEF]); and monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting, done manually, by every entity receiving public funds (for the accounting of expenditures). A new government-wide system, the Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System (GIFMIS), will combine budget and expenditures data into a single database, ultimately replacing ActiveX and the current manual expenditures tracking system, thereby allowing finance departments to track and compare expenditures against budgets.

Across financial systems, a key problem noted in financial data collection and management was manual preparation of financial records, which causes duplication of effort and prevents use of automated functions within the existing electronic systems, opening the door to avoidable human calculation errors. In addition, budgeting and expenditure tracking processes are not formalized in a way that would ensure they are


systematic, consistent, and comprehensive. The Ghanaian governments commitment to transparency and the requirements of sound fiscal control and efficiency would both be served by more advanced and systematic computerization and the analytical power it affords.

Human resource management systems. The government as a whole maintains an Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database (IPPD), to which the GES links. The IPPD is used for managing information on every government employee officially working for the GES, including both trained and untrained teachers. No equivalent system exists for contract (nongovernment) teachers even though such teachers form a significant proportion of Ghanas basic and secondary education teaching force.

Managing human resources information centrally introduces a host of problems, such as backlogs in the huge volumes of material to be entered (e.g., constant flow of information on new employees, transfers, promotions, leaves, and other status changes); the resulting delays in postings and salary payments; inconsistent monitoring and auditing of changes; and very long lead times to correct errors that are found. These challenges with the GES IPPD are compounded at the DEOs and REOs, where large volumes of human resources records for both government and nongovernment teachers are managed in a purely paper format, such that simply retrieving a specific file can be a challenge.

Key conclusions and recommendations

Ghana has a decades-long tradition of relevant data and information collection and substantial information transparency. The country exhibits a strong appreciation for data, information, research, and evaluation, and the sector has embraced evidence-based planning and decision-making.

Nevertheless, the quality and efficiency of data collection and management are challenged by technical and practical issues, and a certain laissez-faire tendency that has resulted in duplicated efforts and underuse of existing data. The most telling evidence consists of large, inefficient, and uncoordinated paper-based systems; uneven training and equipment for networked data collection and use, both across the Districts and across central Ministry Agencies; and an EMIS that faces serious funding challenges and requires continued improvements in data collection, verification, reporting, and accessibility.

The study's principal recommendations, summarized in the table below against key study questions, are tied to these basic issues and the specific areas for improvement identified.


Summary of recommendations of the Ghana Data Capacity Assessment

RECOMMENDATION FOR GOVERNMENT (with

Development Partners as appropriate)

Developing & implementing

education sector policies, plans,

strategies

Coordinating and aligning assistance to

the sector

Supporting USAID /

Ghanas five-year sector

strategy

Evaluating & reporting

sector progress

Undertake more planful, commissioned research.

Conduct more relational analysis of available data.

Conduct in-depth analysis of disparities in resource distribution across districts.

Carry out analysis of the effectiveness and the cost-effectiveness analysis of programs and interventions.

Study the flow and use of education funding.

Promote use of existing data where adequate and appropriate.

Continue capacity strengthening of DEOs as critical links for all information systems.

Carry out HR records digitization in stages, piloting in a few districts.

Pilot decentralized IPPD input centers.

Create an all-staff education sector HR database directly updatable by districts.

Ground School Feeding Program decisions in data.

Establish a standard, start-of-school-year snap census.

Improve availability of information in useful forms.

Provide greater transparency and accessibility of the EMIS database

Continue to strengthen DEO and REO Statistics staff capacity.


RECOMMENDATION FOR GOVERNMENT (with

Development Partners as appropriate)

Developing & implementing

education sector policies, plans,

strategies

Coordinating and aligning assistance to

the sector

Supporting USAID /

Ghanas five-year sector

strategy

Evaluating & reporting

sector progress

Stabilize secure government funding for EMIS activities, while pursuing more cost-effective means of recuperating entered data.

Streamline the EMIS school census. Improve data accuracy through strengthened data verification routines.

District publication of the EMIS Basic School Report for local feedback and data verification.

Strenuously pursue 100% coverage of schools in the EMIS database.

Speed transmission of EMIS program updates and data.

Establish an Education Intervention Coordination Dashboard.

Information for Education Policy, Planning, 1 Management, and Accountability in Ghana

1. Purpose and Objectives of the Assessment Ghanas education sector has set high goals and objectives regarding educational access, equity, and quality, and their social and economic relevance. The context for these intentions includes a commitment to and expectations of transparent governance, and competing priorities for limited resources. Responsible leaders and actors in the sector need reliable and timely information to (1) make sound decisions, (2) carry out actions efficiently and effectively, and (3) build and maintain the support and trust of stakeholders and citizens.

The present assessment examines the extent to which existing data and information management systems and capacities available to Ghanas education sector are fulfilling each of these three broad functions, in the pursuit of stated goals and objectives.

This data capacity assessment of Ghanas education sector, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Education Data for Decision Making (EdData II) project, is intended to determine how well Ghanas data systems serve the following purposes: Informing and supporting the development and implementation of the countrys

education sector policies, plans, and strategies; Providing the basis for coordinating and aligning external assistance and development

partners activities in support of the education sector; Underpinning the development of USAIDs five-year country strategy; and Producing data to report on progress in the education sector, including evaluating and

reporting on the outcomes and impacts of USAID assistance.

The assessment process (see Terms of Reference, Attachment 1) was designed to identify strengths and shortcomings of existing data systems, in terms of both content and quality. The assessment team investigated how well the systems support the strategic, operational, and accountability functions, as well as whether and how actors and other stakeholders actually make use of these systems and the information they contain. In turn, the assessment identified areas for improvement in data and information coverage, accessibility, efficiency, and utilization; this report offers specific recommendations.

The impetus for the assessment is fueled by USAIDs objective to improve the relevance and evidence basis of USAID missions five-year country education strategies, as well as their alignment with host-country goals and priorities and their use of host-country systems, in keeping with the Paris Principles and the Accra Agenda for Action (OECD, 2005/2008; see Attachment 2 for a complete list of documents consulted). In the case of Ghana, given USAIDs focus on basic education support going forward, the assessment placed special emphasis on basic education (i.e., kindergarten, primary school, and junior high school).

2 Information for Education Policy, Planning, Management, and Accountability in Ghana

The Ghana assessment, joining parallel pilot studies carried out by EdData II teams in the Philippines and Mozambique, also contributes to a larger effort to develop and stabilize a sound, effective framework and methodology for future data capacity assessments in other countries.

2. Approach and Methods Employed The starting point for the data capacity assessment of Ghanas education sector was the initial overall framework developed by the EdData II project. This frameworksimplified in Figure 1examines five large action areas and three principal questions.

Figure 1. Diagram of the framework for data capacity assessment

Source: RTI / EdData II (2011a), Data capacity assessment draft framework.

The full framework (RTI / EdData II, 2011) offers broad justification and more detailed information on the overall approach. The adaptation and application of the framework in the Ghanaian context are described below.

2.1 Data collection and fieldwork Principal data collection methods that the assessment team employed in Ghana were (1) document review; (2) interviews with actors and stakeholders representing both users and producers; and (3) interviews with managers of data and information systems.

Priority Setting

Policy Formulation and

Plan Development

Allocation and Alignment of

Resources

Management & Monitoring of

Implementation

Review and Reporting on

Progress Which data are available?

How good are they?

Which data are actually used?


2.1.1 Document review The team reviewed relevant sector policy, planning, strategy and project documents to determine the types of data on which they relied and the extent to which specific data were referenced. They also examined forms and outputs from various data systems (data collection instruments, statistical reports, expenditure reports) and other documents (policy analyses, annual review documents, evaluation reports, special studies) to determine the type of data being made available and the ways in which it was being used. Documents consulted fell into the following categories: Government of Ghana (GoG) and Ministry of Education (MOE) strategic documents MOE and Ghana Education Service (GES) operational plans and performance reports MOE education management information system (EMIS) documentation and related

information MOE information systems related to human resources management and development

(HRMD) MOE-sponsored instruments and reports on student and school performance GoG and MOE financial management instruments and systems information Other data collection instruments developed by GES units, District Education Offices

(DEOs), etc. Evaluations of the education sector and its information systems Census and survey instruments USAID documents Other development partnersprogram and project descriptions.

As noted above, a full list of documents consulted is provided in Attachment 2.

2.1.2 Interviews with principal users of education sector data and information The team interviewed a variety of consumers of education data and information that they use to carry out their strategic, operational, and accountability functions in the sector. These included education decision-makers, managers and technical staff of key ministry departments, GES central offices and departments, and a few decentralized structures (one Regional Education Office [REO], DEOs, and one school); USAID and other development partners active in the education sector; and independent civil society organizations involved in education sector research. These interviews explored actors experiences and observations with regard to (1) the sources, availability, and quality of data and information needed in education policy and planning, implementation, evaluation, and accountability; and (2) how data and information are used to inform these processes. A full list of information users contacted is provided in Attachment 3.


2.1.3 Interviews with managers of data and information systems Team members also led interviews and work sessions with the producers of data and information, namely: technical officers responsible for managing key education data systems (EMIS,

Financial Management [FM], Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database [IPPD], the West African Examinations Council [WAEC], and National Education Assessment [NEA]);

DEO and REO staff charged with collecting and managing EMIS, human resources, School Report Cards (SRCs), and financial management data at district and regional levels; and

the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

The purpose was to understand how data are maintained, what quality control measures are in place, how data analyses and reports are produced and disseminated, and how requests for information are addressed.

Along with the information users, a full list of information producers contacted is provided in Attachment 3.

2.1.4 Guiding questions The broader framework also offers a series of illustrative questions on each area of action and on data quality and management. These questions, adapted to Ghana, guided both document review and interviews. The adapted lists of questions are provided in Attachment 4.

2.2 Analysis process The team analyzed the material gathered through the document review and interviews, categorizing not only by source and nature of the material, but also by the broad functions and specific domains being addressed, and by level(s) of application (national and/or decentralized).

The broad functions by which the team organized the material are the following: 1. Strategic functions data and information for priority-setting, policy

formulation, strategic planning and budgeting; allocation of resources and services; and the evaluation of impact.

2. Operational functions data and information for programming of activities; operational budgeting; distribution of resources and services; progress and performance monitoring.

3. Accountability functions data and information for communication toward stakeholders on the use of public resources and the effectiveness of policies and programs.


The domains of information explored included: Demand for education Financial management, including budget and expenditures Teacher management and development Teaching and learning curriculum and materials Student outcomes School and system management and performance.

A series of working tables assisted in the analysis process. Separate tables addressed the relationship of the broad functions of the sector to the types of data and

information within each domain required to carry out these functions, and the ways in which these data and information are used by sector actors;

the content and processes of key data management and information systems of the sector; and the adequacy of these systems to provide the information needed.

As intended, this process revealed gaps in data and information content and availability, reliability, timeliness, efficiency of production, and use.

2.3 Limitations The application of the data capacity assessment framework in Ghana, as elsewheregiven a finite time frame and level of effortrequired that choices be made relative to the breadth and depth of study. It was not possible to conduct a comprehensive review of every data system and every piece of potentially relevant data, or to take into account the points of view of every actor with an interest in the education sector. Likewise, in-depth empirical tests of data reliability were not part of the scope of this study. Thus, data quality was not directly assessed, although team members noted inconsistencies and perceptions of quality problems where observed, and this report offers their recommendations for strengthening the quality of data going forward.

Priority was given to those aspects of data availability and use which experience indicates are most critical to effective sector management, namely data on: resource allocations and funding formulae equity in the distribution of inputs analysis of learning achievement gender distinctions evidence of realistic goal setting sources of funding and programs, both government and external measures of implementation progress/success.


Finally, as stated earlier, this data capacity assessment focused predominantly on the basic education subsector (kindergarten, primary and junior high school), in keeping with both Ghanas and USAIDs emphasis on this subsector for development interventions going forward.

3. Ghanas Medium-Term Planning Context Ghanas education sector has seen phenomenal growth in access to education and gender equity of access since Independence. According to the EMIS, in 20092010, over 3 million children were enrolled in 14,000 public primary schools and over 700,000 in 5000 private schools, for a primary gross enrollment rate (GER) estimated at nearly 95%. Along with enrollments, primary completion rates have steadily improved. Junior high schools in 20092010 held over 1 million children in nearly 8000 public schools, and over 200,000 children in nearly 3000 private schools. Gender parity was at 0.96 (i.e., the ratio of boys to girls was almost 1:1) in primary schools and 0.92 in junior high schools. Senior high school, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and higher education access indicators have also improved at the national level. Kindergarten and preschool education have expanded substantially. Ghanas expenditures on education as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) are among the highest on the continent.

At the same time, important challenges remain. Educational access and resource distribution have continued to lag in deprived districts despite targeted efforts. With student enrollment growth, the proportion of trained teachers in the system has declined. Student learning outcomes have not consistently improved, as measured by the National Education Assessment carried out in grades 3 and 6 in 2005, 2007, and 2009, as well as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)-Grade 8 results over time.

Ghanas current Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 20102020 and the rolling Annual Education Sector Operational Plans (AESOPs) seek to address these challenges. USAID and other development partners are committed to providing technical and funding support for the realization of these plans. The following sections present a brief overview of Ghanas current education sector goals and objectives; the sectors management structure; and the planning cycle and process, including the involvement of development partners. The last section (Section 3.4) discusses the development of USAIDs country education strategy and medium-term planning for education support going forward, in light of the new agency-wide Education Strategy (USAID/EPTT 2011) and Evaluation Policy (USAID/BPPL, 2011), and the GoGs expressed goals.

3.1 Overview of Ghanas current education goals and objectives Ghanas ESP 20102020 pursues eight broad policy objectives that support socio-humanistic, educational, and economic goals (see Table 1) defined and reflected in the


Ghana Education Act of 2008 (GEA, 2009) and the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA Vol. 1, 2010).

Table 1. Ghanas Education Sector Plan: Policy objectives by thematic areas

Goals Policy Objectives

A: Socio-humanistic (access, equity, welfare)

Improve equitable access to and participation in quality education at all levels.

Bridge gender gap in access to education.

Improve access to quality education for people with disabilities.

Mainstream issues of population, family life, gender, health, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, conflicts, fire and road safety, civic responsibility, human rights, and environment into the curriculum at all levels.

B: Educational (quality, skills development)

Improve quality of teaching and learning.

Promote science and technical education at all levels.

C: Economic (efficiency, effectiveness)

Strengthen links between tertiary education and industry.

Improve management of education service delivery.

Source: ESP 20102020.

It is on the basis of these broad objectives that the annual Education Sector Performance Report (ESPR) is organized, and the resulting Annual Operational Plans (AESOP, Annual Regional Education Operational Plans (AREOPs), Annual District Education Operational Plans (ADEOPs) and monitoring and evaluation plan are formulated. In principle, every intervention proposed in annual and medium-term plans and carried out in the sector is expected to contribute to the realization of one or more of these objectives.

3.2 Education management structure and the policy-planning-management-review cycle

3.2.1 Management structures Ghanas schools and educational institutions are managed through the Ministry of Education, which comprises central administrative and technical departments including Planning, Budget, Monitoring and Evaluation (PBME) and Statistics, Research, Information Management, and Public Relations (SRIMPR), which bears primary responsibility for maintaining the EMIS database; 13 agencies, including the Ghana Education Service with its central Divisions; 10 REOs; and 170 DEOs and Municipal Education Offices (MEOs).


All agencies and decentralized as well as national levels contribute to the policy-planning cycle, as do the sectors development partners.

The GES has the mandate to ensure and coordinate implementation of all policy pertaining to basic education and senior high school education, and to develop all formal pre-tertiary educational curriculum and certification. The GES, overseen by a GES Council appointed by the Public Services Commission, is led by a Director General assisted by two Deputy Director Generals. One Deputy Director General is responsible for access and quality issues (Basic Education Division [BED], Secondary Education Division [SED], Teacher Education Division [TED], Curriculum Research and Development Division [CRDD], Technical and Vocational Education Division [TVED], Examinations Division [ED], and Inspectorate Division [ID]). The other Deputy Director General oversees GES management issues (administration and finance; HRMD; supplies and logistics) (interview with GES Deputy Director General for Access and Quality [DDG-AQ]).

REOs and DEOs are the decentralized emanations of the GES throughout the country. These offices are charged with coordinating and monitoring activities and interventions in the districts, and compiling and transmitting reports (REOs); and with front-line education service delivery planning, budgeting, and implementation (DEOs). REO and DEO structures parallel the MEO-GES structure to some degree, with Planning and Statistics, Financial Management, Human Resources, and Supervision and Monitoring departments.

3.2.2 New standard-setting and advisory agencies The 2008 Education Act brought mandates to reorganize the GES, REO, and DEO structures, and to create three new agencies. Of the new agencies, the National Inspectorate Board (NIB) was the first to be established. The NIB has the mission to provide an independent external evaluation of the quality and standards of educational institutions, and the responsibility

(a) to undertake the inspection of schools, (b) to evaluate, on a periodic basis, the first and second cycle institutions, and (c) to set and enforce standards to be observed at the basic and second cycle levels in both public and private educational institutions. (Education Act 2008 [Act 778], p. 6)

The two other agencies to be created are the National Teaching Council (NTC) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). The NTC is charged with advising on professional practice and ethical standards of teaching and teacher training, and with the registration of teachers meeting the standards established. The NCCA is primarily an advisory council on matters of curriculum, examinations, and assessment.

These three new agencies constitute significant GoG initiatives to develop, maintain, and enforce standards of educational practice and performance. As such, if implemented as designed, in the coming years they will contribute in important ways to the production of


information relating to the quality of system performance and, in turn, to quality improvements.

3.2.3 The medium-term planning process Before the year 2000, the MOE/GES functioned with basic regulations and circulars, with little concerted attention to regular, systematic planning. In 2001 the sector began to develop strategic plans on a regular basis with broad participation. Between 2001 and 2003, structured education planning began to take shape with the introduction of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Framework (see National Development Planning Commission [NDPC], 2010a), and evolved further with the GSGDA (see NDPC, 2010b) and the sectors entry into the Fast Track Initiative. In 2006, Ghanas education sector began preparing AESOPs with attention to results-based management, and conducted district-level school-mapping exercises, with each district developing its own ADEOP (meeting/interview with GES DDG-AQ).

The medium-term planning process follows guidelines set out for all sectors by the NDPC. The Commission has produced separate, detailed guidelines for national-level sectoral monitoring and evaluation (NDPC, 2009), national-level sectoral planning (NDPC, 2010c), district-level planning (NDPC 2010d), and district-level monitoring and evaluation (NDPC 2010e).

The ESP goals and objectives of more equitable access to education, greater educational quality and attention to science and mathematics, information and communication technology (ICT), and inclusive education serve to orient the prioritization of interventions. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA) initiatives, in which Ghana participates, also provide guidance (meeting/interview with GES DDG-AQ).

Three-year rolling plans are updated annually through the AESOP process, discussed in Section 4.1.2 below.

Table 2, presented in the Education Strategic Plan 20102020 document, summarizes the annual planning, budgeting, and monitoring cycle, using the (then anticipated) 2010 exercise to illustrate. The specific steps are described in more detail in Section 4.1.2.

Table 2. Annual planning, budgeting, and monitoring cycle of activities (2010)

Activity Dates (2010) Responsibility

Receive 2009 education expenditure data April/May 2010 GES

Receive EMIS 2009 data May 2010 EMIS

Prepare ESPR 20092010 May 2010 PBME

Conduct ESAR 2010 June/July 2010


Activity Dates (2010) Responsibility

Prepare Aide Memoire 2010 July 2010

Prepare AESOP 20112013 August 2010

Prepare 2011 budget estimates and incorporate within the MTEF 20112013

September 2010

Source: ESP 20102020, p. 49.

In summary, the overall medium-term planning process is logically and thoughtfully structured, though with some inconsistencies in its application, particularly with regard to decentralized planning. The 2010 process was ultimately delayed by a few months from the planned dates above, due to funding availability delays that retarded the availability of the EMIS data. However, for 2011, this study team was in country at the moment of preparation of the ESPR 20102011, essentially on target with the above time frame.

3.3 Commitment to information-based performance management Ghana and its education sector benefit from a strong tradition of interest in and commitment to research and to information- and standards-based performance management and evaluation. For example, the Education Strategic Plan 20102020 places strong emphasis on the importance of reliable information that is available to stakeholders and of objective, empirical evaluation of development interventions. Ghana has participated for years in both national and international surveys (Ghana Living Standards Survey [GLSS], Ghana Demographic and Health Survey [GDHS], and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey [MICS], among others) and learning assessment programs (NEA for primary grades 3 and 6see also Section 4.1.4; and TIMSS-Grade 8); is a member of the WAEC; carries out a regular population census cycle; and has a functioning, decentralized EMIS in the Ministry of Education.

Ghana also possesses a talented and productive education research community, and development partners that are fully engaged to support the ministry and the GES in producing relevant, timely, and sound data, information, and analysis on the performance of the sector. These partners include USAID; the UK Department for International Development (DFID); the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF); the World Bank; the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA); the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); the United Nations World Food Programme; and others. The development partner community in Ghana exhibits a refreshing mutual concern to coordinate efforts in full partnership with the ministry and the Ghana Education Service, as witnessed in the recent Coordination Workshop (MOE & USAID, 2011), National Education Sector Annual Review (NESAR) preparation, and regular development partner meetings and other forms of exchange, coordination, and information sharing.


Management and performance information relevant to the management and evaluation of pre-university education comes from eight principal sources: Ministry of Education EMIS, at SRIMPR and regional and district offices GES NEA (currently conducted every two years) and participation in TIMSS-Grade 8

(every 4 years) GES financial management system (currently transferring to the Ghana Integrated

Financial Management Information System [GIFMIS]) GES Human Resources IPPD WAEC records Ghana Statistical Service population census and standard national and international

surveys (GLSS, GDHS, MICS, and other surveys) Research studies commissioned by GoG and development partners and carried out by

a variety of research teams, universities, firms, and networks such as ADEA; Associates for Change; Innovations for Poverty Action; Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions & Equity (CREATE) and RECOUP; and internal ministry efforts

Periodic program and project reports as required by GoG and funding agencies.

Annually, the Education Sector Performance Report (ESPR; prepared by the PBME unit in the Ministry of Education) serves as an important mechanism to organize, disseminate, and discuss sector performance in light of the current Education Strategic Plans objectives and indicators. The Report makes use of many of the above sources.

The engagement of development partners to support the generation and analysis of information is amply evident in the preparation of the ESPR, through funding of commissioned research studies, and through specific support to the development of information systems. This support includes: UNESCO and ADEA support to EMIS design and maintenance, and capacity

development of SRIMPR/EMIS and regional and district statistics officers. USAID/Ghanas recently announced Data Management and Communication

Strengthening (DMCS) activity to support the EMIS master plan, notably in the areas of equipment upgrading and wide-area networking, website development, digitized documentation center and human resources records, improved Internet accessibility in schools and decentralized offices, geographical information system (GIS) support, and concomitant capacity strengthening of appropriate MOE and GES staff and departments to lead and maintain these interventions.

Support from multiple development partners, among them the U.S. Government (Department of Treasury), for installation of GIFMIS in GoG financial management departments including the Ministry of Education and GES.

(Expected) Google collaboration on GIS capacity development.


Significant contributions on the part of UNICEF, DFID, USAID, JICA and the World Bank to fund education sector research in Ghana in recent years; DFID-funded EdQual, CREATE, and RECOUP research consortia have been very active in Ghana.

Innovations for Poverty Action in Ghana, which contributes both by demonstrating the implementation of rigorous longitudinal and randomized controlled trials in field settings, and by producing solid evidence-based information about the effectiveness of the educational interventions studied. IPA is currently conducting three studies in Ghanas education sector: (1) the Teacher Community Assistant Initiative (TCAI), which explores the effects of providing four different types of community support to primary schools on student learning; (2) a study to determine the long-term effects of scholarships for secondary school students, in which 60 students receive a scholarship and are tracked for 10 years; and (3) a study on the effectiveness of financial literacy instruction in primary and junior high school, being conducted with a Ghanaian nongovernmental organization (NGO) (meeting/interview with IPA).

These high levels of engagement by multiple actors have contributed to a sector that is strong and getting stronger in the generation of data, information, and research. The adequacy, quality, and use of information, and the efficiency of collection, management, and dissemination processes, are explored in following chapters.

3.4 USAIDs education strategy directions The new global USAID Education Strategy 20112015 (Opportunity Through Learning, USAID Education Policy Task Team, February 2011) presents a focused, results-oriented approach to USAID assistance in the education sector. By defining three well-delimited goals (Goal One: Improved reading skills for 100 million children in primary grades by 2015; Goal Two: Improved ability of tertiary and workforce development programs to generate workforce skills relevant to a countrys development goals; and Goal Three: Increased equitable access to education in crisis and conflict environments for 15 million learners by 2015), and compelling USAID missions to work with countries to find the best fit between the countrys development objectives and one or more of these goals, USAID aims to see greater and measurable impact with development funding and technical assistance.

Over the past decade, USAID has supported a broad range of education-sector projects in Ghana. As stated on the USAID/Ghana website,

The goal of the US Government Basic Education program is to ensure that at the end of primary school, children read with understanding and transition to junior high school. USAID activities include improving the quality of literacy instruction, supporting marginalized populations such as girls in school, strengthening management capacity, and building community capacity to contribute to student and teacher performance. (USAID/Ghana Program Overview Education, 2011)


Recent and current programs have included: support to a community teachers program in rural schools, scholarships for girls, teacher training and assessment support to the GES National Literacy Acceleration

Programme (NALAP) for the use of national languages in reading instruction, financial and technical support to district education managers to promote

accountability for results and to MOE to assist with initial decentralization efforts, and

school-community accountability and management support through the school report card process and parentcommunity advocacy with local government.

USAID participates in Global Development Alliance (GDA) activities, with one activity contributing to the GES e-reading initiative in collaboration with Worldreader, to increase students access to books. Activities also support capacity building under UNICEFs Social Support for Vulnerable Populations program. Overall, the proportion of funds programmed through country systems has increased over time, reaching 70% in 2010, in an effort both to reach national scale with key interventions and to honor Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda for Action principles (USAID/Ghana, 2011a).

In 2010 and 2011, roughly half of USAID/Ghana projects that have touched the education sector have closed or will be closing, and most remaining programs are set to close in 2012 or 2013. In addition, Implementation Letters are being tested and used alongside more traditional funding modalities, to increasingly support, strengthen and work through host country systems, in keeping with USAID Forward guidance. This kind of modality increases the importance of data and evidence-driven programming, both at the design end and for the reporting of results, not to mention as an example of what lessons can be learned through this kind of funding (Communication with USAID / Ghana).

Going forward, USAIDs new global education strategy Opportunity Through Learning (USAID, 2011) and the Evaluation Policy (USAID, 2011) are requiring some important reorientations for sectoral assistance to Ghana as the mission looks to develop its five-year basic education country strategy beyond the 2013 horizon. In addition to sharpening the focus of education assistance activities, these documents place strong emphasis on aligning with host-country objectives, using reliable data and information to make programmatic decisions, making information available to stakeholders, and building USAIDs and the sectors own learning through objective, empirical evaluation of development interventions.

USAID/Ghanas education team has already taken important steps that prepare the ground for the required host country leadership, thematic focus, and information systems strengthening. Through active participation in the Education Sector Working Group (including chairing this group in FY 2010), USAID/Ghana has directly contributed to the


MOEs Education Strategic Plan (ESP) and AESOP process, facilitating discussions among GoG, Ghanaian civil society, other U.S. Government actors (which include the Department of Defense, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Department of Labor, the Treasury Department, and the Peace Corps), and other development partners to coordinate support for plan implementation. USAID-supported interventions in the sector are now evident in the ESP (USAID/Ghana, 2011a).

USAIDs Ghana Education Decentralization Project (GEDP) and Data Management and Communication Strengthening (DMCS) activities are providing over US$1.82 million to support the technological transformation MOEand its agencies and decentralized offices into a modern ministry. Through a cooperative agreement with World University Service of Canada (WUSC), GEDP includes support for decentralizing and operationalizing the three new autonomous bodies, and connecting all 10 REOs, and 15 DEOs in one REO on a pilot basis, to a managed network. The DMCS implementing letter complements parts of GEDP and focuses on Wide Area Networks, information technology support and related training for MOE/GES headquarters, development of new human resources and finance manuals and related training, website development, and digitization of information. DMCS also includes Internet connectivity for high schools through a GDA agreement with the telecommunications company MTN Ghana (communication with USAID). Anticipated outcomes of the two activities together include improved information flow and human resources information management assisted by improved technology. In addition, USAID is planning to provide further support to the MOEs EMIS.

The importance of these activities is underscored by two current examples: the demands of the MOEs ambitious work to decentralize most EMIS capabilities to the district level, and those of realizing decentralization of teacher recruitment as indicated in the 2008 Education Act. Through provisions in the Act, teachers would become local employees of the recruiting district, a situation that would ostensibly require individual DEOs to have personnel payroll capabilities and databases that would be parallel to and communicating with the central IPPD system (meeting/interview with USAID/Ghana).

USAID/Ghana is one of three missions selected to participate in an effort defined in Division H of the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009:

to develop and evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of a five-year basic education strategic plan. The main objective of this pilot country effort is to support the development, monitoring and implementation of five year strategic plans in three countries representing different points along the continuum of developing country contexts. The hypothesis is that concentrated emphasis on the support for the development and monitoring of the overall education plans for each country will result in lessons learned that may be applicable for USAID education funding in similar country contexts in the future.


The [FY09 Basic Education Report to Congress] noted that USAID would coordinate with the host country government and other in-country donor groups for concurrence on the proposed strategy and program approach, and that all decisions would be guided by baseline data appropriate to the countrys level of need. Data collection and analysis, including a gender perspective, would ideally be carried out in each country under agreements reached among stakeholders and in accordance with the countrys national education plan. The baseline data would be used to set priorities, benchmarks for measuring progress, and the foundation for measuring impact at the end of the five-year period. Gender equity issues impacting boys and girls as learners as well as men and women working in the education system would be taken into consideration during assessment, analysis, programming, and benchmarking progress. (USAID/EGAT/ED, 2011)

The present data capacity assessment constitutes the second phase of implementation of this mandate. In keeping with this intent, subsequent chapters of this report (1) assess the ways in which data and information are used in the performance of key functions of the sector (Chapter 4); (2) describe and review the adequacy of existing data and information systems to inform these functions (Chapter 5); and (3) offer conclusions and recommendations for system strengthening in relation to the study's principal guiding questions (Chapter 6).

4. Findings on Data and Information Needs and Uses This section is organized into three broad subsections. They treat data and information needed and how they are used in Ghana, for strategic, operational, and accountability functions of basic and secondary education (i.e., senior high school) and for overall system management. For each function, relevant information categories are discussed, covering as appropriate, information on: access to schooling and equity of access; budgeting, finance, and financial management; teachers; teaching and learning curriculum and materials; school and system management and performance; and student outcomes.

Chapter 5 follows up by examining in more depth the principal sources of data and information currently available, the quality of the data and information generated, and the processes by which they are collected, managed, and disseminated. Data access, content and quality gaps are identified.

4.1 Information for strategic functions: Needs, sources and challenges The principal strategic functions of the education sector are establishing educational policy, setting priorities, carrying out medium- and long-term planning and budgeting, capturing and coordinating funding, and evaluating programs. Carrying out these functions, of course, requires the analysis of many kinds of data and information. In


Ghana, strategic functions engage the leadership of the ministry, as well as GES and other agencies, with PBME and SRIMPR/EMIS being the principal technical units charged with analyzing and consolidating data and information into coherent plans and performance reports at the national level.

4.1.1 Ghana's framing of strategic information for the education sector As stated in the 2010 Education Sector Performance Report, the preparation of the Education Strategic Plan 20102020 brought together directives from the 2007 Education Reform, the 2008 Education Act, and current government education proposals. It also commissioned a number of specific studies and carried out SWOT analyses (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) of key themes. The draft plan was also the subject of regional and national critical review, received inputs from a broad range of stakeholders, and was formally appraised as part of its eligibility for continued participation in the Fast Track Initiative (ESPR 2010, pp. 1415).

In terms of overarching policy and cost projections, data used in the budget and planning process are extensive and drawn from fairly well-established data systems. Data for indicators for targeting development priorities are drawn from a variety of sources, and budgets drafted with cost inputs are drawn from the government financial accounting system. The financial framework for the ESP 20102011 is an extensive sector analysis drawing from time series data back to 2002 and projected education costs to 2020. These are prepared with the use of the Education Financial Simulation Model of the PBME.

The simulation model is extensively populated with data including: macroeconomic indicators anticipated education funding envelope sources of funding enrollment data personnel data projected expenditure data by subsector and program costed activities of the ESP.

(ESP 20102020, pp. 3640)

Output from the model is given in more detail in Annex D of the ESP 20102020. This annex includes three scenarios from the model for discussion among decision-makers.

In summary, the construction of the Education Strategic Plan would appear to be soundly grounded in accord with national policy and international guidelines; extensive consultation; and substantial research and analysis. The ESP 20102020 presents macroeconomic data, school data, and expenditure data that are tracked over time; and it includes indicators such as education expenditure as a percentage of GDP, education expenditure by level and source of funding, budget execution rate, and salary and nonsalary expenditure.


At the same time, certain standard macroeconomic and financial indicators which are typically present in sector analyses are not presented in the ESP 20102020. For example, the ESP does not examine enrollment growth against budget growth, or the growth in teacher numbers against personnel budget over time.

There is also some reliance on secondary sources of data and indicators in Ministry reports that could instead be produced and presented by Ministry report writers. Doing so would ensure that the most up-to-date data available were used, and would facilitate notes and caveats where necessaryfor example, the presentation of per capita education expenditures (ESPR 2010, p. 86).

Turning to information for measuring and tracking progress toward ESP objectives, the sectors draft 2011 Education Sector Performance Report proposes a streamlined list of indicators relative to previous years' reports. Table 3 lists the basic and secondary education indicators against the objectives they reflect. Each indicator is presented in the report at the national level, with a five-year time trend. The indicators are also reported for the deprived districts (overall for 61 districts) for the 2010/11 year, taking advantage of new (2011) SRIMPR/EMIS reports that present district-level data. SRIMPR/EMIS is the source of all indicators for basic and secondary education, with the exception of the HIV Alert status indicator, which is provided through the School Health Education Programme (SHEP), a separate division of the GES.

Table 3. Education objectives and indicators

Objective Basic and Secondary Education Indicators

Proposed for 2011 ESPR

GOAL: SOCIO-HUMANISTIC

Improve equitable access to and participation in quality education at all levels

Kindergarten: net enrollment ratio (NER), gross enrollment ratio (GER) Primary: GER, gross admission rate (GAR), NER, net admission rate (NAR),

completion rate, dropout rates by class, transition rate to junior high school. Junior high school: GER, GAR, NER, NAR, completion rate, dropout rates by

class; transition to senior high school/technical and TVET Senior high school: GER, dropout rates, completion rate. TVET: GER, dropout rates, completion rate.

Bridge gender gap in access to education

For kindergarten, primary, and junior high school separately: Gender Parity Index (GPI) GAR, NER, NAR by gender Completion rate by gender Dropout rates by gender

For senior high school and TVET separately: Gender Parity Index (GPI) Completion rate by gender Dropout rates by gender

Improve access to quality education for people with disability

Number of special education students in mainstream schooling. % of schools with physically disabled children which possess ramps.

Mainstream issues in the curriculum at all levels

% of schools with HIV/AIDS integrated into curriculum % of schools with HIV Alert status (information to be obtained from SHEP)


Objective Basic and Secondary Education Indicators

Proposed for 2011 ESPR GOAL: EDUCATIONAL

Improve quality of teaching and learning

Kindergarten, primary, junior and senior high school: % trained teachers Pupil-teacher ratios and pupil-to-trained-teacher ratios Pupil-classroom ratios Pupil-furniture ratio Promotion and repetition rates Pupil-core textbook ratio (primary, junior high, senior high) NEA results (primary) Basic Education Certificate Exam (BECE) pass rate regional (junior high) Frequency of in-service training received per school (senior high school)

TVET: % trained teachers % teachers with technical qualification

Promote science and technical education at all levels No indicators determined at the time of the field mission

GOAL: ECONOMIC

Strengthen links between tertiary education and industry No indicators for basic or secondary education

Improve management of service delivery

Unit cost per pupil by cycle Proportion of total education budget allocated to basic education Proportion of total education budget allocated to secondary ed % pupils in private education by primary/secondary Total public expenditure on education as % of GDP Total public expenditure on education as % of total government expenditure Personnel emoluments as % of total government education expenditure

Source: MOE/PBME, informal communication 2011.

The list displays an appropriate, judicious selection of indicators. At the same time, absent are indicators related to equitability of access, service delivery, or performance across districts, although the 2011 ESPR presents the situation of deprived districts overall. The indicators for Mainstream Issues are limited to HIV/AIDS considerations, whereas the objective is considerably broader than these.

4.1.2 Use of information in national medium-term and annual planning Ghanas annual planning and budgeting process makes extensive use of data in setting goals, in identifying activities needed to achieve these goals, and in allocating resources. Data, reports, and education sector plans (as documented in the AESOP) are used to inform meetings and budget deliberations. Overarching goals and guidelines are set at the central level. MOE agencies adapt these guidelines to meet the needs of their specific organization. GES then passes guidelines down to the district level where local needs, past expenditure data, and funding ceilings help district officials set their budget for the coming year. This planning process is explained in more detail in what follows.

Preparation of the ESPR. The annual preparation of the Education Sector Performance Report, led by MOE/PBME, constitutes a key moment during which representatives from


across the sector marshal, analyze, and distill critical performance data and information to inform the planning process. The report is produced first in a preliminary form (PESPR), and used as a