ALM UNDP

Summary:

The Reference Guide was developed by the INEE Working Group on Education and Fragility in response to requests from education specialists for an easily accessible description of the different types of external assistance for education. In particular, it responds to recommendations made by participants at the 2008 INEE Policy Roundtable on Education Finance in States Affected by Fragility. The purpose of the Reference Guide is to enable national decision-makers to better understand:

• What donors seek to achieve in the education sector
• How donors provide education assistance
• The constraints on donor funding
• How various funding mechanisms work
• Why donors choose one funding mechanism over another

The Reference Guide is a reference written from the donor point of view that explains the design, goals and constraints of existing types of external education assistance. It is not an analysis of the pros and cons of different funding mechanisms, nor is it a "how to" guide that helps education ministries more successfully apply for external education assistance.

National education policy-makers will gain a better understanding of funding mechanisms, making them better able to navigate country-donor relationships. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other civil society organisations, together with local education donor groups and their education partners, may increase their knowledge of donor goals, strategies and funding mechanisms in the education sector. As a result, they may become more effective at holding governments and donors accountable for the use of external education funding.