Mozambique: Better alignment of funding increases engagement and efficiency

Mozambique: Better alignment of funding increases engagement and efficiency

A common fund enables several partners to come together and strengthen technical dialogue and engagement with the Government of Mozambique, all with a single objective, to give more children access to a good quality education.

In Mozambique, the Education Sector Support Fund (Fundo de Apoio ao Sector da Educação, FASE) was set up in 2002. Since then, it has helped the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH) to substantially increase access to education, improve its quality, and reduce gender disparities in the country.

Although external funding accounts for only a small fraction of the total education budget in low-income countries, it still plays an essential role in supporting programs and activities by filling gaps where public budgets fall short.

Rapid population growth requires ever-increasing funding for the education sector. Mechanisms such as FASE, which channel about 90% of external funding to education, are the right answer: they align the external funds more effectively with the national systems and increase efficiency and effectiveness.

This funding modality is incorporated and identified in the State Budget. It also contains a set of partner requirements that the education sector observes to be eligible for funding. There are also rules on procurement, accountability, auditing, and other issues.1

Eight development partners are currently contributing to the fund, including the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), World Bank, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and UNICEF.

Rationalization of plans and financing

The Ministry of Education and Human Development prepared a new education strategic plan for 2020-2029, which provided an opportunity to develop an updated agreement between the Ministry and the FASE partners, shifting the focus of sector support:

from planning and financing to reforming and implementing;
from increasing access to improving teaching quality; and
from focusing on inputs to producing results.

These improvements, in conjunction with new financial reporting and procurement processes, aim to enhance quality and efficiency in the delivery of education services to children. FASE has been the lead agency in supporting the implementation of the education sector plan, including a US$299 million World Bank/GPE grant that emphasizes improving learning outcomes and empowering girls in Mozambique.