A case study for the project ‘Capacity, Change and Performance’
D. Watson and L. Yohannes, ECDPM Discussion Paper 57H, 2005. The Ethiopia case is one of two that examine capacity issues in relation to decentralised education service delivery. The study explores the institutional environment and broader governance context within which institutional reform and capacity development has taken place. The study identifies factors that have either facilitated or constrained capacity development across the sector from the classroom level to the policy making level within central government. The case emphasises the importance of contextual factors on conditioning the opportunity for sustainable capacity development. It finds that these have been generally favourable: in particular, policy commitment to devolution, including fiscal decentralisation and enhancement of education services. General conditions within the public service especially at the local level have improved considerably and the decentralisation of public service management appears to have created stronger incentives to perform. Local accountability systems are strong, for example, councils of public representatives at regional woreda and kebele levels which push for higher standards. In addition, communities made large contributions to the education infrastructure, including paying recurrent costs. This creates a strong sense of ownership of the system within these communities.