6 Operational Strategy: Strengthening Quality Assurance Systems » Up

The reforms include long-term capacity building measures to strengthen both sector performance and school/student performance monitoring systems. As part of these reforms the central authorities will focus on sector and program impact assessment through strengthening broad inspection and audit functions. Provincial and district authorities will concentrate on monitoring program progress and the performance of individual schools and teachers in cooperation with EFA Commissions at provincial, district, and commune levels (i.e., PEFAC, DEFAC, and CEFAC).

For Improved School/Institutional and Student Performance Monitoring, the main strategies and targets are:

» Determine minimum standards of student achievement for each grade 1 - 9.

» Assure a shared understanding of minimum standards amongst teachers, parents and other stakeholders, through a nationwide information, education, communication program.

» Introduction of minimum tests of standards and revised examinations for grades 6 and 9.

» Greater efficiency in planning and management of school and student performance monitoring, through clear definition of the roles of the central inspectors, the Pedagogical Research Department and Examinations Office, and other relevant departments.

» Greater efficiency in the day-to-day planning and management of school performance monitoring, through redefinition of the roles of head teachers and provincial/district inspectors and allocation of annual budgets for monitoring.

» Increased transparency and accountability for school and student performance, through annual dissemination of results of standards test and examinations.

» Revised institutional and financing arrangements for managing school/student performance monitoring, through central MoEYS department organizational reform.

» Introduction of rigorous basic education quality assurance and regulatory mechanisms.

7 Operational Strategy: Institutional Reform and Capacity Building for Decentralisation » Up

The Ministry's long-term goal is to enable schools, institutions and communities to have a greater voice and responsibility in the running and management of education services. The details of long-term education service organization and management mechanisms will be defined as broader political and public administration structures become clearer (e.g. the role of commune councils).

In this context, the reforms include three main medium and long-term strategies for institutional development and improved capacity building for decentralisation, summarised as:

» Strengthening central and provincial planning and monitoring systems in cooperation with EFA commissions at national and provincial level

» Enhanced District, Cluster, and School / Institutional Management Systems in cooperation with EFA commissions at district and commune level

» Improved Governance and Regulatory Systems

For Strengthening Central and Provincial Planning and Monitoring Systems, the main strategies and targets are :

» Improved predictability for medium-term financial planning and decentralized financial management, through securing a Government commitment to an MTEF, including designated PAP and other program budget provisions and projections.

» Improved central coordination of education system capacity building strategies and programs in cooperation with the National EFA Commission.

» Strengthening central and provincial strategic and financial planning and monitoring, through capacity building programs, delegation of responsibility for PAP/program budget allocations to provinces and agreed guidelines for program output / outcome monitoring.

» Strengthening education system performance and impact monitoring, through introduction of joint Government, MoEYS, donors and other stakeholders annual performance review, agreement on key performance indicators and annual work plans for performance data collection and analysis.

For Enhanced District, Cluster, and School/Institutional Management Systems, the main strategies and targets are:

» Strengthening district, cluster, and school program management systems, through capacity building for PAP district BMCs and school head teachers and parents' committees and revised PAP management guidelines.

» Strengthening basic education and teacher training institutions management systems, through management capacity building linked to new PAP guidelines.

» Strengthening provincial and district level personnel management systems, through issue of new staffing guidelines and norms, increased delegated authority to districts for staff deployment against these norms and capacity building for provincial/district personnel, and cluster school level planners.

» For Improved Governance and Regulatory Systems, the main strategies and targets are:

» Improved accountability through introduction of legislation and regulations for granting increased operational autonomy to schools and institutions at the basic education level.

» Improved transparency in use of parental/community and private contributions to schools and other institutions at the basic education level, through new guidelines on accounting and management of these contributions.

» Improved governance of schools at basic education level, through the issue of guidelines that set out powers and responsibilities of education authorities, parents and community associations.

» Improved transparency of education service performance, through a selective information, education and communication program that disseminates nationwide key information on system and school performance.

8 Operational Strategy: Addressing Gender Equity and Other Cross Cutting Concerns
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The EFA Plan has been designed to take account of a number of critical governance concerns, especially the need for policies and strategies that guarantee transparency, accountability, predictability and participation in the planning and monitoring of education spending and its outcomes.

DIMENSIONS/CROSS-CUTTING CONCERNS	STRATEGIC RESPONSE
Public service reform	Strengthening MoEYS/ MOEF/ NPAR joint planning mechanisms for implementation of both staff deployment and remuneration policy reforms
Gender	Specific gender policies and affirmative action programs for achieving gender access targets e.g. targeted scholarships
Ethnic minorities	Targeted facilities programs and curriculum reform for ethnic minorities; special incentives for minority area staff deployment as well as local recruitment of teachers.
Disabled learners	Formulation of national policy and strategies to assure equitable access to education opportunities including specific program interventions e.g. school buildings designs, specialized teaching/ learning materials
HIV/ AIDS	Proposed studies to assess potential HIV/ AIDS impact on education services, especially teacher supply/ demand planning and PAP for School Health and Youth AIDS Awareness
Participatory approaches	MoEYS playing an active role in PRSP participatory planning and diagnosis, making use of the results of cross-ministerial information sharing and analysis including interministerial cooperation; proposed client satisfaction surveys as part of ESP impact monitoring; broad-based Advisory Body and joint Government, donors, NGO, civil society annual sector performance review
Environment	Rigorous environmental impact assessment as part of facilities planning program; inclusion in Life Skills curriculum for schools and teacher training colleges

9 Operational Strategy: Information Communication Technology in Education » Up

ICT policies will include a) expansion of ICT as a teaching and learning tool b) as a means of improving education service productivity and management through improved information sharing, communication and knowledge management and c) expansion of distance learning opportunities especially for disadvantaged groups in remote areas. The overarching goal will be to ensure Cambodia's international competitiveness in an increasingly global and interconnected knowledge-based economy.

Specific strategies for ICT in education are still in the process of being finalised. Key strategies are likely to include a) inclusion of ICT education and training, initially in selected secondary schools, teacher training institutions and technical and higher education institute b) selective curriculum enrichment programs, especially where the small numbers involved do not justify significant investment in dedicated physical facilities, staff and equipment c) ICT based targeted programs for a diverse range of socially disadvantaged groups to ensure re-entry to mainstream formal education.