Description

Background

The Government of Uzbekistan gives high priority to human development. After gaining independence in 1991, Uzbekistan continues to provide quality education to its citizens. It developed a National Program for Personnel Training in 1997, which has been implemented in three stages and is coming into full effect from 2010. Uzbekistan also adopted the National Program for Basic Education Development in 2004. In 2007, a Welfare Improvement Strategy Paper was developed by the Uzbekistan government to reduce the poverty incidence in Uzbekistan.

This sector assistance program evaluation assesses the performance of ADB assistance in the education sector of Uzbekistan for the period 1996-2009. It also identifies factors affecting the performance, and draws lessons and recommendations to feed into the preparation of a country assistance program evaluation and future education sector operations. The study undertakes strategic and institutional as well as project and program-level performance evaluation of the sector assistance.

Summary of assessment

Based on the assessments of the (i) strategic positioning of ADB assistance; (ii) contribution to overall development results; and (iii) ADB's institutional performance, the overall rating of ADB's strategic and institutional performance (top-down) is successful. The bottom-up rating for education projects in Uzbekistan is successful based on assessments of the projects as being relevant, effective, efficient, likely sustainable and with substantial impact. The combined overall rating of all of the projects is successful.

Key issues

ADB's assistance could have benefited from a more rigorous analysis-whether it was in relation to the drawing of the sector road map, in working out the interface of education with employment opportunities or in designing the financing modalities. ADB's country strategy and program focuses on the private sector as the engine of growth. Sustainable supply of marketable skills and competencies lies at the heart of an effective education development strategy. Significant reforms need to be made to progress rapidly in this direction.

It is estimated that about one-third to half of the cost of schooling is often borne by the students' households. The affordability of education presents challenges to many low-income families, particularly in rural areas. At the commencement of each school year, families need to meet new costs including school uniforms, textbook rentals, and informal payments for tutorials.

The Rural Basic Education Project, approved in 2007, mentioned that ADB was planning to conduct a study on education financing, including a survey of parental contribution to education. This is now being prepared through a regional technical assistance expected to be approved in 2010. It would allow ADB to work with the government in determining areas where further improvements in the sector are required. The data collected would be used as the basis for suggesting new mechanisms for education financing to increase the efficiency of the sector and strengthen its governance. Through its emphasis on devolution and its off-budget provisioning of resources under the National Program for Basic Education Development, the country is strengthening its capability to manage funds at the school level. A carefully devised and well-implemented reform policy is essential.

Lessons

• Loan-financed projects that respond to the government's priorities and have full government commitment are easier to implement and have better chances of success. Policy-based loans focusing on the structural and institutional reforms in a given system should be designed and implemented only in the context of a proper sector road map and good understanding of the political economy. This is required not only for the financing institutions but also for sharing the future vision of the sector with other development partners.
• Many executing agencies are still focused on outputs. Executing and implementing agencies need to understand that the outcomes and impact of the project are just as essential as the outputs in justifying the process, modality, and magnitude of assistance.
• Establishment of a full-fledged monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system should be a necessary condition for both designing and implementing a project. Too many projects get approved and implemented without established M&E systems.
• The terms of reference of technical assistance for consulting firms are seldom comprehensible to the lay decision makers, especially if the decision makers are uninitiated and lack technical know-how about the subject and the project. As part of the TA preparation, an agreement with the executing agency should include mechanisms and procedures for accessing readily available information.
• Public officials, traditionally, are not trained to analyze and handle quantitative data even if the information is readily available. Capacity building in data collection, data analysis, project evaluation, and M&E is required in a comprehensive manner.

Recommendations

• ADB should remain engaged in the education sector, focusing on higher education and vocational training, i.e., skills that support new technology industries.
• Two levels of approaches to be adopted: (a) for the public sector, support programs related to information and communication technology; and (b) for public-private partnership support partnerships or joint ventures with international universities.
• Assist in building a stronger and more conducive policy and regulatory environment for the above.
• Assist in building and operating a reliable system of M&E of the education sector's activities and their results.