@ED2030AfricaNiger: Using national systems to transform the education system
In Niger, the GPE grant, channeled through the Education Sector Pooled Fund, is aligned with national priorities. Transparently managed and responsive to the country’s particularities, this approach is steadily improving the performance of the Nigerien education system in the long-run in terms of equity, learning outcomes, and efficiency.
The Education Sector Pooled Fund (FCSE) was set up in Niger in July 2017 to channel external financing to support the implementation of the education sector plan. FCSE’s objective is also to accelerate reforms and results in the sector.
The FCSE is a funding mechanism aligned with Niger’s national systems. It covers all the ministries responsible for education and training. Although the FCSE’s resources are implemented through the national public financial management expenditure system, they are not fungible with regular government resources, but are held in ringfenced sub-accounts at Treasury.
Greater budget transparency for better resource management
Special FCSE budget lines are written in the annual national budget, making each earmarked activity and item of expenditure traceable and accountable.
The annual operational sector planning and reporting framework is set up to capture all the education expenditures funded by domestic resources, the FCSE, and partners’ off-budget projects, thereby providing a comprehensive steering of the education system.