Catalyzing country ownership and aid effectiveness: Role of the Education for All-Fast Track Initiative Catalytic Fund

Abstract This article examines the contribution of the Education for All-Fas t Track Initiative (EFA-FTl) global partnership in strengthening aid effectiveness in the education sector, and specifically how the implement ation modalitie s of the EFA-FTI Catalytic Fund(CF) have co ntributed to this strengthening. The empirical findings are based on a review covering the period 2005-2007, when the CF grant was first established . The reviewincludes an assess ment of the qual ity of the education sector plans for 25 countries inthe partnership, the implementation modal ities of the CF grant in 18 co untries, and feedback from countries participants. The qualitati ve assess ment of the CF implement ationmodalities is based on three areas-alignment, harmoni zation, and managing for results-and uses a good practice checklist based on the Paris Declarat ion partn ershipcommitments. Progress on the good practice checklist in the education secto r is comparedto progress at the country level as a whole; the latter is derived from the Aid Effecti veness Profiles prepared by the World Bank. The review of the sample countries finds that in the education sector, al ignment was stronger than at the country level , progress toward harmonization was somewhat stronger, and managing for result s was the same as at thecountry level. The article co ncludes that while the FTI has contributed to improving aideffectiveness, moving forw ard requ ires different actions at the two levels-glob al andcountry level-on which the partn ership opera tes.