Education and Education and Development: Development:

Some Lessons from Some Lessons from the LINS Experiencethe LINS Experience

Robert SmithRobert Smith

Former Centre Leader,Former Centre Leader,

LINS, Oslo University College, LINS, Oslo University College, NorwayNorway

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All you ever wanted to All you ever wanted to know about education and know about education and development but were development but were afraid to ask…….orafraid to ask…….or … …

What is LINS and why was it What is LINS and why was it created?created?

What has LINS been doing for What has LINS been doing for the past 10 years?the past 10 years?

What can be learned from the What can be learned from the LINS experience?LINS experience?

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…….and to draw out significant .and to draw out significant lessons from recent lessons from recent experience…experience…

A A brief diversion into theory as brief diversion into theory as explanation,explanation,

e.g:e.g: Development TheoryDevelopment Theory Post-development TheoryPost-development Theory Contingency TheoryContingency Theory Ambiguity TheoryAmbiguity Theory Inconsistency Theory Inconsistency Theory and Theory of Failureand Theory of Failure…….…….

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The Rise of Official The Rise of Official Development AidDevelopment Aid

ColonialColonial origins (consider self interest) origins (consider self interest)

The rise of the notion of developmentThe rise of the notion of development

Post WW 2 reconstructionism: Post WW 2 reconstructionism:

the UN agencies/the Bretton Woods the UN agencies/the Bretton Woods institutionsinstitutions

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The Rise of Official The Rise of Official Development Aid (cont.)Development Aid (cont.)

Initial focus – hardware/infrastructureInitial focus – hardware/infrastructure

The rise of the economistsThe rise of the economists

The rise of the bilateralsThe rise of the bilaterals

The dominance of the World BankThe dominance of the World Bank

Post-development thinkingPost-development thinking

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NORAD starts to outsource…NORAD starts to outsource…

Norad’s history of using external Norad’s history of using external consultantsconsultants

Increasing focus on aid to education Increasing focus on aid to education in the 1990sin the 1990s

Assessment of the Norwegian Assessment of the Norwegian environment by Jon Lauglo environment by Jon Lauglo (1995/96)(1995/96)

Competitive bids for the work from Competitive bids for the work from several institutionsseveral institutions

OUC/DECO awarded the contract: OUC/DECO awarded the contract: LINS createdLINS created

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The early experience…..The early experience…..

Consultants and academics…a Consultants and academics…a shotgun wedding?shotgun wedding?

Expectations of the various Expectations of the various actorsactors

Co-operating with Norwegian Co-operating with Norwegian partnerspartners

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The early experience (cont.)The early experience (cont.)

Nature of the environment and the Nature of the environment and the taskstasks

LINS, NORAD and the EmbassiesLINS, NORAD and the Embassies

The technologizing of development The technologizing of development aidaid

Learning to play with the big boysLearning to play with the big boys

The LINS record from 1997…..The LINS record from 1997…..

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Education as a focus for Education as a focus for development aid: Job Number development aid: Job Number

One?One? Education seen purely as schooling? Education seen purely as schooling?

Broader visions of education: ABELBroader visions of education: ABEL

Cultural concerns & indigenous Cultural concerns & indigenous knowledgeknowledge

Contrasting paradigms – rights versus Contrasting paradigms – rights versus human capitalhuman capital

Aid as people/experts/advisors?Aid as people/experts/advisors?

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Education as a focus for Education as a focus for development aid: Job Number development aid: Job Number

One?One?

Shifting modalities - from projects to Shifting modalities - from projects to programs, baskets, budget support, programs, baskets, budget support, HIPC, CF, FTI and debt relief/forgivenessHIPC, CF, FTI and debt relief/forgiveness

Trying to make sure that what we do Trying to make sure that what we do works…the place of research, works…the place of research, monitoring and evaluationmonitoring and evaluation

Why is there always a gap between Why is there always a gap between expectations and reality?expectations and reality?

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Reflections on the ‘Hour-Reflections on the ‘Hour-glass Problem’ or why glass Problem’ or why things don’t always go as things don’t always go as planned…..planned….. What filters down from the top What filters down from the top

and up from the bottom and if and up from the bottom and if not, why not?not, why not?

The crises of ideology, The crises of ideology, understanding, commitment and understanding, commitment and capacitycapacity

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Reflections on the ‘Hour-Reflections on the ‘Hour-glass Problem’ or why glass Problem’ or why things don’t always go as things don’t always go as planned (cont.)planned (cont.) What do we mean by ‘analysis’? What do we mean by ‘analysis’?

Whose analysis and to what Whose analysis and to what ends?ends?

The widening gap between the The widening gap between the practitioner, the researcher, the practitioner, the researcher, the policy maker and the donorpolicy maker and the donor

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What questions has the What questions has the LINSLINSexperience identified?experience identified?

Is development merely a practical Is development merely a practical challenge or is it more complex?challenge or is it more complex?

Can theory guide us – if so where do Can theory guide us – if so where do we find it and what will it look like?we find it and what will it look like?

If we have 50 years of experience from If we have 50 years of experience from development aid, why are we not development aid, why are we not better at it?better at it?

How do we deal with a constantly How do we deal with a constantly changing landscape?changing landscape?

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‘‘Change? Who wants Change? Who wants change? Things are bad change? Things are bad enough as they are….’enough as they are….’

Changes in educational finance since Changes in educational finance since Dakar 2000: over 80% of educational Dakar 2000: over 80% of educational finance in SSA comes from domestic finance in SSA comes from domestic sourcessources

Changes in aid modalities, especially Changes in aid modalities, especially budget support & consequent decline in budget support & consequent decline in technical strengthtechnical strength

Changes in the donor community – new Changes in the donor community – new funds, new modalitiesfunds, new modalities

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‘‘Change? Who wants Change? Who wants change? Things are bad change? Things are bad enough as they are….’ enough as they are….’ (cont.)(cont.) Shortening the development aid chainShortening the development aid chain

New challenges for countries and DPs – New challenges for countries and DPs – ownership, national and regional capacityownership, national and regional capacity

Paramount importance of properly Paramount importance of properly functioning states to work with – functioning states to work with – vampires and ruminants: autocracy and vampires and ruminants: autocracy and democracydemocracy

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Some signs (rather than Some signs (rather than lessons or indicators…..)lessons or indicators…..) Recipient responsibility as a Recipient responsibility as a

critical factor – need to improve critical factor – need to improve countries’ knowledge of how countries’ knowledge of how funding works and how funding works and how Governments can maintain Governments can maintain ownershipownership

Make funding processes Make funding processes transparent (FTI/CF/ECF/EFA/ transparent (FTI/CF/ECF/EFA/ NETF/EPDF etc. etc)NETF/EPDF etc. etc)

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Some signs (rather than Some signs (rather than lessons or indicators…..) lessons or indicators…..) (cont.)(cont.) Ensure that external funding focuses on Ensure that external funding focuses on

technical support, knowledge technical support, knowledge generation, knowledge sharing not on generation, knowledge sharing not on policy and practicepolicy and practice

Channel ODA through as few agencies as Channel ODA through as few agencies as possible (NB there are pros and cons….)possible (NB there are pros and cons….)

Address the technical expertise gap Address the technical expertise gap using regional institutions/partnershipsusing regional institutions/partnerships

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More signs and More signs and indicators…indicators… Address the ideological gaps Address the ideological gaps

between countries and DPs – between countries and DPs – whose notion of development is whose notion of development is to dominate?to dominate?

Focus analysis more on context, Focus analysis more on context, context, context…..building context, context…..building capacity on both sidescapacity on both sides

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More signs and More signs and indicators…indicators… Holism rather than technicismHolism rather than technicism

Change seen as a two-way Change seen as a two-way process, overcoming the process, overcoming the asymmetry of aidasymmetry of aid

Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate & Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate & then apply the lessonsthen apply the lessons

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A personal post-scriptA personal post-script LINS as a learning experienceLINS as a learning experience

LINS as a repository of knowledge & LINS as a repository of knowledge & wisdomwisdom

LINS as a collegial experienceLINS as a collegial experience

LINS as a commitment to helping poor LINS as a commitment to helping poor people by getting their children into schoolpeople by getting their children into school

LINS as essentially Norwegian in values, LINS as essentially Norwegian in values, concept and practiceconcept and practice

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Some key readingsSome key readings Allen T and Thomas A (2000) Allen T and Thomas A (2000) Poverty and DevelopmentPoverty and Development, Milton , Milton

Keynes, Open UniversityKeynes, Open University Bignell V & Fortune J (1984) Bignell V & Fortune J (1984) Understanding Systems FailureUnderstanding Systems Failure, ,

Manchester, Manchester University Press/Open UniversityManchester, Manchester University Press/Open University Breidlid A (2004) Breidlid A (2004) Sustainable Development, Indigenous Knowledge Sustainable Development, Indigenous Knowledge

Systems and Education in South AfricaSystems and Education in South Africa, Journal of Teacher Education , Journal of Teacher Education and Training, Vol 4, 2004and Training, Vol 4, 2004

Cassen R (1994) Cassen R (1994) Does Aid Work?Does Aid Work? Oxford, Clarendon Press Oxford, Clarendon Press Chun, Wei Choo (2004) Chun, Wei Choo (2004) Information Management for the Information Management for the

Intelligent OrganizationIntelligent Organization, http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca, http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca Earthscan (1998) Earthscan (1998) The Reality of AidThe Reality of Aid, London, Earthscan, London, Earthscan Jones P (1992) Jones P (1992) World Bank Lending to EducationWorld Bank Lending to Education, London, , London,

RoutledgeRoutledge Morris P ( 1996) Morris P ( 1996) Asia’s Four Little Tigers: a comparison of the role of Asia’s Four Little Tigers: a comparison of the role of

education in their developmenteducation in their development, IJED, Vol 32, No1. pp 95-109, IJED, Vol 32, No1. pp 95-109 Rahnema M and Bawtree V (1997) Rahnema M and Bawtree V (1997) The Post-Development ReaderThe Post-Development Reader, ,

London, Zed BooksLondon, Zed Books World Bank (2000) World Bank (2000) Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?,Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?,

Washington, World BankWashington, World Bank