Harnessing Partnerships to Transform Education in Africa: Embracing the 2024 Year of Education

The African Union has declared 2024 as the Year of Education, aiming to advance progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: inclusive and equitable quality education for all. A key part of its roadmap emphasizes the importance of multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder partnerships in transforming education across the continent.

African education systems face complex challenges that African governments alone cannot solve. Leveraging partnerships between governments and non-state actors mobilizes the resources, expertise, and innovation needed for lasting change. The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) is collaborating with the Education Finance Network to explore successful models of such partnerships, offering insights into what makes them effective and inspiring transformation across Africa.

1. Trends in government and non-state partnerships

The Global Schools Forum, in its Government and Non-State Partnerships Evidence Hub, identified three key trends in partnerships between government and non-state actors, marking the evolution of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in education:

• From contracting-out to delivery partnerships: Traditional PPPs¹ that focused on outsourcing services are evolving into integrated "delivery partnerships" where both responsibilities and benefits are shared.
• Targeted partnerships for systemic impact: Partnerships that focus on specific components of the education system and emphasize long-term capacity building are emerging as alternatives to partnerships contracting out entire school management.
• Private capital and philanthropy: Increasingly, these partnerships involve private capital² from corporations, impact investors, and philanthropic contributions, diversifying the funding base and scope of education and skills development initiatives.

2. Exploring partnership models

Building on these trends, let us explore examples of programs implemented by Education Finance Network members, highlighting different partnership models and the factors contributing to their effectiveness.

a) Public-private collaboration to improve school inspections in Uganda

The Inspect and Improve (I&I) program in Uganda is a partnership between the Directorate of Education Standards (DES) and Promoting Equality in African Schools (PEAS), which operates one of the largest non-profit secondary school networks in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this partnership, both parties contribute resources to enhance the quality and frequency of school inspections and provide support to school leaders. Currently, the program operates in 200 government secondary schools across Uganda.

A learning report of the I&I program identified the following key success factors:

• Collaborative design and implementation process: Ensured alignment with the Ugandan education system’s needs and priorities.
• Effective use of digital tools for inspections: Improved the accuracy and timeliness of inspection reporting.
• Comprehensive training and support for school leaders and inspectors, including on digital tools, lesson observations, and gender-responsive teaching: Enhanced school management and teaching quality.

b) Public-Private-Philanthropy-Partnership to improve learning outcomes and combat child labor in Côte d’Ivoire

The Transforming Education in Cocoa Communities (TRECC), which ran from 2016 to 2021, was a collaboration between the Jacobs Foundation, the government of Côte d’Ivoire, and cocoa producers to improve education in cocoa-producing regions. TRECC funded pilot projects in schools and non-formal settings to identify scalable solutions, mostly implemented by teachers in government schools with support from local and international partners.

Building on TRECC, the Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF) was established as a joint fund involving the Ivorian government, philanthropies (Jacobs Foundation and UBS Optimus Foundation), and the cocoa industry, expanding the initiative beyond cocoa regions.

A case study by the World Bank Group highlighted TRECC and, in particular CLEF, as an exceptional example of mobilizing private funding to support basic education as an essential means to fight against child labor. The study identified the following factors as critical to the success of the initiatives:

• The philanthropic investment by the Jacobs Foundation served as a catalyst for private sector engagement. To drive large-scale impact, it mobilized matching funds, provided technical expertise, and fostered partnerships with industry and government.
• The government’s oversight role and financial commitment ensured alignment with national goals and incentivized industry investment.
• The rigorous evidence-based approach ensured that only the most effective initiatives were scaled; only 3 of 12 pilots met the criteria for expansion.

c) Pooling funding and paying for outcomes in Ghana and Sierra Leone

As highlighted in our previous blog, outcomes funds are an innovative type of partnership that blends philanthropic and private capital. The Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) manages multiple outcomes funds, including the Sierra Leone Education Innovation Challenge and the Ghana Education Outcomes Program—the largest outcomes funds in education globally. These programs pool funding from governments, donors, philanthropists, and private investors to contract non-state providers that deliver specific outcomes. Independent evaluators assess the outcomes, and payment is made only when pre-agreed results are achieved.

While these programs are still underway and pending final evaluations, EOF focuses on several core principles to ensure success including:

• Securing government leadership and commitment by involving the government as a key partner in every project, ensuring that funding and programs align with national priorities.
• Enhancing value for money and sustainability by directing funding towards the most effective programs and setting maximum costs per outcome, enabling the government to continue interventions after the program ends.
• Reducing risk by only paying for achieved outcomes, thereby shifting the investment risk to the private sector.

3. Partnering for a brighter educational future in Africa

Partnerships between governments and non-state actors³ are critical to transforming education across Africa. By bringing together innovation, resources, and expertise they contribute to tackling the region's toughest challenges. With progress toward SDG 4 needing acceleration, embracing effective and proven partnership models is more critical than ever. We hope this blog inspires both governments and non-state actors to forge impactful collaborations that drive meaningful change in education and skills development for all on the continent.