Independent Progress Review

Basic Education Sector Transformation Program

DFAT Management Response

DFAT thanks the Independent Progress Review team for its high quality review and comprehensive
report. The review identified key lessons and recommendations to strengthen the delivery of the
Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST) program, and to help inform current and pipeline aid
program activities.

The review examined the program’s design, inception and operational phases. BEST partners have
indicated this is a sound assessment of the achievements and challenges of this large, technical
program. The report usefully considered the impacts of political, resource and relationship dynamics
on the program, and drew out important lessons that will help BEST to deliver results that align
clearly with end of program outcomes.

DFAT agrees in full with the four high priority recommendations one, two, three and four, and the
medium priority recommendation five. DFAT only partially agrees with recommendation six. More
detailed responses to each of the six recommendations follows in the table below.
Recommendation Response Explanation Action Plan Timeframe
1 – High Priority Agree DFAT fully agrees with this The Facilitating Contractor to strategically map out, and commit to Schedule to be
recommendation. maintaining, a schedule of all governance meetings until the end of compiled and
Implement formal the program. This plan should identify key slippage risks and circulated by
program governance This BEST governance mitigation strategies. The Facilitating Contractor will share this list the end of
structures and structure and mechanism is with all implementing partners, and communicate any updates in a March 2018,
improved in place, but stronger timely manner. At a minimum: then updated
contractual planning and commitment  Program Steering Committee: once a year at least
arrangements, based to scheduled meetings is  Program Management Committee: twice a year annually
on a pragmatic needed. A more formalised  Technical Working Groups 1 & 2: minimum of once before a through the
revision of the approach will help ensure Program Management Committee meeting, or as regularly as PSC meeting.
program design, to that the use of funds is operational areas require.
counteract the strategic, transparent and
informal decision accountable, and takes into
making processes account the roles and DFAT to deliver to all BEST implementing partners, including DepEd By March 2018
and improve responsibilities of various and the Commission on Higher Education, a presentation to clarify
accountability, actors in the education the BEST program’s formal governance arrangements.
transparency and sector. All partners, Contract
formal including DepEd and the amendment
Streamline all five BEST Implementing Partner agreements under
communication. Commission on Higher discussions to
the Facilitating Contractor contract to improve coherence of
Education, need to be be held with
administration, financial management and monitoring and
regularly updated on all
evaluation. This should also strengthen communications,
expectations to commit to implementing
accountability and transparency.
the BEST governance partners by
structure. April 2018,
and all
contracts
amended by
February
2019.
2. High Priority Agree DFAT fully agrees with this Facilitating Contractor to work with the Research Centres to Catalogue to
recommendation. develop and maintain with DepEd’s Policy Research Division, a be established
Improve catalogue of research products starting with, but not limited to, by April 2018
mechanisms to education research undertaken with support from BEST.
The research centres have
better evaluate and
produced important research
adopt the research Facilitating Contractor to support the DepEd Policy Research
that should influence
produced by the Division’s knowledge management function to improve DepEd’s Reflected in
education policy. However,
Philippine National uptake of research products delivered under BEST, particularly the Annual Plan 4;
some of this research is
Research Center for translation of research findings into policy and practice. ongoing.
either not well understood
Teacher Quality and
by or not influencing key
the Assessment, Facilitating Contractor to review the research currently being
policy analysts, planners and
Curriculum and developed under BEST to identify what is likely to have the most Initial
decision makers. DepEd
Technology Research direct and immediate application to DepEd. Existing structures, stocktake by
needs support to assess and
Centre into policies including the Technical Working Groups, should be identified as 30 June 2018;
adopt BEST research. Senior
and practice in forums to share and evaluate research for use within DepEd and to ongoing
officials also need to more
DepEd. channel the research to the appropriate areas for action.
actively shape the direction
of the research undertaken
with BEST support. This Under the BEST Annual Plan 4, technical assistance has been
approved to strengthen research, evidence-based policy ongoing
recommendation had
already been identified prior development and policy writing across DepEd. This includes support
to the Independent Progress to conduct two policy research studies to guide the Policy Research
Review and technical Division to carry out these functions
support was approved under
the BEST Annual Plan 4.
Technical support has been
allocated to strengthen
DepEd’s Policy Research
Division to better manage
and share products
developed by the research
centres.

3 – High Priority Agree DFAT fully agrees with this Facilitating Contractor to continue implementing the updated M&E Reporting
recommendation. system, including implementation approaches listed in Annex 6 of responsibilities
Strengthen the the Independent Progress Review report (p. 66), and streamline and schedules
program’s M&E to Improving the BEST communications on the roles, responsibilities and expectations of to be clarified
better understand program’s M&E has been an BEST implementing partners for BEST M&E. by end of
the contribution agreed priority since Annual March 2018.
BEST is making Plan 3. Prior to the Facilitating Contractor to develop a system to monitor and report
towards achieving Independent Progress on the number and nature of DepEd requests for assistance, In place by 30
end of program Review, the Facilitating including what was requested, what was provided and how each June 2018.
outcomes, and to Contractor updated the request links to BEST objectives and activities.
improve BEST program logic and
accountability, Theory of Change and Facilitating Contractor to map out all BEST interventions at all levels
transparency and delivered a new M&E of the education system to increase transparency and help inform By 30 June
understand what framework that reflects the DepEd of areas with specific technical needs, or areas to pilot and 2018.
works, what doesn’t contributions of all five BEST scale up approaches.
and under what Implementing Partners. The
conditions. new M&E system will now
track all partner
contributions towards end
of program outcomes,
including progress under
Intermediate Outcomes and
Outputs.

DFAT notes that the

Facilitating Contractor has
already begun to implement
the new M&E system.

4 – High Priority Agree DFAT fully agrees with this Facilitating Contractor to lead the adoption of a whole of school Ongoing
recommendation. approach, including approaches in Annex 6 of the IPR report (pp.
Reorient some 67-68). This effort should target divisions in the six key BEST
program resources To demonstrate the impact districts, and schools likely to make the biggest difference to the
to enable a sharp of the national reforms it majority of students passing.
focus on improving has supported, the BEST
teaching, learning, program needs to adopt a Facilitating Contractor to identify resources to increase technical
participation, gender localised, whole of school support to BEST regions. The Facilitating Contractor should also
equality and approach to improving continue to provide technical support to DepEd central, focusing on Ongoing
inclusion in target school performance. This areas critical to achieving the objective of improved learning
divisions through a recommendation aligns with participation and inclusion, such as the National Educators Academy
whole of school the original design of the Philippines, the Bureaus of Curriculum, Instruction and
approach. document. BEST will begin Educational Assessment and the Planning Service.
with a pilot in 30 schools in
two Regions, with the goal The whole of school approach should be underpinned by an
of scaling up. This would increased focus on gender responsive education, inclusive Ongoing
require a stronger emphasis education and education-employment linkages, on which Australia
on improving teaching and is well placed to offer technical expertise.
learning, while sustaining
support for school based
management, school
improvement programs,
continuous improvement,
monitoring, evaluation and
adjustment, and information
systems development.

DFAT notes that the

Facilitating Contractor had
already begun to shift to this
approach prior to the
Independent Progress
Review.
5 – Medium Priority Agree DFAT fully agrees with this Facilitating Contractor to complete the establishment of the BEST By 30 June
recommendation. Innovation Fund. 2018
Develop a clearing
house for local This recommendation will be
innovative addressed through the Commence by
strategies, policies implementation of the BEST Facilitating Contractor to encourage BEST implementing partners to 30 June 2018;
and practices at the Innovation Fund presented undertake research on innovative local policies, school practices and ongoing
school level. to DFAT by the Facilitating projects for evaluation and dissemination.
Contractor. The Fund is in
the final stages of DepEd’s
approval process. It has two Facilitating Contractor to work with DepEd’s ICT group to develop a
distinct functions: (i) a small basic concept for the design of a knowledge management system By December
grants component and (ii) and assess the total cost and capacity for DepEd to manage it. 2018.
support for implementation
of the whole school
development pilot. The
innovation grant component
will be one way to generate
and assess innovative school
level projects that could
inform new local policies
and practices. The proposed
clearing house could be used
to capture and share results
to encourage replication and
scale-up of innovative
approaches.

6 – Medium Priority Partially DFAT partially agrees with Facilitating Contractor to work with DepEd to identify its donor Identify
agree this recommendation. coordination capacity gaps and strengthen the Project Management capacity gaps
Implement donor Service to implement its donor coordination and management and propose
coordination and There is interest by other function, including documenting and mapping donor activities in remedies by
collaboration donors for Australia to relation to the BEST program and DepEd’s education reform 30 June 2018;
mechanisms to support donor coordination agenda. provide
create more value through BEST. However, ongoing
from available donor DepEd is responsible for Facilitating Contractor to continue to network and capture links support
resources for DepEd. overall donor coordination with other donors and DepEd on points of common interest, such as
through the Project budget execution, and identify areas of technical overlap or
Management Service. complementarity in the development of interventions. The Ongoing
Facilitating Contractor will share with DFAT through its M&E system
However, BEST can continue strategic level information on how BEST investments are
to assist DepEd to complementing other donor activities.
strengthen its internal
governance mechanisms in
support of more effective
donor coordination.