Africa Education Watch (AEW) is a three year programme (2007-2010) supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation through Transparency International Secretariat (TIS).

The overall goal of AEW is to contribute to improved access to, equity in and quality of primary education through a more effective use of resources. AEW is currently running in seven African National Chapters of Transparency International: Ghana, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

Intermediate Outcomes of AEW

The intermediate outcomes of AEW include:

• National civil society, including education NGOs and media, is more knowledgeable and concerned about waste, leakage, corruption and accountability mechanisms in primary education.
• National civil society makes concrete policy recommendations for more effective use of primary education resources.
• National civil society, including education NGOs and media, increases and prioritizes demand for action on transparency and accountability in primary education.
• Education and finance officials are more aware of and deal more proactively with transparency and accountability in primary education.
• Donors and EFA international stakeholders address issues that have been identified as key to using resources more effectively by the AEW Programme, and aid effectiveness increases.

Implementation of AEW – Three Phases

The AEW project was designed into three phases feeding into each other.

1) The initial assessment phase concentrated on the following activities:

• Planning workshops to develop baseline indicators and project benchmarks, identifying training needs of chapters and creating a common understanding of the project.
• Training on how to build budget literacy and analytical skills for key stakeholders at the local level so that they are able to establish amounts of aid for Education for All in a given country, the composition of the national budget and budget processes, as well as information on educational rights.
• Training on survey methodologies like the use of citizen report cards, public expenditure tracking surveys and other service delivery surveys.
• Training on advocacy skills like designing a national campaign, shaping messages, building coalitions etc.

2) The research phase involved conducting a desk review and an independent research survey among the users and providers of primary education services. The survey was aimed at approximating the levels of resource leakages and delays in transfers, the extent of illegal fees and other costs that parents incur, and the effectiveness of the decentralized accountability structures with regard to controlling primary education resources and preventing corruption

3) The third and final step of AEW is the current campaign phase. So far there have been efforts to ensure the effective dissemination of the results of the surveys, and the effective mobilization against corruption in primary education. A comprehensive advocacy strategy has been drafted to ensure that local stakeholders (school management committees, parent-teacher associations, women groups, local authorities etc.) learn about and understand the information generated by the surveys.  In the next six months, the project will focus on addressing specific issues of teachers’ absenteeism in target districts, but also conduct advocacy at the national level to address a range of issues mentioned in the assessment report. The campaign seeks to bring other actors on board to undertake a broad advocacy campaign in coalition with other stakeholders.

AEW Summary of Progress

TI Uganda and its AEW Programme have been able to:

•          Finalize and launch the AEW national assessment report

•          Conduct dissemination meetings and workshops in Kampala, Lira, Apac and  Kiboga 

•          Conduct a media campaign                                          

•          Produce advocacy materials, e.g.T-shirts

•          Draft an advocacy strategy

•          Draft an education strategy

•          Conduct an action planning meeting with civil society organizations in Apac District