GPE Board approves new framework to increase funding for global education

Washington DC, March 1, 2017. During its meeting in Washington DC, from February 28 to March 1, 2017, the GPE Board of Directors approved an ambitious new financing and funding framework for global education. The goal is to substantially increase funding for improving equitable learning outcomes in developing countries, and to channel it in more effective ways. 

The new financing and funding framework directly responds to the recommendation of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity to significantly scale up GPE.

To help fund GPE 2020, the partnership’s 5-year strategy, the Board endorsed:

• The establishment of a leverage fund that both low- and lower middle-income countries could access. In addition, GPE would crowd more financing into the sector through an increased focus on co-financing, including from multilateral development banks and private investments.
• Supporting domestic resource mobilization – monitoring domestic resource commitments through GPE’s operational model is complemented by advocacy for more and better financing at the global and country level. GPE will strengthen its engagement with Ministries of Finance and place a stronger focus on resourcing education sector plans.
• Enhancements to GPE’s core operational model to improve country-level data to inform national policy and planning and improve domestic finance allocations.
• The establishment of a funding mechanism to support the sharing of knowledge and innovation recognizing the significant gap in financing for public goods in the sector and the need to find innovative solutions to overcome policy challenges.
• The establishment of a funding mechanism to promote advocacy and social accountability for improved policies, practices, inclusive approaches, and more and better financing, at both the global and country level.

The Board also endorsed a new approach to eligibility and allocation of GPE resources that is needs based and prioritizes the poorest countries with high numbers of out of school children, especially countries affected by crisis and fragility. 

The Global Partnership for Education’s approach complements other mechanisms to help mobilize and deliver more effective and significantly increased support for education: the proposed new multilateral development bank investment mechanism and Education Cannot Wait.

The GPE Board of Directors is committed to working closely with UNICEF and the Office of the Special Envoy for Global Education to ensure these three mechanisms are coordinated, and together will play a key role in delivering on the global goal for education (SDG4).