PNN – Palestine News Network – 09.02.11 – 15:31
Ramallah – to PNN – Germany signed an agreement to support the Palestinian Education sector with EUR 6.5 million on Wednesday.
The was signed by the Palestinian Authority, represented by Dr. Ali Jarbawi, Minister of Planning and Administrative Development and Ms. Lamis Al Alami, Minister of Education and Higher Education, and Germany, represented by Ms Annika Wandscher, Head of Development Cooperation in the German Representative Office, Mr. Marc Engelhardt, Head of the KfW Office Ramallah and Mr. Frank Determann, Project Manager from KfW Headquarters.
With this agreement, the German government increases its overall support to the first Joint Financing Arrangement in the Palestinian Territory to a total amount of EUR 39 million. Currently, four countries – Finland, Germany, Ireland and Norway – have signed the Joint Financing Arrangement for the Education Sector with an overall amount of approx. USD 92 million so far.
Objectives and Scope of the Joint Financing Arrangement The Joint Financing Arrangement aims to support the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in the implementation of the Education Development and Strategic Plan (EDSP).
The objectives of the EDSP are to increase access to all education levels (access), to improve the quality of teaching and learning (quality), to develop the capacity for planning and management and to improve the financial and management systems used (management).
The Joint Financing Arrangement sets forth the jointly agreed terms and procedures for the Joint Financing Partner’s support to the EDSP and serves as a coordinating framework for consultations with the Palestinian Authority, for joint reviews of performance and for common procedures on disbursement, procurement, reporting and audits.
The Joint Financing Arrangement ensures supporting the government’s own strategic plans using government and national education institutions, allowing for flexibility in priority setting and implementation, providing predictability of funding to the sector and strengthening ownership.
The Development of the Joint Financing Arrangement Considerable progress has been made in strengthening collaboration between the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and its Development Partners towards the overall aim of improving education service delivery.
A Sector Wide Approach to collaborative planning resulted in the EDSP 2008-2012, which was subsequently endorsed by all Development Partners as the framework for their support to the sector.
Partnership Principles document, outlining the rules of engagement between the Ministry and the Development Partners, has been signed by 15 Development Partners. Four of these signatories – Finland, Germany, Ireland and Norway – have agreed to pool their support through the first Joint Financing Arrangement in the Palestinian Territory.

February 9, 2011 
































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