New State Level Programme Summaries

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DFID’s new suite of State-level programmes comprises:

• SPARC (State Partnership for Accountability Responsiveness and Capability) focusing on support to public service reform;
• PAVS (Partnerships for Accountability and Voice in States) focusing on the demand side of governance;
• ESSPIN (Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria) focusing on education;
• PATHS2 (Partnership for Transforming Health Systems 2) focusing on health; and
• GEMS (Growth, Enterprise and Markets in States) focusing on growth.

The common goal of this suite of programmes is to support the more efficient and effective use of Nigeria’s own resources to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. These programmes have been designed to work in support and harmony with each other.

State Partnership for Accountability Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC)

Introduction

The State Partnership for Accountability Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC) is a State-level programme supported by the Department for International Development scheduled to start in May 2008 and run for 6 years, with a budget of almost £50 million. SPARC has been designed to build on the reforms that have been supported by the State and Local Government Programme, which is due to end in June 2008. The main focus of the programme is to support the development and implementation of State-owned government reform plans that will result in more efficient and effective delivery of public services.

SPARC Focus

SPARC will initially provide support in 5 States (Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Lagos) increasing to 7 later in the programme. Support provided by SPARC can be split into three main areas:

Policy - Support with formulating appropriate policy and strategy will centre on the next iteration of SEEDS, or its equivalent, and will aim to ensure that core lessons from the SEEDS experience are built into future approaches.

Public Financial Management and Civil Service Reform - Building on lessons from SLGP, and from experience elsewhere, SPARC will adopt a structured approach to reforms, initially supporting the concerned government with the development of reform plans, (where they do not already exist), and supporting the government with implementation of its plans. Reform plans may be developed in a number of areas including public financial management, civil service reforms or strengthening local government;

Strengthening Federal Government’s support, and incentives, for better performance in state level governments strengthened – The third main strand of SPARC will be to provide support to Federal Government Ministries, departments and agencies who are involved in initiatives intended to support states. Specific Federal agencies that will be supported by SPARC is likely to include National Planning Commission (support to SEEDS Benchmarking and related activities), OSSAP MDGs (Support to the Conditional Grants scheme). Support may be provided to other Federal MDAs where there is a clear intention to support and incentivise state level reform. Throughout SPARC, the emphasis will be on supporting the state and local government reforms. Public financial management and civil service reforms should result in greater coherence between policy and actual budget implementation, and an increasing emphasis on performance and service delivery. There will also be emphasis on developing systems that will facilitate and inform reforms in states which are not directly supported.

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Partnerships for Accountability and Voice in States (PAVS)

Introduction

The purpose of the PAVS Programme is to increase the ability of citizens to claim rights and hold State Governments accountable. PAVS will provide support across all the other four new programmes in supporting civil society organisations and media programmes intended to raise accountability over rights and service delivery, and provide support to State Houses of Assembly. Delivery will take place over six years with a budget of almost £30 million. PAVS will operate in five States at first (Lagos, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa), expanding to operate in up to seven States.

PAVS will work with a wide range of organisations including community-based organisations, non-governmental organisations, private sector organisations, think tanks, faith-based organisations, media houses and State Assemblies. State Governments or elements of State Government will be important potential partners in the advocacy projects.

PAVS Focus

1. Advocacy Projects. The design and implementation of advocacy projects will be supportive of other NSLPs. For example, a project could be developed advocating for more effective attention to the causes of maternal mortality grounded in the local level experience of PATHS 2 on emergency obstetrics and community awareness.

2. Monitoring, Research and Policy Analysis. This component will provide support to independent monitoring, research and policy analysis. Examples of the kind of work in this component could include working in partnership with DFID's Investment Climate Programme, the Nigeria Growth Challenge Fund and GEMS, to support independent monitoring, research and policy analysis to further strengthen evidence based dialogue at State level in support of private sector led growth.

3. State Houses of Assembly. PAVS will strengthen the functioning of State Houses of Assembly. Examples of kind of support to the State Assemblies could include courses raising awareness of Assembly functions and responsibilities (e.g. budget cycle), or support to specific, key Committees (e.g. Education, Health, Appropriations).

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Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN)

Introduction

ESSPIN’s purpose is to improve the planning, financing and delivery of basic education so as to improve access, equity and quality. It is a six-year programme with a budget of over £100 million. It will work with the Federal Government and up to seven State Governments. ESSPIN will build on the work of DFID’s Capacity for Universal Basic Education (CUBE), learn from the DFID-funded Girls Education Project and work closely with the World Bank’s State Education Sector Project.

ESSPIN will work initially with Kano, Kaduna, Kwara and Lagos States, as well as with the Federal Government. More States will be added during 2009.

Years of military rule left Nigeria’s education system facing major challenges. Net primary school enrolment is not much more than 60% and as many as 7 million primary age children are not in school (the majority girls). The quality of education is poor, basic education materials including textbooks are in short supply, classrooms are overcrowded and most schools lack water and sanitation facilities.

And yet Nigeria has significant resources and the political commitment with which to address these challenges. The economy is stable and growing and money is being channelled into education through a variety of channels. Education is an important part of President Yar Adua’s Seven Point Plan and a priority for many State Governments. ESSPIN will help the Federal Government and States that have shown capacity and commitment to seize this opportunity and make better use of these resources.

ESSPIN Focus

1. Strengthened Federal stewardship of basic education
Although State and Local Governments are mainly responsible for primary and junior secondary education, the Federal Government has a key part to play in creating a vision, setting the policy framework, distributing resources and providing quality assurance for the education sector. ESSPIN will help the Federal Government reform inspection services, establish a decentralised national education management information service, and improve resource flows from the Universal Basic Education Commission to States.

2. Improved planning, financing and management of education services at State and Local Government
Helping States make better use of their own resources to plan, manage, deliver and monitor services is at the heart of ESSPIN. We will help States plan on the basis of better management information, reform their inspection services, improve the training and deployment of teachers and get better value for money from procurement of buildings and materials. We’ll focus particularly on public financial management, complementing SPARC’s work with Ministries of Planning and Budgeting. In Northern Nigeria we will help States integrate the teaching of a basic curriculum into Islamiyah and Quranic schools. In Lagos, we will help the State improve regulation and inspection of private sector schools.

3. Improved resourcing and management of primary and junior secondary schools
Two thirds of ESSPIN’s resources will provide technical assistance to Government. The remainder will help underpin the transformation of government systems by providing resources to show what a reformed education system can do and creating incentives for further reform. This will include support for water and sanitation facilities, provision of educational materials, some infrastructure improvements and innovative ways of getting operating resources directly to schools and communities.

4. Better managed, more responsive and accountable basic education services, through stronger demand from communities and civil society
Building up government capacity and providing help to schools and communities is only part of the story: ESSPIN will also work with communities, civil society, the media and political representatives to share information, agree service standards and build up demand for better services. In particular, we’ll help School Based Management Committees to have a bigger influence in school management and improvement. ESSPIN will work alongside PAVS to build broad coalitions for reform in the education sector

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Partnership for Transforming Health Systems 2 (PATHS2)

Introduction

The purpose of PATHS 2 is to work in partnership with the Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders to improve the planning financing and delivery of sustainable and replicable pro-poor health services for common health problems – with the goal of supporting Nigeria to meeting the health related MDGs.

The health challenges in Nigeria are huge. Around 20% of Nigerian children die before their 5th birthday. Maternal mortality rates are amongst the highest in the world. Nigeria hosts 2% of the World’s population, yet 10% of all Maternal Mortality. Life expectancy fell between 1990 and 2004 from 46 to 44 years. Only 13% of children aged 12 – 23 months are fully immunised. In general, indicators are worst in the northern states and women and children suffer disproportionately. In 2002, WHO ranked the Nigerian health systems 187 out of 191 member countries.

Nonetheless, there is some enthusiasm to change the situation, and Nigeria is privileged to have some excellent health workers, planners and policy makers who, given support, can change the situation.

PATHS2 follows the successful PATHS1 which ran from 2002 to 2008. It is a 6 year initiative, with a budget of almost £150 million. The initiative will begin in four States and extend to up to six States during the life of the programme. The first States to come on board will be Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa and Enugu.

PATHS2 Focus

1. Strengthened stewardship role for health at national level.
This output area includes support for development of health plans, budgeting and financial systems at the Federal Level. Particular emphasis will be put on public financial management - with a focus on increasing Government of Nigeria’s expenditure on health. Support will also be provided to regulatory functions and information systems.

2. Improved planning, financing and management systems which support delivery of public health services in selected states
This output area will focus on supporting a selected number of States to develop health plans and improve their budgeting and expenditure systems. Emphasis will be put on supporting State governments to improve the quality of their health services, such as improved provision of drugs and staff, and support mechanism to review and monitor health service delivery.

3. Improved delivery of pro poor preventive and curative services including affordable drugs
Within this component, there will be specific support for technical heath services – in both the private and public sector. This will include maternal and child health; malaria, HIV and TB – and ensure that services are accessible and available to all. The programme also includes the procurement of some drugs and equipment, and these will be provided to those States and local government who are putting in reforms and systems to improve pro-poor health service delivery.

4. Increased demand for well managed, accountable, high quality primary health care services
This component will include support to systems which will enable greater involvement of communities (both as groups and individuals). We will work with health facilities to help them identify ways in which to involve stakeholders – and also work with stakeholders to help them find ways to demand for well managed, accountable, high quality health care. PATHS2 will work alongside PAVS to build broad coalitions for reform in the health sector.

5. Enhanced capacity of citizens to prevent and manage priority health conditions themselves
The final output concerns health promotion – where we will be supporting strategies that influence citizens behaviour – and change in healthy ways. This will include work with mothers and children, work in schools and community outreach services.

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Growth, Enterprise and Markets in States (GEMS)

Introduction

There are six million new entrants to the Nigerian employment market each year yet only 10-15% secure jobs in the formal sector. Of those who enter the informal sector, 80% are generating income of less than $300 per year – below the poverty line. The Government is committed to a 30% increase in overall formal sector employment by 2012. To assist Nigeria meet this target, GEMS will provide technical assistance to Lead State Governments and medium, small and micro-enterprises to develop a non-oil private sector capable of generating employment and growth. There will also be support to Federal Government to help improve the business climate. This will help unlock investment opportunities and enhance the potential of the private sector to generate income and employment for poor people.

GEMS Focus

GEMS is being developed as part of the broader DFID/World bank Growth Pole Programme focused on enhancing investment and private sector competitiveness. The design of GEMS has therefore been delayed in order to make it a truly joint project between DFID and the World Bank. The design process is ongoing and it is hoped GEMS will be launched in 2009.

GEMS is a £70 million, 5 year programme. The precise use of programme funds will be agreed during the ongoing design process.

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