Education Reform Support Volume Four: Tools and Techniques

Education Reform Support Volume Four highlights the basic reason that prevents developing countries from successfully implementing educational reforms namely the inability to correctly apply statistical and information tools in budgeting and analysis. The researchers believe that assistance effort by developing countries and introduction of new set of tools and techniques can allow the nations to effectively reduce the information barriers faced within educational reforms. The paper specifically focuses on two approaches namely systematization and policy communication that can substantially aid the developing countries in implementing simple techniques including budgeting, information analysis, media campaigns and cost effectiveness analysis of policy research. Systematization is a versatile strategy within ERS that states that data, analysis, communication and network skills must be applied by a system, be it either a network of bureaucratic agents or dedicated institutions.  Conversely, policy communication approach identifies the various methods of communication including the mass marketing and policy marketing along with advocacy and negotiations.

The paper holds that developing policy communications can allow demand for reforms to be generated and applied analysis to be conducted. Communication process entails the need for stakeholders to have a say in decision making and this ultimately allows policies to be drafted in a manner such that special attention is paid towards their implementation process.