Burundi WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. Status. SABER In-Focus Report Articulating a Strategic Direction. Fostering a Demand-Led Approach

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1 Burundi WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SABER In-Focus Report 2013 Status Articulating a Strategic Direction Government leaders and political officials advocate for workforce development (WfD) in an ad-hoc manner through a range of specific interventions to advance strategic WfD priorities; there are some sporadic instances of advocacy by nongovernment champions. Fostering a Demand-Led Approach The country has taken positive steps in analyzing its economic prospects and identifying priority sectors for investment, but this effort has not been accompanied by studies analyzing skills needs; employers are starting to have a role in defining strategic WfD priorities that will likely be reinforced in the near future; the government does not provide any incentives for employers to upgrade their labor force s skills. Strengthening Critical Coordination THE WORLD BANK Government ministries and agencies responsible for WfD have overlapping mandates, and few mechanisms exist for coordinating WfD strategies and programs. A few nongovernment stakeholders have legally defined roles but, at this point, only for discussions related to higher education that take place through the Commission Nationale de l Enseignement Supérieur.

2 1. Introduction Burundi, a small, predominantly rural and landlocked country, is at a critical stage in its development. More than 13 years of conflict devastated much of the country s physical, social, and human capital until the Arusha Peace Agreement was signed in Since then, Burundi has made progress in consolidating peace and security, establishing a relatively stable macroeconomic environment, rebuilding institutions, and improving sector outcomes, in particular in basic health and education. Burundi now needs to intensify efforts to avoid a fragility trap and achieve greater stability and prosperity. Developing a skilled workforce is a necessary step to stimulate the incipient private sector and attract foreign investment. Workforce development (WfD) is, then, viewed by the government as a priority for improving the country s socioeconomic prospects. To inform policy dialogue on these important issues, this report presents a diagnostic of the country s policies and institutions for defining a strategic vision for WfD. The results are based on a new World Bank tool designed for this purpose. Known as SABER-WfD, the tool is part of the World Bank s initiative on Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER), 1 whose aim is to provide systematic documentation and assessment of the policy and institutional factors that influence the performance of education and training systems. The SABER-WfD tool encompasses initial, continuing, and targeted vocational education and training offered through multiple channels, and focuses largely on programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels. (3) Service delivery, which refers to the diversity, organization, and management of training provision, both state and nonstate, that deliver results on the ground by enabling individuals to acquire marketand job-relevant skills. In the case of Burundi, we have decided to zero in on the strategic aspects of WfD and thus implement only the first dimension of the SABER-WfD tool. The remaining dimensions of SABER-WfD will be left for later consideration. The decision to focus on the strategic part of the framework responds to the fact that the SABER- WfD assessment, in this instance, is part of a larger study on Skills for Private Sector Development, which will include an analysis of skills demand and supply regarding three potential growth sectors (coffee, agribusiness, and energy). The goal is to see where the country s strategic framework stands and if it is ready to answer the needs of the priority economic sectors. Figure 1: Functional Dimensions and Policy Goals in the SABER-WfD Framework The tool is based on an analytical framework 2 that identifies three functional dimensions of WfD policies and institutions: (1) Strategic framework, which refers to the praxis of advocacy, partnership, and coordination in relation to the objective of aligning WfD in critical areas to priorities for national development; (2) System oversight, which refers to the arrangements governing funding, quality assurance, and learning pathways that shape the incentives and information signals affecting the choices of individuals, employers, training providers, and other stakeholders; and Source: Tan et al Generally speaking, the focus of this report is on the institutional structures and practices of public policy making and what they reveal about capacity in the system to conceptualize, design, coordinate, and implement policies to achieve results on the ground. Each dimension of the SABER-WfD framework is composed of three Policy Goals that correspond to important functional aspects of WfD systems (see figure 1 For details on SABER see 2 For an explanation of the SABER-WfD framework see Tan et al

3 1). Policy Goals are further broken down into discrete Policy Actions and Topics that reveal more detail about the system. 3 Figure 2: SABER-WfD Scoring Rubrics Source: Tan et al Information for the analysis is gathered using a structured SABER-WfD Data Collection Instrument (DCI). The instrument is designed to collect, to the extent possible, facts rather than opinions about WfD policies and institutions. For each Topic, the DCI poses a set of 2. Country Context Political Context Burundi is a small East African country, predominantly rural and landlocked, that went through a 13-year period of conflict with devastating consequences for its population. Since the Arusha Agreements in 2000, Burundi has been transitioning from a post-conflict to a developing economy. The first democratic elections under the new constitution took place in August Even though the security environment has improved significantly in recent years, the situation remains fragile. The increasing cost of living triggered by recent volatility of fuel and basic commodity prices placed severe strain on the poor. Scarcity of land and competition for land resources is a continued underlying driver of conflict and fragility. Narrow space for political dialogue, weak governance, corruption, high levels of poverty, and high youth under- employment are potentially destabilizing factors, given the initial expectations that political stability would bring about rapid economic improvement in people s lives. Regional integration is a key pillar of Burundi s multiple choice questions that are answered based on documentary evidence and interviews with knowledgeable informants. The answers allow each Topic to be scored on a four-point scale against standardized rubrics based on available knowledge on global good practice (see figure 2). 4 Topic scores are averaged to produce Policy Goal scores, which are then aggregated into Dimension scores. 5 The results are finalized following validation by the relevant national counterparts, including the informants themselves. The rest of this report presents the detailed results of the SABER-WfD assessment for the Strategic Framework Dimension. To put the results into context, the report begins with a brief profile of the country s socioeconomic makeup and includes a discussion of the main features of the system in terms of oversight and service delivery in the final section. development agenda. Regional and international integration are expected to provide Burundi with economies of scale and opportunities to attract investment, increase access to regional public infrastructure, strengthen political stabilization and improve security, create employment, and generate incomes and reduce poverty. Burundi s membership in the East African Community (EAC), since July 2009, has prompted structural reforms aimed at improving the business climate and medium-term general economic policy, notably the free movement of the labor force, goods and capital, and the creation of jobs. Important reforms were set in motion to promote foreign trade, such as the application of the EAC common tariff, the new investment code, and new bankruptcy and commercial arbitration legislation. Economic Trends Burundi remains one of the poorest countries in the world. With a Human Development Index of 0.355, it ranked 178 out of 186 countries in Poverty is widespread, but higher in rural areas where the poverty rate is twice that of urban areas. 7 Up to 60 percent of the 3 See annex 2 for an overview of the structure of the framework. 4 See annex 3 for the rubrics used to score the data. As in other countries, the data are gathered by a national principal investigator and his or her team, based on the sources indicated in annex 4; and they are scored by the World Bank s SABER-WfD team. 5 Since the composite scores are averages of the underlying scores, they are rarely whole numbers. For a given composite score, X, the conversion to the categorical rating shown on the cover is based on the following rule: 1.00 X 1.75 converts to Latent ; 1.75 < X 2.50, to Emerging ; 2.50 < X 3.25, to Established ; and 3.25 < X 4.00, to Advanced. 6 UNDP percent in urban areas and 69 percent in rural in 2006 (source: WDIs). 3

4 population suffers from food insecurity, particularly in the season between crops. Poverty varies widely across regions, from a low of 29.7 percent in Bujumbura to a high 82 percent in the province of Kirundo. 8 Since 2000 economic growth has been slow, with gross domestic product (GDP) growth averaging about 3 percent between 2000 and 2010 but increasing to 4.2 percent in 2011 and 4 percent in Burundi s GDP per capita of US$153 in 2012 compares with US$982 for Sub-Saharan Africa. 10 Even though the country is endowed with natural resources and a large network of rivers, economic growth is held back by several factors including poor diversification, lack of adequate infrastructure, an unattractive business climate, and an unskilled or low-capacity labor force. Figure 3: GDP per Capita and GDP per Capita Growth Source: WDIs. The economy is dominated by agriculture, which accounts for about 40 percent of GDP. 11 Coffee and tea, to a smaller extent, are the main export crops, accounting for more than 60 percent of export revenues and the source of income for about 800,000 households (about 3 million Burundians). 12 The services sector, within which the public sector is predominant, accounts for 43 percent of GDP. The industrial sector is narrow (17 percent of GDP) but growing. The industrial sector growth rate was 6 percent in 2011 and 4 percent in 2012, 13 for which construction and mining have been the main contributors. The economy is also characterized by a high dependence on external aid and low domestic revenue leading to relatively low government expenditures. Figure 4: Sectoral Contribution to GDP Source: WDIs. The private sector in Burundi is small and underdeveloped. It includes a relatively large number of low-productivity small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which employ around 37,000 people. Most of these SMEs operate in the informal sector and are concentrated in Bujumbura and two or three other provincial towns. Lack of infrastructure, especially the lack of an adequate road network and poor access to electricity, are major obstacles to the emergence of the private sector. 14 High trade costs, poor infrastructure, and an underdeveloped service sector also limit Burundi s ability to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). Burundi is, however, making strides in creating one of the fundamentals of job creation the investment climate. Improving the business environment has become a government priority since 2011, when Burundi ranked third to last in the World Bank s Doing Business report. Having made it easier to establish businesses, deal with construction permits, and register property, and having reinforced investor protection, Burundi has jumped several places in recent years to reach 140 out of 185 countries in the 2013 Doing Business ranking. 15 Demographic and Employment Trends About two-thirds of the population is under the age of 25 years, and about half under the age of 17 years. The fertility rate is very high at 6.2 births per woman, which, 8 World Bank, Country Assistance Strategy. 9 WDI. 10 Constant prices. 11 WDIs. 12 World Bank, Country Assistance Strategy. 13 WDIs. 14 African Economic Outlook 2012, Burundi (AfDB, OECD, UNDP, UNECA). 15 Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2013, Country Report 1st Quarter 2013 ( 4

5 in turn, contributes to a high population growth rate of 3.2 percent. Population density is also one of the highest in Africa. Table 1: Demographic Indicators 2012 Burundi Sub-Saharan Africa Population ages % 43% Population ages % 54% Population ages 65 and above 2.4% 3% Fertility rate Population growth rate 3.2% 2.7% Population density (inhabitants/km 2 ) a Source: WDIs. a Data as of In terms of employment, it has fallen on the agriculture sector to absorb a large proportion of the growth in the population, leading to a decline in average productivity and increasing pressure on land and natural resources. Migration to urban areas has also increased, with most low-skilled or illiterate young people being absorbed in low-productivity employment in the informal service sector. Youth unemployment and/or under-employment are becoming a worrying phenomenon in urban areas. In 2008, the youth unemployment rate in Bujumbura was estimated at 14.4 percent. 16 The unemployment phenomenon in Burundi has not yet been studied in detail. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP II) makes an effort to discuss this issue, presenting as important causes the lack of a national employment policy, poor knowledge of the labor market, the mismatch between training and employment, the lack of access to credit, and the absence of relevant vocational training programs. quality. The completion rate is only 62.2 percent, making it unlikely that Burundi will reach the second Millennium Development Goal target (primary completion rate of 100 percent). Figure 5: School Enrollment Source: WDIs. Enrollment levels in secondary and tertiary education are much lower (28 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively, for the most recent year available). Moreover, only 67 percent of the population is literate, with significant gender disparities. 17 The government is committed to improving access and quality and is currently introducing a major reform in basic education. This reform will lead to universalization of nine years of mandatory education. As shown in figure 6, the primary cycle currently consists of six years, followed by two years of lower secondary education. Education The free primary education policy implemented in 2005 has resulted in a significant increase in enrollment and greater gender parity. The ratio of girls to boys at the primary level is almost one, and primary gross enrollment rates improved significantly from 76 percent in 2004 to 137 percent in 2012, although significant shortcomings remain in terms of achievement and 16 World Bank, Country Assistance Strategy percent for female and 73 percent for male (source: WDIs). 5

6 Figure 6: Education System Higher Education (2, 3, 4, 5, or 7 years) Figure 7: Simulated Educational Attainment of Working Age Population (15-64-Year-Olds) Scenario 1: Six years of basic education and relatively low rate of completion General Secondary Education, 2nd Cycle (3 years) Pedagogic Secondary Education (2 or 4 years) Technical Secondary Education A2 (3 or 4 years) General Secondary Education, 1st Cycle (4 years) A3 (3 years option for those who complete 8th grade) Centers for Occupational Training Scenario 2: New reform nine years of basic education with higher completion rates Primary Education (6 years) Preschool (1 to 3 years) Source: Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Indicateurs 2011/2012 sur l Enseignement au Burundi. The basic education reform, if implemented successfully, has the potential of rapidly upgrading the educational attainment of potential new workers. Figure 7 shows how school attainment levels will change until 2025 under two different scenarios; the projections depend on the current and expected demographic trends of the population in Burundi and the current school enrollment, transition, promotion, and repetition rates in each cycle of the education system. 18 Source: World Bank Policy Note, Projections of Educational Attainment of the Working Age Population in Burundi. 18 For more information on the specific assumptions for each scenario see World Bank (2014). 6

7 3. Aligning Workforce Development to Key Economic and Social Priorities WfD is not an end in itself but an input toward broader objectives: of boosting employability and productivity, of relieving skills constraints on business growth and development, and of advancing overall economic growth and social well-being. This section briefly introduces Burundi s socioeconomic aspirations, priorities, and reforms before presenting the detailed SABER-WfD findings on the Strategic Framework and their policy implications. Key Socioeconomic Aspirations, Priorities, and Reforms Burundi undoubtedly faces many development challenges. With an extremely high poverty rate 19 and a recent past of internal conflict, the country s most urgent aspirations relate to moving people out of poverty and promoting social cohesion. The government of Burundi has developed strategic documents like the Vision Burundi 2025 and the second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP II) that lay out a development plan for the country. Vision Burundi 2025 is part of an effort by the government to translate the aspirations of the people and represents an agreed vision by the Burundian society for long-term development. The PRSP II translates Vision Burundi 2025 into more actionable measures and focuses on four main areas: (1) strengthening the rule of law, strengthening good governance, and promoting gender equality; (2) transforming the Burundian economy for sustained growth and job creation; (3) improving access to and the quality of basic social services and strengthening the foundation of social protection; and (4) managing space and environment for sustainable development. Education and WfD are important tools for socioeconomic development and are thus at the heart of the government s Development Strategy. A good supply of well-trained personnel is vital to any country s economic growth. In the case of Burundi, there are several urgent needs such as increasing productivity in agriculture, further developing the export cultures, particularly coffee and tea, and training farmers so that they can take advantage of higher-value-added activities related to agribusiness. Simultaneously, it is also necessary to create new sectors that can absorb large quantities of rural labor into the nonagricultural workforce. Productivity and employment concerns have resulted in a significant mobilization of public resources to the education sector, which takes up 29.3 percent of current government spending. 20 The Sectorial Plan for Development of Education (PSDEF in its French acronym) 21 delineates the strategy for the education sector in line with the strategic priorities defined in the national documents. It identifies two main goals: 1. Ensuring universal access to basic education, seen as crucial both to increase productivity in the informal sector and as a stepping stone to quality technical and higher education and 2. Equipping the poorest populations that are normally excluded from the economic circuits with the minimum human capital that allows for their inclusion in the formal economy. A reform of basic education that aims for universal access and completion is, thus, the first priority in terms of education. It was announced in 2010 that the basic education system would be extended from six to nine years of compulsory attendance. This reform together with the rapid growth in enrollment has put considerable stress on a system with weak quality and low completion rates. The PSDEF proposes to address those problems by focusing on the following: (1) the reduction of repetition, (2) the increase in actual teaching hours, (3) the revision of school programs and curricula, (4) the strengthening of the system of initial and continuing training of teachers, and (5) the improvement of management and control. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is nonetheless also a matter of concern, and the PSDEF also delineates a plan for this subsector. The need to provide education solutions to students who will now stay in school for nine years of compulsory education makes the development of basic-level vocational and professional education a priority for the government. This type of training is expected to prepare young people percent of the population live with less than $1.25 per day (UNDP- International Human Development Indicators). 20 PSDEF. 21 Plan Sectoriel de Développement de l Education et de la Formation. 7

8 for jobs and self-employment with the goal of improving productivity in the informal sector and creating an entrepreneurial culture. This will mean a shift of attention from the more traditional, high school level technical education that, according to the government, should continue its mission of forming the academic elite and senior technicians that the formal sector of the economy needs, but that is less of a priority since the formal sector remains underdeveloped in Burundi and offers few employment opportunities. The strategy for technical and vocational education is then based on (1) an increase of vacancies in professional and vocational training, (2) a restructuring of the sector through the development of public-private partnerships, and (3) a search for new ways of financing. In terms of public-private partnerships, collaboration will be sought to establish internships, share equipment, offer continuing training services to firms, and include the participation of employers in student evaluation. Finally, the integration in the EAC is also bound to bring changes to the education sector. One of EAC s goals in terms of education policy is to harmonize curricula and systems across the member countries. A body has been charged with harmonization at the higher education level the Inter-University Council for East Africa. However, this is an ongoing process, and there is no clear indication of when it will be a reality. SABER-WfD Ratings of the Strategic Framework In the SABER-WfD framework, the role of WfD in realizing Burundi s socioeconomic aspirations materializes through actions to advance the following three Policy Goals: (1) setting a strategic direction for WfD, (2) fostering a demand-led approach in WfD, and (3) ensuring coordination among key WfD leaders and stakeholders. The ratings for these Policy Goals are presented and explained below, followed by a brief reflection on their implications for policy dialogue. Based on data collected by the SABER-WfD questionnaire, Burundi receives an overall rating of 1.5 (Latent) on the Strategic Framework dimension (see figure 8). This score is the average of the ratings for the underlying Policy Goals relating to (a) Setting a Direction for WfD (2.0), (b) Fostering a Demand-led Approach to WfD (1.2), and (c) Strengthening Critical Coordination for WfD (1.3). The explanation for these ratings on the Policy Goals and their implications follow below. Figure 8: SABER-WfD Ratings of the Strategic Framework Dimension Source: Based on analysis of the data collected using the SABER- WfD questionnaire. Note: See figure 2 for an explanation of the scale on the horizontal axis. Policy Goal 1: Articulating a Strategic Direction for WfD Leaders play an important role in crystalizing a strategic vision for WfD appropriate to the country s unique circumstances and opportunities. Their advocacy and commitment attract partnership with stakeholders for the common good, build public support for key priorities in WfD, and ensure that critical issues receive due attention in policy dialogue. Taking these ideas into account, Policy Goal 1 assesses the extent to which apexlevel leaders in government and in the private sector provide sustained advocacy for WfD priorities through institutionalized processes. Burundi scores at the Emerging level on this Policy Goal (2.0), reflecting ad-hoc advocacy for WfD by government leaders and political officials that manifests itself through a range of specific interventions to advance strategic WfD priorities and some sporadic instances of advocacy by nongovernment champions. Political leaders and high-level government officials have been the main champions for WfD in Burundi by preparing and publishing the PSDEF that frames the policy for education and WfD until The Direction Geńeŕale de l Administration de l Enseignement Technique, de l Enseignement des Me tiers et de la Formation Professionnelle (DGAETEMFP) within the Ministère de l Enseignement de Base, du Secondaire, de l Enseignement des Métiers, de la Formation Professionnelle et de l Alphabétisation (MEBSEMFPA) is the main force in the government to move forward the 8

9 TVET reforms and to translate the plans into reality. A sustained advocacy agenda is still missing, however. Advocacy efforts seem to depend on personal, proactive efforts of certain individuals. Some of these champions advocacy efforts have already translated into concrete measures. A good example is the improvement of the regulatory environment for WfD with the publication of a new law in September 2013 that organizes the basic and secondary education systems, including vocational, professional, and technical education. 22 This law formalizes the different types of training centers including the Centres d Enseignement des Metiers (CEMs) that used to be informal. It stipulates that training at the CEMs will be offered in a modular approach and legalizes the establishment of a Centre de Développement des Compétences Professionnelles (CDCP), among other things. Other strategic decisions by the champions have consisted of improving the infrastructure for TVET with training institutes being built at the commune (CEMs) and province level (Centres de Formation Professionnelle) and the launch of a discussion around the creation of a public-private partnership to discuss TVET issues. Champions from the local nongovernment sector are not as visible. This might change if, once the new publicprivate partnership is approved, it brings together several stakeholders to discuss program relevance, curricula development, and other strategic WfD aspects. Parties in this partnership will include the relevant ministries, trade unions, the Chamber of Commerce, and associations of employers. This partnership has not yet been formalized, but the agreement text has been written, and it will be launched in the near future. When discussing advocacy for WfD in Burundi, it is also important to note that international partners such as UNICEF, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Belgian Development Agency (CTB) play a significant role in the development of a skills policy in the country. Policy Goal 2: Fostering a Demand-Led Approach Effective advocacy for WfD requires credible assessments of the demand for skills, engagement of employers in shaping the country s WfD agenda, and incentives for employers to support skills development. Policy Goal 2 incorporates these ideas and benchmarks the system according to the extent to which policies and institutional arrangements are in place to (1) establish clarity on the demand for skills and areas of critical constraint and (2) engage employers in setting WfD priorities and in enhancing skills upgrading for workers. Burundi scores at the Latent level for Policy Goal 2. It has taken positive steps in analyzing the country s economic prospects and identifying priority sectors for investment, but this effort has not been accompanied by studies analyzing simultaneously economic prospects and skills needs. A positive aspect is that industry and employers are starting to have an ad-hoc role in defining strategic WfD priorities that will likely be reinforced in the near future. The fact that the government does not provide any incentives for skills upgrading by employers is also consistent with a latent level of development. Despite the efforts that have been made to analyze the country s economic prospects in documents such as Vision Burundi 2025 and the PRSP II, no published study has analyzed simultaneously economic prospects and skills needs. For example, a Strategic Plan for Agriculture one of the priority sectors has been developed, but it does not present any analysis of the current skills situation in the sector and/or project future needs in terms of human resources. Also, the PSDEF, despite laying the ground for a strategy on the sector, has had no discussion of specific training programs needed and the mismatches between current supply and demand. There are, however, ongoing studies that will provide some insight into skills constraints in the near future. One has the support of CTB and tries to determine labor market needs in each province, evaluate the appropriateness of the offering of training programs, and identify training programs that should be developed. The other is the World Bank study on Skills for Private Sector Development of which this assessment is part and that, among other things, will identify key gaps in meeting skills demands in three potential growth sectors. Employers play a small ad-hoc role in defining strategic WfD priorities. The private sector has been involved in the discussions of the new law for basic and secondary education and of the creation of the public-private partnership for TVET through the Chamber of Commerce and other representatives. Once this public-private partnership agreement is signed and in place, it is expected that the private sector will participate in the 22 Law no. 1/19, September 10, 2013, Portant Organisation de l Enseignement de Base et Secondaire. 9

10 discussions of WfD priorities on a more routine basis and have a more significant contribution. Policy Goal 3: Strengthening Critical Coordination for Implementation Ensuring that the efforts of multiple stakeholders involved in WfD are aligned with the country s key socioeconomic priorities is an important goal of strategic coordination. Such coordination typically requires leadership at a sufficiently high level to overcome barriers to cross-sector or cross-ministerial cooperation. Policy Goal 3 examines the extent to which policies and institutional arrangements are in place to formalize roles and responsibilities for coordinated action on strategic priorities. Burundi scores as Latent for Policy Goal 3. Government ministries and agencies responsible for WfD have overlapping mandates, and few mechanisms exist for coordinating WfD strategies and programs. A few nongovernment stakeholders 23 have legally defined roles but, at this point, only for discussions related to higher education that take place through the Commission Nationale de l Enseignement Supérieur. extremely burdensome and is not helping to keep programs relevant. Presently nongovernment stakeholders have legally defined participation on the Commission Nationale de l Enseignement Supérieur that discusses issues related to higher education (planning, quality, alignment with the government s strategy, and alignment of training with industry needs). This commission was created in 2011 by the second Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi, M. Gervais Rufyikiri, and has 21 members that represent the government, the University of Burundi, Institutes of Higher Education, private universities, public companies, private sector, parents, and representatives of civil society. It is presided over by M. Samuel Bigawa, vicerector of the University of Burundi. Even though the bulk of TVET education in Burundi takes place at the basic and secondary level, the work of this commission is relevant for the discussion on WfD because issues such as the creation of programs for postsecondary professional training of short duration are under the responsibility of the ministry for higher education. The ministry in charge of TVET at the basic and secondary level is the MEBSEMFPA, but in practice, other ministries also have various responsibilities over WfD and TVET in particular. The Ministry of Health organizes the training for health professionals (nurses, lab technicians, and health technicians), the Ministry of Higher Education and Science offers training for agriculture technicians and for certain types of engineers, and the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Security is in charge of training and continuing education in public administration through the École Nationale de l Administration. Besides the various ministries involved, within the MEBSEMFPA the system coordination is not always easy. For instance, hiring and management of staff, including instructors, for TVET programs/institutions is done by two General Directorates under the ministry. 24 Additionally, a third party, the Inspection Générale de l Education, is also involved in the evaluation of staff. The involvement of these different entities makes the process of hiring, firing, and reassigning instructors 23 The University of Burundi, Institutes of Higher Education, private universities, public companies, representatives of the private sector, parents, and civil society organizations. 24 DGAETEMFP and the Direction Geńe rale des Resources Humaines. 10

11 4. Other Features of the System Even though, at this stage, our analysis did not cover dimensions 2 (Oversight) and 3 (Service Delivery) of the Burundian WfD system, some features and plans that are related to these dimensions are worth mentioning. System Oversight One important aspect in terms of oversight is funding, which is always challenging but even more so in a country with many needs and limited resources such as Burundi. The PSDEF plans for the complete financial autonomy of the CEM and Centres de Formation Professionnelle (CFPs). These training centers have already been provided with bank accounts that are directly financed by the Common Fund for Education and buy their materials locally, but the goal is to increase autonomy so that they can become important players in the local economy. There is also a plan of creating an autonomous fund to finance WfD but no detailed information on how resources will be raised to maintain it. Other government plans that can have an impact in terms of oversight include the creation of a CDCP that will focus on developing programs and curricula for training and the creation of a National Qualifications Framework. A commission has already been put in place in 2012 to work on qualifications. The redesign of the basic education system with nine years of mandatory education becoming a reality in the near future will also create new challenges and opportunities in terms of pathways between technical and vocational and academic programs. The existence of clear and flexible pathways for transfers across programs, progression to higher levels of training, and access to programs in other fields is a key feature of successful WfD systems. The government s plans in this particular aspect have not been made public, and so this is something to keep in close watch on. Burundi, and thus the percentage who attends the professional and technical programs at the secondary level is extremely small at only 4 percent. Table 2: TVET in Burundi 2011 Enseignement des Métiers Schools Instructors Trainees Public ,388 Public/SC ,204 Private Total ,693 Secondary Professional and Technical (A2 and A3) Schools Teachers Students Public central ,193 Public local Private ,243 Total ,384 Source: Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Indicateurs 2011/2012 sur l Enseignement au Burundi. Table 3 shows the distribution of students by program in the CEMs. It is striking how the sewing program has the vast majority of students, while areas that have been defined as priority sectors such as agribusiness and tourism have a very small percentage of students. An important conclusion of this brief analysis is that alignment between the needs of the economy and the TVET programs offered is still missing in Burundi. Service Delivery Currently, the offer of TVET in Burundi is split between the CEM that students can access after six years of basic education, professional (A3), and technical education (A2), which takes place at the lower-secondary and secondary level, respectively (see figure 6). Table 2 shows the number of students in each of these levels (data from 2011). To put things in perspective, in 2011, 420,117 students were in secondary education in 11

12 Table 3: Programs Offered in the CEM, 2011 Students Percentage Proportion female of program Mechanic % Masonry % 13.3 Sewing 1, Construction Carpentry Plumbing Welding Electricity Secretary Agriculture Livestock Hoteling IT Knitting Embroidery Total 3, It is again interesting to notice that the government s plans do not mention any clear orientation in terms of adjusting supply specific programs to economic needs, particularly at the level of CEM and CFPs. Source: Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Indicateurs 2011/2012 sur l Enseignement au Burundi. As explained, the government of Burundi s strategy for WfD passes through an increase of supply of lower-level TVET options. The targets, according to the PSDEF, are the following: To increase the number of young people receiving lower-level vocational training to 16,000 in 2020 by creating CEMs in each commune (presently 69 of 129 towns have a CEM); To grow, to a lesser extent, the number of students in professional education by creating a CFP in each of the 17 provinces and increasing the number of students to about 4,000 against 2,000 today (currently three provinces have a CFP); To maintain the enrollment in technical education (with the disappearance of technical colleges and a slight increase in the number of technical high schools); To develop postsecondary short-term programs with a technical focus; the goal is to create five regional institute. Feasibility studies have already been developed, and the focus areas already identified have been tourism, agronomy, and agribusiness. For this a new Direction Geńeŕale was created under the Ministry of Higher Education. 12

13 Implications of the Findings The SABER-WfD analysis of Burundi s strategic framework for WfD shows a country where the government and other selected stakeholders are aware of the importance of WfD for the country s overall development. That is reflected in the effort to publish the PSDEF and new legislation for the sector. A big challenge at this stage will be to move from strategy to implementation. The strategy introduces many goals without defining a specific plan of action to achieve them, and it has not been complemented by other documents that do it. A notable example is the reform of the system from six to nine years of basic education; the necessary practical measures to deal with a change of this magnitude have not been systematized. An important decision that remains to be clarified, as part of this reform, is whether programs catering to students after grade 6 will be eliminated and whether entry into the CEMs will happen only after grade 9. This change is required to ensure that all children receive nine years of general basic education. It will also imply important changes in the structure of the CEMs, including the type of programs they offer and their internal and external efficiency. Finally, implementation can proceed only if adequate resources can be mobilized. 25 on demand should become routine and an integral part of the country s WfD system and not dependent on special studies driven by donors. Another example of the disconnect between strategy and implementation is the creation of the public-private partnership for TVET that has been highlighted as a priority in the PSDEF and discussed over several years, but has not yet been formalized. It is also crucial to clearly identify the critical skills needs for the priority economic sectors. The Burundian government has identified lower-level vocational training, through the CEMs, as a priority. This is a first step, but equally urgent is to pinpoint the specific programs that need to be opened/modernized to answer the needs of the economy. As discussed, new studies sponsored by donors will provide some guidance on this issue. The creation of the public-private partnership is also an important step because the private sector has an important word here. But besides this, there is the need for a strong political commitment that can ensure that once the needs are identified the country will be able to implement the necessary changes on the ground including the closure of outdated programs. Simultaneously, the identification of skills needs based 25 The current support from the Global Partnership for Education Fund is for three years and is expected to end by

14 Annex 1: Acronyms AfDB ALMP CDCP CEM CFP CTB CVET DCI DGAETEMFP EAC FDI GDP IVET MEBSEMFPA OECD PRSP II PSDEF SABER SME TVET UNDP UNECA UNICEF WDIs WfD African Development Bank Active Labor Market Program Centre de Développement des Compétences Professionnelles Centre d Enseignement des Métiers Centres de Formation Professionel Belgian Development Agency Continuing Vocational Education and Training Data Collection Instrument Direction Geńeŕale de l Administration de l Enseignement Technique, de l Enseignement des Me tiers et de la Formation Professionnelle East African Community Foreign Direct Investment Gross Domestic Product Initial Vocational Education and Training Ministère de l Enseignement de Base, du Secondaire, de l Enseignement des Métiers, de la Formation Professionnelle et de l Alphabétisation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Plan Sectoriel de Développement de l Education et de la Formation Systems Approach for Better Education Results Small and Medium Enterprise Technical and Vocational Education and Training United Nations Development Program United Nations Economic Commission for Africa United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund World Development Indicators Workforce Development 14

15 Dimension 3 Service Delivery Dimension 2 System Oversight Dimension 1 Strategic Framework BURUNDI ǀ WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SABER IN-FOCUS REPORT 2013 Annex 2: Structure of the SABER-WfD framework G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 Policy Goal Policy Action Topic in DCI 2.5 Final Setting a Strategic Direction Fostering a Demand-Led Approach Strengthening Critical Coordination Ensuring Efficiency and Equity in Funding Assuring Relevant and Reliable Standards Diversifying Pathways for Skills Acquisition Enabling Diversity and Excellence in Training Provision Fostering Relevance in Public Training Programs Enhancing Evidence-based Accountability for Results Provide sustained advocacy for WfD at the top leadership level Establish clarity on the demand for skills and areas of critical constraint Engage employers in setting WfD priorities and in enhancing skills-upgrading for workers Formalize key WfD roles for coordinated action on strategic priorities G1_T1 G1_T2 G2_T1 G2_T2 G2_T3 G2_T4 G2_T5 G3_T1 G3_T2 G3_T3 Advocacy for WfD to Support Economic Development Strategic Focus and Decisions by the WfD Champions Overall Assessment of Economic Prospects and Skills Implications Critical Skills Constraints in Priority Economic Sectors Role of Employers and Industry Skills-Upgrading Incentives for Employers Monitoring of the Incentive Programs Roles of Government Ministries and Agencies Roles of Non-Government WfD Stakeholders Coordination for the Implementation of Strategic WfD Measures G4_T1 Overview of Funding for WfD Recurrent Funding for Initial Vocational Education and Training G4_T2 Provide stable funding for effective programs in (IVET) initial, continuing and targeted vocational education Recurrent Funding for Continuing Vocational Education and G4_T3 and training Training Programs (CVET) G4_T4 Recurrent Funding for Training-related Active Labor Market Programs (ALMPs) Monitor and enhance equity in funding for training G4_T5 Equity in Funding for Training Programs Facilitate sustained partnerships between training institutions and employers G4_T6 Partnerships between Training Providers and Employers Broaden the scope of competency standards as a basis for developing qualifications frameworks Establish protocols for assuring the credibility of skills testing and certification Develop and enforce accreditation standards for maintaining the quality of training provision Promote educational progression and permeability through multiple pathways, including for TVET students Facilitate life-long learning through articulation of skills certification and recognition of prior learning Provide support services for skills acquisition by workers, job-seekers and the disadvantaged Encourage and regulate non-state provision of training Combine incentives and autonomy in the management of public training institutions Integrate industry and expert input into the design and delivery of public training programs Recruit and support administrators and instructors for enhancing the market-relevance of public training programs Expand the availability and use of policy-relevant data for focusing providers' attention on training outcomes, efficiency and innovation G5_T1 G5_T2 G5_T3 G5_T4 G5_T5 G5_T6 G5_T7 G5_T8 G5_T9 G6_T1 G6_T2 G6_T3 G6_T4 G6_T5 G6_T6 G7_T1 G7_T2 G7_T3 G7_T4 G7_T5 G7_T6 G7_T7 G8_T1 G8_T2 G8_T3 G8_T4 G8_T5 G8_T6 G9_T1 G9_T2 G9_T3 Competency Standards and National Qualifications Frameworks Competency Standards for Major Occupations Occupational Skills Testing Skills Testing and Certification Skills Testing for Major Occupations Government Oversight of Accreditation Establishment of Accreditation Standards Accreditation Requirements and Enforcement of Accreditation Standards Incentives and Support for Accreditation Learning Pathways Public Perception of Pathways for TVET Articulation of Skills Certification Recognition of Prior Learning Support for Further Occupational and Career Development Training-related Provision of Services for the Disadvantaged Scope and Formality of Non-State Training Provision Incentives for Non-State Providers Quality Assurance of Non-State Training Provision Review of Policies towards Non-State Training Provision Targets and Incentives for Public Training Institutions Autonomy and Accountability of Public Training Institutions Introduction and Closure of Public Training Programs Links between Training Institutions and Industry Industry Role in the Design of Program Curricula Industry Role in the Specification of Facility Standards Links between Training and Research Institutions Recruitment and In-Service Training of Heads of Public Training Institutions Recruitment and In-Service Training of Instructors of Public Training Institutions Administrative Data from Training Providers Survey and Other Data Use of Data to Monitor and Improve Program and System Performance 15

16 G2: Fostering a Demand-Led Approach to WfD G1: Setting a Strategic Direction for WfD BURUNDI ǀ WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SABER IN-FOCUS REPORT 2013 Annex 3: Rubrics for Scoring the Data Policy Goal Functional Dimension 1: Strategic Framework Level of Development Latent Emerging Established Advanced Visible champions for WfD are either absent or take no specific action to advance strategic WfD priorities. Some visible champions provide ad-hoc advocacy for WfD and have acted on few interventions to advance strategic WfD priorities; no arrangements exist to monitor and review implementation progress. Government leaders exercise sustained advocacy for WfD with occasional, ad-hoc participation from non-government leaders; their advocacy focuses on selected industries or economic sectors and manifests itself through a range of specific interventions; implementation progress is monitored, albeit through ad-hoc reviews. Both government and non-government leaders exercise sustained advocacy for WfD, and rely on routine, institutionalized processes to collaborate on well-integrated interventions to advance a strategic, economy-wide WfD policy agenda; implementation progress is monitored and reviewed through routine, institutionalized processes. Policy Goal Functional Dimension 1: Strategic Framework Level of Development Latent Emerging Established Advanced There is no assessment of the country's economic prospects and their implications for skills; industry and employers have a limited or no role in defining strategic WfD priorities and receive limited support from the government for skills upgrading. Some ad-hoc assessments exist on the country's economic prospects and their implications for skills; some measures are taken to address critical skills constraints (e.g., incentives for skills upgrading by employers); the government makes limited efforts to engage employers as strategic partners in WfD. Routine assessments based on multiple data sources exist on the country's economic prospects and their implications for skills; a wide range of measures with broad coverage are taken to address critical skills constraints; the government recognizes employers as strategic partners in WfD, formalizes their role, and provides support for skills upgrading through incentive schemes that are reviewed and adjusted. A rich array of routine and robust assessments by multiple stakeholders exists on the country's economic prospects and their implications for skills; the information provides a basis for a wide range of measures with broad coverage that address critical skills constraints; the government recognizes employers as strategic partners in WfD, formalizes their role, and provides support for skills upgrading through incentives, including some form of a levy-grant scheme, that are systematically reviewed for impact and adjusted accordingly. 16

17 G3: Strengthening Critical Coordination for Implementation BURUNDI ǀ WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SABER IN-FOCUS REPORT 2013 Functional Dimension 1: Strategic Framework Policy Goal Level of Development Latent Emerging Established Advanced Industry/employers have a limited or no role in defining strategic WfD priorities; the government either provides no incentives to encourage skills upgrading by employers or conducts no reviews of such incentive programs. Industry/employers help define WfD priorities on an ad-hoc basis and make limited contributions to address skills implications of major policy/investment decisions; the government provides some incentives for skills upgrading for formal and informal sector employers; if a levygrant scheme exists its coverage is limited; incentive programs are not systematically reviewed for impact. Industry/employers help define WfD priorities on a routine basis and make some contributions in selected areas to address the skills implications of major policy/investment decisions; the government provides a range of incentives for skills upgrading for all employers; a levy-grant scheme with broad coverage of formal sector employers exists; incentive programs are systematically reviewed and adjusted; an annual report on the levygrant scheme is published with a time lag. Industry/employers help define WfD priorities on a routine basis and make significant contributions in multiple areas to address the skills implications of major policy/investment decisions; the government provides a range of incentives for skills upgrading for all employers; a levy-grant scheme with comprehensive coverage of formal sector employers exists; incentive programs to encourage skills upgrading are systematically reviewed for impact on skills and productivity and are adjusted accordingly; an annual report on the levygrant scheme is published in a timely fashion. 17

18 Annex 4: References and Informants Agence Belge de Développement and Ministère de l Enseignement de Base et Secondaires, de l Enseignement des Métiers, de la Formation Professionnelle et de l Alphabétisation Termes de Reference pour une Etude Prospective sur le Marché de l Emploi, les Besoins de l Économie et l Adéquation Formation/Emploi. Brussels. Bureau de la Planification et des Statistiques de l Education. 2012a. Indicateurs sur l Enseignement au Burundi 2011/2012. Government of Burundi, Bujumbura b. Rapport d État du Système Educatif Burundais. Government of Burundi, Bujumbura. IMF Burundi: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper II. IMF, Washington, DC. Lahaye, Louise, and Djibi Thiam Rapport d Évaluation Technique du Plan Sectoriel de Développement de l Éducation et de la Formation (PSDEF) en Vue de Son Endossement au Partenariat Mondial pour l Éducation par les Partenaires Techniques et Financiers. Ministère de l Agriculture et de l Élevage Stratégique Agricole Nationale Government of Burundi, Bujumbura. Ministère du Plan et du Développement Communal/Cellule Prospective and Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement au Burundi Vision Burundi Government of Burundi, Bujumbura. Nshimirimana, Pascal L Enseignement Technique et la Formation Professionnelle du Burundi: Vers une Nouvelle Structure Participative de Pilotage et un Nouveau Système de Cofinancement. Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA). Government of Burundi, Bujumbura. Republique du Burundi Law no. 1/22, December 30. Portant Reorganisation de l Enseignement Superieur au Burundi. Government of Burundi, Bujumbura. Republique du Burundi. 2012a. Plan Sectoriel de Développement de l Éducation et de la Formation Government of Burundi, Bujumbura. Republique du Burundi. 2012b. Annexes du Plan Sectoriel de Développement de l Éducation et de la Formation. Government of Burundi, Bujumbura. Republique du Burundi Law no. 1/19, September 10. Portant Organisation de l Enseignement de Base et Secondaire. Government of Burundi, Bujumbura. Tan, J., K. Lee, A. Valerio, and J. Nam What Matters in Workforce Development: A Framework and Tool for Analysis. Education Department, Human Development Network. World Bank, Washington, DC. UNESCO World Data on Education, 7th ed. 2010/11. Burundi. USAID Enabling an Inclusive Private Sector in Burundi. Opportunities and Constraints. World Bank Republic of Burundi Country Economic Memorandum The Challenge of Achieving Stable and Shared Growth. Report No B1. World Bank, Washington, DC a. International Development Association and International Finance Corporation Country Assistance Strategy for the Republic of Burundi for the Period FY Report No BI. World Bank, Washington, DC. 18

19 . 2012b. Rapport Détat du Systeme Educatif Burundais. World Bank, Washington, DC Projections of Educational Attainment of the Working Age Population in Burundi. AFTEE Technical Note. World Bank, Washington, DC. Websites Burundi Observatoire de l Action Gouvernementale ( Ministry of Higher Education ( ) Informants Name Title Institution Gaspard Banyankimbona Permanent Secretary Ministère de l Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique Oscar Baranyizigiye Executive Secretary Inter Café Burundi, The Coffee Interprofessional Association of Burundi Ferdinand Bararuzunza Economist World Bank Emmanuel Bazikamwe Conseiller Direction Générale de l Industrie Ben Carlson Founder Long Miles Coffee Project Steve de Cliff Director of Research Université du Burundi Celine Demagny Education Specialist UNICEF Luc Demeester Expert International en CTB (Belgian Development Agency) Adéquation Dismas Havyarimana Director-General Direction Générale de l Industrie Neema Ndayishimiye Chef de service Programmation, Etudes et Projets Bureau de Planification et des Statistiques de l Education- MoE Christian Nkengurutse General Secretary Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burundi Pascal Nshimirimana Director for Technical and Vocational Education Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Vocational and Professional Training and Literacy Esaie Ntidendereza Head of Investment Promotion and Communication Burundi Investment Promotion Authority Andre Philipp Program Associate One Acre Finance Stany Somera Farmer Represented farmers in several meetings with other stakeholders, for example, to discuss Agriculture Plan and discussion of new curricula for technical veterinary training program 19

20 Dimension 1 BURUNDI ǀ WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SABER IN-FOCUS REPORT 2013 Annex 5: Table of SABER-WfD Scores 1.5 Policy Goal Policy Action Topic G1 2.0 Provide sustained advocacy for WfD at the top leadership level 2.0 G2 1.2 Establish clarity on the demand for skills and areas of critical constraint 1.0 Engage employers in setting WfD priorities and in enhancing skills-upgrading for workers G3 1.3 Formalize key WfD roles for coordinated action on strategic priorities G1_T1 2 G1_T2 2 G2_T1 1 G2_T2 1 G2_T3 2 G2_T4 1 G2_T5 1 G3_T1 1 G3_T2 2 G3_T3 1 20

21 Annex 6: Authorship and Acknowledgments This report is the product of collaboration between the Principal Investigator, Rita Costa, and staff at the World Bank, namely, Cristina Santos (AFR Education) and Jee-Peng Tan (leader), through December 2013, of the SABER-WfD team based in the Education Department of the Human Development Network. The report also benefited from inputs from Sajitha Bashir, sector manager for Burundi education. Rita Costa collected the data using the SABER-WfD data collection instrument, subsequently prepared initial drafts of the report, and finalized the report; the Bank team scored the data, designed the template for the report, and made substantive contributions to the final write-up. The research team gratefully acknowledges the generous financial support of the government of the United Kingdom through its Department of International Development s Partnership for Education Development with the World Bank, which makes it possible for HDNED s SABER-WfD team to provide technical support to the principal investigator in the form of standardized tools for and guidance on data collection, analysis, and reporting. The research team also acknowledges the support of all who have contributed to the report and its findings, including informants, survey respondents, and participants at various consultation workshops, as well as other members of the SABER-WfD team at the World Bank, Francisco Marmolejo, leader of the SABER-WfD team since January 2014, Ryan Flynn, and Viviana V. Roseth. 21

22 The Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) initiative produces comparative data and knowledge on education policies and institutions, with the aim of helping countries systematically strengthen their education systems. SABER evaluates the quality of education policies against evidence-based global standards, using new diagnostic tools and detailed policy data. The SABER country reports give all parties with a stake in educational results from administrators, teachers, and parents to policy makers and business people an accessible, objective snapshot showing how well the policies of their country's education system are oriented toward ensuring that all children and youth learn. This report focuses specifically on policies in the area of workforce development. This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. 22