Organization

Global-Level Governance

The strategic decisions for the Fast Track Initiative are made at biennial Partnership Meetings, in which all FTI partners participate. From 2002 to 2006, these meetings took place on an annual basis. The Partnership meetings provide a forum to address issues affecting progress towards universal primary school completion. The Partnership approves the basic policies, goals, principles and working methods of the Initiative and reviews and approves the biennial objectives as a reflection of the FTI goals.

Between partnership meetings, the FTI Board of Directors provides overall policy guidance to the partnership, gives direction to the Secretariat, oversees the work of the various task teams and working groups, and helps ensure overall coordination. It includes donors, multilateral agencies, developing countries, and civil society representatives. An independent chair provides political and intellectual leadership for FTI, convenes and chairs all FTI meetings.

The FTI Secretariat handles the day to day technical and administrative support of the Initiative. It comprises staff from the various partners. Among other things, it is responsible for managing the FTI trust funds on behalf of the donor partners.

Technical or consultative meetings of subgroups of FTI partners may be organized as needed.

Task Teams and Working Groups, established by the partners based on identified needs for further analysis in specific areas, are open to all partners on a voluntary basis.

Country-Level Governance

The governance structure of the Education for All – Fast Track Initiative is based on the principle of subsidiarity: discussions and decisions around a country’s education sector plan take place in country with the group of local stakeholders (government, bilateral and multilateral agencies, civil society), as they are best placed to evaluate, assess, implement and monitor the country’s plan.

The country-level governance of the FTI Partnership includes Governments of Partner Countries, Local Donor Groups and the Coordinating Agency, and Civil Society Organization.

Governments of Partner Countries included in the Partnership are those who have subscribed to the FTI compact and who have demonstrated serious commitment to achieving universal primary completion through the elaboration of a poverty reduction Strategy and a national education sector plan.

Local Donor Groups consist of the country level staff of agencies subscribing to the FTI compact. They are the primary interlocutors with governments on operational issues in the FTI process. They assess the scope, volume and timing of development assistance needs, and make funding decisions according to policies and regulations of each donor, within a framework of commitment to maximize coordination, complementarity, and harmonization.

The Coordinating Agency is designated among the local donor representatives. It has a decisive role during the development and endorsement of the education sector plan of the country and also during the implementation of the plan.

Civil Society Organizations support progress toward EFA goals through advocacy and dialogue with governments and local donor groups on appropriate education policy and implementation with adequate financing, quality learning outcomes, as well as oversight and accountability mechanisms.