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At the World Education Forum, in Dakar in 2000, the international community pledged that no country with a credible plan to achieve the Education for All goals would be thwarted by a lack of resources. Since then, the development of an education sector plan (ESP) has become a priority in many countries. ESPs present the policies and strategies for national education reform, and are a powerful tool for coordinating partners and for mobilizing additional domestic and external resources. They have become a critical instrument for governments to signal to all potential investors that their education policies are credible, sustainable, and worthy of investment.

The consensus on the need for credible ESPs is strong. However, what does a credible plan require in terms of government leadership, knowledge and data, institutional and human capacities, and dialogue among the education stakeholders? What are the criteria that establish the credibility of a plan?

The purpose of these guidelines is to assist education stakeholders in appraising the soundness, relevance, and coherence that form the credibility of ESPs. The primary objective of an appraisal report is to support the finalization of a credible ESP. It provides a fair review of the ESP strengths and areas in need of improvement before the endorsement by partners which signifies their commitment to support the implementation of the ESP.

These guidelines are meant to be adapted to national contexts and needs. The stakeholders should discuss the scope and the methodology of the appraisal to be used, and develop a common vision of the whole process. The appraisal process should be participatory, and grounded in the political and technical dialogue for ESP development. It should involve consultations, interviews with key stakeholders, and field visits, in addition to a desk review of the ESP and any other relevant documents. It is good practice to organize a validation workshop of the appraisal report’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations to feed into the ESP finalization. The appraisal process should occur early enough in the ESP development process to allow time for decision-makers to open consultations on these conclusions and recommendations in order to improve the final version of the ESP.