The Pact for Education: a Strategy Focused on Results
Planning and Management Secretariat

A. Problem Analysis

 1. What was the problem before the implementation of the initiative?
The public school system in the state of Pernambuco is made up of public schools that offer Basic (Compulsory) Education, consisting of nine years of Primary Education and three years of Secondary Education. More specifically, the state government is responsible for the Secondary Education system – the final stage of Compulsory Education -which in Pernambuco has a total of 796 schools (2012 school census).This is the stage in which youth over 15 years of age should be prepared for entering into the labor market and/or an undergraduate education institution. Brazil has historically been deficient in its public education system, which is why higher income families choose private schools over public schools. The vast majority of students in public schools are thus youth from families with lower income levels. Secondary Education in the state of Pernambuco needed improving: in 2010 external evaluations – standardized assessments tests carried out by a private institution - pointed to poor results with an annual dropout rate for Secondary Education as high as 12,7%. The key indicator used in 2010 to evaluate education –Compulsory Education Development Index for Pernambuco(IDEPE) – stood at 3.0 on a scale of 0 to 10. In spite of previous years of investments in education, the principal performance variables in Pernambuco’s (Compulsory) Secondary Education system remained critical: absence of a monitoring and evaluation system in the state to measure schools’ performance was an impediment to overcoming problems. Targets did not exist, nor did an institutional culture for monitoring results -to take corrective actions. Many weaknesses were also evident regarding human resources employed in managing schools. The majority of school administrators was not trained to manage the diverse areas comprising school administration, such as financial, administrative, personnel and pedagogical. There was no process in place for hiring and advancement based on meritocracy, as school administrators were elected without prior evaluation of their understanding of how schools function. They were unaware of what should be done –and how it should be done–in regards to improving school operations and results. No education policies were in place to motivate students. Technological tools to facilitate student learning and support teaching activities were unavailable to schools; the traditional methods used for teaching were not generating satisfactory results. The continuing education program offered to teachers was not leveraging higher performance levels for their students and there was no curricular framework used in the public school system throughout Pernambuco. As a result,students were not sufficiently prepared for moving into Higher Education, nor did they have adequate professional training in cases where they chose to move directly into labor market. In 2010, schools with full-day programs were limited to a pilot project involving only 160 full-day schools and 12 technical schools in the entire state. There was a need to strengthen education policies targeting this segment of the student population - unmotivated and often opting to drop out of Secondary Education. There was a great need to better prepare them for entering into growing professional opportunities tied to the state’s significant economic expansion.

B. Strategic Approach

 2. What was the solution?
This unsatisfying diagnosis of education in Pernambuco led the state Governor to place special emphasis on improving the quality of Secondary Education in the state, assigning the Planning and Management Secretariat (SEPLAG) with the task of planning and coordinating a concerted effort to improve education in partnership with the Education Secretariat.The Pact for Education was thus created.This program set priorities for reducing school dropout rates and improving student academic performance in Secondary Education, as measured by the Compulsory Education Development Index (IDEPE): evaluation of proficiency in Portuguese language and mathematics, plus the passing rate for Secondary Education. Besides the State Government Plan, the Governor also considered for the program, the main concerns and suggestions voiced by citizens through the “All for Pernambuco Seminars”.Coordinated by the Planning and Management Secretariat, these seminars took place in 2011, with over 12,000 citizens making their voices heard.The inputs from the population collected at the seminars, served as one of the sources for the planning of the Pact for Education objectives: i) establish a model based on Managing for Results methodology, focusing on meritocracy and effectiveness: ii) strengthen school management; iii) establish measures to encourage participation and motivate students, offering digital inclusion and assimilation of other cultures; iv) improve quality of teaching methods through teacher-training and revised school curricula; v) expand the number of enrollment slots, to cover the demand for Secondary Education (either in full-day schooling and technical education), so as to transform students’ social and economic reality. The first goal focuses on implementing a model based on Managing for Results methodology, establishing indicators for monitoring schools and creating a system for assessing information generated through the monitoring process. Periodic meetings coordinated by the Planning and Management Secretariat developed strategic, tactical and operational goals. An Executive Management Committee was created for program monitoring and evaluation in strategic meetings led by the Governor.These meetings review and address consolidated data on indicators and targets for each school in the public Secondary Education system incorporated into the Program, thus building a stronger foundation for ensuring the School Performance Bonus (BDE). The second goal focuses on stronger school management, based on the understanding that it is not enough to develop targets if the means to reach them are not provided.The Continuing Education Project for School Administrators in Pernambuco was created, targeting public school teachers in the State Education System interested in careers in school administration.Training covers the areas of school administration, financial management and human resource development. The third goal focuses on motivating students by creating a high-impact project to make schools more attractive:Conquer the World Project provides foreign language classes to public school students. Students that excel in these classes are offered opportunities to study abroad in a country where the language studied is spoken.In Secondary Education schools, multimedia projectors were set up in all classrooms and internet connectivity provided to a vast majority, along with tablets/PCs distributed to all students in the final two years in Secondary Education. The goal that aimed at improving the quality of teaching established a new training program: the Continued Teacher-Training Program, along with the definition of a single curriculum for the entire state and municipal systems Last but not least, the last goal aimed at addressing the demand for Secondary Education (either in full-day schooling and technical education) by offering more enrollment slots: 11 technical schools were built and 243 other schools were adapted to provide full-day schooling.Pernambuco increased its capacity in technical schools from 4901 students to 9600 students.It is now the state with the greatest number of full-day schooling enrollment slots in Brazil, going from 36,090 to 211,089.

 3. How did the initiative solve the problem and improve people’s lives?
First, the Pact for Education Program is creative and innovative because it is implemented through a Managing for Results methodology that focuses on results that generate public value. The public value is the trait that fosters social well-being, which is attained through efficient public sector actions whose impact is broad and long-lasting, thereby improving the education services delivered. Another innovative aspect of the Pact for Education Program is the adoption of incentives contributing to retaining students in school, such as Conquer the World Program. This program provides language courses to students in their first and second years of high school, along with a six-month all-expenses paid study abroad program for students that excel. One more example of innovative measures is the investment in digital inclusion providing students with computers and access to internet through the distribution of tablets/PCs and wireless connectivity in schools. Digital inclusion also reaches the students’ families, as tablets/PCs remain in the possession of students and not the school. This innovative initiative has given students opportunities previously unavailable in Brazilian public schools and even rare in the private school system.

C. Execution and Implementation

 4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
As a policy aimed at improving Education, the Pact for Education Program has followed six steps to implement its strategy: i)a diagnostic analysis conducted on Education in the state, including participation by civil society; ii)the Governor´s decision to develop a policy aimed at improving Education; iii)creation of an Executive Management Committee for the Pact for Education Program; iv) creation of a Managing for Results Unit based in the Education Secretariat; v)development of a strategic plan for the Pact for Education Program; vi) ensuring strategic integration and coordination across the 17 Regional Education Management Districts to address implementation, monitoring and evaluation issues of the program plan. The first step entailed conducting an initial situational analysis on education in Pernambuco, considering structural and legal aspects, performance levels, resources and institutional culture. Suggestions resulting from the “All for Pernambuco seminars”, conducted to generate and incorporate the key concerns of citizens in regions throughout the state, incorporated the general public’s perspective. The second step was the Governor’s decision to develop a policy aimed at improving Education, assigning the Planning and Management Secretariat (SEPLAG) with the responsibility to plan and coordinate actions in conjunction with the Education Secretariat. The third step was the creation of the Executive Committee for the Pact for Education Program, led by the Governor and composed of the Planning and Management Secretariat, Education Secretariat, Executive Secretaries for Education, Executive Secretary for Managing for Results from the Planning and Management Secretariat and Directors from the 17 Regional Education Management Districts (GERES). Goals and objectives were defined as a start to the implementation of Managing for Results methodology.The main product of this phase was the setting of goals, objectives and indicators of the Pact for education Program The fourth step was the creation of the Managing for Results Unit comprised of the General Manager and Analysts from the Planning and Management Secretariat, physically based in the Education Secretariat and assigned the task of generating data and monitoring indicators (process and outcome indicators).This information is shared through multimedia projection systems that display data on schools in the state. The Managing for Results Unit facilitate the monitoring meetings with the Executive Management Committee to address on-going data, outcome and process indicators, outcomes analysis and also conduct management meetings with schools for analyses of indicators. The fifth step entailed the planning of actions to be carried out by the Pact for Education Program: determining needed resources, agents to be involved and timelines for execution.Institutions and individuals responsible for each project within the Pact for Education were defined. The sixth step involved debate and strategic alignment with the Education Secretariat’s Regional Districts and project managers. After their designation, these public sector managers were given guidance on goals, tasks, timetable and operational aspects of the specific monitoring and evaluation model. Following these initial stages, implementation began for the diverse actions planned within the Program, such as: modification of education methods, purchasing and distribution of tablets/PCs, selection of students to participate in the Conquer the World Program, building of technical schools and adaptations to full-day schools and establishing timeframes for on-going monitoring and evaluation meetings. The Pact for Education Executive Management Committee’s first meeting took place on June 28, 2011, launching the monitoring and evaluation process.This component links the verification of targets/indicators and corrective actions regarding the commitments for continuous improvement adopted by the program. Multimedia presentations display data on indicators and are used as a key instrument for assessment and deliberation. Two years after the program began in 2011, the Pact for Education Program’s monitoring process now covers all Secondary Education schools in the state public education system.

 5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
Conception of the Pact for Education was based on the overarching State Government Program and input generated from civil society throughout the state through the “All for Pernambuco seminars”. The state’s citizens were thus the first agents to contribute to the design of the Pact for Education Program. The Executive Management Committee is the highest level delegated with deliberation powers within the Pact for Education Program. Committee meetings are usually led by the Governor and coordinated by the Planning and Management Secretariat. The Executive Management Committee consists of Executive Secretaries from the Education Secretariat, the Executive Secretary for Managing for Results from the Planning and Management Secretariat and the Education Secretariat’s Regional District Managers. A team of professionals provide on-going technical and operational support to Executive Management Committee Managers. This team consists of technical staff from the Education Secretariat, as well as Managers and Analysts from the Planning and Management Secretariat. Project managers, Secondary Education school directors, teachers and technical staff from Regional Education Management Districts and education specialists are direct implementers of the actions within the Pact for Education Program. It is important to highlight the key role of institutions responsible for developing management systems and pedagogical structures for use with portable computers, carrying out activities that are critical to implementation of the Pact for Education Program. Other institutions were also contracted to provide support for the curricula parameters and application of external evaluations – which are standardized assessments tests carried out by a private institution. Civil construction companies engaged in the building of technical schools, whereas international institutions have provided language courses and support the student exchanges.
 6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
The need was detected for investing in technologies capable of making classes more attractive for students and, in turn, reducing the high dropout level existing in the state public school system. The state government invested in the acquisition of portable tablets/PCs containing educational tools, videos and didactic material with a cost of R$873.99 (Brazilian Reais) per student. Equipment is loaned to students for as long as they are enrolled in the Secondary Education system. However, those students who complete their Secondary Education without repeating a school year and remaining enrolled during the entire three-year period are allowed to keep the equipment upon completing their final year. Language training and study abroad exchanges have required an outlay of R$121,309,360.64 (Brazilian Reais). These resources were needed to cover the costs of preparing students, along with their travel and project management. Expansion of technical education - within the scope of Secondary Education - required an investment of R$107,902,043.68 (Brazilian Reais) to increase the number of technical schools in operation in the state from a total of 12 to 26. It is important to highlight that these technical schools also provide follow-on vocational courses that are offered to youth who have completed their Secondary Education. The creation of specific courses and enrollment slots in vocational training courses is guided by the economic development and commercial realities in each region of the state. Over 17 million Brazilian Reais were invested in reformulating the curricular guidelines within Primary and Secondary Education. It is important to emphasize that the approved guidelines were also made available to municipalities throughout the state in support of their pedagogical policies and projects. Expenditures for teacher-training were made at a level of R$15,779,932.28 (Brazilian Reais). These costs covered selection and training of administrators so as to ensure and optimize their use of management tools. Teacher training also aims at keeping them up to date in their specific areas, providing them with knowledge on the technologies employed by the state ,and ensuring their understanding and the implementation of revised universal curricular guidelines. The majority of these investments were covered with resources from the state of Pernambuco’s own budget. In addition to the direct financial cost, human resources were deployed to work in the program through the creation of the Managing for Results Unit for Education – made up of Analysts from the Planning and Management Secretariat. Technical resources were also applied, such as in the creation of the Pernambuco Comprehensive Education System (SIEPE), which established a system for inputting data from schools, along with the Online Government Dashboard for monitoring meetings, which is utilized to present and discuss the status and progress with the Government’s prioritized goals and targets. These technical resources were essential for the program to operate. The entire amount of resources invested in the program has benefitted approximately 335,000 students enrolled throughout the entire Secondary Education system in the state.

 7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
The Pact for Education Program’s most significant results are: i) development of the Curricular Parameters that provided the foundation for developing the common public school system curriculum; ii) training of education professionals; iii) expansion of full-day schooling and vocational education; iv) the Conquer the World Program; v) technological investments in public schools. Its first product – the development of Curricular Parameters - fomented debates, development and validation of curriculum parameters for compulsory education and guided the development of common curricula for compulsory education, while also guiding development of common curricula for state and municipal public schools. The second product is the Training of education professionals: it offered Specialization Courses in Management and Evaluation of Public Education, with a course load of 360 hours, to 2,813 education professionals. Besides, about 3,000 teachers are regularly trained each year in specific academic content. The third product of the Pact for Education Program was the creation of the largest full-day schooling system in Brazil: a total of 260 full-day schools in 2013 will increase in 2014 to a number of 300. The number of state technical schools also increased from 12 in 2010 to 26 in 2013. These schools are focused on meeting labor market demands for professionals trained at the technical level, linked to the economic development reality in each region. A total of 40 state technical schools are projected for 2014. Its forth product – the Conquer the World Program - was created in 2012 and has engaged a total of 49,000 students in intensive foreign language courses, with 806 teachers trained in foreign languages by native speakers and 1,739 students participating in study abroad in the United States, Canada, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina. The increase of technology in schools has been its fifth product: distribution in 2012-2013 of portable computers tablets/PCs to over 252,000 Secondary Education students. Educational software and Office and Media applications were installed, along with Educational Games and Education Technologies content, English courses and digital books and references to Educational Links. The government also invested in wireless connectivity in schools and in the distribution of 11,000 multimedia projectors with computers in all public schools in the system: one per classroom for utilization by teachers in presenting complementary classroom material and to make classes more appealing to students.

 8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
The systems that were created to monitor progress and evaluate activities in the Pact for Education Program were: i) development and consensus on goals and targets; ii) external evaluations; iii) monitoring and evaluation meetings at strategic, tactical and operational levels. Goals for each school are established and agreed upon with school administrators at the beginning of the year. Goals are based on results from the Compulsory Education Development Index for Pernambuco (IDEPE) obtained during the prior year and projected for the coming year based on the planned level of effort. Priority goals for education in the entire state are also defined and planned. Bi-monthly Management meetings are held for monitoring and evaluating results at the strategic, tactical and operational levels. Strategic-level meetings are held by the Pact for Education Program’s Executive Management Committee. Meetings entail presentations of results based on the state’s education indicators and those for the Regional Education Districts and schools with lower and higher performance levels in each Regional Education District. Progress on priority goals is also monitored. Follow-on based on evaluation results are defined to address specific problems that are identified. Meeting minutes with follow-on actions designate those who are responsible for each action, along with the respective deadlines. Follow-on actions are then monitored by the Managing for Results Unit. The Pact for Education’s Executive Management Committee Strategic makes the decisions that guide the state’s education policies. Government leaders and state secretaries participate in this meeting to offer and respond to immediate issues, impediments and problems debated in the monitoring process. Tactical-level meetings take place at the Regional Education District headquarters with the Planning and Management Secretariat. Regional Education Secretariat managers and school administrators participate. Meetings involve a broad presentation on the local situation and provide information on each school’s performance. Main weaknesses in schools are identified and, based on data presented, follow-on actions for improvements are developed and assigned to respective school administrators. Operational-level meetings take place in schools with the Planning and Management Secretariat, with participation of the entire school staff. Monitoring processes and actions are presented to those involved in the program, with discussions on results achieved by the school. Evaluations from outside institutions are conducted each semester since program start-up. Secondary Education students are evaluated; these evaluations are fundamental for measuring results and providing inputs for the monitoring and evaluation reports.

 9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
The principal obstacles faced in implementing the Pact for Education Program have been: i) institution-based cultural barriers; ii) absence of a single system for gathering education-related data; iii) learning deficits among students enrolled in Secondary Education; iv) geographic and physical scope of the state’s public Secondary Education system, consisting of 796 schools. Managing for Results initiatives are still recent within public administration.For this reason, some cultural barriers and resistance among more conservative teachers make it difficult for their schools to quickly assimilate the model. The process has been facilitated through meetings in all Regional Education Districts, where presentations are made and uncertainties are addressed. Initially, the lack of a single system for gathering education-related data on schools made it difficult to conduct assessments and develop action plans. The alternative solution was to consolidate data from multiple databases and add information collected through collaborative efforts with schools in order to create a specific database for the program. The Education Secretariat invested in contracting a system for managing education-related information, thus making it easier for schools to provide data and for data to be compiled and analyzed. Schools had to be convinced about the importance of inputting data into the system and staffing groups to work with the Planning and Management Secretariat analysts responsible for analyzing the data received. The learning deficit for Secondary Education students remains an obstacle. That said, the adoption of full-day education and the use of technological tools have been essential for supporting these students to improve their performance. Another difficulty is the significant size and scope of the state’s public Secondary Education system. Analysts are assigned to implement Managing for Results principles in hundreds of schools, what requires field work.Schools are prioritized based on results, and logistical effort required in order to work in more remote areas.

D. Impact and Sustainability

 10. What were the key benefits resulting from this initiative?
The Pact for Education has led to significant benefits towards improving education: retention of students in schools and increased performance levels. Students in the state increased their performance by 13% -according to the main external evaluation of education in Pernambuco- and reduced the dropout rate in Secondary Education by 34%. The Compulsory Education Development Index for Pernambuco(IDEPE) is applied on an annual basis throughout the entire public school system, evaluating the proficiency of students in the Portuguese Language and in Mathematics. In 2012,results in Secondary Education improved by more than 13%. Broad and structural actions to improve education,such as the definition of curricular parameters, have guided the development of curricula. The on-going training of teachers has focused on the newly established curriculum and addressing learning deficits among students.These actions were fundamental to generating improvements in the teaching-learning process and in the results of students in the Compulsory Education Development Index for Pernambuco(IDEPE). The substantial increase in enrollment slots in full-day schooling also contributed greatly to improving the Compulsory Education Development Index for Pernambuco(IDEPE). Within this model,students enrolled in full-day schools and attended classes from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, eating their lunch (as well as snacks in the morning and afternoon) on the school grounds. Pernambuco is currently the state with the greatest number of daily class hours in Brazil: an average of 5.3 class hours per day through the largest network of full-day program schools. The national average is 4.7 class hours per day. According to a survey carried by Itaú Social Foundation, 90 % of Brazilians consider integral education essential for new generations , and that is exactly the field where Pernambuco has been an example to Brazil. This model also went as far as contributing to reducing rates of violence in the state,given that youth spend the entire day in school and thus have reduced access to drugs, vandalism and other risk factors affecting this highly vulnerable age group. Through the monitoring of a cross-section of students in schools with a full-day program, it has been observed an increase in their performance beyond that for the state of Pernambuco as a whole, and for various states in the country. In relation to the Compulsory Education Development Index for Pernambuco(IDEPE) in 2012- the principal index used for assessing education in the state- schools with full-day schooling attained a result of 4.5 and technical schools had an even higher result (5.0 out of 10), whereas the overall result for Secondary Education in the state was 3.4. These numbers demonstrate that increasing the number of schools with full-day schooling is indeed an important strategy for improving the delivery and impact of education services. Another significant benefit generated by the Pact for Education Program was the reduction in the dropout rate in Secondary Education by 34%. In 2012,Pernambuco reached a dropout rate of 8.4% (source: Ministry of Education/INEP), which is less than the average dropout rate of the northeast and of Brazil. Initiatives that provide incentives for Secondary Education students to remain in school played a significant role in this result. The loaned portable computer tablet/PCs (received in the final two years of Secondary Education– with the potential to keep the equipment if they conclude Secondary Education with good grades and solid attendance) clearly motivated students to stay in school and conclude the final years of Compulsory Education. Another incentive-based measure that led to a reduction in the school dropout rate was the Conquer the World Program.Language courses offered to students in the first and second years of Secondary Education, together with the opportunity to study abroad, were key incentives.Exchange students spend six months abroad, further studying the country’s native language and taking classes outside Brazil for a portion of their school year.Upon conclusion of the exchange, they return to school better prepared to complete their Secondary Education and enter into a higher education institution or the labor market.The experience outside the country gives the youth a greater level of maturity and increases their learning. With these results in improving the performance of students and reducing the dropout rate,the Pact for Education demonstrates that it is generating significant benefits for the students in Pernambuco and for public education in the state.

 11. Did the initiative improve integrity and/or accountability in public service? (If applicable)
One of the basic principles for sustaining the Pact for Education Program is its institutional foundation. This has been built through structuring a managerial career path. One of its purposes is to maintain and improve practices and tools for public sector management. Analysts for Planning, Budget and Management in the Planning and Management Secretariat nominated after successfully passing a competitive public sector service entrance exam, are placed in the Education Secretariat and charged with the task of implementing the Managing for Results methodology for the Pact for Education Program. They monitor strategic actions and principal investments for systemic growth and impact. Public recognition is also extremely relevant for sustaining the strategy. Such recognition gives legitimacy to the program and also brings stability to it. This helps in avoiding the potentially negative effects from changes in public administrations that can lead to discontinuity of public sector initiatives. The adoption of tools that favor transparency and social accountability, such as publications in the web-portal for transparency in government, management visits to schools and the Education Secretariat’s web-site optimize this legitimization process as it is strengthened by public accountability and recognition. Another essential step for maintaining successful practices is ensuring the necessary legislation to institutionalize the management model adopted by the program. The foundation for institutionalization is based on key legislation, such as the State Complementary Law no. 141, which regulates the Integrated Management Model for the Executive Branch of Pernambuco. There is also Decree no. 39.336, dated April 25, 2013, which establishes the Public Value as an objective for State Programs and establishes guidelines for Managing for Results-oriented policies, while also determines the deployment of results-driven Pacts within the scope of the State Executive Branch. Creating laws to determine and safeguard the management model adopted by the program provides fundamental guidelines, while taking care to maintain a certain level of flexibility. This should maintain a process of continuous improvement. The program’s model is perfectly replicable, considering the similarities that exist across municipalities in the area of education. The state acquired expertise that will enable it to transfer this technique to municipalities through public servants working in public administration. Managing for Results tools are clear and objective. There are no impediments to adopting the same model at the federal level. Other states in the country have sought out the Education Secretariat and the Planning and Management Secretariat to learn from the Pact for Education Program and to replicate the model in their public school systems. The Brazilian states of Goiás, Espírito Santo and the nation’s capital (Distrito Federal) have already made related technical visits to Pernambuco. The creation of a chamber for municipal coordination is currently under analysis. This chamber would have the potential to integrate actions of government spheres, adhering to this approach and providing for exchanges of information and experiences. Another promising possibility is to act in conjunction with the consortium of municipalities. This institutional arrangement can broaden the potential to address regionally-based problems.

 12. Were special measures put in place to ensure that the initiative benefits women and girls and improves the situation of the poorest and most vulnerable? (If applicable)
The Pact for Education Program fomented an intense change in the Pernambuco public school system, principally in relation to the manner in which administrators, managers and other education professionals handle information on performance regarding their activities and focus on improving these results. The actions within the program have been assimilated with different degrees of acceptance among state agents affected directly and indirectly. Different levels of comprehension exist regarding instruments employed and related techniques, leading to disparate results in similar schools. Though the program has enabled fundamental improvements in a short amount of time, some lessons have been learned and enhanced our comprehension. The first lesson is that establishing and implementing Managing for Results, entails changes in organizational culture. Its methodologies and vocabulary were previously unfamiliar to education professionals, such as: development of goals, monitoring meetings, monitoring indicators, analysis of percentiles, among others. A maturation process occurs as they are incorporated beyond the realm of vocabulary and absorbed into professionals’ routine practices. Another lesson learned is related to the adoption of cross-cutting measures that foment partnerships across governmental levels to delivery services more effectively. The State’s ability to implement public policies is subject to the manner in which the three levels of government – municipal, state or federal – act in regards to legislation/legal aspects. The adoption of partnering strategies is highly recommended, principally in relation to front line actions, across spheres of government and also with NGOs and civil society as a whole. It is necessary to transfer knowledge and experiences to the municipal public school system, supporting municipalities when needed, both technically and financially. One recommendation is that it is important to assure full political support at the highest level. The responsibility of building and implementing the Pact for Education Program was assigned to the Planning and Management Secretariat, which addresses all ramifications and technical aspects of the project. However, it would not have been possible to achieve such visible and high-impact results without the Governor’s leadership in the process of making the program a priority in all of its phases of planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation. Another recommendation regards the importance of establishing and implementing a systematic process for intensive monitoring of actions developed through the initiative. It is a tremendous challenge, which requires discipline and perseverance in defining and effectively conducting systematic monitoring meetings, while also carefully tracking and monitoring deliberations and follow-on actions defined in these meetings. The Pact for Education Program prioritizes the continuous tracking and monitoring of key indicators for the analysis of difficulties that occur and related corrective actions. One final recommendation relates to the relevance of participatory processes in conducting situation-problem assessments to guide actions carried out by the government, such that there are avenues for citizen participation to provide important elements and input that guide the formulation of public policies. The richness of information gathered through listening to citizens in the “All for Pernambuco seminars” served as an important source of information for formulating the Pact for Education Program.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Planning and Management Secretariat
Institution Type:   Government Department  
Contact Person:   Vivianne Camara
Title:   General Manager for Managing for Results  
Telephone/ Fax:   558131840092
Institution's / Project's Website:  
E-mail:   vivianne.camara@seplag.pe.gov.br  
Address:   1377 Aurora Street
Postal Code:   50040090
City:   Recife
State/Province:   Pernambuco
Country:  

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