Sector Diagnosis in Education: Economic Retrospective 2004

Abstract

The aim of Sector Diagnosis in Education: Economic Retrospective 2004 (Retro 2004) is twofold. First, it reviews ADB’s experience in analyzing education sector problems to assess how well the policy recommendations have been applied in practice. Second, it introduces a number of tools that could be used by ADB staff to conduct or strengthen sector diagnosis and presents findings from relevant research so that they can be reflected in ADB’s policy advice or operations (or both), as appropriate. In line with the education policy recommendations, Retro 2004 focuses more prominently on assessing the context for education development (sector analysis) rather than cost-benefit analysis of individual intervention (how to calculate economic internal rate of return, etc.). In this respect, the retrospective complements the 1994 “Framework and Criteria for the Appraisal and Socioeconomic Justification of Education Projects,”2 which were more project focused, in that discussion of project context and sector analysis was very limited in this framework. Furthermore, and in line with the broad mandate of the Economics and Research Department (ERD), Retro 2004 seeks to reinforce the two-way link between operations and research within ADB—namely ERD’s research products must influence ADB operations, which in turn must inform ERD’s research agenda.