Project Case Study
Functional Review of the Rwandan Ministry of Education (MINEDUC)
A two-phased project, consisting in a functional review of the MINEDUC and three of its agencies
Adam Smith International (ASI) was contracted by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) to carry out a functional review of Rwanda’s Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) and three of its agencies – the Rwanda Education Board, the Workforce Development Agency and the Higher Education Council. The recommendations aimed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of education services by MINEDUC in line with its mandate.
The first phase took place in 2014. Findings and recommendations were presented to senior management in MINEDUC and the Agencies, as well as to the Minister of Labour and the Public Sector (MIFOTRA).
Our recommendations were accepted by MINEDUC and a second phase was agreed – to make a detailed assessment of all structures including a work process review and revision of job descriptions.
Phase 1
The first phase was a high level strategic review. The review identified gaps and overlaps in Ministry and Agency functions and mandates, in line with the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) and sub-sector policies. During Phase 1, ASI undertook 49 meetings with Ministry, Agencies, development partners, NGOs and schools; a review of policies, strategies, action plans, technical assistance reports and terms of reference for forthcoming technical assistance; analysis of performance contracts, 323 job descriptions, organisational structures, the legal framework; and analysis of Ministry and agency mandates and functions.
Phase 2
The second phase took three months and was highly consultative. It included 185 individual or small group meetings with Ministers, education officials and development partners. We also conducted multiple workshops, which sought to understand the work of the relevant organisational unit within the wider education ecosystem and in the context of goals set by ESSP and the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy. We shared findings with other ongoing technical assistance projects and assessed the Government of Rwanda’s willingness to undertake a change management phase of this functional review, with the main thrust of this being to support culture and behaviour change.
Knowing that structural reorganisation is no panacea, we focused on organisational culture and ways of working as much as structures. To bring the benefits of any organisational change, human behaviour must alter as well; an organisation’s structure is only a skeleton and what brings it alive are the people who work within it.
For these reasons, the functional review proposed changes to culture, attitudes, behaviour and ways of working as well as alterations to structure. Our recommendations were presented to the MINEDUC and the MIFOTRA in December 2014.
