The Hague Institute for Global Justice has been commissioned by Cordaid’s Child & Education Department to conduct a study to assess the effects of Results Based Financing (RBF) on schools in DR Congo in terms of the education system and peace building. The research project focuses on a selection of primary and secondary schools in the war-torn districts of Shabunda and Walungu, South Kivu province.

This independent study is led by The Hague Institute in partnership with Queen’s University Management School Belfast, Dr Noel Ihebuzor (an international expert on education in DR Congo), and a team of researchers from the Université Catholique de Bukavu.

The research, which is being carried out between 28th April and 30th September 2015, is a unique opportunity to understand the role and impact of RBF on education and peace building in DRC, and to determine at this juncture, where and how it can be strengthened. The study has adopted a participatory methodology to engage with and to maximize the value of the research for the schools, parents/guardians, and communities involved in the RBF program.

To assess and understand the complex relationships between RBF, the education system, and peace building in DR Congo, the researchers have selected three evaluative themes:

  1. Accountability and transparency;
  2. Equity; and
  3. Efficiency and effectiveness.

Through these three themes, the findings of the study will focus on:

  • The financial approach of RBF, including financial management, human resources management, and budget allocation.
  • The effects and outcomes of the RBF approach on education in building peace at the individual (eg., teacher, parent, children) and collective (school, family, community, sub-national and national) levels; and
  • The efficiency and effectiveness of RBF within the education system at the local and national levels, and the quality of education at the classroom level, for example, pedagogy, in-class activities, teacher performance and teaching methods.

Cordaid’s use of RBF for education in fragile states is unique. Typically, RBF has been used in the sphere of health. Consequently, the research has demanded a distinctive interdisciplinary approach that integrates the fields of ‘financial management’, ‘education’, and ‘peace building’. The topic is timely given the broader focus on the future financial of international development and specifically, education.

The main findings from the research and the recommendations for RBF policy and programming will be to Cordaid in a final project report by the end of September 2015. More information on this study will be made available here over the coming weeks.