Tag Archives: Education

Education Strategy, Public-private partnership, Publications, School and Education PPP, School PPP

Effective Partnerships Helping Schools Cope with COVID-19 Disruption

In this article for Development Asia, Asian Development Bank’s knowledge sharing portal, we draw on experience in Scotland, Latin America and Asia to demonstrate ways in which partnerships between the public, private and third sectors are helping minimise the disruption to education caused by Covid-19. We go on to identify four key lessons.

https://development.asia/insight/lessons-scoping-education-ppps

Education Strategy, Public-private partnership, School and Education PPP, School PPP

Education Reforms in Punjab – Event Report

In anticipation of a forthcoming assignment, I recently attended “What’s Next for Education Reforms in Punjab”.  This event was hosted by the Centre for Global Development in London.  

Speakers from the #Punjab #School #Education #Department, #DFID, and The Citizens Foundation (#TCF) shared experiences and views on Punjab’s fast-paced and ambitious education reforms.

I have published a full report on my Linkedin page, and present a summary of the key points below:

  • Pace of Change: Last year the Economist described Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous state, as “home to the most frenetic education reforms in the world, trying to make up for generations of neglect”.  
  • The infrastructure gap: it is estimated that 80,000 new schools are needed in Pakistan.  Many existing buildings are crumbling and overflowing.
  • Data is king: Pakistan has diligently gathered data on education for many years.  There is scope to use data more effectively as the evidence base for policy-making. 
  • Quantity and Quality: there was much discussion about initiatives to improve teaching, the curriculum and assessment. Whilst Pakistan is making good progress at reducing poverty, improvements in human capital are falling behind some of its neighbours.
  • Public and private alignment: the concept of the mission-aligned cooperation between the public and private sectors was discussed extensively. 

I would like to thank event organisers at Centre for Global Development, and the speakers for such an interesting discussion.

Full report at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/education-reforms-punjab-center-global-development-event-finnigan/ 

Economic Development, Education Strategy, Organisation Development and Training, Publications

Highland Council – Strategic Education Review

Following the recommendations of our 2012 review of the schools estate in Caithness, Highland Council embarked on a complete regeneration of the schools in the northern town of Wick.  This comprised the creation of the new Noss Primary School under a design and build contract with hub North Scotland, and the replacement of Wick High School and two primary schools with a single 3-18 campus school under a hub/DBFM/PPP contract.

We subsequently advised the Council on the procurement of the 3-18 campus and associated community facilities.  This DBFM/PPP procurement reached financial close with our support on 19 December 2014 and the new school is due to open in October 2016.