Exploratory analysis of decentralized governance and its implications for the equity of early childhood education services in four countries of Europe and Central Asia

ABSTRACT

We conducted a qualitative study in four countries of the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region and explored the Early Childhood Education (ECE) policy landscape with an emphasis on the challenges and opportunities decentralization has presented for the provision of services. We content-analyzed ECE policies and documents to map national approaches to ECE. Key informant interviews were conducted to assess the implementation of decentralized ECE governance. An analytical framework that combined core constructs of ECE systems and key domains of decentralization (autonomy, institutional capacity and accountability) was developed and applied. Our analysis points to four overarching processes that contribute to the perpetuation and possible increase of inequitable ECE including (1) sparse mechanisms for participatory and autonomous policy formulation, with few systematic efforts to strengthen local institutional capacities; (2) fragmented policy approaches to promote the assessment and strengthening of quality at scale; (3) funding frameworks and financing schemes that tend to benefit enrolment in contexts of higher levels of economic development; and (4) few mechanisms for coordination to ensure operational coherence across the ECE sector.

KEYWORDS:

• Early childhood education
• decentralization
• governance
• equity

Acknowledgments

We are deeply appreciative for the valuable information provided by all the key informants interviewed, and thankful to the UNICEF Country Offices who supported the work including Chinargul Dzhumagulova (Kyrgysztan), Min Yuan, Kenan Mammadli and Afag Abdinova (Azerbaijan), Tanja Rankovic and Aleksandra Jovic (Serbia), and Larisa Virtosu (Moldova). We also thank the local consultants who made the implementation of the work possible including Ularbek Turdubekov, Saida Usmanova, Samaya Jafarova, Lana Gosovic, Milos Nikolic, Galina Ambrono, Deolinda Martins, Farida Ryskulueva, and Viorel Girbu. We also thank Jan van Ravens who actively participated in the completion of this work. Finally, we are appreciative of Drs. Pia Britto and Hirokazu Yoshikawa for their contributions to the conceptualization of the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Role of the funding source

UNICEF contributed to the design of the study and write-up of the results. The Jacobs Foundation, who partially supported the effort of the lead author, did not contribute to the design, implementation or analysis of the study. All authors contributed to the completion of the final version of the manuscript.

Notes

1. In UNICEF’s scheme the Europe and Central Asia region was previously referred to as Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States or CEE/CIS.

2. Kyrgyzstan is officially the Kyrgyz Republic. For brevity, in this study we refer to it as Kyrgyzstan.

3. In Serbia, children without parental care, with disabilities, in hospital treatment and from household receiving financial social assistance are supposed to be entirely financed by the National Government.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the UNICEF. The Jacobs Foundation provided additional funding in support of the lead author.