The BLF’s Foundation 3-Systems Strengthening, supports efforts and initiatives by the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) and the Rwanda Education Board (REB) geared towards :

Ensuring that REB and MINEDUC are better equipped to carry out performance-based planning and management in relation to teaching and learning at the lower primary levels ;
Promoting better practices in data collection, management, analysis and use for improved planning, decision-making and accountability with a focus on inclusiveness and students with special education needs (SEN) ; and
Better equipping district and sector-level education officials to carry out their functions in relation to teaching and learning at lower primary school levels with a specific focus on better public financial management practices, data management and data use practices and students with special education needs (SEN).
Key activities

At the national-level, the BLF supports REB’s and MINEDUC’s strategic planning and management as well as capacity building. The BLF provides long-term experts in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Internal Audit, Public Financial Management and Course Materials and Management.

BLF continuously supports REB to undertake capacity assessments and to develop relevant training in five jointly-identified key priority areas (data collection, data use, budgeting and financial planning and tracking and improved public financial management practices, improving decision-making and accountability practices).

Capacity development and operational support provided to District Directors of Education (DDEs), District Education Officers (DEOs) and Sector Education Officers (SEOs) are geared towards enhancing their support for P1 to P5 teaching and learning in English and Mathematics, with a greater focus on SEN. This includes capacity building on the skills and tools required to develop district plans that are aligned with the Education Sector Strategic Plan and that support the roll-out of the Competence-Based Curriculum through better planning and decision-making as well as targeted capacity development training in the key priority areas.

Foundation 3 supports District Continuous Professional Development Committees (DCC) and Sector Continuous Professional Development Committees (SCCs) forums.

In collaboration with other development partners, other Foundation 3 activities focus on building on MINEDUC’s and REB’s existing systems and processes on data collection, analysis and dissemination for discussions in various decision-making and accountability forums.