NORM-BASED PROVINCIAL BUDGET ALLOCATIONS FOR EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN: TECHNICAL GUIDANCE FOR AGREEING A NORM-BASED APPROACH FOR 1390

This note provides technical analysis and background on the provincial budget allocations for general education for 1389 and 1390. It briefly describes the current practice for allocating provincial budget allocations for general education; conducts an analysis of the resulting allocations; discusses options for output-based budget norms within the education sector; and considers, in a preliminary manner, the distributive impact of introducing output-based budget norms. It also outlines steps required to implement this change for the current budget cycle. As part of an ongoing engagement with the Government of Afghanistan on subnational finance issues, the World Bank has been providing technical support to the Ministry of Finance and other selected stakeholders in the development and implementation of budget norms. The intention of the next step in this process of engagement is to ensure that the provincial budgetary resources for general and Islamic education as well as other agreed programs within the ministry of education are allocated in accordance with sound budget norms in 1390.