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What Do Local Government Education Managers Do to Boost Learning Outcomes?

Author

Listed:
  • Jacobus Cilliers
  • Eric Dunford
  • James Habyarimana

Abstract

Recent public sector reforms have shifted responsibility for public service delivery to local governments, yet little is known about how their management practices or behavior shape performance. This study reports on a comprehensive management survey of district education bureaucrats and their staff that was conducted in every district in Tanzania, and employs flexible machine-learning techniques to identify important management practices associated with learning outcomes. It finds that management practices explain 10 percent of variation in a district’s exam performance. The three management practices most predictive of performance are (a) the frequency of school visits, (b) school and teacher incentives administered by the district manager, and (c) performance review of staff. Although the model is not causal, these findings suggest the importance of incentives and active monitoring to motivate district staff, schools, and teachers, that include frequent monitoring of schools.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacobus Cilliers & Eric Dunford & James Habyarimana, 2022. "What Do Local Government Education Managers Do to Boost Learning Outcomes?," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 36(3), pages 629-645.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:wbecrv:v:36:y:2022:i:3:p:629-645.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/wber/lhac001
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    Cited by:

    1. Oana Borcan & James Merewood, 2022. "Positive Disruption? Meritocratic Principal Selection and Student Achievement," University of East Anglia School of Economics Working Paper Series 2022-11, School of Economics, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK..

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