-The STARS project needs an overhaul

Context: Instead of building state capability, the World Bank  STARS education project gives a larger role to non-state actors which is a flawed approach to reform the governance architecture.

A flawed approach to build state capacity :

• Fails to address the basic capacity issues: Major vacancies across the education system remain unaddressed.

• Without capable faculty, teacher education and training may not improve. 

• Overburdened bureaucracy: unable to perform without a substantial increase in trained manpower and other institutional support.

• Ignored devolution of funds and decision-making power: to front-line bureaucracy for greater decentralisation and social accountability.
• Ignored Trust: The World Bank bypassed listening and collaborating across different levels within the administration through the use of technology.

• However, technology does not address most of the systemic or governance challenges inherent in the administration.

• Overdependence on measurement is seen as a way to improve performance. Service delivery and standardized tests do not improve by measurement alone. 
• Outsourcing basic governance functions: by expanding private initiatives is a flawed approach.

• Outsourcing to non-state partners takes away discretion, accountability and ownership towards their job.
• Institutions of the state rely on institutional memory to meet new challenges. 
• New private initiatives neither have these institutional memories nor grasp of socio-cultural realities.

Way Forward:

• Adequate resources: The administration must be equipped with adequate physical, financial, and human resources.

•  A critical minimum level of resources is a precondition for improving the efficiency in governance.

• Administrative reforms: Greater discretion to the front-line bureaucracy to address local issues through adequate provisioning of resources and freedom to innovate.
• Develop trust: among peers and across different levels within the administration to improve, not to judge and punish.
• Evidence-based projects: The World Bank needs to learn from its past mistakes and use evidence generated by its research arms to formulate projects.