Catalysing Change at Scale through Multi-Sector Collaboration

By Nomsa Muthaphuli, ECD and Youth Fund Manager, Oppenheimer Memorial Trust

“The DBE Mass Registration Drive for early learning programmes is a powerful example of how funders can support government initiatives to drive systemic change and has the potential to transform the lives of children and their trajectory from barely surviving to thriving.” – Nomsa Muthaphuli

Inequality and access to quality education

Profoundly unequal access to quality education lies at the heart of South Africa’s extreme and persistent levels of inequality. Access to quality Early Learning Programmes (ELPs) plays a crucial role in offsetting these inequalities and equalising opportunities.

Approximately 80% of South Africans have limited access to quality ELPs for their children, or none at all. As a result, most children enter the schooling system with learning backlogs. This lack of universal access to ELPs is a complex challenge that belongs to all of us and needs to be addressed at a systemic level for us to move forward as a country. It cannot be solved by one entity alone.

Collaboration is essential for achieving systemic change and catalysing transformation that addresses the root causes of inequality in South Africa. By working together, funders, government, the private sector and civil society can pool their resources, expertise, and influence to tackle complex issues more effectively and sustainably.

Improved access to quality education  

Since the shift of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) function to the Department of Basic Education (DBE), we have seen an ECD unit focused on ensuring ECD achieves its potential through various initiatives. One such initiative is the Mass Registration Drive.

The National ECD Census 2021 counted 42 420 ELPs across South Africa, of which at least half are not registered – it is likely that more exist – and operate outside the regulatory net, missing out on oversight, support and funding. Unregistered organisations cannot apply for the ECD subsidy that would help improve quality. Not all programmes are able to access training and resources from Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) that further ensure compliance and quality, and as a result, are missing out on other valuable support.

Increasing the number of registered programmes could also encourage others to start and register their own ELPs as the support from the DBE is made more visible. This means more children will have access to ELPs, which will help them to thrive by five and increase the likelihood that they will be school-ready. Hence the importance of the extensive national registration drive that will ensure that the allocated budget to subsidise an additional 120 000 children (R539 million) in 2025/2026 can be disbursed.

Multi-sector collaboration

Recognising the urgency and the requirements unregistered ELPs need to meet to be registered, the DBE has formed a collaborative working group with the private sector and private philanthropy. As Janeli Kotze, Acting Director: Early Childhood Development, DBE, points out “we are able to achieve so much more if we put resources together rather than working in silos.” Collaboration allows for individual expertise to be leveraged collectively to create more efficiency and speed.

This has led to the establishment of the Project Management Unit (PMU) that includes the DBE, Yellowwoods, the DG Murray Trust (DGMT), Hollard Trust Foundation, Ilifa Labantwana and the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT). The PMU is providing registration support to ELPs by setting up multiple workstreams to enable the work at scale, all of which is underpinned by change management to ensure embedding and continuity. These include:

• A one-stop system for registration – eCares (Early Childhood Administration & Reporting System)
• A simplified process design to streamline requirements for all stakeholders
• Central support office with multiple communication channels, including a call centre and WhatsApp support
• Municipality onboarding to efficiently support the programme
• Closing the compliance gap for ELPs, including process and funding

Influencing systemic change

OMT was very excited to be invited to take part in this collaborative initiative as it is perfectly in sync with the organisation’s vision of propelling South African towards equity and excellence by influencing systemic change. Within the ECD sector, we are deeply committed to leveraging our funding and convening power to unlock support for a sustainable ecosystem so that every child has access to quality early learning.

We believe that by supporting this initiative we will help accelerate registration and unlock government funding for ELPs so that ultimately more children have increased access to quality ECD programmes.

The value of improving access to quality ECD programmes cannot be overstated. Not only does it have the catalytic potential to transform lives – it also delivers significant returns on investment. James Heckman has shown that investment in ECD yields greater returns than human capital interventions at any other stage, at a return of 7%-10% per annum. (See the graph below). 

The high rate of return of investing in ECD extends beyond the benefits to the individual, to significant social and economic benefits – improved education outcomes, reduced health care costs, reduced crime rates, and increased productivity and earnings in adulthood.

Investment opportunities

Most ELPs need some kind of equipment and/or infrastructure improvement to meet the DBE’s minimum registration requirements. There are two key areas that can improve the safety and compliance of ELP sites, namely the provision of health and safety support packs, and improvements towards hard infrastructure. One of the main aims of the PMU is to enable funders to invest in these key areas.

It is anticipated that R120 million will be needed from the private sector to support both infrastructure and health and safety packs for about 5 000 of the 20 000 unregistered ELPs. To date, the PMU has confirmed R10 million in funding, with a potential R58 million in the pipeline. This leaves a shortfall of R52 million, and the PMU is actively engaging with funders – in both private philanthropy and the private sector – to reach this target.

Using private funding to help unlock further government funding is a key component of this collaborative initiative. The funding will help towards meeting the necessary registration requirements that will create a pipeline of ELPs that could access the government subsidy.

Other ways to get involved    

As the Mass Registration Drive is implemented, scaled and rolled out across the country, there are various areas that need support to ensure the initiative’s success and sustainability. For example, an online registration system has been developed and there is requirement for onboarding, training and support at district and municipality levels for officials.

Funders can provide expertise by seconding staff to the PMU and to district offices to assist with co-ordination, project management skills, training and change management, as officials adopt and adapt to new ways of working with new systems, such as eCares. This will help build capacity within the DBE and districts, inculcating the new processes going forward.

Funders can also provide practical support through providing vehicles, laptops and Wi-Fi to enable officials to conduct site visits and manage the registration process efficiently.

Learning about collaboration 

As one of the first collaborations of its kind, the Mass Registration Drive provides a great opportunity for learnings to improve future collaborations and ensure sustainable impact. Although it is still fairly early in this 18-month initiative, it is important to establish clear roles and responsibilities between the various parties. This will help avoid overstepping and unnecessary duplication, ensuring each party contributes effectively.

There is also a need to look at how learnings are captured throughout the process, identifying what works well and what can be improved, ensuring that future collaborations are even more effective.

A major consideration is to make sure that there is a clear process not just for assisting with implementation support, but also for really getting behind government – working together for sustainable outcomes. Focusing on embedding capabilities within the DBE will ensure continuity once funders have exited support, and that the initiative can continue to be scaled effectively and sustainably.

The Mass Registration Drive is a powerful example of how funders can support government initiatives to drive systemic change and has the potential to transform the lives of children and their trajectory from barely surviving to thriving.