Sector Assistance Program Evaluation on Education in Uzbekistan

Recommendations. 
Below are the main recommendations that ADB may consider in 
helping the government maintain its momentum to ensure a sustainable education development 
in the medium and long term, conducive to the country's requirements for human resources to 
sustain a more competitive and rapidly growing national economy. 
Recommendation Responsibility 
Timing 
(i) 
ADB should remain engaged in the education 
sector, focusing on higher education and vocational 
training, i.e., skills that support new technology 
industries.
(ii) 
Two levels of approaches to be adopted: (a) for the 
public sector, support programs related to 
information and communication technology, and (b) 
for public-private partnership support partnerships 
or joint ventures with international universities.
(iii) 
Assist in building a stronger and more conducive 
policy and regulatory environment for the above. 
(iv) 
Assist in building and operating a reliable system of 
monitoring and evaluation of the education sector’s 
activities and their results.
Central and West 
Asia Department 
During the 
formulation and 
implementation of 
ADB's new country 
partnership 
strategy and 
related operations 
 
 
 
Ramesh Adhikari 
Director, IED1 
Independent Evaluation Department 

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I. INTRODUCTION 
A. 
Objective, Scope, and Rationale 
1. 
The objective of this sector assistance program evaluation (SAPE) is to assess the 
performance of Asian Development Bank (ADB) assistance in the education sector of 
Uzbekistan from the end of 1997 to the end of 2009; identify factors affecting the performance; 
and draw lessons and recommendations to feed into the preparation of a country assistance 
program evaluation (CAPE) and future education sector operations
1
in Uzbekistan.
2. 
The total value of ADB loans to Uzbekistan from 1996 to December 2009 is $1.29 billion, 
of which overall assistance to the education sector, the second biggest sector, totaled $298.5 
million. (Figure 1 and Appendix 1, Table A1.1). From 1996 to 2009, six loans amounted to 
$290.5 million, of which 43% supported pre-primary and basic education, and 37% targeted 
education sector development. Fifteen technical assistance (TA) projects on education were 
approved for $6.50 million, consisting of $3.10 million for advisory TA, $1.85 million for project 
preparatory TA, and $1.55 million for regional TA. One Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction grant 
project for $1.50 million was also provided (Appendix 1, Table A1.2). ADB is the lead 
international development partner and funding agency for Uzbekistan's education sector.