Montenegro

Building and institutionalising a shared monitoring and evaluation function, and related framework, will enable assessment of policy progress but could also help engage the stakeholders.

Based on the experiences developed with the funds for in-demand occupations, for talented students or with the subsidies for dual education, it would be interesting to explore what other schemes could be set up to similarly support the main policy priorities, for example in favour of vulnerable populations or lagging-behind regions, in order to bridge the human capital gaps. This exploration should take into account the need to keep mechanisms as simple as possible in administrative and legal terms, both for targeted users to apply and for the public actors to manage them.

To ensure financial sustainability, there is an urgent need to diversify the sources of funds and increase the share of non-state resources. Various means may help doing so: introduce further fiscal facilities or communicate about existing incentives given to enterprises involved in the dual system, and allow, encourage or even train (if needed) training providers to apply for foreign donors' financial support for equipment, technology or technical assistance.

For financing aspects specifically, and as recommended by the World Bank in its Growth and Jobs report (2018), a spending review could help 'verify whether efficiency of spending is appropriate given the limited ability of the sector to provide the right skills', and establish the baseline situation and scope of needs. Improving financial capacity would require assessment of investment needs to upgrade the infrastructure and the equipment in schools. The assessment should be based on the needs expressed by the schools, aggregated by categories of investment; establish the corresponding priorities by categories, municipalities, and training providers; and make an investment plan over a longer period.