EnhAncing CollAboRAtion Between School mAnAgement And DistRict And PRovinciAl Offices of

EducAtion

Copyright © by This Life Cambodia and Siem Reap Education Support Team (SEST)

February2017

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No. 313, Group 9, Sala Kanseng Village, Sangkat Svay Dangkum, Siem Reap province,

KingdomofCambodia.www.thislifecambodia.org

TableofContents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1

ACRONYMS 2

EXECUTIVESUMMARY 3

INTRODUCTION 5

LITERATUREREVIEW 8Collaborationinpolicy 8Collaborationinresearch 9Collaborationinpractice 10Decentralizationandde-concentration 12

RESEARCHDESIGNANDMETHODOLOGY 13

RESEARCHFINDINGS 17CollaborationbetweenPOE,DOE,andschoolmanagement 17CollaborationbetweenprincipalandSSC 21Collaborationbetweenschoolmanagementandcommunity 23Decentralizationandde-concentration 25

CASESTUDIESOFSTRONGCOLLABORATION 27Casestudy#1:VessvanPrimarySchool 27Casestudy#2:SamkyLowerSecondarySchool 30

CONCLUSION 31

RECOMMENDATIONS 34ForDistrictandProvincialOfficesofEducation 34ForSchoolManagement 35

REFERENCES 37

APPENDICES 39

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThisresearchwascompletedthroughapartnershipwithThisLifeCambodia’sCommunityResearch and Consultancy Program (TLC CRCP) and the Siem Reap Education SupportTeam (SEST). The authors would like to thank numerous people without whom thisresearch would not have been possible. First, we would like to acknowledge the SESTleadership, Tim Chetra, Chhin Se, and Chea Sarin, for their partnership throughout theresearchprocessandforcoordinatingconsultationswithSEST.SESTmemberscontributedtheir extensive knowledge of education in Siem Reap province to the proposal, datacollection, and completion of the final report. Second, we would like to thank NGOEducationPartnership(NEP)forfundingthisresearch,providingtechnicalassistance,andcontributinginvaluablefeedbackontheresearchproposal,datacollectiontools,andreportdrafts. We would especially like to acknowledge Sao, Vichheka, Shannon Meehan, andChhumSyromfordedicatingtheirtimeandexpertisetoadvisingthisresearch.Third,weextendsincerethankstotheMinistryofEducation,YouthandSport’s(MOEYS’)districtandprovincialofficesofeducationforcontributingtheirtimeandknowledgetothisresearch. We especially thank the Siem Reap primary and lower secondary provincialoffices of education and the Ba Kong, Pouk, and Chi Kraeng district offices of education.Fourth,we are extremely grateful for the participation of principals and SSCmembers atCham Bak He and Vessvan primary schools and Khnat, Krabei Riel, and Samky lowersecondaryschools.Theirwillingnesstocommittheirtimeandopenlysharesuccessesandchallengesallowedtheresearchteamtoproducestrongfindingsandrecommendations.ResearchAuthorsAlyssaCasey,ThisLifeCambodiaKimsornNgam,ThisLifeCambodia

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ACRONYMSCCWC Communecouncilforwomenandchildren

CFS Childfriendlyschool

D&D Decentralizationandde-concentration

DOE DistrictOfficeofEducation

DTMT DistrictTrainingandMonitoringTeam

ESP EducationStrategicPlan

MOEYS MinistryofEducation,YouthandSport

NGO Non-governmentalorganization

POE ProvincialOfficeofEducation

P-ESWG Provincialeducationsectorworkinggroup

SBM School-basedmanagement

SEST SiemReapEducationSupportTeam

SSC Schoolsupportcommittee

TPAP TeacherPolicyActionPlan

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EXECUTIVESUMMARYIn recent decades education authority and decision-making in Cambodia has increasinglytransitionedtothelocallevel.Inthe1990sschoolclusterpoliciesgroupedschoolstogetherbasedon geographic regions to pool resources, share knowledge, andprovide support tooneanother.In2002,thecreationoftheschoolsupportcommittee(SSC),agroupof6to12communitymembers,aimedtoincreasecommunityparticipationineducationandsupportprincipalsandteacherstomonitorstudentlearningandschooldevelopment.The school-based management (SBM) reforms currently being implemented by theMinistry of Education, Youth and Sport (MOEYS) aim to further decentralize educationdecision-making and transition additional roles and responsibilities to the district andschoollevel.Asmoreauthoritytransitionstothelocallevel,itisimportanttoexaminehowlocalandnationaldecision-makerscanbestcoordinatewithoneanother.Thisresearchtopicwasproposedbymembersof theSiemReapEducationSupportTeam(SEST), a provincial working group bringing together non-governmental organizations(NGOs)workinginthefieldofeducationinSiemReapprovincetocoordinateinformationsharing,advocacy,andsupportofmemberprograms.SESTmembersraisedconcernsaboutsomeprincipalsandSSCmembersreceivinglittleornosupportuponassumingtheirroles,suchasexplanationof theirrolesor trainingsonhowto fulfill theirresponsibilities.AfterconsultationwithSESTmembers,threemajorresearchgoalsemerged:(a)touncoverwhatsupport is available for new principals or SSC members; (b) to find out what supportprincipals and SSC members are able to access in practice; and (c) to highlight goodcollaborationpracticesbetweenprincipals,SSCs,communitymembers,anddistrictofficeofeducation(DOE)andprovincialofficeofeducation(POE)officials.Past research found that lack of or inefficient collaborationbetween communities, schoolmanagement (principals and SSC members), and DOE and POE officials is a significantbarrier to school development (Fata and Kreng, 2015; Thida and Joy, 2012). This newresearch builds on those findings by uncovering effective collaboration practices andproviding clear recommendations forhow to strengthenengagementbetween the school,district,andprovinciallevels.ThestudyexaminesgoodcollaborationpracticesinSiemReapprovincethroughinterviewswithfiveschoolprincipalsandtwoPOEofficials,aswellasfocusgroupswithfiveSSCsandthreeDOEs.Theresearchalsoincorporatesfieldobservationnotesandtwocasestudiesofgoodcollaborationpractices.Thedatacollectedwas largelyqualitative,whichallowedforinterviewsubjectstoexplainthespecificconditionsordecisionsthatinfluencedtheirgoodcollaborationpractices.Numerousgoodcollaborationpracticesofprincipals, SSCs, andDOEandPOEofficials arehighlightedinthisresearch.Atthedistrictandprovinciallevel,monitoringvisitstoschools

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helpDOEandPOEofficials stayupdatedon schoolprogress and challenges, andevaluatewhatsupportsareneededat individualschools.RegularDOEmeetingsofallprincipals inthe district, and POEmeetings of all DOE officials in the province, facilitate a consistentchainofcommunicationfromthelocaltotheprovinciallevel.Additionally,mostprincipalsreportreceivingnumeroustrainingswhentheywerenewtotheirroles,includingtrainingsonmanagement,leadership,gender,andfinanceandreporting.Whiletrainingsreceivedarehelpful, principals request additional trainings in financial management, computers,communication,andEnglishlanguage.At the school level, regular SSCmeetings facilitate communication between the principalandSSCmembers.CollectivelydraftingtheannualschooldevelopmentplaninconsultationwiththecommunityalsostrengthensengagementbetweenSSC,principal,andcommunitymembers.Holdingadditionalcommunityconsultationsduringtheyearand/orreportingonschool progress at commune councilmeetings keeps the community informed, promotestransparency, and encourages community involvement in school development. Financialtransparency is a key priority to build trust between principals, SSCs, and communitymembers.ManyprincipalsandSSCsdocumenteveryincomeandexpenseandmakethoserecordseasilyaccessibletocommunitymembers.The research also uncovered key challenges to good collaboration. SSCs rarely receivegovernment training and therefore feel they have limited skills to support schools. Thetrainings SSCmembers report receiving are given by NGOs or NGOs in partnershipwithgovernment,making trainingsporadicandunequalacrossschools. Lackofstaff timeandfundingaswellasfartraveldistancesinruralcommunitiesarekeybarrierstoDOEandPOEofficialsconductingmonitoringvisitsandtrainings.Timeconstraintsandlackoffundingarealso challenges for principals and SSC members to attend meetings and communityconsultations, or coordinate learning visits with neighboring schools. Knowledge of theupcomingtransferofrolesandresponsibilitiesunderSBMislimitedamongprincipalsandSSCmembers. In order for transfers to proceed successfully, further trainings on how tomanagenewresponsibilitieswillberequired.Based on the challenges and good practice findings, this research concludes withrecommendationstoenhancesupporttothelocallevelandimprovecollaborationbetweenthe provincial, district, and local levels. At the district and provincial level,recommendations focus on improving comprehensiveness of trainings to principals andSSCs, facilitating learningandknowledgesharingvisitsbetweenschools,andensuringtheSBMrolloutincludestrainingsonhowtomanagetherolesbeingtransferredandinvolvescommunity members who play key roles in supporting schools. At the local level,recommendations include regular communication from principal to DOE, SSC memberstrainingandadvisingstudentsonlifeandcareerskills,andschoolmanagementpartneringwithcommunityinstitutionssuchascommunecouncilstokeepthecommunityinformedonschoolneedsandactivities.

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INTRODUCTIONSincethe1990s,non-governmentalorganizations(NGOs)andtheCambodiangovernmenthavebeenpromotingthe‘decentralization’ofeducationinCambodia,meaningthetransferofmoredecision-makingandauthoritytothelocallevel.AsinmanyotherSoutheastAsiancountries, themethod chosen for decentralizing education in Cambodia has been school-basedmanagement(SBM)(ThidaandJoy,2012).SBMisabroadconcept,butonewidely-cited definition is: “the systematic and consistent decentralization to the school level ofauthority and responsibility to make decisions on significant matters related to schooloperations within a centrally determined framework of goals, policies, curriculum,standards,andaccountabilities”(Caldwell,2009).A key argument in favor of decentralization is that local people have firsthandunderstanding of local contexts. Therefore, when resources and authority are channeledthrough the local level, decisionsand resourceallocation canbemore responsive to localneeds(ThidaandJoy,2012).Inordertofunctioninpractice,decentralizationrequireslocalactorswhounderstandthelargerdecision-makingstructures,aswellasnationalandsub-national actorswho help coordinate local decisionswith broader government policy andactions(Pellini,2005).TheMinistry of Education, Youth and Sport (MOEYS)makespolicies anddecisions at thenational level.WithinMOEYS,provincialofficesofeducation(POEs)anddistrictofficesofeducation (DOEs) are responsible for supporting and monitoring schools. The POEgenerally assumesamonitoringandoversight role,while theDOEsupportsmoreday-to-day school functions and management of program funds (UNESCO, 2011). Because theyserveas the linksbetween thenational governmentand local schools,DOEandPOEplayimportant roles in ensuring accountability in both directions. They disseminate nationalpolicies down to the local level and ensure local priorities are communicated up to thenationallevel.POEandDOEarealsoresponsibleforprovidingtrainingandongoingsupporttoprincipalsandschoolsupportcommittees(MOEYS,2015).TheSchoolSupportCommittee(SSC),establishedbyMOEYSin2002toincreasesupportforschooldevelopmentatthe local level, isacommitteeofdiversecommunityactorssuchasteachers, parents, monks, local authorities, and community residents. A well-functioningSSC can facilitate communication between community members and teachers andprincipals. Similarly, school principals serve as amajor link between the community andDOE and POE, conveying priorities and developments between actors. Awell-functioningandadequatelysupportedschoolmanagementteam1(principalandSSC)cansupportSBMfunctions at the local level to promote quality education and a positive learningenvironmentforstudentsandstaff.

1Forthepurposeofthisresearch,‘schoolmanagement’willrefertotheprincipalandSSC.

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WhileSBMpoliciesandtheestablishmentofSSCshaveincreasedcommunityparticipationin education in some cases, past research and evaluations show that community supportand ineffective schoolmanagement aremajor challenges to promoting quality education.SchoolprincipalsandSSCsoftenreceivelittletrainingandlackclearunderstandingoftheirrolesandresponsibilities.Thisoftenresultsininactionandlimitstheircapacitytoimproveeducation in thecommunity(Thidaand Joy,2012).Dueto lowlevelsofcollaborationandcommunication among key actors, school principals and SSCs are often unaware of orunabletoaccesssupportavailabletothem(FataandKreng,2015;NEP,2011).Onerecentsurvey of a diverse group of school and community actors cited fivemajor challenges tocommunityparticipationineducation.Fourofthefivechallengesrelatedtoprincipal’sandSSC’s lack of understanding of roles, or lack of collaboration between local and non-localstakeholders(FataandKreng,2015).Whilemuch recent research identifies low collaboration as amajor challenge andmakesbroad recommendations for parties to ‘improve collaboration,’ there is little research forschool management and DOEs/POEs on how to better engage one another. This newresearchwillbuildonpastfindingsandrecommendationsbyuncoveringeffectivepracticesand providing clear recommendations for how to strengthen engagement between theschool,district,andprovinciallevels.Itwillprovideanopportunityforschoolswithstrongcollaborationpracticestosharetheirlessonsandpracticeswithotherschoolsfacingsimilarchallenges.Acompilationofdiverselessonslearnedwillallowindividualcommunitiesandschoolstoselecttherecommendationsmostapplicabletotheiruniquesituation.Thisstudywillfocusonthefollowingtypesofcollaboration:

(1) Regular, effective communication between parties (SSC, school principal, DOEandPOE).

(2) Mutual exchange of relevant information between parties. DOE/POE ensuringnew policies and direction are clearly communicated from the national leveldown to the local level, and schoolmanagement ensuring local developments,challenges, and requests for assistance are communicated up to theDOE/POElevel.

(3) POE and DOE offering and communicating trainings and support to buildcapacityofschoolmanagement.Schoolmanagementaccessingavailabletrainingandsupportopportunitiesandconveyingareaswheresupport ismostneededtoDOE/POE.

(4) SchoolmanagementcommunicatingschoolchallengesclearlytoDOE/POE(andwidercommunity),andDOE/POEhelpingschoolmanagementidentifyavailablesupportorgoodpracticestoaddressthesechallenges.

(5) School principal ensuring understanding of SSC roles and responsibilities,establishinganopenandtransparentrelationshipwithSSC,andinvolvingSSCin

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relevantaspectsofschooldevelopmentandmanagement.(6) SSC regularly seeking community input and communicating community

priorities to school principal. SSC assisting with planning, fundraising, schoolenrollment, and other tasks to help school principal advance community andschoolpriorities.

Thepurposeofthisstudyisnottoprovethatlackofcollaborationisachallengeforschoolmanagement or DOE and POE, as that would be duplicative of previous research. Thepurpose is also not to perform a quantitative analysis of what constitutes ‘strong’collaborationorwhatresultsgoodcollaborationproduce,as thiswouldnotprovideclear,specific next steps for schoolmanagement. The aim of this research is to collect lessonslearned from schoolswith strong collaborationpractices so these lessons canbeusedbyotherschoolsinCambodia.

ResearchObjectivesThespecificobjectivesofthisresearchare:

(1) TouncoverwhatsupportcurrentlyisavailableforprincipalsandSSCmembers.(2) ToexaminewhatsupportschoolprincipalsandSSCmembersareawareofandable

toaccessinpractice.(3) To examine schools with strong collaboration between school management and

DOE/POE.(4) To compile lessons learned for enhancing collaboration between school

managementandDOE/POEtoinformclear,accessibleadvocacymaterialsforusebyP-ESWG,schools,communities,andotherstakeholders.

ResearchQuestionsThisresearchstudyaimstoanswerthefollowingquestions:

(1) WhatsupportexistsforprincipalsandSSCmembers?(2) WhatactionsdoDOEandPOEofficialstaketoinformschoolprincipalsandSSCsof

theavailablesupportandhowtoaccessit?(3) WhatsupportareprincipalsandSSCmembersawareofandabletoaccessfromthe

DOE,POE,orothersources?(4) Regardingschoolswithstrongcollaborationpractices:

a) How well does the school principal represent community and SSCprioritiestoDOEandPOE?

b) HowdoschoolprincipalsandSSCsaccessthesupportavailabletothem?c) What strategies do school principals use that have been successful for

collaboratingwithDOEandaccessingthesupporttheyneed?

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d) WhatstrategiesdoSSCsusetoensurecommunityprioritiesareheardbyschoolprincipalandDOE/POE?

(5) WhatareDOEandPOEperspectivesoncollaborationwithschools?Whatpracticalsuggestionsdotheyhaveforschoolmanagement?

LITERATUREREVIEW

CollaborationinpolicyIn recent decades, education policy in Cambodia has increasingly transitioned decision-making to the local level. By establishing committees of community members andencouragingmoretrainingoflocalactors(includingschoolprincipals,teachers,andSSCs),thesepolicieshaveencouragedgreatergovernmentcollaborationwith local communities.During the 1990s, this transition focused on “school clusters,” collections of schoolsgrouped together based on geographic proximity. These clusters served as supportnetworks where schools could share knowledge, pool resources, and work together toimproveeducationqualityatthelargercommunitylevel(PelliniandBrendenberg,2015).In2002, thecreationof theSchoolSupportCommittee(SSC)gavethecommunityadirectpipeline to school decision-making. “Theoretically, the SSC established the last link in thevertical integration of educational decentralization: national ministry of education,provincial office of education, district office of education, school administration, schoolsupport committee, and local community” (TLC, 2012). SSC members are elected andcomprise a diverse group of individuals including village and commune chiefs, teachers,principals, parents, and other community members. According to the MOEYS 2012 SSCGuidelines,theSSC’smaindutiesare:

1. Formulating,implementing,andmonitoringtheschooldevelopmentplan2. Enrollingchildreninschool3. Monitoringstudentlearning4. Generatingrevenueandmobilizingfunds5. Overseeingschoolinfrastructureconstructionandrepairs6. Sharingexperienceandlifeskills7. Preventingirregularitiesinsideandoutsidetheschool8. Expandingeducationawarenessandbuildingcapacity

Since the establishment of SSCs, education policies generally assume communityparticipationhappensintwoways:throughdirectsupportofschoolactivitiesandthroughtheSSC(SavetheChildren,2015).The 2007 MOEYS Child Friendly School (CFS) Policy laid out a framework for ensuringschools recognize and nurture children’s basic rights and strengthen the quality andeffectiveness of basic education. The policy gives schools tangible goals to strive for to

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improvetheir learningenvironmentsforstudentsandteachers.It includessixdimensionsofachildfriendlyschool,twoofwhichfocusoncommunityparticipationandcollaboration:

Dimension5:Theparticipationofchildren,familiesandcommunitiesintherunningoftheirlocalschoolDimension 6: TheNational Education System supports and encourages schools tobecomemorechildfriendly

The CFS policy notes the need for school principal leadership training and one of theimplementation principles is to, “strengthen cooperation and collaboration withcommitment-holders such as community, national and international organizations andNGOs in the development of Child Friendly School programs with a high level ofaccountability”(MOEYS,2007).MOEYS’EducationStrategicPlan2014-2018(ESP)isframedwithinthenationalprioritytotransfer more roles and responsibility to the sub-national level (see Literature Review:Decentralization and de-concentration). Preparing for these transfers, the ESP includesnumerousstrategiestostrengthencollaborationatthecommunitylevelandbuildtheskillsof schoolmanagement throughmore effective guidance and training. TheESP states thatDOEhasakeyroleindeepeningtheroleofcommunitiesandparentstoaddresssocialandeconomic issuesaffectingeducation,andstrengthening leadershipandmanagement skillsattheschoolleveltoensureresponsibleoperationofschools(MOEYS,2014).BuildingontheESP,theMOEYSTeacherPolicyActionPlan(TPAP)outlinespolicygoalsandstrategies to improve recruitment and retention of high quality teachers. It includes asignificantfocusoncapacitybuildingforteachers,schoolprincipals,andMOEYS,POE,andDOE officials (MOEYS, 2015). One of TPAP’s nine core strategies is “strengtheningeffectiveness of school leaders.” The tasks outlined in this strategy include conducting abaseline survey of school principals to assess capacity and needs, creating a SchoolManagementHandbook,andtrainingschoolprincipals.OtherTPAPsub-strategies includeenhancing SSC participation in school operation, strengthening SSC roles andresponsibilities, and training MOEYS officials (including at the POE and DOE level).ImplementationofTPAPactivitiesisstaggeredbetween2015-2020.(MOEYS,2015).

MOEYScompilesaperformancereportaftertheconclusionofeachschoolyear.Accordingtotheiranalysisofthe2014-15schoolyear,MOEYSprovidedcapacitybuildingtrainingto1,616SSCmembers.ThereportalsonotesthatMOEYSdevelopedaguidebookforteachersand trained school principals on management, leadership, and governance. Schoolprincipals and POE and DOE officials were also trained on monitoring and evaluation(MOEYS,2016b).

CollaborationinresearchResearchhasconsistentlydemonstratedthatcommunityengagementandcollaborationarecrucialtoensuringqualityeducationinCambodia.“Cambodiancommunitieshaveshowna

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deepunderstandingof the importanceof educationand, thoughgovernment spendingoneducation is increasing, they provide substantial material contributions for theimprovementof schools” (Pellini,2005).Historically, ithasbeencommon foroverhalfofschool financing to come from community households rather than government funding(Bray, 2005). Local pagodas are also integral to education as they often serve as schools,especiallyforchildrenfrompoororvulnerablefamilies(Pellini,2007).A 2011 study found that out of ten factors influencing education, household respondentschose community support as the most important factor that contributed to improvingeducation quality. This study emphasized that community engagement and parentalinvolvement have the potential to revitalize education even at a time when peoples’confidenceinpublicschoolsisdwindling(NEP,2011).NumerousevaluationsofNGOeducationprogramshighlightcollaborationbetweenactorsasanessentialcomponentofschooldevelopment(SavetheChildren,2015;TLC,2014).Akey aspect of collaboration is that it requires each actor to make space in their schooldevelopmentroletolistentoandworkwithotheractors.Notonlydocommunitymembersneedtobecomeinvolvedinschoolactivities,buttheschoolprincipal,DOE,andPOEneedtorespect the role of community members and not interfere in local school developmentresponsibilities.Collectively drafting a school development plan is one way the community, school, andgovernmentcancollaborate inpractice.Thisoften involvesschoolmanagementholdingaconsultation to receive input from communitymembers on their priorities for education.The SSC, with the school principal, then draft a school development plan to submit togovernmentofficials.DOEofficialscanparticipateinthecommunityconsultationorprovidefeedback on the first draft of the development plan. Once the plan is drafted, schoolmanagement can work with DOE, POE, and the community to identify government orexternalfundingforschooldevelopmentplanactivities(FataandKreng,2015;TLC,2014).Thefactthatengagementandcollaborationisrecognizedasessentialbyvirtuallyallactorsineducationisnotapointtobeglossedover.Whilecollaborationmayfallshortinpractice(seeCollaborationinpractice),anyrecommendationsforimprovingcollaborationcanstartfrom the common ground that all actors acknowledge strong collaboration is a keycomponentofqualityeducation.

CollaborationinpracticeCommunity participation in education in Cambodia has historically been strong, butcompartmentalized.Whilepastpolicieshaveachievedpositivereforms,thesebenefitstendto be concentrated in one level of the education hierarchy, rather than increasingcollaborationacrossinstitutions.

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For example, evaluation of school clusters showed mixed results. Some research foundclusterswere“generallyunderresourcedandtheirfullpotentialunrealized.”Whileclustershelpedschools shareresourcesand learn fromoneanother, therewas little collaborationbetween the local and government levels, especially in terms of training and capacitybuilding. While Cluster School Committees were established at the local, district, andprovincial level, they rarely met and were unclear about their functions (Pellini andBrendenberg,2015).A2002UNICEFreviewofCambodiaschoolclustersfoundthatatwo-tieredsystememergedwhere clusters receiving NGO support performed dramatically better than clusters notreceiving NGO support. Non-supported cluster schools were found to have very lowcommunityengagement(PelliniandBrendenberg,2015).Thissuggeststhatlackofhumanresources support, such as training, on-going technical support, or funding for additionalstaff, are key barriers to local participation in school development. School clusters diddemonstratesomesuccessintheirgoalstofacilitateresourceandknowledgesharing,andstrengthencommunicationatthelocallevel.However,theymadelittleimpactonimprovingcollaborationbetweenlocal,district,provincial,andnationallevelactors.Similar to school clusters, SSCs have shown some positive resultswhile also highlightinggaps in current practice. Since SSC members often include principals, teachers, andcommunity members, SSCs generally increased collaboration at the local level. SSCsincreased community engagement by giving parents and community members a directmechanismtojoinschooldevelopmentwork.However,thisengagementwasoftenlimitedtofundraisingandinfrastructure,withthecommunitylessinvolvedinmonitoringstudentlearningorteachingmethods(FataandKreng,2015;ThidaandJoy,2012;NEP,2011).Additionally,someSSCsstruggletorecruitandretainmembers,andotherstechnicallyexistas names on paper but are inactive in supporting school development. Although SSCguidelinesstatemembersshouldbeelectedannually, inpracticemembersaresometimesjust appointed by the school principal and in many communities elections only happenwhenanexistingSSCmemberleaves,ratherthanoccurringannually(TLC,2012).SSCs face similar challenges as school clusters, namely lack of resources and capacity-building support. SSC members, especially in vulnerable communities, often have loweducation and literacy levels and receive little training on their roles and responsibilities(FataandKreng,2015).They therefore feelunqualified tobe involved inschooldecision-making and often leave complicated decisions to the school principal. Similarly, schoolprincipals holdmany key responsibilities for the school but there is inconsistency in thetraining and support they receive. Many are overwhelmed by their numerous newresponsibilities and without sufficient support, feel they learn mostly by trial and error(ThidaandJoy,2012).

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Highlevelsofpovertyinmanycommunitiesonlyexacerbatelackofcommunityengagementand collaboration. Since parents and SSCmembers engage on an unpaid, volunteer basis,they often have to prioritize other work and home responsibilities that place significantdemands on their time. Lack of transportation to visit the school or attend communitymeetingsisalsoafactorformany(TLC,2014).Justaswithschoolclusters,SSCsreceivingNGO support (even temporarily) engage more in school development and show greaterresultsthanSSCswithoutNGOsupport(FataandKreng,2015;TLC,2014).MOEYS officials and local village and commune leaders have expressed that their heavyworkload prevents them from prioritising collaboration with school management. Onerecent studyhighlighted that, “SSCmembers seemed tohave little support from the localauthorities.TheinterviewssupportedthatthelocalauthoritiesdidnotcaremuchaboutSSCwork;theyonlycaredabouttheircoreworkattheirworkplace”(FataandKreng,2015).Capacitybuildingtakessignificanttimeandeffort,anddoesnothappenovernight.POEandDOE officials with demanding schedules may find it easier to prioritize the short-termefficiencyofmakingdecisions themselves, rather thanbuilding capacity for thisdecision-making at the school and local level. When government is involved in nearly all schooldecision-making,communitymembers,SSCmembers,andparentsoftendonotseespacetoparticipateinschooldevelopment(NEP,2011).Researchshowsthatcommunitysupportforschoolshappensintwoways:throughmaterialmeans, such as contributing funds ormaterials for school development, or through non-materialmeans such as contributing ideas andpriorities to the school developmentplan,budget,orcurriculum.Unfortunately,communityparticipationinpracticemostlyhappensthrough material contributions. This is partly due to lack of consultation on the part ofschoolprincipalsorgovernmentofficials,andpartlyduetolowcapacityandconfidenceofSSCandcommunitymembers.Whileeducationpoliciesoftenincludetrainingandcapacitybuilding actions, in practice this happens sporadically rather than as part of larger,coordinatedefforts.

Decentralizationandde-concentrationCurrently, the Cambodian government is in themidst of implementing a decentralizationandde-concentration(D&D)initiativeacrossallsectorstoshiftpowerandaccountabilitytothe local level. In the education sector, this takes the form of school-basedmanagement(SBM). The goal of SBM is to improve the quality of education by eliminating barriers ofhierarchy and bureaucracy and allowing for more individualized solutions based on aspecificcommunity’sstrengthsandneeds.TherecentMOEYSpolicyonD&Dreformineducationdetailsfourmainobjectives(MOEYS,2016):

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1. Developalegalframeworkforeducationmanagementinlinewiththegovernment-wideD&Dreform

2. Transferfunctionsandresourcestothelocallevel3. Buildthecapacityoflocalinstitutionsandactorstotakeonadditionalresponsibility4. Ensuresocialinclusivenessandequity

Cambodia’scurrentD&Dreformsareoccurringwithinthe largermovementtowardsSBMtakingplaceacrosstheAsiaPacificregion(ThidaandJoy,2012).SincevariousformsofSBMhave been piloted in recent decades, the new D&D policy can benefit from an existingcollectionoflessonslearned.WhileawealthofresearchexistsontheeffectivenessofSBM,acomprehensive reviewof SBM is beyond the scope this research.What this researchwillexamine is the intersection of SBM and efforts to enhance collaboration among variouslevelsofeducationactors.AkeylessonthatemergesfromthatintersectionisthatSBMhasthepotentialtoexacerbateexisting inequalities in education delivery (TLC, 2012; Shoarku, 2008). Transferringauthority and accountability to the local level has obvious benefits, such as eliminatingbureaucraticbarriersandallowingforsolutionstailoredtolocalcontexts.However,aswasshown above with school clusters and SSCs, community ownership requires localunderstandingofrolesandresponsibilitiesand local individualscapableof fulfillingthoseresponsibilities.Forexample,pastresearchonSBMfoundthat,“introducingteacherautonomytooquicklywithout adequate training often leads to ineffective reforms” and “decentralizingmanagementtotheschool level increasesvariationswithinthecountry,therebywideningthegapbetweenrichandpoorareas”(TLC,2012).MOEYSSBMreformsareintheearlystagesofrollout.Itisclearthateffectivecollaborationacross actors and levels of decision-making is critical to SBM success. Therefore, theresearchershopethepracticallessonslearnedfromthisstudywillbevaluableininformingthescaleupofSBMreformsacrossthecountry.

RESEARCHDESIGNANDMETHODOLOGY

ResearchdesignThis research examines five schools in Siem Reap province. The research topic wasproposed by members of the Siem Reap Education Support Team (SEST), a provincialeducationsectorworkinggroup(P-ESWG)bringing togetherNGOsworking in the fieldofeducationinSiemReapprovincetocoordinateinformationsharing,advocacy,andsupportof member programs. SEST members raised concerns about some principals and SSCmembersreceivingminimalsupportuponassumingtheirroles,suchasexplanationoftheir

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roles or trainings on how to fulfill their responsibilities. After consultation with SESTmembers, three major goals emerged for this research: (a) to uncover what support isavailable for new principals or SSC members; (b) to find out what support schoolmanagementisabletoaccessinpractice;and(c)tohighlightgoodpracticesofcollaborationbetweenschoolmanagement,DOE,POE,andcommunities toaccesssupport in theirrolesandsupportforschooldevelopment.Sincetheresearchtopicwasproposedbytheprovincialeducationsectorworkinggroup,itwas decided focusing the study on SiemReap provincewouldmost directly examine theresearchgoals SESTproposed. SiemReapprovince contains theurbanareaof SiemReaptownaswell asmanyvery rural communities in the rest of theprovince.This allows forgood practices to be drawn from urban and rural schools, and schools that are varyingdistances fromaDOEorPOEoffice.These lessonscanprovide insight intoon-the-groundchallenges and successes for those working in education in other provinces and at thenationallevel,includingschoolmanagementteams,advocates,andpolicymakers.SESTmembers, drawing on their extensive experienceworkingwith schools across SiemReapprovince, recommendedseven total schools for inclusion in the study. Schoolswereassessedbasedonthefollowingcriteria:

1. The school has undergone strong development by improving infrastructure,buildingcommunityrelationships,and/orcreatingapositivelearningenvironmentforstudentsandteachers.

2. Schoolmanagementperformswellintheirrolesandareactivelyinvolvedinschooldevelopment, including drafting school development plans, seeking funding fromgovernment and external sources, and applying creative solutions to schoolchallenges.

3. Schoolmanagementbuildsstrongrelationshipsbetweenprincipal,SSC,community,DOE/POE,andNGOs.

Though the above listed criteria is somewhat anecdotal, it is basedon the experiences ofSEST member organizations and individuals working with schools and DOE and POEofficials across Siem Reap formany years. The aim of this research is to take this initialanecdotal evidence and explore in greater depth what collaboration successes andchallenges each of these schools demonstrate. The final schools were selected to ensurediversity in terms of geography, school level (primary or secondary), and proximity toDOE/POEoffices.

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SchoolName Commune DistrictPrimaryorsecondary

ProximitytoDOE

ProximitytoSiemReap

1.Khnat Khnat Pouk secondary 7km 7km

2.ChamBakHe ChamBakHe Pouk primary 5km 18km

3.KrabeiRiel KrabeiRiel SiemReap secondary 6km 13km

4.Vessvan Bakong PrasatBakong primary 4km 14km5.Samky AlongSam

NorChiKraeng secondary 12km 76km

At each of the five schools, one interviewwas conductedwith the school principal and aseparate focus group was conducted with the SSC. All SSC members were invited toparticipate in the focus group. DOEswere selected for interview in three of the districtswithparticipatingschools.AstheresearchfocusedonSiemReapprovinceandonlyattheprimary and lower secondary school levels, the primary POE and lower secondary POEwere also interviewed. All interviews and focus groups were conducted at the relevantschool (for principal and SSC), relevant office (for DOE or POE) or other nearby locationrequestedbytheparticipant(s).

DatacollectionDuetothesubjectoftheresearchandthefocusonsharinglessonslearned,datacollectedwas primarily qualitative. This allowed for interview and focus group subjects to explainexamplesofstrongcollaborationpractices,andhowtheuniqueenvironmentorskillsetsofdifferent actors influenced the actions taken to enhance collaboration. Data collectionmethodsincludedfocusgroups,interviews,fieldobservation,andaliteraturereview.Focusgroups contained between three and seven participants and interviews were individual.Fieldobservationnoteswererecordedbytheresearchteamandanalyzedalongsidefocusgroupandinterviewnotes.Fromthedatacollected,twoschoolswerechosenasfociofcasestudiestohighlighttheirspecificcollaborationstrategiesandresults.

Datacollectionmethod

SubjectsNumberConducted

TotalParticipants

Interview

Principal 5 5

POEOfficial 2 2

FocusGroup

SSC 5 25

DOEOfficial 3 12

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Data collection activities were completed in November 2016. All interviews and focusgroupswereconductedinKhmerlanguage.Theresearchteamreadaverbalconsentform(seeAppendices)outloudandobtainedverbalconsentfromeachparticipant.Interviewandfocus group contentwas captured through note taking and use of an audio recorder andthentypedupinEnglishlanguageforanalysisanduseinthefinalreport.

Limitations

Duetobudgetandtimelineconstraints,datacollection focusedonfiveschools.Thissmallscope limits the comprehensiveness of the study, and the research team cautions againstdrawing any sweeping conclusions to apply to thenational or international levelwithoutfurther research. However, this study uncovers common challenges and best practicesregarding strong collaboration, which can be explored further in future research. As theresearchwas proposed by SEST, it is intended to benefit schoolmanagement teams andschoolsatthelocallevelbyprovidingadiversesetofgoodpracticesandrecommendationsfor enhancing collaboration with communities and DOE/POE. It also providesrecommendations forDOEandPOEthatcanbeusedbyschoolmanagementandNGOs toadvocatetoDOE,POEorMOEYS.Some factors that contribute to strong collaborationmaybebeyond the controlof schoolmanagement. For example, some schools may benefit from strong financial support thatenables themtomoreeasily travel tomeetingsorutilizeawiderpoolof resources.Someschool communities may be geographically closer to DOE or POE offices, which makescommunicationeasier.Whileeffortsweremadetoselectadiversegroupofschools,SiemReap province contains numerous NGOs and the proximity of Siem Reap town meanspotentialaccesstomanyinternationaldonors.Thereislittleharddataonthetopic,butitistheexperienceofSESTandresearchteammembersthatalargenumberofschoolsinSiemReap province receive some form of external assistance, whether large or small. Thesefactorswere controlled for asmuchaspossible indefining strong collaborationpracticesand selecting school participants. However, it is impossible to completely disaggregatestrong collaboration from all potential influencing factors. Therefore the study could beskewedtowardsschoolswithfinancial,resource,orotheradvantages.SESTinputwasessentialinselectingparticipatingschoolsandunderstandinglocalcontext.However,SESTmembershaverelationshipswithmanyschools inSiemReap.Selectionofparticipating schools in consultation with SEST was done strategically to ensure schoolswereselectedforstrongworkingrelationshipsthatproducepositiveresultsfortheschool.SchoolswerenotchosenbasedonanypersonalrelationshipsofSEST,schoolmanagement,orDOE/POE.Lastly, the qualitative focus of this research means data drawn from focus groups and

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interviewsarebasedon individualperceptions.Data collectionwasdesigned to includeavarietyofopinionsfromdifferentSSCmembers,principals,andDOEandPOEofficialsandinterviews with each of these groups were scheduled separately so they were notinfluenced by one another’s answers. However, firsthand accounts contain subjectiveelements and opinions. It was not within the scope of the study to verify all accountsthrough records or documentation. This would take incredible time and effort, and it isextremelyunlikely thatall communications, trainings,orotherevents referenced in theseinterviewsandfocusgroupsareofficiallydocumented.

RESEARCHFINDINGS

CollaborationbetweenPOE,DOE,andschoolmanagementSiem Reap Provincial Office of Education (POE) and District Office of Education (DOE)officials host regular meetings with key school actors to facilitate communication andsupport.DOE convenes amonthlymeeting of all school principals in thedistrict to shareupdatesfromMOEYSandprovidespaceforprincipalstoaskforadviceonschoolchallengesandsharelessonsandsolutionswithoneanother.AtDOEmeetings,principals:

• Shareeffectiveteachingmethodsandhowtomentorteacherstoimproveskills

• Exchange strategies for achieving school development such as infrastructureprojectsorimprovingstudentperformance

• SeekclarificationfromDOEonMOEYSpoliciesandguidelines

• SharelessonslearnedonhowtoeffectivelyengagewithSSCsorcommunitiesPOEholdsasimilarmonthlymeetingofrepresentativesfromeachDOEtoreceiveupdatesonschooldevelopmentineachdistrictandtocommunicatepoliciesandnewsfromMOEYSdowntothelocallevel.Theseregularmeetingsfacilitateachainofcommunicationfromthenationaldowntothelocallevelandsimilarlyfromthelocallevelup.Principals and DOE representatives cite the monthly DOE meetings as helpful to stayknowledgeableaboutlocalandnationalactivitiesandworkthroughchallengescollectivelywith other principals and DOE staff. DOE representatives feel the monthly meetings areparticularlyhelpful inclarifyingpolicies forprincipalsandstaying informedon individualschoolactivities.IfaschoolchallengecannotbeaddressedfullybyDOEstaff,theybringthechallengetothePOEmonthlymeetingtorequestfurthersupportoradvisement.In addition to the monthly meetings, both DOE and POE conduct monitoring visits toevaluate school performance. One DOE representative summarized the purpose ofmonitoringvisits into threeaims: (1) seehow theprincipal andadministrationwork; (2)

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examine how funds are spent by school management; and (3) observe how technicalresponsibilities, suchas teachingandadministration,areperformed.Someprincipals findthesevisitshelpfulbecause they canask forDOEsupport indrafting schooldevelopmentplansoradviceonhowtostrengthentheirperformanceasprincipal.However,othersfeelthesevisitsdonotsupportschooldevelopmentoutsideofensuringadherencetorulesandbudgets.In addition to evaluating performance, principals and SSCmembers would like DOE andPOEofficialstousemonitoringvisitstoadviseonschoolmonitoringchallenges.SinceDOEand POE officials assess school strengths andweaknesses during these visits, they couldalso recommend trainings or capacity building activities that DOE or POE officials couldprovidetoschoolmanagementduringsubsequentmonitoringvisits.DOEandPOEofficialscitefundingandstaffcapacityaschallengestoconductingmonitoringvisits.Theydonothaveenoughfundsorenoughstaffmemberstotraveltoschoolsasoftenas theMOEYSmonitoringplandictates.POErepresentatives report theirmonitoringplanrequiresvisitingeachschooltwotothreetimesperyear,butforthepastthreeyearstheydidnothaveenoughstafftoevaluateeveryschoolintheprovince.Evenwith limited capacity,DOEandPOEofficials findmonitoring visits helpful to assessneedsandgapsthattheycanthensupporttheschool toaddress.OneDOErepresentativegave an example of a school where teacher attendance was sporadic and students wereincreasingly failing exams. DOE staff visited the school and provided teacher training onchild friendlyschoolpolicies, teachingapproaches,andcommunityengagement.DOEstaffencouragedSSCmemberstovisittheschoolmoreoftenandorganizetrainingsforstudentsontopicssuchasbusinessskillsandethics.Thisincreasedcapacitybuildingandcommunityengagementhelpedchangeteacherbehaviorandimproveattendance.Themost commonwayDOEsharespolicieswith schoolmanagement isbydisseminatingprinted copies of policies to school principals, with some DOE representatives askingprincipalstoreadpoliciesoutloudtoteachers.OtherformsofcommunicationusedbyDOEandPOE includephonecalls, socialmedia,andattendingschooleventswhenpossible.Toharness the benefits of technology, SiemReapPOE created a Facebook group open to allschool principals and relevant DOE staff. Principals use this Facebook group to ask forsupport from DOE or other principals as well as to stay informed about district andprovincialdevelopments.FacebookisausefultoolforsomeschoolstocommunicatewithDOEorPOE,butsomeruralschoolsdonothavereliableinternetaccessandthereforerelymainlyonphonecallsorin-person visits. Lack of access to electricity and internet, in addition to theDOE andPOE’slimited funds and staff time mentioned above, can make it especially difficult for rural

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schoolstoconsistentlycommunicatewithDOEorPOE.Training and support for principals and SSCs is currently provided by a combination ofgovernment andNGOactors.Mostprincipals report receiving training fromDOE,POE, orMOEYSasnewprincipals,althoughoneprincipalinterviewedsaidhereceivednotraining.Principalsreceivedtrainingonmanagement,leadership,gender,andfinanceandreporting.DOE representatives also cited trainings given on community engagement, fundraising,administration,thechildfriendlyschoolpolicy,andschooldevelopmentplancreation.(Theschool development plan is a document drafted annually by principal or schoolmanagementandsubmitted toDOE,whichdetailsgoals forschool improvementandhowschoolmanagementaimstoachievethosegoals).Whiletrainingprovidedcanbeunequalacrossdistricts,principalsreportthetrainingtheyreceive is helpful. For example, one principal remarked that the management trainingreceivedfromMOEYShelpedlayfoundationsforhowtoproblemsolve,communicate,andworkwithotherstoaddresschallenges.Ithelpedhimunderstandthebehaviorofinactiveor absent teachers and decide what actions to take to work with teachers towards asolution. Most principals feel confident in their teaching skills but would like additionaltraining in management and leadership to improve understanding of managementapproaches and how to motivate teachers and staff. Principals also request training onfinance, computers, communication, and English language to help them better track andreportfinancesandcommunicateschooldevelopmentstoDOEandcommunity.TheDistrictTrainingandMonitoringTeam(DTMT),comprisedofDOEemployees,providestechnical assistance onmonitoring, evaluation, and reporting duringmonitoring visits toschools. They are also responsible for building the capacity and skills of principals andteachers through trainings. Some SSCs report DTMT advised them on how to create theschool development plan and determine what action steps can help achieve the schooldevelopment goals. Principals report that DTMT provides technical support to them ondrafting financial andprogress reports forDOE, aswell asprovides trainingson teachingmethodstoteachers.However,accordingtosomeDOEofficials,DTMThaslimitedcapacitytoassist teachers teachinghighergrades (grades9-12).ManyDTMTofficialsdonothaveenough knowledge or understanding of the material being taught to high grades, andthereforecannotadviseteachersoneffectivemethodstoteachthismaterial.ThoughpoliciessuchastheEducationStrategicPlan(ESP)andTeacherPolicyActionPlan(TPAP)call forstrengtheningtherolesofSSCs,nopolicystatesanyrequiredtrainings forSSCmembers.SSCmembersinterviewedreportreceivinglittleornogovernmenttraining.MostDOEandPOErepresentativesinterviewedsaidtheschoolprincipalisresponsibleforpassingthetrainingsheorshereceivesfromgovernmentdowntoSSCmembers.Howeverthis rarely happens in practice. The only trainings SSCs accessedwere given byNGOs orthrough a partnership between anNGO andDOE or POE. For example, one SSC received

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trainingonmanagementandmonitoringandevaluationfromanNGOpartneringwiththegovernment. The NGO-provided trainings SSC members report receiving are proposalwriting, fundraising, management, communication, and overseeing school constructionprojects.Many principals would like SSC members to receive more training on leadership,management, and community engagement so SSCs can be more involved in overseeingteacherperformanceandschooldevelopment.OneprincipaldiscussedhowhewouldliketoprovidetrainingstotheschoolandSSCmembers,buthedoesnotreceivetrainingfundsinaccordancewithMOEYSguidelines.Forthepast fewyears,hehaseitherreceivedfundingfortrainingmuchlaterthanMOEYSguidelinesstateorneverreceivedthefundsatall.DOEandPOErepresentativesareopen toprovidingmore training toschoolmanagementbutalsoreportnothavingthenecessarybudget.Asmentionedabove,DTMTprovidessometechnical assistance during their monitoring visits to schools but feels limited by staffcapacityandbudget.ThereforeDOEandPOErelyheavilyonNGOsfortrainingandcapacitybuilding.AcommonarrangementcitedwasforDOEorPOEtoconductthetrainingandanNGOtocovertrainingcosts.Inotherinstances,NGOsprovidedtrainingwithoutgovernmentinvolvement.ServicesprovidedbyNGOsaresporadicandunequalacrossschools.Itisdifficultforschoolmanagementtotrynewskillsinpracticeandrefinethemovertimeiftheyonlyreceiveone-timetrainingsonanygiventopic.Eveniftrainingorsupportisprovidedholisticallyoroveraperiodoftime,itstillcreatesinequalitiesbetweenschoolsthatreceiveNGOsupportandschoolsthatdonot.In addition to trainings, DOE and school management collaborate on fundraising, hiring,human resources, and school development plans. DOE staff do not actively help schoolsfundraise,buttheyadviseschoolmanagementonpotentialpeopleororganizationstoseekfundingfromandprovidetechnicalassistanceonthefundraisingprocesssuchasproposalwriting.DOEofficialsalsoadviseschoolsonhowtostrengthencommunityengagement.Forexample,oneschoolcametoDOEneedingtoraisefundsforanadditionalschoolbuilding.DOE advised school management to meet with leaders at the local pagoda, explain theimportanceofanewschoolbuildingtothecommunity’schildren,andtryandfindwaystojointlyfundraisewiththepagoda.Some principals also report DOE helpsmediate conflicts among teachers or other schoolstaff. If the conflict is small, principals try to solve it on their own, but if the conflict ispersistentorbeyondthecapacityoftheprincipaltoresolvehimorherself,heorsheasksforDOEassistance.Regardingschooldevelopmentplans,someprincipalssubmittheplantoDOE, who reviews it and provides comments and suggestions to improve the plan. DOE

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officials then work with the school principal to update the plan before finalizing andsendingtoPOE.DOEandPOEofficialslikestayinguptodateonwhatishappeningineachschool,butoftenfeel limited by time, distance, budget, and staff capacity. While the monthly meetings,occasional monitoring visits, and POE Facebook group provide platforms for knowledgesharingandsupport,DOEofficials recommended thatprincipals regularlyupdateDOEonschooldevelopmentandchallenges.Regularcommunication,evenjustthroughphonecalls,keeps DOE informed about the school and better enables them to help when challengesarise. POE and DOE also advise schools to work closely with local authorities and thecommunity,includingthecommunecouncilandpagodas.

CollaborationbetweenprincipalandSSCA common thread among SSCs and principals with good collaboration is consistentcommunication,whetherthroughmeetings,informalvisits,orphonecalls.InorderforSSCstocontribute toschooldevelopment, theyneed tostay informedontheschool’sactivitiesandneeds.ManyprincipalsandSSCshighlightthefactthattheprincipalandteachersareatthe school almost daily, whereas the SSCs spend more time in the community. If someprincipals or teachers are also SSCmembers, they can keep the rest of the SSC informedaboutday-to-dayschoolcircumstances,butinordertoensurethisoccursSSCmembersandtheprincipalneedtoagreeonaplanforregularcommunication.AllSSCsreportmeetingannuallywiththeprincipaltodiscussprioritiesanddraftaschooldevelopment plan, often inviting the community to join. Some meet more frequentlythroughouttheyearandalsovisittheschoolperiodically.RegularlyvisitingtheschoolgivestheSSCmorecontexttoparticipateinplanning,fundraising,andpromotingeducationinthecommunity. It also gives them a stronger foundation fromwhich to contribute ideas andprioritiestotheannualschooldevelopmentplan.The school development plan can be a key tool for promoting collaboration betweenprincipalsandSSCs. Incommunitieswherecollaboration isweaker, theprincipal tends tocreate the school development plan on their own or with input only from teachers. SSCparticipation in school development plan creation encouragesmembers to actively worktowardsachievingschooldevelopmentgoals.Whileknowledgeofeducationandteachingisvaluable,evenSSCmemberswho feel theyhave limitedskills canshare theirexperiencesandopinionsonwhattheywanttheschooltoachieve.ManyprincipalsalsoidentifyannualSSCelectionsascontributingtoastronger,moreactiveSSC. Elections provide a vehicle to replace inactive SSC members and educate thecommunity about the SSC and its functions. Principals, DOE, and POE acknowledgedifficultiesinrecruitingstrongSSCmembersbecauseSSCmembersarenotpaidandmany

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community members have other priorities such as jobs and family care. One principalpointed out having a principal or SSC member with public speaking or communicationexpertisehelpsbecausethatpersoncanspeakatlocaleventsandvisitcommunitymemberstoencourageparticipationintheSSC.MultipleprincipalsandSSCssharedthattheyworktogetheronallschool-relatedissuesandmake all decisions together. If a principal or SSCmember identifies a challenge, they canbringthatchallengetothegroup,discusstogether,anddecideonthebestcourseofactionto address that challenge. For example, if the school needs infrastructure improvements,theydiscusswhichimprovementishighestpriorityandbrainstormhowtofindfunding.Ifthereisaconflictbetweenateacherandparents,theSSCcanvisitparentstohelpmitigatethetensionandidentifypotentialresolutions.Theseexamplesofcollectivedecision-makingalso reaffirm the importance of consistent communication through reliable methods, asmentionedabove.PrincipalsandSSCsalso frequentlypartneronschool financeandbudgeting.This isoftentiedtocollaboratingontheschooldevelopmentplan,astheprincipalandSSCsetgoalsandactionsfortheyearandthenidentifywhatbudgettheyhavetoachievethosegoals.Becauseoftheirroleasthebridgebetweenschoolandcommunity,SSCsoftenworkwiththeschoolprincipal on fundraising for school development activities. Principals thatworkwellwithSSCs recognize that: (1) SSC members will be more motivated and better equipped tofundraiseiftheyhaveinputintotheschooldevelopmentgoalstheyarefundraisingforand(2)SSCmemberswillbemorelikelytocontinuefundraisingiftheyseethepositiveresultsoftheirwork.Financial transparency is also key to building trust between principals and SSCs. Withschoolsoftenstretchedforfunding,financescaneasilybecomeacontentiousissue.OneSSCsharedthattheprincipalreportseveryincometotheSSCandtheytrackfinancestogether,which they feel avoids many potential obstacles to working together. Transparency alsocreatesanenvironmentofequality,whereallcollaboratorsfeeltheyhaveaccesstosimilarinformation and contribute to progress. Additionally, as finance is a topic thatmany SSCmembersandprincipalsrequestadditionaltrainingon,transparencyallowsprincipalsandSSCs to pool their financial skills and work through budget and financial difficultiestogether.AcommonchallengeforSSCmembersisfeelingtheyhavelimitedknowledgeorskillstobeactiveinschooldevelopment.ManySSCmembersseethemselvesasjustfarmersorparentswithlittleformaltrainingonleadership,finance,oreducation.AlthoughadditionaltrainingforSSCmembersisneededtoimproveskillsandunderstanding(seeCollaborationbetweenPOE,DOE,andschoolmanagement), lack of formal training should not keep the SSC fromusingtheirexistingskillstocontributetoschooldevelopment.

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ManySSCmemberstendtosee“skills”asthingstheyreceivethroughformaleducationortraining, and therefore may not appreciate the skills they already possess. For example,many schools have student councils but they are rarely included in decision-making orschooldevelopmentplanning.SSCmemberwhoareparentscanbring theperspectivesofstudentstoschooldevelopment.SSCmemberswhohavemanycontacts inthecommunitycan help convince community members to attend school events and communityconsultations. Additionally, DOE often suggests SSCmembers come to the school to givetrainingsorshareknowledgewiththestudentsaboutbusinessorlifeskills.Another way principals can build skills without formal trainings is by encouragingmentorship and knowledge sharing between SSC members. One principal describedstrugglingwith relatively unskilled SSCmembers. To address this, the principal assignedmorecomplextaskstoexperiencedSSCmembersorteachers,andpairedthemwithalessexperiencedSSCmemberorteacher.Thiswaytheexperiencedmemberhassupportinhisorhertaskandthelessexperiencedmembercanlearnfromworkingcloselywiththemoreexperiencedmember.Thoughmany SSCs andprincipals reportworking closely on creatingbudgets and schooldevelopment plans, in one school the principal and teachers collaborate on the draftingprocess and the SSC is only involved to review final plans and budgets. However, theprincipal still values SSC input and tries to involve SSC members by inviting them toplanningsessions,butsaystheydonotcontributemuch.ThisscenarioisnotuncommonincommunitieswhereSSCmembers feel they lack the skills, education,orunderstandingoftheirrolestocontributetoschooldevelopment.Though this SSC is not heavily involved with school development planning or majordecisions,theyconductaninformalcensusofpoororvulnerablestudentsinthecommunitytoidentifywhichchildrenmayneedadditionalsupport.Schoolmanagementcanthensharethis information with the commune council, commune council for women and children(CCWC),orDOEtoadvocateforscholarshipsorothersupportforthestudentsorfamilies.Theaboveexamplesshowthereisnosinglepathtoachievinggoodcollaboration,butmanyways schoolmanagement canwork together tobestutilize their individual andcollectiveskillsets.

CollaborationbetweenschoolmanagementandcommunitySomestrategiestoenhancecollaborationbetweenSSCsandprincipalscanalsobeappliedto building collaboration between schoolmanagement and the community. For example,involving the community in drafting the school development plan signifies collectiveownershipoverchildren’seducationandencouragescommunitymemberstobecomemoreinvolved in school development. Additionally, it is an opportunity to annually update the

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communityonschoolsuccessesandchallenges.Involvingcommunitymembersindraftingtheschooldevelopmentplanalsoprovidesthemwitha forumtovoice theirprioritiesandconcernsrelatedtoeducationanddiscuss thesewithschoolmanagement.ManySSCsthenfollowupwithcommunitymembersthroughoutthe year, either by visiting parents or attending commune council or other communityforums.Infact,manyprincipalsandSSCswithstrongcollaborationuseexistingcommunityforumsto share school developments and plans, receive feedback, and solicit support from thecommunity. Instead of asking community members, who already are busy with manyresponsibilities, to attend a school activity, it is often easier for school representatives toattend an existing community forum. Attending commune councilmeetings is one of themostcitedwaysofengagingthecommunity.Oneprincipal saysheattendseverycommunecouncilmeetingwhileotherprincipalsandSSCs send a school or SSC representative to as manymeetings as possible. Some schoolmanagementteamssharetheirmonthlyreporttoDOEwiththecommunecouncilaswelltokeepthecouncilinformedandsolicittheirinput.SSCmembersandprincipalsalsofeelitishelpful tobuildstrongrelationshipswith thevillageandcommunechiefs,as theyarekeyconnectionstothewidercommunity.OtherforumssuchastheCCWCcanalsobeeffectivepartnersinengagingthecommunityinschooldevelopment.JustaswithSSCandprincipalcollaboration,financialtransparencyisimportanttobuildingtrust and collective ownership with the community. Many principals and SSCs inviteparentsandcommunitymemberstoschoolactivitiesandholdeventsspecificallyaimedatshowing school developments to the community. One SSC member remarked that manycommunitymemberswere not engaged in school activities and had few ideas for schooldevelopment.However, the SSCwaspersistent in engaging the community in fundraisingand after infrastructure improvements had been made with the funds raised, schoolmanagement invited the community to the school. Many community members weresurprisedtoseehowtheschoolhaddevelopedandtheSSCemphasizedtothecommunitythatthispositivedevelopmentwasaresultoftheircontributions.Gettingcommunitymembers to travel to the school canbedifficult in ruralareas, so it isimportant for school management to use multiple communication methods. Some SSCmembers and principals travel around the villages to discuss school development withparents and community members. If a child is having difficulty in school, the principalinformstheSSCandanSSCmembervisitstheparentstodiscusshowtoimprovethechild’sschoolperformance.OneprincipalregularlypostsphotosofschoolactivitiesandprogressonhisFacebookpagetosharethesewiththecommunity.

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ManyprincipalsandSSCsalsovaluetheirrelationshipswithlocalpagodas.Monkscanusetheirprominent role in the community to raise awareness and support for education, forexample when they speak at ceremonies. It is common for monks to hold communityfundraisers to support the local pagoda. SomeSSCs andprincipals invited localmonks tofundraise jointly, with a portion of the funds raised going to the pagoda and a portionsupportingtheschool.One challenge to utilizing existing community structures, such as pagodas and communecouncils,topromoteschooldevelopmentisthatitstilldoesnotbringcommunitymemberstoseetheschoolfirsthand.However, ifexistingcommunitystructuresareinitiallyusedtostrengthencommunityengagement,itmaybeeasiertogetcommunitymemberstoattendschoolevents in the futureonceengagementwithschooldevelopmenthas increased.Oneschoolmanagementteaminterviewedtookanotherapproachtothischallengeandbuiltaneventspaceat theschool torentout forholidaysandothercommunitycelebrations.Thisnotonlyraisesfundsfortheschool,buthelpsensurecommunitymembersvisittheschoolandseeitsdevelopmentfirsthand.

Decentralizationandde-concentrationKnowledge of the upcoming decentralization and de-concentration (D&D) functionaltransfersis limitedamongprincipalsandSSCmembersinterviewed.MostidentifyD&Dasgenerallyashiftindecision-makingfrom‘topdown’to‘bottomup.’OneprincipalremarkedthatD&Dwasdiscussedatacommunecouncilmeeting.ManyprincipalandSSCmembersare aware that D&D in the education sector is currently being piloted in neighbouringBattambangprovince.However, theyhaveaweakunderstandingofhowfunctionswillbetransferredandhowschoolmanagementroleswillchangeasaresult.SSCmembersandprincipalshighlightsimilarpotentialprosandconsofD&D.Thebenefitmost often cited is that shifting decision-making to the subnational level will result inincreased input overbudget and resource allocation at the local level.MultipleprincipalsandSSCmembersciteexamplesofschoolmanagementprioritisingcertainschoolexpenses,but DOE or POE deciding to allocate school funding to other priorities that schoolmanagement feel are less important. In one case, a principal said DOE and POErecommendedspendingpartof thebudget toplant treesandraise the levelof land,eventhoughschoolmanagementconsistentlyexpressedothermorepressingneeds,anddidnotfeeltheschoolneededadditionaltreesorlandlevelling.Another SSCmember conveyeddifficulty inobtaining certaindocuments, suchas studentcertifications, from MOEYS in a timely manner. If any documents school managementreceive require changes, even small corrections can be expensive and take up to threemonths.EvenifthisspecifictaskisnottransferredtothesubnationallevelaspartofD&D,

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transferringotherfinancialandadministrativetaskswouldhelprelievesomeoftheburdenonMOEYS and allow for quicker turnaround on tasks that only have to go throughDOE,ratherthanbeingpassedallthewayuptothenationallevel.The major concerns school principals and SSC members express about D&D are lack ofunderstanding of what responsibilities will be transferred and uncertainties about thecapacitytotakeonmoreresponsibilityattheschoolmanagementlevel.Multipleprincipalsand SSC members admit that human resources is currently a challenge at the schoolmanagementlevel,andworryD&Dcouldexacerbatethischallengeifnotpairedwithpropertraining. The specific topics of training requested are computer training and humanresources training, such as recruiting and training new staff and monitoring staffperformance.DOEandPOEofficialshaveafirmerunderstandingofupcomingD&Dpolicychanges.TheyareawareoffunctionsbeingtransferredinBattambangandknowthesetransferswilloccurin SiemReapprovince in coming years. Theydescribe the general goal of shifting froma‘topdown’toa‘bottomup’approach,butwouldlikemoreclarificationonhowcertaintaskswill be delegated. They believe increased local control over school budgets will makespendingmore responsive to local needs. Similar to SSCs and school principals, DOE andPOEofficialscitepastexampleswhensomeschoolsstronglyadvocatedspendingfundsoncertain school development activities butMOEYSdidnot approve.Now schoolswill havemorepowertoprioritizetheirownneeds.Echoing SSC and principal concerns, DOE and POE officials see a need for training at theprovincial, district and local level on the functions to be transferred under D&Dimplementation.DOEandPOEofficialsbelievehumanresourcestrainingisneededaswell,specifically how to manage hiring, dismissal, and resignation of staff. They also raiseconcerns that some principals and school staff are not following all their currentmanagementresponsibilities,soaddingfurtherresponsibilitiesmaybedifficult.DOE officials also cite a potential need for additional staff to fulfil the newly transferredresponsibilities. Both DOE and POE officials hope to learn from the pilot in Battambang,especiallyregardinghowDOEandPOEsupportedprincipalsandschoolstaffwhodidnothavestrongskillsorwerenotreadytotakeonadditionalfunctions.Ashighlightedearlier(seeLiteratureReview:Decentralizationandde-concentration),D&Dreformsmustbalancethe positive potential to empower local actors with the negative potential to exacerbateexisting regional inequalities. Increased authority at the local level will be ineffectivewithoutthesupportorknowledgeofhowtoactonthatauthority.ManyprincipalsandSSCmembersinthisstudyhighlightedbudgetandfinanceasareasofstrongcollaborationbetweenschoolmanagementandcommunity.Intheseinstances,itwillbehelpfulforgovernmentofficialstoworkwithschoolmanagementandadviseonhowto

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incorporate new financial responsibilities into the existing process so as not to disruptexistinggoodcollaboration.Notably,thisstudyexaminesasmallnumberofschoolswithstrongcollaborationpractices,sootherschoolsmayhaveweakerfinancialprocessesandthereforefacegreaterchallengestaking on additional responsibilities. It will be important for DOE and POE to assess thevarying capacity among schools and ensure the upcoming functional transfers includeflexibilitytoadapttodifferingschoolmanagementcontextsandskilllevels.Theschoolprincipaliscurrentlythelynchpinofmanyschooldevelopmentresponsibilities.OnePOErepresentativesaidaboutD&Dtransferof responsibilities: “ifprincipal is strongand ready,noproblem,but ifprincipal isnot strong, itwillbea challenge.” Involving theSSC, teachers, or other community actors in D&D rollout will be critical to ensuring theprincipalisnotoverwhelmedwithunrealisticadditionstohisorherworkload.Thisisagainaninstancewhereflexibilityisimportant.Ifoneschool’sSSCisactiveandworkswellwiththeprincipal,itwillbebeneficialtoinvolvethatSSCinD&Drolloutandtrainings.However,if at another school the principal has weak collaboration with the SSC but strongcollaborationwiththecommunecouncilorwithcertaininfluentialcommunitymembers,itmay be better to involve those actors who can best support the principal during D&Drollout.

CASESTUDIESOFSTRONGCOLLABORATION

Casestudy#1:VessvanPrimarySchoolVessvan Primary School demonstrates strong collaboration practices between POE/DOEandschoolmanagementaswellasbetweenschoolmanagementandthecommunity.Untilrecently, the community did not have a primary school. A few teachers and communitymemberscametogethertochangethisbecausestudentshadtotravelsuchalongdistanceto attend school. The dedicated group made tables and chairs and lessons were taughtunderagrassshelter.Then,theteachers,principal,andparentsdraftedaproposaltoDOEforaschoolbuilding.DOEandPOEworkedwithschoolmanagementtoassesstheproposalandsubmitittoMOEYS.MOEYSacceptedtheproposalandfundedaclassroomstructureforVessvan. Schoolmanagement andparents raisedadditional funds from the community tobuildfencesaroundschoolgroundsandraisethelevelofland.Theclassroomconstructionwasfinishedin2012.A key aspect of their collaboration is strong, persistent communication. The principalregularlycommunicateswithDOEbyattendingmonthlyDOEmeetingsandbyinvitingDOEofficials to visit the school. Through regular contact, the principal not only keeps DOEupdated on school conditions, but is able to seek advice and guidancewhen issues arise.Consistent communication also demonstrates to DOE that schoolmanagement are highly

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engagedandcommittedtoschooldevelopment.Whentheprincipalfacesachallengeandisunabletoresolveitattheschoolorcommunitylevel, the principal callsDOE and asks for support and advice. For example,when schoolenrollmentincreasedsharply,theschoolwasshortonteachers,desks,andothermaterials.TheprincipalcontactedDOEandPOEforassistanceandDOEandPOEworkedwithschoolmanagementtoobtainnewdesksandfindadditionalteachers.

DuringapastDOEvisittotheschool,theprincipalandtheSSCwerebothpresentandaskedforadviceonschooldevelopment.DOEofficialsadvisedthemoncreatingastrongannualschool development plan to better engage the community and potential donors. The SSCalsorequestedtechnicaltrainingforteachersandSSCmembers,andDOEpartneredwithanNGOtoprovidemanagementandmonitoringandevaluationtraining.In another example, the school needed a new building to house a library but schoolmanagement was only able to raise funds to cover part of the construction costs. Theyapproached DOE officials as well as the commune council, explaining the challenges andhow a new librarywould positively contribute to children’s education in the community.DOE officials worked with school management to brainstorm ideas on how to find theremaining funds and connected the school with a local NGOwhowas able to contributefundstothelibraryconstruction.Whenever DOE officials provide policies or updates to the school principal, the principal

VessvanPrimarySchool

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quicklypassesthisinformationontotheSSC.ThishelpstheSSCandprincipalworkcloselyin supporting one another, and also helps the SSC keep the community informed oneducation developments in their community and the larger district and province. TheprincipalandSSCalsodemonstrate financial transparency.AccordingtooneSSCmember,“Everyincome,theprincipalreportstotheSSCandwetracktogether.Soweareveryopenandtransparentandthereforetherearenoobstaclestoworkingtogether.”ThoughtheSSChasfewactivemembers,theytraveltoeveryvillagetotalktoparentsaboutschool development and raise funds. One SSCmember said evenwhen parents complainaboutbeingaskedtodonatefundsorarescepticalofwherethefundsmightgo,heexplainsthat no funds raised go to personal use and that all funds go to the school to benefit theentirecommunity’schildren.To consistently build trust, the principal says school management hold communityconsultations at least twice per year. In these meetings, school management provideupdatesondevelopmentandlistentocommunityprioritiesandfeedback.OneSSCmemberexplainedthatSSCmembers,“callmanyparentsinthecommunitytoinformthemof[schooldevelopment]meetings.Wecommunicateschoolchallengesinthemeeting,thenprioritizenextstepstogether.”

VessvanPrimarySchool

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Casestudy#2:SamkyLowerSecondarySchoolAt Samky Lower Secondary School, school development is owned collectively by schoolmanagement, teachers, and community members. The principal consults the SSC on alldecisions and rarely, if ever, makes a decision on school development without SSCinvolvement. The SSC andprincipal invite the community tomeet anddiscuss the schooldevelopment plan twice per year and by the SSC’s estimate about 40 percent of thecommunity join themeetings. Before the community consultation, the SSC and principaldraftastrongagendaandmeetingplantoensurethemeetingstaysonscheduleandthereisampletimefordiscussionandcommunityfeedback.Oncetheschooldevelopmentplanisdrafted,theSSCandprincipaldiscusswithcommunitymembers how to achieve the plan’s goals. For example, if the school development planinvolvesconstruction,schoolmanagementinvitesthecommunitytocometotheschool,seethe site and details of the planned construction, and give feedback or approval. Schoolmanagement then follows upwith the community by providing updates on the project’sexpenses. In another instancewhen the school land flooded, the principal and SSC cametogethertoplanasolution.TheSSCreachedouttopotentialsponsorsforfundingtoraisethelevelofthelandandpreventfutureflooding.SSCmembers also regularly visit the school to observe activities and the state of schoolinfrastructure. After their visit, they report any issues and requests for support to theprincipal and local authorities. The SSC andprincipalwork togetherwith the teachers tokeep the community informed about school development. They report on schooldevelopmentandactivitieseverymonthatthecommunecouncilmeeting.Ifastudentdropsout of school or is not performingwell, SSCmembers visit the student’s parents, informthem of the student’s challenges, and discuss potential solutions to help the studentimprove.Sometimeswhenfamiliesdonotseethevalueofeducation,SSCmembersexplaintheeconomicopportunitiesavailabletochildrenwhohaveagoodeducation.Inworkingcloselywiththecommunity,Samkyschoolmanagementhasbeenresponsivetocommunity challenges and suggestions.When communitymemberswere feeling tired ofbeingsolicitedtoraisefundsfortheschool,theyurgedschoolmanagementtoswitchfromfundraising in the community to fundraising from donors. School management wrote afundingproposal, and shared itwith the commune chief for approval. Theprincipal thenreachedouttoanotherschoolthathadreceivedfundingforconstructionandaskedtomeetwith that school’s leadership. At themeeting, the Samkyprincipal asked to be connectedwiththedonor.TheprincipalandSSCthensubmittedtheirproposaltothedonoraswellaslocal authorities and DOE, and finally received funding for some of their schooldevelopment needs. In relaying this experience, the school principal remarked thatcommunicationwascrucialtothissuccess.

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CONCLUSIONWhilepreviousresearchhasfoundcollaborationandcommunicationtobeamajorbarriertoschooldevelopment,someschoolmanagementteamsaredrawingontheirstrengthstobuild strong collaboration and communication practices. This research examined schoolswith strong collaboration practices in Siem Reap province to provide ideas andrecommendationsforschoolmanagementandPOEandDOEofficials.There is no one best practice or best methodology to strengthen collaboration as eachschool community has different resources, skills, and challenges. However, involving arange of actors throughout the school development process bringsmore perspectives toinform development plans andmore hands to share thework. In some schools thismayincludeanactiveSSC,whileinothersitmaybestrongpartnershipswithcommunecouncilsand local authorities, or in others just an informal network of engaged parents orcommunity members. Involving community members who have many existingcommitments isdifficult,but startingbyengaging justa fewmembers, completingoneortwoschooldevelopmentprojects,andsharingprogresswidelythroughexistingcommunityforumscanraiseawarenessandstarttopeakinterestamongthebroadercommunity.Transparencyindecision-makingbyschoolmanagementhelpstobuildtrustamongschooland community actors. This is especially true in the case of financial decisions, asmanyschools face tight budget constraints and decide to supplement their budgets withfundraising from the community or external donors. Regular communication betweenactors through appropriate methods is also critical to effective collaboration. Schoolmanagementshouldinvitethecommunitytoschoolactivitiesandevents,andreachouttothe community through existing forums such as commune council meetings or holidaycelebrations.

TheprincipalandSSCalsoworkcloselywiththeCommuneChiefandVillageChief,meetingperiodically to discuss school needs and report on any students who need additionalassistance. School management and village and commune chiefs compiled a list ofvulnerable studentswhowere struggling in school and brought it to DOE and POE. POEthenhelpedfindsupportforthesestudents,suchasscholarships,uniforms,andbicyclestotravel toand fromschool.Throughthiscollaboration,schoolmanagement,DOE,POE,andthe village and commune chiefs helped relieve the financial burden poor families face tosupporttheirchildreninschool.POEalsoaskedtheSamkyprincipal lastyeartosubmitaproposalforahighschool,sincethecommunitycurrentlyonlyhasaprimaryandsecondaryschool.SchoolmanagementsubmittedtheproposallastyearandcontinuetoworkwiththecommunityandDOEandPOEtomoveplansforthehighschoolforward.

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School management should communicate to DOE regularly through a combination ofattending monthly principal meetings, inviting DOE officials to visit the school, andproviding updates via phone, email, social media, or another convenient method. Schoolmanagement should share progress and new approaches they are testing to addressproblems,aswellassharechallengestheyfeelunabletoaddressatthecommunitylevel.Inmultiple examples cited in this report, DOE and POE could not provide direct funding orassistancebutcouldofferadviceormakeconnectionstoactorswhocoulddirectlyprovidefunding,trainings,orothersupport.However, this reliance on external donors and NGOs continues to be problematic. Asmentioned throughout the report, this creates inequalities among schools rather than acohesive approach to improving education. As demonstrated in both case studies, evenschools that successfully collaborate with government to receive support — such asinfrastructure funds, teachers, andsupport forvulnerable students—continue to relyonNGOs for additional support such as infrastructure funds and providing trainings toteachersandschoolmanagement. Thishighlights the limitationsofgoodpractices.Whileideally the government funds education without need for NGOs to supplement withadditional funds, that is not the current reality. However, even if school managementcontinues to seek support from NGOs, they should continue to advocate to MOEYS forfunding and support to demonstrate the needs and encourageMOEYS to expand fundingandsupportwherenecessary.Therolloutofschool-basedmanagementpracticesunderMOEYSD&Dpoliciescanprovidean opportunity for school communities to assess their strengths and weaknesses andconsiderwhat changes they couldmake tomore effectively support school development.Schoolmanagement,community leadership,andDOEandPOEshouldcommunicateaboutwhat gaps in capacity exist and what training and support could address these gaps. Asmentionedabove(seeDiscussionofLessonsLearned:Decentralizationandde-concentration),MOEYS should ensure the discussions and actions under D&D include key communitypartnersinschooldevelopment.Thescopeofthisresearchwaslimitedtooneprovinceandasmallnumberofschoolsanddistricts.ThereareundoubtedlymanyadditionalexamplesofstrongcollaborationpracticesbetweenschoolmanagementandDOEorPOEacrossCambodia.Thegoalofthisstudyistoprovideaplatformfromwhichtolaunchfurtherdiscussion,knowledgesharing,andactionto empower school communities to enhance collaboration and in turn build a strongereducationalenvironment.

KEYCHALLENGES1) DOEandPOEofficials’abilitytoconductmonitoringvisitsislimitedby:(a)lackoffunds

tosupportvisitingallschools;(b)lackofstafftimetovisiteachschoolasmanytimesasMOEYSplandictates,especiallyruralschoolswhichrequiresignificanttraveltimeandexpense.

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2) DOEandPOEmonitoringvisitssometimesfocussolelyonensuringadherencetorulesandbudgetsratherthanonprovidingsupporttoschoolmanagementandteachers.

3) Policy updates from MOEYS, DOE, and POE are frequently shared by disseminatingpapercopiesofpolicies,withoutsufficientfollowuptoensureunderstanding.

4) RelianceonNGOstoprovidetraining,funding,orotherassistanceresultsininequalitiesbetweenschoolsandsporadic,short-termsupportsratherthancoordinated,long-termsupport.

5) SchoolprincipalsrarelypassthetrainingstheyreceiveontoSSCmembers.6) Schoolmanagement struggle to receive the funds in their trainingbudget, evenwhen

theysubmitrequestsforthesefunds.7) Thoughpolicies suchas theEducationStrategicPlan (ESP)andTeacherPolicyAction

Plan(TPAP)callforstrengtheningtherolesofSSCs,nopolicystatesrequiredtrainingsforSSCmembers.

8) Principals and SSCs often view “skills” as obtained from formal educationor training.Therefore,someprincipalslackconfidenceintheirSSCmembersandSSCmemberslackconfidence in themselves. This results in the SSC beingminimally involved in schooldevelopment, even though they likely have significant experience and skills tocontribute.

GOODPRACTICESDOEandPOEOfficials:1) DOEofficialsuse schoolmonitoringvisits to identifyopportunities for future support,

suchasspecifictraining,funding,orpersonnelrequests.2) POE andDOEofficials utilize socialmedia, such as Facebook groups, as a platform to

sharechallengesandknowledgebetweenPOE,DOE,andschoolprincipals.3) Mostnewprincipalsreceivetrainingsintopicssuchasmanagement,leadership,gender,

andfinanceandreportingtopreparethemfortheirrole.4) DTMTusemonitoringvisitstoadviseschoolmanagementonschooldevelopmentplan

creation, financial reporting, orothermanagement challenges, andadvise teachersonteachingmethods.

5) DOEshostmonthlymeetingsof schoolprincipals andPOEshostmonthlymeetingsofDOEofficials to facilitateasmoothchainofcommunicationbetweenthe local,district,andprovinciallevel.

6) DOE and POE members attend school events when possible, such as schooldevelopment plan consultations or year-end student awards ceremonies, to witnessschoolactivitiesfirsthand.

7) DOE and POE work with school management and CCWC or commune councils toidentify vulnerable students andprovide additional support to keep these children inschoolincludingmaterials,uniforms,andbicycles.

SchoolManagement:

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8) SSC members and the principal meet annually to draft a school development plancollaboratively,andtheyincludecommunityconsultationinthisprocess.

9) Ifthereisconflictbetweenteachersandparents,theSSCvisitsparentstohelpmediatetensionsandidentifypotentialsolutions.

10) SSCsandprincipalsconduct learningvisits tomeetwithschoolmanagement teamsofnearbyschools,shareknowledge,andlearnnewapproachestomanagementandschooldevelopment.

11) Schoolmanagement is transparentwith each other andwith the community on howschoolfinancesareobtainedandspent.

12) SSCmemberspair up toworkon school development tasks, pairing onemore skilledSSC member with one less skilled SSC member. This provides opportunities formentorship,learning,andbuildingconfidence.

13) PrincipalsandSSCmembersusecommunityevents,suchascommunecouncilmeetingsor holiday celebrations, to update the community on school activities and encouragecommunityparticipationineducation.

14) Schoolmanagement constructs an event space on school grounds or uses an existingschoolfacilityasspacethatcanberentedoutforevents.Thisraisesfundsfortheschoolanddrawscommunitymemberstoschoolgroundstoviewdevelopmentsfirsthand.

15) School management and communitymembers work together to conduct an informalcensusofpoororvulnerablestudentsinthecommunitytoidentifywhichchildrenmayneedadditionalsupport.Schoolmanagementcanthensharethis informationwiththecommune council, commune council forwomen and children, orDOE to advocate forscholarshipsorothersupportforthestudents.

RECOMMENDATIONS

ForDistrictandProvincialOfficesofEducation:1) Improve consistency and comprehensiveness of trainings provided to school

management:Manyprincipalsreportreceivingtrainingonlywhentheyarenewtotherole,andSSCmembersreportreceivinglittlegovernmenttraining.

a) WorkwithprincipalsandMOEYStoidentifythespecificreasonsprincipals,andDOE/POE have difficulty accessing monitoring and training budgets. Onceidentified, POE/DOE and MOEYS should implement actions to alleviate thesebarrierstoreceivingfunds.

b) Organize trainings in series or cycles rather than one-time trainings. Thisrepetitionencouragesretentionandgivestraineesopportunitiestotryoutwhattheylearnedintheirrolesandcomebacktothenexttrainingwithquestionsorfeedback.

c) Use school monitoring visits not only to evaluate adherence to rules andpolicies,buttorecommendtrainingsorothersupportstoincreasetheabilitiesofschoolmanagementandteacherstoperformtheirroles.

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d) PrincipalsandSSCmembersrequesttraininginhumanresourcesmanagement,leadership,financialmanagement,computers,communication,Englishlanguage,andcommunityengagement.

2) Facilitate learning visits and knowledge sharing between school management

teams: While trainings and support from DOE and POE are valuable, schoolmanagement teams can also learn a lot from one another. However it is difficult forprincipals and SSCs to find the time and funds to travel to nearby schools, especiallyfromruralcommunities.

a) AssistSSCsandprincipalstoutilizenetworks(suchasschoolclusters)orcreatenetworks where they can share knowledge and work through challengestogether. Provide funding or travel support for learning exchange visits ifpossible.

b) Assist SSCmembers to identify their existing skills anddiscuss howmemberswith different skills can contribute to school development and management.This helps clarify SSC members’ roles & responsibilities and reminds SSCmemberstheydonotneedextensiveformaleducationortrainingtocontributetoschoolmanagementanddevelopment.

3) Ensure the training and communication plans associated with D&D functional

transfersallowtimeforDOEandPOEofficialstoprovideinformationandtrainingtoall schoolsandkeycommunitypartners:Whileschoolmanagementteamsknowbroadly that theconceptofD&Dmeans transferofauthorityandresponsibility to thelocal level, understanding of how these roles will be transferred is limited. D&Dtrainingsshould:

a) Cover not just what roles are being transferred but how those duties arecurrentlyperformedandhowDOEorschoolmanagementshouldperformthesenewduties.

b) IncludenotjustDOE/POEofficialsandprincipals,butalsocommunitypartnersthat are significantly involved in supporting school development. Whichstakeholders to include can vary depending on which are most involved inschool development in each community, such as SSCs, commune councils, ormonks.

ForSchoolManagement:4) ThePrincipal,onbehalfoftheschoolandSSC,shouldregularlycommunicatewith

DOE.Theprincipalshould:a) Attend DOE monthly meetings to stay informed on policy updates and seek

supportinaddressingschoolchallenges.b) RegularlyupdateDOEofficialsonschoolsuccessesandchallenges, rather than

onlycommunicatingwhenaskingforassistance.

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c) Use DOE monthly meetings to communicate with neighbouring schoolmanagementandsetupknowledgesharingvisitsbetweenschoolmanagementteams.

5) TheSSC,orasubcommitteeofSSCmembers,regularlyvisitstheschooltobecomeinvolved in advising students: Many SSCs work mostly on fundraising and schoolinfrastructure development. SSCs can strengthen their roles by being more active inmonitoringandcontributingtostudentlearning.

a) Inlinewiththe2012SSCGuidelines,SSCmemberscanadviseandteachonlifeskills,suchasagriculture,businessdevelopment,andethics.

b) TheSSCshouldalsocontributetodocumentingcommunityhistoryandlifeskillsforfuturelearning.

c) RegularlyvisitingtheschoolwillalsohelpSSCmembersbetterunderstandthestatusandneedsofinfrastructure,materials,andteaching.

6) Encourage community involvement in school decision-making: Though many

parentsandcommunitymembershavenumerousdemandsontheirtimeandmayfindinvolvementinschoolactivitiesdifficult,therearestepsschoolmanagementcantaketoencouragecommunityparticipation.

a) Build trust among school management and community members by seekinginput on financial decisions, sharing fundraising and spending updates, andmakingfinancialrecordsaccessibletothecommunity.

b) Usetheschooldevelopmentplanasatooltoengageteachers,students,parents,communitymembers,andlocalauthoritiesinschoolactivities.Holdcommunityconsultation events to solicit priorities and recommendednext steps from thecommunity.Sharetheschooldevelopmentplanatmeetingsoflocalauthoritiessuch as commune councils and law enforcement. Followup by sharing schooldevelopmentplansuccessesthroughouttheyear.

7) Partnerwithexistingcommunityinstitutions:

a) Engage existing community forums such as commune councils, CCWCs, andpagodastoregularlyshareschoolprogressandneeds.

b) Work with community institutions to track vulnerable students and prepareproposalstoDOEandPOEforscholarships,bicycles,schoolmaterials,orothersupportthatwillliftthefinancialburdenofeducationforvulnerablefamilies.

c) Build relationships with local monks and discuss how education benefits theentirecommunity.Askmonkstodiscusseducationorshareschoolprogressateventswhereappropriate,ortopartneronfundraisingevents,sohalfthefundsraisedgotothepagodaandhalfgotosupporttheschool.

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REFERENCESBray, Mark and Seng Bunly. (2005). Balancing the Books: Household Financing of Basic

Education in Cambodia. Hong Kong: Comparative Education Research Centre, TheUniversityofHongKong,andHumanDevelopmentUnit,EastAsia&PacificRegion,TheWorldBank.

Caldwell,B.J.(2009).CentralisationandDecentralisationinEducation:ANewDimensionto

Policy. In Joseph Zajda & David T. Gamage (Eds.), Decentralisation, School-BasedManagement,andQuality(53-66).Netherlands:Springer.

Cambodia Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport [MOEYS]. (2016). Policy on

DecentralizationandDe-concentrationReforminEducationSector.PhnomPenh:MOEYSPrintingOffice.

CambodiaMinistry of Education, Youth and Sport [MOEYS]. (2016b).EducationCongress.

Report2014-15.PhnomPenh:MOEYSPrintingOffice.CambodiaMinistry of Education, Youth and Sport [MOEYS]. (2015).Teacherpolicyaction

plan2015-2020.PhnomPenh:MOEYSPrintingOffice.CambodiaMinistryofEducation,YouthandSport[MOEYS].(2014).EducationStrategicPlan

2014-2018.PhnomPenh:MOEYSPrintingOffice.Cambodia Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport. (2012). Guideline on the creation and

functionofprimaryschoolsupportingcommittee.PhnomPenh:MOEYSPrintingOffice.Cambodia Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport. (2007). Child Friendly School Policy.

PhnomPenh:MOEYSPrintingOffice.Fata,No andHengKreng. (2015).CommunityParticipation inPerformanceofPrimaryand

LowerSecondarySchoolsinCambodia.NGOEducationPartnership.

NEP(NGOEducationPartnership). (2011).APreliminaryStudyonCommunityEngagementforQualityEducation.

Pellini, Arnaldo and Kurt Brendenberg. (2015). Basic Education Clusters in Cambodia:

LookingattheFuturewhileLearningfromthePast.JournalofDevelopmentinPractice.Pellini, Arnaldo. (2007). Decentralisation Policy in Cambodia: Exploring Community

Participation in the Education Sector (Doctoral dissertation). University of Tampere,Finland.

Pellini,Arnaldo.(2005).DecentralisationofeducationinCambodia:Searchingforspacesof

participationbetweentraditionsandmodernity.Compare,35(2),205-216.

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Save the Children. (2015).ProgramBasedBudgetReformandCommunityParticipation inPrimaryEducationinCambodia.NGOForumofCambodia.

Shoraku,Ali. (2008).EducationalMovementtowardSchool-basedManagementinEastAsia:

Cambodia, IndonesiaandThailand. Background paper prepared for the Education ForAll Global Monitoring Report 2009, Overcoming Inequality: why governancematters.KagawaUniversity,Japan.

Thida,KheangandLuzCaroline Joy. (2012).ExploringtheImplementationofSchool-Based

ManagementinSelectedPublicSchoolsinCambodia:AMultipleCaseStudy.PaperforTheAsianConferenceonEducation2012,OsakaJapan.TheInternationalAcademicForum.

TLC (This Life Cambodia). (2014). Lower Secondary School Development Program Annual

EvaluationReport2013-2014.SiemReap:MonoTuot.TLC (This Life Cambodia). (2012). Rethinking Sustainability: The Unintended Outcomes of

SchoolBasedManagementReformsinCambodia.SiemReap:WilliamC.Brehm.UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) International

BureauofEducation.(2011).WorlddataonEducation:Cambodia.(7thed.).

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APPENDICES

AppendixI:OralInterviewConsentForm

SiemReapEducationSupportTeam(SEST)andThisLifeCambodia(TLC)

InterviewConsentForm

ThisinterviewisbeingconductedaspartofaresearchstudyonEnhancingCollaborationBetweenSchoolManagementandDistrictandProvincialOfficesofEducation,ledbyThisLifeCambodia(TLC)andSiemReapEducationSupportTeam(SEST).ThisresearchhasbeenapprovedbytheProvincialofEducation,Youth,andSport,DoEandyourschoolprincipal.Theinterviewshouldtakeapproximately1:30minutestocomplete.Thespecificobjectivesofthisresearchare:

1. TouncoverwhatsupportcurrentlyisavailableforprincipalsandSSCmembers.2. ToexaminewhatsupportschoolprincipalsandSSCmembersareawareofandable

toaccessinpractice.3. To examine schools with strong collaboration between school management and

DoE/PoE4. To compile lessons learned for enhancing collaboration between school

managementandDoE/PoEtoinformclear,accessibleadvocacymaterialsforusebyP-ESWG,schools,communities,andotherstakeholders.

Wehopethisresearchwillprovidehelpfulinformation,especiallytoschoolprincipalsandSSCs, abouthow to improve collaborationon schooldevelopment. It is important for thisresearch to consult a number of actors in local school development, including schoolprincipal,SSC,DOE,andPOE,togainacomprehensiveunderstandingofhowcollaborationbetweentheseactorscurrentlyworksandwhatcanbedonetoenhancecollaborationandmakeiteasierforactorstoworktogetheronschooldevelopment.The interview is completely not affected to anyone, or schools and it is helpful for otherschool to learn how to collaborate between their school to district and provincial officetowardschooldevelopment.The interview is completelyvoluntary,whichmeansyoucanstoptheinterviewatanytimes.Wegoingtousevoicerecordertoverifywithournotestoensuretheimportantinformationhas been collected. The data collected will be destroyed within five years after reportlaunched.Sinceyouroralconsentwasaudiorecorded,youdonotneedtosignaconsentform.Ifyouhavequestionsorconcerns,pleasecontactusatthephonenumberoremailaddresslistedbelow.Thankyouverymuchforyourtimes.KimsornNgamThisLifeCambodia(TLC)063966050kimsorn@thislifecambodia.org

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AppendixII:DataCollectionToolsDate:TotalInterviewSubject(s): Male: Female:Interviewer:Observers:Location:EnhancingCollaborationBetweenSchoolManagementandDistrictandProvincial

OfficesofEducationPrincipalInterviewQuestionGuide1. Whatareyourmainrolesandresponsibilitiesasschoolprincipal?

2. Howmuchhaveyouplayedandimplementedtherolesandresponsibilities?Why?

(Prompt:Whatmakeyoudifficultinimplementingtherolesandresponsibilities?Whatwouldhelpyoutoovercometheseobstacles?)

3. Howlonghaveyoubeenschoolprincipal?

4. What do you think are the key achievements you have done for the school since youhaveworkedastheschoolprincipal?

5. Whatotherpeopleandgroupsdoyouworkcloselywithtosupporttheschool?(Promptifneeded:SSC,teachers,parents,communitymembers,localauthorities,etc.?)

6. Howdoyouconsult theSSCandcommunity toobtain local inputandpriorities?Howoftenisthisdone?

7. After receiving community input, how do you share community priorities with localauthorities,DOE,orPOE?

8. Doyoufeel theprioritiesandconcernsyouexpressto localauthoritiesare listenedtoandaddressed?

(Prompt:DoyoufeelyouhaveaddressedtheconcernsexpressedbytheSSCandlocalauthorities?Whyorwhynot?Couldyouraiseanexampleofwhatyouhaveaddressed?)

9. Howcloselydoyouworkwith theSSC?Dotheschooldirector&SSC frequentlyworktogetheronschooldevelopmentissues,ordoyouusuallyworkonseparatetasks?

10. WhataresomeexamplesofschooldevelopmentissuesyoucollaboratewiththeSSCon?Whyyouneedtocollaboratewiththem?

11. WhataresomeexamplesofschooldevelopmentissuesyoudoNOTcollaboratewiththeSSCon?Whyyoudon’tneedtocollaboratewiththem?

12. DoyouthinktheSSCworkwellwithyou?WhyorWhynot?

13. What training,orientationorothersupportdidyoureceive fromthegovernmentasanewprincipal?Orwhattraining,orientationorothersupportdidyoureceivefromthegovernmentsofarasaprincipal?

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14. Doyou feel the trainingor orientation you receivedprepared youwell for the role&responsibilitiesofaschoolprincipal?Whyorwhynot?

15. Whatongoinggovernmentsupportandtraining forschoolprincipalsorSSCmembersareyouawareof?Howdoyoufindoutaboutavailabletrainingandsupport?

(Prompt:Haveyouaccessedthesupportandtrainingyouareawareof?Why?Doyoufeellikeyouareabletoaccessthesupportandtrainingyouareawareof?Why?)

16. (Iftheanswertoquestions14-16indicateanytrainingwasreceived):Whattraininghaveyou foundmost helpful to communicate andworkwith SSC, the community, or localauthorities?

17. Do you share lessons with or learn from other school principals? If yes, how is thisdone?(Promptifneeded:Talktootherprincipals?Visitotherschoolsandcommunitiestolearnhowotherschoolprincipalswork?)

18. Doyouthinkyoucollaboratewellwithlocalauthorities?Whyorwhynot?

19. CanyougiveanexampleofwhenyouworkedwiththeDoE/PoEtoachieveapositiveresultfortheschool?

20. WhatlessonshaveyoulearnedabouthowtoworkwellwithDoE/PoE?

21. CanyougiveanexampleofwhenyouworkedwiththeSSCtoachieveapositiveresultfortheschool?

22. WhatlessonshaveyoulearnedabouthowtoworkwellwithSSC?

23. What do you know about Decentralization and De-concentration in educationgovernmentpolicy?

24. The MoEYS Decentralization and De-concentration policy aims to transfer moreauthorityandaccountabilityforeducationtothelocallevel.Doyouthinkallowingmoredecision making at the local level will make it easier for you to accomplish yourresponsibilitiesrelatedtoschooldevelopment?Whyorwhynot?

25. Whattrainingorsupportwouldbetterequipyoutoperformyourroleandaccomplishschooldevelopmentgoals?

26. Whatwould enable you tomake effective communicationwith DOE and POE for thesakeofdevelopmentofyourschool?

27. WhatcouldhelpyoutoworkmorecloselyandproductivelywithSSC?WhatisyourplantoimprovethecommunicationwithSSCmorecollaboratively?

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Date:TotalInterviewSubject(s): Male: Female:Interviewer:Observers:Location:EnhancingCollaborationBetweenSchoolManagementandDistrictandProvincial

OfficesofEducationSSCFocusGroupQuestionGuide

1. WhatarethemainrolesandresponsibilitiesofyourSSC?(Spontaneous)

(Prompt:Baseontheguideline,therearekeyrolesandresponsibilitiesoftheSSCas below, so how much have you played or implemented each roles andresponsibilities?Why?)

(NotetoInterviewer:Pleaseaskthemonebyonewithalltherolesbelow)

a. Developandimplementschooldevelopmentplans(orschoolactionplans)b. Collectchildrenandpromoteenrolmentc. Followuponchildren’slearningoutcomesd. Generateincomeandmanagetheschoolbudgete. Involvementindevelopmentandmaintenanceofschoolinfrastructuref. Shareexperiencesandlife(vocational)skillsg. Preventirregularitiesinandoutofschoolh. Strengthenthecapacityoftheschoolsupportcommittee

2. WhatmakeyouoryourSSCdifficultinimplementingtherolesandresponsibilities?

Whatwouldhelpyoutoovercometheseobstacles?)

3. What other people and groups do you work closely with to support the school?(Prompt if needed: School Directors, teachers, parents, communitymembers, localauthorities,etc.?)

4. Howdoyouconsultthecommunityandaskfortheirinputandpriorities?Howoftenisthisdone?

5. Afterreceivingcommunityinput,howdoestheSSCsharecommunityprioritieswithschooldirectororlocalauthorities?

6. DoyoufeeltheprioritiesandconcernsexpressedbytheSSCtoschoolprincipalandlocalauthoritiesareheardandaddressed?Why?OrWhynot?

IfYes,howtheywereaddressed?IfNo,whatSSCplantodo?7. HowcloselydoestheSSCworkwiththeschooldirector?DoSSC&schooldirector

work together on many issues, or does school director handle many issueshimself/herself?

8. DoyouthinkyourSSCworkswellwithschooldirector?Whyorwhynot?

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9. What are some examples of school development issues the school principalcollaborateswiththeSSCon?Whyitwasso?

10. Whataresomeexamplesofschooldevelopmentissuestheschoolprincipalhandlesonhis/herownanddoesNOTcollaboratewiththeSSCon?Whyitwasso?

11. Whattraining,orientationorothersupportdonewSSCmembersreceive?

(Probe:What support currently is available for SSCmembers?Who provide thissupport?Howdoyouknowaboutthisavailablesupports?)

12. WhatongoingsupportandtrainingforSSCmembersareyouawareof?

13. DidthetrainingyoureceivedhelpyouunderstandyourrolesandprepareyouwellfortheresponsibilitiesofbeinganSSCmember?Whyorwhynot?

14. Howdoyoufindoutabouttrainingandsupportopportunities?

15. (Iftheanswertoquestions11-14indicatetrainingwasreceived):Whattraininghaveyou found most helpful to communicate and work with school principal or localauthorities?

16. DoesyourSSCsharelessonswithorlearnfromotherSSCs?Ifyes,howisthisdone?(Promptifneeded:TalktootherSSCs?VisitotherschoolsandcommunitiestolearnhowotherSSCswork?)

17. DoyouthinkyourSSCworkswellwithlocalauthorities?Whyorwhynot?

18. CanyougiveanexampleofwhenyourSSChasworkedwiththeschooldirectororDoE/PoEtoachieveapositiveresultfortheschool?

19. WhatlessonshaveyoulearnedabouthowtoworkwellwithDoEandPoE?

20. Whatlessonshaveyoulearnedabouthowtoworkwellwithschoolprincipal?

21. ForSSCshavingdifficultiescollaboratingwithschoolprincipalorDoE/PoE,doyouhaveanyadviceonhowtoimprovecollaboration?(Prompts:Ideasonhowtobettercollaborate on the school development plan? On how to improve selection of SSCmembers?OnhowtoimprovetrainingofSSCmembersorbetterensureSSCmembersunderstandtheirroles&responsibilities?)

22. What do you know about Decentralization and De-concentration in educationgovernmentpolicy?

23. The MoEYS Decentralization and De-concentration policy aims to transfer moreauthorityandaccountabilityforeducationtothelocallevel.DoSSCmembersthinkallowingmoredecisionmakingat the local levelwillmake iteasier for theSSC toaccomplishtheirschooldevelopmentwork?Whyorwhynot?

24. WhattrainingorsupportwouldbetterequipSSCstoperformtheirrolesandfurtherschooldevelopmentintheircommunity?

25. Whatwouldbe thesuggestions forbetterenhancingschoolcollaborationbetweenSSCandschoolmanagement/principal?BetweenschoolandDOE/POE?

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Date:TotalInterviewSubject(s): Male: Female:Interviewer:Observers:Location:EnhancingCollaborationBetweenSchoolManagementandDistrictandProvincial

OfficesofEducationDOEFocusGroupQuestionGuide

1. WhatisyourroleatDOEandwhatareyourmainresponsibilities?

2. Howlonghaveyoubeeninyourcurrentposition?

3. Inyourrole,howdoyouinteractwithschoolprincipalsandSSCs?

4. What are the most difficulties/challenges you have when interacting with schoolprincipalsorSSCs?Howhaveyouovercomeit?)

5. Whatotherpeopleandgroupsdoyouworkcloselywithtosupportschoolsinyourdistrict? (Prompt if needed: Other government officials, teachers, parents,communitymembers,laypeople,etc.?)

6. Howdoyouensuregovernmentpolicies,updates,or resourcesarecommunicatedfromtheDOEdowntomorelocaleducationstakeholderssuchasschoolprincipalsandSSCs?

7. How do you and your staff stay knowledgeable about what is occurring on theground at different schools in your district? (Prompt: Is there any monitoringmechanism?HowDOEusuallypracticed?Isiteffective?)

8. How do you and your staff communicate local updates and challenges from yourdistrictuptothePOEorotherhigherlevelsofMOEYS?

9. What is themosthelpfulway local schoolmanagementcanshareupdateswithorrequest support from the DOE? (Prompt: Have you observed that any school hasdonelikewhatyousuggestedsofar?Ifyes,whichschools?Howtheyweredone?)

10. CanyougiveanexampleofatimewhenlocalschoolmanagementcommunicatedanupdateorproblemtotheDOEinaneffective,helpfulway?(Prompt:Howtheydoit?Andwhichschools?)

11. WhichschoolsyouhavegoodcollaborationwithDOE?Whichareasofcollaborationyoufeeltheydowellandnotwell?Whyorwhynot?

12. One challenge sometimes faced by SSCs is they feel the school principal is notengagedordoesnotcommunicatetheprioritiesofthecommunityandSSCtolocalauthorities.WhatadvicedoyouhaveforSSCswhofeeltheirschoolprincipalmakesitdifficultforthemtocollaboratewithlocalauthoritiesonschooldevelopment?

13. Whatadvicedoyouhave for localschoolmanagement(schoolprincipals,SSCs) toimprovetheircommunicationandcollaborationwiththeDOE?

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14. What trainings or support are offered by DoE or other local authorities to newschoolprincipalsandSSCmembers?WhattrainingsorsupportareofferedbyDoEor other local authorities to existing school principals and SSCs? What are thesupportavailable,butDOEhavenotprovidedtoschoolprincipalsandSSCmembersyet?Whyitwasso?

15. Whatisthebestwayforlocalschoolmanagementtostayuptodateonthetrainingsandsupportavailabletothem?

16. TheDecentralizationandDe-concentrationpolicyreformsthatarebeingrolledoutbyMOEYSoverthenextfewyearswilltransfermoreautonomyandaccountabilitytothelocallevel.Doyouthinkallowingmoredecisionmakingatthelocallevelwillmake it easier for you to accomplish your responsibilities related to schooldevelopmentandschoolmanagement?Whyorwhynot?

17. ThesearesomeoftheresponsibilitiesthatareplannedtotransfertoDistrict levelunderD&D.HowprepareddoyoufeelDOEwillbetotakeonthefollowingtasks?

(Notetofacilitator:Pleaseaskonebyoneaboutthetasksbelow)

a. hiring,dismissal&resignationb. development of new infrastructure& procurement&monitoring ofmajor

repairsc. writeatrainingplanandmanageinductiontrainingfornewstaff

18. WhathaveDOEpreparedorplannedtoimplementtheD&Dpolicyreformsatyour

district level?What new roles under D&D do you feelwill be hardest for DOE tofulfill?WhatsupportwouldyouorDOEneedtohelpyouorDOEfulfilltheseroles?

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Date:TotalInterviewSubject(s): Male: Female:Interviewer:Observers:Location:EnhancingCollaborationBetweenSchoolManagementandDistrictandProvincial

OfficesofEducationPOEInterviewQuestionGuide

1. WhatisyourroleatPOEandwhatareyourmainresponsibilities?

2. Howlonghaveyoubeeninyourcurrentposition?

3. Inyourrole,howdoyouinteractwithschoolprincipalsorSSCs?

(Prompt:Whatarethemostdifficulties/challengesyouhavewheninteractingwithschoolprincipalsorSSCs?Howhaveyouovercomeit?)

4. Whatotherpeopleandgroupsdoyouworkcloselywithtosupportschoolsinyourprovince? (Prompt if needed: Other government officials, school principals,communitymembers,laypeople,etc.?)

5. Howdoyouensuregovernmentpolicies,updates,or resourcesarecommunicatedfromthePOEdowntothelocallevel,includingDOE,schoolprincipal,andSSC?

6. How do you and your staff stay knowledgeable about what is occurring on theground at different schools in your province? (Prompt: Is there any monitoringmechanism?HowPOEusuallypracticed?Isitthateffective?)

7. What is themosthelpfulway local schoolmanagementcanshareupdateswithorrequest support from the POE? (Prompt: Have you observed that any school hasdonelikewhatyousuggestedsofar?Ifyes,whichschools?Howtheyweredone?)

8. CanyougiveanexampleofatimewhenlocalschoolmanagementcommunicatedanupdateorproblemtothePOEinaneffective,helpfulway?(Prompt:Howtheydoit?Andwhichschools?)

9. WhichschoolshavegoodcollaborationwithPOE?Whichareasofcollaborationdoyoufeeltheydowellandnotwell?Whyorwhynot?

10. What trainings or support are offered by POE or other local authorities to newschoolprincipalsandSSCmembers?

11. WhattrainingsorsupportareofferedbyPOEorotherlocalauthoritiestoexistingschoolprincipalsandSSCmembers?Whatarethesupportavailable,butPOEhavenotprovidedtoschoolprincipalsandSSCmembersyet?Whyitwasso?

12. Whatisthebestwayforlocalschoolmanagementtostayuptodateonthetrainingsandsupportavailabletothem?

13. OnechallengefacedbysomeSSCsistheyfeeltheschoolprincipalisnotengagedordoesnotcommunicatetheprioritiesofthecommunityandSSCtolocalauthorities.

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WhatadvicedoyouhaveforSSCswhofeeltheirschoolprincipalmakesitdifficultforthemtocollaboratewithlocalauthoritiesonschooldevelopment?

14. Whatadvicedoyouhave for localschoolmanagement(schoolprincipals,SSCs) toimprovetheircommunicationandcollaborationwiththePOE?

15. TheDecentralizationandDe-concentrationpolicyreformsthatarebeingrolledoutbyMOEYSoverthenextfewyearswilltransfermoreautonomyandaccountabilitytothelocallevel.Doyouthinkallowingmoredecisionmakingatthelocallevelwillmake it easier for you to accomplish your responsibilities related to schooldevelopmentandschoolmanagement?Whyorwhynot?

16. ThesearesomeoftheresponsibilitiesthatareplannedtotransfertoDistrict levelunderD&D.HowprepareddoyoufeelDOEswillbetotakeonthefollowingtasks?AndhowprepareddoyoufeeltosupportDOEastheytakeonnewroles?

(Notetofacilitator:Pleaseaskonebyoneaboutthetasksbelow)a. hiring,dismissal&resignationb. development of new infrastructure& procurement&monitoring ofmajor

repairsc. writeatrainingplanandmanageinductiontrainingfornewstaff

17. WhathavePOEpreparedorplannedtoimplementtheD&Dpolicyreformsatyour

province?WhatnewrolesunderD&DdoyoufeelwillbehardestforPOEtofulfill?WhatsupportwouldyouorPOEneedtohelpyouorPOEfulfilltheseroles?

Copyright © This Life Cambodia and Siem Reap Education Support Team, February 2017