Higher Education Partnership Program (HEPP) in Egypt

Egypt HEPP Final ReportHigher Education Partnership Program (HEPP) in Egypt Final Report (July 30, 2015–June 30, 2016)
Submitted September 30, 2016 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by RTI International.
Higher Education Partnership Program (HEPP) in Egypt Final Report (July 30, 2015–June 30, 2016)
Cooperative Agreement AID-263-A-15-00024
Submitted to: Arturo Acosta Agreement Officer’s Representative USAID/Egypt 1A Nady El Etisalat Street New Maadi, Cairo, Egypt Postal Code - M 11435
Submitted by: Ami Thakkar HEPP Program Manager RTI International 3040 Cornwallis Road Post Office Box 12194 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 202-728-1973
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Table of Contents Page List of Figures ................................................................................................................. iv
Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... v
Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... 1
Closeout Activities ............................................................................................... 1 Summary of Technical Activities ........................................................................ 1 Project Administration ......................................................................................... 2
Introduction: Background on HEPP ................................................................................ 2
Closeout Activities ........................................................................................................... 4
Project Launch ................................................................................................................. 6
Technical Activities ......................................................................................................... 8
Priority Industry Sectors Selection and Industry Engagement ............................ 8 Development of the Call for Proposals for Objective 1 Grants ......................... 14 Other Technical Work ........................................................................................ 15 Technical Work during the Project Pause Period .............................................. 15
Modification of the Grants Process ........................................................ 16 Industry Engagement ............................................................................. 16 Development of Working Papers ........................................................... 17
Development of SOWs for Anticipated Procurements ...................................... 18
Coordination with the GOE, USAID, and Stakeholders ................................................ 18
Coordination with the GOE ............................................................................... 18 Coordination with USAID ................................................................................. 19
Performance Monitoring ................................................................................................ 19
Project Learning ............................................................................................................. 19
Project Administration ................................................................................................... 20
Staffing ............................................................................................................... 20 Operations .......................................................................................................... 21
Annex 1. Actual Results Compared to the Original Work Plan .................................... 22
Annex 2. Final Draft RFA for Objective 1 Grant Proposals.......................................... 32
Annex 3. Initial Draft RFA for Objective 2 Grant Proposals ........................................ 32
Annex 4. Documentation of the Applications Evaluation Process ................................ 32
Annex 5. Agenda for Objective 1 Info Sessions Workshop .......................................... 32
Annex 6. Engineering Industries Survey Analysis through Egyptian Chamber of Engineering Industries/CEI ................................................................................ 32
Annex 7. The 10 Bridges Model .................................................................................... 32
Annex 8. Mapping MOHESR Vision 2030 to HEPP Objectives and 10 Industry Priority Sectors ................................................................................................................ 32
Higher Education Partnership Program (HEPP)—Final Report, iv July 30, 2015–June 30, 2016
Annex 9. Steps Toward World Class Higher Education: Reference Document ............ 32
Annex 10. Policy Reform: Identification of Specific Laws and Regulations that should be Modified to Strengthen Higher Education .................................................... 33
Annex 11. Discussion draft on Expansion of the LIN Concept to Better Support the Objective 2 RDI Centers .................................................................................... 33
Annex 12. SOW for Communications Firm .................................................................. 33
Annex 13. SOW for Gender Analysis ............................................................................ 33
Annex 14. Specifications for Management Information for Innovation and Evaluation (MIILE) System Requirements .......................................................................... 33
Annex 15. Specifications for Contact Management Software ....................................... 33
List of Figures Figure 1: Closeout plan activity status .................................................................... 4
Figure 2: Criteria used to select high-priority sectors of the Egyptian economy .. 10
Figure 3: Selection process for priority industries ................................................ 11
Figure 4: Example of a sector summary from Annex B of the EOI ...................... 13
Figure 5: Details of the 10 Bridges workforce assessment tool ............................ 17
Higher Education Partnership Program (HEPP)—Final Report, July 30, 2015–June 30, 2016 v
Abbreviations AOR Agreement Officer’s Representative CAD computer-aided design CAM computer-aided manufacturing COA cooperative agreement COP Chief of Party DCOP Deputy Chief of Party DEC Development Experience Clearinghouse EOI Expression of Interest EPEMA Egyptian Plastic Exporters’ and Manufacturers’ Association FEI Federation of Egyptian Industries FY fiscal year GOE Government of Egypt HEI higher education institution HEPP Higher Education Partnership Program HQ headquarters HR human resources ICT information communication technology IR intermediate result IT information technology JAA J.E. Austin LIN Learning and Innovation Network LMA labor market assessment M&E monitoring and evaluation MIILE Management Information for Innovation, Learning and Evaluation MOE Ministry of Education MOHESR Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research MOU memorandum of understanding PIRS Performance Indicator Reference Sheets PPP Public-Private sector Partnership Q quarter R&D research and development RDI research, development, and innovation RFP Request for Proposal SCU Supreme Council of Universities SOW scope of work STTA short-term technical assistance TEC Technical Evaluation Committee TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization US United States USAID US Agency for International Development USG US Government
Higher Education Partnership Program (HEPP)—Final Report, July 30, 2015–June 30, 2016 1
Executive Summary RTI International presents the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Egypt Higher Education Partnership Program (HEPP) Final Report, covering July 30, 2015 to June 30, 2016. HEPP was a $57-million, five-year project to facilitate partnerships between Egyptian and US higher education institutions (HEIs) to enhance higher education in Egypt, and align research with industry needs among HEIs and Egyptian and US businesses in order to contribute to Egypt’s human capital and economic growth goals. HEPP was an important part of the larger US-Egypt Higher Education Initiative. Regrettably, despite RTI’s good work in Egypt for more than a decade, it became clear that the Egyptian government was not willing to permit RTI to continue operating in country. After eight months of implementation, RTI and USAID decided in April 2016 to mutually terminate HEPP. On April 19, RTI submitted to USAID a closeout plan and proceeded to conclude all activities by June 30, 2016.
Closeout Activities
Following the decision to closeout the HEPP project in early April 2016, RTI took swift steps to implement its approved closeout plan. Despite having to officially terminate HEPP’s full- time staff in April, RTI worked closely with a closeout consultant, the RTI Nairobi regional office, and former staff who volunteered their own time to support RTI in completing key tasks between April and September 2016. All major tasks were successfully completed, including closing the office, transferring inventory, closing bank accounts, making final vendor payments, repatriating the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), and closing staff tax and social insurance accounts.
Summary of Technical Activities
Because of HEPP’s premature closeout, which occurred within eight months of the award, the project had a limited period of technical implementation. Nevertheless, a number of technical achievements were realized, namely: (1) the identification of priority sectors and early engagement with industry; (2) the development of the first key stages of the grants process, including draft calls for proposals for both Objectives 1 and 2 and the grants evaluation process; (3) launch of the project in December 2015 with key stakeholders; (4) customization of the 10 Bridges private sector engagement model; and (5) the drafting of various working papers to inform the technical approach for curriculum development, research, Learning and Innovation Network (LIN) formation, and policy reform. Finally, the project team also prepared various scopes of work (SOWs) for anticipated procurements, including the gender analysis, communications services, and the development of the grants management and monitoring system and a contact management system. Each of these work products is described in further detail in this report.
Higher Education Partnership Program (HEPP)—Final Report, 2 July 30, 2015–June 30, 2016
Project Administration
RTI’s key personnel were fully on board within two months of the project start date. Recruitment for remaining positions was in full swing but put on hold to accommodate the project’s pause period, which began at the end of December. Additionally, in January 2016, in consultation with USAID, RTI relocated its DCOP to Nairobi, where RTI’s regional office is located. Through this remote work arrangement, the DCOP continued to support the HEPP team in pursuing the technical and operational objectives of the project. Following the decision to terminate the project, HEPP staff were let go on April 9, 2016.
Introduction: Background on HEPP Egypt Higher Education Partnership Program (HEPP) was a $57-million, five-year project to facilitate partnerships between Egyptian and United States (US) higher education institutions (HEIs) and, among these HEIs and Egyptian and US businesses, enhance higher education and align research with industry needs to contribute to Egypt’s human capital and economic growth goals. HEPP was an important part of the larger US-Egypt Higher Education Initiative, and as such, all activities were to be closely coordinated to ensure the optimal leveraging of resources and branding of key messages.
Within the context of the Higher Education Initiative, HEPP was designed to address the shortcomings of Egyptian HEIs in qualified human capital, relevance and quality of curricula and research, institutional capacity, and structural misalignment of incentives while simultaneously building sustainable institutional linkages to further this work after the end of HEPP.
The purpose of HEPP was to achieve the following: • Institutionalize effective collaboration between US and Egyptian HEIs and the private
sector; • Transform faculties within Egyptian HEIs to reflect both the knowledge and skills
required in a modern economy; • Build a critical mass of individuals and institutions able to address strategic
challenges vital to Egypt’s sustainable development and economic prosperity; and • Strengthen the global competitiveness of the Egyptian private sector through
partnerships linking the private sector with universities and technical colleges.
The intermediate results (IRs) of HEPP were as follows: • IR1: Improve the quality and relevance of tertiary education; • IR2: Promote research, development, and innovation (RDI) in national priority
development areas; and • IR3: Improve institutional governance and management of the Egyptian higher
education system through targeted activities.
Our vision for HEPP at the end of its five-year implementation was to have helped develop a high-functioning system in which HEIs work more closely with industry partners and employers and in which faculty members are rewarded for accumulating advanced
pedagogical skills and industry-relevant expertise. Students would learn the skills needed to succeed in the Egyptian labor market; curricula would be more closely tied to the needs of Egyptian employers; and universities would have the knowledge, expertise, and motivation to conduct more industry-linked, applied research in university RDI centers to solve industry problems—all contributing to relaxing a key constraint on Egypt’s competitiveness and leading to broad-based economic growth.
To foster university and technical college partnerships, our primary delivery mechanism would have been the provision of grants to Egyptian and US HEIs with the active engagement of private sector partners. More than $42 million of the project’s $57 million budget was set aside to fund grants in support of the anticipated partnerships (up to 21 in total; e.g., 15 partnerships for Objective 1 and six partnerships for Objective 2). Objective 1 grants would have targeted universities and technical colleges (approximately one third of the partnerships were to be reserved for technical education), whereas Objective 2 grants would have been reserved only for universities with research capabilities. While each partnership would have an overarching agreement laying out the joint proposal to work together, for legal and administrative purposes, grants were to be awarded in two distinct agreements: one to an Egyptian HEI and a second to a US HEI. Per the terms of the HEPP cooperative agreement (COA), our funding mix was intended to maximize the funds awarded to Egyptian universities and technical colleges.
These partnership grants would have been structured to enable Egyptian HEIs—particularly public universities and technical colleges—to adapt global best practices from US universities and community colleges and create, test, and disseminate models of market- responsive education and research. This was meant to create a cycle of impact; build widespread consensus for greater public and private investment in higher education; and lead to a self-reinforcing cycle of academic, institutional, and commercial impacts and policy support depicted in Annex 1 of our original proposal.
Importantly, the university-university and Egyptian-US vocational education partnerships were to be bolstered by dynamic Learning and Innovation Networks (LINs) that would bring cohesion to HEPP (as opposed to a grouping of disparate partnerships and disconnected technical assistance). The LINs, unlike a traditional partnership model, would broaden the exposure to and adoption of university best practices. Resources were also reserved for technical assistance under Objective 3 to support policy enhancements and strengthen the institutional capabilities of HEI senior administrators and Government of Egypt (GOE) officials.
Ultimately, through these three objectives and a dynamic learning network, we aimed to drive a bottom-up (e.g., institution-to-institution grants), top-down (e.g., policy and institutional leadership support), and middle-out (e.g., learning networks to broaden best practice exposure) approach to increase the likelihood partnerships that were both effective and sustainable. Underscoring our approach was a demand-driven focus on partnerships (through intense industry engagement) and the purposeful linking of existing systems (e.g., government and local actors) to create the necessary pathways to ensure the deep impact and sustainability of HEPP goals.
Closeout Activities Following the decision to close the HEPP project in early April 2016, RTI took swift steps to implement its approved closeout plan. Despite having to officially terminate HEPP’s full- time staff on April 9, RTI worked closely with a closeout consultant, the RTI Nairobi regional office, and former staff who volunteered their own time to support RTI in completing key tasks between April and September 2016. All major tasks were successfully completed, including closing the office, transferring inventory, closing bank accounts, making final vendor payments, repatriating our Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), and closing staff tax and social insurance accounts.
Only four tasks remain, all of which will be prioritized for completion in October 2016:
1. Submission of the final SF-425;
2. Submission of the Quarter (Q)1 and Q2 fiscal year (FY)2016 quarterly reports, the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) Plan, and this final report to the Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC);
3. Clearing the former DCOP’s laptop from Egyptian customs. RTI is working closely with DHL in both Kenya and Egypt to update the shipment forms to reflect the updated instructions received by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to finally clear the item from customs. Once this is achieved, the laptop will be transferred to the American University in Cairo, the approved recipient of this last remaining inventory item to be officially disposed of as per the approved plan; and
4. Obtaining reimbursement of the security deposit and unused rent from the previous landlord. The landlord is making it difficult for RTI to recover the security deposit and unused rent by demanding that many steps be followed that have not been easy to comply with. RTI is doing all that it can given the circumstances to have these funds returned to the project and will ask for assistance from USAID as needed.
Figure 1 provides an updated closeout timeline presented in a manner similar to the original closeout plan.
Figure 1: Closeout plan activity status Closeout Tasks Completion Date Status
Deliverables/Reports and Activities Submit two final SF-425 Financial Reports to USAID for the final two quarters spanning April–September 2016
July 31, 2016 October 31, 2016
First report was submitted on time. Second report is to be submitted as stated.
Submit two final Accruals Reports for the final two quarters spanning April–September 2016
June 15, 2016 September 15, 2016
DONE. Both reports were submitted to USAID on time.
Submit the final Technical Program Report to USAID September 30, 2016 DONE. Completed with the submission of this final report.
Submit all of the required reports to USAID’s DEC October 31, 2016 Will submit all required documents once the final project report is approved by the client.
Administrative and Office Closeout Issue Notices of Termination to staff April 9, 2016 DONE Notify landlord of DCOP house and office lease termination By April 30, 2016 DONE
Notify vendors of the termination of office utility services (e.g., cell phones, internet, electricity, water, and etc.)
April 14, 2016 DONE
Closeout Tasks Completion Date Status
Close the project office By June 30, 2016 DONE. Notification given on May 19, office cleared July 28, and keys handed to landlord on August 14.
Repatriate the DCOP By May 15, 2016 DONE. DCOP left Kenya on June 25. Schedule work completion for consultant(s) and arrange final payments September 30, 2016 DONE. Consultant work to halt as of
September 30, 2016 Closeout sub-award with J.E. Austin (JAA) April 30, 2016 DONE. Completed on time.
Equipment and Materials Conduct physical inventory and create an inventory list April 2016 DONE
Request USAID disposition instructions April 19, 2016 (part of closeout plan) DONE
Carry out disposition instructions By June 30, 2016 DONE. Inventory transferred in July 2016. Submit disposition receipts to/from RTI and USAID By June 30, 2016 DONE. August 15, 2016.
Return the DCOP’s former laptop to Cairo from Nairobi By October 15, 2016
Pending. Laptop arrived in Cairo in early August but will remain held there until paperwork is updated to reflect USAID’s request. RTI is working actively with DHL in Kenya and Cairo to resolve this issue.
Finance and Accounting Make final salary and liquidation payments to staff April 15, 2016 DONE Make final reports to government agencies for taxes withheld April 17, 2016 DONE
Make all final vendor payments (some minor invoices for utilities may be delayed past June 30) By June 30, 2016 DONE
Prepare final bank account reconciliation May 10, 2016 DONE Wire remaining funds back to the US and close bank accounts May 31, 2016 DONE. Completed early August 2016.
Closeout individual accounts for social insurance September 30, 2016 DONE. Completed in August 2016.
Return security deposit and unused rent to USAID By October 31, 2016
Pending. RTI has done everything possible to date to recover the unused rent and security deposit. The landlord made it difficult to obtain this money, and we have very little to no leverage on the ground to recover the funds. RTI will do everything possible to have these funds returned.
Records Collection and Disposition Wipe clean laptops after creating hard drives for files needing to be saved By June 15, 2016 DONE
Sort technical and financial documents and files for disposal or record keeping By May 31, 2016 DONE
Organize and pack files for record keeping By June 20, 2016 DONE Ship recordkeeping files to RTI Headquarters (HQ)- North Carolina (technical files) or to RTI Regional Office-Nairobi (financial files)
By June 30, 2016 DONE
Deliverables The project’s key deliverables, namely the Year 1 Work Plan, Grants Manual, and M&E Plan were submitted and approved by USAID in Q1 FY2016. RTI also submitted the M&E Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS) and the Branding and Marking plan, but approval for these deliverables was not received because the project was discontinued.
Project Launch
In close coordination with the USAID mission, HEPP was successfully launched on December 15, 2015, in a formal ceremony at the Conrad Hotel in Cairo. The event was attended by approximately 150 people, including senior representatives of the US Embassy; USAID; the GOE, including the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR), Supreme
Council of Universities (SCU), and the Ministry of Education (MOE); RTI HQ team members; HEIs, private sector organizations; the Presidential Leadership Program; the Tahya Misr Fund; and nongovernmental organizations. The launch invitation is attached as Annex 2.
Initially, the launch was planned to be held during the December 14 Research and Development (R&D) Incentives Conference that was organized by the MOHESR and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with an expected audience of over 1,000 attendees from academia and industry. Although this would have been a unique platform to announce the launch of HEPP, we were limited in terms of the number of participants we could invite and our time allocation on the agenda. Therefore, the decision was made to launch HEPP on the following day (December 15) to coincide with the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Fulbright Program, one of the partner organizations under the Higher Education Initiative.
HEPP launch participants. Photo credit: HEPP project
Photo of the USAID Mission Director’s presentation at the HEPP launch event.
Photo credit: HEPP project
The launch event speakers were as follows:
• Ms. Sherry Carlin, USAID Mission Director;
• Dr. Mohsen Elmahdy Said, HEPP Chief of Party (COP);
• Eng. Mohamed El- Sewedy, Chairman, Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI);
• General Mohamed El Halawany, Deputy of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), MOE;
• Dr. Ashraf Hatem, Chairman, SCU; • Mr. Kevin Murphy, President, JAA; • HEPP, Private Sector Engagement Manager; and • Mr. Mohamed Taher, Egyptian Plastic Exporters’ and Manufacturers’ Association
(EPEMA).
The launch event concluded with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between HEPP and the FEI. This was followed by a Fulbright seminar to discuss a recent labor market survey and celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Fulbright Commission in Egypt.
Despite the last-minute cancellation of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, feedback
from USAID and other stakeholders indicated that the launch was successful, well attended and raised interest in HEPP. The event was covered by television, radio, and print media, and all speakers expressed significant support for the project.
HEPP launch ceremony. Photo Credit: HEPP project
HEPP launch with the Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR)
and DCOP. Photo credit: HEPP project
Technical Activities The HEPP team made important strides in advancing the preliminary technical work, namely (1) identifying priority sectors and engagement with the industry and (2) developing the first stage of the grants process—the call for proposals and the proposal evaluation process. Additionally, a number of preparatory work activities were conducted during the months of JanuaryMarch 2016, when the project was in a holding pattern. These efforts are explained in further detail below. The approved Work Plan with a detailed update of the activities can be found in Annex 1.
Priority Industry Sectors Selection and Industry Engagement
Vital to the success of HEPP as conceived by USAID was active private sector participation which would ensure that grants would be designed for those curriculum and research efforts that are truly responsive to practical industry needs as determined by the private sector. Therefore, selecting competitive industries with prospects for growth and engaging these industries to play leadership roles was an extremely important precedent for the grant- developing process. The determination of the priority sectors benefitted from both those already identified by the GOE as economic drivers and the labor market assessment (LMA) commissioned by USAID. The industry willingness to play a leadership role was also key to industry selection. Accordingly, and per the HEPP Work Plan, the HEPP team, with leadership from sub, JAA, initiated the process of industry engagement and determination of the priority sectors immediately at the onset of Q1 2016. This process was an important prerequisite for establishing the necessary parameters for demand-driven university partnerships.
HEPP got off to a very fast start with its industry engagement efforts. HEPP short-term technical assistance (STTA) experts in industry-education partnerships were able to engage industry representatives with knowledge of the competitiveness-related challenges faced by Egyptian industries and shared examples of successful partnerships in their industries in other countries that could be brought to Egypt. The result was very high acceptance by Egyptian industries to participate and sign MOUs. This effort also enriched the specific inputs to the EOIs being developed for universities and technical and research institutes. Finally, it cemented in the demand-driven nature of this project structurally through the MOU process, which would have contributed to the high probability of successful grants being produced under this partnership. The team was able to discover some exciting existing industry- university partnerships, which were included in the “10 Bridges” product that was adapted for the Egyptian context.
More than 100 meetings were conducted between October and December 2015 with over 50 industry leaders representing over 30 companies, chambers, and associations to introduce them to the objectives of HEPP and to solicit their input on the skills and research needs of businesses in their respective sectors. The sensitive nature of these discussions meant that multiple meetings were required to elicit interest and work out the terms of cooperation.
This intensive activity resulted in the signing of 10 MOUs, with another 18 which were in progress. This achievement represented a significant milestone for HEPP. Indeed, HEPP was able to solicit valuable information from these MOUs to produce a strong EOI documenting the concrete employee skills and specific research needs of employers in the project’s target sectors to ensure that future grants would be demand driven.
Details on the industry engagement activities undertaken are summarized as follows: • Supplementation of the USAID LMA with additional data collection and analysis of
macroeconomic data and employment projections. HEPP used the LMA study and its 11 recommended sectors1 as a starting point and reviewed other studies on the Egyptian economy and workforce to validate those industries, reach a consensus with GOE stakeholders, and obtain USAID approval of these sectors. JAA gathered and reviewed 21 key studies, creating a virtual library for the project and summarizing the results that either validated or modified the industry long list. Moreover, because the LMA study did not focus on industry subsectors, this analysis helped further pinpoint specific industry segments where broad industry categories need further refinement. For example, a focus on the food industry is too broad because the needs of the meat industry are quite different from those of horticulture. Similarly, the construction industry includes a sub-sector focus on construction materials with different needs. Additionally, the tourism sector contains the sub-sector industry of hospitality, which has specific employment and skills category needs. A Directory of Reports and Resources containing the 21 studies reflecting the economic growth rates, issues and endeavors of the Egyptian education system, and employment rates was developed by JAA and is available upon request.
• Rapid vetting of LMA-identified and GOE priority sectors. The team conducted a rapid vetting of the LMA with private sector and public entities related to each proposed sector, as deemed necessary. Some sectors are semi or fully controlled by the government, including the transportation, education, and health sectors. Sector selection was also shaped to leverage and align with GOE priority industries as defined in Egypt’s Vision 2030. USAID’s investments in Egyptian sectors, such as agriculture, renewable energy, the food industry, and health services, were also taken into account. The long list of industries was eventually defined, and a consensus was reached by late October 2015. Figure 2 shows the criteria used to select high-priority sectors. It should be noted that most of the private sector and public entities the team met with were receptive regarding future collaboration with HEPP grantees and showed interest in financially supporting the project, if needed, with the condition that universities respond to their actual needs and requests. Therefore, the prospects were good for grants to achieve a highly leveraged impact through the demonstration effect.
1 Recommended sectors include the following: (1) agriculture, irrigation, and fishing; (2) oil and gas production (mining); (3) building materials (manufacturing); (4) engineered products (manufacturing); (5) food processing (manufacturing); (6) textiles and apparel (manufacturing); (7) electricity; (8) construction and building; (9) transportation and storage; (10) communications (telephone and information communication technology [ICT]); and (11) tourism.
Figure 2: Criteria used to select high-priority sectors of the Egyptian economy
1. Existing employment and projected employment growth: The estimated future demand for jobs in this industry relative to the expected rate of employment growth and expected industry growth rate are needed, as is a clear understanding of the relevant career profiles. This criterion includes the potential scalability of training and research projects and would favor employment-intensive industries, such as agriculture, light manufacturing, and tourism.
2. Projected industry growth, productivity, and competitiveness, including crosscutting impacts on other industries: This may or may not be the same as employment growth because some growth drivers may be less employment intensive but still key for future productivity growth. This criterion tends to favor high-technology, energy, and financial sectors that have crosscutting impacts or may drive future growth in productivity.
3. Skill gaps constraining growth or competitiveness: This criterion reflects the extent to which skill gaps exist in selected employment areas and the assessment of industry leaders that these skill gaps constrain growth and/or competitiveness. This criterion tends to lead us away from training areas that can be adequately addressed without project assistance and favors areas that require the nascence of a new initiative.
4. Government input or prioritization: Within the context of government-to-government overarching agreements, the project will be sensitive to guidance from the GOE and its relevant agencies, councils, and ministries (e.g., MOHESR and SCU) and those training and research areas perceived as meriting special attention and priority. Government guidance may include population groups, industries or regions, and special technological focus areas for economic or social reasons. This criterion might favor industries, such as health, where nursing skills are important for social objectives.
5. Feasibility, ease, and practicality of achieving impact in the project’s time frame: In addition to the above criteria, the project will also assess the feasibility, ease of implementation, and practicality of implementation within the allotted time frame. To respond, the participating institutions must have this capability or potential to develop it.
• Outreach and consultations with industry on priority sectors (subsectors and skills gaps) and the securing of initial commitments (detailed in the MOUs). These activities were based on their potential to positively impact the responsiveness of education, training, and research to support the practical needs of the private sector. The responsiveness of the industries and their willingness to assume leadership were also critical. JAA STTA was front loaded to ensure intensive engagement with relevant industry associations. The team was able to engage multiple associations and private sector partners in parallel and over a very short time frame. It was expected that most of the MOUs with industry leadership groups would have been signed prior to the issuance of the call for EOIs. Out of necessity, much of the industry engagement was front loaded as a condition for the awarding of grants. Figure 3 provides the specific steps involved in the priority selection process.
Figure 3: Selection process for priority industries
As mentioned above, more than 100 meetings with potential partners were conducted (see Annex 6 for details about these meetings). Some meetings revealed quickly the lack of competitiveness in some industries and the lack of interest in others. Some skepticism was also encountered regarding the responsiveness and capabilities of public educational institutions based on prior experience. Yet we also found examples of great enthusiasm and even existing industry-education partnerships that could serve as models for success. Some industries have bypassed the public educational system to meet their own training needs; examples include the construction and tourism industries, which have both created their own sponsored training institutes. However, even these industries were genuinely excited to participate in efforts to team up with public universities and training institutes to improve their relevant curricula.
The majority of the meetings garnered a substantial interest from the private sector. A number of representatives expressed their appreciation for engaging the private sector from the onset, as they reported often being seen as an afterthought in education projects.
HEPP needed to acknowledge and directly address the skepticism that exists regarding the capacity of Egyptian HEIs to respond to their needs for qualified employees or research that would be useful to them. Our early engagement with these industries should help to ensure that partnership activities are truly demand driven.
In total, HEPP signed MOUs with 10 associations and companies and had another 18 in progress (Annex 7). The following associations and companies signed MOUs:
1. FEI;
3. Egyptian Chamber of Hotels;
4. Egyptian Chamber of Food Processing;
5. Egyptian Chamber of Apparel and Home Textile Industries;
6. EPEMA;
7. E-finance Company;
8. Emend Company (executive training arm of the Building Materials Chamber);
9. Juhayna Company; and
10. Sima Food Industries Company.
MOU signing between HEPP and the FEI at the HEPP
launch on December 15, 2015. Photo credit: HEPP project
MOU signing between HEPP and the EPEMA on December 29, 2015. Photo credit: HEPP project
Presentation of priority sectors list to USAID and GOE bodies: HEPP presented its priority sectors and how they were derived very transparently and publicly to GOE and USAID officials and to leaders from the academic sector present at the HEPP launch event on December 15, 2015. Representatives from the private sector were present to endorse the project, including one particularly moving testimonial of support from the plastics industry.
Following the intensive industry engagement process, HEPP’s Private Sector Partnership Manager drafted “sector summaries” for the priority sectors identified below, which are included as Annex B in the draft call for proposals. The summary sheets provided examples of the strategic priorities of several subsectors, growth areas, and entry-level skills needs with specific requests from industry at the university and technical college level. An example of the sector summaries included in the draft call can be found in Figure 4.
• Housing and construction • Utilities (e.g., electricity, water, and sanitation) • Manufacturing • Agriculture, agribusiness, and fishing • Transportation and logistics • Retailing and internal trade • Petroleum, power, and minerals • ICT and communication
Presentation of the priority sectors list at the HEPP launch
event on December 15, 2015. Photo credit: HEPP project
• Tourism • Health-related services
Figure 4: Example of a sector summary from Annex B of the EOI Sector Summary for the EOI Annex: Manufacturing (Example)
What is included in this sector? • Textiles and apparel • Automobile manufacturing • Suppliers of textile, apparel, and light/complex manufacturing firms • Food processing, especially dairy and juice • Electronic components and assembly • Engineered products • Plastics • Many other manufactured items
Examples of sector growth and competitiveness drivers • Increasing population leads to increased demands for food and clothing • Increasing a population’s wealth leads to increasing amounts of expendable income • Improved logistics increases growth among rural populations • Suez Canal logistics and a manufacturing hub initiative could spur growth in light
manufacturing, if well implemented Examples of skills needs
• Food safety, food technology, and food processing • Food processing (particularly interested in sponsoring internships) • Cutting and sewing operators • Mid-level and shop floor managers • Machinery maintenance and repair • Human resource managers • Operations managers and information technology (IT)-related skills and integration
(e.g., computer-aided design/manufacturing [CAD/CAM]) Identified curricula/degrees based on industry demand
For universities: • A new specialty—fashion design—should be added to relevant faculties,
such as applied arts. For technical colleges:
• Undergraduate curricula on time and motion studies to increase productivity in factories;
• Undergraduate curricula on advanced textile technologies; and • A diploma in mechatronics to provide qualified technicians for factories.
Geographical distribution: Most textile factories are based in the Delta area. Industry contacts
• Egyptian Automobile Manufacturers’ Association • Egyptian Plastic Exporters’ and Manufacturers’ Association • Egyptian Chamber of Apparel and Home Textile Industries
Development of the Call for Proposals for Objective 1 Grants
In parallel to the industry engagement efforts, the HEPP team developed the call (initially an EOI) for proposals targeting universities and technical colleges. A working group was identified that included key staff (e.g., technical specialists and grants specialists) from the project team and RTI HQ to work collaboratively for the development of the call. As this was the first USAID-university partnership project in Egypt, we were keen to develop a document that was clear and self-explanatory to all HEIs in both Egypt and the US. Therefore, the draft EOI provided information about the eligibility criteria, the guidelines for applying, the evaluation process, a sample concept paper format, and responses to frequently asked questions.
Key decisions were made from the onset that helped focus the EOI. First, it was determined that issuing one EOI to both US and Egyptian HEIs rather than issuing separate EOIs—one to US HEIs and another to Egyptian HEIs—would be preferable to reinforce the message of partnership and ensure that both Egyptian and US HEIs received the same information about the project and grant opportunities.
The team also decided to stagger the EOIs by Objective because the activities under Objectives 1 and 2 differed significantly from one another.2 Further, in consultation with USAID and the SCU, the HEPP team determined that the eligibility of Egyptian HEIs would be limited to public universities.
Finally, extensive information about the priority sectors’ strategic priorities and skills needs was prepared and included in Annex B of the EOI. We believe that this level of information should provide great value-added for HEIs, especially those who have had limited contact with industry, for understanding their priorities and skills needs.
During the project’s pause period, the team decided that to make up for lost time, the project would bypass the EOI phase and release an RFA for both Objective 1 and 2. The RFAs can be found in Annexes 2 and 3.
Outreach to US HEIs
Leading up to the original expected release of the EOI (December 2015), RTI conducted significant outreach with US higher education associations and institutions to raise awareness about HEPP and the upcoming partnership opportunities. In October 2015, RTI HQ drafted and finalized a HEPP brochure that included a “coming soon” text box on the EOI and shared it via e-mail with 13 higher education associations, including the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, American Association of Community Colleges, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and more than 70 universities and 14 technical colleges/community colleges (Annex 4). The outreach garnered good interest in the project.
2 The decision to stagger the EOIs may be revisited to compensate for any delays that might ensue as a result of the pause in releasing the Objective 1 EOI.
Outreach to Egyptian HEIs
Outreach to Egyptian HEIs occurred through the SCU. The HEPP COP presented the project and provided information about the anticipated EOI to the SCU Board in November 2015. Copies of the HEPP presentation and the English and Arabic versions of the HEPP brochure were distributed to seek the Board’s assistance to appoint contact persons to liaise with HEPP. The HEPP brochure was also sent to respond to individual universities that showed interest in participating in HEPP. Because of the delay in the release of the EOI, we decided to pause releasing further information about the EOI to institutions.
Other Technical Work
In addition to the two major efforts outlined above, the team also began to think about the development of the LINs and possibly extending the LIN concept to provide services to further ensure the successful operation of the Objective 2 RDI centers. In this regard, the HEPP COP and DCOP were introduced to the RTI Philippines Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development program, which has a similar academia-industry collaboration model and R&D-specific goals. The HEPP COP and DCOP also met with Innovety, an Egyptian service company specializing in developing platforms for communication networking that can support the LIN model we hope to create under the RDI centers to support Objective 2 partnerships.
The COP made some initial inroads in developing a scope of work (SOW) for the HEPP Advisory Board. The SOW was shared with the AOR for review and feedback and to start the process of selecting the final list of board members. The SOW included proposed board members who are high-level officials representing the main HEPP partners from the GOE (e.g., MOHESR, SCU, and the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology); industry leaders (e.g., the Chairman of FEI, Renewable Energy Authority, and the Information Technology Industry Development Agency); and other prominent potential partners, such as the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committees, who also happens to be the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for Education.
Technical Work during the Project Pause Period
During the pause phase (JanuaryMarch 2016), priority was given to the development of (1) RFAs for both Objectives 1 and 2, (2) the grants evaluation process, (3) the grants information session workshop agenda, (4) customization of the 10 Bridges private sector engagement model, and (5) various working papers to inform the future project approach and activities for curriculum development, research, LIN formation, and policy reform. The HEPP team also prepared various SOWs for anticipated procurements, such as the gender analysis, communications services, and the development of the grants management and monitoring system and a contact management system. These activities are described in further detail below.
Modification of the Grants Process
HEPP finalized the EOI for Objective 1 during Q1 FY2016 and was awaiting USAID approval for its release. Because of the unexpected delay, the team drafted a comparison note to assess the pros and cons of eliminating the concept paper step and moving directly to requesting proposals (RFAs) for Objective 1 grants. HEPP agreed on a strategy to issue one full and comprehensive RFA for Objective 1 that would explain the whole process from concept paper to proposal and, finally, to the issuing of grants. This decision was made to accelerate the process and make up for the time lost. The full RFA was drafted in Q2 FY2016 and is attached to this report (Annex 2).
For Objective 2 grants, the HEPP team had already decided that there was no need for concept papers as the project was looking for partnership grants ready to start collaborative work immediately. Therefore, to take advantage of the pause period in this quarter, the team drafted an initial RFA (Annex 3) to encourage research centers to partner with other US centers and submit one partnership proposal for creating RDI centers or upgrading existing ones.
To plan properly and be ready to start work immediately in anticipation of project ramp-up, HEPP also drafted a document titled “Documentation of the Applications Evaluation Process” (Annex 4). This document describes (1) the selection and composition of the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) members, (2) roles of the TEC members, (3) application procedures, and (4) the evaluation of applications. The document is meant to provide guidance to project personnel, evaluators, and applicants. It also included a time frame for the Objective 1 grants process.
Finally, the team also put together a draft agenda for the Information Session Workshops for Objective 1 grants (Annex 5).
Industry Engagement
In early January 2016, HEPP continued to conduct discreet work with associations and companies with whom MOUs had already been signed. The nature of this engagement related to the collection of survey data from various chambers to verify the sub-industry sectors included in the LMA. Surveys were collected and analyzed for the Engineering Industries chamber (Annex 6). Surveys were also sent to the Chamber of Hotels, and data submission is pending.
In addition, on January 14, 2016, the HEPP DCOP, Private Sector Engagement Manager, and Research Consultant attended the EGYPLAST–PLASTEX 2016 conference. HEPP was invited by the EPEMA, a HEPP industry partner. At this conference, the team met with many companies in this sector. All companies shared their need for support in the form of curricula relevant to their area of the plastics industry. They highlighted the fact that no vocational schools in Egypt focus on the plastics industry, except for EPEMA’s own school, which is fully funded by industry leaders.
The companies the HEPP team met with during the conference included Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals Company, Shouman Company, the Egyptian Company for Training and Industry (DeltaPlast), and others. These companies have shown great interest in collaborating with the project and supporting its objectives. For example, Shouman Company was very
interested in the RDI Centers envisaged to support Objective 2 of the HEPP project because they created an R&D Department to solve its product problems through research. In fact, this R&D Department is already cooperating with Mansoura University. Shouman Company is unique because it builds its own machinery to produce its products.
An initial directory containing all HEPP industry partners and potential partners was created, including businesses, federations, chambers, and associations. This directory was intended to be part of the HEPP website and present information on each partner disaggregated by economic sector. Its purpose was to provide contact information to connect academia with private sector organizations willing to support the HEPP objectives. The directory includes the names of organizations, sectors and subsectors, organization descriptions, and MOU status. It also contains contact information, but the HEPP team did not have the opportunity to verify that the telephone numbers, addresses, and e-mails are up-to-date.
JAA completed the customization of its 10 Bridges model (Figure 5) to suit the context of Egyptian academia. The 10 Bridges PowerPoint was updated (Annex 7), along with two additional documents explaining the 10 Bridges tool and its components, which include the following:
• A summary of the tool planned for use during the information sessions; and
• A more detailed version to be attached to the RFA.
Finally, the team conducted two private sector-related pieces of research. The first was to understand the policy bottlenecks that inhibit private sector collaboration in higher education (Annex 10). Research was conducted to collect data on the nature of current partnerships in Egypt between the private sector and the HEIs and between the private sector and the R&D domain. The objective of this research was to determine the primary challenges hindering private sector engagement with HEIs and government-supported R&D centers in general and with respect to the strategic plan of the MOHESR (20152030).
The second research activity was a mapping of the MOHESR strategic plan (20152030) to HEPP objectives and the high-growth economic sectors selected by the HEPP team (Annex 8). The mapping of the strategic plan outlined the potential projects classified by economic sectors to highlight the possible collaborations that could arise between the project and MOHESR.
Development of Working Papers
The HEPP team took the opportunity in Q2 FY2016 to develop four working papers to inform the project’s strategy and approach toward supporting demand-driven curricula and research. This work included the following:
Figure 5: Details of the 10 Bridges workforce assessment tool
• Research on world-class university status. This paper, which would have been used to inform future partnership and grant activities, provided a comprehensive overview on what constitutes a “world-class university”. It gives examples of how such a university is defined, why universities are interested in being world class, current rankings of world-class universities, ranking methodologies, and strategies that could be used to become a world-class university (Annex 9).
• Mapping MOHESR Vision 2030 to HEPP Objectives and 10 Industry Priority Sectors. As described above, this mapping included a summary of the MOHESR’s proposed activities and how they align with the HEPP Objectives and Industry Priority Sectors (Annex 8).
• Policy reform initial assessment. As described above, the team conducted an assessment of the specific laws, regulations, and other barriers/gaps related to the private sector that should be changed/added to achieve HEPP objectives (Annex 10).
• Discussion draft of the expansion of the LIN concept to support the development of RDI centers (Annex 11). This paper elaborated on the LIN concept and how it can be used to support the development of RDI centers in Egypt.
Development of SOWs for Anticipated Procurements
The HEPP team prepared four SOWs for anticipated procurements as follows:
1) Communications: To procure communications services to support the marketing, communication, and publication goals of HEPP (Annex 12);
2) Gender Analysis: To procure a consultant to conduct the Gender Analysis (Annex 13);
3) M&E and Grants Management System: To develop an M&E and grants management system to effectively monitor and track project performance (Annex 14); and
4) Contact Management System: To develop an internal database to effectively manage HEPP stakeholder contacts (Annex 15).
Coordination with the GOE, USAID, and Stakeholders
Coordination with the GOE
In the early months of its start-up, the HEPP project enjoyed frequent communication and coordination with the GOE, especially with the SCU. As part of the Year 1 work planning, the project organized a listening session with the SCU and coordinated closely with key government officials on the December launch event. However, following the decision to put project activities on hold, no new communication or coordination with government officials was initiated by the HEPP COP or HEPP team.
Coordination with USAID
Coordination and communication between USAID and the RTI home office was frequent, especially around the period of uncertainty relating to the project’s pending implementation status and contingency planning. The COP and AOR also remained in regular contact, mostly by e-mail and phone and, occasionally, via face-to-face meetings.
Performance Monitoring The M&E Plan was approved in Q1 FY2016. The PIRS were submitted to USAID on January 18, 2016, but were never approved because of the project’s circumstances.
The HEPP team developed the specifications for the M&E database system, which was outlined in the M&E Plan and known as Management Information for Innovation, Learning and Evaluation (MIILE). The objective of the MIILE system was to help HEPP M&E and Grants Management functions collect, analyze, and report performance data. This would have allowed the HEPP team to make evidence-based decisions, streamline their business process, and improve organizational efficiency. A SOW for the development of the MIILE is attached in Annex 14.
Project Learning The project generated a number of lessons learned during its short implementation phase. Below are the key lessons:
• The private sector in Egypt has shown substantial support for the HEPP objectives. Indeed, many business leaders have expressed support to continue working toward these objectives. Because the project activities were placed on hold, many MOUs that were in the process of being completed were suspended. However, the demand-driven approach adopted by HEPP was a success. If the project should ever resume, this area should be emphasized to ensure that this approach can be utilized to once again create sustainable agreements for collaboration between the private sector and academia. For example, USAID should consider providing support for creating industry-higher education clusters to ensure the sustainability of partnerships by generating more focused and decentralized working relationships between academia and the private sector according to priority economic sectors. This approach was used by RTI in El Salvador under the USAID-funded Higher Education for Economic Growth activity and shows promise for creating a sustainable platform for dialogue and action.
• The mismatch between the supply of graduates and the needs of the labor market is at the core of Egypt’s challenge, not just for university education but also for all forms of higher and secondary education, including TVET spanning both the secondary and tertiary sectors. Surveys of students and graduates of Egypt’s higher education and vocational education sub-sectors indicate common concerns, including the following: − Insufficient variety of fields of study that are relevant to career goals; − Highly restricted opportunities for students to change fields of study;
− Inadequate preparation for employment resulting from curriculum irrelevancies; − Lack of training in practical skills; − An over-concentration on memorizing content and passive pedagogies; and − A lack of learning materials, library books, facilities, and equipment.
The government, in consultation with national and regional employers, should consider developing a business advisory board with each public higher education institution that can help clarify the institution’s distinctive mission, the scope and focus of its educational programs, the expectations of its performance, the resources needed to build its capacity, and the extent of its substantive and procedural autonomy. In this process, it would be important to clarify the sectors of the labor market for which each institution prepares graduates. Such mechanisms would significantly narrow the gap between the supply of graduates and the needs of the labor market.
• Accurate and timely information about the labor market is critical for universities to be more responsive industry needs. Thus, the government should consider establishing a professional labor market information service that can provide prospective students, career guidance counselors, and HEIs with information about trends in labor supply and demand and the labor market outcomes of graduates in various fields.
Project Administration
Staffing
The project’s five key personnel were in place at the start of the project, and recruitment to fill both technical and operational positions was in full swing during Q1 2016. However, following the decision at the end of December 2015 to place project activities on hold, staff recruitment also paused.
Three main changes affected staffing during the pause period between January and March 2016. First, RTI, in consultation with USAID, decided to temporarily relocate the DCOP to Nairobi, where the RTI Regional Office is located. This relocation took place on January 17, 2016. The DCOP was able to work remotely and continued to support the HEPP team on the work products and activities described in the technical section.
The second staffing change occurred when the Human Resources (HR) Manager announced her resignation on February 7. This resignation came prior to the conclusion of her probationary period. Given the project’s uncertain status at the time, RTI did not recruit a replacement.
Third, in March, amid growing concern to minimize project expenditures during the extended pause period, RTI was asked by USAID to dramatically reduce HEPP staffing. An Expense Reduction Plan was submitted on March 9, which proposed three options for a modified staffing plan. On March 17, USAID asked RTI to reduce staffing to two positions: the COP and the Finance Officer. At the end of March, RTI home office staff travelled to Cairo to
meet with the team and personally discuss the staff reduction, which would have become effective April 30. HEPP’s AOR participated in that meeting.
As a result of the decision to close the project in early April, all staff were let go effective April 9, 2016.
Operations
RTI moved swiftly to start-up the HEPP project. In its first two months, RTI established the HEPP project office in Maadi, on boarded its key staff, and set up the necessary financial, IT, and administrative systems. Following the decision to pause activities at the end of Q1 FY2016, the HEPP team minimized expenses as much as possible to conserve resources for when the project could eventually ramp up activities. To that end, no new procurements—for example, to hire a local consultant to conduct the Gender Analysis—were initiated. The only exception was to hire a consultant to help with the day-to-day essential IT support services needed to run the project office following the conclusion of a trial period of services with an IT firm.
The project also developed a draft SOW (Annex 15) to procure a contact management system with the intent to create an easily accessible repository of all contacts made by the HEPP team with individuals working in organizations that collaborate with HEPP (e.g., HEIs and Egyptian employers and government agencies).
Annex 1. Actual Results Compared to the Original Work Plan
HEPP Year 1 Work Plan Timeline July 29, 2015–September 30, 2016 (14 Months)
STATUS AS OF JUNE 30, 2016
Year 1 2015 2016
ug
Se p
O ct
N ov
D ec
Ja n
Fe b
M ar
A pr
M ay
Ju n
Ju l
A ug
Se p
Mobilization (Administrative)
Secure letter of support from Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR)
Completed Letter Secured 8/30/2015
Completed, but Monitoring and
effective 12/17/2015
KP start dates: COP 9/6/2015; DCOP 10/9/2015; M&E Advisor, 9/13/2015; Finance and Administration Manager, 9/27/2015
US Agency for International Development (USAID) kickoff meeting
Completed Held 9/16/2015
Staff retreat
Postponed pending
Team protocols, communication, etc.
Identify, lease, and move into program office Completed Office move in on 10/9/2015
Finalize sub-award with JE Austin Associates (JAA) Completed Sub-award finalized 9/24/2015
Establish administration systems Completed Bank account, office equipment,
payroll, etc.
Year 1 2015 2016
ug
Work began, but has been
temporarily suspended
Program launch Completed 12/15/2015
To be continued
(TBC) In Process RTI is awaiting feedback on a BIP
Submit Year 1 Work Plan to USAID Completed 10/7/2015
Submit Performance Monitoring Plan to USAID Completed 10/30/2015
Submit Quarterly Report to USAID Completed First report sent on 10/30/2015
Initial Technical Activities
Establish collaboration protocols with concerned Government of Egypt (GOE) bodies (e.g., MOHESR, Supreme Council of Universities [SCU], Supreme Council of Technical Colleges [SCTC], Supreme Council of Private Universities [SCPU], and Ministry of Education [MOE]/Ministry of Technical Education and Training [MoTET])
On hold
New cabinet changes and new ministers announced on 9/20/2015. Collaboration protocols to be discussed first with USAID.
Gender in higher education institution (HEI) Leadership analysis
SOW drafted Local short-term technical assistance (STTA) to conduct
Year 1 2015 2016
ug
Coordination meetings with key higher education (HE) donors (e.g., British Council)
Initial coordination
Contract local communications firm SOW drafted
Industry sector partner semiannual progress reviews Not scheduled for
this time period
Priority Industry Selection and Ongoing Engagement
Review and discuss labor market assessment (LMA) with USAID
Completed Concluded on 9/29/2015
Supplement LMA with additional data and analysis on macroeconomic data, employment projections
Completed The results of this work are included in the draft Expression of Interest (EOI).
Rapid vetting of LMA with MOHESR and SCU. Finalize long list of industry sectors.
Completed Led by JAA. Intense outreach to private-sector associations and companies to secure HEPP buy-in
Outreach and consultations with industry on priority sectors (subsectors and skills gaps) and secure initial commitments (detailed in memorandum of understanding [MOU])
6-10 MOUs from private
Completed 10 MOUs signed and 18 are in process
Year 1 2015 2016
ug
Se p
O ct
N ov
D ec
Ja n
Fe b
M ar
A pr
M ay
Ju n
Ju l
A ug
Se p
Present priority list of sectors to USAID and GOE bodies Completed The results of this work are included
in the draft EOI.
Grants Selection Process Develop Grants Manual 12/15/2015 Completed USAID approval received in 12/2015 Issue EOI to Egyptian and US HEIs and conduct appropriate outreach (possible event)
12/20/2015 On hold The USAID approved EOI document was ready for publication on 12/18/2015
HEIs submit EOI Concept Notes 1/31/15 On hold
Evaluation of EOI to determine short list On hold
Issue Request for Applications (RFA) to shortlisted Egyptian HEIs
On hold
Organize partnership development workshop, including 10 Bridges training
On hold Planning is complete, but the actual events have been delayed
Facilitate matchmaking for Objective 1 and, as needed, Objective 2 partnerships
On hold To occur in person or virtually (e.g., by Skype, email, and/or phone)
US and Egypt universities develop joint proposals On hold
US university faculty encouraged to visit Egypt with their own resources to develop joint proposal/work plan
Final recommendation/ negotiation/pre-award assessment of grants
On hold
Year 1 2015 2016
ug
On hold
To be conducted in parallel to pre- award assessment. Will inform separate USAID construction procurement
Development of grants management system Specifications
drafted
Work has begun on the end user specifications for this system with the objective of issuing an Request for Information (RFI)/RFA for system implementation by March 31
Award grants and disbursal of phase I grant funds
18 grants awarded
(9 partnerships)
On hold
Review of Phase I (intensive supervision of initial grant implementation by HEPP grants managers to ensure meeting six month milestones)
Not scheduled for this time period
Review and remediation planning for non-performance included in this step
Disbursal of Phase 2 grant funds
To be determined
(TBD)
Not scheduled for this time period At about month eight of grant
Review of Phase 2 (coach and monitor milestone progress at 18 months)
Disbursal of Phase 3 grant funds TBD Not scheduled for
this time period At about month 18 of grant
Phase 3 implementation Not scheduled for this time period
Grant implementation continues to the middle of Year 4
Grants officer semiannual review with Egyptian HEIs Not scheduled for
this time period Ongoing activity, every 6 months
Year 1 2015 2016
ug
Private-sector cost-share fundraising push On hold Majority of cost-share will be built into
the grant awards
Activities Related To Objective 1 (in addition to activities stated above)
Consultations with Technical Committee of SCU Completed
Agreement with MOE/MoTET on special conditions for technical college grants
On hold
Outreach to secure EOIs and commitment parameters from US universities for sector- specific pre-qualification list
On hold
On hold
Activity will be broken down in Year 2 work plan by specific grant activities, once grants have been awarded
Ongoing technical assistance (TA) to assist grantees in networking with the private sector to create demand- driven curricula and improved instructional techniques
Not scheduled for this time period Led by JAA
Analysis of military-to- university transition to work Not scheduled for
this time period Activity is TBD
Year 1 2015 2016
ug
Se p
O ct
N ov
D ec
Ja n
Fe b
M ar
A pr
M ay
Ju n
Ju l
A ug
Se p
Activities Related To Objective 2 (in addition to activities stated above)
Identify sectors from long list that are most aligned/have opportunities for research, development, and innovation (RDI)
Partially identified by the efforts
made by JAA to identify industry
needs
Visit existing RDI centers at Egyptian universities to assess targets of opportunities
On hold
Experts from RTI's Discovery, Science, and Technology Unit to lead (timing TBD, before EOI or after short list of HEIs)
Facilitate four-party university-private sector agreements for Objective 2 grants (after short-list of Egyptian and US HEIs identified)
Launch Objective 2 innovation grants (3 out of 6) 3 Not scheduled for
this time period
Workshops for selected university and private sector groups to promote industry- academia linkages
Implementation of Objective 2 grants
6 grants awarded
(3 partnerships)
Activity will be broken down in Year 2 work plan by specific grant activities, once grants have been awarded
HEPP Research Conference for initial research grant applicants
Could be combined with annual HEPP conference, TBD
Year 1 2015 2016
ug
Commercialization revenue- sharing arrangements in place in Objective 2 grantees
On hold To be clarified in Objective 2 grant awards
Develop financial sustainability models to support RDI centers
Round 2 RDI grant selection process (from existing partnerships)
Document best practices/benchmarks from outside Egypt related to commercialization of research
As requested by universities and within the context of learning and innovation networks (LIN), led by JAA
Award remaining three RDI Grants (Round 2) Not scheduled for
this time period
this time period
Initial consultations with GOE on policy priorities for HE reform
Three policy priorities identified
On hold With international short-term technical assistance (STTA) support
Needs assessment of HEI leadership and GOE officials for technical assistance
On hold With international STTA support
Determine Learning and Innovation Network (LIN) focus areas based on grants awarded
To be determined, once grants are awarded
LINs organizational meeting Not scheduled for this time period To take place in month 2, Year 2
Year 1 2015 2016
ug
Ongoing activity; HEIs present grant milestones to peers in LINs
Annual HEPP Conference Not scheduled for this time period
Anticipated for October 2016. Grantees present their grants to peers.
US-Egyptian University Presidents' Network Not scheduled for
this time period
Women’s HEI leadership mentoring Not scheduled for
this time period
Informed by gender analysis and capacity building assessment of HEI leadership
Provide TA on approach to involve private sector in sustainable policy reform
University Presidents’ Policy Forum Not scheduled for
this time period
This may be combined with annual HEPP conference or coordinated with existing SCU events
M&E Produce draft performance monitoring plan (PMP), including results framework
10/30/2015 Completed Approved by USAID in 11/2015
Revise and submit final HEPP PMP
Completed M&E Plan Approved, Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS) submitted to USAID on Jan 18, 2016
3 0
M&E systems consultations with MOHESR and SCU (Assessment of SCU Data Center)
On hold
Baseline M&E data collection (in phases depending program activities)
Year 1 2015 2016
ug
Plan and develop Management Information for Innovation and Evaluation (MIILE) system (database and dashboard)
Specifications drafted
Work has begun on the end user specifications for this system with the objective of issuing an RFI/RFA for system implementation by March 31
Test MIILE system (database and dashboard) Not scheduled for
this time period
Launch MIILE system at first grantee HEPP conference Not scheduled for
this time period
Training on MIILE application (for both data center and HEIs' identified personnel as model for the analytics unit)
Grantees report deliverables through MIILE System Not scheduled for
this time period
Midterm evaluation including gender, process, and in- depth case studies
Quarterly M&E HEPP activities reporting Initiated/ongoing
Initiated/ongoing End of program evaluation/report Not scheduled for
this time period
Annex 2. Final Draft RFA for Objective 1 Grant Proposals [Redacted]
Annex 3. Initial Draft RFA for Objective 2 Grant Proposals [Redacted]
Annex 4. Documentation of the Applications Evaluation Process [Redacted]
Annex 5. Agenda for Objective 1 Info Sessions Workshop [Redacted]
Annex 6. Engineering Industries Survey Analysis through Egyptian Chamber of Engineering Industries/CEI [Redacted]
Annex 7. The 10 Bridges Model [Redacted]
Annex 8. Mapping MOHESR Vision 2030 to HEPP Objectives and 10 Industry Priority Sectors [Redacted]
Annex 9. Steps Toward World Class Higher Education: Reference Document [Redacted]
Annex 10. Policy Reform: Identification of Specific Laws and Regulations that should be Modified to Strengthen Higher Education [Redacted]
Annex 11. Discussion draft on Expansion of the LIN Concept to Better Support the Objective 2 RDI Centers [Redacted]
Annex 12. SOW for Communications Firm [Redacted]
Annex 13. SOW for Gender Analysis [Redacted]
Annex 14. Specifications for Management Information for Innovation and Evaluation (MIILE) System Requirements [Redacted]
Annex 15. Specifications for Contact Management Software [Redacted]
Closeout Activities
Development of the Call for Proposals for Objective 1 Grants
Outreach to US HEIs
Outreach to Egyptian HEIs
Modification of the Grants Process
Industry Engagement
Coordination with the GOE, USAID, and Stakeholders
Coordination with the GOE
Annex 1. Actual Results Compared to the Original Work Plan
Annex 2. Final Draft RFA for Objective 1 Grant Proposals
Annex 3. Initial Draft RFA for Objective 2 Grant Proposals
Annex 4. Documentation of the Applications Evaluation Process
Annex 5. Agenda for Objective 1 Info Sessions Workshop
Annex 6. Engineering Industries Survey Analysis through Egyptian Chamber of Engineering Industries/CEI
Annex 7. The 10 Bridges Model
Annex 8. Mapping MOHESR Vision 2030 to HEPP Objectives and 10 Industry Priority Sectors
Annex 9. Steps Toward World Class Higher Education: Reference Document
Annex 10. Policy Reform: Identification of Specific Laws and Regulations that should be Modified to Strengthen Higher Education
Annex 11. Discussion draft on Expansion of the LIN Concept to Better Support the Objective 2 RDI Centers
Annex 12. SOW for Communications Firm
Annex 13. SOW for Gender Analysis
Annex 14. Specifications for Management Information for Innovation and Evaluation (MIILE) System Requirements
Annex 15. Specifications for Contact Management Software

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Higher Education Partnership Program (HEPP) in Egypt

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