JICA Technical Cooperation Program for · 2012. 9. 18. · Yemen Broadening Regional Initiative for...

Republic of Yemen Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) JICA Technical Cooperation Program for Broadening Regional Initiative for Developing Girls’ Education Phase II (BRIDGE II) Inception Report February 2010

Yemen Broadening Regional Initiative for Developing Girls’ Education Phase II (BRIDGEII) Inception Report / February 2010

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1. Background ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. C/P, Objective and Outputs of BRIDGE II ........................................................................... 2 1.3. Project Organization ............................................................................................................. 3

2. Approach ....................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1. Overall .................................................................................................................................. 5 2.2. Approach to Capacity Development ..................................................................................... 7

3. Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 10 3.1. Activities for Output 1 – Development of Unified Guideline ............................................. 10

3.1.1. Hold Technical Review Committee Meeting to Discuss the Unification of Guidelines and Review the Drafts ................................................................................................................. 10 3.1.2. Analyze Legal and Financial Structures in Taiz to Improve BRIDGE ........................ 11 3.1.3. Design Improvement of BRIDGE School Improvement Model ................................... 11 3.1.4. Collect Lessons Learned to be Reflected in the Unification ....................................... 11 3.1.5. Draft / Modify Unified Guidelines .............................................................................. 11 3.1.6. Monitor Progress and New Challenges Arise in Taiz .................................................. 12 3.1.7. Obtain the Ministry’s Approval for the Unified Guidelines ........................................ 12

3.2. Activities for Output 2 – Capacity Development: Trial Implementation in a Target Governorate ( Target governorate will be selected by JICA ) ......................................................... 13

3.2.1. Develop Detail Implementation Plan in Target Governorate ...................................... 13 3.2.2. Train IC Members on How to Implement the Unified Model ..................................... 13 3.2.3. Train GEO Members on How to Implement the Unified Model ................................ 14 3.2.4. Train Target DEOs Members on How to Implement the Unified Model .................... 14 3.2.5. Train Target Schools’ School Committee Member on How to Analyze, Plan, Implement, Evaluate and Report School Improvement Activities .............................................. 15 3.2.6. Monitor Target Schools’ Progress, and Review Plan and Report ................................ 16 3.2.7. Hold Experience Sharing Workshop on School Improvement .................................... 17

3.3. Activities for Output 3 – Capacity Development: Girls Education Promotion ................... 17 3.3.1. Analyze Current Data Collection Capacity of Girls Education .................................. 17 3.3.2. Review Good Practices of Girls Education Promotion ............................................... 18 3.3.3. Design / Modify Girls Education Promotion Activity Package for Schools ................ 18 3.3.4. Plan, Implement and Evaluate Girls Education Promotion and Awareness Raising Campaigns .................................................................................................................................. 18 3.3.5. Hold Experience Sharing Workshop on Girls Education Promotion .......................... 18

3.4. Other Activities ................................................................................................................... 19 3.4.1. Conduct Baseline Study ............................................................................................... 19 3.4.2. Conduct Situation Analysis Study in Target Governorate ........................................... 19 3.4.3. Conduct Training in Japan.......................................................................................... 19 3.4.4. Hold National Level Training on How to Implement the Unified Model .................... 19 3.4.5. Conduct Endline Study ................................................................................................ 20 3.4.6. JCC, Evaluation and Missions .................................................................................... 20

4. Work plan .................................................................................................................................... 20 Appendices.......................................................................................................................................... 22


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Abbreviations

BEDP: Basic Education Development Project BRIDGE: Broadening Regional Initiatives for Developing Girls’ Education CFS: Child Friendly School C/P: Counterpart DEO: District Education Office DP: Development Partner EMIS: Education Management Information System FC: Fathers’ Council FMC: Fathers and Mothers’ Council GEO: Governorate Education Office GER: Gross Enrollment Rate GFO: Governorate Finance Office GOJ: Government of Japan GOY: Government of Yemen GPI: Gender Parity Index GTZ: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit IC: Implementation Committee IC/R: Inception Report JICA: Japan International Cooperation Agency JCC: Joint Coordination Committee MC: Mothers’ Council M/M: Minutes of Meeting MOE: Ministry of Education PDM: Project Design Matrix PO: Plan of Operation R/D: Record of Discussion SC: Steering Committee UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization UNICEF: United Nations Children’s Fund USAID: United States Agency for International Development WB: World Bank WFP: World Food Program WSI: Whole School Improvement YER: Yemeni Rial


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1. Introduction 1.1. Background

Gender inequity still persists throughout the education system as well as adult literacy in the Republic of Yemen. The gross enrollment rate (GER) for boys at the primary level has reached 85% whereas that for girls still remains low at 65%. Adult literacy for females (39%) is far below that of males (76%) (UNESCO/ GMR 2009). Faced with these mounting challenges, the Government of Yemen has embarked on an ambitious national education reform in 2003 to improve the coverage and quality of education in the country. The Basic Education Development Strategy (BEDS) was formulated to target fulfilling the national objectives of providing quality universal basic education to all the children in Yemen (6-14 years) by the year 2015. Since then Yemen has achieved considerable improvements in the coverage of education for a large part of its population, especially for girls and rural communities. Substantial increase has been realized in enrollment at the every education level. Girls’ enrollment rate in the basic education has experienced an impressive progress from 42% in 1998/99 to 64% in 2007/08.

The challenges remain, however. Persistent disparity between boys and girls and between urban and rural communities still remains large. Gender disparity in the basic education enrollment rate is still one of the largest in the world. More efforts to overcome these inequities are urgently needed.

Responding this situation, the Government of Yemen (GOY) requested the Government of Japan (GOJ) to provide technical support to support facilitate the implementation of BEDS. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had already provided its technical support in Taiz governorate from June 2005 to November 2008. The project, named BRIDGE (Broadening Regional Initiative for Developing Girls’ Education), was set out to design and pilot a workable model for school grant management to promote girls’ education by facilitating community participation in school management. Pilot activities were carried out in 6 target districts encompassing 59 target schools. In each school, the project facilitated the formation of a school committee (and Fathers and Mothers’ Council (FMC)) to be responsible for planning and implementing school improvement plans. The project proved to be effective for raising girls’ enrollment in targeted schools, improvement of school environment, nurturing trustful relationships between schools and communities, and developing positive attitudes among school management and community members regarding girls’ schooling.

As a result of the above achievement, the effectiveness and workability of the model developed under the BRIDGE Project has come to gain wide recognition in Yemen. Other programs/projects based on the Project’s concept and design have been implemented under different initiatives. Based on the recognition of the success, the GOY once again sent a request to the GOJ for the next phase of the BRIDGE Project. The second phase of the BRIDGE Project, hence, aims more at developing the capacity of the Ministry of Education


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(MOE) of Yemen at the central level in order to enable them to scale up the implementation of the model to a wider national level coverage.

In June 2009, JICA dispatched a project design mission to formulate and agree on the detail design of the BRIDGE Project Phase 2 (BRIDGE II). Project Design Matrix (PDM) and Plan of Operation (PO) for BRIDGE II was agreed between JICA and MOE during the mission. The official Record of Discussion (R/D) and Minutes of Meeting (M/M) was signed in August 2009 by both the JICA Regional Representative and the Minister of Education. The BRIDGE II Project was agreed to start from January 2010. The Dhamar Governorate was chosen as a target governorate for BRIDGE II’s trial implementation.

1.2. Counterpart (C/P), Project Purpose and Outputs of BRIDGE II

Counterpart The Ministry of Education The Taiz Governorate Education Office (Reference Site) The Dhamar Governorate Education Office (Target Site) Project Purpose

The MOE’s standard model for school management for promoting girls’ education based on the BRIDGE model is disseminated and implemented by MOE under the framework of BEDS.

Indicators - The number of schools that have introduced the standard school management model is

increased. Outputs

1. The standard model for school improvement approved by MOE is shared by MOE and other development partners. Indictors - Guidelines for the standard school management model are developed and

approved by MOE and related ministries; and - Participants gain a good understanding of the standard school management

model after training. 2. The standard school management model functions in the target governorate with the

support from MOE. Indicators - GEOs, DEOs and school committees in target areas gain a good understanding

of their roles/responsibilities to support the standard school management model; - The number of enrolled students in target schools has increased; and - The changes in head teachers’ and community members’ attitudes and behaviors


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are confirmed. 3. Awareness raising activities to promote girls’ education are facilitated by the Girls

Education Sector of MOE. Indicators - Gender related indicators (e.g., GPI, the level of awareness) are improved in

target areas Project Deliverables

The Project will produce the following deliverables. a. Reports

- Inception Report; - Baseline Study Report; - Situation Analysis Report in Dhamar; - Gender Related Data Analysis Report; - Approved Unified School Improvement Guideline; - Progress Report (at the mid-year, every year); - Year End Report (at the end of year, every year); and - Project Final Report.

b. Activity Outputs - Capacity Development of the Implementation Committee of the Ministry for the

Implementation and Scaling Up of the Unified Whole School Improvement Model; - Unified Guideline for Whole School Improvement Model; - Trainings for GEO/DEOs/School Committees on how to Implement the Unified

Whole School Improvement Model (every year from Year 2); - School Improvement Activity Planning, Implementation and Evaluation at Target

Schools (every year from Year 2); - Girls Education Awareness Raising Campaign Planning, Implementation and

Evaluation at the National and Governorate Level; - Girls Education Promotion Activity Package for Schools; and - Counterpart Training in Japan (every year).

1.3. Project Organization

A. Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) The Joint Coordination Committee, which consists of both the Yemeni and Japanese sides, will be established for the effective implementation of the BRIDGE II Project.

The JCC will meet at least once a year or as the necessity arises in order to formulate the annual plan of operation, review the overall progress and achievement of the Project, and exchange views on major issues arising from or in connection with implementation of the Project.

Chairpersonship Minister of Education (Chairperson) Team Leader of JICA Expert (Co-Chairperson)


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Yemeni side

Deputy Minister, General Education Deputy Minister, Girls Education Deputy Minister, Training and Qualification Head of Technical Office General Director, Financial Affairs

Japanese side

Resident Representative, JICA Yemen Office JICA Experts of the Project National Consultants of the Project Members of JICA Tokyo HQ (if available in country) Officer(s) of Japan Embassy (observer)

B. Steering Committee (SC)

Steering Committee will be held annually and as needed, to formulate the plan of operation for the Project. The members consist of the Minister as chair, Technical Office as coordinator and representatives from General Education, Girls Education, Training and Qualification, and Financial Affairs

SC Membership The Minister of Education (Chair) Deputy Minister, General Education Deputy Minister, Girls Education Deputy Minister, Training and Qualification Head of Technical Office (Coordinator) General Director, Financial Affairs

C. Implementation Committee (IC)

Implementation Committee will be organized and meet regularly to implement all the project’s day-to-day activities in collaboration with the JICA Yemen Office and monitor the progress at the national and governorate levels. IC will report to SC and JCC. Additional members will be appointed when necessary to best facilitate the successful implementation of the project.

IC Membership General Director, General Education (Chair) Deputy Director, General Education Deputy Director, General Education General Director, School Activity, General Education General Director, Teacher Affair, General Education General Director, Girls Education Support, Girls Education (Co-Chair) General Director, Community Participation, Girls Education General Director, Study, Follow-up and Evaluation, Girls Education


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General Director, Training Deputy General Director, Training Head of Coordination Unit, Technical Office (Coordinator) Trainers recruited in the first year of the Project GEO Directors of Taiz and Dhamar governorate JICA Experts Additional Members

2. Approach 2.1. Overall

a. Furthering community participation in school management, building trust between schools and communities, involving women in the process of the development, and encouraging men’s understanding and cooperation

Having a good relationship between society and school is important to enhance the school improvement with giving attention to girls’ enrolment to ensure the increase of their enrollment level. As the experience from BRIDGE I and elsewhere shows the community’s participation in school operation greatly enhances the effectiveness of school improvement efforts and girls’ enrollment in the school. For instance, the trust in school’s safety encourages many parents wary about school environment to allow their female children to enroll in school. The foundation of the community participation is built on the FMC structure. The FMC in each school will play a crucial role in the school committees of BRIDGE II Project.

b. Emphasizing more on the “Quality” side of education

Not only does the Project aim at improving the girls’ access to education, but it will also expend many efforts to enhance the quality of education for girls. As successful as BRIDGE I, which had promoted access to education among girls, it was recognized that challenges were faced in assuring quality education for girls.

In BRIDGE II the Project aims to improve the quality of education in two fronts: 1) quality of school facilities built by the Project’s grant funds and 2) quality of teachers’ attitudes and behaviors towards girls in schools. The Project will make sure that all the facilities built or renovated under the scheme abide by appropriate regulatory standards. In addition, awareness-raising for teachers to promote encouraging attitudes towards girls will be incorporated into the trainings.

c. Utilizing fully the resources and knowledge from BRIDGE 1 and other similar programs

In Taiz governorate where BRIDGE I focused its effort for the duration of 4 years there is an abundance of human resources who are experienced and capable of handling the school improvement model based on BRIDGE I. Apart from BRIDGE I and Taiz governorate, other development partners have been undertaking different but similar kinds of projects in different governorates. These similar projects and governorates are full of insightful knowledge and lessons learned that the Project will want to utilize and integrate into its activities.


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The Project will maintain very close cooperation with ex-BRIDGE officers in Taiz and the other development partners in order to seek benefits from the accumulated pool of resources and wisdom in this field.

On the other hand, BRIDGE II will not allow schools to use the school grant to hire contract teachers due to the serious concern over the sustainability of this particular kind of school improvement activity, while acknowledging the strong positive impact it brought about during BRIDGE I on improving girls’ access to schools.

d. Collaborating with other development partners within the framework of Basic Education

Development Strategy (BEDS) It is the Project’s intention to produce a unified version of the guidelines for the school improvement model that currently still remains slightly different. The Project will seek its position within the wider framework of BEDS in order to join forces with other development partners in the coordinated effort to achieve the BEDS’s goal under the MOE’s initiative. The Project will participate in development partners’ coordination meetings to share information and ideas with them.

e. Facilitating consensus building and budget allocation at the governorate and central level

in preparation for the nation-wide scaling up The Project sets as its overall goal the scaling up of the unified school improvement model to include all the rest of governorates in Yemen. Although the MOE will be equipped with the necessary capacity and know-how to carry out the scaling up tasks, this goal would not become possible unless there is a wider consensus at the national and governorate levels and budget allocation committed by either the central or governorate government. The Project will do its best to facilitate this consensus building and decision making about allocating necessary budgets.

f. Setting readily comparable indicators to measure the degree of improvement in girls’

education issues The Project’s success rests in a large part on the degree of success in promoting girls schooling in terms of its quantity and quality. Evaluation will play an important role in keeping track of outcomes from various activities undertaken by the Project. In order to effectively and efficiently monitor, evaluate and compare outcomes across different schools, districts and governorates, the indicators to be used should be ones which are readily comparable and reasonably easily to be obtained.

g. Exploring the possible opportunity of utilizing Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF)

The Ministry of Finance of Japan has been willing to offer grant funds to the World Bank Yemen through the JSDF scheme so as to utilize the funds in a collaborative manner with the Project’s effort. The Project will communicate


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with the WB Yemen office to look into the feasibility of JSDF to be deployed in Yemen for this particular intension described above. If it is to be processed, the Project will support the application process by drafting proposals.

The potential areas to which the JSDF fund can be utilized most effectively in collaboration with the Project include the scaling-up of the training for WSI to other governorates, conducting additional research study to measure the effectiveness of the existing WSI intervention, and providing school fund to other schools that are currently not included in the WSI programs.

2.2. Approach to Capacity Development

h. Strengthening the capacity of the Implementation Committee as a core technical resource pool towards nation-wide scaling up of the whole school improvement model

It is essential for the success of the project that the members of the MOE take leadership and responsibility in the implementation of the project with the support from JICA Experts.

The Implementation Committee (IC) is the actual implementer of the Project, and is the core of the project. Therefore, the Project will direct its capacity development efforts to strengthen the knowledge and skills of the IC members who are responsible for implementing all the Project’s activities. It is the Project’s critical aim to share all necessary knowledge, skills and know-how with the members of the implementation committee by the end of project completion so that the IC will become a valuable human and knowledge resource base to be utilized in the trainings and supervisions for nation-wide scaling up in the future. The IC is the most important key player in every capacity development effort under the Project.

Within the Implementation Committee, there will be two core teams. One team mainly deals with analyzing, discussing, writing and revising the unified version of the guidelines of whole school improvement with the school grant fund model. The team will be called the “Guideline Team”. The other team deals mainly with providing trainings to GEOs/DEOs/school committees. It will be called the “Training Team”. Members to work on these teams will be nominated and appointed as appropriate from the members of IC.

In addition to these two separate distinctive teams, IC as a whole team will deal with monitoring, supervising and evaluating the progress made in the target governorate and reporting the findings to the Steering Committee (SC) and Joint Coordination Committee (JCC).

JICA Experts will work side by side with IC members in every step through the completion of the project. It is JICA Experts responsibility to provide appropriate technical advice and support to IC members based on the experience of BRIDGE I in Taiz.


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Figure 2.1 Structure and Functions of Implementation Committee

i. Providing sufficient training opportunity for all relevant stakeholders to effectively enable

them to implement and monitor school improvement and girls’ education promotion. The Project will provide training opportunities to GEOs, DEOs and school stakeholders. The Project will see to it that the trainings conducted at different levels (cascade style) will each have a clear definition and roles to bring about an appropriate synergy effect, and aim to develop every aspect (knowledge, skill, attitude, institutional communication channel) of capacity needed. Trainings and workshops of the Project can be summarized as follows:-

Table 2.1 Trainings and Workshops in BRIDGE II

Trainings Workshops

Target/ Participants

Trainers Objectives Venue Schedule

Inception Report Seminar

MOE, MOF, MOCS, DPs

MOE C/P (SC, IC), Taiz C/P, Dhamar C/P, JICA Experts

Introduction of the BRIDGE Phase II Project

Consensus building about unifying the guidelines

Sana’a Jan 2010

Technical Review Committee for Unifying Guidelines

MOE C/P, DPs, Consultants, other stakeholders

JICA Experts

Technical discussion on various issues concerning the unification of the guidelines

Sana’a Once in every three months (will be adjusted as needed)

Training for Implementation Committee on the Unified

Implementation Committee members, Other trainers

JICA Experts, IC members with the

Methodologies on how to implement school improvement model based on the unified guideline, and how

Sana’a Sept 2010 (continue as OJT thereafter)

IC MembersMOE General Education, Girls Education,

MOE Training, Technical OfficeGEO Taiz, GEO Dhamar, DEOs Taiz,

Other Trainers

JICA Experts

Trainings for GEO/DEOs/ School Com.

TrainingTeam

GuidelineTeam

Technical Review

Committee

Proposals ofRevision

Instruction on the Guideline

Monitoring &Supervision of

School ImprovementActivities

ImplementationCommittee

Support Governorate to Secure Budget for School Grant

Coordinator: Technical Office


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Trainings Workshops

Target/ Participants

Trainers Objectives Venue Schedule

Model experience of WSI

to train GEO/ DEOs/ school committees

Training for GEO on the Unified Model

Dhamar GEO officers

MOE IC members, JICA Experts

Methodologies on how to implement school improvement model based on the unified guideline, and how to train DEOs/ school committees

Sana’a Oct 2010 Oct 2011 Oct 2012

Training for DEOs on the Unified Model

Target DEOs officers, DEO inspectors

Target GEO Team, MOE IC, JICA Experts

Methodologies on how to implement school improvement model based on the unified guideline, and how to train school committees How to conduct monitoring of school activities

Dhamar GEO

Oct 2010 Oct 2011 Oct 2012

Training for School Committee on the Unified Model

Head teachers, School committee, FMC members

Target GEO/ DEOs, MOE IC, JICA Experts

How to conduct a situation and problem analysis of the school, How to develop a school improvement plan based on the analysis, How to form a school committee, How to make activity and financial reports

Dhamar., DEO offices

Nov 2010 Nov 2011 Nov 2012

Experience Sharing Workshop (school improvement)

MOE, MOF, MOCS, DPs

MOE C/P, JICA Experts

Sharing the experience of BRIDGE II project of implementing school improvement activities

Sana’a June 2011 June 2012 June 2013 2.2.1.

Girls Education Promotion Seminar

DEOs, Head teachers, School committees

Target GEO Girls Education

Exhibition workshops to show girls education promotional activities at schools

Dhamar GEO

Apr 2011 Apr 2012

Experience Sharing Workshop (girls education)

MOE, DPs, other GEOs

MOE Girls Education, JICA Experts

Sharing the experience of BRIDGE II project of implementing girls education promotion activities

Sana’a May 2011 May 2012 2.2.2.

National Level Workshop on the Unified Model

Every GEO, Aden GEO, Hadramout GEO,

MOE IC, Target GEO, Taiz GEO, JICA Experts

Methodologies on how to implement school improvement model based on the unified guideline, and how to train school committees How to conduct monitoring of school activities

Sana’a May 2012 July 2013


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3. Methodology 3.1. Activities for Output 1 – Development of Unified Guideline

3.1.1. Hold Technical Review Committee Meeting to Discuss the Unification of Guidelines and Review the Drafts The Project will coordinate a series of technical review committee meetings chaired by the MOE. The chair of the technical review committee will invite stakeholders from the MOE, related development partners (DPs), Taiz GEO, and other interested parties to join as its permanent members. The committee will then discuss technical issues relating to the unification of the guidelines for whole school improvement with the school grant scheme, and review draft versions of the unified guideline which will be produced by the IC.

The guideline will unify the different guidelines including the whole school improvement, child friendly school, and BRIDGE. They are currently different, but should be unified and approved as the only guideline of the MOE for whole school improvement using the school grant fund.

The guideline covers schools, DEOs, GEOs and the MOE, and specifies the instructions related to how to manage the school grant fund, how to plan and implement various school improvement activities, and how to make financial statements. The guideline also specifies the roles and responsibilities of DEOs and GEOs for training, supporting and supervising school committees to implement the school improvement plan. For the MOE, it specifies the management structure and their roles in supporting GEOs and DEOs.

Technical review committee meetings will be held approximately once in every three months depending on the progress and needs for review of the unification effort.

Table 3.1 Technical Review Committee Meetings

Purpose 1. Consolidate and coordinate technical requirements and requests from the MOE, DPs and relevant programs that need to be reflected in the unified version of the guideline

2. Build consensus among all stakeholders to form a single unified guideline to be utilized as a system of the MOE

3. Disseminate information regarding the progress of draft development, and review the contents of each draft until it is finalized and approved.

Frequency/ Duration

Once in every three months (actual frequency will depend on the progress of the drafting) First meeting: Feb 2010 Last meeting: May 2012 (until the final version is developed)

General Info.

• Chaired by MOE General Education or Technical Office • Basically it should purely focus on technical issues. Participants should be knowledgeable

about the reality of actual implementation and know-how of using their own guidelines. • Communication from experts through e-mails will supplement the face-to-face discussions. • Membership should be open to whoever wishes to take part. • Non-technical negotiations /coordination should be handled in the donor coordination

meetings.


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Participant Invitation for each meeting should not exceed about 20 persons at one time in order to keep the discussion efficient and focused. In case there’s a need to limit the invitation, persons with the most appropriate experience and knowledge will be given priority. All the participants and parties who expressed interest will be informed of the minutes after the meeting is finished. (Possible participants) Chair: Representative of General Education of the MOE Coordinator: Technical Office

• MOE, GEOs • WB, BEDP PAU, UNICEF, GTZ, DEfD, KfW, USAID, JICA • Independent international/ national consultants with relevant experience • NGOs

3.1.2. Analyze Legal and Financial Structures in Taiz to Improve BRIDGE

The Project will continue following up the process of improvement in Taiz Governorate. The improvement has been identified as necessary in two fronts: 1) Mechanism of financial and administrative support from the central MOE to GEO and DEOs, and 2) Legal system to realize the direct transfer of GEO fund to schools as recommended by BRIDGE I.

The Project will also follow up how the other recommendations have been or are being implemented or impeded in Taiz Governorate, and provide support to expedite their effectuation.

3.1.3. Design Improvement of BRIDGE School Improvement Model

The Project will review the experience of BRIDGE I and post-BRIDGE I in Taiz, and propose approaches to improve the implementation of BRIDGE model in Taiz. It is also envisioned that, as a result of the analysis, the Project might have to modify the current BRIDGE guideline to incorporate new issues and proposals for improvement.

3.1.4. Collect Lessons Learned to be Reflected in the Unification

Stakeholders of BRIDGE I and those who have experience in other related school improvement programs, especially that of GTZ, UNICEF CFS, BEDP WSI will be interviewed to exchange ideas and collect lessons learned that can be useful inputs for the unification of the guidelines.

3.1.5. Draft / Modify Unified Guidelines

The IC of the Project will develop a draft of the unified guidelines. The IC will inform the MOE and DPs about the progress of the draft development through the technical review committee and donor coordination meetings.

The drafted unified guidelines will not only be reviewed in the technical review committee for feedback but also be tested and tried in real implementation situations that the IC will undertake in the target governorate of the Project. The draft then will be modified and upgraded reflecting on feedback and recommendations gained through those opportunities.


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FMC BylawCFS GuidelineWSI Guideline

Other Guidelines

Trial Implementation in Dhamar

Lessons Learned from BRIDGE and Other Programs

Technical Review CommitteeFor the Unification of the

Guidelines

Draft

Year 1

Draft

Year 2Draft Year 3

Unified Guidelines / Model

DiscussionReview

DiscussionReview

TrialLessonsLearned

ModifiedBRIDGE

Guidelines

System Guideline/ Model

Utilization

MOEApproval

TrialLessonsLearned

Figure 3.1 Conceptual Road Map to Unified/Systemized Guideline & Model

3.1.6. Monitor Progress and New Challenges which arise in Taiz The Project will maintain close communication with the Taiz GEO BRIDGE Team in order to keep track of any progress made and keep an eye on possible new challenges that might arise to gain more insight into the working of the model in the longer time frame.

The Project’s main concern will likely be focused around the question of sustainability of the model. New insights gained from Taiz will subsequently be taken into account in drafting the unified guidelines.

3.1.7. Obtain the Ministry’s Approval for the Unified Guidelines

The Project will seek the MOE’s approval on the unified guidelines at the earliest possible timing. Actual submission schedule for approval will largely hinge upon the swiftness of draft finalization of the unified guidelines, but the Project is expecting it will be able to submit the final draft not earlier than by the end of Year 3, which is around June 2012.

After obtaining approval of the unified guideline, the Project will then seek authorization from the MOE as a Decree if necessary.

An important point which must not be forgotten here is that by having a single unified guideline we aim to reach the stage where the unified guideline is being adopted and utilized by every party in Yemen that implements a policy, project or program component of school improvement with the grant fund scheme. In other words, we would like to make sure everyone who plans or implements this type of scheme follows basically the same set of framework and core methodology that are stipulated in the unified guideline. This will greatly enhance efficiency of program implementation and make quality control by the MOE much more


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effective.

3.2. Activities for Output 2 – Capacity Development: Trial Implementation in Dhamar

Governorate 3.2.1. Develop Detail Implementation Plan in Dhamar Governorate

Based on the situation analysis report (3.4.2) and the governorate’s education development strategy, the Project will hold a series of discussions with the governorate local government and GEO of Dhamar to develop a detailed implementation plan in Dhamar governorate. The governorate’s implementation plan should take account the issue of the governorate’s ownership and program sustainability. Also, the plan will clarify the financial commitment of the governorate to continue the whole school improvement program after the completion of the project. MOU will be signed between the governorate and the Project. The MOU will define the detail plan of the technical cooperation and financial support, the division of roles and responsibilities, and the governorate’s financial commitment.

Selection of target schools will be made mutually by the GEO and the Project. However, due to the security concern of the Japanese side, the selection will abide by the JICA regulations, which will be specified by the JICA Yemen Office. Some of the regulations include, but not limited to, a) select about half of all the target schools within Dhamar City, b) select schools that are not too far and accessible within a day trip, and c) avoid any schools where commitment for a full cooperation from its community leader is not granted.

After the screening by the JICA security regulations, target schools will be selected based on the following criteria:-

Schools and sub-districts with relatively low GPI DEO’s strong enthusiasm and commitment DEO’s willingness to establish a DEO implementation team

Final selection will be made by the GEO in discussion with the Project. Approximately 60 schools from 6 districts will be selected as target schools. The result of the final selection will be reviewed and checked by JICA to confirm from a security point of view.

3.2.2. Train IC Members on How to Implement the Unified Model The Implementation Committee will be trained on how to implement the whole school improvement model based on the unified guideline. The training will take approximately 3 days.

In the IC, there are some MOE staff members who have had relevant experience from the BEDP Whole School Improvement program or from the UNICEF Child Friendly School program. There is no doubt that they will be the core driving force of the IC. However, at the same time, the Project places a high value on developing the capacity of the staff members with little relevant experience so as to promote a more balanced distribution of capacity and know-how for the whole


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school improvement model.

Trainers of the training will be Japanese experts supported by the IC members with relevant experience.

3.2.3. Train GEO Members on How to Implement the Unified Model Dhamar Governorate will establish a committee for whole school improvement, the members of which will be trained by the IC members of the MOE. The contents of the training will include the methodologies of whole school improvement based on the unified guideline as well as components for training of trainers. Training will take place at MOE in Sana’a. Strengthening the capacity of GEO members is the first key to the success of the implementation of the standard whole school development model. It is especially important that the trained GEO will understand and adapt a more bottom-up approach to implement the whole school improvement model. The capacity of GEO will be strengthened through the off-site training opportunity as well as through day-to-day on-the-job training through supporting and coaching by the MOE Implementation Committee.

Table 3.2 Draft Contents for GEO Training Schedule Topics Input/Output Trainer

Day 1 - Introduction to BRIDGE program and girls education promotion

- The review of the experience of the phase 1 in Taiz and of the similar kind of programs in Yemen

- Introduction to the Guideline - Structure and roles and responsibility of MOE,

GEO, DEO, School, parents.

- The unified guideline

Implementation Committee

Day 2 - Understanding the school improvement plan - Understanding the financial processes and cash

transfer mechanism - Discussion


Day 3 - How to monitor and support the school improvement implementation in schools

- How to train DEOs and School Committees - Schedule for the next year - Discussion

- Training plan

3.2.4. Train Target DEOs Members on How to Implement the Unified Model The GEO members, once trained by the Implementation Committee will train target DEO members on how to implement the unified whole school development model. The Project will technically and financially support the Implementation Committee and GEO members to carry out the training for DEOs.

DEO members play a critical role in facilitating and promoting the activities of target schools and ensuring the quality of school improvement planning, implementation, and reporting. DEO members will closely monitor the progress at the school level, support school’s ability to plan, implement and report, and mediate to resolve problems or conflicts that might arise. GEO members will be


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responsible for monitoring DEOs on these supportive activities.

From the BRIDGE phase 1 experience, the involvement of school inspectors is also an important option to consider. The Project will coordinate with GEO/DEOs in regard to how to involve district school inspectors in the structure of the whole school development implementation.

Approximately 3-4 members from each DEO will take part in the DEO training. The training will take place at the GEO’s office.

Table 3.3 Draft Contents of DEO Training Schedule Topics Input Trainer

Day 1 - Introduction to BRIDGE program and girls education promotion





GEO, Implementation Committee

Day 2 - Understanding the school improvement plan - Understanding the financial processes and cash

transfer mechanism - Discussion


Day 3 - How to monitor and support the school improvement implementation in schools

- How to train School Committees - Schedule for the next year - Discussion

- Training plan

3.2.5. Train Target Schools’ School Committee Member on How to Analyze, Plan,

Implement, Evaluate and Report School Improvement Activities ** the final structure definition of school committee will be decided in the

discussion of the IC and clarified in the unified guideline. **

Every year, at the beginning of the school year, DEOs in coordination with GEO will conduct trainings for head teachers, school social workers (if applicable) and school committee members. First training is for head teachers and school social workers, and focuses on 1) establishment of father and mother council and school committees, 2) assessment of schools’ strengths and weaknesses, and 3) school improvement planning, implementation and reporting.

The second training is for school committee members who will be organized under head teachers and school social workers arrangement. The trainings will focus on developing the school committees’ capacity in every step of the implementation process of the whole school development. It includes knowledge and skills needed to plan, implement, evaluate and report on the whole school improvement activities that the school committee will be primarily responsible for.

From each school committee, 5 members (chairperson, accountant, representatives


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of father and mother council, student representative) will be nominated to participate in the training. The trainings will take place at the DEO’s office or GEO’s office.

Table 3.4 Draft Contents for Head Teacher Training Schedule Topics Input Trainer

Day 1 - Introduction to BRIDGE program and girls education promotion.





DEO, GEO Implementation Committee

Day 2 - Understanding the school improvement plan and the process of implementing it

- Understanding the financial processes and cash transfer mechanism

- Understanding how to promote girls education


- School improvement plan format

Day 3 - Analyzing strength and weakness of school and identifying steps to improve the school

- Drafting a school improvement plan - Discussion

- School improvement plan format

Table 3.5 Draft Contents for School Committee Training

Schedule Topics Input Trainer Day 1 - Introduction to BRIDGE program and girls

education promotion - The review of the experience of the phase 1 in

Taiz and of the similar kind of programs in Yemen




DEO, GEO Implementation Committee

Day 2 - Understanding the school improvement plan and the process of implementing it

- Understanding the financial processes and cash transfer mechanism

- Finalizing and agreeing on the school’s objectives for the next year


- Draft school improvement plan

- School strength and weakness analysis

Day 3 - Drafting components of the school improvement plan

- Finalizing and agreeing on the school improvement plan among Council members

- Confirm the schedule for the implementation - Discussion

- Draft school improvement plan

3.2.6. Monitor Target Schools’ Progress, and Review Plan and Report

Every target school will receive approximately USD 2,500- 3,000 annually to be utilized for their school improvement activities. The transfer to the schools will be made around October or November every year for the three years during BRIDGE


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II. JICA BRIDGE Team will be responsible for making the fund transfer, and the fund will be directly transferred to each school’s account.

The Implementation Committee will support the GEO and DEOs to follow up and monitor the progress of school improvement activities. Monitoring and follow-up is the most important factor that affects the effectiveness of school improvement activities and appropriate use and management of school grant funds. Without monitoring from GEO, it is extremely difficult for DEOs to continue supporting schools and to ensure school funds are appropriately disbursed and utilized. Also, without monitoring and support from DEO, school committees will not be able to become fully functional and accountable. Without a functioning monitoring system, the whole school development model is bound to fail.

Just as a rough guidance, it is estimated from the experience of BRIDGE phase 1 that the GEO team should make at least two monitoring visits in a year to each DEO, DEO team should make at least one visit in every other month to each school, and MOE Implementation Committee should make at least two to three visits in a month to the GEO, DEOs or schools.

Approval of financial reports from schools will be made by GEO. JICA, however, has its own financial regulation to check the consistency in the financial reports. Final approval, therefore, will have to be made by the Project’s Japanese experts.

When serious misuse or misallocation of financial resources is repeatedly reported, the school committee with the misuse will be severely punished by expulsion from target schools or even lead to legal actions being taken.

3.2.7. Hold Experience Sharing Workshop on School Improvement Based on the experience in Dhamar Governorate, the Project, together with the Implementation Committee will hold experience sharing workshops to share the new knowledge and accumulated lessons learned about the whole school improvement implementation with relevant stakeholder in the education sector.

3.3. Activities for Output 3 – Capacity Development: Girls Education Promotion 3.3.1. Analyze Current Data Collection Capacity of Girls Education

The Project will review existing national and governorate level statistics and other related materials to visualize the overall picture of girls’ education in Yemen and different parts of Yemen.

The Project will also, as a starting point of capacity development of the girls’ education sector, review the current level of capacity of the girls’ education sector of statistical data collection and processing as well as the capacity and experience of analyzing, planning, organizing, and evaluating girls’ education promotional campaigns. Interviews will be made to relevant stakeholders including those who have worked with the sector previously, such as GTZ or UNICEF. Education Management Information System (EMIS) is another important component to constitute the data collection ability of MOE, and hence the Project may also need to look into the situation of EMIS.


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3.3.2. Review Good Practices of Girls Education Promotion The Project will review the past experience of good practices in the field of girls’ education promotion in Yemen through literature reviews and interviews to stakeholders who still are in Yemen. Also, the Project will try to refer to good examples of girls’ education promotion from the extensive experience of similar kinds of JICA in other parts of the world especially in Muslim countries with somewhat similar characteristics such as Afghanistan or Pakistan.

3.3.3. Design / Modify Girls Education Promotion Activity Package for Schools

The Project will, based on the review of good practices and discussions with stakeholders, design a girls’ education promotional activity package with the aim of supporting schools implementing school-based promotional activities to boost girls’ enrollment in schools and uplifting the quality of education.

The activity package will consist of a description of objectives of resources needed and steps to be taken for a variety of activities that are easily understandable and doable at schools. The activity package will take the form of a booklet or guideline that is readily portable, and during the Project they will be distributed to the target schools along with the unified guideline for school improvement with the school grant.

The activity package will be designed as a first draft by the end of Year 1, and as experience of implementation accumulates in the target governorate will be modified or expanded to incorporate lessons learned and discussions with school stakeholders.

3.3.4. Plan, Implement and Evaluate Girls Education Promotion and Awareness

Raising Campaigns The Project will support the girls’ education sector of the MOE to develop an annual plan for girls’ education promotion and awareness raising campaign (will be funded by the Project). The details of promotions and campaigns will be determined through discussions with the girls’ education sector. The Project will recommend to use its campaign character, Amal, as well as its campaign message, “Educating girls is your religious duty”, in these campaigns as appropriate. Communication channels that may be used in these campaigns will include, but not limited to, radio broadcasting, TV broadcasting, newspaper, message through mosques, etc.

3.3.5. Hold Experience Sharing Workshop on Girls Education Promotion The Project will hold experience sharing workshops targeting the MOE personnel and GEOs/ DEOs on the topic of girls’ education promotion campaigns as well as school-based activities to raise girls’ enrollment. The experience sharing workshops will be carried out by the girls’ education sector with support from JICA Experts.


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3.4. Other Activities 3.4.1. Conduct Baseline Study

In order to better understand the current situation of education of girls and community participation in school management and to obtain girls’ education related indicators of the current state at the beginning of the project, the Project will carry out a baseline study at the national and regional level. The study will aim mainly at producing a quantitative description of the status quo, but at the same time will include a more qualitative analysis probing into some aspects of causal elements and links that affect decisions of sending or not sending girls to school. The study will be conducted by a local research company (ies). Tentative TOR of the study is as per attached.

3.4.2. Conduct Situation Analysis Study in Target Governorate As part of the baseline study, the Project will conduct a detailed situation analysis study specifically of the target governorate. The study will serve as an information basis on which various decisions during the project implementation will be made.

3.4.3. Conduct Training in Japan The Project will send around 4 C/P members per annum to Japan for study. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about education system of Japan, school management in Japan, and actual school life in Japan. It is the Project’s aim that participants will derive good examples and lessons learned from their exposure to different conditions of education in Japan. By observing situations and issues of education in Japan, some are quite different and some are rather similar to Yemen, participants will have the chance to view the education in Yemen from a different standpoint and analyze it in a different light.

Selection of participants will be made jointly by the MOE and JICA. JICA will specify some criteria upon which the MOE will make a shortlist of candidates. Then, the final agreement will be made between the MOE and JICA based on the shortlist presented by the MOE. Due to long administrative processing, the MOE should bear in mind to allow at least four months to go through the whole process from selection to dispatch.

3.4.4. Hold National Level Training on how to Implement the Unified Model In Year 3 and Year 4, the Project will hold national level workshops targeting the GEOs and DEOs of all the governorates in Yemen. The purpose of the national level workshops is to inform the GEOs and DEOs about the unified school improvement model, its purpose, mechanism, how to implement and monitor, etc.

In Year 3, the Project will invite GEO officers from every governorate to take an introductory training on the unified school improvement model.

In Year 4, based on the previous training in Year 3, the Project will invite those GEOs who wish to implement the unified school improvement model and are willing to prepare their own plan and budget for implementation. DEOs from those governorates are also invited to the training.


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3.4.5. Conduct Endline Study The Project will conduct an end-line study in Year 4 about half year before the completion of the project. Basically, the endline study will be structured in the same framework as the baseline study. The purpose will be to measure the level of impact and change that the project has brought about in terms of girls enrollment, people’s and community’s opinion, quality of education, community participation in school management, etc. In terms of the research approach, the study will employ a quasi-experimental design with a control group in order to produce as compelling evidence as possible. The study itself will be outsourced to a local research group, who will work under JICA Experts supervision. The reports of the study will be made widely available to DPs and whoever might be interested.

3.4.6. JCC, Evaluation and Missions For supervision purposes, the Project will organize Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meetings at least once in a year and on occasions of missions from JICA Tokyo HQ.

Mid-term evaluation is expected in Year 3, and final evaluation is expected in Year 4. Evaluations will be conducted jointly by the MOE and JICA Tokyo HQ. The Project, in cooperation with IC, will prepare necessary data and information in a timely manner to facilitate efficient implementation of the evaluations.

4. Work plan The Project commences on the beginning of January 2010 and continues for four years (48 months). Planned completion date is the end of December 2013.

Year 1: January 2010 – July 2010 (7 months) Year 2: September 2010 – July 2011 (11 months) Year 3: September 2011 – July 2012 (11 months) Year 4: September 2012 – December 2013 (16 months)

Activities Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6

Output 1 1 Hold Technical Review Committee

Meeting to Discuss the Unification of Guidelines and Review the Drafts

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

2 Analyze Legal and Financial Structures in Taiz to Support BRIDGE

X X

3 Design Improvement of BRIDGE School Improvement Model

X X

4 Collect Lessons Learned to be Reflected in the Unification

X X X X

5 Draft / Modify Unified Guidelines

X X X X X X

6 Monitor Progress and New Challenges Arise in Taiz

X X X


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7 Obtain the Ministry’s Approval for the Unified Guidelines

X X X X

Output 2 1 Develop Detail Implementation Plan in

Dhamar Governorate X X

2 Train IC Members on How to Implement the Unified Model

X

3 Train GEO Members on How to Implement the Unified Model

X X X

4 Train Dhamar DEOs Members on How to Implement the Unified Model

X X X

5 Train Dhamar Schools’ School Committee Member on How to Analyze, Plan, Implement, Evaluate and Report School Improvement Activities

X X X

6 Monitor Dhamar Schools’ Progress, and Review Plan and Report

X X X X X X X X X

7 Hold Experience Sharing Workshop on School Improvement

X X X

Output 3 1 Analyze Current Data Collection

Capacity of Girls Education X X X X

2 Review Good Practices of Girls Education Promotion

X X X X

3 Design / Modify Girls Education Promotion Activity Package for Schools

X X X X

4 Plan, Implement and Evaluate Girls Education Promotion and Awareness Raising Campaigns

X X X X X X X X X X X X

5 Hold Experience Sharing Workshop on Girls’ Education Promotion

X X X

Other Activities 1 Conduct Baseline Study

X X

2 Conduct Situation Analysis Study in Target

X X

3 Conduct Training in Japan

X X X X

4 Hold National Level Workshop to Promote the Unified Model

X X

5 Conduct Endline Study

X X

Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting X X X X X X X Mid-Term Evaluation Mission X Final Evaluation Mission X


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Appendices

1) Implementation Committee Terms of Reference 2) Technical Review Committee’s Functions and Structures

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