|
|
Link Community Development started working in Ethiopia in 2007. LCD Ethiopia is developing a close partnership with the Regional Education Bureau and Bureau of Finance and Economic Development and has begun a programme which will involve approximately 125 elementary schools in the Southern Nations & Nationalities Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS). |
What We Aim to Achieve
Overall Goal
Improved livelihoods for disadvantaged communities in Ethiopia through improved quality of education delivery and active engagement between education service providers and local people
Objective
Better basic education delivery in Wolaita Zone of SNNPRS through enhanced access to school performance data for parents and local communities, increased stakeholder demand for improvements, and more responsive and effective delivery by the system
Project scope
Capacity-building for all elementary schools in 4 woredas and 4 woreda education offices
Project input. The project will be operational for three years from January 2009 to December 2011.
Target groups / beneficiaries
The project is intended to benefit the total grade 1 – 8 population of all government elementary schools (approximately 125 schools) in four target woredas; this is currently approximately 143,000 boys and girls. It will also impact on approximately 2,000 teachers, approximately 18,000 parents and community members and approximately 40 woreda officials. In total, the project will impact directly on approximately 164,000 people. Indirectly, the project will benefit the total estimated population of approximately 778,000 people across 4 target woredas.
Project outputs
- Annual data collection and learner tests take place in approx. 125 project schools in support of SIP
- Approx. 250 school reports and 8 consolidated woreda reports in support of SIP are available
- 8 woreda education newsletters are available
- Approx. 250 School Performance Appraisal Meetings occur in project schools in support of SIP
- Approx. 60 cluster meetings occur in all project clusters in support of SIP
- 4 Woreda Education Conferences occur in support of SIP
- Approx. 250 School Improvement Plans are developed and implemented collaboratively in all project schools
- 8 Woreda Improvement Plans are developed and implemented collaboratively in all target woredas
- Woreda education managers in 4 woredas are meeting monthly to co-ordinate school improvement activities
- Supervisors in 4 woredas are mobile and regularly visiting all project schools
- 6 school training modules are developed and woredas are delivering regular professional development / in-service training
- 25 partnerships between project schools and schools in Europe are facilitated
- 8 special projects are implemented in target woredas around agreed themes
- 6 dissemination workshops occur and 6 reflection papers are disseminated
Our Strategies
Long-term perspective: LCD Ethiopia’s education programme will have a long-term perspective. The structural involvement of communities in education planning, management, supervision and ownership is a relatively new phenomenon and takes time to develop. Regional, zone and woreda officials lack institutional capacity and their means need to be developed. In view of this it is strongly recommended that LCD Ethiopia should in principle operate for at least a period of 12-15 years. Parties concerned should be prepared to view their cooperation over this order of time-perspective and remain committed throughout.
Long-term perspective: LCD Ethiopia’s education programme will have a long-term perspective. The structural involvement of communities in education planning, management, supervision and ownership is a relatively new phenomenon and takes time to develop. Regional, zone and woreda officials lack institutional capacity and their means need to be developed. In view of this it is strongly recommended that LCD Ethiopia should in principle operate for at least a period of 12-15 years. Parties concerned should be prepared to view their cooperation over this order of time-perspective and remain committed throughout.
Phased approach: LCD Ethiopia will affect a phased programme set-up. The long-term commitment will be split into short-term phases to be planned on an ongoing basis. Step-by-step programming is essential since important information regarding the exact ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ of activities will only become available on the basis of actual field experiences. At the end of each phase, separate programme design, appraisal, budgeting and agreement is required. Approval of programmes will depend on progress made and experience gained to be determined through independent evaluation. Reviews will be carried out in close consultation with all partners; giving emphasis to various aspects of sustainability.
Transformation of Resources into learning outcomes: Effective management of educational inputs is crucial in order to transform them into improved learning. Besides mobilizing more resources for schools, LCD Ethiopia will more importantly focus on the management of resources: financial, personnel, and pedagogical. Policies and innovations in LCD Ethiopia operating areas must be accompanied by efficient distribution of resources. A range of management challenges will be addressed by LCD in order to ensure that resources actually translate into cost-effective expansion of quality schooling, effective teaching and learning, and flexibility in service delivery.
Capacity Building: Major emphasis will be given to build the capacities of Woreda Education Offices and in particular supervisors to promote accountability and performance assessment throughout the education system. In-service training of teachers and school directors will also be a focus area. Technical and financial assistance will be extended to Zone Education Departments and the SNNPRS Education Bureau. LCD’s capacity building efforts for local communities will be geared to develop community roles in school governance and ownership, financial support, and effective communication between school managers and parents.
School Performance Review: Data collection and analysis of school performance is a key focus for our support and informs all other activities we undertake. We will support the new School Improvement Programme in partnership with the Regional Bureau, Zone Department and Woreda Offices. Performance data will highlight areas for targeted intervention and will provide benchmarks for progress.
Community Participation: Genuine participation of local communities at school level is at the core of LCD’s programme. We will aim to develop parental and community involvement to improve school effectiveness. We will support schools, communities and education administrators in each woreda in the design of effective community participation methodologies and training. We will provide financial support for training to enhance effective community participation.
Education Policy Research: LCD Ethiopia will seek to influence regional education development strategies by designing programmes that complement and inform the country’s education policy. An appropriate dissemination strategy and linkages will be established to undertake and support policy analysis and research. LCD will work very closely with the regional education department concerning school improvement and MDG education target achievement at zone and woreda level. Networks will be established with research, training and academic institutions level to support their effort to generate credible learning.
Partnership, Alliance Building and Networking: LCD Ethiopia recognizes that education development and achieving the MDGs is complex and multi-faceted. It is therefore imperative to develop partnerships with a range of key actors, including international donors, NGOs, academic and research organizations. LCD Ethiopia will have engage at all levels. As part of LCD’s international family, LCD Ethiopia will strive to implement the Link Schools Programme, which bring teachers, schools and communities from Europe and Africa into direct mutually beneficial relationships with the aim of generating solidarity, learning and development. Strong relationships will be developed with LCD International and we will share the lessons learned from projects in Ghana, Malawi, South Africa and Uganda and also communicate our own experiences to inform supporters and colleagues.
Information, Communication and Technology: In recognition of the role of information in education development, various technologies that are appropriate to the local will be used. Emphasis will be given to woreda education management information systems, school networking, radio education and school libraries to enhance education administrators, supervisors, and schools’ access to vital information and decision making.
