Link Community Development started working in Ethiopia in 2007. Link has developed a close partnership with the Regional Education Bureau and Bureau of Finance and Economic Development and is implementing a programme involving approximately 115 elementary schools in the Southern Nations & Nationalities Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS). Our work directly supports the Ministry of Education's School Improvement Programme (SIP) Policy.
Name of the project: Woreda School Improvement Project (WSIP)
Location of the project: Wolaita Zone, SNNPRS
Funding Agencies: Irish Aid, Waterloo Foundation, Isle of Man Overseas Aid Committee, Lloyds TSB Scotland, DFID
Executing agency: Bureau of Finance and Economic Development, Bureau of Education
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 115 elementary schools and their local communities and 4 woreda education offices.
Target groups / beneficiaries
The project is intended to benefit the total grade 1 – 8 population of all government elementary schools (115 schools) in four target woredas; this is currently approximately 130,000 boys and girls. It will also impact on approximately 2,000 teachers, approximately 16,500 parents and community members and approximately 40 woreda officials. In total, the project will impact directly on approximately 150,000 people. Indirectly, the project will benefit the total estimated population of approximately 778,000 people across 4 target woredas.
Click here for an analysis of our 2011 learner test data
Click here for an analysis of our 2010 learner test data
Project outputs
- Annual data collection and learner tests take place in approx. 115 project schools in support of SIP
- Annual school reports and consolidated woreda reports in support of SIP are available
- Annual woreda education newsletters are available
- Annual School Performance Appraisal Meetings occur in project schools in support of SIP
- Annual cluster meetings occur in all project clusters in support of SIP
- Annual Woreda Education Conferences occur in support of SIP
- Approx.115 School Improvement Plans are developed and implemented collaboratively in all project schools
- Woreda Improvement Plans are developed annually 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
- School training modules are developed and woredas are delivering regular professional development / in-service training
- Partnerships between project schools and schools in Europe are facilitated
- Special projects are implemented in target woredas around agreed themes
- Dissemination workshops occur and reflection papers are disseminated
Our Strategies
Long-term perspective:
Link's education programme has 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 Link 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: Link affected a phased programme set-up. The long-term commitment was 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 only becomes 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 are carried out in close consultation with all partners; giving emphasis to various aspects of sustainability.
Capacity Building:
Major emphasis is 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 is also be a focus area. Technical and financial assistance will be extended to Zone Education Departments and the SNNPRS Education Bureau. Link’s capacity building efforts for local communities is 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 support the School Improvement Programme in partnership with the Regional Bureau, Zone Department and Woreda Offices. Performance data highlights areas for targeted intervention and provides benchmarks for progress.
Education Policy Research:
Link seeks to influence regional education development strategies by designing programmes that complement and inform the country’s education policy. An appropriate dissemination strategy and linkages has been established to undertake and support policy analysis and research. Link works 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: Link 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. Link engages at all levels. As part of Link’s international family, Link in Ethiopia strives 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 are developed with Link International and we share the lessons learned from projects in Ghana, Malawi, South Africa and Uganda and also communicate our own experiences to inform supporters and colleagues.
Long-term perspective:
Link's education programme has 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 Link 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: Link affected a phased programme set-up. The long-term commitment was 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 only becomes 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 are 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, Link more importantly focuses on the management of resources: financial, personnel, and pedagogical. Policies and innovations in Link's operating areas must be accompanied by efficient distribution of resources. A range of management challenges are addressed by Link 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 is 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 is also be a focus area. Technical and financial assistance will be extended to Zone Education Departments and the SNNPRS Education Bureau. Link’s capacity building efforts for local communities is 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 support the School Improvement Programme in partnership with the Regional Bureau, Zone Department and Woreda Offices. Performance data highlights areas for targeted intervention and provides benchmarks for progress.
Community Participation: Genuine participation of local communities at school level is at the core of Link’s programme. We will aim to develop parental and community involvement to improve school effectiveness. We support schools, communities and education administrators in each woreda in the design of effective community participation methodologies and training. We provide financial support for training to enhance effective community participation.
Education Policy Research:
Link seeks to influence regional education development strategies by designing programmes that complement and inform the country’s education policy. An appropriate dissemination strategy and linkages has been established to undertake and support policy analysis and research. Link works 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: Link 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. Link engages at all levels. As part of Link’s international family, Link in Ethiopia strives 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 are developed with Link International and we 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 context are 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.
