Consultancies

International Solutions Group (ISG), subsequently acquired by IMC Worldwide, was contracted by MCC to conduct an ex-post performance evaluation of activities within the Education component of the Namibia MCC Compact. The evaluation focused on two of the four activities included under the Education Sector component of the compact: 1) Improving the Quality of General Education, mainly constructions of secondary schools (77.86 million USD); and, 2) Improving Access to and Management of Textbooks (14.59 million USD). The objective for the Education project was to improve the quality of the workforce in Namibia by enhancing the equity and effectiveness of basic, vocational, and tertiary education and of technical skills. The consultant was retained to evaluate activity (2).

Undertake a Case Study of the Primary Education Support Programme (PESP) The Case Study was of a programme of the Government of Tanzania, implemented through the Prime Minister’s Office – Regional & Local Government involving the supply of over 18.5 million books and 886,724 teachers’ guides. The project sought to provide primary school textbooks to the value of GBP24.5 million to approximately 16,000 primary schools in mainland Tanzania and school desks, to the value of GBP5 million. DFID’s role was directed by the bilateral government Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Government of Tanzania and the Government of the United Kingdom to support the programme with procurement, audit and monitoring advice.

Implement the procurement plan for circa 9.6 million primary textbooks, teacher guides, Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) Textbooks and supplementary instructional materials (early readers, readers, dictionaries and flip charts). The procurement to include publishing services; printing services; freight forwarding services; transportation from Mombasa to the consolidation point in Kampala; procurement of consolidation services and a logistics services provider for delivery of the textbooks and sea-freight containers to each of 79 County Education Offices. Organising and running three regional workshops involving all 79 County Education Directors to inform them about the distribution and other challenges. In conjunction with DFID, develop and implement a communications strategy. From January through to August 2013, to monitor the performance of the logistics company contracted to undertake the distribution of the textbooks to schools & prepare all documentation for handover. (Project was suspended owing to insecurity in the country, especially in the three remaining states to be supplied, between December 2013 and January 2015. Programme completed August 2015.)

Design the Implementation Plan for the procurement of the printing, shipping, consolidation, to individual school level and distribution of circa 12 million primary textbooks for the Ministry of Education, South Sudan. Procurement to include (1) the purchase of 200 sea freight containers to be used to ship the textbooks to each of 79 County Education Headquarters located in the ten States of South Sudan; (2) the distribution of the containers to provide long term secure storage facilities at County Level for the MoE and to be mounted on concrete blocks. The textbooks and teacher guides to be delivered to schools and AES/ALP centres.

Organise the procurement of circa 2.58 million primary textbooks for grades 1-8 to be supplied to 1,096 low-cost independent private (informal) schools throughout Kenya. Textbooks procured had to have been listed in the Ministry of Education’s ‘Orange Book’ of textbooks approved for use in Kenyan schools. Contracts were placed with 20 established booksellers, who distributed the textbooks to the schools over a period of 2-3 weeks. The booksellers sourced all textbooks & teacher’s guides from Kenyan Publishers. Budgeted expenditure £5.0 million. The procurement was completed in 3 months.

Carry out an independent assessment of the Ministry of Education’s management of the primary textbooks distribution process. Provide an assessment of the weaknesses in the distribution system from central government to the school level (including warehousing and procurement systems, regional and district offices and school based management.) Advise the Ministry of Education in its efforts to shift the responsibility for textbook distribution from the Department of Instruction to the Department of Administration. Advise the Ministry of Education and its partners on the use of the textbooks in classrooms and the need for further training of Ministry of Education personnel from central to school level.

Liaise with the commercial publishers over the shipping and delivery arrangements for the textbooks and teacher’s guides; locate and equip suitable warehouses to handle 1.2 million textbooks; the recruitment of operatives to handle the transfer of books from the shipping containers into the warehouses; management of the warehouses; organisation of picking and packing teams to pick and pack for each school; liaison with MoE EMIS department over the preparation of the picking/packing lists and in the organising of the country wide delivery schedules. Liaising with UN agencies and obtaining their assistance where and when appropriate. Creation of an audit trail and monitoring system down to individual school level; formulation of distribution procedures to ensure delivery to all primary schools.

Launch and implement the procurement and distribution of the approved textbooks through the education Pooled Fund; sensitise Education Officers, School Principals on the use of Instructional Materials Management Handbook and the Textbook Policy; undertake an assessment of warehouse facilities and assess logistics at county level; train education officers in textbook consolidation techniques suitable for textbook distribution; training of trainers in the use of Textbooks and Teachers Guides; monitor the effectiveness of the various training programmes; in conjunction with the MoE, formulate supervision and monitoring procedures to measure the effectiveness of the textbooks distribution, identify weaknesses and recommend remedial actions where necessary.

Develop a strategy for launching the completion of the procurement of primary school textbooks in the four core subjects in post conflict situation where the pupil ratio/current textbook ratio is 27:1. Facilitate the review, evaluation and critical assessment of the current textbooks along with textbooks being used in other countries of the Region. Assist in the formulation of distribution procedures, an Instructional Materials Management Handbook, a training programme for teachers on how to use the new textbooks and the accompanying teachers guides and in the drafting of a Textbook Policy for the Education Sector Policy to meet the requirements of FTI and ultimately to access Catalytic Funding. Identify appropriate opportunities for the rehabilitation of primary school structures.

Case study for the World Bank ECA Operational Learning Program on Decentralising Textbook Procurement and Increasing Supply of Textbooks: Case Study on Albania. Study included: Economic problems and textbook supply pre – 2002; the need for change; participatory policy making; decentralisation and community ownership; textbook supply to schools, teachers and students; costs; physical quality and conformity to the curriculum; transparency and corruption; new curricula, syllabuses and competing textbooks; affordability, sustainability and predictability.

Required to make recommendations to raise the profile of the SidaStudy Series and enhance Sida’s profile as an expert organisation on development cooperation. In arriving at the recommendations, the publishing policies, practices and procedures as applied to the publishing of titles within the SidaStudy Series, Sida’s ‘flagship’ publishing activity, were assessed and the marketing and promotional support given to each new title, prior to and post publication, reviewed. Sida recieved a report detailing the findings, conclusions and recommendations.

At the request of the Ministry of Education, Lusaka and the European Union reviewed the Decentralisation Textbook Procurement Programme [DTPP] in Zambia. This study was commissioned to study the DTPP and covered the policy basis for the distribution of textbooks, management of the DTPP, financial management issues, legal framework and recommendations to improve the efficiency, accountability and transparency of the DTPP.

Reviewed the whole of the Ministry of Education’s National System of International Materials Provision (NSIMP) processes for Standards 1, 2, 5 and 6 textbooks from beginning to end to provide an account of the whole process and it’s interlinks, identified problems and difficulties, and suggested reforms and modifications to textbook policies which would lead to a smoother, more efficient and cost effective system.

Reviewed the National System of Instructional Materials Provision (NSIMP) processes and identified problems and suggested solutions and modifications for the more efficient attainment of the objective of NSIMP – to provide all primary school children with access to good quality and good value textbooks on time and equitably throughout the country.

Reviewed the effectiveness of School Training Materials for the National System of Instructional Materials Provision (NSIMP) used by the Ministry of Education to train district education officers on textbook distribution policies and by zonal level trainers to train Headteachers , deputy Headteachers, teachers and parent representatives on procurement of textbooks and other instructional materials.

Following the introduction of Free Primary Education in February 2003, contracted to monitor the training given at zonal level to Headteachers, deputy headteachers, teachers and parent representatives on instructional materials (textbooks and stationary) procurement and distribution using local booksellers.

Following the successful evaluation of the Pilot Project and confirmation that decentralised procurement will be rolled out to all primary schools in Uganda, implement Phase Two of the programme which extended the number of districts involved to 10 in number. Revised and updated the Management Handbook on textbook procurement & distribution, as well as undertaking many visits throughout Uganda to sensitise district officers and potential textbook suppliers seeking “official” status about the Programme.

Evaluated the implementation of the Pilot Project on Decentralised (Primary) Textbook Procurement including the role of the district education officers, the performance of the local “official textbook suppliers” in the four pilot districts and the procurement procedures followed by each school.

Held workshops in each of the four Pilot Districts (Rakai, Kumi, Lira and Masindi) to sensitise the booksellers in each district on the requirements and expectations of booksellers wishing to be granted “Official Textbook Supplier” status to the Pilot Project on the Decentralised (Primary) Textbook Procurement. Also ran a workshop in Kampala for booksellers on Partnerships and joint ventures.

Preparation Mission for the introduction of the Pilot Project on decentralised (Primary ) Textbook Procurement on behalf of the Ministry of Education.

Management and implementation of a World Bank funded Secondary School contract, which required the procurement, consolidation, supply and delivery of secondary level textbooks to 94 traditional secondary schools.

In country management of a DANIDA funded secondary schools’ contract requiring the procurement, consolidation, supply and delivery of secondary level textbooks to 495 new secondary schools.