Rwanda Country programme 2009 Achievements, Challenges & Lessons Learned

1. Rwanda Country programme 2009 Achievements, Challenges & Lessons Learned M K Senthil Kumar 8th Feb 2010

2. GeSCI – MINEDUC Partnership • Request from Rwanda team during WSIS 2005 at Tunis • Due diligence by GeSCI during 2006 • The First MoU signed on 20th March 07 for 18 months • Follow up visit by Min of S & T to Dublin office – Feb 08 • CPF started work in Rwanda starting April 14, 08 • The revised MoU signed on 27th Nov 2008 – Valid till March 31, 10

3. Agreed deliverables from GeSCI • Appoint a full-time Country Programme Facilitator (CPF) • Assist the MINEDUC in convening all key stakeholders • Facilitate the MINEDUC in creating ICT in Education policy • Implementation Plan for ICT in Education with end to end • components including e-waste disposal & resource requirements • Build capacity among Teacher Trainers for ICT based Teaching & • Learning • Assist MINEDUC to acquire / purchase e-Learning content and • enable appropriate partners for Rwanda specific contextualization • Build capacity among NCDC on e-content development process, • costing estimation, project plan and framework for evaluation Contd…

4. Agreed deliverables from GeSCI • Advise MINEDUC in developing the feasibility study and guiding • them to set up of Open Distance Learning Program • Assist MINEDUC program manager on quality checks of EMIS • Assist MINEDUC to develop Monitoring & Evaluation frame work • Organize need based exposure visits for the MINEDUC officials • Provide access to GeSCI’s Education, ICT and e-Learning • Specialists to gather knowledge to assist in the planning process • Facilitate and enable links with Foundations, global private sector • firms which could lead to funding or contribution of resource

5. Activities focused during 2009 • Facilitate / Guide / advice / capacitate MINEDUC to: • Develop ICT in Education policy development • Develop Costed strategic implementation plan& annual action plans • Establish of ICT in Education & ODeL unit including the feasibility • study for setting up ODeL • Develop large scale ICT infrastructure deployment plan • e-content contextualization, project plan and capacity building • Develop road map for ICT TPD for integration of ICT into Education • Establishing monitoring and evaluation framework • Enabling partnerships for ICT in Education • Knowledge building & sharing

6. Boundary partners we work with; • Boundary partner - 1: Ministry of Education • Boundary partners – 2: MINEDU programme implementing institutions • and Eco system Ministries such as; • Rwanda Development Board – IT department • Rwanda Utility Regulatory Authority • National Curriculum Development Centre • Kigali Institute of Education • Regional Institute of ICT Training Centre • Teachers Service Commission • Kigali Institute of Science and Technology • National University of Rwanda • General Inspectorate • National Examination Council • Ministries of ICT, Infrastructure & Finance • Strategic boundary partners (stake holder's): • NGOs, NPOs, INGO’s, Development partners/project teams, Govt. • Projects, Private sector organizations etc.,

7. Achievements • Provided strategic advice/ Facilitated / capacitated MINEDUC and; • Developed draft ICT in Education Policy • Through multiple rounds of stake holders workshop • Along with partners support for financial resource • First round cabinet review completed / feedback received • Integrated ICT in Education into ESSP with the focus to; • Promotion of an ICT in Education culture • Foster & manage ICT in Education initiatives • Framework & guidelines to synergies of stakeholders • Expand ICT infrastructure to increase access, relevant& quality • Develop capacity to integrate the use of ICT into education • Develop & distribute quality digital content • Establish Open Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) Balancing the multiple partners and stakeholders is a real challenge

8. Achievements • Provided strategic advice/ Facilitated / capacitated MINEDUC and; • Re-structuring: • Part of President office Policy planning unit and other members for MINEDUC restructuring into Rwanda Education Board • Integrated ICT in Education & ODeL department as part of REB • ODeL Feasibility study & report • Developed ICT in Education; • Strategic plan • Costed strategic implementation plan 2010-15 • Budgeting for the period 2009-2012 inline with EDPRS • Mini budget Jan 2009-June 2009 • Action plans for the period July 2009 to June 2010 • Action plan for the period July 2010 to June 2011 Strategic plan contd…

9. Achievements • Provided strategic advice/ Facilitated / capacitated MINEDUC: • ICT infrastructure: • OLPC project plan & deployment of OLPC large scale & OLPC–Microsoft Pilot project • Schools of excellence (30) – one per district • Plan for IT facility enhancement at MINEDUC • Stock take analysis of ICT infrastructure in secondary schools • Technical support for secondary schools • Connectivity and e-waste disposal plan • Digital Learning Material development • Content evaluation framework and Capacity audit for NCDC • Acquired interactive multimedia content for primary level • Handholding for pilot project of e-content contextualization • Project plan and road map for e-content development • Capacity building for NCDC team • On going capacity building for NCDC team with partners e-content contextualization contd…

10. Achievements • Capacity building • Detailed assessment, joint analysis, development of ICT TPD matrix – Highly process driven • Capacity audit report - 24 member team at NCDC for e-content development • Ongoing capacity building – day to day basis with the team • Rwanda team participation in AKE • MINEDUC training 8000+ Teachers on Basic IT literacy • GIS project – Training 140 teachers and students • Monitoring & Evaluation • M&E tool development with partners • Completion of EMIS package, school Management data collection and entry • Technical and pedagogical support to schools Regular participation in Education management committee meeting contd…

11. Achievements • Partnerships • Microsoft – OLPC pilot, Education Alliance agreement • Intel - CMPC pilot project and Teacher training • Motorola – wireless connectivity • REC – Programme implementation support • Mindset network – e content capacity building • Ernst & Young, UNESCO and consultants – M & E • ESRI – Partnership extension for GIS project • RCN – Partnership renewal - Supply & tech support • APF – Long term e-content partnership

12. Achievements • Knowledge building & sharing • Leveraged TCO tool in planning – feedback from officials • Capacity audit tool for e-content – used for capacity building • TCO for e-content – used for e-content planning • ICT TPD Matrix – Innovative product emerged from Rwanda • E-content contextualization and its process document – Effective South – South Partnership • Participation of Rwanda in AKE • Leverage of experience for Africa and Asia program

13. Next phase… Overall, we have completed most of the deliverables as agreed in the current MoU. We need to carefully plan the next phase of engagement and agree with MINEDUC during the next 51 days...

14. Challenges & Lessons Learned • At MINEDUC and Ecosystem Ministries; • Ministers (3) and Minister of State (3) – Dynamic political system • PS (5), ICT in Education Director (3), Dir-Planning (3) – • Uncertainty of tenure of Senior bureaucrats • Operating team (28 of them) have gone for higher studies • Delay in setting up of ICT in Education & ODeL department – In • principle approved by Cabinet and pending for formal approval • Delay in approval of ICT in Education policy – To be accompanied • with costed strategic implementation plan • Lack of capacity to coordinate and manage the projects • Lack of accountability / ownership – contractual staff contd…

15. Challenges & Lessons Learned • At MINEDUC and Ecosystem Ministries: • Only 12% & 28% of primary and secondary schools have • electricity respectively – Solar power with the support of EU • Ambitious plan for ICT deployment - Resource constraints • Too many policy changes at one go – Primary to Basic education, • medium of instruction to English and curriculum change • Rwanda is marketed well beyond what's happening on the ground • Limited financial resources contd…

16. Challenges & Lessons Learned • At MINEDUC Implementing agencies: • Expectation from GeSCI to support the ICT4E implementation • Attrition / capacity challenges at the level of operating team • Lack of effective coordination among MINEDUC institutions • Dependent on fever individuals • Lack of ICT integration at school level • Limited digital learning resources • Lack of Monitoring and evaluation • Lack of Research & documentation • Limited willingness to share the Knowledge contd…

17. Challenges & Lessons Learned • Stake holders – NGO’s/INGO’s/Private Sector/Devpt Partners etc., • Miss-Match of priorities between MINEDUC and development • partners • Too many Partners – Many of them with the hidden agenda • including development partners • Due diligence process for partnerships • Lack of transparency coordinated delivery • Couple of them seeing GeSCI as competitor contd…

18. Challenges & Lessons Learned • Within GeSCI; • Lack of local support for GeSCI – Country Programme Analyst • Limited financial resources – not visualized when we planned • annual plan 2009 • Change of strategy – Mid way during the year and share of credit • Limited time for self Professional development • Possible funding support for demonstrating proof of concept / • knowledge tool innovation fund • Challenges for an access to documentation - CPF / MINEDUC

19. Thank you…