Strategic Planning in Education Creation of child friendly learning environments

1. Strategic Planning in Education Creation of child friendly learning environments School Construction Opportunity for livelihood creation

2. “... Forecasting is not a respectable human activity, and not worthwhile beyond the shortest of periods …   The question that faces the strategic decision-maker is not what his organisation should do tomorrow. It is ‘What do we have to do today to be ready for an uncertain tomorrow?’….” Peter Drucker

3. Typical Strategic Planning Process Research Plan Conduct Desk Research Conduct Primary Research Conceptual Framework Strategic Framework Typical Implementation Process Training Framework Monitoring & Evaluation Organisation Framework

4. Research Plan • Research Plan: Taking the time upfront to develop a research plan will help to ensure the research program acquires the correct data in a productive and timely fashion. A good plan will typically have five components: • 1 - Research objectives • 2 - Data required • 3 - Potential sources • 4 - Preferred collection methods • 5 - Estimated timeline

5. Conduct Desk Research • Desk Research: This is the identification and collection of existing qualitative (press releases) and quantitative (UN/World Bank/GoM Assessment reports, Development Plans) data from on-line (internet) and off-line (UN, manuals, published material) sources: • Desk research is the source for most data on strategy development • Persistence and creativity are important to successful desk research • A wide variety of data sources are generally required • More and more valuable data is becoming available on-line • Some of the best data sources are still off-line

6. Conduct Primary Research • Primary Research: This involves the creation of new information and insight, which is tailor-made to get the data required: • Provides information that is exclusive, unpublished, new and unique • Uses interviewing, one of the most common primary research methods, to collect data • Uses focus groups to collect qualitative data from small groups • Uses large-scale, quantitative research techniques to collect data from a large sample

7. Interview Methods to CollectQualitative Data Interview Methods to CollectQuantitative Data • Unstructured face-to-face interviews • Unstructured telephone interviews • Guided conversations • Structured face-to-face interviews • Structured telephone interviews • The type of data to be collected, and that which is available, strongly influences the method used to collect it. • Collecting quantitative data requires a more structured method, and, conversely, • Collecting qualitative data can use a less structured, less formal approach • Unstructured interviews are quite conversational, whereas • Structured interviews follow a detailed, specific interview guide

8. Interview Methods to CollectQuantitative Data Interview Methods to CollectQualitative Data Unstructured Interviews Structured Interviews • Unstructured face-to-face interviews • Unstructured telephone interviews • Guided conversations • Conversational rather than questions only • Topical issues and areas, with more open questions than closed • Need to probe into areas of interest! • Structured questionnaire • Mixture of open and closed questions to maintain interest Characteristics • Written responses/ structured response sheet • Ranking/ scoring & categorical responses • Numerical data • Written responses/tape recording • Some ranking/categorical responses Recording Responses • At the beginning of interviewing • When working out what questions to ask as part of designing a quantitative approach • When canvassing for opinions/ quotes • When clear what questions to ask • When the data collection is quantifiable or numerical When to use

9. Interviews Focus Groups • Avoids peer group pressure • Allows people to voice less acceptable views • Allows focus on an individual’s opinion • Where sample difficult to recruit, represents easier recruitment than for focus groups • More expensive • Interaction generates new ideas, exchanges of opinion—can be very creative • Allows understanding/ sense of the group’s opinion • Allows comparison and contrasts of the reactions of different groups (men versus women, young versus old) • More opinions more quickly • Wider range of views • Good value for money Advantages and Disadvantages of chosen methods

10. Conceptual Framework • Analysis of the primary and secondary data to develop a conceptual framework to deliver resources to achieve results, with the following guiding principles: • The project must take into consideration the objectives of existing main stream development plans: National Development Plan; UNICEF/GoM Master Plan of Operations • There should be effective project management: Ensures quality and cost effectiveness • There must be transparency and effective supervision: Encourages probity & transparency leading to a fair distribution of economic benefits • Community participation and empowerment must be encouraged: Overarching principle; creates ownership and livelihood opportunities

11. Strategic Framework Defines how the conceptual framework can be implemented by knowing and understanding the development issues:Restoration of child friendly learning environments; influx of donor funds distorts local economy; opportunity to create livelihoods programmes Develops the strategic objectives to address the development issues Determines the interventions/ activities that are needed to achieve the objectives Allocates responsibilities and time frames to these interventions States the desired end results, which will address the defined issues

12. Organisational Framework Defines how the programme is institutionalised, how is works alongside existing institutions, Government, Donors, non-governmental organisations, groups and communities How it collaborates and integrates with existing related programmes, within Government and United Nations’ organisations Defines roles and responsibilities of key players at each phase of programme

13. EDC MITE Construction Team Framework for Institutional Organisation for Implementation UNICEF Ministry of Education Private Sector NDP Advisors Professionals SS Contractors National Teacher Development/ Resource Centre Teacher Development/ Resource Centre Teacher Development/ Resource Centre Teacher Development/ Resource Centre 20 Atolls 85 Safe Islands Model Schools Model Schools Model Schools Model Schools NOTE:UNICEF & GoM need to agree on phasing. Model above needs to be scaled down, probably to pre-tsunami plans for the development of child centred active learning in 22 schools, ie approx in 6 Atolls covering 22 islands (Atoll Capital and up to four other islands other islands)

14. Roles and Responsibilities MoE Construction Team Design & Supervision of Structures In consultation with Education Development Centre MITE Training of contractors and community Education Development Centre Research, innovation and development of teaching techniques and materials Faculty of Education & Teacher Development/ Resource Centre Training, teacher development and monitoring & supervision Model Schools Encouragement & Implementation Community/ Parents & Children Involvement, decision making

15. Roles and Responsibilities (cont) UNICEF Education Programme Officer Overall education programme design with MoE & Education Development Centre UNICEF Community Construction Adviser Development of community and contractor involvement programme, with Programme Officer, MoE, EDC, Private Sector Construction Professionals Design, cost and quality control,with MoE Construction Team & UNICEF Small scale Contractors Major repairs, construction of new buildings with community contractors Building Supervisors Contractor supervision & community liaison/ mentoring Contracting minor works: painting, minor repairs, toilet rehabilitation, boundary walls, labour only contracts… Community/Parents

16. Timing Largely Complete 3-6 Mths 6-24 Mths 12- 48 Mths Phasing of interventions Phase Activities Recovery (schools operational) Needs Assessment Clean-up Re-equipping schools Temporary Structures Minor repairs Reconstruction (schools to former condition) Major structural repairs New classrooms for displaced Painting, Toilets, Boundary wall construction Development (creating child friendly environments) Teacher Development/ Resource Centres New schools on safe islands Labour only contracts Notes: Suitable for SS Contractors; suitable for community contractors

17. Construction: details of implementation structure Private Sector UNICEF MoE Construction Team MITE Partnership Partnership in in Development Development Community Construction Adviser Building Supervisors Professionals Small Scale Contractors Community SS Contracting Material Development, ToT Delivery of Training in SS Contracting Advice, Guidance & Consulting Supervision & Mentoring

18. Training Framework • Defines training needs: • For community groups: how to assess needs, to prioritise planning, and to develop action steps & work-plans • To sensitise professionals to educational and community needs: child friendly learning environments, gender issues, simplified bidding, livelihoods programmes, community is the centre of the process, and need for transparency • For small contractors in construction management: how to win work, how to be profitable and how to please your customer, safe building techniques, and how to manage the business • Emerging contractors: costing, organising and safety in labour only contracts, and maintenance of public assets • Training of trainers & supervisors: leadership, principles of supervision, problem solving, decision making, and health & safety • Training of development committees: transparency, empowerment, mobilisation of members, participation and monitoring

19. Monitoring & Evaluation • Defines project governance: project management team, project steering group, bid evaluation, procurement & financial management procedures • Defines monitoring process and techniques:development of performance indicators, and measurement methods; supervision of construction quality and cost control; adherence to child friendly learning needs; involvement of community & livelihood creation; monthly or quarterly reporting; mid-term evaluation of the progress in reaching project’s desired-end-results. • Defines evaluation techniques: team for end-of-project evaluation (internal, external, government, donor etc); framework for evaluation - quality and cost of structures, bidding transparency, appropriateness to educational needs -degree of child friendliness; adherence to project principles – involvement of community; and, project and financial management

20. Thank you! Garry Whitby