A. SCMP Final Report - BPA Call RFQ Attachment.pdf

SINDH COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION PROGRAM, FINAL REPORT 2013-2022

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ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

Please provide a summary of the activity using the table below. It should include details about the life of activity.

Activity Name: Sindh Community Mobilization Program (SCMP)

Activity Start Date and End Date: August 7, 2013-August 6, 2022

Name of Prime Implementing Partner:

Blumont Engineering Solutions, Inc.

Contract/Agreement Number: AID-391-C-13-00006

Total Estimate Cost: $ 24,867,355

Major Counterpart1 Organizations engaged or supported:

School Education and Literacy Department (SELD)

Geographic Coverage (provinces and districts):

Sindh, Pakistan: 10 districts (Dadu, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Kashmore, Kamber-Shahdadkot, Karachi Malir, Karachi South, Karachi West, Larkana, and Sukkur)

Photo credit: All photos included in this report were taken by the SCMP team.

1 Major counterparts are the direct stakeholders that have been supported or engaged by the partner and play an important role in the success of the activity. This may include public and private organizations but does NOT include sub-awardees.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACRONYMS 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

PROGRAM INTRODUCTION 4

IMPLEMENTATION DESIGN 6

ACHIEVEMENTS 7

INTEGRATION OF CROSS-CUTTING THEMES 20

IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES 22

LESSONS LEARNED 23

STATUS OF AWARD DELIVERABLES 26

SUCCESS STORIES 27

PERFORMANCE AND CONTEXT INDICATORS 40

ANNEXES 45

ACRONYMS

CSO Civil Society Organization

CSR Corporate Social Responsibility

EMO Education Management Organization

GoS Government of Sindh

KPI Key Performance Indicator

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

NOC No Objection Certificate

PMIU Program Management and Implementation Unit, PPP Public-Private Partnership

RFP Request for Proposal

SBEP Sindh Basic Education Program

SCMP Sindh Community Mobilization Program

SELD School Education and Literacy Department

SIP School Improvement Plan

SMC School Management Committee

USG U.S. Government

USAID United States Agency for International Development

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Over the course of nine years, the Sindh Community Mobilization Program (SCMP) undertook multiple interventions to increase student enrollment, particularly for girls; improve community engagement; enrich learning environments; improve government capacity to manage education programs; and establish management mechanisms to strengthen performance and accountability of schools. Efforts centered on engaging communities to increase ownership and support for schools, recognizing that parents, local leaders, and stakeholders were important influencers in student enrollment and retention.

SCMP supported overall Sindh Basic Education Program (SBEP) reform goals on increasing and sustaining student enrollment in primary, middle, and higher secondary schools through multifaceted education-sector reforms and by fostering dialogue with communities regarding school construction, consolidation, and rehabilitation. Working with the Sindh School Education and Literacy Department’s Program Management and Implementation Unit (PMIU), SCMP facilitated 110 memoranda of understanding between communities and construction contractors to ensure that local stakeholders played a role in decision-making and that children’s education was not adversely affected amidst construction and reform support activities. This early collaboration established a foundation for ongoing engagement when schools opened.

SCMP engaged local school management committees (SMCs) as a primary platform for community involvement and a driving force for attainment of SBEP goals. With restructuring and training, SMCs took on leadership of enrollment drives and campaigns to engage students and parents, as well as identified opportunities to leverage local resources to increase donations and in-kind contributions for school improvements. SMCs were empowered with plans, tools, and cross-community connections fostered through exchange visits to help local leadership sustain progress.

Along with increasing enrollment, SCMP also worked with SMCs to plan and implement school improvement plans (SIPs). SMCs were trained to utilize small grants to fund priority actions in SIPs. Over the course of the program, 420 small grants were disbursed, benefitting 302 schools. These small investments had a huge impact, allowing schools to provide basic facilities such as functioning toilets, electrical fixtures, and drinking water. In total, SCMP also conducted health screenings and established health corners at schools to support overall student well-being.

When challenges arose throughout implementation, the team adapted and took mitigation steps. From the security environment to delayed school construction, toa global pandemic, SCMP relied on learnings, connections with local communities, and collaborations with partners to find solutions. The pilot effort around Education Management Organizations (EMOs) in schools initially faced setbacks with limited staffing at the Government of Sindh’s newly established Public Private Partnerships (PPP) node. While this was overcome with the recruitment and training of staff, a new challenge emerged—EMO schools were in strong demand with more parents and communities wanting engagement. This positive challenge led to the expansion of the EMO model to nearby public schools.

The successful piloting of EMO reforms was a significant accomplishment for SCMP. By assisting the Government of Sindh in establishing the PPP node to manage EMO reforms, and through development of local capacity and management mechanisms that empowered the PPP node to plan and implement reform initiatives moving forward, SCMP has helped in establishing a sustainable model for change. Continued progress is also supported by training and technical assistance materials produced over the course of implementation, including the Community Engagement Strategy published to encapsulate SCMP’s experience to help scale up efforts in other schools or districts.

Lessons learned over the course of nine years of implementation can also serve to inform future work undertaken by USAID and its partners. The unique umbrella planning mechanism used to shape the SBEP agreement can help to compound the effectiveness of investments, though an emphasis on coordination and sequencing must be prioritized to maximize these opportunities. Even in a complex environment, SCMP experience shows that successful implementation of multi-level reforms is possible when communities are empowered, and existing systems are both supported and able to adapt to meet shifting needs.

Over the course of SCMP implementation, more than 16,000 SMC members were trained in 750 target schools and school activities benefited over 300,000 students. Efforts helped to increase student enrollment in SBEP schools by 56 percent, including encouraging students who had dropped out to return. While SCMP is closing, the mechanisms for engagement, government capacity, and established systems and tools are now in place to empower communities and officials to continue building on progress.

PROGRAM INTRODUCTION

In 2010 and 2011, the province of Sindh experienced heavy rains and flooding, which led to the corrosion of infrastructure, including roads, health care facilities, and public schools. The use of school buildings as relief camps and rehabilitation of internally displaced people further worsened school infrastructure and adversely affected education opportunities.

To counter these challenges and introduce education sector reforms, on September 21, 2011, USAID signed an Activity Agreement with the Government of Sindh (GoS) to implement the Sindh Basic Education Program (SBEP). This initiative is one of several donor interventions that support the Government’s broader Sindh Education Reform Program agenda. SBEP focuses on increasing and sustaining student enrollment in primary, middle, and higher secondary schools through introducing multifaceted education-sector reforms in 10 districts of Sindh province: Dadu, Jacobabad, Kambar-Shahdadkot, Karachi Malir, Karachi South, Karachi West, Kashmore, Khairpur, Larkana, and Sukkur.

SBEP includes seven major components:

1. Construction of approximately 106 state-of-the-art schools

2. Sindh Community Mobilization Program

3. Sindh Reading Program

4. Sindh Capacity Development Program

5. Program Management and Implementation Unit

6. Architectural and Engineering Services

7. Monitoring and Evaluation

The Sindh Community Mobilization Program (SCMP) was initiated in August 2013 as a five-year technical support program. It was a key component of SBEP with four objectives: 1) increase community involvement in the GoS reform of merging, consolidating, and upgrading schools; 2) improve community and district administration coordination for increased girls’ enrollment; 3) improve child nutrition in selected communities and government schools through research that informs innovation and good practice; and 4) launch the education management organization (EMO) system (pilot component). SCMP also integrated cross-cutting themes of gender equality and women’s empowerment, global climate change, local capacity development, and policy and governance.

The initial five-year scope of the program focused on 409 schools, which included 106 schools to be reconstructed under SBEP and 303 non-construction schools, also termed “neighboring schools,” selected based on their proximity to construction schools.

For the first five years, the program worked toward increasing student enrollment, particularly girls’ enrollment, and retention in selected schools through strengthened links between communities and District Education Departments. SCMP planned and implemented a range of activities to engage school community members, including trainings, planning, monitoring, and organizing school events for students and parents.

These activities contributed to a 56 percent increase in student enrollment, with girls’ enrollment increasing from 13,000 to 19,810.

Work to advance policy implementation included supporting the SELD Reform Support Unit and 426 SELD district officials. Efforts engaged officials in implementing school consolidation policies and developing strategies for community engagement.

Given initial progress, the GoS and USAID extended SCMP to include 350 additional model schools across 29 districts, thereby increasing the total number of target schools to 750. However, due to delays in issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC), the additional schools were in the end selected from within the 10 districts SCMP was already operating in.

SBEP aimed to outsource management of 106 construction schools to the private sector under the EMO reform policy and public procurement rules. As school construction was completed, SCMP provided technical assistance to the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) node in planning, executing, and managing handover to private sector entities. This assistance continued over the duration of the program and, thus far, 81 SBEP construction and 90 groups of schools have been outsourced to 10 EMOs with a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to be assessed by third party organizations.

SCMP successfully provided technical assistance to GoS in establishing the PPP node, putting in place a policy-based system for outsourcing schools and management contracts. The reform efforts will continue, as 25 SBEP schools are still under construction and expected to be ready by June 2023. SCMP developed planning documents for outsourcing of the remaining schools and the PPP node is expected to be able to manage the procurement of the next batch of schools, the overall EMO reform, and other emerging PPP initiatives inspired by SBEP-SCMP technical support.

IMPLEMENTATION DESIGN

APPROACHES

STAKEHOLDERS

ACHIEVEMENTS

IR: INCREASE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO FORMAL EDUCATION FOR OUT OF

SCHOOL CHILDREN

Despite the constitutional obligation of Article 25A to provide free and compulsory education to all children ages 5–16 years, in 2014, almost 6 million (44 percent of children in this age bracket in Sindh) were out-of-school. Sindh faced a challenge to ensure that all children, particularly the most marginalized and underserved, attended, stayed, and learned in schools.

During nine years of programming, SCMP promoted inclusive and equitable access to formal education through facilitating reconstruction and opening of SBEP schools and organizing enrollment campaigns, all of which contributed to a 56 percent increase in student enrollment.

As broader SBEP efforts started, SCMP facilitated engagement between stakeholders to foster a shared understanding of the reforms. It was critical to ensure that parties were informed and had an opportunity to voice ideas and concerns, including how student education would be affected by construction. The team arranged kickoff meetings between school staff, SMCs, community stakeholders, and Halcrow (a company engaged as a SBEP partner for designing the school building and managing construction work) at 106 schools across 10 targeted districts. Participants were oriented on the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder, along with the school construction and design process.

This tailored outreach led to the signing of 110 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between SMCs, communities, and construction contractors to ensure community support. When reconstruction was completed, SCMP held 66 school opening ceremonies, where 76 SBEP-reconstructed schools and 44 grouped schools were handed over to EMOs. SCMP

MOU signing ceremony at Govt. High School, Dodanko, District Sukkur.

Community dialogue on importance of girls’ education at Government Boys Primary School Ghulam Ali Zuhrani district Larkana organized school inauguration ceremonies to celebrate the completion of school construction. These high-profile events were attended by senior GoS officials, USAID representatives, members of Parliament, district administration members, civil society organizations, school staff, SMCs, students, and community members. In addition to providing a clear marker of progress and an opportunity for stakeholders to take pride and ownership in schools, the ceremonies encouraged student enrollment.

A few comments from ceremony participants include the following:

“Our girls are our leaders; we should continue to engage parents for required support to educate our girls.”

Head Teacher of Government Girls High School, District Sukkur

“Now having such a nice school in our village, I do not see any reason parents should not let their girls attain their right to education.”

A female student at Government Girls High School, District Larkana

IR: EQUITABLE ENROLLMENT AND RETENTION

CAMPAIGNS TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT

Given the local context, where mothers are the main caregivers for children at the household level, SCMP worked to increase women’s participation in SMCs as a means of ensuring community ownership, increasing enrollment, and reducing the dropout rate for girls in school. For this purpose, SCMP held 98 community dialogues, which were attended by 3,549 participants, including community members, parents, teachers, SMC members, and representatives from USAID. SCMP also held 198 campaigns with 179 schools to increase enrollment.

To better understand the factors affecting girls’ enrollment, SCMP conducted 15 focus group discussions across ten districts. Reasons identified included the lack of basic facilities in schools, lack of female teachers, and safety and security concerns. Informed by these discussions, SCMP worked with parents and community members to address the challenges unique to their schools. SCMP helped in developing and implementing School Improvement Plans (SIPs) and providing small grants to implement the plans. Efforts were complemented with community dialogues on how to manage safety and security issues.

As an outcome of these persistent efforts to provide equitable access to quality education, 19,810 girls were newly enrolled and 13,267 female students were readmitted in SCMP target schools. In addition, 40,275 boys also started school as new admissions and readmissions. Hence, despite the standstill that the education sector faced due to COVID-19, total enrollment in SCMP target schools increased by 73,352, an increase of 56 percent as compared with the baseline.

Year Girls’ Enrollment Boys’ Enrollment Total Enrollment

2014–15 (Baseline) 37,116 59,098 96,214

2019–20 (Year Eight) 56,116 94,183 150,299

“Educating girls will help in creating awareness for social change.”

SMC Chairperson, Government High School, Tando Mir Ali, District Khairpur.

“In our times, we had to go for miles to attain school; now our children are lucky to have such nice access at their doorstep.”

SMC members, Government Boys School, Umerabad, Sukkur

Enrollment campaigns led by teachers and students at Govt. National Modern High School district Sukkur and Government Secondary School Yousuf Goth, Karachi-Malir.

GoS and USAID officials with students, school staff, SMC members, and SCMP team during the school inauguration at Govt. Hugh Schools Kouro Goth, District Khairpur

IR: IMPROVED CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY

School systems in Sindh have historically been characterized by low community engagement and participation, which contributes to low enrollment and high dropout rates. The lack of involvement and ownership in SBEP target schools adversely affected the provision of quality education, as the schools had no active mechanisms for monitoring and accountability. Even SMCs, designed to foster engagement, also lagged behind, as they were neither structured in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Government of Sindh nor were most SMC members aware of their roles or responsibilities. SCMP worked closely with parents, community members, and SMCs to address these challenges.

ORIENTATION AND RESTRUCTURING

SCMP designed events to enhance SMC members’ knowledge and skills, particularly in planning and developing SIPs, record keeping, and engaging in school activities. Efforts included 238 introductory meetings for school administrators, teachers, SMC members, and other community stakeholders. The meetings served as the first point of contact with the communities and assisted SCMP in planning SMC restructuring and increasing girls’ enrollment. A total of 1,442 meetings were held to support restructuring and formation of subcommittees designed to increase women’s participation in SMCs to at least 30 percent of total membership. School-based events helped engage parents in planning and implementing governance and management activities, and women’s membership in SMCs increased to 40 percent.

As part of the restructuring process, SCMP facilitated formation of three SMC subcommittees, which began engaging regularly with parents to improve schools:

1. Social Mobilization and School Improvement Committee (School Sudhar Committee)

2. School Health and Nutrition Committee (Ghizaiyat aur Sehat – Safai Committee)

3. Grants & Local Resources Committee (Mali Sahaita Committee).

SCMP, in consultation with SMCs, formed terms of reference for each subcommittee, outlining member roles and responsibilities. The subcommittees worked to raise awareness of the importance of education, encouraging parents to enroll their children in schools, developing Social Mobilization Plans (SMPs) and SIPs, effectively using SMC funds and small grants, and seeking in-kind contributions from community members. To ensure the sustainability of community engagement, SCMP, in collaboration with the Reform Support Unit, finalized and published a School Community Engagement Strategy (SCES) for SELD and held events across districts to introduce the approach. The strategy presents a comprehensive framework for meaningful engagement at the school level to support holistic child development. The approach is based on SCMP’s

Community dialogue on women’s rights at Govt. Boys Primary Schools, Ghulam Ali Zuhrani District Larkana.

experience in community mobilization, lessons from the field, and wide consultation with relevant stakeholders. The strategy includes guidelines for restructuring SMCs, building their capacity, and improving governance and financial frameworks.

SMC TRAININGS AND EXCHANGE VISITS

After completing the restructuring, SCMP trained 16,263 SMC members, including 11,261 men and 5,002 women, on topics including the SMC’s role in community and social mobilization; revised SELD guidelines;

SMC composition and structure; and gender representation. Trainings were designed to build skills in school improvement planning and decision making; strategies for increasing enrollment, especially of girls, retaining students, and preventing drop-out; and financial management and record keeping. As part of the trainings, participants developed school improvement plans. Participants were also oriented on basic concepts of disaster risk reduction (DRR), personal and environmental health and hygiene, and gender mainstreaming. Pre- and post-participation surveys conducted to gauge levels of understanding revealed that, for most participants, this was their first training on SMC activities and functions. Many participants said that they appreciated SCMP’s efforts in social mobilization and especially in activating SMCs. The table below provides details on the trainings conducted and the number of participants trained.

Sr. # Training Type Participation Frequency

# of Schools Men Women Total

1 How to develop and implement SMPs and SIPs 406 1,603 394 1,997

2 Financial and grants management 429 2,788 1,002 3,790

3 Orientation on grants management 10 66 15 81

4 Strategies to improve girls’ enrollment 403 1,540 409 1,949

5 DRR, gender, and water/sanitation 402 1,582 379 1,961

6 Nutrition and hygiene 406 1,789 1,248 3,037

7 SMCs of model schools (SIP, SMC roles, community mobilization, girls’ enrollment & DRR) 285 1,893 1,555 3,448

Total

11,261 5,002 16,263

USAID and GoS Officials disseminating the School Community Engagement Strategy at provincial level in Karachi.

SCMP also conducted community exchange visits to promote cross-community learning. Nearly 90 exchange visits were conducted, allowing SMC members to see how other schools, districts, and teams worked and to share ideas around school events, creative initiatives, and opportunities to build inter-community collaboration.

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIAL MOBILIZATION PLANS

Social Mobilization Plans are developed by the community, with SMC playing a lead role and SCMP as facilitator.

These plans included such activities as conducting SMC general body meetings and organizing activities to improve student enrollment and retention. SMPs were reviewed continually and updated every year. Over the program period, 439 SMPs were developed as part of community engagement for overall school improvement.

SCMP tracked and ensured implementation of 97 percent of these plans.

Under the plans, SCMP facilitated SMCs and school staff in celebrating community recognition days, such as International Literacy Day, World Children’s Day, and Global Handwashing Day. These celebrations served as a foundation for community engagement and supported SMCs in planning community drives to increase enrollment, particularly for girls, and garnering resources for implementing SIPs.

Over the course of nine years, locals gave cash donations worth PKR 1,155,985 and in-kind donations worth PKR 74,435,075 for improving the state of schools. Contributions included land, solar panels, student uniforms and shoes, water coolers, fans, furniture, and learning materials. SMC members identified local resources or philanthropists, mobilized their support, and organized events for their recognition and appreciation.

IR: ENRICHED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS

The state’s role in providing quality education to children goes beyond ensuring equitable access to schools.

It is essential to create a conducive learning environment where children can feel secure, learn, and thrive. Many public sector schools in Sindh did not meet these standards, with many lacking basic infrastructure and facilities such as toilets, boundary walls, and drinking water. Many communities also lacked access to basic health care and had limited knowledge of nutrition, health, and hygiene. These challenges contributed to lower school enrollment, attendance, and retention. To address these issues, SCMP adopted a multifaceted approach focused on improving physical infrastructure at schools, along with the personal health and hygiene of students, to create an enriched and fulfilling learning environment.

IMPROVED SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES THROUGH SIPS

SELD’s guidelines for SMCs mandate that each develop a SIP and release funds based on these plans. However, on early visits to target schools, SCMP found that most SMCs had neither developed SIPs nor were they trained to do so. SCMP started with SMC restructuring and established Social Mobilization and School Improvement Subcommittees. In 406 schools, SCMP held sessions and trained 1,997 subcommittee members on how to develop and implement SIPs. As an outcome of SIP development and implementation, SMCs could identify gaps and tap into SMC funds to address them. Over the life of the program, 724 SIPs were developed, though only 67 percent could be implemented due to COVID-19 restrictions and delays in seeking NOCs.

CSR PARTNERSHIPS

To further enrich the school environment and improve performance, SCMP engaged private sector companies to leverage corporate social responsibility (CSR) investments for the benefit of schools and children. SCMP signed nine MoUs with organizations such as Pfizer, Telenor Pakistan, Intel Pakistan, Engro Foundation, and ICI Pakistan. The support provided by these private partners included cash donations, equipment for health rooms and science labs, access to educational tools, and software.

Students in science labs of Govt. High School. Kouro Goth, Khairpur District

Health corners established in each SBEP school to check the nutritional status of students. – Govt. High School Satabo Khairpur District

IMPROVED SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES THROUGH SMALL

GRANTS

Another significant step undertaken by SCMP to improve the learning environment was the disbursement of small grants to support implementation of SIPs. These grants were used to repair and maintain existing facilities and to address facility gaps. Parents, headmasters, SMCs, and SCMP helped to develop SIPs, with SMCs and their subcommittees taking charge of implementation.

SCMP developed a grant manual to establish and streamline the management mechanism and small grants were provided by the SMC. SCMP held sessions in 429 schools and trained 3,790 members of Local Resource and Grants Management subcommittees on how to apply for and manage grants. SCMP disseminated 420 small grants worth PKR 59,324,015 to 302 target schools. When SCMP disbursed small grants to improve the state of schools, people willingly sent their children to schools. When schools became responsive to the needs of the communities, it increased the demand for education and led to education that’s accessible to all children.

Sr. # District # of Small Grants # of Schools Total Amount

1 Dadu 59 52 8,189,550

2 Jacobabad 55 39 7,936,600

3 Kambar Shahdad Kot 52 37 7,309,900

4 Karachi (District Malir, West and South) 31 22 4,398,725

5 Kashmore 66 46 9,280,035

6 Khairpur 65 41 9,117,515

7 Larkana 39 27 5,440,280

8 Sukkur 53 38 7,651,410

Grand Total 420 302 59,324,015

ADDRESSING HEALTH AND NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS

Health and education go hand in hand, as poor health leads to higher absenteeism and decreases learning outcomes. SCMP partnered with Tulane University and Aga Khan University-Human Development Program to develop tools for collecting health and anthropometric data regarding the nutritional status of school-age children through a baseline survey. Based on these findings, SCMP prepared Health and Nutrition Education Training modules that covered a range of topics, including nutrition and food groups;

anthropometry and health screening;

hygiene and safe environment; and facilitation skills. To implement interventions in schools, SCMP established School Health and Nutrition Committees and trained 3,037 subcommittee members in 406 schools on the health and nutrition modules. SCMP facilitated health screenings at all target schools with primary grades—screening 44,400 students ages 5 to 10 years and referring 3,007 of them to health facilities for further care. To ensure that these interventions are sustainable, SCMP established health corners in 244 schools to allow for routine health screenings.

IMPROVED HEALTH AND HYGIENE PRACTICES AT SCHOOLS

To promote healthier habits and lifestyles, SCMP supported 435 schools in incorporating health- and hygiene-related activities in annual school plans and implementation frameworks. These activities included sessions on personal hygiene and handwashing, as well as sports days and school cleaning days. These efforts contributed to a cleaner, healthier environment more conducive to learning.

Oral health demonstration during training in Jacobabad District.

IR: IMPROVED GOVERNMENT CAPACITY TO MANAGE EDUCATION

PROGRAMS

ASSISTANCE IN IMPLEMENTING GOS MERGER AND CONSOLIDATION POLICY

The GoS approved a policy of school consolidation in 2012 to improve the quality of education and school governance while ensuring access to education. SCMP supported policy implementation in line with SELD’s criteria for school consolidation and merging (i.e., embed two or more schools within one boundary wall and merge/consolidate adjoining and nearby schools). SCMP facilitated engagement and served as a catalyst for implementing the consolidation policy. SCMP conducted assessments and mappings to identify schools for merger and consolidation, while working with community members to improve understanding of the reforms and address concerns. As an outcome, schools were consolidated in consultation with school staff and SMCs to improve governance and service delivery.

TRAINING OF LOCAL EDUCATION OFFICIALS

SCMP coordinated with taluka and district education officials to orient them on reforms and engage them in implementation. Officials were trained on the technical aspects of the consolidation, such as criteria for school selection, implementation of the checklist at the school level, and stakeholder coordination, which enabled them to confidently lead communities toward successful implementation of policies and reforms. SCMP also trained these officials on ways to effectively engage communities to increase school enrollment and reduce dropouts.

Students on their first day of school, district Khairpur

IR: ESTABLISH MANAGEMENT MECHANISMS TO STRENGTHEN

PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The SBEP introduced the EMO reforms as a pilot PPP project at a time when SELD had no legal framework for PPPs in the education service delivery sector. Having the visible and significant contribution of private sector schools, the SELD planned to leverage their expertise and outsource management of select public sector schools through PPP and public procurement regimes.

As part of the Project Advisory Group for SBEP, SCMP worked with relevant government officials and civil society members to establish legal and management mechanisms to engage PPPs. Using this platform, SCMP assisted the GoS in incorporating education service delivery under the legal ambit of PPP Act 2010 and worked toward forming the PPP node in SELD for smooth management and execution of projects. The framework laid the foundation for PPPs in the education sector and capacity building of relevant units and officials of SELD to ensure sustainability of the EMO reforms or other PPP programs in the education sector.

Over the course of SCMP’s work, the PPP node grew from a single appointment to a dedicated team of 10 officers completed in September 2021 (some reassigned from SELD as well as new hires). SCMP led onboarding of new staff to share information and develop skills required for implementing EMO reform and managing PPP contracts.

As the implementer of a pilot project, SCMP established the management mechanisms best suited to monitor performance and ensure accountability of the EMO reforms. After the PPP node of SELD was established, SCMP worked closely with it to streamline processes for EMO procurement and contract management.

PROCUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF EMOS

SCMP facilitated the PPP node by carrying out the procurement process, per Sindh Public Procurement Rules 2010, for outsourcing the reconstructed schools along with selected group schools to private sector EMOs.

SCMP prepared procurement packages by engaging the PPP node and Technical and Financial Committee members, held pre-bid meetings to address inquiries, participated in bid evaluation processes, and facilitated concession agreement signings. SCMP supported the PPP node in successfully completing six rounds of procurement by June 30, 2022, outsourcing SBEP reconstructed schools and group schools to EMOs. SCMP also facilitated the PPP node in selecting independent experts and independent auditors for each procurement to ensure accountability and performance management.

Students using the library at Govt. High School Kolab Jail, Sukkur managed by an EMO.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

Following the signing of concession agreements after six procurement rounds, SCMP facilitated the EMOs and PPP node in fulfilling multiple contractual obligations, including appointing independent oversight of audits and performance and establishment of escrow accounts. To ensure consistency among the EMO reports on KPI performance, SCMP established improved accountability mechanisms by introducing a standardized quarterly reporting template and introduced a School Monitoring Checklist for the field staff of the PPP node to record the findings of their school visits.

A KPI performance tracker and financial management database were developed to enable PPP node staff to report to the Secretary’s Office, PPP Unit Finance Department, and PPP Policy Board. As these tools have been developed in consultation with the PPP node, independent experts, and EMOs, SCMP expects the PPP node and EMOs to continue using these tools into the future.

SCMP worked with EMOs and held regular review meetings to identify and address challenges in meeting KPIs and other contractual obligations. SCMP successfully resolved various challenges pertaining to textbook shortages, teacher shortages, teacher and school staff transfers, delays in annuity amount payments, and determination of KPIs during COVID-19. These meetings enabled the EMOs and the PPP node to successfully navigate the challenges for contract compliance. SCMP facilitated the PPP node in signing 35 addendums to the concession agreement to enable EMOs, independent experts, and independent auditors to continue operations during the uncertain period of the global pandemic.

Sindh Chief Minister, U.S. Council General, and Chief Secretary witness the signing of the Concession Agreement at CM House on September 27, 2021.

INTEGRATION OF CROSS-CUTTING

THEMES

GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

The community assessment and secondary research completed by CMP’s gender advisor identified that women’s empowerment is crucial to increasing the enrollment of girls in school and that gender equality is possible only when the entire system is sensitive to the roles and needs of women. Given this, SCMP adopted a multifaceted approach to integrate gender into programming, including a focus on training, increased women’s engagement in community and school leadership, and greater visibility of women’s representation.

SCMP developed a gender mainstreaming manual and training materials to conduct gender sensitization trainings for government officials, SMCs, and communities. Gender-sensitive SIPs were also developed to ensure that investments in improvements benefitted both male and female students. Gender sensitivity was considered while developing manuals for managing small grants and developing KPIs for EMO reform implementation as well.

Women’s participation was a priority when restructuring the SMC process. The establishment of subcommittees and other efforts helped to increase women’s SMC membership from 11 percent at baseline to 40 percent at program close.

SCMP also coordinated with district education departments to increase the number of female teachers and make schools more responsive to the needs of female students.

To support overall visibility, SCMP celebrated international days, such as International Women’s Day, to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of women in society. The celebration of sports at SCMP target schools stands out as a significant achievement, as for many girls, it was the first time they had the opportunity to participate in sports or activities that bring unique benefits to complement formal education.

CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE

SBEP was initiated in the aftermath of catastrophic floods that destroyed socio-economic life in the province and heavily damaged educational institutions. With climate change, these districts continue to be at the higher risk of flooding. SCMP training provided disaster risk reduction support to more than 1,900 SMC members in 402 schools. Participants learned about a variety of hazards, community vulnerabilities, and emergency first aid training. They were also trained on preventive measures to minimize flood-related hazards to community members and facilities.

LOCAL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

Establishing sustainable institutions and strengthening local capacity played a critical role in ensuring continuation of progress built under SCMP. Local leaders and education officials received training on engagement strategies and approaches to increase community and private involvement. A comprehensive School Community Engagement Strategy was developed to empower the SELD Reform Support Unit to continue approaches developed through SCMP. This, together with establishment of the PPP node, positions SELD to continue developing the capacity of its staff to execute and manage reforms.

POLICY AND GOVERNANCE SUPPORT

SCMP played a significant role in helping the Government of Sindh introduce PPPs in the education sector.

Informed by SCMP support, the PPP Act 2010 was amended to include service delivery under the ambit of PPPs, thereby institutionalizing a legal framework for executing EMO reforms. With the framework in place, SCMP and the GoS together established a strong PPP node to implement the reforms. SCMP also worked actively with district officials and identified target schools for implementing the School Consolidation Policy and SMCs Rules of 2016.

PPP node team with SCMP and PMIU teams after a training session

Science class at Govt. High School Drib Maher Shah, District Khairpur

IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES

Obtaining security clearances for various activities throughout the program duration served as a major implementation challenge. The cumbersome process of obtaining a NOC by the Home Department caused multiple delays and affected program timelines. When SELD requested that SCMP expand the community engagement model to 19 additional districts of the province, SCMP experienced a major setback, as we were unable to secure the NOC to scale up. Despite the challenges, SCMP completed its expansion target in 350 schools in the existing 10 districts of SBEP.

Another challenge was the delay in selecting and reconstructing SBEP schools. As the SBEP funding stream was divided into government to government (G2G) (USAID direct transfer to GoS) and USAID’s directly funded projects such as Sindh Reading Program, Sindh Capacity Development Project, and Sindh Community Mobilization Program, the reconstruction of the SBEP-selected schools happened under the G2G mechanism, the oversight for which was assigned to the newly established Program Management and Implementation Unit.

Initially, the program envisioned that the reconstruction of 106 schools will be completed in a five-year period;

however, due to various unanticipated factors, construction work was delayed and to this date, several schools are at various stages of construction. This served as a major setback for SCMP to meet program timelines for outsourcing these schools. To date, 86 school have been successfully reconstructed and SCMP has outsourced 81 of these schools to EMOs under six rounds of procurement. The PPP node has launched RFP 7 for outsourcing five SBEP schools. The construction work of 20 remaining schools is still in progress and is expected to be completed by June 2023.

The limited staffing of the PPP node was a challenge throughout the program duration. The initial team consisted only of a senior director (additional charge), director of education, and director of administration (additional charge), which was difficult, given the significant level of effort required for this work. The SCMP team had to manage additional workloads for the contract management to help, and the planned capacity development for the PPP node team was delayed. After the induction of new employees at the PPP node in late 2021, SCMP engaged the new team in every procurement and contract management activity and conducted training sessions for all staff. While training and materials were provided to the PPP node team, the emerging scale of EMO and PPP reforms in SELD will require consistency in leadership along with additional human and financial resources.

The COVID-19 pandemic had widespread effects on all aspects of life around the world. School closures during 2020–2021 halted SCMP’s community mobilization activities and enrollment drives. The contract management for EMO reforms was also widely affected as the force majeure period was triggered, meaning EMOs were exempt from meeting KPIs, and addendums to the concession agreements were issued to navigate the uncertain period. Likewise, the procurement process for outsourcing the remaining SBEP reconstructed schools was also delayed. SCMP adapted its technical assistance to the PPP node by providing support in drafting force majeure documentation and also served as a bridge between PPP node and EMOs, independent auditors, and independent experts to learn about the complexities of a force majeure event. On the procurement side, SCMP helped the PPP node design a bigger procurement package of RFP 6, thus covering the time lost due to COVID.

LESSONS LEARNED

WHILE UMBRELLA PLANNING OFFERS OPPORTUNITY FOR INCREASED

IMPACT, IT MUST EMPHASIZE COORDINATION AND SEQUENCING

SBEP is a unique initiative of the Government of Sindh and USAID in that it puts several projects under one umbrella planning document. There was initial pushback to this approach, as typically, a planning document would include just one activity with a specific scope of work (i.e., construction of schools would be in one document; teacher training in another). The final SBEP agreement included the construction of schools (to be implemented by the Government of Sindh and the US Government) and multiple related programs that USAID would implement (i.e., SCMP, the Sindh Reading Program, and the Sindh Capacity Development Project).

Led by the Secretary of Education, a Program Steering Committee served as the coordinating forum, working across multiple projects, work plans, and partners to ensure alignment. With similar, yet unique goals, the projects under SBEP created a symbiotic implementation environment. For example, the Sindh Reading Program’s focus on the quality of education helped SCMP’s build parents’ interest and encourage enrollment.

SCMP supported the Program Management and Implementation Unit’s construction work by engaging communities and raising awareness to mitigate concerns.

The coordination between community engagement and construction offers lessons that can improve future efforts. While SCMP started operations in all districts simultaneously and mobilized communities for school reconstruction, the Program Steering Committee granted construction approvals district by district and only for a limited number of schools at a time. As a result, construction did not start at the anticipated time in communities that were already briefed on changes and excited about reforms. This affected trust that had been established between SCMP and communities and threatened the continued engagement that would be central to the program’s overall success. Additional construction delays attributed to technical factors further compounded challenges and required increased effort by SCMP to reassure communities.

While SCMP was able to rebuild community trust and continue successful implementation (including signing of MOUs with more than 100 schools regarding construction plans), a focus on ensuring work plan sequencing and coordination across partners and activities will benefit future projects conducted under an umbrella plan.

This coordination should be informed by technical experts across projects and disciplines to ensure that considerations from relevant specialists are factored in (i.e., engineers, outreach leaders). These experts are more likely to be familiar with the technical nuances that could complicate implementation—as well as with potential solutions or points where coordinated efforts could be leveraged.

Overall, the success of SCMP and other activities undertaken in SBEP indicate that the holistic nature of the umbrella planning approach offers significant opportunities to maximize both efficiency and effectiveness of investments by national/provincial government partners and donors.

COMPLEX REFORMS CAN SUCCEED WHEN STAKEHOLDERS ARE ENGAGED

AND EMPOWERED

SCMP’s approach to engage and empower stakeholders as part of the process—not just communicate to them—was critical and established a strong foundation for continued progress. Communication was open and honest, and listening to the needs and concerns of all stakeholders—from the Secretary of Education to parents in rural villages—helped to inform efforts.

When working with communities, SCMP recognized that notifications issued by government regarding reform activities, such as school consolidation, needed to be framed in terms of the community’s interests and in accessible language. By sharing this information together with the opportunity for communities to engage with the construction firm and contribute to decision-making, SCMP fostered ownership. Now, reform was not just something happening to people, it was something they were a part of.

When SCMP started engagement activities, there was an assumption that low school enrollment was the result of a community’s lack of awareness regarding the importance of education. Visits to communities found this to be untrue. Parents wanted to send their children to school, but the schools were not responsive to community needs. Issues such as the hiring of female teachers, availability of toilets, or school boundary walls were not being acted upon.

SCMP leveraged School Management Committees, an existing, yet underutilized institution, to bolster community engagement. Parents, teachers, and members of the community were mobilized and trained on what the SMC do—and what they could help could achieve for their local schools. SCMP also worked with district education officials and SMCs to form subcommittees to increase women’s engagement and support SCMP’s approach to community participation. With this support, SMCs helped to address local concerns and build engagement that encouraged more responsive schools. As with awareness on school consolidation and construction, when communities had the resources to take the lead, they took ownership on making change happen.

IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPLEX REFORMS CAN BE ACHIEVED WITHIN

EXISTING SYSTEMS IF FLEXIBILITY IS ALLOWED AND TECHNICAL

ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED

The use of Public Private Partnerships in education was a novel concept incorporated into this project. At the outset, a new, autonomous authority was envisaged to undertake this reform, based in the assumption that the Education Department lacked proper organizational structures to carry out PPPs. The idea was that a new entity could be established with structures, rules, and human resources that were not tied to existing systems, and an independent entity could help build trust with the private sector, which has been traditionally skeptical of government intervention.

The Secretary of Education and the Education Department did not support this approach, with a primary concern being that reforms require high-level ownership, especially when looking ahead to scalability and sustainability. SCMP assessment aligned with this, and a decision was made with USAID to establish the PPP Node within the Education Department. The implementation of reform in the public sector is not a static matter. The implementation plan must be agile to the new realities. The flexibility shown by USAID helped SCMP redirect technical assistance to achieve positive results.

USAID’s technical assistance model was adopted to meet the Education Department’s evolving needs and was vital to its success. SCMP had used technical assistance to obtain a legal opinion regarding the application of the PPP Act of 2010 to education, which helped bring the Secretary of Education on board with the overall idea. Technical assistance continued to play an important role in SCMP’s efforts, helping the new PPP Node work through the EMO-pilot and other innovations.

As SCMP closes, the PPP Node has become an institution in the Education Department. It is attracting other donors as well now, and EMO reforms are expanding to other districts and sub-sectors to reach more communities and students. The success of the technical assistance has also changed the Government of Sindh’s approach with donors more broadly. Having seen its usefulness in SMCP, the government now insists on having technical assistance from all major donors.