Lao PDR ESDF Sector Study: Final Consultants’ Report - Annex 6ii

Capacity Building skills development

DPO

DPO supported by National capacity building specialists Support TA

Preparatory working sessions

DPO, DPC All leading agencies

Support TA

Organisation of Capacity Building, and CB skills development WORKSHOP (ELEVEN)

DPO, DPC

All leading agencies

Support TA

Organisation of Capacity Building, and CB skills development

Follow‐up programme

ESDF Preparation for implementation Stage TWO

Reorientation of provincial & district programmes towards ESDF

DPC SREAC, DPO Support TA

DPC

All MOE Depts & Centres Support TA

ESDF Basics

Preparatory working sessions

REGIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES

The ESDF

Preparatory working sessions

Preparation ofthe agendas, outcomes, draft follow‐up programme, and materials for the Workshop and follow‐up programme

Review of the consolidated CB programme from Workshop 9. Identification of materials needed or available. Finalisation of the programme including sequencing, locations, participant numbers, financing arrangements

Training methods: workshop organisation & management, participatory techniques, presentation preparation, use of training materials, case‐studies and problem solving, simulation, on‐the‐job training & support, training assessment Finalising a CB skills development follow‐up programme

Programme to complete remaining materials

2 cycles of practical skills development workshops (25 participants from leading agencies) on: workshop organisation & management, presentation & training skills, interactive & particatory training, case‐study and problem solving techniques, using the CB programme as target material

PES & DEB awareness raising for ESDF (purpose, policies, strategies, implications, future directions)

ESDF policy and strategy analysis & implementation implications

PES & DEB Unit Responsibilities for ESDF activities

Organisational change and capacity building programmes have been prepared by leading agencies in Stage One

Led by different units

Participation on need

DPC, DPO Participation by strategy training need Support TA

Policy‐based capacity building

WORKSHOP ONE

Organisational Strengthening for ESDF implementation

WORKSHOP Two Training for ESDF Strategy implementation

Implementation of prepared organisational change plans

Integration of ESDF processes into unit TOR

Training for revised TOR

Unit strengthening (VEDCs, DEB & PES structure)

Implementation of training packages for units by policy requirement prepared by leading agencies

Training for ESDF planning & management

3.3 STAGE TWO ACTIVITIES

44 Stage Two activities are outlined in Figure 4 above. Details of the programme content will be determined during the phase one activities.

45 While two of the objectives of Stage One are to generate the content of Stage Two, and prepare leading agencies to lead Stage Two, it is possible to predict some of the requirements for capacity building and organisational adjustment for Stage Two. ANNEX 3 Stage One Activity Matrix indicates the follow-up programme for key Stage One workshops and lists also the Stage Two activities involved.

3.4 IMPLEMENTATION MODALITIES AND COSTS

Preparation Programme Management

46 Overall responsibility for the programme will have to be decided by the MOE within the framework of the organisation for ESDF coordination. For the transition and implementation phases of the ESDF, the government has reorganized the ESDF coordination structure and the ESDF Focal Groups and Task Forces (see ANNEX 6 ESDF Coordination Structure). Responsibility for the preparation programme will be located under the DPC and central coordination group.

47 All TA assigned under the preparation programme will be coordinated by, and report to the DG DPC10. If the present ESDF support TA continues, then the TA should form part of this team with coordination and reporting shared by the DPC and ESDF Team Leader. TA team mission timing, duration and performance will likewise be the responsibility of the DG DPC, assisted by an ESDF Team Leader. In turn, the DG DPC will inform the ESWG and seek comments and consensus relating to matters of preparation programme implementation.

48 The Focal Group Heads will help to decide on priorities, contents and participation in the workshops and on the outcomes of the follow-up sessions. The preparation working sessions will produce a proposal, within the outlines of the Activity Matrix, for the Focal Group Heads to confirm the content, organisation, and follow-up programs of the key workshops before detailed work on the contents and materials.

49 As far as possible, the preparation programme should be designed to strengthen the regular systems of education management and delivery so that management and coordination mechanisms do not depend on Focal Group intervention but are built into the government systems themselves.

Workshops & follow-up programs

50 Stage One of the programme will be implemented through a series of key workshops followed by follow-up on-the-job activities.

51 The workshops need to engage closely with relatively small groups of specialist staff, or larger numbers of senior managers, and will need to ensure active participation and discussion. Each workshop will need to agree and prepare for the follow up activities. Consequently, the standard government method of capacity building involving mass-lecturing and limited question and answer will not be appropriate. Training in workshop management, given to key technical staff of leading agencies in Stage One, and the preparation of the stage two capacity building programme and workshop materials will ensure that the Stage Two activities are also conducted in a relatively practical and interactive manner.

52 Workshops are given an indicative duration. However, in many cases, the content and outcomes indicated are ambitious. Experience has shown that relatively limited outcomes can often be expected from workshops. There is no simple answer to this problem. On the one hand, there is lot of material to cover; on the other, it is unsatisfactory to remove substantial numbers of government staff from their regular work for long periods.

53 To some extent, the follow-up programme will allow the expected outcomes to be achieved over a longer period of time. But the follow-up programs are not driven by the same time-bound performance or incentive framework as the workshops and carry additional outcome expectations. The follow-up programs carry a heavier burden of outcomes than the workshops. There is a danger that, without determined monitoring, follow-up programs will lose momentum. The support TA provided will also be responsible for assisting follow-up programme implementation, agreeing deadlines, organising working sessions, and generally pushing the outcomes along.

Technical Assistance support

The workshops and follow-up activities will, on request of government units, be supported by targeted international and national Technical Assistants. An initial estimate of TA requirements is summarised in ANNEX 4 Projected Technical Assistance Support needs, and allocated by activity in the

. At least one medium-term international and one medium-term national TA are required to assist the assigned units of government to coordinate, facilitate, and push forward the programme. All national TA time allocations are on a needs basis – i.e. day allocations may not be continuous.

54 International and national TA support will, in general, act as facilitation and sources for activity preparation by;

 defining the elements that need to be incorporated in the activity,

 ensuring adequate consideration of existing activities and programs in the sector and ESDF11,

 feeding in related information and experiences from Lao and abroad,

 arbitrating between different views,

 shaping the focus and materials for the workshops,

 giving weight and authority to support the discussion of critical issues,

 maintaining momentum in follow-up on-the-job activities,

 providing advice and support on request for these follow-up activities.

55 Where needed, the TA may also support training during Stage Two activities.

56 Because of the relatively underdeveloped ownership of the ESDF at present, all TA will need to avoid leading activities, or becoming associated with decisions or choices beyond pointing out the consequences of the decisions and actions as s/he perceives them – even if some decisions appear to conflict with the ESDF or with each other.

Costs

57 Funding for the ESDF Preparation Programme is likely to be ‘project’-based – i.e. a specially funded activity, not under the government budget, with specific and time-bound objectives. However, in order to practice what ESDF preaches, the fund should be made available to the MOE and be under MOE management, with possible joint management by an ESDF TL if in place. Exact funding mechanisms will depend on agreements between the funding agency and the MOE within the budget law.

58 Cost estimates for the programme are given in terms of;

[A] a projection for Stage One activities,

[B] a cost for Stage Two activities relating to Stage One follow-up programs,

[C] a cost for national TA

59 The full cost of Stage Two activities is not projected because it is dependent on the needs identified by leading agencies as part of their implementation assessment12.

11 e.g. the state of progress under the TESAP and the policies of ESDF relating to teacher management.

12 This is the only way a capacity building assessment can be done effectively. There is simply not enough understanding of the sequencing, prioritisation, dependencies, and baselines for implementation needs to be projected. Only the government itself can sort this out through analysis, discussion, and matching priorities with available funding.