problems in assessing the component and coordinating activities acrosscomponents that might generate cost savings.

b. Inter-Agency Coordination—(MoE and UNICEF).The management processes within MoE have resulted in difficulties for UNICEF inobtaining quality information and data on project implementation and progress. Theofficial contact between UNICEF officers and MoE is generally through DBE for allproject components, adding a layer to the flow of information. In addition, UNICEF doesnot regularly receive the evaluation and monitoring reports produced by the ShanghaiInstitute for Human Resources Development (SIHRD) for MoE, nor does it have accessto the data. This compromises its position as a partner in the programme.

c. Inter-Agency Coordination - MoE and DoEs.The coordination bet\veen MoE and the provincial Departments of Education (DoE) isalso problematic. Most divisions within provincial DoEs coordinate each componentwith the relevant department at MoE, but the province must submit a consolidatedreport to MoE. Although this situation does not describe Guizhou at the moment, sincethe current Project Director also oversees all the divisions involved, once she leaves theposition (at the end of this year), the work will be similarly fragmented, as the newproject director is expected to be responsible for only one division.

Similarly, it is difficult for MoE to organize or assist with developing county-levelactivities. MoE contact is through the DoEs at the province level, which too lacksufficient county and sub-county information. This coordination problem at the county-level is basically absent, however, as the Bureaux of Education are small, and generallyonly one project officer is responsible for all project components.

Other issues include the following:1. For various reasons, the Programme Plans of Action (PPAs) are not finalized and

approved until April or May, resulting the activities getting stacked into the latterpart of the year.

2. Project management find reporting after each activity burdensome. The reportinghas become a formality, and tends not to focus on quality.

3. The reimbursement procedure is cumbersome and time-consuming.

2.2.2. How does management affect the quality of the implementation and outcomes?

The quality of implementation is affected in two major ways due to lack of closercoordination and collaboration. First, there is little opportunity for integrating andstreamlining the different aspects of the project. For example, teacher training and girls'education components are planned delivered separately when there could ways ofintegrating the two. In addition, reporting on activities has become a formality and thequality of the information provided has suffered.

Second, due to lack of an adequate number of personnel and poor coordination, nosingle agency is able to provide direct quality inputs and monitoring, which tends to

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lead to less-than-expected achievement of outcomes.

2.2.3. Quality of Implementation

The implementation of activities is through various modalities, including training,development and provision of materials, and provision of equipment and teachingmaterials. Funded activities take place at the national, provincial, and county-levels, withthe expectation that further training and dissemination is to be supported locally asfollow-on activities at the sub-county levels. While the project has been successful inimplementing a vast number and types of activities, the quality of implementation hasbeen far less than optimal. Specific issues related to this topic are discussed in thesections below.

a. Mechanisms to Meet Needs at the School LevelThe mechanisms utilized to identify the needs of educators, students, and the schoolcommunity are weak, consisting primarily of ad hoc measures. Teachers the sub-teamspoke with were seldom able to talk about the difficulties they face in their work,indicating perhaps that there is not much opportunity to do so without a feedbackmechanism. (Although their diffidence could be due to the presence of national andprovincial authorities.) The design does not include specific instruments and processes toassist in developing Project Plans of Action and specifying the activities that meet localneeds more squarely.

b. Quality of Training ActivitiesThe quality of training is uneven. For instance, a training provided in 1998 in Guiyangfor pre-primary education utilized a variety of teaching methodologies, provided trainingmaterials, and each trainee in turn conducted training for others in her township. Adescription of a training session on the use of teaching aids also revealed that themethodology was practice-oriented, allowing teachers to work with the materialsdemonstrated. However, other descriptions of training programmes indicate that thesessions are delivered in a traditional transmissive fashion, and the definition of"training" encompasses anything from a site-visit to simply watching a video. Severalinterrelated issues concerning training quality are discussed below.

1. Teaching methodology: This consists mostly of jiang ke (face-to-facelectures) for even subjects requiring a hands-on approach, such as teachinglabour skills and making teaching aids. In addition, some sessions are veryshort, consisting of lectures only with little time allocated for discussions. Forexample, the training for Girls' Education at the provincial level was plannedfor 10 days, but only one day was used, and this was to explain the developmentof the text to the participants. The rest of the time was used for other activities(but was not indicated in the project activity proposal.)

2. Training materials: In most instances, the teachers who are trained are expectedto return to their schools, townships, or counties to provide second-level trainingto their colleagues. However, training materials are seldom provided, and the

second-level training consists of a shortened version of the original lecture. Attimes, it is simply a "back to school" report. In addition, when materials areprovided, photocopying machines are not available at the school, again limitingthe extent to which sample materials are effectively utilized and disseminated.

3. Participant Selection: The selection process for the training activities requiresstrengthening to enable the system to be better targeted and efficient. Thecounties the sub-team visited noted that they send teachers who are "young,bright, and capable of conducting training", and on the basis of equity - one's"turn" to be trained. Among the participants interviewed, about 30% hadattended training that was not directly relevant for their work or professionaldevelopment. For example, a teacher attended a multigrade training session,although she neither teaches a multigrade classroom nor provides training in thisarea. A trainer also highlighted the fact that having a very mixed group, forexample teachers from all primary grade levels, is not suitable even for trainingin pedagogy.

4. Dissemination/Second-Level Training: The training provided is expected to bedisseminated through further training activities at the county and townshiplevels. However, the site-visit revealed that second-level training is often eithernot provided or is weak, limiting the effects of the training and also creatinginefficiencies in the system if the training is neither utilized by the person whowas trained, nor is information passed on to someone who might.

c. Quality of Materials Development ActivitiesThe project has assisted in developing several books and teaching materials. The sub-team reviewed the process of development of a book on life and labour skills for ruralgirls, produced as part of Girls' Education component in Guizhou, in 1999, and a set ofbooks for multigrade teaching (produced in 1997). As with the training activities, thequality of the process of materials development needs to be streamlined. For example,the set of multigrade teaching materials involved a multigrade teacher in the writingprocess, thereby ensuring inputs from the level at which the book will be used. However,a book on Girls' Education was not piloted with students (but parents and teachers wereconsulted), although the book is intended to be used by girls in grade 4 to 6, and grades 1and 2 of junior secondary school. Whether it can actually be used by girls spanning 5grade levels will require review.

d. Dissemination of MaterialsThe two sets of materials the sub-team reviewed (Multigrade Teaching and Girls'Education) were insufficient and have not reached the target audience. The villageschool the sub-team visited houses the Multigrade Teaching materials, but these materialshave not been provided to the teaching points themselves. The distances between thevillage school and the teaching point are large, and the library resources tend to be under-utilized.

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e. Use of ResourcesThe project has also provided education material (books and video tapes) and equipment(VCRs) to project areas. The resource centre at Guiyang has supplemented its project-provided equipment and materials from other sources as well and is intensifying itstraining activities. This is a positive outcome. Several counties also have designatedsome schools as resource centres and have equipped them with VCRs and videotapes.However, utilization and maintenance of county centre resources needs review. Two ofthe three VCRs that the sub-team saw are non-functioning and cannot be repaired (theofficials explained that the spare parts are not available locally) and the books andvideotapes appear to be under-utilized. Teachers are allowed to borrow the video-tapes,but the village schools and teaching points that could borrow these materials lack theequipment (and often) electricity to operate it.

2.2.4. Gender Balance

A key area for concern is the relatively low level of participation of women in thedifferent aspects of the project - management, materials development, and training. Atthe two counties visited the project management teams are primarily male. NayongCounty sets a good example, however, with a female managing the Girls' EducationComponent. The materials development and training team for the book for rural girlscomprised of men, as did the training team for Multigrade Teaching. A review of asample of 10 Activity Completion Reports from 1999 also indicates that activityparticipants are predominantly male. The evaluation sub-team's own experience was thatmostly male parents were invited to attend the interviews, and at the teaching point thesub-team visited, no female parents were represented.

2.2.5. Monitoring and Evaluation

Although some mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation are in place, this too is a weaklink in project design and implementation. Several points are discussed below.

1. The current annual reports provided by the Shanghai Institute for HumanResource Development (SIHRD) are a step in the right direction. However, theydo not provide information on the progress of individual counties. This limitstheir effectiveness as a tool for self-evaluation and planning. The counties andprovinces do not have comparative information, and do not see how they haveprogressed vis-a-vis the indicators outlined for the project.

2. Data for SIHRD are collected through a standardized format, but there are noforms for collecting data below the county-level. The sub-team found that belowthe county level the reporting format and the accuracy of numbers is poor.

3. SIHRD is contracted by MoE to conduct the monitoring and evaluation, butUNICEF is provided these reports only upon request, effectively diluting its roleas a partner in ensuring quality implementation and monitoring progress. (Thereport for 1999 was not available for review from UNICEF.)

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a. Annual ReportsThe annual reports prepared by MOE are useful for tracking the number of activities, butthey provide insufficient information on the quality of the activities implemented. Thislack of sufficient information affects the formative potential of the reports.

b. Activity Completion Reports.Information on activities is also included in the Activity Completion Reports that aresubmitted for reimbursement for the activity. A sample often activities from 1999 showsthat the data on the quality and methodology of the activity was described in only three,and the content was described in only five.

2.2.6. How does the quality of implementation affect outcomes?

First, it is impossible to judge whether the project has successfully achieved its goals dueto lack of rigorous monitoring and evaluation data and reporting. (An external evaluationcannot assess outcomes comprehensively within a short-time frame and without baselineand rigorous extant evaluation data.) Second, since the quality of implementation varies,it is safe to assume that the quality and extent of outcomes also varies - without clearobjectives, proper targeting, and quality control, intended outcomes are not as likely to beachieved.

2.3. Outcomes: What are the intended and unintended outcomes?

2.3.1. Intended Outcomes

The project is linked to programme goals, and the activities are linked to projectobjectives. It has supported the Government in its efforts to universalize basic education,emphasize girls' education, and upgrade teacher quality, among other positive inputs.The project stakeholders all believe that, despite problems, the project has contributedpositive outcomes in primary education.

• The Governments' Compulsory Education project provided funding for buildingnew teaching points and enlarging existing schools, expanding the capacity of theeducation system as a whole, while advocacy and mobilization activitiessupported through UNICEF/GoC cooperation encouraged parents to send theirchildren to school. In Guizhou, for example, the sub-team was provided somevivid examples of mobilization through advocacy, and the role the project hasplayed in enhancing girls' enrolment. The SIHRD project county data show thatgirls' enrolment rates have increased dramatically during this time.

• In Special Education and Early Childhood Care and Development as well,UNICEF's support has been critical in reinforcing the government's policy ofincreasing enrolment. It has been a catalyst at the ground level for developing anunderstanding of what quality care might be. However, enrolment targets and thegoal of reaching all children, including those with special education needs, willrequire more intensive grass-roots efforts.

• The SIHRD data indicate that the primary enrolment rate is above 95 percent forproject counties, but they also reveal that the dropout figures are above 3 percent

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in 16 counties. However, data disaggregated by individual counties are notprovided, nor is there a reference to baseline figures. Data are also not completefor all project counties, and information on most indicators outlined in the PPO ismissing. A more detailed note on these evaluation data is on file at UNICEF.

The project has also assisted in raising the school community's awareness of theimportance of education and all children's rights to learn. In addition, it has beeninstrumental in enhancing teaching and management capacity through the provision oftraining, learning materials, some equipment.

2.3.2. Unintended Outcomes

The use of UNICEF/GoC funds has been enhanced through the provision ofadditional local resources (e.g., at Guiyang, the local resource centre was providedadditional funding for equipment after receiving UNICEF support, and a minban schoolwas converted to a regular primary school, with additional funding and resources).Second, efficiencies were gained within the system by using funds to hold back-to-backUNICEF and other fully government-funded professional development activities andincluding more than the PPA-planned trainees in the training programmes. (Both ofthese strategies, however, may have a potentially negative effect on quality; quality ofimplementation refers.)

2.3.3. Dissemination

In Guizhou, the dissemination activities as such have been limited. Most dissemination,as discussed under "Implementation" was to have occurred through using a "Train-the-Trainer" model, but this strategy has not been effective at the grassroots level. Theprimary reasons are the absence of funding earmarked for such activities, and poorcommunication and transportation systems.

On the other hand, non-project county-level dissemination activities may not beuncommon. For example, for the early childhood care and development (ECCD)activities funded through UNICEF, the Guizhou activities included a number of teachersfrom non-project counties. This is a positive outcome. The key is now to enable thedissemination to deepen, to reach the disadvantaged, not simply widen and cover morecounty seats.

2.4. Sustainability: How sustainable are the ideas and processes introduced throughthe project?

The project has played a positive role in supporting the Governments' educationobjectives and has been instrumental in introducing ideas and teaching andmanagement methodologies that are being streamlined into the education system.Advocacy and CRC are slowly helping to raise awareness about children's' rights.

Within both the ECCD and Special Education components, there is clear evidence of

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UNICEF's role as the provider of seed funding for infusing new ideas and initiatives intothe system. The ECCD component has continued from the previous cycle, and 32counties are serving as pilots. In Guizhou, two counties are involved, but the ProvinceProject Management has also included other non-project counties in the trainingactivities. The enrolment rates are gradually increasing as childcare facilities are being setup. However, greater efforts will be needed for the future cycle for enhancing access andquality, especially for the disadvantaged. The cost at the centres the sub-team visited ismore than 200 RMB per year, indicating that a focus on affordable non-formal educationand community-based care and education activities for parents will continue to be key.

Evidence also indicates that better information-sharing channels and earmarked fundingare needed to sustain the project-introduced ideas and initiatives, both of which arecurrently lacking.

2.5. Summary: Major Findings

1. For the amount of resources available, the project is over-ambitious, covering toomany counties and comprising too many components and annual activities. Thedesign has negatively affected the quality of management, monitoring, andimplementation.

2. Coordination and collaboration across the agencies involved has been less thanoptimal, also affecting the quality of implementation, including responsiveness tolocal needs.

3. The quality of implementation is uneven, suggesting a need for streamliningtraining, materials-development, and other project-supported activities.

4. The monitoring and evaluation system is weak; it does not allow for learning,feedback, and planning as much as it could, given that some data are available.

5. UNICEF's objective of reaching the disadvantaged has not been fully realized,primarily due to the design. UNICEF funding is typically not utilized for activitiesbelow the county level, which is where the local funds are least available.Distances are large (upwards of 4-5 km from the teaching point to the nearestcomplete village school, 40 minutes or more walking distance) and transportationservices are poor, thus inhibiting the delivery of services without funding that isspecifically earmarked for this purpose.

6. Costs of education are a significant barrier to education for families in poorremote areas. UNICEF/GoC initiative in the textbook revolving scheme (with theuse of funds from AusAID) is a start in addressing this issue. A key area needingattention will be how schooling is financed in poor remote areas.

7. Despite these problems, the project has had a significant positive impact inseveral areas, including supporting the Government's objectives - helping withimproving enrolment, reducing dropout, enhancing teacher and managementcapacity, raising awareness of girls' education, and introducing approaches tospecial education and early childhood education.

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2.6. Lessons Learned

1. A project such as this needs to be more focused, implemented in fewer areas, withfewer, more integrated components.

2. To reach the disadvantaged and to meet their education needs more squarely,local needs analysis and planning need to be built into the project.

3. Specific funding and mechanisms must be included for reaching thedisadvantaged who are often located in remote areas.

4. The national level agencies can be more effective in playing a more catalytic,advisory role. Provinces and counties may be more effective in establishing aproject management office that coordinates all project activities and plans projectactivities on the basis of local needs.

5. A more long-term, strategic plan is necessary for all project components, in orderto have a clear idea of how to plan project activities over the life of the project,and how to coordinate across components. Having milestones between objectivesand annual activities results in setting a strategic vision for achieving theoutcomes.

6. The design of the project depends on its objectives. If the objective is to introducenew ideas raise awareness through advocacy, then many areas can be involved,but this poses constraints on monitoring and coordination. However, if theobjective is to assess the effectiveness and to have significant impact, thenfunding needs be utilized for fewer areas.

7. An initial baseline, comprising both qualitative data and indicators, and a simplebut well-designed monitoring and evaluation system are imperative to effectiveimplementation and for assessing outcomes. These need to be integrated into thecomponent as a separate component.

8. For improving training quality, measures are needed to:a. include time for discussion of participants' needs and ideas.b. improve teacher training by allowing local initiatives and introducing a

variety of teacher training approaches. For example, teacher networks fordiscussing problems and ideas would enhance teacher capacity to thinkcreatively and also set an example for pedagogy,

c. pilot training activities and training materials first, with expert or UNICEFinvolvement to assess the pedagogy, materials, and design and to assistwith developing the criteria for participant selection.

9. For improving monitoring and evaluation quality, a standardized reporting formatand monitoring tables are needed. Currently there is no standard format, andreports are uneven in what they report and what they omit. For evaluation, thereneeds to be a systematic indicator system set up that is closely aligned with theproject objectives. However, this system must be easy to implement and also beuseful for planning.

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3. TRACER STUDY 1: GIRLS'EDUCATION

Girls' education is a major component in the Primary Education project. During the Mid-Term Review, in 1998, this component was recommended to receive greater attention, asa follow-on to the International Conference on Girls' Education convened in WashingtonDC, and the National Conference in Guilin in 1999.

As part of its focus on girls' education in 1999 the Guizhou Project Management Office(PMO) organized a team to review and revise a manuscript on girls' education andprovide training in its use. The idea was to use the manuscript to enhance access toprimary education, provide some general health and nutrition information, and train girlsin some practical, locally relevant skills. According to the authors, the book is intendedfor use by girls in grades 4 to 6 in primary school, and grades 1 to 2 in junior middleschool.

The book-development team comprised 3 male experts on girls' education, whodeveloped an outline for the book and circulated it for comments to some counties andtownships. Nayong county officials, for example, reviewed the manuscript and providedcomments. The experts then modified the manuscript on the basis of the feedback, whichindicated that some of the material was not suitable for girls in rural areas. A final draftof the health and nutrition chapter was reviewed by a doctor at Guiyang hospital.

The province-level training was organized by PMO and provided by the textbookdevelopers. It comprised a verbal explanation of the contents of the book and how it wasdeveloped. Then the trainees returned with the books to provide second-tier training.From Nayong County, two county officials and principals from 12 townships attended.(However, the Activity Completion Report on file at UNICEF provides no informationon gender.) The county official replicated the training for 88 other participants. At thetownship and village levels, no further activity has been organized yet.

3.1. User Assessment of the Books

In some schools in Nayong, the book is being used during the weekly "activity" class.(Most schools received it just recently.) However, since there aren't enough copies fordistribution to students, teachers keep the book as reference material. Approximately 460copies were provided to Nayong County, and their estimate is that they need 600 more.Most teachers the team spoke with said that they have not really used the book yet.However, one said that although the information is useful, he would have liked to seesome more locally relevant materials included, such as information on how to growmushrooms, which are an important local commodity. The developers of the book, inretrospect, think that a general chapter on how to approach the teaching of life skillswould also be useful. The parents indicated that much of the information contained in thebook with regard to practical skills is useful for both boys and girls, not specifically forgirls.

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3.2. Issues

The fact that the project has assisted with focusing on girls' education is a significantachievement. How the quality of such project-supported initiatives can be enhanced ishighlighted through the issues identified below.

1. The premise underlying the book is that it will assist with girls' access to schools.However, parents said that costs, not the lack of labour skills education, keepthem from sending their children to school, particularly girls. The schoolauthorities also noted that girls' dropout problem is more acute at the higher-gradelevels, when they already acquired some skills and can work. (No specific data ondropout were provided, however.) Thus, what focus and content is needed forgirls' education, and why, needs to be explored carefully.

2. The book-development process did not include female teachers and experts inrural girls' health and nutrition, whose inputs would be important to assure thequality of the book.

3. The audience is girls, but the text has not been provided to students due to lack ofa sufficient number of copies.

4. The training provided included only lectures, not hands-on activities, although thematerial is practice oriented.

5. The usefulness of the book, both in term of its practical content and generalinformation on health, was not tested with girl students themselves. Whether onebook spanning five grades and different levels of maturity can be useful needsassessment.

4.1 TRACER STUDY 2: MULTIGRADE TRAINING

In 1997, the project assisted with developing multigrade teaching materials and textbooksto enable multigrade teachers to use regular texts and teaching aids and to manageclassrooms more effectively. The textbooks were written with the involvement ofNormal School teachers, researchers, and multigrade teachers. Project focus onmultigrade teaching and teaching points became a priority after the Mid-Term Review.

4.1. Multigrade Training in 1999

The textbooks were published in 1997 and sent to the counties in 1998. The Guizhouprovince trainers found however, that the books were not distributed to the schools untillast year, 1999, when they visited the counties.

The Guizhou province-level multigrade training comprised 80 trainees, who were dividedinto two classes, one for mathematics and the other for Chinese. The teachingmethodology centred on explaining how to use the text, how to manage the classroom,and how to use teaching aids. The trainers noted, however, that many of the participantswere not multigrade teachers.

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The sub-team spoke with three training participants, two of whom are teachers at ateaching point. They said that the training had been helpful for classroom management,but did not provide concrete examples of how they use the reference texts. The texts arehoused in the village school resource centre, a few miles away, and the teachers have nothad the chance to consult them yet. The teachers also received training in teaching aids,but the sub-team saw no evidence of teaching materials or teaching aids at the teachingpoint itself. The third participant the sub-team spoke with said that although she hadattended training (at the local Normal school), she was neither a multigrade teacher, norinvolved in providing second-level training.

4.2. Issues

The following issues highlight the need for a more rigorous and streamlined trainingsystem that pays greater attention to the quality and impact of the training activities.

The books have not reached the teachers for whom they are intended, nor are theyeasily accessible.The training is not targeted squarely at the teachers for whom it is intended.The training outcomes and the usefulness of the books have not been assessed.

5. METHODOLOGY NOTES

5.1. Site-Visit Schedule

The site-visit was conducted between August 21 and 28. The sub-team visited GuizhouProvince, Nayong and Zhijin counties.

August 21 Arrive in GuizhouAugust 22 Visit Guiyang Normal School and Training Centre

Depart for NayongAugust 23 Meet with Township Officials, Visit Township Primary School

Visit Multigrade Teaching Point and Village Primary SchoolInterviews with officials, parents, teachers, students

August 24 Visit Township Kindergarten, Interview teachersInterview with County officialsDepart for Zhijin County

August 25 Visit Township Primary School, Resource CentreMeet with Township officialsInterview Teachers, Parents, Students

August 26 Visit Village Primary School, Interview parents, teachers, PrincipalMeet with Zhijin County officials. Return to Guiyang

August 27 Focus group with Province trainers and textbook developers.Debriefing and feedback with Guizhou PMO

August 28 Return to Beijing

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5.2. Site Selection Criteria

Guizhou Province was selected on the basis of being one of the largest in terms ofpopulation; comprising the most number of project counties (12); and implementing mostof the project components. Other factors included PMO officers' availability, possibilityfor including the province in the next programme cycle, and recommendation of theMinistry of Education.

The first county within Guizhou was chosen on the basis of having more than 30%minority population and a high degree of improvement as reflected by enrolment anddropout indicators. Nayong county met these criteria: minorities comprise 55 percent ofthe population; and official statistics show a seven percentage point increase in girls'enrolment between 1997 and 1998 and a decrease from 19 to 14 percent for the overalldropout rate (UNICEF county data - provided by the counties, but is not reliable. Thedata provided during the site-visit indicated a dropout rate of 1.8 percent.)

The second county was chosen for being located close to the first, to enable the sub-teamto complete the site-visit within the amount of time allocated. Zhijin adjoins Nayong andmet the second criterion.

5.3. Activity/Component Selection Criteria for Tracer Studies

Time - Implemented in 1999, to enable people to recall the activity relatively easily; andFocus - Conducted under a project component with the most number of activities,especially since the Mid-Term review, and an area on which MTR recommendationsplaced emphasis. Both "Girls' Education" and "Multigrade Teaching" met the selectioncriteria.

5.4. Roles of the Key Participants Consulted

Education Section Chief, UNICEFProgram Officers, UNICEFProject Director, Ministry of EducationMinistry of Education Officials, Teacher Training Department, Basic Education

Department, and Department of Foreign AffairsProject Director, Guizhou Project Management OfficeTrainers, Guiyang Resource CenterDirector of Education Bureau, Nayong and Zhijin CountiesProject Directors, Nayong and Zhijin Counties Project Management OfficePrincipals, Teachers, Parents, Students in Nayong and Zhijin Counties, Guizhou

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APPENDIX 4Reorienting the Content & Process of Education (Project 58)

Case Study

1. INTRODUCTION

The Reorienting the Content and Process of Education project was initiated in 1996 withwide ranging goals. According to the Project Objectives, these goals were to strengtheninstitutional capacities for curriculum planning and development; revise the nationalcurricular framework for primary education, junior secondary education and primaryteacher education; and reorient the content and process of education at the primary andjunior secondary stages of education in order to make them more responsive and relevantto the needs and expectations of students and their families, changing national policiesand global contexts, and emerging human development priorities of the country. It wasallocated a budget of USD2.1 million from UNICEF and Rmb 89.6 million by GoC.

Specifically, the original plan for the project comprised the following components:revision of the curriculum and textbooks for primary and junior secondary education;reorientation of primary teacher education; the development of instructional materials andmethodologies for multigrade teaching; the development of instructional materials andmethodologies for bilingual instruction; the introduction of minimum levels of learningand competency-based teaching-learning-evaluation strategies; and designing anddevelopment of teaching aids. Two of these components, the development ofinstructional materials and methodologies for multigrade teaching and for bilingualinstruction were moved to the Primary Education in Poor Areas project after the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the project.

The findings presented below are based on interviews with GoC and UNICEF officials,reviews of project documents, and a site-visit to Yunnan, Lijiang county and Dongchuantownship.

2. FINDINGS

A limitation of this review is that the project is currently at an initial phase. An in-depthevaluation of the effects on the eventual end-users (i.e. the children in primary and juniorsecondary schools) may not be possible for several years. Therefore, instead of reportingon outcomes in terms of children's learning, it looks at the various ways in which theproject is being implemented at the grassroots, and the systems that exist for managing,evaluating and sustaining the project.

2.1. Design: Is it appropriate and does it lead to effective implementation andoutcomes?

The Project Objectives envisage the simultaneous development within a period of fiveyears of capacity-building for curriculum planning and development, of teacher

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education, and of curriculum implementation in schools. This was problematic. Thecurriculum reforms in the project are comprehensive and involve major shifts in beliefsand practices concerning the content and orientation of the curriculum, pedagogy andassessment of teaching and learning. It would be reasonable to expect such shifts to takeseveral years for all stakeholders (curriculum designers, teacher educators, teachers,parents, children, etc.) to understand, interpret and implement these shifts. However, thecurrent nature of the project design does not facilitate long-term coordinated planning,with project components being selected on an annual basis according to availablefunding. In the case of Reorienting the Content and Process of Education, this resultedin short-term project activities that were over-ambitious in scope (as even a five-yearcycle is a short time span in comprehensive education reform). These problems wereexacerbated by the allocation of funding that did not match the scale of the projects'ambitions.

There also needs to be coherence in the planning of these reforms. For instance, thethrust of the teacher education changes were not always consistent with the curriculumreforms at the school level, and some teacher education programmes started before therevision of the textbooks had been completed. This lack of coherence was exacerbatedafter the Mid Term Review, when two of the project components were transferred toPrimary Education in Poor Areas, thus reducing the opportunities for coordination.

The genesis of the project was a combination of various national education policies andUNICEF priorities. The project broadly lies within the national policies to provideuniversal primary education and to eliminate illiteracy among youth. In particular, theproject is linked to the GoC's 1993 document, the "Outline for Reform and Developmentof Education in China", states that: "the philosophy of education should be furtherreformed and teaching contents and methodologies should be improved to prevent schooleducation from being divorced from the needs of economic and social development tovarying degrees". Allied to that shift is the GoC's goal to decentralize the decision-making concerning the curriculum in order to allow it to cater better for the needs of ruralareas (a major educational policy goal in the PRC since 1986). To a large extent,UNICEF's policy to locate its projects in poorer regions dovetails government intentions.Thus, the project is viewed as worthwhile by the MoE, whose backing (together with theprestige attached to the project through its association with an international agency)ensures that the project is attentively handled at the provincial and lower levels.

However, a number of tensions were evident. Firstly, MoE officials are responsible foreducation provision for the whole country and thus their concerns are not limited tospecific sections of the nation. Secondly, the MoE has also to cope with a reduction inhuman resources as part of the GoC's policy to reduce the civil service. As a result ofthese two factors, MoE's capacity to macro-manage the project is constrained bycompeting priorities and the heavy workload of staff.

Essentially the project is a combination of centralized and decentralized features.Curriculum development has traditionally been placed in the hands of the MoE, whichconsulted widely at various levels before producing centralized syllabuses, textbooks and

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guidelines for pedagogy. The components of the project are based on this model, butenvisage locating capacity-building and curriculum tailoring at provincial level andbelow, to allow for greater flexibility in the design of the final product that reaches thegrass-roots, while allowing for the MoE (in conjunction with UNICEF) to maintainoverall direction of the thrust of the project.

In summary, the project design is located at an intersection of UNICEF and MoEapproaches, envisages capacity-building to enhance decentralization of curriculumdevelopment and management, and is comprehensive in its vision. However, the short-term planning and uncertainties over funding that are inherent in UNICEF projectdesign procedures, and the problems of workload and competing priorities at the MoEcreated difficulties in synchronizing, resourcing and macro-managing the componentsof the project.

2.3. Implementation: Were the processes effective?

Following the formulation of the PPO in 1996, the selected provinces were invited todraw up their own plans for implementing the project. In Yunnan Province, theProvincial Education Commission (PEC) delegated this responsibility to the county andtownship levels, at the same time setting up a coordinating committee with a singledirector. In Lijiang County, a similar coordinating committee was set up. Thismanagement arrangement ensured that lines of communication were clear and thatopportunities for cross-fertilisation within and across projects (some outside theeducation sector) were maximised. Similarly in Dongchuan Township, the managementsystem was clear, although it is perhaps overly complex and there is not the same degreeof cross-fertilisation with other projects that was evident in Lijiang County.

Given the somewhat indeterminate final project objectives, it is difficult to makedefinitive statements measuring the achievements that the sub-team observed. Ultimately,the target recipients are the primary and secondary schools children, and the projects area long way from achieving a significant impact on their learning experiences. However, itis clear that progress is being made in moving towards the project objectives, althoughthe scale of educational provision in China means that it will be many years before thegoals are achieved throughout the country.

In Yunnan Province, the revision of the syllabuses for various subjects had been carriedout on schedule. This reform was not complex, involving small numbers of curriculumexperts and other stakeholders in the various provinces. Adjustments were made to thesyllabuses in the core primary school subjects to reduce the teaching and learning load,and new textbooks were published in line with the revised syllabuses. At the same time,new elements have been added to the school curriculum, such as environmental, health,population and safety education.

In Yunnan, local capacity-building of curriculum developers and project managers wasevident. The sub-team saw several examples of good quality curriculum materials,

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teaching aids and project management. Provincial officials expressed satisfaction thatproject managers have gained much from their exposure to "Western" managementpractices through their involvement with UNICEF. This capacity-building has reachedthe point where grassroots participants are requesting channels through which theycould propose project activities, so that bottom-up initiatives could complement top-down ones.

The provincial education officials declared that teacher training had been accordedpriority in Reorienting the Content and Process of Education and that, since 1996, everyteacher in Yunnan had had access to some form of training programme. The drawbackwith large-scale teacher training in such a short period of time was the question ofappropriateness. The difficulties of coordinating the training with other aspects ofcurriculum reform were noted above; other problems included the shortage of suitablyqualified trainers, and the values of some programmes for the recipients—for instance,the push towards Information Technology (IT) in one teacher training college wasimpressive to see, but it is questionable about the contribution IT can make in poor areasat this time. On the other hand, most programmes focused on "basic" teaching skills, suchas lesson planning, calligraphy, producing inexpensive teaching aids and Mandarin.There are also signs of innovation in some places with the use of smaller classes (25-30)of teachers being trained through interactive, hands-on methods, and of non-formalteacher education through mentoring (e.g. an experienced teacher guiding juniorcolleagues).

Curricular materials have been produced in a variety of subjects and in several minoritylanguages, and the teachers whom the sub-team interviewed found them to besatisfactory. However, the scale of the task confronting the curriculum developers is verygreat. There are more than 20 minority languages in Yunnan alone, with a diversity ofwritten scripts, and some languages without written scripts. The cost of producingtextbooks is very high, yet the minority villages tend to be in the poorer counties. Eventeachers have difficulty buying a set of teacher support books: these cost 85RMB per set,and are needed by around 100,000 teachers. In the absence of suitable textbooks, someteachers were creating their own materials, but were faced with the costs of reproducingthem.

The development of low-cost teaching aids was a feature of the programme in the teachereducation institute that the sub-team visited. Some handbooks were available for theteachers' reference. Self-produced resources (such as worksheets and simple models)were being used in the site-visit schools, but there was insufficient evidence to draw anyconclusions as to whether these resources were enhancing teaching and learning—particularly as the sub-team was only able to observe song and dance performances bythe children and one demonstration lesson.

There is considerable diversity in the implementation of curriculum reforms in theschools. In some sites, there is flexibility and creativity in the way that schools areintroducing activities tailored to local socio-economic conditions, particularly in theethnic minority areas. For instance, in Huangshan Primary School in Lijiang County,

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teachers and volunteers from the Dongba Cultural Inheritance Association arecollaborating in providing classes on Dongba culture and the Naxi language. In BaishaPrimary School, also in Lijiang County, and English teacher is employed to providechildren with language skills to interact with tourists, the main source of income in thearea. (Another interesting practice at Baisha Primary School is related to teachereducation. To promote Naxi music in the school, a senior music teacher underwenttraining in playing various instruments from a master musician in the locality; the teacherthen trained three younger music teachers.) In these instances, implementation wascharacterized by the use of community resources and linkages to other agencies.

Several difficulties were evident from the site-visits and interviews with officials,although once again, innovative solutions were in evidence. Firstly, the time availablebetween gaining approval of activities and the deadline for evaluating them is shortenedby the delay at UNICEF and the MoE caused by Christmas and Spring Festival holidays.The grassroots participants have effectively only six months to implement the activitiesbefore they are evaluated. A shortage of funding is widely seen as an impediment(although the rigid regulations concerning the utilization of funds are appreciated byproject managers at the provincial level and below). An example is the problems ofproviding textbooks in all the minority languages that have a written script, and catenngfor those which do not. Some sites are generating income through enterprise andreinvesting the money in the project activities. The inaccessibility of the more remoteareas is also a major barrier. The provincial education commission addressed thisproblem by organizing a tour of mobile teacher training unit comprising model teachersthat visited remote areas to conduct classes during the school vacation—although thistour was a one-off venture.

Overall, the best practices that the sub-team observed involve well-coordinated projectmanagement, flexibility and creative problem-solving at all levels, linkages to the localcommunity and a realistic, gradual approach to implementation. Administrativeproblems are less evident than at the national level. However, the project has yet totruly penetrate to the remote areas and to have a significant impact on children.

2.3. Outcomes: What are the intended and unintended outcomes?

As noted above, it is too early to assess the outcomes in terms of children's educationaldevelopment. This section will therefore review the progress that has been made to dateas far as the project's shorter-term objectives are concerned and will also comment on theevaluation mechanisms that have been put in place to monitor outcomes.

The reduction and simplification of curricular content and the preparation of materials inminority language have been welcomed by teachers, and officials report that children cancomplete primary school in a shorter time than previously. However, an unexpectedoutcome is that the introduction of the courses on environmental education, etc., resultedin adjustments to school timetables throughout the province and, in some instances,provincial officials became concerned that some non-academic aspects of the curriculum

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might get marginalized. This was not a problem in the site-visit schools, where thepotential disruption arising from major education reforms has been minimized by theadoption of an incremental, integrated approach. The curriculum changes are graduallybeing introduced into the schools one grade at a time within the existing curricularframework—the Naxi cultural activities, for example, are carried out in the timeslotreserved for elective activities.

Changes have also been made to the pre-service teacher education curriculum and, afterthe MTR, the focus shifted to in-service teacher education. However, as with the projectas a whole, there is little or no qualitative data available on the outcomes of thesechanges—most evaluations report the quantitative data, such as the number of teacherstrained. The lack of qualitative data (noted also in the MTR) needs to be addressed, giventhe thrust of the project towards improving the quality of education. Also, as the projectdevelops and the curriculum reform is implemented more in schools, there is a need tocollect qualitative data on children's learning, as this represents the real end product ofthe project. In this respect, it should be noted that the sub-team was unable to obtain anydata on the development of child-centred and competency-based teaching-learning-evaluation strategies because the project activities are only just beginning to reach thelevel of schools.

Evaluation mechanisms required by UNICEF-GoC are welcomed at the lower levels as ameans of keeping the projects relevant and on track. A variety of data collectioninstruments are used, including questionnaires, record-keeping (e.g. of attendance atcourses) and site-visits, and outside agencies are sometimes involved, although theinstruments are not always fine-tuned to collect data that allows for effective summativeand formative evaluation. The formative function is enhanced in some areas such asLijiang County, where annual reviews are used as an opportunity for different projectsites to come together to share experiences. Unfortunately, the mechanisms are morecumbersome higher up the system, where the weight of information to be processed (andthen translated into English) at the national level creates major difficulties for staff in theMoE. Also, the upward movement of information results in some very valuableexperiences being filtered out of reports, which widens the gap between the upper andlower levels of project management. A further problem, common to all levels, is a(natural) fear of evaluation, which is often associated by those being evaluated withcriticism.

2.4. Sustainability: How sustainable are the ideas and processes introducedthrough the project?

Many of the good practices reported above are contributing to sustainability of theproject. These include the engagement of the support of the local community, throughlinkages to its socio-economic development and the sense of ownership engenderedthrough their active participation. Strong project management with clear lines ofcommunication means that the project can continue without major disruption whenofficials retire or are transferred, and the overall coordination by a single agency or

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person facilitates integration and cross-fertilization of projects. Moves to generateincome for re-investment also bode well for longer-term sustainability, as does thecapacity-building of officials and teachers at the grassroots level. Some impressive examplesof on-going mutual support were evident in the site-visits. Teachers at HuangshanPrimary School explained how curriculum problems are addressed as a team throughweekly meetings and daily interaction in the staff room. The practice of observingcolleagues' lessons was reported in all schools that the sub-team visited, and one teachertraining college sends its staff on regular visits to schools to follow up the teachertraining classes.

Another practice that is likely to support sustainability is information sharing. Thiscurrently takes a number of forms: newsletters, brochures, videos, exhibitions, booksand conferences being just a few of the examples observed during the site-visits.However, while there is experience-sharing and publicity about the project within aprovince, little of this information reaches the MoE or UNICEF, where it would havethe potential for greater propagation of good practices.

Sustained support at the national level is essential, given the scope of the reforms andof the problems to be resolved, particularly in the remote areas. The short-term fundingof UNICEF projects is a difficulty than needs to be obviated, and a mechanism isneeded whereby the provinces and grassroots are able to take on greater financialresponsibility for the reforms. In the meanwhile, there are promising signs that theselower levels are developing (or have in place) management systems that are conduciveto sustainability, and these good practices need to be recognized and publicized.

2.5. Summary: Major Findings

1. the project reflects national policies and UNICEF priorities;2. there is flexibility to ensure relevance to local needs;3. strong linkages are being made at the grassroots level to local socio-economic

conditions;4. there is the use of community resources and linkages to other agencies5. management structures with a single coordinating agency/person and clear lines

of communication are being established;6. there is capacity-building of project management personnel at provincial level and

below;7. there is carefully regulated control of spending;8. there is creativity and innovative problem-solving;9. reforms are being integrated gradually within existing school framework without

major disruption;10. channels of information sharing through conferences, videos, newsletters,

booklets, exhibitions, etc. are evident;11. regular reviews keep the projects relevant and on track;12. activities are monitored through questionnaires, record-keeping, etc.-although

attention needs to be paid to the design of monitoring instruments to make sure

they are effective;13. a variety of agencies are involved in project monitoring;14. integration across projects enhance sustainability;15. schemes that generate income for re-investment are helping to strengthen

grassroots' sense of ownership of the project activities;16. on-going support within schools and from outside agencies (e.g. follow-up visits

by teacher educators) helps to sustain the project activities;

2.6. Lessons Learned

1. The scope of the project should be tailored according to the human resource andfunding constraints.

2. The timeline of project management should be more flexible to enhance the timeavailable for implementation at the grassroots.

3. there is a need for simplified, effective summative and formative procedures forevaluation;

4. Channels of information are important means of ensuring that valuableexperiences from the grassroots are shared.

5. There is a need for greater synchronization in changing the components of thecurriculum.

6. There is the need felt at the grassroots to allow for greater bottom-up mechanismsfor project-related proposals to complement the current top-down mechanisms.

6. Geographical barriers remain a major obstacle to reaching remote areas.7. The lack of qualitative data on implementation hinders informed decision-making.8. Future evaluations will need to focus more on the end-users (the children).9. Educational change takes time to settle: it needs sustained support and retraining

for all participating agencies.

All these findings carry the caveat that the project activities are very much in theirinfancy and their impact has barely been felt at the school level.

3. TRACER STUDY 1: REORIENTATION OF THE CURRICULUM

The curriculum design sub-project had the following goals: to revise the curricula andinstructional materials for nine-year compulsory education in order to make them moreresponsive to life needs and environmental contexts of learners and new policies andemerging priorities. The decentralization of curriculum development and of textbookproduction over the past decade meant that the objectives of this sub-project were in linewith national policies.

Guidelines were established by the MoE to assist curriculum developers at the central andprovincial levels. The recommended revisions to the primary and junior secondary schoolcurricula comprised reductions in the content and in the learning requirements; movingsome core components to become electives; and a reduction in the contents of theexamination syllabuses. It was planned that the examination at Primary Six thatdetermines entrance into secondary school would be phased out and eventually all

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examinations in the nine-year period of compulsory education would be abolished.

The timeframe for the sub-project created some problems at the Ministry level. Onereason is that China has developed a sophisticated system of consultation in thedevelopment of curriculum reforms, but the limited time available (and the pressure tohave teaching syllabuses and resources in place for the teacher training programmes)meant that some corners would have to be cut. At the provincial level (specificallyYunnan, where the sub-team traced this sub-project) the result was that the curriculumdevelopment was placed in the hands of a small group of people—albeit veryexperienced professionals.

Ministry officials were also a little disgruntled at not having the opportunity to followanother time-honoured practice of setting up experimental pilot schemes, which wouldthen, if successful, be disseminated for general implementation. However, the pressure oftime, plus UNICEF's emphasis on rural areas, made this development strategyimpractical.

An unexpected adjustment that was necessitated at the provincial level by the reformswas the shift from a 5-4 system (five years' primary, four years' secondary education) to a6-3 system, to align Yunnan's practices with the requirements of the nine-yearcompulsory education policy.

In Yunnan Province, the sub-team found that revisions to the curriculum had beenconcluded in primary school Chinese and Mathematics, and in junior secondary schoolChinese, Mathematics, Foreign Language (i.e., mainly English), Physics and Chemistry.It is too early to make any judgements as to the impact that these new syllabuses have onchildren's learning experiences, but they did create spaces for some further innovations atthe district and school levels, particularly in the minority areas.

For instance, Lijiang County officials decided to link the sub-project with the pre-existingstate policy of strengthening minority education. While officials in Lijiang County wereconsidering how to use the available timetable space, they were contacted by an expert onNaxi culture who had settled in Huangshan upon retirement. As Director of the DongbaCultural Inheritance Academy, this expert proposed a collaborative programme involvingmembers of the academy and the local primary school, Huangshan Primary School, withthe main objectives of preserving the Naxi language and enhancing the students' sense ofcultural heritage. County officials agreed to this plan and incorporated it into theUNICEF sub-project, linking it also to the teacher training sub-project as a way to fundthe training of teachers that was necessitated by the proposal. The Naxi language andcultural classes were introduced into the school in 1999 in a Grade 3 class, in thetimeslots reserved for elective activities (such as sport, dancing and music). Much of theteaching is currently carried out by members of the academy, while some teachers in theschool were provided with teacher training opportunities so that they could alsoparticipate in the new classes.

In Baisha Primary School, the sub-project had similar cultural innovations, with a

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particular emphasis on music, as well as the employment of an English teacher, whosemain focus was on the language that was useful for communicating with tourists, theeconomic mainstay of the local community.

Elsewhere in the province, it appears that some schools utilized the space to incorporatethe elements of environmental, health, population and safety education, but to an extentthat these elements started to impinge upon the timetable slot reserved for electiveactivities. A memorandum was sent out to schools in 1998 by the Provincial EducationCommission addressing this issue. Another unexpected outcome was the resistance to thecurriculum change by some township and village officials because they feared that theirown offspring would suffer academically from the reforms.

Overall, this sub-project was moving forward. The readjustment to the syllabuses hadbeen carried out and had created space for local initiatives, which seemed to work bestwhen they were closely linked to the socio-economic and linguistic environment of theschool, and when the innovations were introduced according to the school's capacity toabsorb the effects of reform. There is a need for greater dissemination of good practicethrough various media, as there are many positive lessons to be leamt from theexperiences of the site-visit schools and elsewhere.

4. TRACER STUDY 2: TEACHER EDUCATION

This sub-project was intended to improve the quality of teacher education programmes inlight of the curricular changes that increasingly recognize the learning needs of diversegroups of learners, and which call for greater flexibility and individualization inpedagogy. Among the major attributes that teachers are expected to acquire (and to whichthe sub-project was intended to contribute) are: participating professionally in thedevelopment of education programmes; demonstrating competency in one or moresubject area; formulating objectives for learning based on learners' needs in relation tolife; developing, choosing and compiling learning materials suited to specific objectives;identifying, organizing and making available appropriate learning resources; guiding andfacilitating learning; monitoring and evaluating progress; diagnosing a learner's strengthsand weaknesses; developing/installing an appropriate feedback-correction system toenhance learning; handling individual as well as group-learning activities; motivatingstudents for self-development and self-evaluation; interacting with parents andcommunity members; and organizing and participating in distance education, communityeducation, early childhood education and non-formal education programmes. In projectareas with significant minority populations, there was also a need to upgrade the capacityof teachers to handle bilingual instructional materials.

These aims are ambitious, given the poverty of resources in many remote areas, the lackof trained teachers and the existing quality of teacher education programmes, that havetended to emphasize subject content knowledge rather than pedagogical competence. Thefirst phase of the sub-project focused on pre-service training, with a review of thecurriculum, while after the Mid-Term Review, the focus shifted to in-service training.

The focus on poor areas and bilingualism in teacher education was a source of tension atthe national level. The Ministry officials shared these UNICEF goals, but they were moreconcerned with the needs of the whole country, rather than specific groups. This isunderstandable, particularly given the limited staffing available after the civil servicereforms.

The outcomes of the sub-project have been uneven. In Yunnan Province, concerns aboutthe effectiveness of the revision of the pre-service training were expressed informally bysome teachers, who commented that the teacher educators did not demonstrate awarenessof the new pedagogical skills that they were supposed to be developing in the teachers.One reason for this, though, was that the new curriculum materials were not in place bythe time the teacher education programmes commenced. The teacher educators weretherefore somewhat "blind" as to the future developments. This problem arises from theissue of the lack of synchronization in the design of the project, whereby all the activitiesstarted simultaneously, rather being introduced in a coordinated fashion.

The quantitative data is impressive. In Yunnan Province, it is claimed that every teacherhas had an opportunity to benefit from training programmes since the sub-project began.The qualitative evidence is less reassuring. New modes of teacher education take time todevelop. The suggestion that teachers be trained in a small-group, hands-on approach,rather than in a large hall lecture mode, has not been generally adopted (although it wasreported by some teachers). In some instances, teacher education institutions wereactively increasing the size of groups by allowing private, fee-paying teachers to attendthe programmes. The sub-team visited a teacher education institute in Dongchuan andwas impressed by the develop of training facilities that would enable micro-teaching andother hands-on techniques, but was less convinced by the emphasis on informationtechnology-especially as any teachers in remote areas would not have access tocomputing equipment. However, the same institute had a pragmatic approach to thecontent of teacher education programmes by also focusing on the "basic" skills ofteaching: lesson planning, classroom management, blackboard writing, etc. It will besome time before teachers are in a position to cope with the ambitious expectations of the"quality education" policy.

The geographical remoteness of many teachers has been noted above, and this remains amajor hindrance to the successful implementation of the sub-project. However, somepromising solutions were evident in Yunnan. Firstly, the provincial authorities hadorganized a minibus tour by experienced teachers from Kunming to remote areas, andthis trip had been well received by participants. This tour has yet to be repeated, but apermanent mobile teacher education unit may be a feasible strategy. Another practice wasa more non-formal approach, whereby the teacher was receiving training from a mentorin the local community. For instance, one teacher in Baisha Primary School had studiedmusic from a local expert musician and was, in turn, mentoring three more teachers.

Sustainability is a key factor in teacher education; otherwise the benefits of a trainingprogramme tend to wear off. In Dongchuan, the teacher educators paid follow-up visits toparticipants after the formal programme had finished-this also had the advantage of

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allowing the teacher educator to discuss with the teachers have the teaching could beimproved in that particular school (rather than working on the general level, out ofcontext). Teachers also made good use of resource centres and were very supportivetowards each other. It was noticeable in Huangshan Primary School how strong thesupport network was in the staff room: teachers worked around a common table,observed each other's lessons and met regularly to discuss teaching issues. At present,though, such arrangements vary on a school-by-school basis. It would be useful iftraining programmes also focused on how a school can support teachers and facilitateinnovation, and not just on the pedagogical skills and knowledge that are required.

Overall, the teacher education sub-project has not met its objectives, which are veryambitious, but it has achieved a number of successes. It has brought into play a variety ofnew strategies and modes for teacher education, and it has stimulated reforms andinitiatives-some highly relevant to reality of most teachers, others less so, but thewillingness to initiate change is to be welcomed. Teacher education is an on-going task,particularly given the geographical and economic diversity of schooling in China, and theachievements of this sub-project are a small step in tackling some of the challenges.

5. METHODOLOGY NOTES

5.1. Site-visit schedule

The site-visit was conducted between August 22 and 29. The sub-team visited YunnanProvince, Lijiang County and Dongchuan Township.

August 22-23 Data collection: meetings with Provincial Education Commissionofficials, Kunming

August 25-26 Data collection: meeting with Lijiang County Ministry of Educationofficials. Meeting with school principals; teachers; parents andstudents.Visit to Huangshan and Baisha primary schools, Lijiang County.Meetings with school principals; teachers and pupils

August 27 Visit to primary school, Dongchuan Township.Meetings with Dongchuan Township education officials.Visit to Teacher Training provider; meetings with school principals;teachers; parents; pupils

August 28 Visit to agricultural teacher education institute, DongchuanTownship.

August 29 Debriefing meeting for Provincial Education Commission officials,Kunming.

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5.2. Data Sources

The review of this project involved documentary analysis (management documents suchas PPO, PPAs, annual reviews and the MTR, and project products such as curriculumplans, textbooks and other instructional materials) and semi-structured and informalinterviews with education officials at the national, provincial, county and township leveland other stakeholders, including curriculum designers, teacher educators, schoolprincipals, teachers, parents and pupils.

5.3. Site-Selection Criteria

Yunnan Province was chosen for the site-visit because of its participation in a number ofprojects. Following discussions with officials in the Provincial Education Commission, avisit was made to Lijiang County, where a variety of UNICEF projects are located andwhich is characterized by the predominance of ethnic minorities and by the remotenessand poverty of many of the project sites. A further visit was made to DongchuanTownship in the municipality of Kunming. Dongchuan also administers the project inpoor, remote areas. The two visits afforded the sub-team a comparative perspective onissues relating to project design, implementation, outcomes and sustainability. Alimitation of the arrangements for data collection was the time frame of the visits, whichtook place during the school holidays and were limited to relatively accessible sites.

5.4. Selection Criteria for Tracer Studies

The review incorporated tracer studies of two components of the project— (1) thedevelopment of curriculum and teaching materials to reflect local needs, and (2) thereorientation of primary teacher education. These components were selected because ofthe potential involvement of stakeholders at each level from national to local; their on-going nature at the time of the review; the size of, and importance attached to, thesecomponents; and the expertise of the sub-team in the fields of curriculum studies andteacher education.

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APPENDIX 5Non-Formal Community Education (Project 57) Case Study

1. INTRODUCTION

The goals of the Non-formal Community Education (NFCE) project are to:• Provide learning and skill development opportunities for out-of-school children,

especially girls in the age group 12-18 years in selected townships in project counties;• empower parents and other caregivers with the knowledge and skills required to meet

the basic learning and development needs of young children;• build environmental awareness among children and youth to promote care of the

environment and promote environmentally sustainable development;• generate awareness among children, youth, and their families of iodine deficiency

disorders (IDD) and promote the use of iodised salt by all families in project areas;and

• orient children and youth to relevant scientific principles and practices that areadapted to local applications and promote adoption of appropriate technologies at thecommunity and household levels for enhanced productivity, and improved health,nutrition, sanitation and family well-being.

The NFCE project has been implemented in 120 counties within 25 provinces, with abudget of USD 1.5 million from UNICEF and 35 million RMB from the GoC.

The findings presented in this case study are based upon a review of project documents,interviews with UNICEF and CAST officials, and site-visits to Wushen Banner andShangdu County in Inner Mongolia.

2. FINDINGS

2.1. Design: Is it appropriate and does it lead to effective implementation andoutcomes?

The sub-team found that design is largely flexible, appropriate, and incorporates top-down and bottom-up flows of information. Since the 1998 Mid-Term Review, the designof the activities has become more bottom-up, and incorporates inputs from county-levelstaff, project participants, and the community. Interviews and discussions with countylevel staff, participants, instructors and the community indicated that stakeholders aresatisfied with the manner in which their opinions were sought and incorporated intodesign of project activities. Up and down participation and decentralized informationflow has promoted local ownership and facilitated shared vision among projectstakeholders.

The project has become increasingly responsive to local needs, evidence for which wasseen in Inner Mongolia. For example, the skills-delivery activities initially designed forout-of school girls are also being made available, as appropriate, to boys and adults who

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might need them to increase their productivity. Project trainers also discovered thatchildren and girls found it easier to learn from each other in peer learning situations, atraining technique that is innovative and has been incorporated into the project.

On the other hand, when Wushen Banner CAST applied to National CAST to reduceemphasis, and presumably resources, on IDD education as the target of 100% use ofiodized salt had been met, this request was refused on the grounds that IDD targets hadnot been achieved throughout the country. This suggests that there is more flexibilitywithin project components, but the overall project lacks flexibility in tailoring the projectcomponents to meet local needs, thereby rendering the use of limited resources lesseffective.

Although the project is designed to meet local needs, there is an increasing demand forother marketable skills as well, the provision of which is currently outside the scope ofthe project. As a non-governmental organization that specializes in scientific andtechnological pursuits for children, the skills training in agriculture, animal husbandry,and environmental science are identified by CAST and participants in the light of localneeds and conditions. However, site-visits indicated that increasing availability of ideasand information through modem technology (e.g., television, VCRs, VCDs, etc.) andexposure of community members to urban areas is beginning to transform the aspirationsand needs of project participants in ways programme planners may not have envisaged.This has meant that demands for more sophisticated training in agriculture and animalhusbandry are beginning to emerge, as are calls for training in business management,marketing, tailoring, etc. Participants have also voiced a need for small loan schemes toenable them to utilize their skills and start small businesses. Essentially, whereasparticipants may have been satisfied in the past with opportunities to receive any training,the situation is slowly giving way to demands for better training in more marketableskills.

A drawback of the project design is that for the amount of resources available, the scopeand size is large. Too many components are being implemented by a small number ofproject personnel, who despite their dedication, are overextended, which, in turn, affectsthe quality of the services delivered. In addition, the Non-Formal Community EducationCentres (NFCE Centres) do not have sufficient resources, including equipment and,specifically, bilingual teaching materials, which too reduces the effectiveness of theproject.

2.2. Implementation: Were the processes effective?

Project management is clearly set out in the "Framework of Monitoring System forCooperation Project Between CAST and UNICEF" (on file at UNICEF, China) in whichinformation management, lines of communication and decision-making procedures,report production, record keeping, the timing of field visits and a feedback mechanismare clearly delineated for each organizational level. This framework was developed post-MTR, prior to which evaluation indexes had been used, but proved inadequate forefficient and effective implementation. Use of the framework has facilitated easier project

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management and monitoring. Project staff interviewed said work is now being conductedmore efficiently and that implementation procedures have become more transparent andstraightforward.

Project management at province- and county- levels is a joint undertaking betweenproject staff and local Science and Technology Associations, as part of the strategy tobuild local capacity. Monitoring and evaluation take place on a regular basis at all levelsof implementation, culminating in the written Annual Review report, issued by nationalCAST. Information on project implementation is checked and shared across all levels,and notable project achievements are highlighted for dissemination. In Inner Mongolia,sub-team also found that the project received support from local government, whichhonoured the most notable project results with public recognition and inclusion in its ownprogram.

Project activities are delivered in NFCE Centres, which are typically housed in a singleroom of the local primary school and available to communities after school hours. Theactivities are most often offered during evenings, weekends, and holidays. The sub-teamfound many of these facilities to be physically inadequate and under-equipped, making itdifficult for Centres to play their full role as learning points. For example, in Shangdu,the sub-team visited a NFCE Centre without electricity, adequate classroom furniture ormaterials, heating, or storage facilities. Despite these limitations, the sub-team alsoobserved strong ownership of, and support for, the NFE project. For example, at WushenBanner, the village headman had the NFCE Centre housed in one of the larger rooms ofhis home where reading materials were stored and seating was available for allcommunity members.

Learning materials used in the NFCE projects were basic and included blackboard andchalk and posters, with lessons being conducted mostly through lectures and discussions.Whenever possible, the instructors also utilised out-door demonstrations, experiments,and audio-video equipment, which hold most relevance for training in agriculture andanimal husbandry. However, there appears to be an over-dependence on traditional chalkand blackboard teaching methods and rote learning, which neither encouragesparticipants to develop as independent thinkers nor bears any relationship to non-formaleducation principles of participation and collaboration between learners and facilitators.In addition, the learning materials developed for the NFE activities are too few to meetthe needs of participants, particularly of ethnic and linguistic minority communities.

Project implementation is also hampered due to the large area over which the populationis scattered, making it difficult for community members to attend training activities.Similarly, project personnel find it difficult to conduct sufficiently frequent site-visits.

There appears to be considerable scope for cooperation and collaboration acrossUNICEF/GoC projects. The NFCE project has worked with the Social DevelopmentProgramme for Poor Areas (SPPA), which focuses on women's economic empowermentand household production activities in some NFCE project counties. NFCE has beeninstrumental in helping SPPA participants acquire productive skills, which qualify

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women to receive small loans to get their businesses started. There has also somecollaboration across project-implementation agencies. For example, in Wushen Banner,local CAST has collaborated with the All-China Women's Federation, which isimplementing the SPPA, on the production of teaching and learning materials for projectactivities. However, such collaboration could be intensified to achieve better outcomes.For example, training could include how to obtain loans to use the skills acquired forgenerating income.O O

Essentially, since the MTR, implementation has improved to facilitate a more efficientand effective execution of the project activities. Efforts to assess project attainment ofobjectives have been hampered by lack of expertise in measuring outcomes, a problemthat is being addressed through staff training. Equipping and making more effective useof NFCE Centres, materials development and production, and issues related tomulticultural and bilingual education, remain areas of difficulty, largely due toinadequate funding. The positive practices that the sub-team observed include dedicatedproject management staff, flexible and innovative approaches to project implementationin very difficult circumstances, and community ownership, all of which have contributedto improved quality of life for participants and their families.

2.3. Outcomes: What are the intended and unintended outcomes?

Intended outcomes for the NFCE project refer to the accomplishment of the fiveobjectives of the NFCE project. Attempts have been made to assess the achievement ofthese objectives and project impact, but this effort has been difficult to accomplish, giventhe scope of the project objectives, the unevenness of existing baseline data, and lack ofexpertise among staff. Efforts to improve monitoring and evaluation have gainedincreasing importance since the MTR, with steps being taken to train staff in methods toassess the effects of project participation on the practices, attitudes, and economic statusof the project participants. However, these attempts have not yet yielded systematic data.

Despite the absence of rigorous quantitative indicators of project achievement, theparticipants at the sites visited reported having generated income as a result of using theskills acquired through project training activities, with some participants having beenmore successful than others. Participants and community representatives remarked thatcommunities are gradually internalising and using information on health and sanitation,environmental protection, rights of the child, and prevention of IDD.

Project document and site-visit data also reveal that: training activities for out-of-schoolgirls and women in livelihood skills are popular and well-attended; there is 100%achievement of IDD awareness and use of iodized salt; greater awareness ofenvironmental protection and preservation issues; more grassroots satisfaction withimproved hygiene, sanitation and water security in their homes and communities; morechildren are attending school; and the capacity of CAST staff to implement projectactivities has been enhanced. There was also clear evidence of heightened self-esteemand aspirations among girls and women as a result of project participation. However,although project objectives are being slowly realised, there are indications that the project

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has compromised on quality to meet quantitative targets. The size and scope of theproject are ambitious, without adequate resources.

The project has also resulted in some unintended outcomes. First, there is more thananticipated enthusiasm for training activities and basic education among participants.Second, the project has facilitated the revitalization of communities, through theprovision of skills training but also through generating hope for the future among projectparticipants. Third, participatory decision-making has served as a model forcollaboration between community members and the local governments. A furtherunintended outcome is the heightened cooperation between local government and thecommunity in addressing environmental problems, such as soil erosion.

Although the skills-training component was designed primarily for out-of-school girls, ithas also benefited boys and young men. Given the poverty of the areas visited, almost allable-bodied boys and men leave their villages in search of work and income to sustain thefamilies left behind. These individuals become part of the floating population. The NFEinstructors interviewed, however, are of the opinion that those who participated in thetraining find it easier to obtain employment, as they become more marketable afterhaving acquired some skills.

Information about the successes and good practices of project activities is reviewed in theannual review meeting between UNICEF and CAST, and in the Annual Review Report,which is disseminated widely. The report provides information on projectimplementation, statistics of project activities, problems, successes, and innovations, andsets goals for the upcoming year. CAST counterparts in other projects also haveopportunities to engage in information- and experience-exchanges at national, provincialand county-level meetings.

2.4. Sustainability: How sustainable are the ideas and processes introducedthrough the project?

The combination of livelihood training opportunities, community education activities andthe creation of NFCE Centres has been a significant development in all the sites visitedby the sub-team. The NFCE Centres served important civic, educational, economic andsocial functions in the poor, remote and isolated villages, many of which were receivinginputs of this kind for the first time. Communities have also benefited from learningparticipatory mechanisms for development. Participation in the project has contributed toenhanced self-esteem, pride, and economic betterment among community members.Thus, maintaining and sustaining project-initiated activities and facilities is important tothe project communities visited. Second, intensive training for CAST staff, instructorsand advocators has resulted in enhanced management capacity, and it has enabled them toacquire skills useful for developing curricula and materials that respond to local needs.

Barriers to the sustainability of project-initiated activities include: difficulties in obtainingadequate funds from local government sources and in identifying alternative sources offunding; transportation difficulties for staff and participants due to the population being

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scattered over large areas; and insufficient learning materials, especially for use by ethnicand linguistic minorities.

National CAST has acquired some funds from private sources to continue projectactivities, which it applies as special allocations, but the sub-team was informed thatthese are insufficient to fully fund project activities. The continuation of these funds isnot assured. In Shangdu, an additional 10,000 RMB in special funds had been procuredfrom the county's poverty alleviation allocation and used to produce a textbook, but thisagain was without any promise of continuation.

In summary, the project is contributing to the sustainability of community-based NFEactivities through:

• Community empowerment.• Enhanced local capacity.• Introduction of consultative decision-making processes which facilitate

communication and information-sharing among all levels.• Development of instruments and procedures for assessing, monitoring, evaluating

and reporting on training implementation.• Initiation of joint efforts between local governments and CAST in environmental

protection and educational activities.• Some SPPA and NFCE cross-project cooperation and collaboration as a process

of developing local capacity in providing training and financial assistance topromote productivity and consumer services.

2.5. Summary of Findings

The project strengths are as follows:1. The design of project activities is participatory, involving CAST project personnel,

instructors/advocators, science and education experts, local government officials,participants and community members. Project activities, thus, are based on localneeds.

2. Project participants have acquired useful knowledge and skills through the project,and they have shown more-than-expected enthusiasm for learning. It can beconcluded that project objectives can be achieved fully, if necessary financialsupports are made available.

3. The "Framework of Monitoring System for Cooperation Project" has helped to set outclearly the entire management structure and mechanisms. This has resulted in betterproject management since MTR, including wide-scale dissemination of projectinformation.

4. There has been some cooperation between NFCE and other UNICEF-GoC projects,which has served to enhance project effectiveness. However, this collaboration couldbe improved.

5. The project has assisted with the revitalization of participant communities, andparticipatory decision-making mechanisms are helping to increase collaborationbetween rural communities and local governments.

6. Local capacity-building and community support are some of the factors supporting

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institutionalization of NFE programmes. On the other hand, limited sources of funds,transportation difficulties, and insufficient learning materials and equipment arebarriers to continued NFE efforts.

7. Progress is evident with regard to all project objectives. In addition, communitieshave benefited from heightened self-esteem and enhanced capacity for sustainabledevelopment.

The team found several areas of concern:1. There is evidence that the project has been inflexible in altering components in light

of the local situation, even when it seems to be justified.2. The scope and size of the project is too large for the financial resources available.

This is resulting in an emphasis on quantity over quality.3. A monitoring and evaluation system has been developed, but it is not yet systematic

and uniform across project areas.4. Methods of delivery rely primarily on traditional chalk and blackboard teaching and

rote learning, which neither encourages participants to develop as independentthinkers nor bears any relationship to Non-formal Education techniques ofparticipation and collaboration between learners and facilitators

5. No additional source of funding has been identified to continue the much-neededNFE activities in poor areas targeted through the project.

2.6. Lessons Learned

1. Reducing coverage and allocating adequate resources to representative projects inmost difficult areas helps to address issues of quantity over quality.

2. Flexibility in project design helps to ensure validity of the activities at the local level,including the provision of training that can meet the demands of a changing, modernsociety.

3. Building and strengthening local institutions promotes local capacity to implementand sustain project activities. This includes the training of local staff.

4. The design should include mechanisms to acquire additional resources over thecourse of the project to help ensure sustainability.

3. TRACER STUDY 1: PROJECT PERSONNEL TRAINING

3.1. Background

Training and orientation of project personnel at provincial and county levels has beengiven top priority since the beginning of the project. In Wushen Banner there are 93project personnel and 92 instructors for this project cycle, and in Shangdu County thereare 110 project personnel and 660 instructors.

3.2. Design

The design of the project personnel training begins with discussions between UNICEFand CAST, who determine the focus of the training activities on the basis of the

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requirements outlined in the PPO. Next, the broad design the training courses isformulated at provincial level, after which the county-level training is determined.County CASTs develop a training proposal, which contains details about the content andduration of the training and the numbers of participants to be included, and submits it tothe provincial office for approval. The Project Director takes responsibility for designingthe training on the basis of the project objectives and tasks for the year.

3.3. Implementation

Each year project personnel receive training and orientation to ensure implementationprotocols and to consider and incorporate tasks given to NFCE projects by localgovernments. Staff training has been rigorous and ongoing since 1996, especially forupper and middle level staff charged with implementation responsibilities, and hasintroduced project staff and instructors to management, monitoring, inspection, andevaluation techniques. It has also familiarized the participants with main points in IDD,FFL, and environmental and advocacy activities, which are the core focus of the project.In addition, provincial and county level project staff have been trained in participatoryapproaches to project planning and delivery. At the township/village level this year, 2400project personnel, teachers, advocators and instructors received training in broadeningtheir understanding of Project Plan 2000, methods for organizing NFCE activities, andevaluation techniques.

Since the MTR, activities in livelihood skills training, advocacy, and basic educationhave increased exponentially, placing additional pressure on project staff, for which theyhave needed additional skills and expertise. Personnel training, therefore, has becomemore practical and oriented towards material development, communication, and methodsin management. However, it is clear that the adoption of new pedagogical approaches andorientation to learning will take time before yielding results in both teacher and learnerbehaviours.

3.4. Monitoring and Assessment

Personnel training is assessed informally using group discussions to exchangeexperiences. Although informative, how this information is used to modify and adjusttraining sessions is not clear. Project staff report that if training has not been effective forsome staff members, county-level personnel are sent to the trainee to provide furtherassistance, which may not be a cost-effective method of remediation.

3.5. Outcomes

Overall, the increased focus on training has yielded significant dividends in enhancingproject personnel's ability to design, implement, monitor and evaluate project activities.Since the MTR, training has become more relevant and practical, with more time beingallocated to practice newly acquired skills. However, data indicate that more needs to bedone to in terms of: (1) adapting and expanding the repertoire of the new, hands-onorientation to training; and (2) and extending the new approach to learning.

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3.6. Issues and Lessons Learned

The successes of, and issues in, project personnel training during the current cycleindicate that:• There is a need for closer institutional linkages between project personnel and local

experts below Project Director level, in order to facilitate project sustainability andsuccess, should the Project Director be transferred or leave the job.

• Developing appropriate instruments for assessing learning outcomes is crucial, iftraining is to be appropriate for evolving and emerging needs.

• Ascertaining local needs, more flexible training design and communication betweentrainers and trainees is essential for optimising the use of resources.

• Greater emphasis is needed on training personnel to design training materials and life-skills activities accessible to and useful for ethnic and linguistic minorities.

• There are significant gaps in project staffs depth of knowledge regarding the theoryand practice of NFE and how NFE strategies might be adapted to teaching andadvocacy activities. These gaps need to be addressed at the outset of any NFE projector programme.

5. TRACER STUDY 2: LIVELIHOOD SKILLS TRAINING

5.1. Background

Increasing acquisition by children, youth and their families of the essential life skills andknowledge required for better living is one of the main objectives of the NFCE project. Inorder to achieve this goal, one of the project components focuses on non-formaleducation for out-of-school girls, ages 12-18. This target group comprises both dropoutsand girls who have never attended school and is provided basic education and training inlocally relevant occupational and vocational skills on a part-time basis. In effect, though,the target group has been expanded to include women.

5.2. Design

Annual objectives are identified at national level based on overall objectives outlined inthe UNICEF-CAST PPO. Local needs are ascertained by County CAST and included inits annual PPA, which Provincial CAST reviews, amends as necessary, and approves.County CAST finalizes the PPA and sends the activity proposal to provincial CAST,which in turn sends it on to National CAST. National CAST office then makes acomprehensive project activity proposal to UNICEF. After receiving UNICEF'sapproval, the activity is implemented

5.3. Implementation

NFCE Centres implement the activities within to the broad guidelines provided by theprovincial CAST, but they also have the flexibility to finalize the training on the basis of

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local needs. The training plan is reviewed by the County CAST. Project Directors agreethat training has been effective in equipping girls with one or two livelihood skills,although the government goal of training 30% of the target population each year has beenelusive due to insufficient funds.

5.4. Monitoring and Evaluation

Paper and pencil tests at the end of the training, group discussions, home visits by theinstructors and by the county CAST personnel at least two to three times a year, and datacollected annually through surveys and questionnaires are the methods used formonitoring and assessment. Information from the Instructors' assessment reports isincluded in the County CAST reports sent to the provincial and national CAST andUNICEF. The data gathered are also used to inform further training curriculum andtraining design.

5.5. Outcomes

Feedback indicates that participation in the training has helped to improve the lives of thegirls and their families in several ways: increased productivity; participants and theirfamilies obtaining small loans and entering into business as a result of having acquiredsome skills; and the heightened confidence and self-esteem that has resulted fromeconomic empowerment. Improvement in participants' lives is also evident in theirdemeanour, self-confidence, and the enthusiasm they show for their studies. In somecases, income resulting from increased productivity has been used to pay school fees,invested in agriculture and animal husbandry, and generally used to improve the qualityof life.

5.6. Issues and Lessons Learned

The successes are significant, but there are also areas for concern. These are highlightedbelow.• There has been an emphasis on quantity over quality, primarily due to limited

resources and the push to meet targets. Future projects will need to give explicitconsideration to this trade-off.

• Project participants often return for new training because they lack seed money tostart a business. There is a need to think beyond delivery of training activities towardsestablishing support systems that enable participants to utilize the skills they haveacquired.

• Participants would like to see the existing livelihood training activities to becontinued, improved, and augmented with training in other areas such as tailoring,environmental studies, hairdressing, and more technologically advanced agriculturaland animal husbandry. The economic and market conditions in project counties ischanging, and a mechanism to respond to these changes needs to be built in.

• Duration and scheduling of training in predominantly agricultural and pastoral areasshould be adjusted to enable more people to attend the training when they are notbusy in the field.

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6. METHODOLOGY NOTES

6.1. Site-visit schedule

July 3 Data Collection: Meeting with National CAST officials, Beijing

July 4 Data Collection: Meeting with Provincial CAST officials, Huhhot,Inner Mongolia

July 6 Tongshi Gacha and Taoli Gacha villages in Wushen Banner.Home visits: site-visits to NFCE Centre andinterview with Instructor; interview with project participants;interview discussion with community leaders; interview with WushenBanner CAST/ Government officials

July 7 Hujiertu Township: Group Discussion with project participants, NFCEInstructor; Feedback meeting withWushen Banner CAST

July 9 Boli Township, Shangdu County: Home visits, NFCE Centre; groupdiscussion with project participants and community leaders

July 10 Zhangmaowusu Township: Visit NFCE Centre; group discussion withproject participants and community leaders

11 July Debriefing meetings with County CAST, Shangdu and ProvincialCAST, Inner Mongolia

6.2. Sources of Data

Site-visit data collection involved semi-structured interviews with CAST officials, NFEinstructors/advocators and participants, visits to NFCE Centres, home visits and informaldiscussions with local government leaders and members of the community in selectedvillages.Another limitation, referred to as 'courtesy bias', may have occurred as a result of thepresence of National CAST officials at the interviews with Provincial and County CASTofficials, instructors, participants and community members.

6.3. Site Selection Criteria

Inner Mongolia was chosen because of reports about communities having as many as30% of children dropping out of primary and secondary school and participating inNFCE activities, and because of National CAST's recommendation. Within InnerMongolia, two remote, national poverty counties were selected: Wushen Banner, which isa Mongolian minority county, and Shangdu County, which is predominantly HanChinese. The population in the two counties is scattered, which resulted in the sub-teamhaving to spend large amounts of time on the road and less-than-desired amounts of timevisiting and talking with community members.

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6.4. Selection Criteria for Tracer Studies

The two components, Personnel Training and Life-Skills Training, were selected on thebasis their importance in the project, especially after MTR. Personnel Training focuseson the development aspect of the project - training project personnel to deliver projectactivities, and the Life-Skills training focuses on the delivery aspects of the project -providing training to the ultimate beneficiaries of the project.

UNICEF Alternate Inventory Label

MR I IlllIlll Illl II"1 IHI lll!l Ml11 lllll:ll"""'III || mi ||||

Item # CF-RAI-USAA-DB01-2003-963253ExR/Code: EVL/2003/CHN 00/02 / 03.06.01

UNICEF-Government of China Education Programme (1996-2000;Date Label Printed 18-Dec-2002

China CHN/2000/0002

UNICEF-Government of China Education Programme(1996-2000): End-Of-Cvcle Evaluation