EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION AND PLANNING

THIS EVAL INCLUDED AN EXAMINATION OF FINANCIAL RECORDS & RELATED DOCUMENTS AS WELL AS DISCUSSIONS WITH USAID OFFICIALS & PERSONNEL FROM THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & CULTURE (MEC). AID CONTRACTED THE SAN DEGO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION (SSSUF) IN 11/65 FOR TECH ASSISTANCE. ORIGINALLY,PLANS WERE TO BE DEVELOPED FOR IMPROVED FUNDAMENTAL EDUCATION IN SIX STATES. LATER,THE PROJ SCOPE WAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE TECH ASSISTANCE TO ALL THE STATES AT BOTH THE FUNDAMENTAL & SECONDARY EDUCATION LEVELS. MEC DESIGNATED THE SECRETARY GENERAL,THE DEPT OF FUNDAMENTAL EDUCATION (DEF), AND THE DEPT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION (DEM) AS ITS ACTION GROUPS. THE DEF STAFF HAS INCREASED TO 30 TECHNICIANS & IS PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO ELEMENTARY EDUC UNITS. DEM IS ON SCHEDULE WITH 18 OF 30 PLNND TECHNICIANS. HOWEVER DEM HAS NOT BEEN STRONG ORGANIZATIONALLY & LACKS THE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE TECH ASSISTANCE TO STATE EUDC UNITS. LACK OF COORDINATED PLNNG BETWEEN DEF AND DEM,AND THE FAILURE TO DEVELOP JOINT TECH ASSISTANCE TEAMS HAS SLOWED PROGRESS. LESS THAN 30% OF THE PLNND SHORT-TERM CONSULTANTS WERE USED DURING A TWO & ONE-HALF YR PERIOD ENDING 12/31/73. THE MEC HAS FAILED TO SUBMIT PLNNG DOCUMENTS TO THE MISSION AS REQUIRED IN THE PRO/AG. THE MISSION SHOULD REQUEST COMPLIANCE. THE MISSION HAS GIVEN THE CONTRACTOR GOOD PERFORMANCE RATINGS. AS OF 12/31/73,THIRTEEN LONG-TERM CONSULTANTS WERE TO BE ON-BOARD. BUT,BECAUSE DEM APPEARED UNABLE TO DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THEM,THEIR NUMBER WAS REDUCED TO NINE. INSUFFICIENT LANGUAGE SKILLS & TOURS OF DUTY LIMITED TO TWO-YRS LESSENED THE ADVISORS" EFFECTIVENESS. RECENTLY,TEAM MEMBERS HAVE RECIEVED MORE LANGUAGE TRNG,BUT THIS HAS REDUCED THEIR TIME SPENT WITH THE PROJ. AUDITORS CONCLUDE THAT OVERALL THE PROJ IS SUCCESSFUL,CONTRIBUTING TO IMPROVED EDUCATION IN BRAZIL. SEVENTEEN STATES ARE REORGANIZING THEIR SECRETARIATS OF EDUCATION AND MOST HAVE ADOPTED MEC APPROVED EDUCATION PLANS.