ESMP Y3Q4 Progress Report

The project, which began on February 15, 2019, and is set to conclude on February 14, 2023, is designed to enhance the planning, oversight, operation, and maintenance capabilities of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MPWH). The project's goal is to provide assessment expertise, technical assistance, capacity building, collaboration facilitation, and training to the MOE, MPWH, targeted stakeholders, and other counterparts. This will improve existing management systems and procedures used by the Government of Jordan (GOJ) for the planning, implementation, and utilization of MOE-run schools in the country. To achieve this goal, ESMP Project staff work in close coordination with multiple governmental and non-governmental actors, including relevant departments and directorates of MPWH and MOE, architecture and engineering (A&E) firms, construction firms, and local professional Jordanian associations. Critical to integrating MOE and MPWH policies and their long-term cooperation is also the inclusion of local communities and parent stakeholders involved in the education process. The project is divided into four key components: Assessments, Policy and Systems Strengthening, Human Resource, Staff Development, and Training, and Sustainability of Increased Capacity. Throughout the project year, ESMP achieved several milestones, including establishing school construction progress data exchange between MOE and MPWH, developing a searchable, updateable School Maintenance Data Hub, and completing Business Process Redesign initiatives for MOE Planning and Procurement. In the final quarter of the project, ESMP moved toward completion of the core components of a comprehensive reporting and project management system (CMIS) and worked in partnership with MPWH to write 50 "draft" standard operating procedures (SOPs) that codify over 60 process improvements in design and construction processes. The project also supported both ministries to develop a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) roadmap that has identified core competencies and training needs for planning and construction management. ESMP has also supported the MOE-USAID Cost Reimbursement Agreement (CRA) funding modality, working to deploy procurement process improvements for the mechanism. The project has clarified, revised, and enhanced over 60 processes related to planning, design, construction, and maintenance through collaborative performance improvement sessions and incorporated them into CMIS, facility audit, and planning systems. The project's sustainability efforts are further discussed in Section 7 of the report, which outlines the plans for maintaining the achievements made during the project. The report concludes that ESMP has made significant progress in improving the school management and planning process in Jordan and has laid the groundwork for continued improvement and sustainability beyond the project's conclusion.