Honduras primary education efficiency project : midterm evaluation

The evaluation covers the period 1986-8/91. To date, 75% of disbursements have gone toward components to improve the educational process (textbook development, teacher training, and construction), and only 25% toward components to improve information (research, evaluation, and management information system). As a result, the first set of components are showing major accomplishments in terms of planned outputs and the second set is not. The interactive instructional radio component has been canceled. The textbook component produced new texts and guides for grades 1-2, and then was redirected to produce materials more suitable for multi-grade classrooms, under a new program called Innovacion Escolar. While production has generally been successful, the component has not been coordinated well with the teacher training or evaluation components. The evaluation component did not even develop learning objectives for grades 1-3 until 1991, while teacher training has been theoretical, removed from the realities of the classroom, particularly the challenges of the multi-grade classroom. However, the evaluation and teacher training components are shifting focus under the reforms of Innovacion Escolar. The Ministry of Education has been very successful in carrying out a community-based, low-cost approach to school construction, with over 400 new classrooms built and over 1,000 existing classrooms renovated. The only aspect of this component not successfully completed was the preventive maintenance program designed under a previous USAID project. The research component has produced only 4 of 20 targeted studies and no conferences. As for the MIS, there is no consensus about the role it is to play and there is concern about the quality of the data being produced. Overall, with the textbook, training, and construction components mostly on the track, prospects for improving student performance in Honduras are favorable. Further, the MOE's new Innovacion Escolar represents a significant attempt to address the needs of rural schools with multi-grade classrooms. The changes it has brought in the textbook and teacher training activities are likely to enhance the effectiveness of the project, The less successful activities (evaluation, research, and MIS) have suffered from poorly planned and coordinated TA and from lack of Honduran expertise. It is recommended that the project focus on the educational input components and consolidate the information components into one unit. Lessons learned are as follows. (1) Monitoring provides the crucial link between the various stages of project design, implementation, and evaluation. Successful monitoring and evaluation require a clear delegation of responsibility and establishment of baseline conditions to show project impact. (2) Accurate assessment of the host country's human, physical, and financial capabilities is essential for implementing and institutionalizing project activities. (3) The TA team let the need to meet very demanding production schedules outweigh training concerns. (4) Results of studies and activities must be widely publicized in the national language.