Institutional Capacity Assessment Report for FY18

The assessment aimed to determine the current levels of capacity at the Ministry of Education (MoE) headquarters and county levels to support the implementation of the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP). The assessment identified several challenges in the Liberian education system, including low enrollment rates, high dropout rates, and prohibitive barriers to access and retention. The 2012 Out of School Children study classified these barriers into four main categories: Socio-Cultural Factors, Economic Factors, School-Related Factors, and Political Factors. The Accelerated Quality Education for Liberian Children Activity aims to increase access to education for approximately 48,000 out-of-school children ages 8 to 15 in six targeted counties of Liberia. The activity has two main result areas: institutionalizing a framework for the MoE ALP and increasing the eligibility of ALP learners to transition to formal education. Under Result 1, the activity will support the MoE to adopt national ALP policies, including accreditation policies for centers, learner eligibility policy, certification policy, and a national curriculum. The activity will also train County Education Officers on the usage of ALP EMIS monitoring data for decision making and on budgeting, and strengthen community awareness of ALP policies and opportunities. Under Result 2, the activity will rehabilitate and furnish ALPs with the aim of readying them for use, improving their safety, and making them accessible for boys, girls, and children with disabilities. The activity will also mobilize communities to identify out-of-school children for enrollment in ALPs, create a code of conduct around school-related gender-based violence, and train teachers in the ALP curriculum and summative assessment tools. The Institutional Capacity Assessment Report provides an overview of the assessment process, including the involvement of stakeholders, the assessment methodology, and the results by county. The report highlights the need for institutional capacity strengthening to support the implementation of the ALP and the Accelerated Quality Education for Liberian Children Activity. The assessment results by county are presented in the report, with a focus on the Year One Accelerated Quality Education Activity counties (Bong, Grand Bassa, and Montserrado) and the Year Two Accelerated Quality Education Activity counties (Margibi, Nimba, and Lofa). The report highlights the challenges and opportunities in each county, including the need for capacity strengthening to support the implementation of the ALP. The report concludes that the Institutional Capacity Assessment provides a critical approach to determining current levels of capacity at the MoE headquarters and county levels. The assessment results will inform the development of a capacity strengthening plan to support the implementation of the ALP and the Accelerated Quality Education for Liberian Children Activity.