Intercountry evaluation of education sector programs : Brazil, Colombia, Panama

THE MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE HOST COUNTRY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY THE AID LOANS WERE VERY SIMILAR, INVOLVING MAJOR CHANGES IN CURRICULUM TO SUBSTITUTE A HIGHER VOCATIONAL CONTENT AND AN ORIENTATION TOWARD WORK INSTEAD OF ACADEMICS; TEACHER TRAINING; AND THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPPING OF MULTI-PURPOSE SCHOOLS. IN CONTRAST TO THESE COMMON ELEMENTS, THE AID APPROACH IN SUPPORT OF SECTOR PROGRAMS DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY AMONG THE COUNTRIES. METHODS OF LOAN IMPLEMENTATION VARIED FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY WITH VARIATIONS DEPENDENT IN PART ON THE PURPOSES OF THE LOAN AND THE APPROACH TO SUPPORT OF THE SECTOR. THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF AID EVALUATION ALSO DIFFERED FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY. NO PROVISION WAS MADE UNDER ANY OF THE LOANS FOR EVALUATION AT THE PROJECT PURPOSE LEVELS AND BEYOND. SUFFICIENT TIME HAS NOT YET ELAPSED TO PERMIT AN APPRAISAL OF THE EFFECTS OF THE PROGRAMS UPON BROADER PURPOSES AND GOALS. THERE IS APPRECIABLE IMPROVEMENT IN THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS BUILT, THE NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS PROVIDED, THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL PERSONNEL TRAINED, BUDGETARY AND PAYMENT PROCEDURES, AND PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES. THE EVALUATION CONTAINS CHAPTERS ON THE PROGRAMS; AID ANALYSIS; PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY, ASSUMPTIONS AND STRATEGY; METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION; PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENTS; AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SECTOR APPROACH CONCEPTS. THE EVALUATORS MADE NINE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING SUCH MATTERS AS REDEFINING PURPOSES AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE SECTOR PROGRAMS, SETTING UP AN EVALUATION SYSTEM, RECONSIDERING THE ROLE AND NATURE OF SECTOR ASSESSMENTS, AND CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVES FOR DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE EDUCATION SECTOR PROGRAM.