Mid-term evaluation report : radio education teacher training II

Mid-term evaluation covers the period 1984-4/87 and is based on document review, a survey of 126 teachers in 4 of the 5 participating districts, and interviews with teachers and with personnel from RED, MOEC, and the Research Center for Educational Innovation and Development. RED's ability to create and deliver educational radio programs has shown continuous development. The RED office has been expanded and additional recording equipment has been installed. Radio Nepal has received equipment and training that has enhanced its ability to support educational programming. The GON set up 45 temporary RED staff positions, including a second class officer position for the Chief of RED, the highest level yet sanctioned. USAID/N has provided TA in management, evaluation, and program production; a scriptwriting/production/evaluation process has been put in place; staff have been trained; and 117 20-minute English language lessons have been tested with 171 teachers in 5 districts. A revised version of this series will be broadcast to over 400 teachers in 10 districts during 1987. Despite this progress, however, the project is behind schedule, with little chance of meeting its ambitious targets. RED has been slow to develop due to leadership and staff changes and a lack of institutionalization. In the 8 years of A.I.D. support, RED has had as many directors, many of them "Acting," and has changed its administrative location 4 times. Of 20 staff members sent overseas for training during Phase I, only 6 still work at RED; thus, the project, has frequently had to restart the personnel development process. A delay in fulfilling grant covenants hindered the flow of funds and further restricted progress. RED is at a critical stage, finally having reached the point of institutionalization within MOEC: the GON has given permission for 20 permanent positions and MOEC has ordered RED to move from its present location and merge with the Training Sub-Division. If these processes are well managed, RED will emerge as a professional institution of great value; if poorly, RED will be so weakened as to no longer merit A.I.D. support. The project should delay development of a mathematics course and focus instead on areas essential to RED's institutionalization - staffing, organizational locus, ability to serve MOEC's needs in distance education, further development of an English language program attractive to a broader audience than teachers, and the identification of new programming directions. (Author abstract, modified)