Quarterly Report 3 READ TA Project

The project's objective is to improve reading skills in Ethiopia, with a focus on developing technical assistance to support the Ministry of Education's efforts to enhance reading instruction. The project is implemented in partnership with several organizations, including Save the Children, Summer Institute for Linguistics - Language, Education, and Development (SIL LEAD), Florida State University (FSU), Inveneo, Whiz Kids Workshop, and Africa Development Corps. The project's activities are guided by the Annual Work Plan (AWP) 2012-2013, which outlines the project's objectives, strategies, and expected outcomes. During the third quarter of 2013, the project made significant progress in various areas. The project team received certification of registration from the Charities and Societies Agency (CSA) on May 13, 2013, and completed 12 post-registration documents required by CSA. The project also recruited staff, with 12 positions filled, including 4 female and 8 male staff members. The project conducted several planning meetings with its partners to review progress on the AWP 2012-2013 and plan for assessments and evaluations. The project also initiated assessments by its partners, including FSU, Inveneo, Save the Children, and RTI, to collect data on various aspects of reading instruction, such as teacher development, reading culture, and technology use. The project participated in several regional trips to Amhara Region, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR), and Somali Region, where it provided updates on the project, secured office space, and presented to regional managers. The project also developed a Mother Tongue (MT) Guiding Document for Grades 1-8 and reviewed the MT Syllabus for Grades 1-8. The project hosted a consultative national workshop for the Mother Tongue Syllabus for Grades 1-8 to validate the documents. A PrimerPro workshop was also conducted for 14-language experts to develop 4000+ word word-lists for Grades 1-4, arranged by Curriculum Theme, for upcoming Curriculum Development. The project participated in the Communities of Practice for Reading, a group of professionals interested in reading and writing that meet regularly to share information, research, challenges, and solutions. The project's M&E staff also participated in the USAID Monitoring and Evaluation Training. The project's start-up activities included mobilization of head office staff, recruitment of staff, and completion of post-registration documents. The project's recruitment team interviewed candidates for most positions, with a balance of gender and inclusive and special needs agencies provided with advertisements for all positions. There remain 7 positions in various stages of recruitment. The project's staff in Addis Ababa and regions are listed below: * RTI - Addis Ababa: COP, DCOP Technical, DCOP Administration, Regional Director, M&E Director, Finance & HR Manager, Accountant, Logistics Specialist, Procurement Specialist, IT/Applications Manager, Capacity Building Advisor, and Gen. * Regional Director: Desalegn Garsamo, start date: 24/06/13 * M&E Director: Abdu Zeleke, start date: 01/01/13 * Finance & HR Manager: Wondimu Bekele, start date: 01/07/13 * Accountant: In Progress * Logistics Specialist: Gashaw Ayele, start date: 01/04/13 * Procurement Specialist: Sissay Berinhu, start date: 15/08/13 * IT/Applications Manager: In Progress * Capacity Building Advisor: Tigist Girma, start date: 01/08/13