REGIONAL EDUCATION PLANNING AND RESEARCH

PROJECT SPECIFICALLY DEVELOPS CENTRAL AMERICAN EDUCATION PLANNING OFFICE (OCEPLAN), A UNIT OF CENTRAL AMERICAN STATES (ODECA) MAKING IT THE REGION"S PRIMARY AND EFFECTIVE STAFF RESOURCE FOR EDUCATIONAL PLANNING. CONTRACT WAS SIGNED WITH UNIV OF KANSAS (UK) TO PROVIDE CONSULTANTS TO MAKE STUDIES ON EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, ORGANIZE A DATA BANK, PROVIDE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING OF EDUCATORS, HOLD WORKSHOPS ON PREPARATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS/TEACHING METHODOLOGY, AND ASSIST WITH DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: COORDINATING CA/P EDUCATION ACTIVITIES; STUDYING EDUCATIONAL STATUS, NEEDS, TRENDS; IDENTIFYING QUALIFIED EDUCATIONAL PERSONNEL ABLE TO ASSIST OCEPLAN & CA/P COUNTRIES" MINISTRIES; FILLING OCEPLAN POSITIONS WITH QUALIFIED STAFF; DEVELOPING INFORMATION SYSTEMS, TRAINING TEACHERS; BUILDING A REGIONAL MATERIALS CENTER, IMPLEMENTING SPECIAL & VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. 6 COUNTRIES WERE TO FINANCE OCEPLAN. BENEFICIARIES WOULD BE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, EDUCATORS. PROJECT WAS SUBPROJECT OF TEXTBOOK DEVELOPMENT (5960006-FY 63-71). 1971 USAID FUNDS INCLUDED STUDIES ON CURRICULUM, FINANCES, TEXTBOOK EVALUATION. USAID PROVIDED BUDGET SUPPORT FOR TA, STATISTICAL SERVICES, TRAVEL. CA/P WERE TO PROVIDE $700 ANNUALLY (EACH COUNTRY) OR PROFESSIONAL MANPOWER. OCEPLAN PROVIDED STAFF. CA/P FUNDS DELAYED-OR NON-EXISTENT. IN 3 YEARS CA/P COUNCIL OF MINISTERS FAILED TO MEET. EVEN THOUGH COMPUTER AND SAMPLING COURSES WERE GIVEN IN 5 COUNTRIES AND PANAMA, DATA BANK BUILDUP WAS SLOW, TRAVEL FUNDS SHORT. OCEPLAN LACKED EFFECTIVENESS. PROJECT TERMINATED 6/30/72.