STRUCTURING NFE RESOURCES

PROJECT PURPOSE WILL BE ACHIEVED BY DEVELOPMENT OF NFE SERVICE AGENCIES CAPABLE OF ASSISTING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE NFE INSTITUTIONS IN: (1) EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT; (2) COMMUNICATIONS; (3) STAFF TRAINING; AND (4) FINANCE. INITIAL EMPHASIS WILL BE ON IMPROVING EXISTING NFE PROGRAMS; BUT SERVICE AGENCIES MAY ALSO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING NEW PROGRAMS IF THESE BECOME NECESSARY. BECAUSE THE APPROACH ENVISIONED BY THE PROJECT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY TAKE SHAPE DIFFERENTLY IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, THE PROJECT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN AT LEAST TWO LDC"S. IN PHASE I, ASSISTANCE WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE LESOTHO DISTANCE TEACHING CENTRE (LDTC), A SEMI-AUTONOMOUS UNIT OF LESOTHO"S MINISTRY OF EDUCATION. LDTC WILL ENCOURAGE EXPANSION OF NFE SERVICES TO PARTS OF THE COUNTRY HAVING THE LEAST EFFECTIVE ACCESS TO ORGANIZED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. WHILE PROVIDING SUCH ASSISTANCE, LDTC STAFF WILL RECEIVE ADVICE AND TRAINING FROM SELECTED AID CONTRACTORS. BY THE END OF THE SECOND PROJECT YEAR, AN NFE SERVICE AGENCY WILL BE IDENTIFIED IN A SECOND COOPERATING LDC. A REPORT DESCRIBING BOTH PARTICULARS AND GENERALIZATIONS FROM THESE TWO PROJECTS WILL BE PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED IN A MODULAR FORMAT TO PERMIT LDC PLANNERS TO DEVELOP SIMILAR PROJECTS ON AT LEAST TWO LEVELS OF SOPHISTICATION. THE NFE NETWORK(S) WILL BE USED TO DISSEMINATE THE REPORT WIDELY. RESULTS OF THE ACTIVITIES OF SERVICE AGENCIES ARE EXPECTED TO BE LINKED TO EDUCATIONAL PLANNING. THE ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN ADVANCED BY THIS PROJECT IS AN ATTEMPT TO FOSTER AN ENTREPRENEURIAL APPROACH TO EDUCATION, IN WHICH PRACTITIONERS MAINTAIN THEIR INDEPENDENCE AND INITIATIVE, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIVITIES, AND ARE FLEXIBLE IN THEIR PROGRAMMING. Amendment of 5/22/80 expands project by funding development of a prototype method of NFE assessment and analysis for use in planning national NFE projects. The methodology will assess the state of NFE nationwide in LDC"s and its actual and potential contribution to human resource development. It will be low cost, technically simple, geared for use by LDC planners rather than donor agencies, and will optimize participation of planners and NFE practitioners on national, intermediate, and local levels. Two subcontracts with LDC organizations, one in Cameroon and the second in a country to be decided upon by the U.S. contractor and A.I.D., will be awarded to design and field test prototype NFE assessment and analysis methodologies. The U.S. contractor will provide TA and will incorporate the results of these two efforts into a final methodology, which will be widely disseminated among LDC planners and NFE planners and practitioners. (PD-AAG-231-A1) Amendment of 5/13/81 provides additional funding and authorizes extension of the project"s original mandate to include field technical support in the NFE activities. This addition will provide NFE consultants to LDC"s and USAID"s for short-term TA, including the design, implementation, and evaluation of NFE programs. (PD-AAG-848-B1)