Tier 1 Study Visit to Harvard Kennedy School (2016–2017) – Interim Report

The program is working under the SBEP, a government-to-government (G2G) initiative of US $165 million, with US $10 million as the contribution of the Government of Sindh/Pakistan. The SCDP has four major objectives, along with four components. The objectives are to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Program Management and Implementation Unit (PMIU) to manage and implement SBEP in an effective and transparent manner; strengthen the effectiveness and impact of SBEP through the implementation of the M&E plan and further disseminate knowledge to guide the education sector's M&E programs and practices in Sindh; facilitate the systematic generation of knowledge on education challenges and innovative interventions and strategies to inform decision-makers for the improvement of education policies and programs in general and SBEP in particular; and strengthen capacities, systems, and policies of the Education and Learning Department (E&LD) to improve the education services in conjunction with the education reforms in Sindh. The SCDP is focused on four concurrent work streams: capacity building, systems strengthening, policy reforms, and communicating change. Component 4-d, which aims to strengthen capacities, systems, and policies of the E&LD, targets three tiers of officials of the Government of Sindh for capacity building through study visits to USA, East and South Asia region, and in-country. Tier-1 officials are senior officials from the P&D Department, Finance Department, and Education & Literacy Department engaged in planning and policy. The outcome of Tier I study visits from August 2015 to September 2016 was the selection of Harvard University and Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) for Tier I officials. The SCDP team identified eight top institutions in the USA with well-acknowledged programs for senior education/government executives. After sharing the options with the Secretary E&LD and USAID Senior Adviser to SBEP for review and discussion, Harvard Kennedy School was selected unanimously. The SCDP team also expanded the list of Tier I officers from six to nine, including additional officers from the E&LD within the given budget. The key tasks performed during the first two quarters of SCDP included identification of potential Ivy League universities, sharing options with the Secretary E&LD and USAID Senior Adviser, selection of Harvard University and HKS, and selection of Tier I officers for the courses in Government of Sindh. The SCDP team also designed and filled Training Needs Assessment (TNA) forms as an essential milestone under this sub-component. Pre-departure key milestones completed include training of SCDP R-1 in Islamabad on TraiNet systems and subsequently in Karachi from all USAID programs. The TNA of six Tier-1 senior officials was also completed, and the SCDP registration with TraiNet of R1/R2 focal persons was undertaken to comply with all formalities of reporting, special category J-1 visas, and waivers where needed.