USAID/Tanzania Public Sector Systems Strengthening Plus | Success Story | March 2023

A lack of training among local government employees responsible for facilitating O&OD meetings hindered productivity and resulted in inefficient decision-making. The government provided training, but the cost of providing them in-person was prohibitive and prevented the government from hosting them sufficiently frequently. PS3+ provided technical assistance to the Government of Tanzania to develop orientation training materials, convert them onto an e-learning platform, train local government employees on the platform, and support them to cascade the training to others. The shift to the online training system reduced the annual cost to the government for delivering the training from US$228,269 to US$32,606. Previously, the government could only offer two trainings a year for 1,500 local government employees, reaching only 11 percent of the total number of local government employees. Now, the government can offer the training more frequently and reach more people, meaning new employees do not have to wait as long to receive critical orientation to their new roles. The improved training process has increased the organization and efficiency of O&OD meetings, as exemplified by Bunazi Secondary School. In February 2022, the newly trained Ward Executive Officer in Kassambya ward cascaded training to four other government employees, who then facilitated a series of O&OD meetings. During the meetings, community members, including Sophia's parents, identified the need for two additional classrooms as a key priority, and participants agreed to contribute US$3,847 for construction. The Missenyi District Council committed US$8,547. The addition of the two classrooms reduced overcrowding and improved the learning environment for Sophia and other students. Today, students share a desk with only one other student, and the new classrooms are bigger, brighter, offer better ventilation, and as a result, provide a more conducive environment for learning. Mr. Iddi Hanyaga, a teacher at the school, stated that teachers now have a reasonable number of students in classes and with smaller class sizes, they can provide more individualized attention and instruction to each student, which can lead to greater engagement and motivation for both the teacher and the students. USAID PS3+ continues to closely collaborate with the Government of Tanzania to strengthen O&OD meetings in wards and villages in 13 selected regions to improve education infrastructure and provide a better learning environment for students like Sophia. The improved efficiency of O&OD meetings has enabled local governments to make more informed decisions and allocate resources more effectively, ultimately leading to improved education outcomes.