Joint Education Sector Review 2010

JOINT EDUCATION SECTOR REVIEW 2010

Terms of Reference for Joint Field Visits to Education Sector Institutions. (April – May 2010)

1.0 Introduction

Since 2006, the Government of Tanzania, in collaboration with other education stakeholders including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non State Actors (NSAs)and Development Partners (DPs), has carried out a Joint Education Review each year. As part of this review process, the Government and other education stakeholders have carried out Joint Field Visits to Education Sector Institutions each year. These visits help to reveal the key education issues and challenges which exist at the institutional and local government levels across the country at a given point in time, and thereby contribute to more informed and focused discussion in the other steps of the Review process.

This Terms of Reference outlines the way in which the Joint Field Visits to Education Sector Institutions will be conducted in 2010, based on experience gained and lessons learned through previous Joint Field Visits.

2.0 Objective

The main objective is to collect views on the implementation of education policies from education stakeholders at council level and higher and other learning institutions, with the view to availing Education Sector Review (ESR) workshop participants the opportunity to update themselves on critical education issues and challenges that are pertinent to education development. The specific objectives include:-

To find out the implementation status in relation to , quality, management and governance and cross cutting issues; and
To track the sources of funds and its expenditure.

3.0 Methodology

3.1 Scope and coverage

In 2010, the Joint Field Visits will take place in 11 Local Government Authorities (LGAs) – one in each of the 11 education zones across the country. It is intended for the visits to inform the education sector stakeholders of the realities on the field. These discussions and findings will serve to enrich the formal discussions to be held during the JESR in May, 2010.

The 11 LGAs that have been selected for the Joint Field Visits in 2010 are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: LGAs Selected for Joint Field Visits 2010, by Zone and Region

SN / Education Zone / Selected Region / Selected LGA / Educ. Institutions
1 / Dar Es Salaam / Dar Es Salaam / Temeke / PS/SS/VTC/HEd/TTC/NFE/TE
2 / Eastern Zone / Morogoro / Morogoro (U) / PS/SS/HEd/TE/FDC/VTC/NFE/TTC
3 / Southern Highlands / Ruvuma / Songea (R) / PS/SS/NFE/FDC
4 / Highlands / Mbeya / Mbeya (R) / PS/SS/NFE/VTC/TE
5 / Southern / Lindi / Nachingwea / PS/SS/NFE/TTC
6 / Western / Tabora / Tabora (U) / PS/SS/NFE/TTC
7 / West Lake / Kagera / Muleba / PS/SS/NFE/TTC
8 / Lake / Mwanza / Nyamagana / PS/SS/NFE/VTC/NFE
9 / Central / Singida / Singida (R) / PS/SS/TTC/NFE
10 / North East / Kilimanjaro / Moshi (R) / PS/SS/FDC/TTC/NFE
11 / North West / Manyara / Babati / PS/SS/NFE

Key for Educ. Institutions: PS-Primary School; SS-Secondary School; NFE-Non Formal Education; TE-Technical Education; HEd-Higher Education; FDC-Folk Development Education; TTC-Teachers’ Training Colleges; VTC-Vocational Training Centres;

3.2Methods of Observation and Information Gathering

The primary method of information gathering will be through focus group discussions with local education stakeholders in each district.

One focus group should be composed of representatives from each of the following categories:

pupils/students/learners;
teachers/instructors/tutors/educators;
heads of institutions, board members and school committees; and
councilors and district heads of departments.

Focus group participation should be gender balanced, including at least one male and one female participant from each category listed above, whenever possible. A guideline for numbers and types of representatives from various educational institutions is included in Annex 2.

Focus group discussions are intended to capture the views and opinions of local education stakeholders on education performance in their local area with respect to: access and equity, quality, crosscutting issues, financial management, governance, and monitoring and evaluation. A Survey Tool and checklist has been developed to help guide discussions related to each of these topics. These tools will be circulated to all Field Visit teams well in advance so that they can familiarize themselves with the questions.

3.3 Priority Areas of Concern

The following areas of concern will be reflected in the research tools that will be used in the Joint Field Visits 2010.

3.3.1Quality

Under this component the following questions will to guide the discussion:

i) What are the strengths and weaknesses related to teaching and learning process at your institution? In terms of:

-Relevance of the Curriculum

-Number of teachers

-Teachers qualifications, experience and attitudes towards work

-Teacher : Student Ratio

-Teacher absenteeism

-Professional development of teacher/tutors

-Availability and quality of textbooks – old and new

-Availability of teaching and learning materials/ equipment

-Availability of library, laboratories, workshops and recreational facilities and equipment

ii)Assessment of students

- When do you assess your students?

-What is your feedback mechanism?

-What was your pass rate in 2009? (National examination/College /School examination?

- How does this compare with previous years? What factors contribute to this trend?

3.3.2Management and Governance

Under this component the following questions will guide the discussion:

i) How do you manage the financial resources in terms of:-

Procurement procedures
Contractual arrangements
Auditing-financial monitoring system
Accounting and reporting
Financial authority
Transparency and accountability-financial information flow
Financial tracking system
Quantify and explain the flow of resources
Usage of resources
Challenges and alternative solution/recommendation report

Note: The financial management aspect will be discussed by the focus groups and follow up to be done in the respective councils and institutions.

3.3.3Cross Cutting Issues

Under this component the following questions will guide the discussion-

What measures do you take to address the following issues?

Gender issues: Is gender mainstreamed in colleges’ and schools’ activities? If so, how? Is gender disaggregated data available?
Environmental management: What is the practice in relation to environment management? What specific environmental issues emerge?
HIV and AIDS: Is HIV/AIDS integrated in curriculum/timetable? What is the practice in terms of provision of care and support, testing and preventive education to students, teachers and communities?

Guidance and Counseling: Is Guidance and Counseling practiced in schools, colleges and universities? If so, how? What (other) needs could be addressed through (additional) guidance and counseling services?
Human Rights: Are human rights issues mainstreamed in college and school activities? If so, how? Which human rights issues are particularly relevant in the local context?

4.0 Roles and Responsibilities

4.1 Education Sector Development Committee (ESDC) Secretariat

The ESDC Secretariat has been the main organizer of the Joint Field Visits in 2008 and 2009. This year, in 2010, the Secretariat will continue to be responsible for official correspondence with Field Visit participants and LGAs to be visited. The Secretariat will also provide logistical support for organization of the visits and will work closely with the Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Working Group (M&E TWG) to provide input to the TORs, questionnaires and reporting format for the Visits, based on experiences from previous years.

4.2Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Working Group (M&E TWG)

The M&E TWG will prepare the TORS for the Joint Field Visits for approval through the ESDC structure. The M&E TWG will also review and finalise the research and reporting tools for the 2010 field visits (i.e. questionnaire, discussion guide, checklist, report format, etc.), and will brief participants on the use of these tools and methods before they go to the field.

4.3Field Visit Team Leader

Each of the eleven Field Visit Team will be led by a Government representative. He/She will be responsible for:

Liaising with the councils for the logistical arrangements, including finalizing the timetable. This should be completed one week before the visit is scheduled to take place.
Ensuring that his/her team’s Field Visit Report is submitted to the ESDC Secretariat in soft copy within 1 week of the completion of the visit.

4.4Field Visit Teams

Each Field Visit Team will be composed of 4 members, representing the Government, Civil Society Organisations and Development Partners. A list of participants representing various institutions and departments is included in Annex 3.

Each team will have an auditor specified to do the following:

Review the audit reports of the past year with the auditor at the LGA; and,
Verify the financial documents.

Each Field Team will be required to produce a written report on the findings from its focus group discussions and other observation. The report will include the analysis, conclusions, challenges and recommendations of the team, and will follow the format provided at the pre-departure briefing (sent to all participants in soft copy). The report is to be submitted to the ESDC Secretariat within one week of the completion of the visit.

4.5 Local Government Authorities (LGAs)

LGAs will be responsible for logistical arrangements and also for taking care of the following issues:

Ensure notice of schools to visit is made and confirmed before the teams arrive, to ensure that the appropriate people are available to speak with, and that the appropriate education officer from the council accompanies the team.
Ensure that the basic educational data on the council is available before the team arrives in the region, to allow the discussions to be more in-depth and fruitful.
Ensure that copies of the audit reports and financial documents (council MTEF and budget) for FY 08/09 are available for review and discussion.
A timetable of the visit is finalised before the first courtesy visit is made to the RAS and REO so that the programme can be well articulated to senior management of the region.

5.0 Time Frame

In previous years, the Joint Field Visits have taken place in August/September of each year. At the JESR 2009, it was agreed that it would be useful to do at least two Joint Field Visits per year – one in March/April, another in August/September – whenever possible. In light of the fact that 2010 is an election year, however, it may be difficult to plan visits in August/September, so all visits will be conducted in April/May. In addition, in order to facilitate the mobilization of 11 Field Visit Teams, this year’s visits will be conducted in two phases, with six teams travelling during the week of April 18th and five teams travelling during the week of May 2nd. Each visit conducted during five days excluding travel time.

5.1 Key Dates

March 25 Joint Field Visit TORS approved at ESDC

March 29Notification to MDAs, CSOs and DPs to nominate participants

March 29Notification to Regions and LGAs to prepare for Field Visits

April 12Pre-departure briefing for all Field Visit Teams

April 18-24Phase 1: Field Visits to six LGAs

April 30Deadline for Phase I Teams to submit Field Visit Reports

May 2-8Phase 2: Field Visits to five LGAs

May 15Deadline for Phase II Teams to submit Field Visit Reports

May 29Completion of Field Visit Synthesis Report (English)

June 11Translation of Field Visit Synthesis Report (Swahili) complete

June 30Field Visit Synthesis Report tabled and approved at ESDC

6.0 Reporting

Each Field Visit Team is responsible for compiling and submitting a report on its findings and observations within one week of completion of the field visit. In order to facilitate drafting of the report while in the field, each team should travel with a laptop and an electronic copy of the report format and other research tools.

The individual Field Visit Reports will be consolidated into a synthesis report which presents and analyses trends, highlights successes and challenges, identifies issues that require further follow up, and includes lessons learned that can be used to improve future Field Visit processes.

Language: Team reports should be written in English. The synthesis report will be written in English and translated into Swahili within 2 weeks of finalization of the consolidated report.

8.0 Logistics

Government and CSO Team members travelling outside of their regular duty station will be paid per diems/subsistence allowance as per Government of Tanzania regulations. DPs will be responsible for their own per diems and allowances.

The Government, DPs and CSOs will jointly provide transport (a car and Driver) for each Team. Most teams will depart from Dar by car, but some teams will fly to an airport closer to their final destination in order to reduce travel time. For this reason, field-based vehicles will be required to meet teams in Mtwara, Shinyanga, Mwanza and Bukoba.

9.0Budget

The estimated cost for the Joint Field Visits 2010 is 41,450,400 TSH, as shown in Table 3.

The GoT in collaboration with DPs and CSOs will be responsible for the respective budget including the provision of vehicles and fuel.

Table 3: Estimated Cost of Joint Field Visits 2010

S/N / ITEM / QUANTITY / COST / TOTAL COST / GOT Contribution / DP Contribution
1 / Per-diem in the Field
Officers / 44 pix x 7 days / 80,000 / 24,640,000.00 / 16,800,000.00 / 7,840,000.00
Drivers / 11 x 7 days / 45,000 / 3,465,000.00 / 2,205,000.00 / 1,260,000.00
2 / Air Return Tickets
Dar/Tabora/Dar / 4 People / 370,000 / 1,480,000.00 / 1,110,000.00 / 370,000.00
Dar/Bkb/Dar / 4 People / 550,000 / 2,200,000.00 / 1,100,000.00 / 1,100,000.00
Dar/Mwanza/Dar / 4 People / 500,000 / 2,000,000.00 / 1,500,000.00 / 500,000.00
3 / Fuel for Cars
Dar (Temeke) Round Trips / Litre 150 / 1,900 / 285,000.00 / - / 285,000.00
Dar/Morogoro/Dar / Litre 300 / 1,900 / 570,000.00 / - / 570,000.00
Dar/Songea/Dar / Litre 600 / 1,900 / 1,140,000.00 / 1,400,000.00
Dar/Mbeya /Dar / Litre 500 / 1,900 / 950,000.00 / 950,000.00
Dar/Nachingwea/Dar / Litre 400 / 1,900 / 760,000.00 / 760,000.00
Tabora (within Urban Area) / Litre 100 / 1,900 / 190,000.00 / 190,000.00
Bkb/Muleba/Bkb / Litre 200 / 1,900 / 380,000.00 / 380,000.00
Mwz/Nyamagana/Mwz / Litre 100 / 1,900 / 190,000.00 / 190,000.00
Dar/Singida/Dar / Litre 400 / 1,900 / 760,000.00 / 760,000.00
Dar/Moshi/Dar / Litre 350 / 1,900 / 665,000.00 / 665,000.00
Dar/Babati/Dar / Litre 500 / 1,900 / 950,000.00 / 950,000.00
4 / Stationary / Lumpsum / 5,000,000.00 / 5,000,000.00
5 / Travel Allowance For Focus Group Participants / 40 participants x 11 councils / 20,000 / 8,800,000.00 / 8,800,000.00
6 / Communications / 11 team leaders / 20,000 / 220,000.00 / 220,000.00
Sub Total / 54,425,000.00 / 41,905,000.00 / 12,780,000.00
7 / Contingency / 5% / 2,721,250.00 / 2,548,000.00 / -
Grand Total / 57,146,250.00 / 44,453,000.00 / 12,780,000.00

Annex 1

LGAs Visited in Education Sector Field Visits 2008 and 2009

SN / Education Zone / LGAs Visited: 2008 / LGAs Visited: 2009 / Selected LGAs: 2010
1 / Dar Es Salaam / n/a / n/a / Temeke, Dar es Salaam
2 / Eastern Zone / Kilosa, Morogoro / Rufiji, Pwani / Morogoro (U), Morogoro
3 / Southern Highlands / Namtumbo, Ruvuma / Iringa (U), Iringa / Songea (R), Ruvuma
4 / Highlands / Mbeya (U), Mbeya / Mpanda, Rukwa / Mbeya (R), Mbeya
5 / Southern / n/a / Tandahimba, Mtwara / Nachingwea, Lindi
6 / Western / Urambo, Tabora / Bariadi, Shinyanga / Tabora (U), Tabora
7 / West Lake / n/a / n/a / Muleba, Kagera
8 / Lake / Mwanza (U), Mwanza / Musoma, Mara / Nyamagana, Mwanza
9 / Central / Iramba, Singida / Dodoma (U), Dodoma / Singida (R)
10 / North East / Moshi (U), Kilimanjaro / Korogwe, Tanga / Moshi (R), Kilimanjaro
11 / North West / Mbulu, Arusha / n/a / Babati, Manyara

Annex 2

Guideline for Focus Group Participation

S/N / Type of representative / # of Representatives
M / F / Total
1 / Primary Schools pupils (1-4) and (5-7) / 2 / 2 / 4
2 / Primary Schools teachers / 1 / 1 / 2
3 / Primary school committee members / 1 / 1 / 2
4 / Secondary Schools students (O level and A level) / 2 / 2 / 4
5 / Secondary Schools teachers / 1 / 1 / 2
6 / Secondary Schools board members / 1 / 1 / 2
7 / Technical Education Students / 1 / 1 / 2
8 / Technical Education institution administrators / 1 / 1 / 2
9 / Higher Education students / 1 / 1 / 2
10 / Higher Education institution administrators / 1 / 1 / 2
11 / Vocational Education and Training instructors / 1 / 1 / 2
12 / Vocational Education and Training students / 1 / 1 / 2
13 / District /Adult and Community Development Officers / 1 / 2 / 3
14 / Non Formal Education learners / 1 / 1 / 2
15 / Non Formal Education educators / 1 / 1 / 2
16 / Folk Development Colleges students / 1 / 1 / 2
17 / Folk Development Colleges Tutors / 1 / 1 / 2
18 / Folk Development Colleges board members / 1 / 1 / 2
19 / Councilors / 1 / 1 / 2
20 / District Heads of Departments, SLO, inspectorate / 1 / 1 / 2
21 / Council financial officers / 1 / 1 / 2
22 / Special education primary school and FDCs students / 1 / 1 / 2
23 / Special education primary school and FDCs teachers / 1 / 1 / 2
Total / 25 / 26 / 51

Annex 3

Guidelines for Field Visit Team Representation and Participation

In 2010 there will be eleven field teams, each composed of four individuals. Each field team will include two Government representatives, a CSO rep and a DP rep.

SN / Education Zone / Selected Region / Selected LGA / GOT / CSOs / DPs / Vehicles / DP REPS
GROUP A (April 18 - 24)
1 / Dar Es Salaam / Dar Es Salaam / Temeke / 3 / 0 / 1 / DP / CIDA
2 / Eastern Zone / Morogoro / Morogoro (U) / 2 / 1 / 1 / DP / SIDA
3 / Southern Highlands / Ruvuma / Songea (R) / 3 / 1 / 0 / GOT/CSO
4 / Highlands / Mbeya / Mbeya (R) / 2 / 0 / 2 / GOT / UNESCO
5 / Southern / Lindi / Nachingwea / 3 / 0 / 1 / GOT / SIDA
GROUP B (May 2 - 8)
6 / Western / Tabora / Tabora (U) / 3 / 1 / 0 / LGA/CSO
7 / West Lake / Kagera / Muleba / 2 / 1 / 1 / LGA / DFID
8 / Lake / Mwanza / Nyamagana / 3 / 0 / 1 / DP / USAID &ILO
9 / Central / Singida / Singida (R) / 3 / 1 / 0 / GOT/CSO
10 / North East / Kilimanjaro / Moshi (R) / 3 / 0 / 1 / DP / CIDA
11 / North West / Manyara / Babati / 3 / 1 / 0 / GOT/CSO/ DP / UNICEF
30 / 6 / 8