Final Report

Country: Honduras

CSO Name: Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ)

Project Title: “Capacity Building, Social Auditing, and Advocacy for a Stronger Educational System”

Final Report May 31, 2012

I. Summary of Progress

We began to implement the project in 4 regions: Choluteca, Olancho, Comayagua y La Paz. Initially it was difficult to arrange meetings with key players who could direct the process locally, but once these meetings were held, we were able to develop the project in each region. Education authorities and local governments have recognized the project as a vital process and have offered their support.

During this time we have implemented the project as planned.

II. Basic Project Data

1. Date Project grant signed: June 28, 2011

2. Date Project implementation commenced: July 15, 2011

3. Expected Date of Project completion:

A. Original: March 15, 2012

B. Planned: May 31, 2012

4. Summary of project objectives:

a. A more transparent, efficient and effective public investment in the public education system

In order to achieve the aforementioned objective, we will complete various activities in order to fulfill the outcomes that are detailed below:

·  Capacity-building: Local civil society groups in a new region are informed, trained and have experience in coordinating and carrying-out social auditing efforts in local schools.

·  Transparency: A report with findings and recommendations will be produced, publicized to the media and shared with civil society and government actors.

·  Advocacy: Public institutions responsible for correcting irregularities receive positive pressure to do so.

PTF Operational Guidelines Page 3

2010

III. Implementation Progress

Transformemos Honduras

Capacity Building, Social Auditing and Advocacy for a Stronger Educational System

Planning Framework
Development objective / A more transparent, efficient and effective government investment in the public education system
Outcome 1 / Indicators / Progress
Capacity: Local civil society groups in a new region are informed, trained and experienced in coordinating and carrying out social auditing of local educational centers / No. of municipalities where the social auditing process is carried out (at least 8)
No. of local participants in the social auditing process, organizing bases or preparing and verifying lists (60) / The project worked in 4 departments: La Paz, Olancho, Comayagua and Choluteca.
In a total of 10 municipalities
130 people participated.
Activities / Outputs / Progress
Define target regions (among those where TH members’ work is strong) and identify key actors for leading the process locally / Map of target regions and key actors / 5 local actors who will lead the process identified:
1.  Citizens Transparency Commission,
2.  Women’s Networks,
3.  Parent Associations
4.  Student Unions
5.  Local churches
Discuss the context and methodology with key actors in each region and, together, define detailed work plans for social auditing locally / Work plans for each target region / A work plan was created for each region, a total of 4 plans.
Meet with local leaders (key actors) and their bases to present the project and train them in the use of TH tools for social auditing / Members of local civil society groups organized and trained to carry out social auditing / Trainings were completed with key players and their associates. The project was presented and the groups were trained to use the mechanisms created by TH to complete the social audit in schools.
Regularly monitor and support local processes of social monitoring through visits, calls and correspondence / Fluid social auditing process in target regions / Fluid auditing processes were completed in the target regions:
Teacher payroll
Number of school days
Teacher hiring
Meet with local leaders (key actors) and their bases to compare the results of their social auditing with official documents and prepare an initial analysis of the results / Comparison between official documents and local realities; an initial, participative analysis of the situation; and an experience in processing results for participants / A meeting was convened to compare official teacher payroll documents and realities in local schools through a participative initial analysis of the situation and a results processing experience for the participants.
Equip participants with the final results (with print copies for those without internet access) / Local actors equipped with a tool (the report) for advocacy / Local actors were equipped with print copies of the final results in order to do advocacy.
Outcome 2 / Indicators / Progress
Transparency: A report on findings is produced, together with recommendations, disseminated in the media and shared with civil society and government actors / No. of attendees at the press conferences (50)
No. of websites that publish the report (at least 3)
No. of print versions of the report distributed to civil society groups (including target regions) and government actors (200) / More than 50 people attended each press conference held in the different departments to present the results of the social auditing efforts.
In addition in Tegucigalpa, the results of the social auditing of teacher payrolls and teacher testing and hiring in 2011 were publicized in two events, 75 people attended the first, and 85 the second.
A total of 310 people participated in press conferences.
3 website published the results of the reports:
·  Transformemos Honduras
·  Revistazo.com
·  Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa
250 printed copies of the report were distributed to civil society groups (incuding in the target regions) and to government officials
Activities / Outputs / Progress
Prepare the final report with analysis and recommendations / A final report on the results of social auditing in target regions / A final report on teacher payroll and teacher hiring for 2011 was produced
Present results at a press conference / Members of the media informed of results / Members of the media in the different deparments were informed of the report’s results
Publish the report online / Public, online access to the report / The reports are public and are available on 3 websites
Send contacts an executive summary and link to the online report through a mass e-mail / Hundreds of contacts from civil society, government and development cooperation informed of the most relevant results, with access to the full report / Executive summaries of the report were sent by mass email to our contact database. The email also included a link to the full report.
Distribute a print version of the report to civil society groups (including target regions) and government actors / Residents of target regions with or without internet access, civil society groups, government officials and members of development cooperation with a print version of the report / Residents of target region, civil society groups, government authorities, and members of the international development community received a print version of the report.
Outcome 3 / Indicators / Progress
Advocacy: Public institutions responsible for correcting irregularities receive positive pressure to do so / No. of meetings with representatives of public institutions and the international development community (12)
No. of times TH participates in radio programs to share results and denounce irregularities (3)
No. of online publications following up on government action or inaction (2)
No. of mass e-mails sent to follow up on government action or inaction (2)
Anti-corruption indicators:
Increased percentage of teachers in La Paz working where assigned (baseline: 73% in 2010)
Increase in the average number of days of class given per month in the project’s last three months of social auditing over the first three months of the activity
% improvement in hiring public school teachers on the basis of merit (comparing teachers’ exam scores and teachers hired in the 2010 and 2011 hiring cycles)
No. of teachers who have presented documentation to justify bonus payments or who are returning undue payments / 13 meetings with representatives of public institutions, the international development community, as well as NGOs.
TH participated 8 times in radio and TV programs to share results and denounce irregularities
*4 virtual publications giving follow-up to the actions or inactions of the government: :
La Tribuna, El Heraldo, Revistazo and TH
*3 mass e-mails sent to follow-up on government action or in action
*These activities will continue throughout the follow-up process with the government surrounding these issues
Anti-corruption indicators
·  With the 2010 social auditing findings, TH has been working in follow-up and advocacy with education authorities at the municipal and departmental level to correct irregularities; unfortunately this has been a slow process. In some cases, authorities have produced documents stating that certain teachers are allowed to be in a different school than the one assigned. TH is still working on the cases found in 2010, and therefore has not been able to do another audit of this issue in the same location, until this first round of follow-up and advocacy has been completed.
·  The comparison was done between the first two months, and the last two months: during the first two months 98.3% of expected schools days were completed, in the last two months 95.5% of the school days were completed. This is a small decrease in the last two months, but in general, we believe that teacher absenteeism has been a much smaller problem than it was last year.
It is important to mention that in the first three months of 2011, there were not classes in most schools, because teachers were on strike defending their labor rights, while the government remained silent on the issue. TH invited different organizations that work in education to write a public letter and send it to the President, asking him to take on the problema and start a dialog with teachers so that students could go back to class. The group of organizations also asked to be observers of the negotiations to guarantee that new agreements would not affect the education of Honduran children.
The president invited TH and other organizations to a meeting in which we presented our concerns and the need to begin a dialogue with teachers to deal with the issues and avoid more missed days of class.
Comparing the statistics from last year and this year in the schools where TH has audited, we believe that there have been more days of class this year than last year.
·  According to the statistics from TH’s investigations, teacher-hiring by merit has increased in the areas where TH has worked (La Paz, Choluteca and Choluteca. Unfortunately Olancho did not give a full report of its information for 2011) with the following results: in 2011, 78.6% of teachers were hired by merit, and in 2011 92.7% were hired by merit, showing a considerable improvement in teacher hiring.
930 teachers have presented documentation justifying their pay increases, or have begun to payback illegal salary increases.
Activities / Outputs/Products / Progress
Discuss results and proposals with representatives of public institutions and development cooperation agencies / Representatives of public institutions and international development agencies well informed of results and proposals; commitments to correct irregularities (from government officials) and press for action (from development cooperation) / The results of the reports and proposals were presented to representatives of public institutions and international development agencies in order to develop commitments to correct irregularities at a government level, and to apply pressure to the government at international development agency level
Share results and denounce irregularities on radio programs / Listeners (radio audience) informed of the most relevant results, irregularities and proposals / Through participation in different media outlets, written, televisión, and radio, the most relevant results, irregularities and proposals were presented, resulting in an informed audience regarding the topics
Follow up and report on government action or inaction to correct irregularities through online publications, mass e-mails and more traditional communication with participating communities (e.g. letters or telephone where there is little or no internet access) / TH contacts (individuals, civil society groups, government officials and members of international development community), participating social auditors and visitors to online publications informed of government action or inaction with a focus on those institutions and officials specifically responsible for acting / Currently we are monitoring the action or inaction of government institutions, especially those responsible for taking specific action. Soon, we will be using various means to inform TH’s contacts (individuals, civil society groups, government officials, members of the international development community, social auditing participants) of any advances that have been made.

PTF Operational Guidelines Page 3

2010

CONCLUSION

Upon evaluating the implementation of the project, and the results obtained, we conclude that it was very successful; the indicators were surpassed, and the impact that the results had at a societal and governmental level have created an atmosphere ripe for change. The results most likely influenced the recent change in Education Minister. The current minister has expressed interest, and has taken action to improve education in the country by challenging illegal teacher hiring practices and teacher absenteeism in schools where they are officially on the pay roll.

The beneficiaries of the project have asked us if we will be continuing with them in the next stages of a process that will require constant support. They have even proposed other topics for social auditing such as the government and international community’s large investment in textbooks that often do not reach the classroom.

In conclusion, we are happy to report that we have been joined by a group of people interested in continuing to work in favor of their children’s education.

CHALLENGES

Some challenges that were found:

·  The unwillingness of local authorities to improve the situation, often avoiding their responsibilities

·  The difficulty in obtaining public information; even though the legal mechanism to obtain this information does exist, various public officials did not turn over information regarding the teacher testing and hiring process

·  The monitoring of the number of school days this year was difficult for parents because in spite of a simple worksheet developed for parents to record the number of school days, they found it demanding to have to update it every day. In spite of this, TH was able to obtain monitoring records from 50 schools, and hopes to continue with these efforts.