Document of The World Bank FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Report No: PAD1434 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION PROJECT PAPER ON A PROPOSED ADDITIONAL GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF US$3.0 MILLION TO THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY FOR A TEACHER EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT October 7, 2015 Education Global Practice MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA This document is being made publicly available prior to Board consideration. This does not imply a presumed outcome. This document may be updated following Board consideration and the updated document will be made publicly available in accordance with the Bank’s policy on Access to Information CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (Exchange Rate Effective August 31, 2015) Currency Unit = NIS (New Israeli Shekel) NIS3.97 = US$1 0.25US$ = NIS1 FISCAL YEAR January 1 – December 31 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AED Assessment and Evaluation Department AF Additional Financing AQAC Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission CCCU Canterbury Christchurch University CDTP Commission for Developing the Teaching Profession CK Content Knowledge CPD Continuous Professional Development CQS Consultant Qualifications Selection DA Designated Account DG Directorate General DSQ Directorate General for Supervision and Qualifications EDSP Education Development Strategic Plan EFT Education Faculty Team(s) GDP Gross Domestic Product GER Gross Enrolment Rate HEI Higher Education Institution(s) IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ICB International Competitive Bidding ICT Information and communication technology IFR Interim Financial Report INSET In-service Teacher Education program IT Information Technology LCS Least Cost Selection MDG Millennium Development Goals MENA Middle East and North Africa MOEHE Ministry of Education and Higher Education MOF Ministry of Finance NCB National Competitive Bidding NIET National Institute of Education Training OM Operations Manual PCK Pedagogical Content Knowledge ii PCU Project Coordination Unit PDO Project Development Objective PRESET Pre-Service Teacher Education Program PTPDI Palestinian Teacher Professional Development Index QBS Quality Based Selection QCBS Quality Cost Based Selection QIF Quality Improvement Fund QOU Al Quds Open University RFP Request for Proposal RTTI Readiness to Teacher Index SC Steering Committee SOE Statement of Expenditures TEIP Teacher Education Improvement Project TELTA Technology Enhanced Learning and Teaching and Assessment TES Teacher Education Strategy TIMMS Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TFWBG Trust Fund for West Bank and Gaza TOR Terms of Reference TPD Teacher Professional Development TPT Teaching Practice Team UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNWRA United Nations Relief and Works Agency UQT Underqualified Teacher(s) USAID United States Agency for International Development WA Withdrawal Application WBG West Bank and Gaza Vice President: Hafez Ghanem Country Director: Steen Lau Jorgensen Senior Global Practice Director: Claudia Maria Costin Practice Manager: Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali Task Team Leader: Juan Manuel Moreno iii WEST BANK AND GAZA ADDITIONAL FINANCING TO TEACHER EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT CONTENTS ADDITIONAL FINANCING DATA SHEET ........................................................................... v I. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 II. Background and Rationale for Additional Financing in the amount of $ 3.0 million................ 1 III. Proposed Changes ................................................................................................................... 11 IV. World Bank Grievance Redress............................................................................................. 19 Annex 1 – Revised Results Framework .................................................................................... 20 Annex 2 – Updated Economic Analysis ................................................................................... 23 Annex 3 – Revised Estimate of Project Costs .......................................................................... 35 Annex 4 – Revised Implementation Arrangements and Support.............................................. 37 Annex 5 – Appraisal Summary ................................................................................................. 45 iv West Bank and Gaza Additional Financing for Teacher Education Improvement Project ( P152914 ) MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA GED05 Parent Project ID: P111394 Original EA Category: C - Not Required Current Closing Date: 31-Dec-2015 Basic Information – Additional Financing (AF) Additional Financing Project ID: P152914 Scale Up Type (from AUS): Regional Vice President: Claudia Maria Costin Proposed EA Category: C Expected Effectiveness Country Director: Steen Lau Jorgensen 01-Dec-2015 Date: Senior Global Practice Amit Dar Expected Closing Date: 30-Jun-2019 Director: Practice Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali Report No: PAD1434 Manager/Manager: Juan Manuel Moreno Team Leader(s): Olmedilla Recipient Organization Name Contact Title Telephone Email Assistant Deputy Minister for Ministry of Education Basri Saleh Planning basrimoe@gmail.com and Higher Education and Developme nt Ministry of Education Assessment and Mohammed Matar Director momatar66@yahoo.com Evaluation Department Project Financing Data - Parent ( Teacher Education Improvement Project-P111394 ) (in USD Million) Key Dates Approval Effectiveness Original Revised Closing Project Ln/Cr/TF Status Signing Date Date Date Closing Date Date v P111394 TF-97315 Effective 11-Aug-2010 11-Aug-2010 28-Oct-2010 30-Jun-2015 31-Dec-2015 Disbursements Undisb % Project Ln/Cr/TF Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed ursed Disbursed P111394 TF-97315 Effective USD 5.00 5.00 0.00 4.72 0.28 94.44 Project Financing Data - Additional Financing for Teacher Education Improvement Project (P152914 )(in USD Million) [ ] Loan [ ] Grant [ ] IDA Grant [ ] Credit [ ] Guarantee [X] Other Total Project Cost: 3.00 Total Bank Financing: 3.00 Financing Gap: 0.00 Financing Source – Additional Financing (AF) Amount Borrower 0.00 Special Financing 3.00 Total 3.00 Policy Waivers Does the project depart from the CAS in content or in other significant No respects? Explanation Does the project require any policy waiver(s)? No Explanation Bank Staff Name Role Title Specialization Unit Juan Manuel Moreno Team Leader Lead Education GEDDR Olmedilla (ADM Specialist Responsible) Basheer Ahmad Procurement Procurement Analyst GGODR Fahem Jaber Specialist Riham Hussein Financial Financial GGODR Management Management Specialist Specialist Arbi Ben Achour Safeguards Consultant GSU11 vi Specialist Husein Abdul-Hamid Team Member Senior Education GEDDR Specialist Karine M. Pezzani Team Member Operations Officer GEDDR Samira Ahmed Hillis Team Member Sr. Social Protection GSPDR Specialist Suha Rabah Team Member Program Assistant MNCGZ Suiko Yoshijima Environmental Environmental GENDR Specialist Specialist Andrianirina Michel Team Member Finance Officer WFALA Eric Ranjeva Mei Wang Country Lawyer Sr. Counsel LEGAM Gerard Joseph Legal Advice ET Consultant LEGAM Mataban Jumamil Non-Bank Staff Name Title Location Andrew Burke Consultant - Teacher Education India Locations Country First Administrative Location Planned Actual Comments Division West Bank and Gaza Al-Azhar University – Gaza Gaza West Bank and West Bank Arab American Gaza University - Jenin West Bank and West Bank Bethlehem University Gaza West Bank and Gaza Al-Aqsa University Gaza West Bank and West Bank An-Najah National Gaza University West Bank and West Bank Birzeit University Gaza West Bank and West Bank Al-Quds University Gaza West Bank and Gaza Islamic University of Gaza Gaza West Bank and West Bank Hebron University Gaza West Bank and West Bank Al Quds Open vii Gaza University Institutional Data Parent ( Teacher Education Improvement Project-P111394 ) Practice Area (Lead) Education Contributing Practice Areas Cross Cutting Topics [ ] Climate Change [ ] Fragile, Conflict & Violence [ ] Gender [ ] Jobs [ ] Public Private Partnership Sectors / Climate Change Sector (Maximum 5 and total % must equal 100) Major Sector Sector % Adaptation Mitigation Co- Co-benefits % benefits % Education General education 47 sector Education Primary education 47 Public Administration, Law, and Public administration- 6 Justice Education Total 100 Themes Theme (Maximum 5 and total % must equal 100) Major theme Theme % Human development Education for the knowledge 53 economy Human development Education for all 47 Total 100 Additional Financing for Teacher Education Improvement Project ( P152914 ) viii Practice Area (Lead) Education Contributing Practice Areas Cross Cutting Topics [ ] Climate Change [X] Fragile, Conflict & Violence [ ] Gender [ ] Jobs [ ] Public Private Partnership Sectors / Climate Change Sector (Maximum 5 and total % must equal 100) Major Sector Sector % Adaptation Mitigation Co- Co-benefits % benefits % Education General education 100 sector Themes Theme (Maximum 5 and total % must equal 100) Major theme Theme % Human development Education for the knowledge 60 economy Human development Education for all 40 Total 100 Consultants (Will be disclosed in the Monthly Operational Summary) Consultants Required? No consultants are required ix 1. This Project Paper seeks the approval of the Executive Directors to provide an additional grant in an amount of US$3.0 million to West Bank and Gaza for the support of an Additional Financing (AF) to the Teacher Education Improvement Project (P111394) (TF097315). The proposed AF would be financed by a Grant from the Trust Fund for Gaza and the West Bank (TFGWB) and be implemented during a three-year period. 2. The proposed AF operation would continue to support the implementation of the teacher education component of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE)’s Education Development Strategic Plan (EDSP, 2014-2019). More specifically, the AF would finance the scaling-up of activities that will enhance the project’s impact and development effectiveness by: (i) ensuring that achievements gained in the pilot stage (or first phase) of TEIP would be maintained (i.e., sustainability); (ii) facilitating the extension of both components of TEIP to additional institutions involved in teacher education in West Bank and Gaza (WBG); (iii) supporting further progress towards bringing teacher education and teaching in WBG closer to international good-practice norms. This implies setting up a national policy in the area of teacher professional development which will bring together the higher education system and the relevant governmental agencies – notably the National Institution for Educational Training (NIET) and the Directorate General for Supervision and Qualification (DSQ) – in charge of teacher development; and (iv) enabling and adding value to the eventual implementation of the curriculum reform, now at design stage, for primary education. By focusing on improving teacher quality and student learning outcomes, especially for the most vulnerable, the proposed AF would directly contribute to the twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. In addition, the AF is being proposed while a major shift in strategic thinking is taking place within the MOEHE that includes an increased focus on results, and on overcoming current constraints to service delivery, especially at the school level. 3. Implementation of the proposed AF would be carried-out through the current effective arrangements: the MOEHE, together with the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), would remain as the implementing agencies. Implementation takes place through the established institutional structure of MOEHE with the World Bank playing a key advisory and supervisory role, including in the procurement and financial management areas. 1. Country and Sector Context 4. The Palestinian economy slipped into a recession in 2014. Following a period of sustained economic recovery between 2007 and 2011 when the annual average growth rate exceeded 8 percent, the economy has significantly weakened. The downturn started in 2012 when growth decelerated to about 6 percent as a result of a sharp drop in foreign aid. This, against a backdrop of ongoing Israeli restrictions and high political uncertainty, led to a significant fall in public and private consumption, which caused a further drop in growth to around 2 percent in 2013. The decline continued in 2014 and the economy actually slipped into a recession before the start of the latest Gaza war. The war in Gaza has had a devastating 1 impact on the Palestinian economy, resulting in overall negative growth. Strong growth in private consumption, fueled by bank borrowing, and net exports were the drivers behind a remarkably strong growth of five percent in the West Bank. On the other hand, the closure of tunnels with Egypt and in particular the 2014 summer war shaved some USD460 million off Gaza’s economy, leading to a 15 percent contraction of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while growth in the West Bank is expected to be around 0.5 percent. 5. Unemployment and poverty increased markedly. In Gaza, yearly average unemployment increased by as much as 11 percentage points to reach 43 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014– among the highest in the world – and in the West Bank dropped by 1 percentage point. In Gaza, the poverty rate reached 39 percent and with poverty in the West Bank at 16 percent, the aggregate poverty rate amounted to 25 percent. 6. Remarkably, the fiscal deficit of the Palestinian Authority (PA) was reduced in 2014, but the increase in expenditures is of concern. Thanks to strong revenue performance, with clearance revenue growth of 20 percent, largely driven by the growth in fuel imports into Gaza from Israel and growth in registered imports from other countries, the PA managed to reduce its fiscal deficit by one percentage point of GDP. Nevertheless, the growth in government recurrent expenditures of 9 percent was large and unsustainable; growth in the government wage bill and net lending are of particular concern. 7. Against the backdrop of a sluggish reconstruction process in Gaza, the instability of clearance revenues and high political uncertainty the economic outlook remains bleak. With the reopening of businesses following last year’s war and the reconstruction process, Gaza’s real GDP is expected to grow at 7 percent, while a meager one percent growth is expected in the West Bank due to the reduction in consumption activity as well as the liquidity and confidence effects of Israel’s withholding of the clearance revenue during the first four months of 2015. 8. The economic decline has had a severe impact on the livelihoods of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza. On a per capita basis, the Palestinian economy is estimated to have declined by 3 percent in 2014. Overall unemployment increased to 27 percent. It amounted to 43 percent in Gaza and 17 percent in the West Bank. Notably, yearly average unemployment in Gaza increased by 11 percentage points in 2015. Particularly alarming is youth unemployment in Gaza which soared to more than 60 percent by the end of 2014 – the highest in the region. 9. Preliminary Bank estimates suggest that poverty in the West Bank and Gaza reached 25 percent in 2014. The overall rate, however, masks wide regional divergence. Poverty in Gaza was 39 percent which is almost 2.5 times higher than that in the West Bank at 16 percent in 2014. And, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), almost 80 percent of Gaza’s population is currently aid dependent. The stark regional divergence in the poverty incidence between the West Bank and Gaza started after the severe economic shock that hit Gaza in 2006/7, when the Israeli blockade was imposed, and that led to a dramatic 20 percentage point poverty increase in Gaza. 10. Education is highly valued across the West Bank and Gaza. The MOEHE holds responsibility for managing public schools overseeing 67 percent of the total number of 2 Palestinian students, including regulatory overview of schools run by the private sector. The UNRWA oversees 24 percent, while the private sector oversees 9 percent of the total general education student population. Current Gross Enrollment Rates (GER) are 94.4 percent for primary and 82.8 percent for secondary. Despite high enrollment rates and educational expenditures of approximately 4.9 percent of GDP (Caussen et al., 2013),1 results from national and international assessments indicate that student learning outcomes in the Palestinian Territories are modest when compared to other countries with similar per-capita GDP or per- student expenditure. 11. Spending on education has increased in real terms in the last decade. In 2012 education accounted for 15.7 percent of public expenditure as compared to 13.1 percent in 2005. In terms of percentage of GDP, at 4.9 percent, education sector expenditure in WBG is on par with other lower middle income countries and with countries in the region. The increase in expenditure has taken place despite the fact that external concessional finance from the numerous development partners has in total been reduced. 12. Non-wage operational expenditures increased as share of total education expenditures from 12.9 percent in 2005 to 20.2 percent in 2012. The level of non-wage expenditure was in 2012 more than double the level in 2005 of which transfers to tertiary institutions, various school level operational expenditures and inputs as well as investments in new schools and classrooms have accounted for the major share of this change. In fact, in the period 2005-2012 an increasing share of the education budget has been allocated to the schools. Gradually more resources have been allocated to service delivery compared to management and administration at higher levels of the education system. 13. Student performance in the West Bank and Gaza showed improvement between 2007 and 2011 as measured by the respective rounds of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Despite this improvement, the performance level of Palestinian students lags behind some of their peers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and significantly below the internationally constructed average. A large number of students in the West Bank and Gaza have poor learning outcomes. For example, in eighth grade math, about 48 percent of students scored less than the low TIMSS benchmark and around 7 percent performed at the high or advanced level on the 2011 TIMSS. 2 Two major studies on classroom and school level factors determining student outcomes in WBG were completed in 2014, one focused on UNWRA schools3, the second dealing with Palestinian Authority schools.4 These 1 Claussen et al. (2013) also report that education accounts for 15.7 percent of total public expenditure in 2012, at approximately US$680 per student per year. 2 The TIMSS low benchmark measures students who are able to show some knowledge of whole numbers and decimals, operations and basic graphs. Student that reach the TIMSS high benchmark are able to apply knowledge and understanding in a variety of relatively complex situations while those in the advanced level are able to reason, draw conclusions, make generalizations and solve linear equations. For more details see Mullis, Ina V. S.; Martin, Michael O.; Foy, Pierre; Arora, Alka (2012): TIMSS 2011. International Results in Mathematics, ERIC. 3 Patrinos, H.A., H. Abdul-Hamid and J. Reyes. (2014). Learning in the Face of Adversity: The UNWRA Education Program for Palestine Refugees. World Bank, Washington, DC. Even though UNWRA schools are obviously not participating in TEIP, many of those in Gaza are being used as venues for the Practicum of trainee teachers in Gaza 3 analyses of the variation of learning outcomes across schools have uncovered classroom practices that are associated with improved student learning. Moreover, they conclude that teacher quality, defined as meaningful and relevant pedagogical techniques and interactions with students, is the single most important school-based determinant of student learning. Thus, the MOEHE is placing Teacher Professional Development (TPD) as one of the central pillars of the upcoming Education Sector Strategy (2015-2019). 14. Link to the World Bank Group and MENA strategic goals: By focusing on improving teacher quality and, as result, student learning outcomes, especially for primary education and for the most vulnerable, the Additional Financing directly contributes to the World Bank Group strategic goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity in a sustainable manner. Furthermore, the Additional Financing is aligned with the first pillar of the MENA Strategy – Renewing the Social Contract – and its two areas of Quality Service (strengthening public institutions for more efficient and effective service delivery) and Opportunities (skills that match market demand). 2. Parent Project Description: 15. The main aim of the MOEHE’s Education Development Strategic Plan (EDSP, 2008- 2012) was “the promotion of quality education in all educational institutions in WBG.” The EDSP heralded a shift of emphasis from access (the Palestinian Authority had virtually reached the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and Education for All goals) to a focus on quality. Furthermore, because of its awareness of the centrality of the teacher’s role in the determination of education quality and school effectiveness, the MOEHE focused on the reform of teacher education as a critical element of EDSP implementation and, to this end, instigated the development of a Teacher Education Strategy (TES). The TES provided a clear road map for the development of the teaching profession and of teacher education at Pre-service teacher education (PRESET), In-service teacher education (INSET) and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) levels. The major aims of the TES were: i. The improvement of teacher education programs (PRESET, INSET and CPD) and development of the institutions that service them. In addition the TES placed particular emphasis on the provision of programs to enable the large number of under-qualified teachers in the system to upgrade their academic and professional qualifications to the levels required by newly stipulated standards for teacher certification. ii. Better management of the teacher education system through the regular accreditation of teacher education programs. universities. Further, there is close cooperation between UNWRA and the Ministry of Education in matters related to curriculum development, assessment and evaluation and other areas related to education quality. 4 Yarrow, N. et al. (2014). Learning from Local Practices: Improving School Performance in West Bank and Gaza . Unpublished Report. World Bank MENA Education. 4 iii. The enhancement of the teaching profession through the establishment of career structures for teachers and the development of standards whereby the profession would be regulated and teacher certification awarded. 16. The authors of the TES understood that teacher education programs were outdated and over-theoretical, with insufficient focus on the practicalities of actual teaching, inadequate teaching practice arrangements, and program delivery methods that helped to perpetuate rather than prevent the continuation of outdated, teacher-centered, transmission-oriented, methodologies. In addition, the TES noted duplication of programs across institutions with an overproduction of some teachers (e.g., lower basic) and underproduction of others (e.g., secondary science and mathematics). 17. Furthermore, neither a university degree nor a professional teaching qualification was a strict requirement for appointment to teaching posts in Palestinian schools. As a result, an estimated 50 percent (or 25,000) practicing teachers did not have a professional teaching qualification while an additional 25 percent had a third-level diploma but not a university degree. Some of these latter did have a professional teaching qualification. In response to a recommendation of the TES, new regulations for teacher certification were introduced. They require all teachers to have both a university degree and a professional teaching qualification relevant to their teaching subject(s) and the grade level(s) being taught, to qualify for teacher certification. 18. At the request of the Palestinian Authority, the World Bank agreed to fund the pilot stage of a US$5.0 million Teacher Education Improvement Project (TEIP) to support implementation of the TES. TEIP is an intervention comprising two main components. Component 1 (budget: US$2.47 million) aims at: (i) improving the quality and relevance of the school experience element of pre-service teacher education (i.e., the Teaching Practicum); (ii) developing the Practicum as an integral and integrated component of PRESET programs; and (iii) bringing PRESET programs and their Teaching Practicum arrangements into line with good practice internationally. 19. The aims of Component 2 (US$2.18 million) are: (i) to support the development and delivery of INSET Modules for upgrading the large proportion (75 percent) of Grades 1 to 4 practicing teachers who are under-qualified (UQTs) either in their academic and/or professional teaching qualifications and who do not meet the new requirements for teacher certification; and (ii) to facilitate the transition of these UQTs, the vast majority of whom are ‘subject teachers,’ to becoming ‘class teachers’ capable of teaching an integrated curriculum at the Grade 1-4 level. 20. The pilot stage of Component 1 has been implemented by three West Bank universities (An-Najah National University, Bethlehem University, the Arab American University of Jenin and by Al Azhar University in Gaza (in partnership with Al-Aqsa University and Islamic University of Gaza). The pilot phase of Component 2 is being implemented in four West Bank universities (Al Quds University, An-Najah National University, Hebron University, and Birzeit University) and by Al Azhar University in Gaza (in partnership with Al Aqsa University and Islamic University in Gaza). 5 21. Component 3 (US$0.35 million) is to support project management and implementation support to the project. The MOEHE directed that TEIP focus solely on the development of Grades 1 to 4 class teachers (another donor, AMIDEAST, was later on to support a parallel process for teachers of Grades 5 to 9, a project which is now also under implementation.) The TEIP agreement was signed on August 11, 2010 and the project was formally effective on October 28, 2010. Implementation Progress to Date: 22. TEIP became effective on October 28, 2010 and disbursement started in 2011 when the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) joined the unified financial system. TEIP’s implementation has been rated as “Satisfactory” up until this request for AF was received by the Bank. The disbursement rate is now at 89 percent, with the outstanding 11 percent committed in full. 23. Component 1. The Directorate for Supervision and Qualifications (DSQ) was given responsibility for overseeing the implementation of Component 1. Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) was selected as the international consultant for Component 1. CCCU involvement ended with the issuing of its final report in July 2014. While acknowledging and affirming the progress that has been made, the report also identifies the significant challenges that remain, especially in the context of taking Component 1 to scale. The conclusions of these separate bodies regarding Component 1 can be summarized as follows: i. Implementation is on schedule in the three participating West Bank universities. The first cohorts of students graduated in June/July 2014, with the second and third cohorts following in June/July 2015 and June/July 2016 (one year after the completion of the pilot phase). The total output from the West Bank universities is expected to be 761. In the case of Gaza, Al Azhar University and its partner institutions (Al Aqsa University and the Islamic University in Gaza) are also running on schedule with graduations in June/July 2014, 2015, and 2016. With very few dropouts from the program, the output of graduates from the Component 1 program in Gaza is expected to be 246. The total output for Component 1 in both regions is expected to be 751 student teachers by June 2015. This is in line with the original target for the project. ii. Evidence from multiple sources, including classroom observation and focus group meetings held throughout the four years of project implementation (see below more information on the quasi-experimental studies carried out in April/May 2015), clearly indicates that significant progress has been made in the development of the newly developed Teaching Practice Template and also in improving the thinking and teaching skills of participating student teachers. While the TES (2008) stipulated a minimum of 180 hours (7 weeks) in school-based work for trainee teachers, the current template comprises six periods of Practicums and makes provision for 340 hours of school-based teaching practice – the equivalent of 13-14 weeks of the entire PRESET program. Furthermore, the AQAC decided to make the implementation of this Teaching Practice Template a 6 requirement for all teacher education programs in WBG. In addition, a Readiness to Teacher Index (RTTI) comprising 21 competencies based on the 21 professional standards developed by the Commission for Developing the Teaching Profession (CDTP) was designed and developed by CCCU for Component 1. Participating institutions in both the West Bank and Gaza have begun utilizing this RTTI as a guideline for evaluating student teachers and as a framework for the development of teacher education programs. iii. Significant progress notwithstanding, much still remains to be done to consolidate gains made and to bring PRESET programs in WBG more into line with good international practice in teacher preparation and professional development. The development and extension of the new Teaching Practicum has been a notable achievement and a very significant advance on the traditional model which made provision for just 3-4 weeks of school-based work for trainee teachers5. However, more progress is needed now towards making the Practicum an integral and integrated component of PRESET programs. Accomplishing this will be a major challenge for teacher educators in WBG since it will require: (a) a change of mindset on the part of all involved in the MOEHE, in teacher education institutions and in schools on the nature of professional training; (b) fundamental redevelopment of and integration within current PRESET programs; (c) sustained pedagogical capacity building for teacher education faculty, school mentors who work with student teachers, Ministry inspectors who bear responsibility for mentor teachers, and school principals who oversee their work in schools; and (d) further support from international institutions. 24. Component 2. The NIET was given responsibility by MOEHE for overseeing the implementation of Component 2. CCCU agreed to act as international consultant for Component 2 when ABU Consult (Germany) went into liquidation late in the pilot phase of the project. The collapse of ABU had serious negative implications for the implementation of Component 2. While there were implementation delays in some West Bank and Gaza institutions, all participating universities met their respective output targets by the end of the pilot stage in June 2015. Overall, 2,060 UQTs will have been trained by the end of the pilot phase (the original target being 2,100, as per the signed contracts). At that stage, according to CDTP data, there will still be around 2,214 UQTs teaching at the Grade 1-4 level – 1,394 in the West Bank and 850 in Gaza. Of the total number of UQTs teaching in Grade 1-4 level, 1,600 (35 percent) are two-year diploma holders while the remaining 65 percent have university degrees6. All the UQT diploma holders are in the West Bank. 5 A further challenge in the medium to long term for the Component 1 program will be the extension of the Teaching Practicum from its current 13-14 week duration (cr. 13 percent of total program time) to 26-30 weeks (cr. 25 percent of total program time). The latter is now considered good practice in many countries. Such a move in WBG, however, must await the full development, effective implementation, and integration of the current Teaching Practice Template before further extension of the period for school-based work is contemplated. Ongoing pedagogical capacity building for all involved in the preparation and development of pre-service student teachers, especially the mentor teachers, will expedite the advent of this further move toward international good practice in the professional preparation of teachers. 6 These numbers need to be confirmed every academic year as the MOEHE allows for secondary teachers to be transferred to teach in the primary grades and vice versa. For as long as this practice is legal, and even if it only 7 25. The original Modules developed for the program were based on seven broad, generically conceived, competencies7 - too generic in orientation and too broad in scope to adequately guide the development of Modules targeted at the Content Knowledge (CK) and the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) relevant to the teaching of each core subject area of the Grade 1-4 curriculum, the assessment and evaluation techniques appropriate to each, and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) utilization found to be effective in teaching the individual subject areas. Following the publication by MOEHE of a critique of the old Modules by the World Bank team, the development of new Modules commenced in 2014 under the direction of NIET and with the professional assistance of CCCU. The new Modules are focused on the core areas of the Grade 1-4 curriculum (languages, science and mathematics) and targeted at the teaching needs of UQTs. Work on the implementation of these modules commenced in the semester of January-May 2015. 26. In spite of the shortcomings of the original Modules, evidence from NIET, CCCU, PCU and World Bank team supervision visits clearly indicated an impressive level of enthusiasm generated by the Component 2 intervention on the part of all involved (trainers, trainees, supervisors, program overseers, and school principals). It also anticipated the positive impact the program has had on the pedagogical thinking and teaching practices of the UQTs. 27. In addition, a more open and searching (i.e., professional) attitude towards teaching is emerging among the participating UQTs. This is evident in the manner in which they have formed ‘communities of practice,’ exchange experiences, share resources and share videotapes of lessons taught with colleagues, and also in their use of ICT chat room facilities to engage in discussions with each other and with faculty/trainers. ICT is being used for the submission of ‘homework’ and the exchange of relevant teaching resources. There has been a significant ‘contagion effect’ throughout the system: word has spread regarding the professional benefits of the program and has led to growing demands from other teachers (both fully qualified and under- qualified) for inclusion. There is also widespread anecdotal evidence of UQTs coaching other teachers (qualified and under-qualified) in their schools. Finally, the satisfaction surveys carried out in April 2015 yield unequivocal results: 81 percent of participating teachers in the West Bank and 75 percent in Gaza consider the training satisfactory or highly satisfactory while only 5 and 8 percent, respectively, say they were dissatisfied. In light of these developments, Component 2 of the AF should ideally evolve, with its newly developed Modules, into a professional development program for all Grade 1-4 teachers, both certified and uncertified. 28. However, focus group discussions with UQTs carried out throughout the implementation of the project, and also the findings from the quasi-experimental studies indicate that they have affects a small number of teachers, the total number of UQTs could increase or decrease just for this very reason. More importantly, the available database on teachers is still not sophisticated enough to reflect the updated qualification status of all teachers in primary education, particularly those who have joined in the last few years. In short, the number of UQTs is to a certain extent a moving target and not so much a fixed “stock” (as originally assumed when the first phase of the project was designed). 7 These ‘Core Competencies’ are: (i) facilitating student-centred teaching and learning; (ii) building up partnerships within and outside schools; (iii) monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning; (iv) seeking continuous professional development; (v) creating safe and effective learning environment in schools; (vi) designing teaching and learning materials and resources and utilizing them; (vii) counselling and guidance for learners. 8 not yet fully developed the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and confidence needed to take on the role of effective ‘classroom teachers’, especially in their non-specialist subject areas. The vast majority of UQTs who have completed the program were subject teachers and have continued in that role following program completion, a fact that explains by itself those shortcomings. This reality highlights: (i) the partial subversion of the program’s original aim of converting Grade 1-4 ‘subject teachers’ into ‘class teachers;’ and (ii) the need for subject- focused Modules wherein CK and PCK are integrated and which would equip such teachers to competently and confidently undertake the role of ‘class teachers’ capable of teaching an integrated curriculum at the Grade 1-4 level. 29. The urgency of module redevelopment remains even though the MOEHE has decided that henceforth Grade 1-2 classes will have a single ‘class teacher’ while Grades 3 and 4 will have two class teachers, each of whom will be responsible for teaching 50 percent of the Grade 1-4 subjects. 30. Findings from the Quasi-Experimental Studies. Two studies to gauge more solid evidence on the effects of both Components 1 and 2 were carried out under the auspices of the Assessment and Evaluation Department (AED) with approval of both NIET and DSQ, and with the assistance of the Bank team. A data collection instrument based on the RTTI and Palestinian Teacher Professional Development Index (PTPDI) was developed, and personnel were trained in its use. For both components, a treatment group with teachers participating in the project was compared to a control group of student teachers – for Component 1 – and in-service teachers – for Component 2 – who had similar personal and professional characteristics (matching pairs design). The quasi-experimental studies aimed at establishing how the programs for both project components had added value to a series of specific teaching skills in the classroom. Data collection took place during April 2015 and preliminary findings were presented to MOEHE and the Bank team by the end of May, which has fortunately allowed taking them into account in the preparation of the AF. 31. The findings clearly point to a very high value added for Component 1, especially among student teachers in the West Bank. There are indeed significant differences in teaching performance (practices and competences) to the advantage of the participants in TEIP relative to their matched peers. This is so with regard to the following teaching skills/competencies:  Implementation of activities and lessons that meet student learning needs  Behavior management in the classroom supports academic achievement  Providing a safe and supportive learning environment in the classroom  Creating a teaching and learning environment characterized by flexibility, creativity and motivation  The use of learning resources and teaching aids to support learning and teaching  The use of information and communication technology to support learning and teaching  Employ verbal communication skills to facilitate learning and teaching  Employ a variety of teaching strategies, to support the students' learning 9 32. For the student teachers in Universities in Gaza, however, significant differences were found only in three of the skill/competency areas:  Providing a safe and supportive learning environment in the classroom  Employ non-verbal communication skills to facilitate learning and teaching  Provide constructive feedback after each assessment process oriented towards further learning and development 33. Concerning Component 2, significant differences were found for West Bank teachers in two teaching skill/competency areas: a) managing the learning environment encouraging experimentation and collaborative work projects; b) designing and employing materials and resources for teaching and learning that meet the needs of different students’ needs and learning content. For the participating teachers in Gaza, however, no statistically significant differences were found vis-à-vis the control group8. 34. Influence of TEIP in the conception, design and implementation of teacher education projects financed by other donors. TEIP is considered to be a very influential project by MOEHE senior officials as it has proved to be of great impact amongst the different players in the education sector. In fact, TEIP has led other donors to invest in the professional development of in-service teachers and has inspired the design of a number of projects that started implementing over the last few years. This is the case of the School Support Project (SSP) and the Leader and Teacher Development Project (LTD), both funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and launched in 2013; the same goes for a teacher education project funded by Qatar which started in 2014. All these projects have been working with schools principals and school teachers on issues related to professional development in PCK for selected subjects and curriculum areas. 8 These are still provisional findings as the AED is still working on a final version of the Report, which will not be ready until September 2015. Concerning the study on component 2, there are serious doubts about the composition of the control group. In the absence of baseline data for teachers´ classroom performance in Component 2, the next best option was to compare teachers participating in Component 2 with a control group of teachers with similar characteristics to those of our UQTs before taking the program. That might have proved to be a long shot considering that a) it appears that many teachers in the control group in Gaza were in fact UNWRA teachers who - as it is well known - have enjoyed training and professional development opportunities of a higher standard, and b) that it is more than likely that many teachers in the control group, also in the West Bank, had participated in recent years in other training and professional development programs (see paragraph 31). This may help explaining why these provisional findings for Component 2 are not as overwhelmingly positive as for Component 1 despite the high expectations, considering both the teacher satisfaction surveys and the evidence accumulated throughout project implementation. 10 Summary of Proposed Changes The AF would ensure the sustainability of Component 1 by adding a new activity to support the Palestinian Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission (AQAC) in accrediting the pre-service teacher education program (PRESET). The AF would also introduce the following changes: (a) addition of new intermediate indicators to better reflect project’s interventions and include indicators/sub-indicators on citizen engagement and gender; In this respect, a supplemental letter attaching the Results Framework for the AF will be prepared together with the AF Grant Agreement; (b) revision of the Results Framework to reflect these changes; (c) change in title of Component 2 (without changing the objective of the Component itself); and (d) elevating one intermediary indicator to a PDO-level indicator. The parent project will close on December 31, 2015 and will not be extended. The AF closing date is June 30, 2019. Change in Implementing Agency Yes [ ] No [ X ] Change in Project's Development Objectives Yes [ ] No [ X ] Change in Results Framework Yes [ X ] No [ ] Change in Safeguard Policies Triggered Yes [ ] No [ X ] Change of EA category Yes [ ] No [ X ] Other Changes to Safeguards Yes [ ] No [ X ] Change in Legal Covenants Yes [ ] No [ X ] Change in Loan Closing Date(s) Yes [ X] No [ ] Cancellations Proposed Yes [ ] No [ X ] Change in Disbursement Arrangements Yes [ ] No [ X ] Reallocation between Disbursement Categories Yes [ ] No [ X ] Change in Disbursement Estimates Yes [ X ] No [ ] Change to Components and Cost Yes [ X ] No [ ] Change in Institutional Arrangements Yes [ ] No [ X ] Change in Financial Management Yes [ ] No [ X ] Change in Procurement Yes [ ] No [ X ] Change in Implementation Schedule Yes [ ] No [ X ] Other Change(s) Yes [ ] No [ X ] Development Objective/Results PHHHDO Project’s Development Objectives Original PDO The objective of the Project is to improve the competencies and skills of class teachers teaching grades one to four in West Bank and Gaza thereby contributing to enhancing student learning in primary schools. Change in Results Framework PHHCRF 11 Explanation: It is proposed to add intermediate outcome indicators to the Results Framework as follows: 1. In order to better reflect project’s interventions and align with Bank’s new requirements to include indicators/sub-indicators related to gender, the core sector indicator “Direct project beneficiaries (#) of which female (%)” has been added to the intermediate indicators and will be closely monitored under the project. • Regulatory framework of the Palestinian Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission (AQAC) is in place; this indicator is to reflect the addition of a new activity to support the Palestinian Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission (AQAC) in accrediting the Pre-service teacher education program (PRESET); • Assessment and accreditation tools for AQAC are in place to carry-out program accreditation; • Beneficiaries that feel project investments reflected their needs (%). This is the percentage of teachers who are satisfied with in-service training programs and who consider that these fulfill their professional needs. 2. In addition, it is proposed to elevating the Intermediate Outcome Indicator “Ratio of qualified class teachers to the total number of class teachers” to a PDO indicator in order to better demonstrate development impact and achievement of the PDO. The Results Framework will be revised to reflect the above changes, including a revision of the baseline for original indicators to reflect the actual end target achieved under the parent project. Compliance PHHHCompl Covenants - Additional Financing ( Additional Financing for Teacher Education Improvement Project - P152914 ) Source of Finance Description of Funds Agreement Date Due Recurrent Frequency Action Covenants Reference Finance Agreement: SCHEDULE 2, Section II, A, Description: The Recipient, through the Palestinian Authority, shall cause the MOEHE to TF-97315 monitor and evaluate Yearly the progress of the Project and prepare Project Reports in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.06 of the Standard Conditions and on the basis of 12 indicators acceptable to the World Bank. Each Project Report shall cover the period of one (1) calendar year, and shall be furnished to the World Bank not later than forty-five (45) days after the end of the period covered by such report. Covenants - Parent ( Teacher Education Improvement Project - P111394 ) PHHCAFPPrj Finance Description of Date Ln/Cr/TF Agreement Status Recurrent Frequency Action Covenants Due Reference Finance Agreement: SCHEDULE 2, Section II, A, Description: The Recipient shall monitor and evaluate the Complied TF-97315 progress of the Yearly No Change Project and prepare with Project Reports. Each Project Report shall cover the period of one year, to be furnished no later than 45 days. Conditions Name: Article V, Section 5.01 and 5.02 of the proposed Additional Financing HCondTb P Source Of Fund Name Type Effectiveness Description of Condition Article V, Section 5.01 The Grant Agreement shall not become effective until evidence satisfactory to the World Bank has been furnished to the World Bank that the conditions specified below have been satisfied in a manner and in form and substance satisfactory to the World Bank: (a) The execution and delivery of this Agreement on behalf of the Recipient have been duly authorized or ratified by all necessary governmental and/or corporate action. (b) The Subsidiary Agreement referred to in Section I.A of Schedule 2 to this Agreement has been executed on behalf of the Recipient and the Palestinian Authority. 13 Source Of Fund Name Type Name Effectiveness Description of Condition Article V, Section 5.02 Legal Opinion issued by the Minister of Justice of the PA, confirming that (a) the Grant Agreement has been duly authorized and ratified by, and executed and delivered on behalf of the PLO and is legally binding upon the PLO in accordance with its terms; and (b) the Subsidiary Agreement has been duly authorized and ratified by, and executed and delivered on behalf of the PLO and the PA and is legally binding upon the PLO and the PA in accordance with its terms. Risk PHHHRISKS Risk Category Rating (H, S, M, L) 1. Political and Governance High 2. Macroeconomic Substantial 3. Sector Strategies and Policies Moderate 4. Technical Design of Project or Program Moderate 5. Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Sustainability Moderate 6. Fiduciary Moderate 7. Environment and Social Low 8. Stakeholders Moderate 9. Other OVERALL Moderate Finance Grant Closing Date - Additional Financing ( Additional Financing for Teacher Education Improvement Project - P152914 ) Source of Funds Proposed Additional Financing Loan Closing Date Special Financing Grant from the Trust Fund 30-Jun-2019 for Gaza and West Bank administered by IDA. Change in Disbursement Estimates (including all sources of Financing)PHHCDE Explanation: The only change expected will be the amount allocated per category (see below) where more funding will be allocated to Component 2 in order to better align resources with the needs to upgrade the maximum number of under qualified teachers. Expected Disbursements (in USD Million)(including all Sources of Financing) Fiscal Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 Annual 0.5 1.0 1.0 0.5 Cumulative 0.5 1.5 2.5 3.0 14 Allocations - Additional Financing ( Additional Financing for Teacher Education Improvement Project - P152914 ) Disbursement %(Type Source of Category of Allocation Currency Total) Fund Expenditure Proposed Proposed Goods, consultants’ services, and Training SPF USD 2,910,000.00 100.00 under Parts 1, 2 and 3 of the Project Incremental Operating 90,000.00 100.00 SPF USD Costs and audit Total: 3,000,000.00 Components Change to Components and Cost PHHCCC Explanation: The title of Component 2 is changed to: "Continuous Professional Development of Primary School Teachers"; there is no change in the Component's objective. The total project costs - including the additional financing of US$3,000,000 - amounts to US$8,000,000. Funds under the additional financing are allocated as follows: Component 1: US$1,227,000; Component 2: US$1,348,000; and Component 3: US$425,000. Current Cost Proposed under the Current Component Proposed Component Cost under original Action Name Name the AF project (US$M) (US$M) Strengthening School- Strengthening School- based Practice of Pre- based Practice of Pre- 2.47 1.23 Revised service Teacher service Teacher Education Programs Education Programs Upgrading Academic and Continuous Professional Professional Teaching Development of Primary 2.18 1.35 Revised Qualification of Under- School Teachers qualified Class Teachers Project Management and Project Management and 0.35 0.42 Revised Implementation Support Implementation Support Total: 5.00 3.00 Appraisal Summary Economic and Financial Analysis PHHASEFA Explanation: 15 This AF comes in the aftermath of the devastating 2014 Gaza conflict as well as years under the Gaza blockade, which have severely impacted the education sector in Gaza. For instance, the total value of losses in instructional time for the 2014–15 school year and costs to pay teacher salaries for providing remedial education is estimated at US$467,606 in MOEHE schools and US$492,217 in UNRWA schools, for a total of US$959,823. This administrative cost, which could potentially continue for three years, would add US$400,000 to the overall cost of teacher salaries each year, and the cost of remedial education over the next two years is estimated at US$2.8 million. In addition, limitations in access, mobility, and intellectual exchange are gravely impacting the quality of education offered in Gaza. Public school teachers and other education personnel tend to lack necessary qualifications, and professional, as well as intellectual, isolation has negatively impacted their competencies and morale. The absence of expertise in certain specialized fields in Gaza has increased the need to develop teachers’ capacity in these fields as well as to strengthen teachers’ and students’ ability to travel abroad for education and training purposes. Moreover, access to information is hampered by restrictions on importing textbooks and magazines as well as a lack of funds for e-journal subscriptions. In addition, spending on education has increased in real terms, even though external concessional finance from numerous development partners in total has been reduced. Specifically, spending on education constituted approximately 4.9% of GDP and 15.7% of total public expenditure in 2012, which compares well with most countries in the region. In fact, in some years the increase has been more than growth in total expenditures resulting in a higher share of public expenditure on education than eight years ago. Project Development Impact. Evidence continues to mount highlighting the central role that teachers play in influencing student achievement. This broad base of research demonstrates the clear link between teaching quality and student outcomes, effectively highlighting the connection between the proposed AF activities and its targeted outcomes. Although it is difficult to quantify teacher quality, these studies provide clear evidence that the proposed AF will contribute to development in WBG because the project outcome of improved teacher quality will have clear benefits for student learning, justifying the expected project cost. The importance of addressing teacher quality is even more urgent as primary school enrollment rates have increased steadily over the past six years (from 94.7% in 2007 to 99.4% in 2015 (see Table 1 in Annex 3 “Revised Economic Analysis”). These high enrollment rates have increased demand for teachers and classrooms. This suggests that more teachers will need to be trained in order to build on the TEIP’s existing gains and further improve student learning outcomes. World Bank Value Added. The World Bank has a long engagement in the education sector, globally and in WBG, and is seen by the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a trusted partner in addressing the current situation. The Bank has a long record of supporting the PA and MOEHE through technical assistance and brings global experience and expertise in the field of education to WBG. Overall, the Bank’s education sector is focused on supporting countries to enhance the quality of their education in an equitable and sustainable manner. This includes providing technical assistance through teacher training and management. The Bank has unique expertise in coordinating other donors and ministries in fulfilling the MOEHE’s plan for a stronger education system and higher student performance. In addition, the Bank provides strong technical expertise and project design and management. The World Bank can provide the technical and financial support required to achieve key program goals. This includes dialogue with the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to ensure that the program is adequately funded to ensure resources required to achieve targets are available. It also includes mobilizing trust funds and other sources for technical assistance in identified target areas. 16 Technical Analysis PHHASTA Explanation: The proposed AF will continue to support the implementation of strategic programs identified in the TES as key pieces to professionalize the teaching profession and to help improve the quality of classroom teaching. The incentives offered to schools and teachers to participate in the mentoring of trainee teachers are threefold: (i) improved school facilities and equipment; (ii) intensive capacity building to equip classroom teachers to competently mentor trainees; (iii) the sense of professional pride that accompanies such a role which is also to be formally acknowledged by MOEHE starting in the 2015-2016 academic year. In order to scale-up the strengthening of “school-based practice” of PRESET, MOEHE added two universities (Hebron University and Al-Quds University) to the four that were selected under the parent TEIP (i.e. Al-Azhar University in Gaza (including Islamic University of Gaza and Al-Aqsa University); Arab American University; Bethlehem University; and An-Najah National University in Nablus. Similarly, MOEHE selected Al-Quds Open University to be added to the universities of Al-Azhar University in Gaza (which will act as a focal point for the two other universities of Al Aqsa University and Islamic University in Gaza) and the four universities in the West Bank (Birzeit University, Al-Quds University, Hebron University, and An-Najah University) to support the design, development and implementation of modular programs aimed at upgrading the competencies and skills of all teachers (with underqualified ones still as a priority but with a view to the entire primary school teacher population). MOEHE selected these institutions based on their previous track record in teacher training coupled with geographic considerations to ensure that there is adequate geographic coverage in the West Bank (north, south and center) and Gaza. MOEHE will contract-out these eight universities to deliver the required consultants’ services on the basis of single source selection. Each of these institutions is the only one such institution that is uniquely qualified and has experience of exceptional worth to undertake the assignment in their respective geographic area. These selections will be reflected in the Procurement Plan. The responsibility for overall oversight and monitoring on the implementation of the project procurement will rest with the MOEHE, through the PCU, which would act as the Bank’s main counterpart for all procurement aspects of the project and would ensure that procurement under the project is carried out in accordance with the Grant Agreement and the Procurement Plan. An assessment of the MOEHE capacity to implement Bank Procurement Guidelines was conducted as part of the preparation of the AF. The assessment highlighted sufficient procurement capacity within the MOEHE and provided recommendations on how to address the risks identified. Since the TEIP has been designed to support the EDSP and its corresponding Teacher Education Strategy, the implementation of the TEIP will be carried out through the MOEHE structures. Fiduciary activities, including procurement and financial management, related to the TEIP will be handled by the MOEHE’s Project Coordination Unit (PCU) responsible for World Bank-funded projects to the Education and Higher Education Sector. Social Analysis PHHASSA Explanation: The proposed Additional Financing does not introduce new social risks. Environmental Analysis PHHASEnvA 17 Explanation: The proposed Additional Financing does not introduce new environmental risks. The parent project (P111394) was classified as Category C and the proposed AF will sustain the same safeguards classification of Category C. Risk Explanation: Overall Implementation Risks are rated as “Moderate”. The proposed AF will build on the successful implementation of TEIP where most identified risks were downgraded to “Moderate.” The only “High” risk which remains and may affect implementation is of an exogenous, political, nature. Looking specifically at the education sector, perhaps the most relevant risk for this AF is related to the inclusion of Al Quds Open University for the first time in Component 2 of TEIP. It will be challenging to incorporate a distance university to a community of HEIs which could perceive Al Quds Open University as competition in their own catchment areas. Already at pre-appraisal stage, consultations were held with HEIs to discuss the potential advantages for HEIs of partnering with Al Quds Open University and make the most of its network of branches and its state of the art e-learning infrastructure. The risk was successfully envisaged during the preparation process and, as of October 2015, there are already two partnerships in place between Al Quds Open University and two of the HEIs involved in the project. Political and Governance Risk is rated as “high”. Among the education institutions to be assisted by the project are those in Gaza, which has been distinct and separate from the West Bank with few signs of internal reconciliation between the two territories. Last year’s conflict in Gaza and the slower than anticipated pace of reconstruction there contribute to the project’s high political risk during implementation. Macroeconomic risk is rated as “substantial” due to high fiscal deficit financed mostly through donor grants, which have been relatively unpredictable and on a declining path since 2008, repeated suspensions of tax revenue payments for taxes collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, and lack of control over public finances in Gaza. 35. PDO and adjusted Key Performance Indicators. The PDO remains relevant. The objective of the Project is to improve the competencies and skills of class teachers teaching grades one to four in West Bank and Gaza thereby contributing to enhancing student learning in primary schools. No significant changes are proposed to the institutional, financial, and implementation arrangements. 36. The proposed changes can be summarized as follows: a. Addition of a new activity to support the Palestinian Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission (AQAC) in accrediting the Pre-service teacher education program (PRESET) b. Addition of intermediate outcome indicators. Intermediate outcome indicators set for the first phase of TEIP will also remain for this second phase (AF). In addition, the following intermediate outcome indicators are proposed to be added as follows: 18  the core sector indicator “Direct project beneficiaries (#) of which female (%)” has been added to the intermediate indicators and will be closel y monitored under the project.  Regulatory framework of the Palestinian Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission (AQAC) is in place  Assessment and accreditation tools for AQAC are in place to carry-out program accreditation  Beneficiaries that feel project investments reflected their needs (%). This is the percentage of teachers who are satisfied with in-service training programs and who consider that these fulfill their professional needs. c. Elevating the Intermediate Outcome Indicator “Ratio of qualified class teachers to the total number of class teachers” to a PDO indicator in order to better demonstrate development impact and achievement of the PDO. d. Revision of the Results Framework to reflect the above changes, including a revision of the baseline for original indicators to reflect the actual end target achieved under the parent project. e. Change in the title of Component 2 from “Upgrading academic and professional teaching qualification of underqualified teachers” in TEIP to “Continuous professional development of primary school teachers” in the AF while the objective under this component remains the same. f. Allocation of funds between Components 1 and 2 where more funding will be allocated to Component 2 in order to better align resources with the needs to upgrade the maximum number of UQTs. 37. Communities and individuals who believe that they are adversely affected by a World Bank (WB) supported project may submit complaints to existing project-level grievance redress mechanisms or the WB’s Grievance Redress Service (GRS). The GRS ensures that complaints received are promptly reviewed in order to address project-related concerns. Project affected communities and individuals may submit their complaint to the WB’s independent Inspection Panel which determines whether harm occurred, or could occur, as a result of WB non- compliance with its policies and procedures. Complaints may be submitted at any time after concerns have been brought directly to the World Bank's attention, and Bank Management has been given an opportunity to respond. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank’s corporate Grievance Redress Service (GRS), please visithttp://www.worldbank.org/GRS. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank Inspection Panel, please visit www.inspectionpanel.org. 19 Project Additional Financing for Teacher Education Improvement Project Additional Financing Status: Name: Project (P152914) Stage: Team Juan Manuel Moreno Requesting MNC04 Created by: Karine M. Pezzani on 30-Mar-2015 Leader(s): Olmedilla Unit: Product Responsible Special Financing GED05 Modified by: Karine M. Pezzani on 18-Aug-2015 Line: Unit: Country: West Bank and G Approval FY: 2016 MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH Lending Region: Investment Project Financing AFRICA Instrument: Parent Project Parent Project P111394 Teacher Education Improvement Project (P111394) ID: Name: . Project Development Objectives Original Project Development Objective - Parent: The main objective of this project is to improve the competencies and skills of class teachers teaching grades one to four in West Bank and Gaza thereby contributing to enhancing student learning in primary schools. Proposed Project Development Objective - Additional Financing (AF): The main objective of this project is to improve the competencies and skills of class teachers teaching grades one to four in West Bank and Gaza thereby contributing to enhancing student learning in primary schools. Results Core sector indicators are considered: Yes Results reporting level: Project Level . Project Development Objective Indicators Status Indicator Name Core Unit of Measure Baseline Actual(Current) End Target Revised Percent of class teachers Percentage Value 0.00 63.00 80.00 graduating from teacher Date 13-Jul-2015 13-Jul-2015 31-Dec-2018 20 education and licensing Comment programs in participating HE institutions scoring above 70 % in readiness to teach instruments New Ratio of qualified class Percentage Value 62.00 62.00 80.00 teachers to the total number of Date 13-Jul-2015 31-Dec-2018 class teachers (Comp. 2) Comment Intermediate Results Indicators Status Indicator Name Core Unit of Measure Baseline Actual(Current) End Target Revised Percent of class teachers in Percentage Value 0.00 29.00 33.00 participating schools engaged Date 13-Jul-2015 13-Jul-2015 31-Dec-2018 in mentoring student teachers Comment Marked for Upgrading academic and Percentage Value 39.00 79.00 62.00 Deletion professional teaching Date 29-Apr-2010 03-Oct-2014 30-Jun-2015 qualification of under-qualified class teachers to the total Comment number of class teachers New Direct project beneficiaries Number Value 0.00 1800.00 Date 13-Jul-2015 31-Dec-2018 Comment New Female beneficiaries Percentage Value 0.00 80.00 Sub Type Supplemental New Regulatory framework of Text Value No framework Regulatory AQAC is in place framework validated and in place Date 13-Jul-2015 31-Dec-2018 21 Comment New Assessment and accreditation Text Value No tools in Tools in place tools for AQAC are in place to place and used carry-out program accreditation Date 13-Jul-2015 31-Dec-2018 Comment New Beneficiaries that feel project Percentage Value 77.00 88.00 investments reflected their Date 13-Jul-2015 31-Dec-2018 needs Comment . 22 A. Introduction 1. After describing the proposed additional financing (AF) and its project context, the AF economic analysis focuses on three key areas: (i) the project’s development impact; (ii) justification for public sector provision; and (iii) the World Bank’s comparati ve advantage and value added. 2. The proposed AF has three components: (i) strengthening the school-based practice of pre-service teacher education programs (PRESET), (ii) improving continuous professional development of primary school teachers (INSET), and (iii) supporting project management and implementation support. These components align with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE)’s Education Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) III for 2014–2019, which envisions a “results-based, student-centered [sic] and inclusive education system that provides 21st century relevant education services at all levels with high quality and full equity considering individual needs and being at the heart of the political, economic and social development in and for Palestine.” 3. These three components would finance the scaling-up of activities that will enhance the project’s impact and development effectiveness by: (i) ensuring that achievements gained in the pilot stage of Teacher Education Improvement Project (TEIP) will be maintained (i.e., sustainability); (ii) facilitating the extension of the TEIP’s components to additional institutions involved in teacher education in the West Bank and Gaza (WBG); (iii) supporting further progress toward bringing teacher education and teaching in WBG closer to international good- practice standards; and (iv) enabling and adding value to the eventual implementation of the curriculum reform for primary education, which is currently in the design stage. 4. At the same time, this AF comes in the aftermath of the devastating 2014 Gaza conflict as well as years under the Gaza blockade, which have severely impacted the education sector in Gaza. For instance, the total value of losses in instructional time for the 2014–15 school year and costs to pay teacher salaries for providing remedial education is estimated at US$467,606 in MOEHE schools and US$492,217 in UNRWA schools, for a total of US$959,823.9 This administrative cost, which could potentially continue for three years, would add US$400,000 to the overall cost of teacher salaries each year, and the cost of remedial education over the next two years is estimated at US$2.8 million. In addition, limitations in access, mobility, and intellectual exchange are gravely impacting the quality of education offered in Gaza. Public school teachers and other education personnel tend to lack necessary qualifications, and professional, as well as intellectual, isolation has negatively impacted their competencies and morale. The absence of expertise in certain specialized fields in Gaza has increased the need to develop teachers’ capacity in these fields as well as to strengthen teachers’ and students’ ability to travel abroad for education and training purposes. Moreover, access to information is hampered by restrictions on importing textbooks and magazines as well as a lack of funds for e- journal subscriptions. 9 Detailed Needs Assessment and Recovery Framework: Gaza – Volume 2. 23 5. In addition, spending on education has increased in real terms, even though external concessional finance from numerous development partners in total has been reduced. Specifically, spending on education constituted approximately 4.9% of GDP and 15.7% of total public expenditure in 2012, which compares well with most countries in the region. In fact, in some years the increase has been more than growth in total expenditures resulting in a higher share of public expenditure on education than eight years ago. For instance, in 2012 education accounted for 15.7% of public expenditure as compared to 13.1% in 2005. Figure 1 below shows the government expenditure on education per student and as a share of GDP per capita from 2005–2012 (in NIS), and Figure 2 provides information on the anticipated costs per student for general education in 2014 (in US$). Figure 1: Government Expenditure on Education per Student and as a Share of GDP per Capita (in NIS) Sources: MOEHE (2014), “Education Development Strategic Plan, 2014–2019: A Learning Nation,” pg 141; Ministry of Finance data; and Public Expenditure Review (2013) 6. Furthermore, non-wage operational expenditures increased as share of total education expenditures from 12.9% in 2005 to 20.2% in 2012. The level of non-wage expenditure in 2012 was more than double the level in 2005, of which transfers to tertiary institutions, various school- level operational expenditures and inputs, as well as investments in new schools and classrooms have accounted for the major share. Thus, over the past ten years more resources have been allocated to service delivery compared to management and administration at higher levels of the education system. Figure 2: Anticipated Cost per Student for General Education in 2014 (in US$) Sources: MOEHE (2014), “Education Development Strategic Plan, 2014–2019: A Learning Nation,” pg 144; Public Expenditu re Review (2013) 24 7. However, regardless of these high enrollment rates and educational expenditures, results from national and international assessments indicate that student learning outcomes in the West Bank and Gaza are modest when compared to other countries with similar per-capita GDP or per-student expenditures, and their performance lags behind the international average. With this concern in mind, two recent studies on classroom- and school-level factors determining student outcomes in WBG concluded that teacher quality is the single most important school-based determinant of student learning.10 The first analysis focused on UNWRA schools,11 while the second dealt with MOEHE schools,12 but both assessed variations in learning outcomes across schools and identified which teachers’ classroom practices are associated with higher student learning. 8. Thus, the proposed AF components provide a set of activities to address these immediate sector needs and improve teacher education programs. The rationale for public intervention is demonstrated by the current inequities in educational outcomes between the West Bank and Gaza, which are matched by inequalities in quality and access to education services. Although addressing disparities is an issue of social justice, there are considerable economic benefits as well, at both the individual-level, through impacting productivity and employment, and at the population-level, through impacts on costs to governments and businesses. B. Project’s Development Impact 9. Evidence continues to mount highlighting the central role that teachers play in influencing student achievement. This broad base of research demonstrates the clear link between teaching quality and student outcomes, effectively highlighting the connection between the proposed AF activities and its targeted outcomes. Although it is difficult to quantify teacher quality, these studies provide clear evidence that the proposed AF will contribute to development in WBG because the project outcome of improved teacher quality will have clear benefits for student learning, justifying the expected project cost. 10. This broad base of research shows that teacher quality is one of the most significant determinants of student learning (Yarrow et al. 2014, Cochran-Smith & Zeichner 2005).13 In other words, these studies find that teachers are crucial and no other measured aspect of schools is nearly as important in determining student achievement (Hanushek 2010, 3). 14 Specifically, 10 Where teacher quality is defined as meaningful and relevant pedagogical techniques and interactions with students. 11 H.A. Patrinos, H. Abdul-Hamid, and J. Reyes, (2014) Learning in the Face of Adversity: The UNWRA Education Program for Palestine Refugees, Conference Edition, Report 92391, World Bank, Washington, DC. Even though UNWRA schools are obviously not participating in TEIP, many of those in Gaza are being used as venues for the Practicum of trainee teachers in Gaza universities. Further, there is close cooperation between UNWRA and the Ministry of Education in matters related to curriculum development, assessment and evaluation and other areas related to education quality. 12 Noah Yarrow, Husein Abdul-Hamid, Manal Quota and Ernesto Cuadra, (2014) Learning from Local Practices: Improving School Performance in West Bank and Gaza. Unpublished Report. World Bank MENA Education. 13 Yarrow et al. (2014). M. Cochran-Smith & K.M. Zeichner (eds), (2005). Studying teacher education: The report of the AERA panel on research and teacher education . London: Lawrence Erbaum. 14 Eric A. Hanushek, (2010) “The Economic Value of Higher Teacher Quality,” NBER Working Paper No. 16606. 25 the most competent teachers are those who have a strong mastery of the content they are teaching and have studied education. These educators with more training in teaching methodology tend to be more effective in fostering higher-order thinking skills and catering to individual student needs. Figure 1 below demonstrates the differences in teacher qualifications in high and low performing classrooms in WBG, and Figure 2 illustrates the differences in teachers’ professional development participation in high and low performing classrooms. Together these figures show the importance of teacher training for class performance. Figure 1: Minimum Education Qualifications High performing Low performing 50 40 30 20 10 0 Teacher holds a Teacher holds a 2- Principal holds a 2- university teaching year college degree year college degree certificate Yarrow et al. 2014, 24 Figure 2: Teacher Professional Development Participation High performing Low performing 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 General Student Individualized ICT Pedagogy Training Assessment Instruction Yarrow et al. 2014, 25 11. Furthermore, Yarrow et al. (2014, 16) find that teachers’ classroom practices are a determinant factor in how much student learning takes place, noting that results from a range of studies indicate that students tend to perform better when their teachers spend more class time on lesson-related academic activities and when teachers are able to keep them engaged in these activities as compared to teachers who do not, particularly through increased amounts of 26 discussion (see Figure 3 below). These findings suggest that initial and ongoing teacher education fosters higher performance among students. Figure 3: Teacher Class Activities in High (left) and Low (right) Performing Grade 4 Classes Reading, listening, repetition 14% 14% Discussion 32% 33% 11% 20% Tasks and chores 10% Non- 15% participation 19% 34% Classroom Management Yarrow et al. 2014, 19. 12. In another recent World Bank study, Patrinos et al. (2014) also highlight the importance of teacher quality and training in describing why students in UNRWA schools tend to outperform students at public schools in WBG and Jordan, even when comparing teachers with the same total years of experience and degrees.15 The report finds that the “most important factors in explaining this performance gap were teachers’ confidence in teaching the subject matter, job satisfaction, and on-going professional development and training” (12). It also concluded that in terms of teacher policy and its implementation “the UNRWA system differentiated itself from the two public systems in four areas: (1) leading teachers with strong principals; (2) establishing strong and clear expectations for teachers; (3) monitoring teaching and learning; and (4) preparing teachers with useful training and experience” (31). These results further highlight the strong link between teacher quality and student performance. 13. A 2014 USAID report provides a more nuanced and specific example of how teacher training impacts early grade reading skills by looking at the pilot USAID Girls’ Improved Learning Outcomes (GILO) Project in Egypt.16 Specifically, the Project saw impressive gains in reading outcomes in the thirty pilot-supported public schools after implementing a single-year 15 Patrinos et al. (2014). 16 RTI International, (2014) “Early Grade Reading Assessment Grade 2 Baseline, West Bank” USAID, EdD ata II Technical and Managerial Assistance, Task Order 15. 27 teacher training program and providing supplemental teacher resources, exercise routines for Grade 2 reading instruction, and technical support to Arabic supervisors for teacher coaching. For instance, before the intervention, 48% of the randomly selected Grade 2 students had scores of zero in the letter sounds knowledge subtask and 44% had zeroes in the oral reading fluency subtask. 14. However, immediately following the end of that project, the USAID post-intervention study found that the percentage of zero scores on these two subtasks had dropped sharply to 11% and 21%, respectively (31 – 32). In addition, the average scores on these subtasks had improved dramatically: up to 192% in letter sound knowledge and to 91% in oral reading fluency. These shifts represent impressive gains from a six-month pilot intervention and are equivalent to a full year of additional schooling. Although a system-wide intervention in hundreds of public schools might not replicate these pilot results in a single year, these findings show that significant improvements in reading proficiency is possible in just 2–3 years of professional support for improved teacher training, improved teacher resources, strengthened supervision and constructive coaching of early grade teachers in reading instruction, and improved accountability from empirical assessment. 15. Furthermore, Brixi et al. (2015) provide additional evidence of the importance of teacher quality in student outcomes in WBG.17 Specifically, the report attributed in part the high student learning outcomes at the Kufor Quod Girls’ Secondary School (in the West Bank) to the directorate’s teacher supervisors. These supervisors assess teachers’ performances and provide content and pedagogical support as well as design, develop, and implement training programs for teachers on methods of teaching, classroom management, and measurement and evaluation. In addition, supervisors serve as a conduit for transferring effective and innovative approaches between classrooms and schools, inviting well-performing teachers to provide training for other teachers (Brixi et al. 2015, 72). The authors conclude that providing teachers with encouragement and support as well as ensuring that they are qualified and regularly participating in opportunities for professional development are essential to motivating teachers and cultivating successful accountability mechanisms (Brixi et al. 2015, 76). 16. Hanushek (2010) combines information about teacher effectiveness with the economic influence of higher achievement, showing the impact of increased achievement on individual earnings and the impact of low teacher effectiveness on economic growth through aggregate achievement.18 He finds that a teacher one standard deviation above the mean of teacher effectiveness annually generates marginal gains of over $400,000 in the present value of students’ future earnings with a class size of 20 and proportionately higher with larger class sizes (see Figure 4 below). Thus, in addition to the clear link between high teacher quality and high student achievement, these findings demonstrate the substantial financial benefits of effective, quality teachers. Indeed, using these calculations, shifting only eight teachers in WBG one standard deviation above the mean of teacher effectiveness would lead to gains above the proposed AF’s cost of $3 million in just one year. 17 Hana Brixi, Ellen Lust, and Michael Woolcock, (2015) “Trust, Voice, and Incentives: Learning from Local Success Stories in Service Delivery in the Middle East and North Africa,” Washington, DC: World Bank. doi: 10.1596/978-1-4648-0456-4. License: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO. 18 Hanushek (2010). 28 Figure 4: Impact on Student Lifetime Incomes by Class Size and Teacher Effectiveness Source: Hanushek (2010) Note: These estimates are compared to the average teacher (i.e., the 50th percentile teacher). 17. In addition, Hanushek (2010) finds that, in the United States, replacing the bottom 5–8 percent of teachers with average teachers could move the country near the top of international math and science rankings (e.g., near the rankings of Canada and Finland) with a present value of $100 trillion. Although this evidence speaks directly to the U.S. context, it clearly demonstrates the significant impact of teacher quality on student achievement as well as provides a more direct cost-benefit analysis of the proposed AF, where the estimated benefits clearly outweigh the costs. 29 Figure 5: Estimates of How Removing Ineffective U.S. Teachers Affects Student Achievement Source: Hanushek (2010) 18. The importance of addressing teacher quality is even more urgent as primary school enrollment rates have increased steadily over the past six years (from 94.7% in 2007 to 99.4% in 2015, see Table 1 below). These high enrollment rates have increased demand for teachers and classrooms, as shown in Tables 2 and 3 below. This suggests that more teachers will need to be trained in order to build on the TEIP’s existing gains and further improve student learning outcomes. Table 1: WBG Enrollment Rates, Ages 6–11 2007/ 2008/ 2009/ 2010 2011/ 2012/ 2013/ 2014/ Age 2008 2009 2010 /2011 2012 2013 2014/ 2015 6-11 94.7 1.49 1.49 1.41 194. 1949 194. 114. Source: Statistics Division – DG of Planning – Ministry of Education & Higher Education, 2015 30 Table 2: Primary Education Teachers (Public) 2012/2019 Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 2012/2013 22.2 2222 2229 2222 2013/2014 2.29 2222 2229 22.2 2014/2015 2.92 2.22 2292 2292 Projected 2015/2016 2.9. 2.92 2.2. 222. 2016/2017 2.29 2.29 2.29 2.22 2017/2018 2.22 2.22 2.29 2.29 2018/2019 2.99 2... 2... 2.22 Source: Statistics Department – DG of Planning - Ministry of Education & Higher Education, 2015 Table 3: Demand for Classrooms (Public) Year Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 2008/2009 91.. 9992 912. 99.. 992. 99.. 0222/0202 919. 9122 912. 91.2 9122 9129 0202/0200 2299 9129 91.2 9122 9199 9122 2011/2012 229. 2292 919. 912. 9121 2292 0200/0202 2922 2292 2922 2299 9119 9199 0202/0202 2922 2212 2219 2992 2222 2229 0202/0202 2222 29.9 2929 292. 2921 222. Projected 2015/2016 22.. 2299 2992 2999 2999 2992 2016/2017 2222 2229 2221 299. 292. 2922 0202/0202 2299 22.1 2222 2221 2991 2999 0202/0202 2292 2299 2299 2229 22.2 2992 Source: Statistics Department – DG of Planning - Ministry of Education & Higher Education, 2015 19. Although the MOEHE is expected to cover additional budget expenditures from the increased student population through additional budget allocations, the Ministry can provide more efficient educations for these students through enhanced teacher quality, thereby reducing remedial education as well as repeating grades and helping to provide a more financially 31 sustainable approach to primary education. More specifically, investments to improve the quality of teaching and school conditions should enhance student achievement and lead to lower costs per graduate. Typically a project that reduces repetition rates will bring about increased savings in recurrent costs. For example, if a unit costs an average of $200 per student and repetition in a primary school student population of (957,831) drops by 1% per year, the cost savings would be $1,915,662 annually (i.e., $200 * (1%) * 957831). Thus, the proposed AF would help increase efficiency through a reduction of grade repetition and dropout rates. As a consequence, the average number of years to produce a graduate should decrease, yielding net recurrent costs savings. 20. In fact, having higher quality teachers can be associated with lower costs per student. Figure 6 below shows that this is the case between UNRWA and public schools in Jordan, where the UNRWA schools enjoy both higher quality teachers and better student performance despite their students generally coming from a lower socioeconomic background. Figure 6: Cost per student in Jordan’s UNRWA schools and public schools (US$) Source: World Bank Group, 2014, “Learning in the Face of Adversity;” Public Expenditure Review and UNRWA Annual Financial Reports 2008 and 2009. C. Public Sector Justification 21. Market failures and the case for public intervention and financing in the education sector have been well established and include several main justifications, the most relevant of which to WBG will be reviewed here. The first and most commonly cited public sector justification for funding education is the presence of externalities from schooling. In particular, many argue that an educated workforce is critical for the adoption of new technologies and for improving, not just 32 an individual’s productivity, but that of his or her coworkers” (Poterba 1996, 279 – 280).19 Specifically, providing a higher quality education fosters better educational attainments, which increase the ability of workers to deal with technology, cut training costs for businesses, and lead to higher earnings for workers.20 In addition, recent studies have demonstrated a very close tie between cognitive skills of a country’s population and the country’s rate of economic growth; in particular, countries that perform better on international math and science tests have stronger growth in their economies (Hanushek 2010, 19). 22. This justification is particularly relevant for WBG where the education system has long relied on obsolete and outdated pedagogical methods, characterized by teacher-centered learning with an emphasis on rote memorization and basic numeracy (Brixi et al. 2015). Consequently, students are not fully engaged, perform poorly, and lack the essential critical thinking as well as problem solving skills needed for survival in today’s highly competitive global economy. Brixi et al. (2015) find that the costs to WBG emerging from such a system seem “enormously high” because “high productivity skills such as innovation and entrepreneurship are lacking and yet are urgently needed by an economy with high youth unemployment rates, a saturated public sector, and high population growth of 2.3 percent” (69). 23. Another justification for public intervention in education concerns a scenario in which parents ignore the externalities associated with education in deciding how much to spend on their child’s education, leading to a decrease in educational spending below the socially efficient level. In this sense and connected to the previous point, public policies designed to increase educational attainment therefore have some prospect for raising social welfare (Poterba 1996, 279 – 280). This is particularly relevant in cases where families may remove their children from school in order to send them to work, viewing the gains from work as higher than the gains from receiving more of an education. 24. In addition to the previous two efficiency concerns rationalizing public intervention, redistributive concerns also play an important role. Specifically, some argue that access to education should not be conditioned on income (Poterba 1996, 284). Specifically, since family resources are unequal, even if families value their children’s lifetime utility from education in the same way as the theoretical social planner, there will be differences in the level of education that children receive in a private market for education. These differences may in turn translate into differences in lifetime earning opportunities, which may lead to unequal opportunities for children who have no control over their family’s finances. In this case, the public sector must ensure access to an adequate education for all (Poterba 1996, 285). This point is more relevant to WBG where education is highly valued, but many households are in poverty or extreme poverty. A private system of education would likely exclude a substantial number of Palestinian children from receiving an education. Thus, public intervention makes more sense in this sector and context than a market-driven alternative. 19 James M. Poterba (1996) “Government Intervention in the Markets for Education and Health Care: How and Why?” http://www.nber.org/chapters/c6566. 20 Guillermo Labarca (1998), “Education in Basic Skills and Training for Productive Work.” International Review of Education. Vol. 44, No. 5/6, pp. 413–439 http://www.jstor.org/pss/3444847. Labarca found that “there is a direct relationship between the quality and quantity of basic education received and the extent and intensiveness of training required in order to enter productive activities and attain a level of performance equal to or approaching the average.” 33 D. World Bank’s Value Added 25. The World Bank has a long engagement in the education sector, globally and in WBG, and is seen by the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a trusted partner in addressing the current situation. The Bank has a long record of supporting the PA and MOEHE through technical assistance and brings global experience and expertise in the field of education to WBG. Overall, the Bank’s education sector is focused on supporting countries to enhance the quality of their education in an equitable and sustainable manner. This includes providing technical assistance through teacher training and management. 26. The Bank has unique expertise in coordinating other donors and ministries in fulfilling the MOEHE’s plan for a stronger education system and higher student performance. In addition, the Bank provides strong technical expertise and project design and management. The World Bank can provide the technical and financial support required to achieve key program goals. This includes dialogue with the MOF to ensure that the program is adequately funded to ensure resources required to achieve targets are available. It also includes mobilizing trust funds and other sources for technical assistance in identified target areas. 34 Table 1. Detailed Estimate Cost for the Additional Financing to the Teacher Education Improvement Project Component/ Activity Total Comp. 1. Strengthening school-based practice of pre- service education programs A. International Technical Assistance 185,000.00 B. Local Technical Assistance 673,000.00 C. Workshops & Training21 68,000.00 D. Goods 301,000.00 Subtotal Comp.1 1,227,000.00 Comp. 2. Continuous Professional Development of Primary School Teachers A. International Technical Assistance 125,000.00 B. Local Technical Assistance 1,073,000.00 C. Workshops & Training 68,000.00 C. Goods 73,000.00 Subtotal Comp.2 1,348,000.00 Comp. 3. Project management and implementation support A. Local Consultants 317,000.00 B. Workshops 8,000.00 C. Goods 10,000.00 D. Incremental Operating Costs22 90,000.00 Subtotal Comp.3 425,000.00 TOTA PROJECT COST 3,000,000.00 21 Workshops and Training Costs means workshop/training activities (other than consultants’ services) to be carried out under the Project, as approved by the World Bank, including the reasonable and necessary local and international travel incurred by participants in training seminars, workshops and study tours, as well as reasonable lodging, subsistence, local and international per diem allowances, registration, tuition and facilitators’ fees, minor organizational expenses (including costs of stationery, handouts and training materials), translation and interpretation costs, facility rental costs, and other expenditures directly relating to the training workshop and the study tour activity, as may be agreed with the World Bank. 22 Incremental Operating Costs means costs incurred by MOEHE under the Project on the account of: (i) operation and maintenance of office equipment; (ii) transportation and travel costs associated with Project implementation including per diem allowances for Project staff in travel status; (iii) rental of office space; (iv) office supplies, utilities and office administration, including translation, printing and advertising costs; (v) communication costs; (vi) reasonable bank charges; (vii) costs of carrying out meetings (viii) costs of printing materials for the carrying out of the communication and awareness campaign and (ix) costs of printing of data collection instruments, but excluding salaries of officials of the Recipient’s civil service. 35 Table 2. Revised Total Cost of the Project TEIP AF TOTAL Component 1. Strengthening school-based practice of pre-service education program 2,558,233.158 1,227,000 3,785,233.158 Component 2. Continuous Professional Development of Primary School Teachers 1,886,168.594 1,348,000 3,234,168.594 Component 3. Project Management and Implementation Support 555,598.248 425,00023 980,598.248 5,000,000 3,000,000 8,000,000 23 Cost related to Project Management and Implementation Support are higher in the AF as it includes new M&E activities. 36 A. Financial Management, Disbursements and Procurement Financial Management Implementing entity 1. Fiduciary activities, including procurement and financial management will be handled by the MOEHE Project Coordination Unit (PCU) that is currently providing fiduciary support to the implementation of the current TEIP project. The PCU will act as the Bank’s main counterpart for all financial management aspects of the project. The PCU will ensure that financial management under TEIP AF is carried out in accordance with Bank procedures. The PCU has been producing timely and reliable reports which satisfy the Bank’s objective of ensuring that the funds are used for the intended purpose. B. RISK ANALYSIS Inherent Risks 2. The fiduciary risk level in the PA country system is currently rated as High. This is due mainly to delays in the issuance of the financial statements and other issues in financial reporting of the PA. However, in recent months, the PA has made progress in addressing these issues and there have been improvements in both the issuance of financial statements and the reporting of arrears. Project Risks 3. The overall project risk from a financial management perspective is Moderate. The FM arrangements for the Project are designed to ensure that funds are used for the purpose intended, and timely information is produced for project management and PA oversight, and to comply with the Bank’s fiduciary requirements. The risk level is at an acceptable level but below are the risks and mitigating measures: Risk Assessment and Mitigating Measures Risk Risk Risk Before Mitigating Measures (MM) After MM MM Inherent Risks: Country level  TEIP AF will be ring fenced through the PCU at MOEHE. The PCU has a high level of capacity through our existing H projects. S Inherent risk in the country is High  A private external auditor will be hired to perform the annual audit for the Project FS. Project level 37 Risk Risk Risk Before Mitigating Measures (MM) After MM MM  There is an internal control function with qualified staff through the MOF housed Risk of ineligible expenditures and in the MOEHE. S M misappropriations.  Ex post audit measures (annual audit) by external auditor  Bank supervision and SOE reviews Inherent Risk Before MM S Inherent Risk after MM M Control Risks: Project Level  PCU has had a Satisfactory rating since the start of implementation of the current project and coordination between the The decentralized implementation of project different entities involved has not been a activities and the involvement of the higher problem. education institutions will require a high S  The Project auditor’s TORs and scope M capacity PCU will explicitly include verification of agreed on deliverables from higher education institutions and consistency with the contracts with these institutions Implementing Agency  The PCU already has a well-functioning computerized accounting system. The system is a database system that can produce segmental reporting – by donor, sub project, HE institution, and Inadequate accounting and reporting system component and subcomponent. The chart that can capture data for the whole project of accounts will be revisited to ensure activities applicability to the current project. S M  The system is capable of opening a Financial Procedures Manual existing at PCU separate cost center to account for and might be outdated for Project FM report for the transactions of the TEIP requirements. project.  PCU will revise the Financial Section of the Operations Manual to ensure relevance to the Project Control Risk Before MM S Control Risk After MM M Overall FM Risk S FM Risk After MM M C. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Flow of funds and banking arrangements 4. The Bank financing will be a Grant to be disbursed through a Designated Account (DA) opened by the MOF and operated by the PCU at MOEHE. The PCU will maintain a DA denominated in USD to which the initial deposit and replenishments from Bank resources will be transferred and will be used in financing project components according to the approved budget. 38 5. Withdrawal Applications submitted to the Bank will be prepared by PCU, cosigned by the authorized signatures at the MOF before submission to the Bank. 6. The PCU will have the sole responsibility to disburse on behalf of the project to suppliers, contractors, consultants, and to HEIs for agreed on fees. Additionally, the PCU will maintain a monthly reconciliation statement between its records and the Bank’s records per client connection. Such reconciliation will set out the disbursements by category as well as the designated account balance. Disbursement and payment requests will be based on approved contracts and services predefined in the Project documents and contracts with the HEIs. 7. DA bank account records will be reconciled with bank statements on a monthly basis by the PCU. A copy of each bank reconciliation statement together with a copy of the relevant bank statement will be reviewed monthly by the Project Financial Officer who will investigate and resolve any identified differences. Detailed banking arrangements, including control procedures over all bank transactions (e.g., check signatories, transfers, etc.) are documented in the Financial Section of the Operations Manual. 8. The Palestinian Authority has taken appropriate and sufficient measures to ensure that funds are used for purpose intended and consistent with the legal agreement. The following chart describes the funds flow for the project: Chart 7.1– TEIP’s Flow of Funds World Bank Consultancy Fees to HEIs (Direct Payment) Central Suppliers TEIPAF Treasury Contractors PCU Account Consultants submits WA at the with MOF’s co- PCU signature MOEHE DA Contractors / Suppliers / HEIs submit Payment requests to PCU. Legend Full Arrows Movement of funds Dotted Arrows Request for fund transfer Disbursement Arrangements 39 9. Disbursements from the Bank will follow the transaction-based method, i.e., traditional Bank procedures: SOEs, Direct Payments, and Special Commitments. For certain payments, above the “Minimum Application Size” as specified in the Disbursement Letter, Withdrawal Applications (WAs) will be submitted to the Bank for payments to suppliers and consultants directly. 10. The initial deposit into the DA will be based on the project needs. Subsequent disbursements into the DA will be specified in the Disbursement Letter (including Statement of Expenses, thresholds, etc.). The supporting documentation for requests for direct payment should be records evidencing eligible expenditures (copies of receipt, supplier’s invoices). Designated Account 11. The DA will be held in USD. The ceiling of the DA will be USD 300,000. 12. Planning and Budgeting: The disbursement plan preparation will follow the procedures in the Financial Section of the Operations Manual. A financial budget for the life of the project (broken down by year and by quarter) will be prepared. Towards the end of each fiscal year, the PCU will prepare the budget for the coming year which will include the figures for the year, analyzed by quarter. The budget for each quarter will reflect the detailed specifications for project activities, schedules (including the PP), and expenditures on monthly and quarterly project activities. The annual budget will be sent to the Task Team Leader at least two months before the beginning of the project fiscal year for review and approval. 13. Information Systems: A computerized FM system is in place and efficiently operational at the PCU. The FM system is capable of producing timely, relevant and reliable financial information that will enable the management of the project to plan, implement, monitor and appraise the overall progress towards the achievement of its objectives. There will be a new cost center opened in Bisan, the government accounting system for the AF. 14. Financial Section of the Operations Manual: The PCU will revise its Financial Section of the Operational Manual covering all administrative, financial and accounting, budgetary and human resources procedures relevant to the additional activities to be financed under the proposed project. A final draft of this section was submitted to the Bank before negotiations. 15. Staffing. As under the original TEIP, project activities will continue to be carried out through MOEHE’s structures while financial management will continue to be handled by the MOEHE’s PCU. The PCU will continue to provide direct fiduciary support to the MOEHE’s units implementing the project and to act as the Bank’s main counterpart for all financial management aspects of the project. As under TEIP, the PCU will also be responsible for skills building activities on financial management of MOEHE’s staff responsible for financial management. 16. Financial Reporting and Monitoring: The PCU will have overall responsibility for financial management of the Project. Specifically, it will be responsible for: i) consolidating the grant financial data; ii) preparing activity budgets (Disbursement Plan) quarterly as well as annually, monthly DA reconciliation statement, and periodic SOEs, withdrawal schedule, quarterly IFRs and annual financial statements; and iii) ensuring that project FM arrangements are acceptable to the PA and the World Bank. 17. The PCU will produce quarterly and annual reports as outlined below and submit these to the Bank for the purpose of monitoring project implementation. 40 Quarterly unaudited IFRs (submitted within 45 days after quarter-end): (a) Financial Reports include a statement showing for the period and cumulatively (project life or year to date) inflows by sources and outflows by main expenditure classifications; opening and closing cash balances of the project; and supporting schedules comparing actual and planned expenditures with detailed deviation analysis between actual and budgeted figures.; (b) Contract listing, reflecting all signed contracts under the grant with the value of each and amount disbursed under each contract as at the report date. (c) DA statement and reconciliation showing deposits and replenishments received, payments supported by WAs, interest earned on the account and the balance at the end of the reporting period. Annual Project Financial Statements (submitted within 6 months after year-end): (a) A Statement of Sources and Uses of Funds (by grant category/activity showing Bank and counterpart funds separately); (b) A Statement of Cash Position for project funds from all sources; (c) Statements reconciling the balances on the various bank accounts (including DA) to the bank balances shown on the Statement of Sources and Uses of Funds; (d) Notes to the Financial Statements for significant accounting policies and all other relevant information. 18. Accounting Policies and Procedures: Project accounts will be maintained on an accrual basis of accounting augmented with appropriate records and procedures to track commitments and to safeguard assets. Accounting records will be maintained in USD. 19. Internal Control: The Internal control function for the Project is covered through the MOF internal control function by the financial controllers based in the MOEHE. According to the MOF financial controller mandate, all project activities implemented by line ministries have to be reviewed and cleared by the financial controller based in that line ministry. This will include TEIP AF. 20. External Audits: The Grant Agreement will require the submission of annual audited Project financial statements within six months after year-end. Project’s financial statements will be annually audited by a qualified independent auditor acceptable to the Bank, in accordance with internationally accepted auditing standards, and terms of reference acceptable to the Bank. 21. The auditors will be expected to express an opinion on the audited Project financial statements on the Bank’s contribution to the Project, the accuracy and propriety of expenditures and the extent to which these can be relied upon as a basis for loan disbursements, the IFRs, and the Designated Account regarding the degree of compliance with Bank procedures and the balance at the year-end. 22. In addition to the audit report, the external auditors will be expected to prepare a Management Letter giving observations and comments, and providing recommendations for improvements in accounting records, systems, controls and compliance with financial covenants in the Bank Grant Agreement. 41 23. Supervision: Financial supervision activities will include, inter alia, review of SOEs, review of quarterly IFRs, review of annual audited financial statements and management letters as well as timely follow up on issues raised by the auditor. There will be supervisions twice a year for the life of the Project. Bank supervision missions will consist of visits to PCU. Each mission will cover a review of FM practices, procurement methods, payment procedures and documentation. Summarized Procurement Plan I. General 1. Project Name: Additional Financing to Teacher Education Improvement Project 2. Period covered by this procurement plan: first 18 months II. Goods 1. Procurement Methods and Prior Review Thresholds: Procurement Decisions subject to Prior Review by the Bank as stated in Appendix 1 to the Guidelines for Procurement: Category Method of Procurement Threshold (US$ Equivalent) Prior Review Threshold (US$ Equivalent) Goods ICB No threshold First contract and thereafter all contracts above $2,000,000. NCB <500,000 Shopping <100,000 Direct Contracting No threshold All contracts 2. Summary of the Procurement Packages planned during the first 18 months after project effectiveness: Goods: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ref. Description Estimated Procurement No. of Domestic Review by Estimated No. Cost Method lots Preference Bank BDs issue US$ (yes/no) (Prior / date (,000) Post) G01 Schools ICT 175 NCB 1 No Post January Equipment - West 2016 Bank G01 Schools ICT 70 S 1 No Post January Equipment – Gaza 2016 G03 Teaching Aids- 100 S 1 No Post February West Bank 2016 G04 Teaching Aids- 29 S 1 No Post February Gaza 2016 G05 M&E Software 10 S 1 No Post January 42 2016 Total 384 Goods: III. Selection of Consultants 1. Selection Methods and Prior Review Thresholds: Selection decisions subject to Prior Review by Bank as stated in Appendix 1 to the Guidelines Selection and Employment of Consultants: Category Selection Threshold Prior Review Threshold Method (US$ Equivalent) (US$ Equivalent) Consulting QCBS/QBS No threshold Any contract above $2,000,000 Services Firms CQS/LCS <300,000 Sole Source No threshold All contracts Individuals IC No threshold Any contract above $500,000 Sole Source No threshold All contracts 2. Short list comprising entirely of national consultants: Short list of consultants for services, estimated to cost less than US$300,000 equivalent per contract, may comprise entirely of national consultants in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2.7 of the Consultant Guidelines. 3. Consultancy Assignments with Selection Methods and Time Schedule: Ref Description of Assignment Estimated Selection Review Estimated No. Cost Method by RFP issue US$ Bank date (,000) (Prior / Post) 72 IC Nov.27.2015 CS01 Coordinator -Comp 1&2, 2016 Post 162 IC Nov.27.2015 Academic Consultant for Building Capacity of CS02 Post AQAC 100 IC Nov.27.2015 International Consultant- to build Capacity of CS03 Post AQAC and Assist Accreditation of Programs 43 125 SS 28-Feb-16 International Technical Assistance for Comp. CS04 Prior 1&2 – CCCU 60 SS 31-Jan-16 CS05 Teaching Practice Team -Comp 1 - NNU Prior 60 SS 31-Jan-16 CS06 Teaching Practice Team -Comp 1 - AAUJ Prior 60 SS 31-Jan-16 CS07 Teaching Practice Team -Comp 1 - BU Prior 100 SS 31-Jan-16 CS08 Teaching Practice Team -Comp 1 - QU Prior 120 SS 31-Jan-16 CS09 Teaching Practice Team -Comp 1 - HU Prior 100 SS 31-Jan-16 CS10 Teaching Practice Team -Comp 1 - (Gaza) Prior 165 SS 28-Feb-16 Upgrading Under Qualified Teachers -Comp CS11 Prior 2-NNU 165 SS 28-Feb-16 Upgrading Under Qualified Teachers -Comp CS12 Prior 2-QU 165 SS 28-Feb-16 Upgrading Under Qualified Teachers -Comp CS13 Prior 2-HU 165 SS 28-Feb-16 Upgrading Under Qualified Teachers -Comp CS14 Prior 2- Azhar 165 SS 28-Feb-16 Upgrading Under Qualified Teachers -Comp CS15 Prior 2-BZU Upgrading Under Qualified Teachers -Comp 165 SS 28 Feb 16 CS16 Prior 2-QOU in association with Hebron University Upgrading Under Qualified Teachers -Comp 165 SS 28 Feb 16 CS17 Prior 2-QOU in association with NNU 30 LCS 28-Jul-16 CS18 External Audit Firm Post CS19 M&E Consultant 72 IC Post 28 Feb 16 Total 2216 44 1. Project Description 1. There is already strong consensus among key stakeholders in WBG that the AF should bring the pilot phase up to national scale, both with regard to pre-service training and in terms of the in-service training of all primary school teachers. Hence, for Component 1, all activities would be extended to 2 universities1 still not participating; support will be provided to AQAC to proceed with the accreditation of the new teacher education programs using international standards; and the capacity building of all Faculty, Mentors and Supervisors to be involved in the Project should be further increased. For Component 2, the current program for UQTs should aim at becoming a national program for the professional development of all Grades 1 to 4 teachers, based on the new Modules that have been piloted in 2015. The incorporation of Al-Quds Open University to this Component extends the reach of this INSET program significantly. With its network of outreach centers and e-learning technology, the Modules can be delivered to schools and teachers which, to date, were beyond the reach of TEIP. In addition, the ongoing curriculum reform of science, math and possibly also Arabic in primary education will need to be factored into this Component (a parallel Technical Assistance program on this particular issue, led by the World Bank team and funded by the Norwegian Trust Fund, is set to start in September 2015). Finally, the AF will necessarily address institution building issues of key implementation agencies, notably NIET, DSQ and higher education institutions (HEIs). 2. Gender Mainstreaming. The Project is consistent with the West Bank & Gaza Country Gender Action Plan (CGAP) FY15-FY17. Gender is fully integrated into the original project design and will continue to be closely monitored under the AF. 3. Strategic mainstreaming. The project focuses on the overall themes of increasing female labor force participation and women’s voice and participation in service delivery. More specifically, the project targets gender related activities in two areas of focus: (i) enhancing female employment and economic empowerment; and (ii) making basic services answer to women. The first area of strategic mainstreaming reflects the starkly low level of female labor force participation despite the high level of educational attainment of women2. In particular, the first project component which focuses on per-service teacher education through strengthening pedagogical skills and practical training of class teachers, would eventually help foster female employability and livelihoods as graduates from the program (75 percent of whom are female) will have better chances of being employed immediately after graduation. Similarly, the second component which seeks to upgrade the academic and professional teaching qualification of in- service class teachers from grade one to four (90 percent of whom are female teachers) would 1 The 6 universities are the previous universities ( Bethlehem University, Arab American University of Jenin, An- Najah University, and Al Azhar University, Gaza in addition to newcomers: Hebron University and Al Quds University). 2 Female labor force participation is remarkably low, at 17.3% in 2013, even when compared to the Middle East and North Africa (MNA) average of 26%. That is one of the lowest regional rates in the developing word. Female youth employment is also very low at 26 % (42% for men, 9% for women) (WDI 2012). Available data shows that women’s unemployment rates is high, at 35% in 2013 (compared to 20.6% for men); 53.1% in the Gaza Strip an d 25.9% in the West Bank. 45 help improve teaching tactics and teacher thinking in the classroom environment and thus contribute to improving the overall education outcomes and women’s effective participation in service delivery. Component 1. Strengthening School-based Practice of Pre-service Teacher Education Programs (Estimated Cost: US$1,227,000, including contingencies) 1.1. Scaling up and Integrating the Practicum 4. Rationale: While the development and extension of the Teaching Practicum has been a significant achievement during the pilot phase of TEIP, making the Practicum an integral and integrated part of PRESET programs is a major and ongoing challenge for teacher educators in WBG. Progress in this regard will require: (a) a change of mindset on the part of both the MOEHE and teacher educators regarding the nature of professional education and (b) a comprehensive re-evaluation of all components of PRESET programs and the relevance of each to the professional development and teaching expertise of student teachers. 5. Objective: The Teaching Practicum should be an integral part of the overall teacher education program, reflecting its approach and orientation. Likewise the overall program should feed into, support and inform the Teaching Practicum. Consequently, considerable work still remains to be done before the Practicum becomes an integral and integrated component of PRESET programs. The overall program should feed into, support and inform the school-based work of student teachers. The Practicum experience should, in turn, help student teachers to bridge the theory-practice gap, become aware of the complexity of the teaching situation and of the critical role that decision-making plays in the life of all professionals, including teachers. The Readiness to Teach Index (RTTI) developed during the pilot phase of TEIP will be the most useful and user-friendly tool for the evaluation and integration of PRESET programs and for the further development of TEIP. (Some TEIP institutions have already begun using the RTTI for program planning). 6. Activities:  Participating universities (HEIs), with the support and guidance of NIET and DSQ, to review all components of PRESET programs and reconsider their place in the professional training of teachers. On the basis of that review, HEIs will develop a Teaching Practicum template wherein school-based experiences are developed as an integral part of PRESET programs.  A thorough re-evaluation of all PRESET programs and the contribution of each component thereof to the professional development and teaching expertise of student teachers.  NIET and DSQ, in collaboration with participating HEIs, to develop evaluation and assessment procedures using the RTTI and ensuring relevance to each of the core curriculum areas. 46  Training, retaining and rewarding effective mentor teachers/mentor teams in all Palestinian schools.  Continuation of short study visits to selected international teacher training institutions for small groups of personnel directly involved in the development and/or delivery of PRESET and INSET programs.  Continuation of capacity-building programs by local experts and international consultants that have proved effective to date in the implementation of TEIP. 47 TEIP Component 1: PRESET Curriculum Reform and Development of Integrated Programs - Implementation Plan Jan – July 2016 Sept 2016 – July 2017 Sept 2017 – July 2018 Sept 2018 – Dec 2018 Preparation and Development, implementation and evaluation development  Develop integrated  Implement program and  Implement new  Implement new PRESET program Practicum developed in Year-3 courses and year- 4 courses and frameworks around Year 1 Practicum as Practicum as teaching Practicum. planned. planned.  Develop course outlines  1. Draft course outlines and materials for year 3  Develop course  Evaluate and revise & materials for year 2. with further adaptation outlines and Year 2, Year 3 and Begin adaptation of of the Modules for Year materials for year 4 Year 4 courses and CK/PCK integrated 3 student teachers. with further the overall teaching Modules from adaptation of the Practicum. Component 2 INSET for  Evaluate and revise Modules for Year 4 PRESET use. Year 2 courses and student teachers. Practicum.  Review Practicum  Evaluate and revise Template. Year 2 and Year 3 courses and  Continue the Practicum. implementation of the Practicum in current enrolled universities (Arab American University of Jenin, An- Najah University, Bethlehem University, Al Azhar University)  Start implementation of Practicum in the newly added universities (Hebron University & Al-Quds University) by 2nd Semester 2016 (Spring 2016). Ongoing capacity building in curriculum design for integrated PRESET programs, the integration of CK and PCK in core curriculum areas for Grade 1-4 teaching, the further development of the Practicum, and the assessment/evaluation appropriate to an integrated professional training program. This will be accomplished through a series of site visits to West Bank and Gaza and study visits to CCCU. Review and revision of Ongoing evaluation and renewal of RTTI as necessary. RTTI. Induction for new Ongoing support for all universities. universities. 48 Mentor Training Capacity Building Implementation Plan Jan – July 2016 Sept 2016 – July 2017 Sept 2017 – July 2018 Sept 2018 – Dec 2018 Preparation and Development, implementation and evaluation development  Development of draft  Implementation of  Implementation of  Implementation of Mentor Training Mentor Training Mentor Training Mentor Training program. Program 1st cycle Program 2nd cycle. Program 3rd cycle.  Evaluation and  Evaluation and  Evaluation and revision of program. revision of program. revision of program.  Planning for  Implementation,  Implementation,  Implementation, induction program monitoring, monitoring, monitoring, for new teachers. evaluation and evaluation and evaluation and revision of induction revision of induction revision of induction program. program. program. Ongoing capacity building for Ministry District Supervisors to conduct mentor training through program of site visits to West Bank and Gaza and study visits to CCCU. 1.2. Program Accreditation 7. Rationale: According to the Director General of AQAC, no teacher education program in WBG has yet been accredited in accordance with international good-practice norms. Yet, it is clear that program accreditation has a critical role to play in sustaining the gains that have already been made in TEIP and ensuring the project’s long-term impact as it is taken to national scale. 8. Accrediting all PRESET programs according to international protocols and standards would have the following benefits: (a) it would strengthen the argument for AF for TEIP since it could be argued that ongoing support would help individual institutions prepare for the formal accreditation of their PRESET programs; (b) accreditation would support MOEHE action with regard to substandard PRESET programs; (c) by indicating the number of student teachers that can be adequately catered for by individual institutions and their faculties of education, formal accreditation would help to reduce the over-crowding of PRESET programs, counter the massive over-production of teachers in WBG, and prevent the addition of any new providers in already over-subscribed areas of pre-service teacher educator; (d) the graduates of fully accredited PRESET programs could be granted ‘Qualified Teacher Status’ (QTS) and declared fit to begin teaching, thus negating the need for any further, post-graduation, pencil and paper test before taking up a teaching position: (e) graduates of properly accredited programs would be employable anywhere in WBG and in other countries. 9. Objectives: The accreditation of all PRESET programs according to international good- practice norms within an agreed timeframe (e.g., 3 years). 49 10. Activities: While AQAC is now a well-established quality assurance agency and has shown sufficient capacity to carry out both institution and program accreditation, it is recognized that significant support and capacity building, along with extra staffing, will be needed to develop AQAC’s specific expertise to a level where it would be competent to arrange, direct and lead such accreditation procedures for PRESET programs. Activities would include the following: • International technical assistance to advise AQAC on the development of structures and the appointment of personnel that would enable it to operate in line with best international practice in program accreditation. • Secondment of selected academic staff to AQAC with the requisite experience and expertise to arrange and direct accreditation procedures. • Establishing formal cooperation ties with international institutions, with long track records in pre-service teacher education, which are prepared to supply experts with the requisite experience to work in AQAC’s accreditation teams. Component 2. Continuous Professional Development of Primary School Teachers (INSET)3 (Estimated Cost: US$1,348,000, including contingencies) 2.1. Module Development 11. Rationale: The original Modules developed for Component 2 of TEIP were based on seven broad, generically conceived, competencies. They were too general in scope and too far removed from the realities of actual teaching to provide a basis for the development of modules appropriate to the priority teaching needs of under-qualified teachers (UQTs) who have never been formally trained and who up to now have been operating as ‘subject teachers,’ rather than as Grade 1-4 ‘class teachers.’ Such UQTs have specific needs related to how to teach in general and how to teach particular subjects in an integrated manner to Grade 1-4 pupils. Properly constituted Modules should target these needs in a very direct and focused manner. The Content Knowledge (CK) and the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)4 relevant to each core area of 3 It was decided, for this second phase, to avoid the terms “under qualified” teachers, hence the change in title for this Component. 4 The concept of PCK was developed by Lee Shulman of Stanford University and Maher Hashweh of Birzeit University in the mid-1980s. Since then PCK is seen as part of the knowledge base of teaching. It exists at the intersection of content and pedagogy. It is the critical part of a teacher’s professional knowledge base that, through the use of explanations, illustrations, demonstrations, examples and analogies, enables him/her to transform subject matter into forms that are accessible and comprehensible to students. PCK requires: knowledge of content; understanding of how students learn, or fail to learn, specific subject matter; knowledge of a range or menu of alternative teaching tactics; knowledge of the environment and social context of pupils. PCK is highly topic, person, and situation specific. Consequently, it is through professional preparation, well-mentored practical experience, individual and collective reflection on teaching experiences, that each teacher constructs his/her own version of PCK that works for him/her in the teaching of specific subject areas. PCK can be briefly defined as a collection of teacher pedagogical constructions developed by individual teachers through experience and reflection on experience. 50 the Grade 1-4 curriculum should be integrated in both the development and delivery of the new Modules. 12. Because of disruption and implementation delays, it is very clear that considerable work still remains to be done in both the further development and effective delivery of the new Modules and that further funding and additional consultant support are required to ensure effective progress in this regard. 13. Objectives: (i) The further development of Modules targeted at the core subject areas of the Grade 1-4 curriculum, incorporating the CK and PCK relevant to each area; (ii) the provision of capacity building for faculty members, student mentors, ministry inspectors and others involved in both pre-service and in-service teacher education; and (iii) the incorporation of these new Modules into all PRESET and INSET programs in WBG; (iv) the development of two other Modules targeted at selected teachers: (i) in the area of inclusion and special needs, and (ii) Technology Enhanced Learning and Teaching and Assessment (TELTA). Such teachers might subsequently act both as trainers and resource persons in their own schools and/or in a cluster of schools. Consideration might also be given to developing an integrated Module on “Social Studies”. 14. Activities: • Each core area of the Grade 1-4 curriculum should constitute a Module for the INSET program – for example, Language Arts (Arabic, English), Mathematics, Science, Social and Environmental. The focus of each module should be on the effective teaching of a specific subject area to Grade 1-4 students as part of an overall integrated curriculum. In keeping with good international practice, the treatment of each Module should include the following: (i) the use of child-focused, activity-oriented, methods relevant to the teaching of that subject area; (ii) the monitoring, evaluation and assessment techniques that are appropriate for that subject area; (iii) the approaches that have been found to be effective for the teaching that subject area to mixed ability classes and to students with learning difficulties; (iv) the use of teaching and learning aids (including ICT) that have been found to be effective in the teaching of that subject area; (v) the identification of extra- curricular and real life examples that support the teaching of that subject area; and (vi) the preparation of short- and long-term plans for teaching the subject area. This work will require project implementation agencies to work closely with the Curriculum Center and other institutions in charge of the design of the ongoing curriculum reform for Grades 1 to 4. • Technical assistance to provide training and capacity building to faculty members, supervisors and NIET staff involved in teacher professional development. 51 TEIP Component 2: INSET Program for Underqualified Teachers (UQTs) Implementation Plan Jan – July 2016 Sept 2016 – July 2017 Sept 2017 – July 2018 Sept 2018 – Dec 2018 Preparation and Development, implementation and evaluation development  Develop training  Conduct 1st cycle of  Conduct training  Conduct training program framework. training program in program 2nd cycle in program 3nd cycle. new in addition to the new institutions and  Implement Grade 1-4 currently enrolled continue in old  Evaluate and revise core curriculum HEIs. institutions. modules and training modules integrating materials. CK & CK therein  Evaluate and revise  Evaluate and revise (languages, arts, modules and training modules and training math, science) in materials. materials. existing Comp. 2 institutions and  Develop additional newly joining HEIs. modules in: (1) social studies; (2)  Rationalize and specialist module on revise relevant inclusion and SEN; modules. (3) Technology Enhanced Learning  Develop training and Teaching and materials for module Assessment delivery. (TELTA).  Capacity building program for the new joining university/ies.  Revise PTPDI  Implement PTPDI  Implement PTPDI  Implement PTPDI and assessment and assessment and assessment  Develop draft, assessment,  Evaluate and revise  Evaluate and revise  Evaluate and revise monitoring and evaluation framework and tools Ongoing capacity building for trainers in module design, in-service training strategies, CK and PCK, inclusive practice, TELTA, module assessment and evaluation, application of PTPDI. This will be accomplished through a program of site visits to West Bank and Gaza and study visits to CCCU. 2.2. Catering for Diversity and Inclusion 15. Rationale: It can be argued that in WBG, where Special Education is seriously under- developed, the most effective approach to catering for students with particular and/or special needs is to train the regular teachers better. While the development of Special Education services is not part of TEIP, the pedagogical knowledge and skills related to catering for diversity in teaching merit much more attention and support than have been afforded them in the pilot stage of TEIP. 52 16. Objectives: (i) to incorporate the pedagogical knowledge and skills related to catering for students with particular and/or special needs into the development of each of the Modules for the INSET program; and (ii) to adapt these Modules for use in pre-service teacher education and incorporate them into all PRESET programs for Grade 1-4 class teachers. 17. Activities: • Technical assistance to support the incorporation of the knowledge and skills related to catering for students with diverse needs into the PCK relevant to teaching each core area of the Grade 1-4 curriculum. • Capacity building related to this is provided for all faculty and other personnel involved in the training of Grade 1-4 class teachers. 2.3. ICT 18. Rationale: The development and effective use of ICT in teacher education, teaching, and learning merits considerable attention and funding under the AF. The advances that have already been made in this area under the pilot stage of TEIP provide evidence of the need for, and benefits of, further development and investment in this area. 19. Objectives: (i) To incorporate the ICT knowledge and skills relevant to core curriculum areas into Modules related to the teaching of each area of the Grade 1-4 curriculum; (ii) to adapt these Modules for use in pre-service teacher education and incorporate them into all PRESET programs for Grade 1-4 class teachers; (iii) to expand the use of ICT in the formation of ‘communities of practice’ and more diverse and sophisticated teacher professional development activities among trainee and practicing teachers. 20. Activities: • Technical assistance to support the incorporation of the ICT knowledge and skills into the PCK related to teaching each of the core areas of the Grades 1-4 curriculum. • Capacity building on ICT integration for all faculty and other personnel involved in the training of Grade 1-4 class teachers. • Facilitation and development of ICT use in the formation of communities of practice among trainee and practicing teachers and ongoing communication with their teacher educators. Component 3. Project Management and Implementation Support (Estimated Cost: US$425,000, including contingencies). 21. Implementation of Components 1 and 2. The AF will follow to a great extent the same implementation arrangements as in the ongoing TEIP, i.e.: Component 1 and 2 will be implemented by DSQ and NIET respectively. Since this second phase of TEIP will involve the 53 adaptation of the newly developed modules for INSET in Component 2 for inclusion in PRESET programs under Component 1, the linkages between these two Components will be even stronger than under the first phase. This means that it will be critical to maintain a coherent and consistent approach during the implementation of these two Components. This could be done through the recruitment of a local consultant who could play the role of Coordinator for both Components. 22. Steering Committee (SC). As per the letter sent by the Minister on June 22nd, 2015, the composition of the Steering Committee (SC) for the TEIP-AF is as follows:  Minister of Education & Higher Education – Chair  Assistant Deputy Minister for Planning & Development – Coordinator  Head of Accreditation & Quality Assurance Commission (AQAC) - Member  Representative from the National Institute for Educational Training (NIET) – Member  Representative from the Directorate General of Supervision & Qualifications (DSQ) – Member  Representative from the Assessment & Evaluation Department (AED) - Member  Representative from participating universities in Component 1- Member  Representative from participating universities in Component 2- Member  World Bank Coordination Unit (PCU) - Secretariat 23. Project Management and Implementation Support. The Project Coordination Unit (PCU), which has acquired extensive experience in donor-financed projects over the years, would continue to be responsible for all the fiduciary aspects of the AF. The PCU is currently composed of 10 staff (1 Director, 1 Financial management officer, 1 Grant officer, 1 Procurement Officer, 1 Procurement Specialist 1 Administrative Secretary, 2 staff in charge of the Quality Improvement Fund (QIF). Two staff are based in Gaza: 1 Representative of the PCU and 1 Compliance Officer. It is envisaged, under the AF, to add the responsibility of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) at the project level to a selected staff member of the PCU, or if necessary, to recruit a part-time M&E Officer in order to assist the PCU in managing and documenting data from different key players, making data available to stakeholders as well as to monitor and update the Project’s Results Framework. 24. Operational Manual (OM): An OM for the ongoing TEIP already exists. The PCU has updated this document as needed, to reflect changes under AF and/or WB procedures. 25. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). The M&E function at the project and strategic level will continue to be ensured by the Assessment and Evaluation Department (AED). See Section 4 below for more details on M&E arrangements). 2. Economic Analysis 26. Introduction. The proposed AF would finance the scaling-up of activities that will enhance the project’s impact and development effectiveness by: (i) ensuring that achievements gained in the pilot stage of Teacher Education Improvement Project (TEIP) will be maintained (i.e., sustainability); (ii) facilitating the extension of the TEIP’s components to additional 54 institutions involved in teacher education in the West Bank and Gaza (WBG); (iii) supporting further progress toward bringing teacher education and teaching in WBG closer to international good-practice standards; and (iv) enabling and adding value to the eventual implementation of the curriculum reform for primary education, which is currently in the design stage. 27. At the same time, this AF comes in the aftermath of the devastating 2014 Gaza conflict as well as years under the Gaza blockade, which have severely impacted the education sector in Gaza. For instance, the total value of losses in instructional time for the 2014–15 school year and costs to pay teacher salaries for providing remedial education is estimated at US$467,606 in MOEHE schools and US$492,217 in UNRWA schools, for a total of US$959,823.5 This administrative cost, which could potentially continue for three years, would add US$400,000 to the overall cost of teacher salaries each year, and the cost of remedial education over the next two years is estimated at US$2.8 million. In addition, limitations in access, mobility, and intellectual exchange are gravely impacting the quality of education offered in Gaza. The absence of expertise in certain specialized fields in Gaza has increased the need to develop teachers’ capacity in these fields as well as to strengthen teachers’ and students’ ability to travel abroad for education and training purposes. Moreover, access to information is hampered by restrictions on importing textbooks and magazines as well as a lack of funds for e-journal subscriptions. 28. In addition, spending on education has increased in real terms, even though external concessional finance from numerous development partners in total has been reduced. Specifically, spending on education constituted approximately 4.9% of GDP and 15.7% of total public expenditure in 2012, which compares well with most countries in the region. In fact, in some years the increase has been more than growth in total expenditures resulting in a higher share of public expenditure on education than eight years ago. 29. Project Development Impact. Evidence continues to mount highlighting the central role that teachers play in influencing student achievement. This broad base of research demonstrates the clear link between teaching quality and student outcomes, effectively highlighting the connection between the proposed AF activities and its targeted outcomes. Although it is difficult to quantify teacher quality, these studies provide clear evidence that the proposed AF will contribute to development in WBG because the project outcome of improved teacher quality will have clear benefits for student learning, justifying the expected project cost. 30. The importance of addressing teacher quality is even more urgent as primary school enrollment rates have increased steadily over the past six years (from 94.7% in 2007 to 99.4% in 2015 (see Table 1 in Annex 3 “Revised Economic Analysis”). These high enrollment rates have increased demand for teachers and classrooms. This suggests that more teachers will need to be trained in order to build on the TEIP’s existing gains and further improve student learning outcomes. 31. World Bank Value Added. The World Bank has a long engagement in the education sector, globally and in WBG, and is seen by the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a trusted partner in addressing the current situation. The Bank has a long record of supporting the PA and MOEHE 5 Detailed Needs Assessment and Recovery Framework: Gaza – Volume 2. 55 through technical assistance and brings global experience and expertise in the field of education to WBG. Overall, the Bank’s education sector is focused on supporting countries to enhance the quality of their education in an equitable and sustainable manner. This includes providing technical assistance through teacher training and management. 32. The Bank has unique expertise in coordinating other donors and ministries in fulfilling the MOEHE’s plan for a stronger education system and higher student performance. In addition, the Bank provides strong technical expertise and project design and management. The World Bank can provide the technical and financial support required to achieve key program goals. This includes dialogue with the MOF to ensure that the program is adequately funded to ensure resources required to achieve targets are available. It also includes mobilizing trust funds and other sources for technical assistance in identified target areas. 3. Technical Analysis 33. The proposed AF will continue to support the implementation of strategic programs identified in the TES as key pieces to professionalize the teaching profession and to help improve the quality of classroom teaching. 34. The incentives offered to schools and teachers to participate in the mentoring of trainee teachers are threefold: (i) improved school facilities and equipment; (ii) intensive capacity building to equip classroom teachers to competently mentor trainees; (iii) the sense of professional pride that accompanies such a role which is also to be formally acknowledged by MOEHE starting in the 2015-2016 academic year. 35. In order to scale-up the strengthening of “school-based practice” of PRESET, MOEHE added two universities (Hebron University and Al-Quds University) to the 4 ones that were selected under the parent TEIP (i.e. Al-Azhar University in Gaza (including Islamic University of Gaza and Al-Aqsa University); Arab American University; Bethlehem University; and An-Najah National University in Nablus. 36. Similarly, MOEHE selected Al Quds Open University to be added to the universities of Al- Azhar University in Gaza (who will act as a focal point for the two other universities of Al Aqsa University and Islamic University in Gaza) and the four universities in the West Bank (Birzeit University, Al-Quds University, Hebron University, and An-Najah University) to support the design, development and implementation of modular programs aimed at upgrading the competencies and skills of all teachers (with underqualified ones still as a priority but with a view to the entire primary school teacher population). 37. MOEHE selected these institutions based on their previous track record in teacher training coupled with geographic considerations to ensure that there is adequate geographic coverage in the West Bank (north, south and center) and Gaza. 38. MOEHE will contract-out these eight universities6 to deliver the required consultants’ services on the basis of single source selection. Each of these institutions is the only one such 6 12 contracts with eight universities under both Components. 56 institution that is uniquely qualified and has experience of exceptional worth to undertake the assignment in their respective geographic area. These selections will be reflected in the Procurement Plan. 39. The responsibility for overall oversight and monitoring on the implementation of the project procurement will rest with the MOEHE, through the PCU, which would act as the Bank’s main counterpart for all procurement aspects of the project and would ensure that procurement under the project is carried out in accordance with the Grant Agreement and the Procurement Plan. An assessment of the MOEHE capacity to implement Bank Procurement Guidelines was conducted as part of the preparation of the AF. The assessment highlighted sufficient procurement capacity within the MOEHE and provided recommendations on how to address the risks identified. Since the TEIP has been designed to support the EDSP and its corresponding Teacher Education Strategy, the implementation of the TEIP will be carried out through the MOEHE structures. Fiduciary activities, including procurement and financial management, related to the TEIP will be handled by the MOEHE’s Project Coordination Unit (PCU) responsible for World Bank-funded projects to the Education and Higher Education Sector. 4. Institutional Arrangements 40. The AF to TEIP will continue to be implemented through existing MOEHE structures. Given the TEIP’s focus on improving teaching quality, MOEHE’s quality cluster will be responsible for TEIP oversight. A Steering Committee (SC) chaired by the Minister of Education and Higher Education. 41. As under the parent TEIP, the SC will be responsible for the overall coordination of this AF, the MOEHE’s DSQ will be responsible for the implementation of Component 1 “Strengthening “school based practice” of pre-service teacher education programs)” while Component 2 “Continuous Professional Development of Primary School Teachers” will be managed by NIET. The PCU of the current TEIP will continue to provide support for general implementation, procurement and financial management. The overall monitoring and evaluation of TEIP will be done by the MOEHE’s AED using the tools established during the first phase. Component 1 – Strengthening “school based practice” of pre-service teacher education programs 42. MOEHE’s DSQ will continue to oversee day-to-day implementation of this component. As under the current TEIP, the AF would fund one local consultant to follow up both components 1 and 2 and an international institution with a proven track record of designing and implementing “school based practice” programs and curriculum reform to support the MOEHE team. Responsibilities of MOEHE’s DSQ team will include: Selection of consultants; With support from selected local and international consultants, supervise the training delivered to the Teaching Practice Teams (TPTs) (detailed responsibilities defined below) relevant to the aims and objectives of the school based practice program. 57 Assist the TPTs in reviewing current arrangements for teaching practice in their own institutions and identify changes taking into account international experience in school-based programs. In collaboration with the MOEHE’s AED, and advice from the international consultant, review and update the current ‘readiness to teach’ index of competencies that one would expect a beginning Grade 1 to 4 teacher to have mastered. Assist the TPTs in the two newly added universities under this component (i.e. Hebron University (HU) and Al Quds University (QU)) to develop their individual versions of that template and negotiate its integration7 into their own teacher education programs. Assist the selected higher education institutions in the selection of teaching Practicum schools and cooperating teachers based on the revised selection criteria. Ensure that mentor teachers, district supervisors (mentor teams) and other school- based personnel (e.g. principals and others responsible for the program within schools) receive appropriate training to support, supervise, and mentor trainee teachers. Participate in the selection of mentor teams at the district offices to oversee the implementation of the project in the cooperating schools. With the aid of the consultants and supervisors, support and monitor those involved in the implementation of the program in the selected higher education institutions and cooperating schools. Arrange for the MOEHE’s AED to assess program impact using qualitative and quantitative measures, pre- and post-test data, and the ‘readiness to teach’ index of competencies required on the part of beginning, Grade 1 to 4 teachers. Assist participating HEIs in developing an integrated PRESET program framework around Teaching Practicum, also to develop their individual versions of the PRESET programs. 43. Each of the new selected higher education institutions will follow the same process as the current universities to appoint the Teaching Practice Team (TPT), i.e. in consultation with the team responsible for managing this component. These TPTs will design a template for PRESET integrated programs, using good practice in other countries. 44. The main responsibilities of the TPT include: Liaising with the DSQ team, other TPTs, and international and local consultants in the design, development and implementation of the “school based practice” component. This will entail: (i) reviewing existing teaching practice arrangements in each participating institution; (ii) in cooperation with the DSQ team, international and local consultants and other TPTs, develop a teaching Practicum template in keeping 7 The Teaching Practicum should be an integral part of the overall teacher education program and reflect its approach and orientation. Likewise the overall program should feed into, support and inform the teaching practicum. 58 with good Teaching Practicum practice internationally; (iii) within the parameters of that template, develop a “school-based practice” program for their institution that is conducive to a more child-centered and activity/discovery-oriented approach to teaching in schools; (iv) overseeing the implementation of their individual “school based practice” within their own teacher education programs and cooperating schools; and (v) engineering the integration8 of the “school based practice” programs, as conceived, into the fabric of their individual teacher education programs and the adaptation of each component of PRESET programs to serve the needs of teachers and teaching. Reviewing the identification of criteria for the selection of “school-based practice” schools and cooperating teachers. Ensuring that mentor teachers/mentor teams and other school personnel (e.g. principals and others responsible for the Teaching Practicum within schools) receive appropriate training to support, supervise, and mentor teacher trainees to work in Palestinian classes as they currently exist (i.e. large, small, multi-grade, male, female, mixed). Ensuring that the classrooms of mentor teachers are provided with a realistic level of currently available teaching resources to adequately implement the new Palestinian curriculum. In consultation with the DSQ, and support from the international consulting institution and advice from the CDTP, review a common template for a state of the art “school based practice” program. In cooperation with DSQ, the AED, and project consultants, reviewing the ‘readiness to teach’ index of competencies required on the part of beginning grade 1 to 4 teachers. Cooperating with the MOEHE’s AED in assessing program impact using qualitative and quantitative measures, pre- and post-test data, and the ‘readiness to teach’ index of competencies required for beginning grade 1 to 4 teachers. Component 2 – Continuous Professional Development of Primary School Teachers 45. This component will continue to be managed by MOEHE’s NIET team. The TEIP will fund one local consultant to support NIET and DSQ at the same time. The TEIP will also provide funding for the recruitment of an international institution, with a proven track record in the design and implementation of teacher professional development (upgrading) programs to support NIET. As this Component is brought up to national scale, the ultimate goal would be to set up a national consortium of HEIs committed to the professional development of primary school teachers. In this regard, the incorporation of Al-Quds Open University to the already participating HEIs not only brings the added value of reaching out to schools in remote areas which were not covered by the program heretofore, but also the possibility of partnerships with the other HEIs (to be reflected in joint contracts under the Project) so that the Component can take advantage of 8 The Teaching Practicum should be an integral part of the overall teacher education program, reflecting its approach and orientation. Likewise the overall program should feed into, support and inform the teaching practicum. 59 the network of branches that Al-Quds Open University has throughout the country and the availability and access to cutting-edge e-learning technology. 46. The NIET team will maintain the same responsibilities as under the current TEIP, i.e.: Selection of consultants. Review current provision for the upgrading of under-qualified teachers, the nature of that provision, and lessons learned to guide the planning of the present project. In close collaboration with the EFT in the participating institutions, and representatives of under-qualified grade 1-4 teachers (including school administrators), and with advice from the CDTP, review the unified accredited program for implementation and the additional two Modules on Special Education and ICT. Assist the participating institutions in the reviewing of criteria for the selection of under-qualified candidates from applicants for the different programs. With the aid of the component’s consultants, support, monitor and mentor those involved in the implementation of the program. Arrange for the MOEHE’s AED to assess project impact using qualitative and quantitative measures, pre- and post-test data, and a ‘readiness to teach’ index of competencies that one would expect experienced Grade 1-4 level, class teachers to have mastered following involvement in a project of this nature. 47. The responsibilities of the Education Faculty Teams (EFT) include: Liaison function entailing: (i) reviewing existing provisions for the upgrading of under-qualified, grade 1-4, class teachers in their own institutions; (ii) in cooperation with the NIET, project consultants and other EFTs, review the current template for a modular upgrading program for under-qualified, Grades 1 to 4 teachers, including: a modular program for teachers who have an appropriate primary degree for the subjects/grade level they are teaching but who do not have a professional teaching qualification; a modular program to upgrade teachers who have a professional teaching qualification but not a primary degree in their teaching area/subject(s). Review of modular upgrading programs by individual EFTs for their own institutions within the parameters defined in the common template. Overseeing the implementation of the unified accredited program in their own institutions. In cooperation with the TMT and project consultants, reviewing the current ‘readiness to teach’ index of competencies required on the part of experienced Grades 1 to 4 class teachers. Cooperation with the MOEHE’s AED in assessing program impact using qualitative and quantitative measures, pre- and post-test data, and the ‘readiness to teach’ index of competencies appropriate to experienced Grades 1 to 4 class teachers. 60 Component 3- Project Management and Implementation Support 48. As under the original TEIP, project activities will continue to be carried out through MOEHE’s structures while fiduciary activities, including procurement and financial management will continue to be handled by the MOEHE’s PCU. The PCU will continue to provide direct fiduciary support to the MOEHE’s units implementing the project and to acts as the Bank’s main counterpart for all procurement and financial management aspects of the project. As under TEIP, the PCU will also be responsible for skills building activities on procurement and financial management of MOEHE’s staff responsible for procurement and financial management. The PCU is currently composed of 10 staff (1 Director, 1 Financial management officer, 1 Grant officer, 1 Procurement Officer, 1 Procurement Specialist 1 Administrative Secretary, 2 staff in charge of QIF. Two staff are based in Gaza: 1 Representative of the PCU and 1 Compliance Officer. It is envisaged, under the AF, to add the responsibility of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) at the project level to a selected staff member of the PCU, or if necessary, to recruit a part-time M&E Officer. 49. Operational Manual (OM): An OM for the ongoing TEIP already exists. The PCU has updated this document as needed, to reflect changes under AF and/or WB procedures. 5. Arrangements for Results Monitoring 50. The AED would be responsible for providing overall monitoring and evaluation of the activities financed by the AF to TEIP. Project outputs and outcomes will be tracked through a set of strategic monitoring indicators that are part of the M&E system that will be used to monitor the EDSP. 51. Coordination of data collection on teacher qualification and class teacher engagement in mentoring student teachers will be the responsibility of the Director General for Qualification and Supervision and NIET, and will be done through the existing network of school supervisors. 52. The Project’s Results Framework will be monitored and updated by a part-time M&E Officer (who will be recruited to work with the PCU) or an existing staff member at the PCU. This person will also assist the PCU in managing and documenting data from different key players, and making data available to stakeholders. 53. Since it is hard to randomize the selection of teachers into the program, impact of the project will be based on a quasi-experimental design using Kirkpatrick’s model for the evaluation of training programs. The impact of the program will be assessed at four levels: (1) reaction/satisfaction, (2) feel and perception of learning, (3) change in instructional behaviours in a classroom setting, (4) real results as measured by students in the classrooms. 54. The first level measures their feeling on whether the training was a valuable experience and their satisfaction with the program including the modules, the material, the practical activities and the venue. The second level measures the confidence levels of program participants based on their reflection of what they have learned (based on the learning objectives and the expected skills) and how much has their knowledge increased as a result of TEIP. This will be 61 measured using surveys and focus groups with program participants, their mentors, supervisors and school leaders. 55. The third level focuses on measuring classroom practices to evaluate how far the teachers have mastered the intended behaviour and skills, based on the program completed. Specifically, this looks at how they apply the new skills in their delivery of actual teaching in the classroom. This level will be assessed using classroom observations. Finally, the fourth level focuses on measuring results as reflected on student learning. For this level of the evaluation model, students’ learning will be assessed using exams. Before and after data points will be used for the overall evaluation. 6. Financial Arrangements 56. The overall TEIP AF project risk from a financial management perspective is Moderate. The existing PCU will handle all financial management and disbursement aspects of the project. The PCU has experience with the Bank guidelines and has dedicated individuals to follow up on all fiduciary aspects for the additional financing. The FM rating under the existing project has consistently been Satisfactory. There are no overdue IFRs or audit reports. The FM arrangements for the Project have been arranged to ensure that funds are used for the purposes intended. 57. The Project funds will be provided by the World Bank and disbursed through a new U.S. Dollar Designated Account (DA), opened by the MOF at a commercial Bank in the West Bank and managed by the PCU. The PCU will ensure that project financial management, including accounting functions and reporting activities, will utilize the Government accounting system (Bisan). The system, currently used by the PCU, will have a separate cost center that will be used for the project accounts. 58. To ensure sound management of the project resources, the PCU will update the Financial Section of its Operational Manual covering all administrative, financial and accounting, budgetary and human resources procedures relevant to the additional activities to be financed under the proposed additional financing. 59. The PCU will produce quarterly (Interim) unaudited Financial Reports (IFRs) and submit these to the MOF and the Bank for the purpose of monitoring project implementation. The IFRs should be submitted to the Bank within 45 days after the end of each quarter. They will also be responsible for providing annual audited project financial statements due six months after year end. These statements will be audited in accordance with international audit standards by an audit firm acceptable to the World Bank and recruited competitively based on terms of reference acceptable to the Bank. 7. Procurement Arrangements 60. Procurement for the AF will follow the same arrangements in place for the original project. Procurement of goods and consultants’ services under the project will be carried out in accordance with the ‘Guidelines: Procurement of Goods, Works and Non-Consulting Services under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants’ published by the Bank in January 2011, revised 62 in July 2014 and the ‘Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants’ published by the Bank in January 2011, revised in July 2014,’ the Grant Agreement and the Procurement Plan approved by the Bank. The “Guidelines on Preventing and Combating Fraud and Corruption in Projects Financed by IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants,” dated October 15, 2006 and updated January 2011, shall apply to the Project. 61. The responsibility for the implementation of project procurement will remain with the MOEHE Project Coordination Unit (PCU), which would act as the main counterpart to the Bank for all procurement aspects of the project and would ensure that project procurement is carried out in accordance with the grant agreement and the procurement plan. The PCU has been handling the day to day implementation of the project, including procurement. The PCU has two qualified procurement officers who are handling procurement satisfactorily. 62. The project will mainly finance contracts under goods and consultants services categories. Under the goods category, the following packages are envisaged: supply of ICT equipment in West Bank and Gaza, supply of teaching aids in West Bank and Gaza and supply of M&E software. Under Consultants Services, the project will finance 12 contracts with 8 local universities to deliver specific consultants’ services on the basis of single source basis. Each of these universities is the only one that is uniquely qualified and has experience of exceptional worth to undertake the assignment in their respective geographic area. In addition to contracts for the PCU staff, the project will finance an external auditor, M&E consultant and Implementation Completion Report “ICR” consultant. The procurement risk rating is low. 63. The procurement plan was agreed with the Bank and is summarized in Annex 4. It specifies the procurement packages/consultancy assignments, estimated cost, methods and schedule, taking into consideration the project implementation schedule. The PP will be updated at least annually or as needed to reflect actual project implementation needs. 63