Document of The World Bank Report No: ICR0000325 IMPLEMENTATIONCOMPLETION AND RESULTS REPORT (Interim Fund Development Credit No.: N008-0-EGT) CREDIT IN THE AMOUNT OF SDR 51.5MILLION (US$75 MILLIONEQUIVALENT) THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT FOR AN EDUCATION ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM March 30,2007 Human Development Department Middle East and North Africa Region CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Exchange Rate Effective (April 1996) Currency Unit = Egyptian Pound (LE) LE 1.OO = US$0.29 US$ 1.OO = LE 3.4 FISCAL YEAR July 1-June 30 ABBREVIATlONS AND ACRONYMS CAS Country Assistance Strategy EEP Education EnhancementProgram EMIS Educational MIS ESP Effective Schools Program EU European Union FOEP Faculties of Education Project GER Gross Enrollment Rate GPPMU Governorate PPMU HEEP Higher Education Enhancement Project IDA International Development Association ICT Information and CommunicationTechnology KfW Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau MOE Ministry of Education MOHE Ministry of Higher Education MTR Mid-Term Review NCEEE National Center for Education Examinations and Evaluation NER Net Enrollment Rate PCU Project Coordination Unit (European Union) PER Public Expenditure Review PPMU Program Planning and Monitoring Unit SAR Staff Appraisal Report (a Project Appraisal Document) SDR Special Drawing Rights TIMSS Trends in Mathematicsand Social Sciences UNDP United Nations Development Program UNICEF United Nations International Children's Fund USAID US Agency for InternationalDevelopment Vice President: Daniela Gressani Country Director: Emmanuel Mbi Sector Director Michal Rutkowski Sector Manager: Mourad Ezzine Task Team Leader: Michel Welmond ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT EDUCATION ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM CONTENTS DATASHEET ............................................................................................................................................................................. I A.BASIC INFORMATION............................................................................................................................................................I B.KEY DATES .......................................................................................................................................................................... I C.RATINGSSUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................................. I D.SECTORAND THEMECODES ................................................................................................................................................ 11 E BANKSTAFF........................................................................................................................................................................ . 11 F.RESULTSFRAMEWORKANALYSIS ......................................................................................................................................111 G.hT m G . 5 OF PROJECTPERFORMANCE IN ISRS ............................................................................................................... V H.RESTRUCTUR~NG ANY) (IF .................................................................................................................................................. v I. DISBURSEMENTPROFILE .................................................................................................................................................... VI 1. PROJECT CONTEXT,DEVELOPMENTOBJECTIVES AND DESIGN: ..............................................................1 2. KEY FACTORS AFFECTING IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOMES ..................,..........................................3 3. ASSESSMENT OF OUTCOMES ................................................................................................................................... 9 4 . ASSESSMENTOFRISKTODEVELOPMENTOUTCOME.................................................................................. 14 5. ASSESSMENT OF BANK & BORROWER PERFORMANCE (DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, OUTCOMES) ...........................................................................................................................................................................14 6 . LESSONS LEARNED (BOTH PROJECT-SPECIFIC AND OF WIDE GENERAL APPLICATION) ...............16 7 . COMMENTSON ISSUESRAISEDBY BORROWER/IMPLEMENTING AGENCIESIPARTNERS ..............37 ANNEX1. PROJECTCOSTSANDFINANCING ................................................................................................................... 18 ANNEX 2. OUTPUTS BY COMPONENT ........................................................................................................................19 ANNEX.3 ECONOMIC FINANCIALANALYSIS(MCLUDING AND ASSUMPTIONS M THE ANALYSIS) ...................................22 ANNEX.4 BANKLENDING IMPLEMENTATIONSUPPORT/SUPERVISIONPROCESSES AND .................................................23 ANNEX5. BENEFICIARYSURVEYRESULTS ....................................................................................................................25 ANNEX 6. STAKEHOLDERWORKSHOPREPORT AND RESULTS(IFANY) .......................................................................... 30 ANNEX 7. SWMARY BORROWER'SICR AND/ORCOMMENTS DRAFTICR .......................................................... 31 OF ON ANNEX.8 COMMENTSCOFMANCIERS OTHERPARTNERS/STAKEHOLDERS OF AND ....................................................... 44 ANNEX9. LISTOF SUPPORTINGDOCUMENTS(USED THE BANKICR TEAM TOWRITE THE ICR)............................... 45 BY ANNEX10. FACULTIESEDUCATIONPROJECT OF (FOEP) RESULTSFRAMEWORK ............................................................ 46 Egypt Education Country: Egypt Project Name: Enhancement Proiect 1 Project ID: PO05169 IDA-NO080 ICR Date: Core ICR Lending Instrument: SIM Borrower: . GOE Original Total XDR 51.5M Disbursed Amount: R 49.4M Commitment: l~nvironmentalCategory:C ImplementingAgencies: Ministry of Education Cofinanciersand OtherExternal Partners: European Union (EU) B. KEYDATES licvised / Xctr~al Process 1)atr Procesi Original Date Date(s) Concept Review: 0113111996 Effectiveness: 07/03/1997 07/03/1997 Appraisal: 0710811996 Restructuring(s): Approval: 12/24/1996 Mid-tern Review: 02/08/2002 Closing: 1213112002 0813112006 C.l Performance Rating bv ICR Outcomes: Moderately Satisfactory I Risk to Develo~mentOutcome: Substantial 1Bank Performance: l~oderatel~Satisfactory Borrower Performance: l~oderatel~Satisfactory 1 k.2 DetailedRatinesofBank and orr rower Performance (bv ICR) 1 [ ~ u a l iatt ~Entry: poderately Satisfactory I~ovemment: Poderately Satisfactory k Implementing lQuality of Supervision: IIvloderatelySatisfactory ~encvlA~encies: b 1 Overall Bank OverallBorrower boderately Satisfactory Performance: erformance: kodeately Satisfactory --- k.3 Quality at Entry and Implementation Performanceindicators -- PotentialProblem Project at No Quality at Entry (QEA): None any time (YesfNo): -- Problem Project at any time Quality of Supervision No Moderately Satisfactory (Yesmo): (QSA): DO rating before D. SECTOR THEMECODES AND Actual SectorCode (as O/u of total Bank financing) Central government administration 4 8 Primary education 56 75 Tertiary education 40 17 Theme Code (Primarylsecondary) Access to urban servicesand housing Primary Not Applicable Education for all Pnmary Primary Education for the knowledge economy Secondary Secondary Gender Primary Primary . Rural servlcesand infrastructure Primary Not Applicable E. BANKSTAFF Pasitions At ICR At Appro\al Vice President: Daniela Gressani Kemal Dervis CountryDirector: Emmanuel Mbi Inder K. Sud SectorManager: Mourad Ezzine Jacques F. Baudouy Proiect Team Leader: Michel J. Welmond Mae Chu Chang I ICR Team Leader: I~ichelJ. Welmond I 1 -ICR Primary Author: Luis Guillenno Halum Willem Struben Project Development Objectives (from Project Appraisal Document) Increasing access and equity. Improving the quality of student performance. Enhancing system efficiency. Revised Project Development Objectives (as approved by original approving authority) (a)PDO Indicator(s) Original Target .4cti1alValue Forxndly Vai~~es (from Achierccl at 1adicitto1- I3aselieeValue Kevised Target appro'xl Campletion or Target Values doennrcnts~ \'ears - - Indicator 1: Increased enrollment each year by 2% for girls and 1.2% for boys primary net enrollmentratio NER; primary 95% !Primary NER girls Value for girls 87.5%,boys 90.9%; grls; 98% boys; prep 89.2%, boys 92.5%; quantitativeor preparatory girls 59.5%; 77% girls, 78.6% Prep girls 62.2%, boys Qualitative) - preparatoryboys 62.7% boys 59.4 pate achieved (09t0511996 (0813112006 (0813112006 P R for A1 Azhar schools are not reported by the government. NER for A1 Azhar schools ere estimated by applying the public school gross to net enrollmentratio to the A1Azhar achievement) GER. Improve the quality of teachingand learning in order to ensure that students attain basic slulls Indicator 2 : to defined levelsbv made 9 11governorates, weak "Defined levels" for students in grade (5) were: tsignificant, arget isa 'statistically 27% Arabic91% math; 53% critical thinlung; Grade (8): ualitative) '.mprovementfrom 38% Arabic; 97% Math; 31%baseline. criticalthinking. bate achieved 01130/1997 0810112006 Comments (incl. % achievement) Indicator 3 : Improve accuracyand relevance of data for educational planning and management (Allgovernorates and I 1 1 (decisions. 1 1 I I I I ate achieved (01/30/1997 (0810112006 10813112006 IComments WOE established an IT network that connects the central offices with the governorates and the b districts.Most schools are connected to the network. Data is centralizedby MOE to produce b ; e n t) eportsand indicators for planningvumoses. (b)Intermediate Outcome Indicator(s) pa.:q~itl;tj . Ti;~rgt't !.;,i!~~e I . 4,$: Li.+..s "+It 3~'$~rlli.:tii~ h':tXtir:s (from ..$t:$ic\ c.:Izit I n~!firmlrlenitsn or Tarqes V;3hie!4 clocunicnfs) 5 ears Awareness campaigns effective in selected mudirriya for underserved chlldren to raise Indicator 1 : enrollmentand decrease drop outs Value No campaigns. 8% average 1000awareness 1064campaigns (quantitative drop out rate in EEP campaigns conducted achieved or Qualitative) govemorates ---- Date achieved 01/30/1997 12/31/2004 0813112006 Comments These campaigns resulted in 83516visits to families in targeted areas (742 villages in 15 (incl. % governorates) which helped reduce dropoutrates among boys and girls to 3.4% in 200312004. achievement) Indicator2 : Improve the use of technology in the classroom Nearly 1,285 schools benefited from Teachersuse upgrades and new Value education technology equipment for ICT*. (quantitative No equipment in EEP schools adequatelyfor Distance learning or Qualitative) improved learning provided training to skills about 500,000 teachers. Date achieved 0113111997 08/02/2006 0813112006 Comments "including computer labs, access to internet, educational soikare, classroom furniture, (incl. % photocopiers, multi-media equipment, digital cameras and scanners and special equipment for achievement) visually impaired students Indicator 3 : Increase communityand parental involvement in school management Boards of Trustees created and BoTs were created in functioning 294 schools and were Value No community participation, adequately in 300 finctioning adequately. (quantitative only dysfunctionalParent- schoolsin 10 By March 2006, 134 or Qualitative) Teacher Councils. governorates;school BoTs had opened Bank funds created and accounts. managed by BoTs Date achieved 01130/1997 08/01/2006 08131/2006 Comments (incl. % achievement) f)atr laK Zctoat I'i\'x:r*~crileta14 To. 1tO IF Are hitcil (1 5ir miltit-tnsi 4 11/05/1998 5 05/04/1999 Satisfactory Satisfactory 6 0712611999 Satisfactory Unsatisfactory 7 10/05/1999 Satisfactory Satisfactory 8 02110/2000 Satisfactory Satisfactory 13.76 9 08110/2000 Satisfactory Satisfactory 17.70 10 01/12/2001 Satisfactory Satisfactory 20.54 11 0711112001 Satisfactory Satisfactory 26.04 12 01/14/2002 ' Satisfactory Satisfactory 28.13 13 04/26/2002 Satisfactory Satisfactory 30.54 14 10/25/2002 Satisfactory Satisfactory 33.33 15 0211112003 Satisfactory Satisfactory 36.26 16 08/08/2003 Satisfactory Satisfactory 37.23 17 02/06/2004 Satisfactory Satisfactory 43.10 18 07/29/2004 . Satisfactory Satisfactory 46.10 -19 04/25/2005 Satisfactory Satisfactory 51.94 20 12/01/2005 Satisfactory Satisfactory 58.71 21 0611612006 Satisfactory Satisfactory 64.43 H. RESTRUCTURING ANY) (IF Not Applicable -Origir~al--- - Fortirdly Revised -- Actual 1. Project Context, Development Objectives and Design: 1.I Colzte.rt at Appraisal (brief summary of country and sector background, rationalefor Bank assistance): The first half of the 1990ssaw an increased effort by the government to expand the number of schoolplaces in primary and preparatory education. Public enrollment for these stages grew 9 percent from 1990-1996 as a result of a large-scale schoolbuilding program. The objective of this program.wasto reduce the number of multi-shift schoolsand to provide greater access to school,particularlyin underserved areas. As a result, by 1996,the gross enrollmentrate (GER) in primary education (grades 1-5) reached 104percent for boys and 93 percent for girls. At the lower secondary (preparatory)level (grades 6-9), the GER for boys reached 88 percent, compared with 79 percent for girls, but the net enrollmentrate (NER)was significantlylower, particularly for girls. Therewere some areas in the country where girls accountedfor fewer than 40 percent of both primary and preparatory students. The government's school constructionprogram prior to this project did not completely take into account the constraints on the demand for girls' education in culturallyconservative areas. Factors such as distance to school, absence of sanitary facilities,the presence of male teachers, and girls' domesticresponsibilitiesat home were important impedimentsto girls attending school. In additionto the need to expand enrollment, the sector continuedto experienceproblemswith poor quality and system inefficiency. The low qualityof education resulted in poor outcomes (high repetition and drop-out rates, low levels of achievement)stemmingfrom poor learning conditions,overcrowdedclassrooms,inadequateteaching skills, and a lack of focus on student learningthroughout the system. At the time of the appraisal of this project in 1996,two-thirds of basic education schools operated doubleor triple shifts, with the concomitantloss of learning hours. In 1994f1995,only 7 percent of primary school teachers had a university degree in education. At the preparatorylevel, 63 percent of teachers had a universitydegree in education. Financial resources for teachers' in-service trainingwere almost nonexistent, and low salaries had resulted in a distorted incentivessystem where teachers derived substantial additional income from complementaryprivate tutoring. In October 1995,the government draftedMubarak's National Project, which aimed to address these issues. In June 1996,this was followed up by the Minister of Educationwith a letter outliningthe govermnent's Strategic Plan for the education sector,includingperformance indicators. The project under review was to assist this effort, with the understandingthat it would be the first phase of a 10-15year program. 1.2 OriginalProject Development Objectives (PDO): 1. Increase access, particularlyfor girls (increaseannual enrollment for girls and boys by 2 and 1.2 percent, respectively;and provide second-chanceeducation for children up to 14years old,particularly for girls). 2. Improve the quality of student learning (reduce repetition and drop-outs; improve quality of teaching and learningto ensure that students attainbasic skills; improve quality of pre-service training; and build capacityof implementingagencies). 3. Enhance the efficiency of the education system (improve efficiency of resource use; improve data accuracy and relevance; introducemechanismsto improve teacher motivation and accountability; ensure effective program management; strengthen implementation at the central and governoratelevels through annual work plans; integrate the governorate level in planning and implementation; and establish feedback mechanisms for ongoing assessment and program adjustment). -. -- 1.3 Revised PDO (asapproved by original approving authority), and reasons/justz~cation: 1.4 Main Beneficiaries, original and revised (brieflydescribe the "theprimary target group" identified in the PALI and as captured in the PDO, as well as any other individuals and organizationsexpected to benefitfrom theproject): The main beneficiaries were primary and lower secondary (preparatory) school students, with emphasison studentsin underserved areas, girls, and studentswith disabilities. In the process, this would benefit all relevant educationsector agencies at the central and governorate levels in L policy planning and implementation,data collection and processing, and teacher training. 1.5 Original Components (as approved): 1. Improving access (total cost: US$448.5 million, of which IDA US$17.5 million). Included school construction in targeted areas to reach girls and students with disabilities, and technical assistanceto improve surveyingcapacity, to conductneeds assessments at the local level, and to review education materials. 2. Improving qualityof student performance (total cost: US$359.0 million, of which IDA US$5 1.6million). Included constructionof additional schools to reduce class size and multiple shifts, equipment,training of teachers, and technical assistance. 3. Improving system efficiency (total cost: US$28.0 million, of which IDA US$5.9 million). Included technicalassistance for reform of decisionmaking process, capacity building in participatoryplanning and management, monitoring and evaluation, and areas related to pedagogy. Strengtheningthe Ministry of Education (MOE) agencies would occur at both the central and governorate levels, includingthe funding and staffingof the Program Planning and Management (later changedto Monitoring)Unit (PPMSJ). 1.6 Revised Components: 1.7 Other significant changes (in design, scope and scale, implementation arrangements and schedule, andfinding allocatioizs): -- -- - Ln April 2002, the responsibility for pre-ser6e teacher training was shifted from MOE's PPMU to the Ministryof Higher Education (MOHE) to be managed under the Higher Education Enhancement Project (Cr.4658-EGT). In addition, in December 2004, it was decided to initiate a concerted quality and efficiency improvement program through an Effective School Program (ESP; seepara.3.2). Over time, the allocationof proceeds under the EEP Credit was changed, with substantiallymore allocated to training and technical assistance managed by the PPMU, and less to pre-service training managed by MOHE. Because of changes in the SDR/US$ exchangerate, availableproject hnding under the Credit increased by the equivalent of US$2.3 million, while US$0.6 million was left un-disbursed as of February 20,2007. Similarly, the grant from the European Union (EU) Euro 100million (including Euro 8 million for technical assistance) increasedby the equivalentof about US$5 million in US dollar terms, while the equivalent of about US$6.6 million has so far not been disbursed. Government funding turned out to be much more than projected at appraisal (see Annex I). 2. Key Factors Affecting Implementation and Outcomes 2.1 Project Preparation,Design Stage, and Quality at Ently (including whether lessons of earlier operationswere taken into account, riskr and their mitigation identified, and adequacy of participatory processes, as applicable): The project supported the priorities set by the government in its Strategic Plan for the education- sector: providinguniversal access to basic education, eliminating all multiple school shifts in basic education; focusing on enrolling girls; and improving the quality of education. It also responded to one of the key themes in the Egypt Country Assistance Strategy (No. P-6263- EGT, discussedby the Board of ExecutiveDirectors in March 1994) regarding the development of human capital to foster economic growth. The government's plan constituted a 15-year program to which the project was to contribute during the first phase of five years. The project was to cover the full range of policy planning and decision making at the central and local levels,teacher training, data collection and use, and community participation. It was properly focusedon the most disadvantaged areas, and projected to be implemented gradually. Efficient implementationwould be ensured through detailed working plans, to be agreed upon annually. Because of the need for MOE to improve its planning and administrative capacities, as well as the complexityof handling a sector-wideprigram, itwas decided t6 establish special project implementationunits, both at the central (PPMU) and the governorate (GPPMU) levels. This was also considered to be the onlyway ti ensurethat well-trained and experienced project staff would be recruited in an enviro&entbhere public pay was too low and hotivatiod among civil servants was absent. As mentioned in the StaffAppraisal Report (SAR, page 8),the role of the PPMU was extended to local GPPMUs to facilitate the elaboration of annual working plans at the governorate level, "with the participation of NGOs, parents, teachers, and headmasters. Institutionalizationof this process would be a major project benefit." The project was designed with the help of an experienced team of Bank and EU specialists who took into accountthe education sector lessons learned by those agencies, as well as those from the activities of USAID, UNICEF, and KfW. As mentioned in the SAR (p.4), "the key lesson learned fiom various donors' involvement is the difficulty of spreading positive innovations throughout the regular system without fully integrating activities with the public system from the beginning." Therefore,the project was designed to have the activities of the PPMU 1integrated into the overall MOE structure over the project period. The agreement to have ajoint operation with the EU was a positive development, allowing the Bank and EU to pool their resources, and the government to reduce the difficulty of donor coordination. However, certain project risks were underestimated, particularly with regards to the project's third developmentobjective (system efficiency). The overall rating given in the SAR was moderate and shouldhave been at least significant.Although risks were well detailed, measures to alleviatethem could not be implemented or did not have the intended effect: (9 Low teacher salaries were recognized as a potential risk to the sustainability of the project. Insufficientlevels of remuneration could make it more difficult for teachers and administratorsto permanently incorporate innovations introduced by the program into their practice. The SAR indicated that this issue would be addressed through teacher training and performance-based incentives in project schools (especially in the ESP). Also, it was assumed that the overall issue of teacher pay would be attended to over the life of the project. Teacher pay has proven to be a difficult and contentiouspolicy issue to resolve (includingthe notion of performance-based pay); as a consequence the sustainability of project outcomes with regards to improvements to instruction and schoolmanagement could be compromised. (ii) As mentioned above, the PPMU and GPPMU were designed to be temporary entities that would eventually be integrated into the MOE structure. The project expected that training and equipping the MOE structures would mark the way for this transfer to occur, particularly with regards to program and strategic management hctions. However, because of the lack of incentives for MOE staff to play their newly expected roles and the ambiguous lines of authority that exist within the ministry (see more detailed description in Section 2.5), this handover could not occur. Although the staff members of the GPPMU (thoughnot yet those of the PPMU) have been reassigned to government positions, neither the MOE nor the governorates have incorporated the program and strategic management hnctions of these units. (iii) Theproject was designed to be implemented in five years. This proved to be an optimistic projection considering the complexity and sector wide character of the project. As discussed later, the extension was primarily the result of difficulties with the management of the pre-service sub-component,which required the involvement of two ministries (MOE and MOHE). The standard disbursementprofile for Egypt has historically been nine years and this trend had not been taken into considerationin project design. One advantage to these extensions, however, has been the opportunityto commencenew activities (e.g., the EffectiveSchoolsProgram) that added definite value to the overallprogram. 2.2 Implementation (including anyproject changes/restructuring,mid-term review, Projecl at Risk status, and actions taken, as applicable): Inlplementationarrangementswere not substantially changed over the life of the project. The final outputs of the project speak to the ultimate ability of the project team to deliver infrastructure, equipment, training and capacitybuilding. Project implementation benefited from staff continuityand the availability of specialistsfrom the Bank's Cairo office. However, theproject's closingdate was extended twice, though this was not the result of shortcomingsin overall project management. Extensionswere essentially the result of the lengthy approval process (inparticular,obtaining parliamentary loan ratification)that affects all Bank-financed projects in Egypt and delays in the transfer of responsibilities for certain sub-components(pre- I service training) fiom the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Higher Education. Once implementationcommenced (after loan ratification, which took 6 months following negotiations), the project initially focused on expandingaccess to schools in underserved areas, with school constructionas the main activity. Theproject subsequentlyshifted emphasis to capacitybuilding,training activities, and procurement of equipment for schools and the MOE. Followingthe mid-term reviews (MTR) in May 2001 and February2002, it was agreed that, with the accessand equity objectives substantiallyachieved, hrther efforts to improvequality and foster sustainabilitywould be implemented,includingthe measurement of student achievementand other impact outcomes. Thus, the project was to focus on: (i) qualityand bottom-up approachesto quality support; (ii) sustainabilityvia the creation of conditionsfor gradually shiftingreform andprogram management responsibilities to the relevant units within MOE and at the local levels; and(iii) improvedmonitoring and evaluation, includingstudent achievementtesting. Until the MTR, the sub-componentconcerning pre-service education had made little progress. Thiswas essentiallybecause the Ministry of Education was divided into two ministries in 1997 (pre-university and university), with the responsibilityfor this componentto be transferred to the new Ministry of Higher Education. This change was linked to the larger reform of the Faculties of Educationto address the development of educationstandards,cumcula changes, and staffprofessional development. The modification required a special allocationunder the Credit of US$13 million equivalentto be managed by MOHE. This transfer slowed decision making, approvalsand assignment of responsibilities, leading to the initial slow implementation of this sub-component. As a consequence, once agreementwas reached between the two ministries, the first of two extensions was granted in order to finish the implementationof the Faculties of Education sub-component. However, implementationcontinuedto be slow because it was contingent on the start-up of the Higher Education Enhancement Project (HEEP). It took until mid-2003 for the HEEP project to establish a PMU responsible for overall implementation,includingthe Faculties of Education sub-component. This led to an agreementto a second extension until August 2006. This second extension also allowed the project to continuethe implementation of the Effective Schools Project that had been initiated in 2004 (see below). To improve the prospects for sustainability,effortswere made to strengthenMOE's commitment to the project, includinga specialstudyin 2003 that detailed arrangements for transferring the program from the PPMU to MOE. However, as mentioned earlier, these efforts could not addressthe structural limitations that have limited the possibility of the MOE to take on many PPMU functions. Special effortswere also made to encourage a shift in MOE towards a more decentralized approach,including increasingcomrnunityparticipationin school management. The project underwent a Quality of SupervisionAssessment (QSA) in Septemberand in November 2004. The assessment's main implementation recommendations were that the project : (i) carry out an early stock taking of resultsof the quality improvementsto be undertaken; (ii) evaluate the impact of teacher and social worker training programs and the computer laboratoriesat the school level; (iii) initiatenew policies on teacher incentivesthat link pay to performance; (iv) follow up on the dismantling of the PPMU to ensure that there was adequate capacity at the responsible central and governoratelevels; and (v) strengthen the access and equity impact indicatorsbeyond output-basedmeasurements of schools and girls' enrollment. The Bank and EU teams did pursue these recommendations, but apart fi-om canyingout someproject-fimded studies, they have generally not yet been implemented. These recommendations did not take into consideration someof the structural limitations to their realization. In December 2004, the project initiated the government's ESP, which was designed to enable clusters of schoolsto improve performance in line with the new and improvedEgyptian National Standards. The project targeted 300 schoolsin 10governorates; an additional 100 schools were added to the pilot in August 2006. The ESP aimed to develop: (i) systems and procedures for supportingschoolimprovementactivities at the district level; (ii) a shared vision and mission of the schools;(iii) improved community involvement in the schools; (iv) improved systemsof professionaldevelopmentat the schools; (v) systemsaimed at improving teaching and learning-in-placeat the schools;and (vi)improved evaluation systems at the schools. For the last year of project implementation,it was decided that the remaining h d i n g and technical assistanceshould focuson the ESP, pre-service teacher training, computer acquisition, monitoring and evaluation, and MOE capacitybuilding, includingmiddle-management overseas training. As the project was a constituent part of the overall government Program, the project extensions overlapped with the continued implementationof government efforts to improve access, quality and efficiency. As a consequence,the government contribution to the overallprogram was over three times the amount originally appraised. 2.3 Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Design, Implementation and Utilization: Proposed monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activitieswere initially affected by the absence ofa fully developed education management information system (EMIS). Before the start of the project, systems used by some of the major MOE agencieswere not integrated into a comprehensiveEMIS. As a result of the overall project effortsto improve the EMIS, this integration eventually took place. In consequence,project M&E progressively improved. In January 2005 the Bank-EU team encouraged the PPMU to make specific improvementsto its M&E capacity, which led to improved reporting. Various assessmentstook place over the life of the project,.including: (i) baseline assessments of Arabic, mathematics, and critical thinking in 11governoratesat the start of the project and in 2003104; (ii) the first two phases of a longitudinal study in 2005 and 2006; (iii) a qualitative evaluationof community participation;(iv) a study of the impact of middle management training abroad; (v) an end-of project assessment of ESP in September 2006; and (vi) a qualitativestudy capturingbest practice and lessons learned from ESP, also in September2006. In addition, Egyptparticipated in the Trends In InternationalMathematicsand Science Study (TIMSS) in 2003. The standardized assessment (see Annex 5) was implementednationwide with a baseline measurement of 1,700schools covering all targeted governorates. The study measured achievement for students in grades 5 and 8 in the fields of Arabic, mathematics, science, English, and social studies. The'project financed internationalexpertiseto build capacity in the MOE in the areas of sampling and scalingmethods, and multivariate modeling. Two measurementswere completed in February2006 and early 2007; the third measurement has yet to begin. One of the keybeneficiariesof efforts to improve M&E was Egypt's National Center for Education Examinations and Evaluation (NCEEE), which piloted most of these assessments with project support. As a consequence, this agency has established a significant assessment 2.4 Safeguard and Fiduciary ComplianceCfocusingon issues and their resolution,as applicable): Both procurement and financial management were generally satisfactory,with relatively minor issues quickly resolved. Audit reportswere generally timely and satisfactory. 2.5 Post-completionOperationlNext Phase (includingtransition arrangement topost- completion operation of investhentsjnanced bypresent operation, Operation & Maintenance arrangements,sustaining reformsand institutional capacity, and nextphase/folZow-upoperation, zj-applicable): Key achievementsof the project, such as higher enrollmentrates, gender equity, reductionsin classsize, and repetition and drop-out rates can be expected to be maintained after project completion. Because the project provided increasingly substantialresources for technical assistance and capacity building, includingtraining of teachers and inspectors, and capacity building for researchers and MOE administrationstaff (benefiting thousandsof individuals), teachingpractices and regular school and administrativeoperations have made improvements that are expected to be maintained. However,low teacher and administratorremuneration, coupled with high administratorlteacherratios, provide few incentives to sustain many of these improvements over the long term. The earlier-mentionedMOHE-managed component,together with other teacher training activities carriedout under the ongoing HEEP, led to substantial strengtheningof the Faculties of Education. To fully ensure the sustainabilityof this component, HEEP funded an additional year of implementationfor the Faculties of Education component. Many project activitieswere implemented via specialized agencies (e.g., construction by the Government Authority for Education Building; training by the Central Department for In- ServiceTraining; assessmentby the NCEEE). These improvements in capacity are expected to be retained, as these institutionswere already well resourced and operational at the time of project initiation. However, as mentioned earlier, the transfer of the planning and management expertise honed b: the PPMU to the MOE has been circumscribed by certain structural limitationsoutside the control of the project. There are no arrangementsin place to transfer the coordination, planning, and administrationresponsibilitiesof the PPMU to the MOE. As mentioned above, this is the result of certain structuralconstraints. First, the MOE has limited authority to assign additional responsibilitiesto line staff and hold them accountable for outputs. Furthermore, personnel generally earn low salaries, lack motivation, and tend to be reluctant to take on project management responsibilitieswithout incentivesbeyond currentpay scales. Also, governmentper diem and travel reimbursement rates for civil servants are far below the actual cost of doing business outside Cairo. The MOE cannotprovide financial incentives (or reimbursecosts of doing business) for staffworking in project management as this would represent a defacto change in current pay scales for selected staff, which would be against overall government regulations. The PPMU approach provided the government the possibility of paying higher salaries and putting together an external team of competent technicians and managers to implement projects. The initiation of a permanent unit under the MOE to help plan, monitor, follow up and coordinatethe implementationof the differentprojects in the field of educationcould be a solutionto attract upgraded professional members and strengthen the capacity of the MOE in this regard. The MOE, however, cannot operate with this same flexibility and incentive structurebecause of the constraintsmentioned earlier. In assessing this issue, it shouldbe noted that: (i) the low pay and PPMU advantages and drawbackswere described in the SAR,though, as mentioned in Section2.1, their risks were underestimated; (ii) the project tried to addresssustainabilitythrough MOE capacity building, governorate and district capacitybuilding, and the decentralized school-based approach pursue( under the ESP; (iii) the project was projected to be the first phase of a 10-15 year program, expectingmore robust results only at the end of the overall program; and (iv) the government - continues to allocateconsiderable resourcesto the sector, and major donor financial and technical support is expected to continue. (A follow-up basic education operation is in the CAS programnled for FY2008). The continuation of the government's program, with possible Bank support, could provide opportunitiesto address these possible risks to future sustainability of outcomes. 3. Assessment of Outcomes 3.1 Relevance of Objectives, Design and Implementation (to current country and global priorities, and Bank assistance strategy): The project objectivesare still highly relevant for Egypt's current efforts at modernization and social inclusion, particularly with its current levels of poverty and unemployment. Successfid - - integration into global markets and the development of a knowledgeeconomy,the central tenets of the latest CAS (No. 3210-EGdiscussed by the Board on May 20,2005), require a strong foundation of access to qualitybasic education,particularly by disadvantagedpopulations. One of the projected outcomesof the CAS is "improving quality and relevance at all levels of the education system." The findings of the Egypt Public Expenditure Review (PER) of 2004105 also supports the continued importance of developing educationoutcomes. Project design was comprehensive, and dealt with a range of sector issues of importance today; it rightly projected the need for a 10-15year program. As far as implementation is concerned, the major issue continuesto be the structural limitations affecting the MOE's capacity as discussed in Section 2.5. These limitations, such as restrictionsto public sectorremuneration, must be addressed at a government-wide level. 3.2 Achievement ofProject Development Objectives (including brief discussion of causal linkages between outputs and outcomes, with details on outputs in Annex 2): a) Improving access. The government's overall program showed an increase in primary school NER for girls of 9.1 percent (from 87.5 percent to 96.6 percent), and an increase for boys of 8.8 percent (from 90.9 percent to 99.7 percent). At the preparatory level,there was in increase for Igirls o 22.2 percent (from 59.5 percent to 81.7percent); and for boys an increase of 21.6percent 1(from 62.7 percent to 84.3 percent). Although the gender gap was not included as one of the Ioutcome indicators of the project, there has been a significantimprovement in closing this gap. Theseincreases in enrollmenthave reduced the primary Gender Parity Index (GPI) from 93.6 in I 1996to 95.3 in 2005 (if A1Azhar schoolswere not included in the calculations, GPI would be 99.1). For the preparatory level the GPI declined from 94.8to 96.4 (without A1 Azhar it would have declined to 99.4). Egypt should attain 100percent net primary school enrollment before the end of the decade. The project played a significant role in efforts to achieve these outcomes. The project's focus on construction of schoolsin under-served areas, particularly for girlsand disadvantaged studentswas aparticularly important contribution. A total of 229 schoolswith 2,723 *classrooms were built in underserved areas,providing for an additional 109,000students approach. Construction was complementedby more than 1,000awareness campaigns and workshops to create more demand, particularly for the schoolingof girls, as well as the provision of school uniforms and stationaryfor poor students. The component also contributed to the developmentof second-chanceeducation for childrenbeyond the official school age in communityschools and one-classroom schoolsthrough training and workshops, contributing to the increase in NER. Finally, the componentprovided special software for blind students. b) Improving quality. Improvements in the quality of instruction at the primary and preparatorylevelswere measured through the use of standardize achievement tests administered in the 11govemoratesof project intervention. The baseline was establishedin 1997for 5"' and 8'hgraders in the areas of Arabic, math, and critical thinking. The test was conducted again in 2003/2004. For 5Ihgraders, Arabic scores increased from 52.2 percent to 58.9 percent; math scoresfrom43.2 percent to 50.2 percent; and critical thinkingscores fiom 48.4 percent to 50.8percent. For 8thgraders, Arabic scoresincreased fiom 55.5 percent to 59.8 percent; math scoresfrom 43.8 percent to 48.6 percent and critical thinking scores fiom 56.3 to 57.1 percent. Arabic and math scores are significantas these are scores in govemorates where the project intervened; there isreasonablelikelihood that the project contributed to this increase. Also, the TIMSS data analysis showed that learning achievement in Egypt is on par with the region and otherdeveloping counties, when GDP per capital is taken into consideration. Repetition rates were reduced to less than 4 percent in primary education and 8.5 percent in preparatory education. Finally, average class size at the national level is down to 41, which is about the world averagein class size accordingto W S C O . The government also conducted a study on quality that tends to show more mixed results in terms of improvements. This study focused specifically on schools included in the ESP. However, it shouldbe cautioned that the studyhas only reported tentative findings and that fiuther follow-up measurements are planned that should render more precise results. The references longitudinalstudy (for which results are reported in Annex 5) indicatesthat whereas there appears to be a significant improvement in preparatory schools, there has been no effect in the primary schools (by some measures, control schools even did better). The study was constructed to explorewhich factors appearto have the greatest effect on achievement. Aside fiom socio-economic status and geography (urban vs. rural), the factors that appear to contributeto higher achievement are schoolclimate, assistanceprovided to students for their homework and the presence of computers. One of the implicationsof this study is that quality may be inequitablydistributed(a findingconfirmedby an education sectorpaper being prepared by the Bank this year). These resultspoint to the need for further analysis of the contributingfactorsto quality. However, in terms of the measurement establishedfor this project (reported earlier), the project did exceed its target scores. The government strategy for improving quality,to which the project contributed,consisted of three primary inputs: (i) reducing the prevalence of multi-shift teaching; (ii) improved pre- serviceand in-service teacher training; and (iii) equipment (particularly computers) for schools. The project built 143schoolsfor the specificpurpose of reducing the number of double and fi This translated into an additional 3,052 classrooms for approximately 122,000students. The project also provided for pre- and in-servicetraining for more than 500,000 teachers, with in- service training focusing on distance learning, as well as training of inspectors. This activity included modernizing regional training and videoconference centers. The pre-service training program, under MOHE responsibilitysince 2002 (see Section 2.2 and Section F.1), supported the comprehensive,institutionalreform of the 26 Faculties of Education and provided for new teaching methodologies and upgraded facilities (including the establishment of data resource centers, education technology centers, electronic libraries, multi-media study centers, and a wide variety of computer laboratories). It also enhanced the quality of training and introduced monitoring and evaluationpolicies and practices. As of September 2004, this component included the ESP initiative (see Section .2.2), with its emphasis on school-basedmanagement. c) Improving system efficiency. Efforts to improve the efficiency of the education systemhad more mixed results. On a positivenote, there have been significant improvements in equipping the MOE with the means of generatinginformation. All 27 governorates and the MOE now use the (EMIS) that has been reinforced and integrated. Data collection has been decentralized to schoolsand progressively integrated at the center. Furthermore, through the ESP approach, the stagehas been set for a more efficient decentralized, school-based management. However, other goals were not fully met. Most importantly, as pointed out in previous sections, MOE program management capacity was not significantly improved and measures for improving teacher motivation and accountabilitycould not be put in place. In addition, the data generated by the EMIS are not being used for regular decision making at the Ministry level. As indicated previously,this was primarilythe result of structural constraints rather than the efforts of the project (which met its material objectives). According to the Egypt PER of 2004105, governanceremains highly centralizedand bureaucratic, with little empowerment of, or input from, local stakeholders. As mentioned earlier the sustainability of project outcomes may be limited as a consequence. This component alsoprovided for training, including overseas, of managers at MOE and its associated agencies, as well as school managers, principals, and deputies. An assessment shows that approximately50 percent of the managers report that they apply what they learned. Finally, MOE and governorate staff benefited from technical assistance and training for policy planning, its financial management system, and M&E activities. 3.3 EfJiciency (NetPresent Value/EconomicRate ofReturn, cost efectiveness, e.g.,unit rate norms, least cost, and comparisons; and Financial Rate ofReturn): The SAR did not include a cost-benefit study and no quantitative analysis was conducted at the ICR stage. However,the results of the PER provide some of the elements to carry out a cursory analysis of the overall costs and benefits of the government's program, to which the project has contributed. Benefits: As discussedearlier, all access and equity indicators increased significantly overthe life of the project. These achievementsindicate that primary education is now serving the entire 1 Egyptian population. The government's strategy to elicit and provide for more beneficiaries at 1 this level of instruction has evidently been successful. The reduction of repetition and drop out rates at the primary level also reflect a system that makes better use of its resources to provide a complete cycle of education to its beneficiaries. Although much more difficult to quantify, there are also signs that the academic achievement of beneficiaries is on the rise, as per the results of different beneficiary assessmentsreferred to earlier. Most external efficiency results (such as employability or contribution to GDP growth) must be measured in the long term. However, if it is assumed that all primary school graduates have attained literacy, the youth and adult literacyrates will increase over time. It thus appears that the teachertraining, equipment, introductionof new teaching methodologies,and reduction of multi-grade classes introduced under the government's program have affected qualitylefficiency, though a direct causal relationship cannot yet be ascertainedwith the data at hand. There is some evidence that the introductionof computers can be linkedto student outcomes(accordingto the longitudinal study). The TIMSS results showthat 20 percent of mathematicsteachers and more than 40 percent of scienceteachers reported the usefulness of computers to teaching; in addition, students taught by teachers who reported better computer availability have achieved a significantlyhigher learning level than other students. Overall, it can be inferred that the education system is producing better results than before project initiation. But at what cost? Accordingto the PER, unit costs have not fallenover the last decade. On the recurrent costs side, average personnel costs have increased because of (i) increased salaries, (ii) the reduction of student-teacherratios, and (iii) the continued high ratio of teachers to administrativestaff. With regards to non-salary recurrent expenditures,textbooks are expensive compared to other countries; maintenance is also underfinanced. On the investment side, there is conflictingdata with regardsto the averagecost of school construction. The government contendsthat its advanced needs-based strategy has reduced unit costs relativeto the past. The PER claimsthat costs remain high relativeto other countriesbecause constructionmethods are not efficient. Further analysis is required to assess this element. The long implementation period of 9 years instead of the projected 5 years, and the considerablylarger allocation that the governmentmade for basic education expansion introducesanother element to take into consideration for a cost-benefit analysis. Precise calculationsare not possible because of a lack of data. However,it appearsthat the longer period of implementation and the additionalgovernment resources produced a commensurate increase in outcomes. For example, the number of schoolsconstructedby the government 1during - this period led to the program surpassingcalculations. 3.4 Justijication of Overall Outcome Rating (combiningrelevance, achievement of PDOs, and efficiency): IRating: 1 Moderately Satisfactory The first two objectives of the government's program (to which the project has contributed) have been met and surpassed. The substantialquantitative achievementsin access and equity were combined with an impressive beginning of qualitativeachievements. However, this achievement is counterbalancedby a less extensiveoutcome for the third objective, particularly observation that central decision making is not yet based on the data produced by the EMIS. Furthermore,the overall risk to sustainability (essentially the result of the same factors discussed above) appearshigh. As a consequence of these results, the overall outcome rating is moderatelysatisfactory. 3.5 Overarching Themes, Other Outcomesand Impacts (vany, where notpreviously covered or to amplrfi discussionabove): (a) Poverty Impacts, GenderAspects, and Social Development -- -- The impact of the improvements in access and equity produc~overthe life of the project on poverty alleviation is difficultto ascertain. It is generally accepted in education literature that more and better education has a positive impact on poverty alleviation. Particularly, the growth of the Gender Parity Index (reported in Section 3.2), corresponding to an increase in the number of girls in school, is expected to have a positive social and economic impact. However, for a variety of reasons outside the purview of the education sector, Egypt's overall poverty level is back to 19.6 percent, where it was in 1995/96(Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2005). ) Institutional Change/Strengthening(jarticularly withreference to impacts on longer- term capaciv and institutional development): The project did strengthen the MOE's EMIS, allowing the country to participate in TIMSS and to provide the data base for M&E activities. It also contributedto improvingthe capacity of specialized agencies of the MOE in implementation: teacher training, construction, textbook management, and research, as well as for the Faculties of Education reforms. In addition, the ESP has contributed to the empowerment of parent committees(Boards of Trustees). The initial results of the ESP seem positive, including a recent decision to allow schools to keep the h d s they collect. However, as discussed in Section 3.2 (c), overall strategicmanagement and planning capacity of the MOE has not improved because of the structural constraints presented above. (c) UnintendedOutcomes and Impacts (jositive and negative): I N.A. 3.6 Summary of Findings of BeneJiciary Survey and/or Stakeholder Workshops (optionalfor Core ICR, requiredfor ILI, details in annexes): The learningresults of the project were measured by the above mentioned standardized achievementtests in 11 governoratesat the start of the project and in 2003104, as well as by the nation-widelongitudinal studies,of which the results for first phase were published in February 2006 and the second is expected shortly. The third phase is still to be carried out. As detailed in Annex 5, those studiesconfirm the generally positive impact of the program activities, already mentioned in Section 3.2. --- - 4. Assessmentof Risk to Development Outcome The government's commitment to educationremains strong (total public spending on education is high by international standards): 5.9 percent of GDP and 19percent of total public spending in 2002/03), and universal coverage is almost within reach. In addition, there has been a significanteffortto reach disadvantaged areas and to reduce gender disparities. This was a substantial achievement, and is not likelyto change. Further quality improvementswill depend on continuingand expanding implementationof successful programs such as the ESP, which is based on a decentralized,school-basedapproach, with community participation. The MOE's capacity to manage these complex effortsis still circumscribedbecause of the structural limitations described in Section 2.5. Although it is now working on a new strategic plan essentially focused on the instructionalquality and decentralization, its program and strategic management capacity remains a key issuefor future program implementation. 5. Assessmentof Bank & Borrower Performance (design,implementation,outcomes) 5.1 Bank (a) Bank Performance in Ensuring Qualityat Entry (i.e.,performance through lendingphase): IRating: ( Moderately Satisfactory The project responded to the priorities of the government, and reflected one of the key objectives of the CAS. The team, in close cooperationwith EU and MOE specialists, succeeded in designing a relevant project, covering the first phase of a 10-15year sector policy and operational program. It introducedinnovations such as least-cost school mapping, reliable data collection and use, teacher upgrading, and decentralizationand participation. However, the designteam was overambitiousin its assessmentthat MOE would be able to gradually and fully take over the full range of PPMU activities. Its appraisal that complex policy changes, such as for teacher incentivesand decentralization,could occur in five years was alsonot realistic. This was reflected in its underestimationof the implementation risks. As a consequence, project (b) Qualityof Supervision (includingof fiduciary and safeguards policies): I Rating: 1 Moderalely Satisfcrcto~y] As mentioned in Section .2.2,the quality of project supervisionwas assessed by the Bank's Quality Assurance Group in September and November of 2004, resulting in a rating of 3 (moderatelysatisfactory). The Quality of Supervision Assessment identified the overly optimistic implementationschedule as the main problem, and made a number of recommendations on project implementation;these were followed up by the task team. Apart from the implementationschedule, until the MTR inMay 2001 and February 2002, the realism of project performanceratings was questionable. Initially, most of the emphasis was put on implementingthe constructionof schools to improveaccess; the other components did not progress at the same speed,but this was not reflected in the ratings. Following its transfer to MOHE, the Faculties of Education component was supervised by the team responsible for the Higher Education Enhancement Project. The Bank's task team, in close cooperation with, and with substantial support from the EU, attempted to deal with the full rangeof sector policy and operational issues. Joint missions were carried out twice a year based on an agreed schedule&d specialist experts were provided by both organization (see SectionF.2 and Annex 4). Mission findings were well-documented - and relayed to the government, though the complexity of policy issues warranted a stronger and (c) Justzficationof Ratingfor Overall Bank Pe$onnance: L Rating.. ( Moderately Satisfactory I First, the project design had underestimated the constraintsto creating the conditions within the MOE to take on the PPMU responsibilitiesand for teachers. Furthermore, these same constraints affected meeting the third development outcome, and this was not fully taken into consideration during supervision. The overall rating of Bank Performance is moderately p 5.2 Borrower NOTE: When the government and implementing agency are indistinguishable,provide rating andjustification only for Overall Borrower Performance. )I Click here ifthe Government and the Implementation Agency is the same or indistinguishable (a) Government Perjbrmance: 1 Rating: 1 Moderately Satisfactory - - - -- ~ ~~ Government commitmentto the project was shown by its ongoing impressive budgetary support, as well as a wide variety of efforts aimed at introducing quality and efficiency improvements. However, the full and long-term impact of these efforts during the subsequent phase of the government's program will be compromised because the project did not transfer the strategicmanagement functionsnecessary for many of the more complex activities. MOHE is expected to completethe Faculties of Education component over the next year and (b) ImplementingAgency orAgencies Performance: / Rating: (-1 Implementing Agency Performance 1.PPMU Satisfactory 2. MOHE Moderately Satisfactory . .- (c) Justification of Ratingfor Overall Borrower Performance: I Rating: I Moderately Satisfactory 1 The achievementof the access and equity objectives is considered to be laudable. Targets had been surpassed. The government's increased contribution to meeting these objectives transformedthe education system. In addition,the govemment,through the MOE,did provide reliable and sufficientbudgetary support, allowingthe PPMU to manage the project effectively for the production of planned outputs. However, efforts to address constraints to MOE policy and strategicmanagement hctions produced fewer results. Also, as a result of the slow start of project implementation (particularlythe sub-componentassigned to the MOHE) contributed to theneed to extend the project. As a consequence, overall performance is rated moderately satisfactorv. 6. Lessons Learned(both project-specific and of wide general application) 1. The long disbursementprofile indicates that different approaches to project design need to be adopted. Bank and govemmentmay want to consider using loan instruments other than standard investment projects, such as DevelopmentPolicy Lending, which is linked to policy changes and indicatorsrather than the management of outputs. If standard investmentprojects are to be used, more realistic assessmentsof the disbursement profile need to be incorporatedinto project design. 2. The structuralconstraintsto the MOE's program and strategic management capacity need to be addressed as an explicittargetof sector development strategies. A key result of this ICR is that these constraintscannot be addressed through technical interventions alone. A carefbl assessment of program management opportunities and limitations, from a structuralperspective, should be undertaken to better understand how these can be addressed. Specificbenchmarks, linked to the design and implementation of the Bank's operation,could then be establishedto track these identified improvements. Several initiativescurrentlyunder preparation or under way could providevenues for this type of approach (e-g.,theestablishment of the Teacher t cad ern^ todeal with the issue of teacher motivation; the operationalizationof quality assurance authority to provide a framework for greater accountability;and the implementation of the strategic plan, which in part aims to reinforce MOE leadership). 3. Merge sector dialogue with government-widediscussions. In many cases, the impact of education projects is circumscribed by government-wide constraints. Education sector improvements are linked to progress in other government-wide reforms and initiatives, such as decentralization,promotion of the private sector, and civil service reform. To address structuralissues such as MOE7sabsorptivecapacity, teacher incentives, and decentralization, policy dialogue that includes the MOE, as well as a wide range of other government authorities and education stakeholders(e.g., Ministry of Finance, Parliament), should be undertaken. 4. Experimentwith new approaches to program management in lieu of using PPMUs. One possibility would be to establish temporaryarrangements within the MOE to provide strategic management support to the minister and cabinet. The group currently developing the strategicplan may provide the embryo for this unit. This unit will need to benefit from the same advantages and flexibilityas found within a PPMU. 5. Create the conditionsto successfully generalize promising approaches. There are several successfulinitiativesintroduced by the project, such as the ESP, the use of communityparticipation, improvements in pre-service training, and changes to the EMIS that have been undertaken as pilots. To build on these successes, efforts should focus on ways to incorporate and maintain them into standard practice. 7. Commentson IssuesRaised by BorrowerlImplementingAgenciesIPartners (a) Borrower/implementingagencies. Overthe life of theproject, the government increased its understanding and commitmentto , outcomes,rather than outputs. This is evident from the reporting that the PPMU provided on project progress. ' The government's ICR (see summary in Annex 7) indicates that the project was highly satisfactory. The govemment has focused on the very positive results in terms of access, equity,. I and quality - resultsthat this ICR also considershaving- surpassed expectations. The Bank's - ICR has essentiallyplaced a greater emphasis on the more mixed results of the third project component/developmentobjective. . . (b) Cofinanciers: I< 1 (c) Otherpartners and stakeholders (e.g. NGOsIprivate sectorlcivil society): I N.A. ANNEX1. PROJECT COSTS AND FINANCING (a) Project Cost by Component(in US$ million equivalent) Appraisal Estimate Actual Latest Estimate Percentage of Appraisal Components (US%million) (US%million) 1. Access and equity 349.4 1,075.9 308 2. Quality of student performance 283.9 1,227.25 432 3. System efficiency 23.4 47.1 201 Total Baseline Cost 655.7 2,350.2 358 -Physical Contingencies 57.3 Price Contingencies 122.5 Total Project Costs 835.5 2,350.2 281 Total Financing Required 835.5 2,350.2 281 (b) Financing Appraisal ActuaVLatest Percentage of Source of Funds Type of Financing Estimate. Estimate Appraisal (US$ million) (TJS$ million) Government 635.5 2,150.1' 338 I - IDA 75.0 77.1 103 Euro ean Union Grant 99 I Total 1 835.5 2,350.6 1 281 (IDA in SDRs) 51.5 51.I 99) I$635.5 million was projected for a 5-year period; the actual was over a 9-year period. 2 Actual IDA amount disbursed in US$ was 77,135,021.17 (51,122,406SDR equivalent). The originalamount approved was 51,500,000SDR, sopercentage of appraisal in SDRs is 99. Becauseof the depreciation of the US$ againstthe SDR, the amount of the credit in US$ increased, resulting in a greater than 100%actual disbursement in US$ terms. 1.Improving Access and Equity. (total costs US$1075.9 million, compared to US$448.5 million projccted at appraisal; IDA contribution US$21.3 million, compared to projected US$17.5 million): 1.1 Construction of schools in deprived areas. To reach targeted populations in deprived socio- economic areas, school site selection was based on a computerized school mapping system. Specific selection criteriawere developed to ensure that schools would be built in underserved areas. A total of 229 schoolswere built under this subcomponent,providing 2,723 new classrooms with a capacityto enroll 108,920additional students. NERs in the beneficiary governoratesreached 80 percent, and the gender gap decreased to less than one percent in both primary and preparatoryschools. 1.2Awareness campaigns. One of the key activitiesof the project was the development of awareness campaigns to reach out-of-school children (particularly girls) and dropouts. These awareness campaigns were conducted in the form of workshops in thosetargeted areas for which a school site had been identified for construction. Key to the success of the awareness campaignswas the participation of local communities, NGOs, leaders, women associations,school officials and parents associations in the workshops. These workshops would identify specificproblems at the local level that would hinder children's school participation and would then propose appropriate solutions. PPMUs in different governorates were responsible for the preparation of a national conferenceto disseminate the results of the awareness campaigns and to develop policy options for the MOE to promote community participation. A total of 1,064awareness campaigns in 742 villages in the 15targeted governorates were conducted under the project. As a result of the recommendationsfrom the awarenesscampaigns, a total of 107,000 pupils received different forms of assistance (i.e., access to school uniforms and to learning materials and stationary)and about 25,000 drop-outs rejoined basic education. 1.3 Second chance education. Large numbers of children in Egypt are out of school, either because they dropped out at some stageor because they never attended school. The project financed the construction of 3,147 one-classroom schools to accommodateabout 70,000 out-of-age children in alternativebasic education programs. More than 2,500 facilitators were trained by the project. 1.4Provision of equipment and teaching materials. About 1,285schoolsbenefited from upgrades and new equipment for ICT, including computer labs, access to internet, educational software, classroom furnitureand special equipment for visually impaired students. 2. Improving the quality of student performance. (total costs US$1,227.2 million, compared to US$359.0million projected at appraisal; IDA contributionUS$46.0 million, compared to projected US$51.6million): 2.1 Reducingovercrowding and multiple shift schools. Oneof the main reasons of poor school performancehas been large class size and the utilization of schools in multiple shifts to accommodate increasing enrollment. The latter resulted in fewer hours of instructionper shift. Out of the 224 schools built under this subcomponent, 143schools aimed to reduce multiple shifts. The Ministry was able to reduce the proportion of multi-shift schools to 70 percent. The other 81 schools were financed to reduce 8 about 41 students per class. The extra 3,052 classroomscompleted for these efforts benefited about 122,000 students. 2.2 Improving the quality of teaching and learning. Jmproving the quality of human resources in basic education was a key project theme. A national training scheme was implemented, providing teachers, managers and staff with opportunities for continuous training, distance learning and training abroad. hportant training programs supported by the project include: 2.2.1. Pre-service teacher training. Oriented towardsnewly appointedteachers, a total of about 28,000 teachers received pedagogical, ICT and English language training. The training included three months of practical training in a classroom setting.After this activity became the responsibility of MOHE in April 2002, therewas a virtual halt in activitiesuntil the Higher Education Enhancement Project became operational about a year later. Subsequently,based on a detailed needs survey, the 26 Faculties of Education received both training and equipment support,for (a) creating a scientific environment for development, (b) reforming the teacherpreparation system, (c) enhancingprofessional development of Iteaching staff and assistants through diverse training courses, (d) improvingthe infrastructure quality of 1the Faculties through technological laboratories,(e) ensuring quality performance in 19Faculties, (f) Iadopting a self-reformapproach by the Faculties, and (g) cooperating with public schools and other Ienhancementprojects. Despite its short implementation period, much was achieved (see Annex l), Still, compared to the projection at appraisal, the component was more limited; as a result, funding under the Credit was reduced fiom about US$25 million to US$15 million. 2.2.2. In-service training. This activityprovided teachers with training in modem educational and technological methods. Main targets were teachers and school inspectorsin Math, English language, Arabic language and Science, both at primary and preparatory levels. In addition, the training programs focused on teaching strategies, evaluation of studentpeiformance, application of national standards, implementation of new cumcula and school management. A total of 41 training programs were implemented, including: Distance learning for effectiveteaching skills. With more than 500,000 teachers in basic education,the project had to face the challengeof reaching-out and providing training services to such a large population. Self-learningmodules were prepared to introduce teachers to modem teaching methods and skills. The modules included a printed manual and audio and video media. These modules were first piloted in five governorates and, after having benefited over 1600 teachers, were evaluated in a workshop and then implemented at a national level. About 78,000 teachers benefited fiom these programs. Technology in the classroom. About 70,000 teachers in grades 1-5received training for the introduction of technology in the classroom. Teams of supervisorswere also trained to cany out tutoring services for the beneficiaries. Training for Social Workers. About 35,000 social workers received training in the area of new trends in planning and assessment,includingstrategies to work with studentswith special needs. Training for teachers dealing with learning disabilities. A total of 400 trainers were trained and more than 20,000 teachers received training to provide studentswith learning disabilities with an inclusive environment. increased by a substantial amount. 2.2.3 Effective School Program (ESP). The ESP program introduced community participation in schools, and introduced Board of Trustees (BoT) in 294 schools out of the 300 originally targeted. As of March 2006,134 BoTs had opened bank accounts. The ESP had developed a partnership with "Purtnersfor Learning" (supportedby Microsoft Corporation) to assist 300 schools to develop assessment and planning tools, and to train staff in the implementationof those tools. The program provided grants and matching funds to schools to improve infrastructure and provide with additional learning opportunitiesto students. The internationalNGO Save the Children participated in the program to implement the establishment of BoTs in the schools and to mobilize community participation. 2.2.4. Capacity-BuildingFund. This activity aimed at improvingthe operational capabilities of various government agencies, includingthe MOE, its regional training centers, the Centre for Curriculum and instructional MaterialsDevelopment (CCIMD), the National Center for Examinations and Educational Evaluation (NCEEE), and the National Center for Educational Research and Development (NCERD). These institutionswere equipped with ICT and office equipment, including videoconferencing facilities. 3. Improving system efficiency. (total costs US$47.1 million, compared to US$28.0 million projected at appraisal; IDA contributionUS$9.4 million, compared to projected US$5.9 million): 3.1 Development of a management information system(MIS). An electronic network has been implemented by the project to connect the Computer Information and Statistics Department (CISD) in MOE with local offices at the governorateand disdict levels. Most schools were connected to the network which facilitated the preparationof the annual school survey. This also promoted data compilation on pupils at the school level, which the CISD centralizes at the national level. All MOE agencies have accessto this database, which is being used to produce education indicators for planning and monitoring of educationoutcomes. Egypt recentlyjoined the World Education Indicators Program organized by OECD/LJNESCO. 3.2 Training for middle level managers. A total of 660middle level managers in various groups benefited from eight-week studytours in the United Kingdom to learn about school management systems in the UK. The program included 11modules coveringtopics such as problem solving strategies, communicationand leadership,management of change, education reform, strategic planning, human resources development, management information systems, inspection and evaluation, assessments and work plans. ANNEX ECONOMIC FINANCIALANALYSIS(INCLUDING 3. AND ASSUMPTIONS IN THE ANALYSIS) - The SAR did not include a cost-benefit study and no quantitative analysis was conductedat the ICR stage. However,the results of the Public Expenditureprovide some of the elements to carry out a --- analysisoftheoverallcostsandbenefitsofthegovernment'sprogram,towhichtheprojecthas cursory contributed. ,Benefits: As discussed above, all access and equity indicators increased significantlyover the life of the project. These achievements indicatethat primary educationis now servingthe entire Egyptian population.The government's strategyto elicit and provide for more beneficiariesat this level of instructionhas evidentlybeen successful. The reduction of repetition and drop out rates at the primary level also reflect a system that makes better use of itsresources to provide a complete cycleof education" to its beneficiaries. Although much more difficult to quantify,there are also signs that the academic achievementof beneficiaries is on therise, as per the results of different beneficiaries assessment referred to above. Most external efficiencyresults (such as employabilityor contributionto GDP growth)must be measured in the long term. However, if it is assumed that all primary school graduates have attained literacy,the youth and adult literacy rates will increase over time. It thus appears that the teacher training,equipment, introduction of new teachingmethodology, and reduction of multi-grade classes introducedunder the government's program have affected qualityIeEciency, though a direct causal relationship cannot yet be ascertainedwith the data at hand. There is some evidence that the introduction of computers can be linked to student outcomes (accordingto the longitudinal study). The TIMSS results show that 20 percent of mathematicsteachers andmore than 40 percent of science teachers reported the usefulness of computers to teaching; in addition,studentstaught by teachers who reported better computer availabilityhave achieved a significantlyhigher learning level than other students. Overall, it can be inferred that the educationsystem is producing better results than before project initiation. But at what cost? Accordingto the PER, unit costshave not fallen over the last decade. On the recurrent costs side, averagepersonnel costshave increased,because of increased salaries, a reduction of student-teacherratios, and the continuedhigh ratio of teachers to administrative staff. With regards to non-salaryrecurrent expenditures,textbooksare highly-priced compared to other countries; also maintenance is underfinanced. On the investment side, there is conflicting data with regards to the average costsof schoolconstruction. The government contends that its advanced needs-based strategy has reduced unit costs relative to the past. The PER claims that costs remain high relative to other countries because construction methods are not efficient. Further analysis is required to assessthis element. Thelong implementationperiod of 9 yearsinstead of the projected 5 years, and the considerably larger allocation that the made for basic education expansion introducesanother elementto take into consideration for a cost-benefit analysis. Precise calculations are not possible because of a lack of data. However, it appears that the longer period of implementation and the additionalgovernment resources produced a commensurateincrease in outcomes. For example, the number of schools ANNEX BANKLENDING 4. AND IMPLEMENTATIONSUPPORT/SUPERVISION PROCESSES (a) Task Team members Names Title Unit Responsibility1Specialty Lending (fiom Task Team in PAD Data Sheet) -- Mae Chu Chang Sr.General Educator MNSHD Task Team Leader Vasilios Demetriou Sr.Implementation Specialist MNSHD Implementation Sue Berryman Sr.General Educator EMTHR Education Willem Van Eeghen Sr.Economist MNAVP Economist Lant Pritchett Sr. Economist PRDPH Economist Takatoshi Kamezawa Education Specialist MNSHD Education Mahmoud Gamal El Din Implementahon Specialist MN2EG Implementation Supervision (from Task TeamMembers in all archlved ISRs) Michel Welmond Sr. Education Specialist MNSHD Task Team Leader Mahmoud Gamal El Din Sr. OperationsOfficer MNSHD Implementation1Procurement Ahmed Dewidar Sr. Education Specialist MNSHD Education Christina Djemmal OperationsAnalyst MNSHD Education I Implementation Emma Etori ProgramAssistant MNSHD Project Support Ingy Raafat Halim ResearchAssistant MNSHD Project Support Maiada Kassem Financial Management Spec. MNAFM Financial Management Patricia Maugban-Colon ImplementationSpecialist MNSHD Implementation Ckline Gavache OperahonsAnalyst MNSHD Implementation Arun Joshi Sr. Education Specialist MNSHD EducationlTTL Hisham Waly Sr.FM Specialist MNAFM Financial Management Sahar Hegazy Program Assistant MNC03 Project Support Mona Zikri Education Specialist MNSHD Education (b) Staff Time and Cost (from SAP) (allfields are pre-populated by the system) Staff Time and Cost (Bank Budget Only) Stage of Project Cycle No. of Staff Weeks US$ Thousands (including travel and consultant costs) FY96-97 Not available in system 413,156.65 TOTAL: 413,156.65 SupervisionACR FY97-06 Not available in system 718,002.27 FY07 21.22 50,536.91 TOTAL 768,539.20 Beneficiarybenefits for 5thand 8thgraders were assessedby both (i) achievement tests in 1I governorates and (ii) a nation-widelongitudinalstudy to cover the cohorts over a five-year period. Standardized achievement tests of 5thand gthgrade studentswere canied out in 1I governorates at the start of the project and in 2003104. As shownin below, the results (in %) were quite positive: 5th grade gthgrade 1997 2003104 1997 2003104 Arabic 52.2 58.9 55.5 59.8 Mathematics 43.2 50.2 43.8 .48.6 Critical Thinking 48.4 50.8 56.3 57.1 TheEducation in Egypt, Longitudinal Study Report of February 2006 showed somewhat more controversialresults. Of course, it should be noted that this covered only the first of three measuremen The second has been drafted, and should be available shortly. The third still has to be canied out, and is only after all three are availablethat reliable conclusions can be drawn. Still,among its many tentative findings, the report mentions that in primary education, apart from English, where there seemed to be no difference between the achievgnents at experimental and con.tro group schools, the control group schools performed statistically significantly better than the experimentalgroup in Mathematics,Arabic, Science, and Social studies. On the other hand, in preparatory education,for all subjects,the experimental group was statistically significantly better tha . . the control group. These findingswill require follow-up. The report had many other interestingobservations, which is why its executive summary is quoted verbatim below: I Introduction In the longitudinalcohort study we monitor the development of pupils in primary and preparatory education over time and determinewhich pupil characteristics,teacherlclassroom and school factors have substantial impact on pupil achievement. The longitudinal study is a nation-wide study starting with a baseline measurement in which 1935 schools, 9675 teachers and 73842 pupils participated. Thi, baseline measurement study covers all governorates. The objectives of the study are: Provide a valid overview of quality a d output of Egypt's education system Assess the impact of the EducationEnhancement Program (EEP) We carriedout a multi-level analysis, in which we provide effectiveness scores (value added) for schools, this means that we take different enrolment characteristics of pupils (e.g. socio-economic status)into account. In this way we are able to make "fair comparisons" between schools, for example between experimental and control group schools or between pupil sub-groups. The focus is on achievementscores of five school subjects:Math, Science, Arabic, English and Social Studies. The possibleimpact of pupil, classroom and school factors on achievement The amount of variance in achievement situated at the student and schooVclassroon~level have been determined first. Overall we conclude that between 33 percent (English) and 23 percent (Science) can be situated at school/classroomlevel. Thus between one-quarterand one third of the differences between pupil's achievement can be influenced by classroom, teacher and other school level characteristics. That is, in comparison with international research, a high percentage. It emphasizes the extremely important role schools can play in the learningprocess of young children in Egypt. We observe an even more important role of the schoolsin primary education where the percentage of the school level variance is higher than in preparatoryeducation. Pupil achievement in experimental and control group schools Do experimental schools differ from control group schools in their achievement, taking important enrolment factors into account?That is one of the crucial issues in this study. Based on the multi-level analyses, we conclude that pupils in the schools operating in the governorates that are included in the EEP-program seem to perfom better than the pupils in the control group schools. When splitting the sample of schools in two groups @rimary and preparatory stage schools), we confirm this effect only in preparatory education. Thus, in preparatory education pupils in the experimental group schools attain significant higher achievement levels compared to pupils in the control group schools. This effect is valid for 4 out of 5 school subjects. Only in Arabic we observe no achievement differencesbetween experimental and control group schools. Determinants of pupil achievement What factors do have a significantimpact on pupil achievement in Egypt? As an example we show the impact of several factors on Math achievement. The significant factors on Math are (with few exceptions) the same for all five school subjects. Where exceptions occur these will be mentioned. . Figure 1 Beta-predictors Math total scores (only significantbeta's included) = - I Run:zcn. - 2735 SoadKrncfnc stdim - :r Z GRXID- 11 G W Tran axher- I ? C ~ Ram0: cmouterson stwen:- cbll Prtdateh 4 - 3236 Rivatetaacher - 1 0.43 TUaldfflculty - ,ex E4al~ltiontrarnlrg- 0 335 S-1 chmate - ~ 2 2 : Faeibty - 1.128 11 Faolkjbbenetn- -0370 FdlowvlgUP- om1 I I " ' I " ' I " ' l ' " l -1 0 I 2 3 Beta Istandordlzed) 1-Pupils in urban schoolsattain significantlyhigher scores in all subjectscompared to the pupils in rural areas. 2- Socio-economicstatushas a strong impacton achievementin all subjects. This effect is even stronger in preparatoryeducation, which implies that the disadvantages forpupils from low socio-economic status families are more severe in the preparatory stage. 3- Pupils in the schools operating in the governoratesthat are included in the EEP-program seem to perform better than the pupils in the control group schools (GROUP).When splitting the sample of schoolsin two groups (primary and preparatory stage schools), we confirm this effect only in preparatoryeducation. 4- No significantdifferenceoccurs in Math performance between boys and girls. However, in Arabic, English and Social studieswe observe significant differences betweenboys and girls: in these subjects girls outperform the boys. Onlyin Scienceboys perform better than girls. 5- While no effect occurs from single-sex or mixed-sex schools on Math and Science scores, we do observe a significantpositive impact of gender-mixedschools on pupil achievement in English, Science and Arabic. 6- Overall, we observeno significant effect ofprivate versus public schoolsin Math and Science achievement.However, when we distinguishbetween primary and preparatory education, private schools in the preparatory stage are attaining significantlyhigher achievement scores. Private schools are realizinghigher achievement among their pupils than public schools, especially in the language subjects. 7- Pupil-related factors with a significant and clearly interpretable effect on achievement are: the intensity of parental help with school-work,and the amount of private teacher help. Pupils with parents who invest their own time in supportingtheir childrenwith their homework and invest money in help by private teachers,exert significant impact on their children's achievement. School and classroom factors 8-The number of teachers receivingtraining in the context of the EEP-program, the perception of the training (satisfaction)by the teachers, the availabilityof computers and adequate facilities in the school all have a significantimpact on the performance of the pupils. 9-A positive schoolclimate (especiallyin primary education) exerts a positive effect on pupil's achievement.The same applies for a school management that pays attention to the evaluation of the activities of the schools' training unit and the teacher training activities. 10- It is remarkable that we observe no effects whatsoever on achievement of factors that are related to education methods used in the classroom. The only exception is a significant negative effect of frontal teaching on achievement in English. 11-Finally, we observe a negative effect on Scienceachievement from a more-than-one shift system. This effect is strongestin preparatory education. Conclusions 1- Between one-quarter and one-third of the differences between pupil achievement canbe influenced by classroom, teacher and other school level characteristics.This outcome emphasizes the extremely important role schools can play in the learning process of young children in Egypt. Also, it is important to note that the possible impact of schools in primary education is even larger than in preparatory education. 2- The results indicate that in preparatory educationpupils in the experimental group schools perform significantlybetter compared to the pupils in the control group schools. This suggeststhat the approach in the EEP-program may have been successful in preparatory education. However, also after controlling for other factors such as socio-economic status we donot observe such an effect in primary education. 3- Future enhancementprograms need to analyze the cause for this differential effectbetween primary and preparatory education. Future programs need even more than in the past to focus explicitly on improving quality of and performance in primary education. 4- We have to urge for cautiousnesswith these results: only after comparing the results of the baseline measurementwith follow-up measurements can we conclude reliably to an experimental group effect. 5- We conclude that the help of private tutoring (ofteachers) has a significant effect on pupil achievement,however, the effect of parental help on their children's achievementis at least that strong. Programs aimed at enablingparents in providing adequate support to their children are of pertinent importance. - 6- School facilitiesare importantfor student success,especially the availability of computers, presence and suitabilityof activity areas in the school, such as training halls and play yards. 7- Teacher training exerts a significant impact on student achievement; teacher quality remains a major issue in schoolreform and improvement. Outcome of this study is that positive effects of teacher training can be expected especiallywhen teachers show that they are satisfied with the training activities. This implies that teacher training would always have to be accompanied by an independent evaluation. 8- It is reinarkable that almost no classroom effects were found in this study. This might be due to the fact that no observationswere made of teacher behavior in the classroom. All international studies show that teacher quality is a crucial factor in school effectiveness. Exactly what classroom factors will have impact on achievement and to what extent will vary locally. It is important to include classroom observationstudies in the longitudinal research to identify the crucial factors in the Egyptian context. 9- It is remarkablethat no effect of school leadershiphas been found. This could be due to the fact that 3 effects. ANNEX6. STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP REPORT AND RESULTS(IF ANY) 1 N.A. 1 1.Assessment of Development Objective and Design, and of Quality at Entry 1.1 Project Original Objective: The objectives of the project are to enhance the MOE's ability to achieveits major long-term goals with respect to improving: (i) coverage, particularly for girls; (ii) the qualityof student learning; and (iii) the efficiency of the education system. The MOE, together with IDA as administratorof the Interim Trust Fund, agreed that a broad and long- term program approach, as opposed to a narrowly defined project with rigidly specified activities, would be the most appropriateinstrument to achieve the government's goals in compulsory education. The government developed a long-term StrategicFramework, which defined EEP's 13objectives and the interventions it would pursue to achievethese goals. Core program activities would be determined each year through an interactiveprocess and would be included in an annual work plan to be developed by a Program Planning and Monitoring Unit (PPMU). 1.2 Revised Objective: The original objectiveswere not changed during project implementation. 1.3 Project Original Components: The original components of the project were relevant to achieving the original objectives of the project. ImprovingAccess. The goals of this component were to maintain the high enrollment rate for boys and removethe gender disparities in girls' enrollment in basic education. Strategies to increaseparental demand for girls' educationidentifiedin existingresearch would be proposed for adoption in culturally conservative areas with low levels of girls enrollment, as well as additional measures identified through the communitypreference survey. Improving the Quality of Student Performance. The goals of this program area were to significantly increase student achievementof basic skills and improve their critical thinking skills in the EEP targeted governorates. National successwith these goals can be expected in 10to 15years as implementation of most interventionswhich drive their achievementwould require at least two 5-year project cycles. Therewere four specific objectivesin this component: (i) reduce wastage (repetition and dropout); (ii) improve the quality of teaching and learning; (iii) improve the quality of the pre-service training program; and (iv) build the capacityof implementing agencies to implement programs that focus on improving the quality of education. (i) reducing wastage: This would be accomplishedthrough two approaches: (i) reducing class size (frequently as high as 60-70)and multiple shifts through school construction, to be pursued starting in the first year of the program, and (ii) providing support to students with moderate learning difficulties. (ii) improving the quality of teaching and learning: This wouId be achieved through five approaches designed to tailor teaching to students' learning needs to: (i) reform in-service teacher training; (ii) ensure effectiveuse in schools and classroomsof the government's investment in technology and distance learning; (iii) institute student learning assessments to facilitate accountability of teachers, 3This summarybased on an ICR preparedby MOE in March 2007, available in project files. principalsand others throughout the sector; (iv) introduce quality assurance systems for experienced teachers; and (v)improve the quality of pre-service teacher training programs. Improving System Efficiency. The goals of this component were to improvesystem efficiencythrough improving the management of sector resources and to enable improvements in system effectiveness through enhancingsector planning, decisionmaking and management. The PPMU worked with sector agencies to increase capacity in these areas. A capacitybuilding hnd for training, studies, national and foreign technical assistance, study visits and other capacity building measureswas established to facilitatethis process. Continuous self-assessmentof capacitybuilding needs was part of the management task of each Implementing Agency, including the PPMU itself. 1.4 Revised Components: None of the componentswere formallyrevised during project implementation.Rather, the flexibilityinculcated in project design accommodated additional or complementary,component-specific activities. 1.5 Quality at Entry: A UNDP grant was used for critical start-upactivities;thiswas oneof numerous efforts by the task team to solicit donor support. 2. Achievement of Objective and Outputs 2.1Outcome/achievementof objective: Overall,theproject has achieved its objective Over the past nine years EEP contributedthe followingto the basic education sector in Egypt: Improving Access and Equity o 2,723 classroomsbuilt to improveaccess,accommodating108,920pupils per year Improving Schooling environment o 1,935classroomto eliminatemulti-shifts, accommodating 77,400pupils per year o 1,117classroomsto reduce density, accommodating44,680 pupils per year o 54,000 computer/internetperiods per week add to the basic educationschools in the 15 governorates Improving Quality of Human resources: o 501,439teachersweretrained in the followingareas: subjectmatter; using technologyin classroom; effectiveteaching methods; fundamentalcomputer skills; dealing with learning difficulties; cumulativeevaluation;National Standards;and as facilitators of one-classroom schools. o 4,721 inspectorswere trained in the followingareas: use of technologyin classroom;subject matter; Arabic language -Prep Education; Social Studies-Prep Education; science and math -Prep Education; Arabic Language-Primary Education; Social Studies- Primary Education; science and math - Primary Education; use of technologyin teaching Arabic - Prep Education; use of technologyin teaching math Prep Education; use of technology in - teaching science o 55,000school managers and principalstrainedon modem approachesof educational management o 34,943social workers trained on studentcounselingand communitymobilization o 9350 lab technician trained on operatingand managingmodem scienceexperiments o 897 schoolmangers, principles, and deputies introducedto the international trends of school management o 660managers exposed to international experience of educational management through study tour to UK. o 13,253 training of trainers cadres in the following areas: computertraining; transformation training; lab technician trainers; one classroom facilitation;school based training unit; and cumulativeevaluation o 60 researchers in the followingarea:RASH model; Item response Theory; and MILWIN Multi-level analysis o 50 cadres trained on projects administration/Planning/M&E/Finance-EEP staff Improving infrastructure o 300 schoolsapplynational Standards o 27 GovernorateStatistics offices and 241 district statisticsoffices are connected with the CISD in one national network permits online data sharing. o Detailed reportswith recommendationsprovided to MOE to improvethe current educational inspection system. o Availability2,850 training seatsat 12hlly equippedtraining facilities+200 seatsfor video conferencing Physical Outcomescompared to 1996/1997 Basic Education enrolment increasedby 2.7% (11,221,064to11,523,327) Special education schools of basic educatiohincreasedby 48.4% (380 to 564) %of the girls enrolled in Primary education increased by 2% (46% to 48% ) Average class size in the 15 governoratesdecreasedby 7.8% (43.5 to 40.1) %of multiple shift schoolsof primary educationdecreased by 19% (30% - 11%) %of multiple shift schools of Preparatory educationdecreased by 14% (29%-15%) Dropout rate of primary education decreased by 53% (1.05% to 0.49%) Dropout rate of Preparatory education decreased by 28% (4.06%to 2.90%) Repetition rate of primary education decreased by 39% (6.60% to 4.0 %) Repetition rate of preparatory education decreased by 20% (10.9% to 8.7%) % of trained teachers reached 86% (294,000 out of 342,000) %of trained managers in the 15Governoratesreached 95% (55,000 out of 58,000) Trained researchers of the national educationalcenters designed baseline achievementtests and longitudinal evaluation Study CISD generatestimely reports of statisticalinformationand indictors reports of international quality, satisfyingmost of the needs of planning, M&E, and internationalcomparisons. Availableprofessional training facilitieswithin reach of teaching and non-teaching staff nationwide Impact to date Average intake rate reached 90%, and 88% girls and boys respectively in the 15 governorates Average enrollment rate exceeded 90%, for both girls and boys, in primary and preparatory education. Gender gab (GPI) decreased to 0.9 in primary education and -0.4 in Preparatory education Retest on math, Arabic language, and critical thinking skills, revealed significant improvement on most of the tested component. Repetition rates decreased to 4.0% Dropout rates decreased to less than one percent for boys and girls in the primary educatioil and to 2.4 and 3.3 CISD timely reliable education statistics, information, and indicators to are used ill supporting the educational planning, M&E, decision-making, and international comparisons. NCEEE/NCERDhave the capacity to conduct and analyze national educational surveys and monitoring&evaluationprograms using sophisticatedanalytical methodologies Severaldecision made to increase teacher motivation and job satisfaction Modified inspection system is in place and accountability approaches are considered in re- structuringMOE organizationalframework 2.2 Outputs by componerzts: Area I: ImprovingAccess and Equity Construction in deprived areas: Enrollment rates improved in deprived areas by building new schools within easy reach of targeted population. Site selection was based upon computerized school mapping system, local review of enrollment rates and a process of identifying local community preferences. The project built a total of 234 schools, accommodating 108,920pupils per year. Awareness campaigns: Introducing concepts and developing strategies for awareness campaigrison the importance of education was one of the fhdanlental contributions of EEP. Complementing construction by awareness campaigns proved to be a promising approach to create more demand, especially with respect to girls. Collaboration with NGOs was a major achievement in this process, helping to secure sustainability and enabling the governorate departments of education (muderias)to benefit from the experience of such organizations,especially in the context of communication with local communities. The interventionsof community participation have been adopted as one of the five fundamental domains of the national educationalstandards. It is also considered as one of the characteristics of the "effective schools." In addition, the campaigns played an active role in decreasing the numbers of the dropouts of boys and girls at both primary and preparatory education levels on the targeted areas of the 15EEP governorates. The preliminary observations proved the success of such an approach; however, the question of sustainabilityis still open. The vision of the MOE is to empower underprivileged segments of the population to ensure the sustainability of community involvement (Minister of Education meet with donors in 1999). The private sector and NGOs are expected to continue to play active role. Table (1) %Decrease in numberof dropoutsas a result of awarenesscampaigns primary heparatory Boys Girls Boys Girls 67% 58% 63% 62% Second ChanceEducatiorr: The MOE has been cooperating with interested NGOs to provide out-of- school children with a second chance tojoin the system by developing alternate channels, such as community schools and one-classroom schools (OCS). EEP financed the training of one-classroom and community school facilitators implementedby the Center for Curriculum & instructional Materials Development (CCIMD). The number of one-classroom schoolsreached 3,147, accommodating 69,170 children between 8-14 years of age (2004/2005),which contributed to an increase in GER. Providing equipment and teaching materials: Upgrading existing schools with modem equipment was another approachto improve the quality of education. Sixty-five schools on ten governorates received specific equipment, 185schools were equipped with computer labs, and 1,000 schools were provided with internet labs allowing50 studentsper day to access computers and internet connections. PerformanceIndicators of Area I: The figuresin Table 2 showthat universal participation is accomplished and the gender gap is closed. However, more efforts are needed to reach the non participating slice of the school age population. Table (2) Performance indicatorsof Area I ( Objective 1 L 1 ( Indicator 12004105 I Gross intake rate of p i s 94.7% Increase Access to Education Gross intake rate of boys 92.7% P Gross intake rate - total 93.6% Increase enrollment in basic GER of girls in BasicEducation 91.0% Education GER of boys in Basic Education 91.3% Gender Gap 0.30 Increase Girls Enrolment GenderParity Index GPI 0.99 Area 11: Improving the quality of student performance Thisprogram area aims at providing the student with appropriate exposure to a sound learning environment to assist in acquiring active learning experiences and improve critical thinking skills. The fundamental elements of effective schooling are considered in an integrated approach: extending the learningtime by eliminatingmultiple shifts and reducing class density, training teachers on modem technologies and teaching methodologies,involvingand upgrading inspectors' skills, and improving the process of student performance evaluation. Reduce repetition and dropout rates: Two approaches were adopted: namely, reducing class size to an averageof 40 pupils per class; and eliminatingmultiple shifts through school construction. The project built 143schools to assist in eliminatingmultiple shifts, while 81schools are delivered to help in reducing class size. This exceeded the planned number of schoolsto be built. The government's overall program produced 1,935classroomsto eliminate shifts, accommodating 77,400 pupils per year and 1,117classrooms to reduce density, accommodating44,680 pupils per year. Another implemented intervention to retain studentswas providing adequate support to students with moderate learning difficulties. Trainingprograms were implemented to tackle this issue through training teachers in special skills and strategiesthat are effectivein supporting these children. Improvingthe quality of teaching and learning: Face-to-face and distance learning approaches were utilized to implement a national training scheme, as well as providing training abroad. The scheme provided an input of 36 pre-service and in-serviceprograms, targeting: school managers, teachers, inspectors, social workers and staff of special needs schools. The staff of the MOE Technology Development Center was another group of professionals serving the education system who are targeted by the EEP training scheme. Following is a samplecourses developed by EEP of individuallytailored to the professional needs of each "Target Group": Pre-service Teacher Training -internship program: Newly appointedteachers received training coursesto provide them with modern teaching and class management methodologies. Target size was 11,000newly appointed teachers. The colleges of education implemented the first phase of the program. . The secondphase was a teaching practice in the schools for three consecutivemonths. The third phase of the internshipprogram aimed at providing the teachers with the basic computer skills and a functional knowledge of English language. In-Service training: A comprehensivetrainingplan was implemented targetingteachers and inspectors of math, English, science, and Arabic of both primary and preparatory levels to improve: the use of technology, teaching strategies, evaluation of student performance, application of national standards, implementationof developed curricula,management of a school-based training and evaluation unit; and addressing mild learning disabilities. Another aspect of the professional developmentplan aimed at supportingthe transfer of science and math teachers to teach computersciences. Training was also provided to social workers and inspectors. Distance learning is one of the novel methods pioneered by EEP. It provides a feasible approach in dealing with such a massive communityof basic education teachers (more than half million)in terms of in servicetraining. This component also upgraded the staff of the Technology Development Center Effective School Project (ESP): Based on the successful interventionsof EEP, national education standards were established,and an MOE decreewas created to convert PTAs into more quality-focused Boards of Trustees (BOTs). The Effective SchoolsProgram (ESP) was also created and co-funded by the World Bank and European Union within EEP. The ESP began in September2004 and expected to end in September2006. The program aimed to assist 300 schoolsin ten governoratesto improve their servicesand facilitiesthrough: providing tools for self assessmentand planning; trainingstaff in self- assessment and planning skills;increasingcommunityparticipation in schools; and providing grants and matching funds. The improvementof the program continuesto be guided and measured against the national standards for education. Samplesof the ESP implementedtraining programs were selected for evaluation. The findings are summarizedbelow: TeachingMethodology: Distance Learning Program: new teachingmethods, such as role play and group work, were practiced and lesson plans improved. Thesocial workers'trainingprogram:community participation practices and activities related to providing assistance to unprivilegedpupils. Training on special education:traineesbecame more able to accept both the value and utility of educatingstudentswith special needs and their inclusion with the normal students in the mainstream education. Training to help teachers diagnose and remedy students with Mild Learning difficulties. Teachersbegan to go beyond their regular teaching skills. Although EEP in-servicetraining has had an impact on classroompractices, there is limited documented evidence to show the extent or the quality of the desired impact of the training and its large-scale activities. Also, there is a need to explore common lessons learned in the process of planning and implementing training, and to determine potentially sustainable elements of EEP training. Capacity buildingfund: Need assessments of the NCEEE, CCIMD and NCERD were conducted to identify and prioritize the specific needs of each agency. Modernizing the Regional Training Centers and videoconference network with modem equipment serves the implementation needs of some EEP training activities and at the same time built capacity in the MOE. PerformarzceIndicators of Area II Objective Indicator Progress Decrease multiple Shifts % of non-full-day schools -13%points (52%of target) Decrease of Class Density Pupils per Class 5% (67% of target) Improve Basic skills of Difference between pre and post tests Significant progress in reading Arabic Language of Basic skills of Arabic Language and listening Improve skills of Critical Difference between pre and post tests Non-significant change in most Thinking of Critical thinking of the components TheNCEEE was contractedto develop and implement the achievement baseline test. The post administrationof the achievementtest included 42 test criterion referenced on a sample of 20,432 pupils from the 5thand 8thgrades in 11 governorates. Significant differences are noticed between the pre and post application of the achievement test of in Arabic, mathematics and critical thinkin .No significant !i difference found between males and females on the performance level of the 5thand 8 grade pupils in Arabic, mathematics, and critical thinking. This is supported by the increase of pupils' results that made progress in the skills of everydimension and the decreased of the number of weak students. A longitudinalstudy and results of TIMSS competition also evaluatethe impact of EEP activities on the quality of student performance. Area 111: Improving System Efficiency: The goal of this program area was to improve system efficiency by improving the management of sector resources and to enable improvementsin system effectiveness through enhancing sector planning, decision-makingand management. Introduce cost saving changes in school designs: A study was conductedjointly with GAEB to optimize the design of the teaching and non teaching spaces of schoolbuildings. The impact of this input reduced unit costs and helped increase the impact of new schools and increasing the capacity per schoolbuilding. Management Information System Development: The Computer Information and Statistics Department (CISD) of MOE and its correspondingofficeswere fully upgraded with modem equipment and software. There is now a hnctioning network connectingthe department with the statistics offices at the districtsand governorates. Most schools are now attachedto the network. Data of the annual school survey are delivered online in considerablenumber of cases. Data sets collected at the pupil level have begun to populate the central database. All MOE related agencies have online access to the national educational database and bilateral exchangesof information protocols have been developed. The capacity of CISD was improvedto maintain and manage the upgraded system and produce sets of educational indicators covering most of the requirementsof planning, monitoring and international comparisons,and the availabilityof timely accurate data sets. The impact of the intervention is evident in the increased usage of data in MOE reports and decision making. Egyptjoined the world education indicators program organized by OECDAJNSCO, satisfyingthe data requirementsof the EFA program. Motivation & Accountability: A comprehensivesurveywas conducted to explore the factors causing satisfactionand dissatisfactionof those practicing the teaching profession. Recommendationswere presented to the Minister of Education to take appropriateactions. The outcome of the activity appeared on a program of recognition of quality teachers and parental and community involvement in school management is officiallyencouraged. A financial incentive scheme is applied to teachers; best school practices are recognized and awarded at the national level. Management TrainingProgram: The program is administratedto both primary and preparatory school managers. Although the original target of the plan was 2,000 managers, the target was exceeded with 55,000 managers, principals and deputies. The GPPMUs took the lead in administratingthe program and the recruitment of participants. Staff of the Faculties of Education,together with experienced administratorsin each governorate, were involved in delivering and ensuring the quality of the program. Trainingmiddle managementlocally and abroad: The program is a product of collaborative efforts of MOE and several agencies. The program aimed to provide highly qualified resource persons exposed to international experienceand acquaintedwith contemporary educationaltrends. The training abroad focuseson providingpractical exposurein the use of new pedagogy and new management methods in classroomsand schools. The program intended to: (i) create a critical mass of reformist educational managers willing to acceptnew ideas and that have the skills, knowledge, and commitment to support and reinforce the new skillsthat are being transferred to inspectors and teachers through other training activities;and (ii) develop school systemswhich promote higher order thinking skills and improve the efficiencyof the basic education system. EEP Management: Establishing a mechanism to run EEP was part of the preliminary interventions of EEP itself, which had an impact on the efficiencyand effectivenessof the management and implementationof the project. The basic education enhancement program is managed in decentralized manner. A central PPMU and remote offices at the targeted governorates(GPPMUs)managed the project. The PPMU produced, monitored and evaluatedlong and short-termplans in full partnership . with the MOE as ultimate beneficiary and associated implementing agencies such as GAEB,NCEEE and NCERD. The staffingof the project administrationgrew to reach 49,158 at the central and local units by year 03104. Project management began the staff down sizing process parallel to the phasing out and completionof project activities. Policy andplanning: The PPMU developed 5-year and annual workplans. They also assisted the GPPMUs to do their own. Plans are based on the logical framework approach. Plans are updated with recent statistics,and budgets are based in actual unit costs obtained fiom past experience. Thefirzancialsystem: Timely reports and informationwere produced, aggregated by donor, category, activity, and governorate level. The availabilityof such information to the MOE technical sections helped to reduce the variances of planned and actual implementation expenditure. Several financial forms were developed to facilitate and standardizethe collection and processing of financial data. Monitoring and Evaluation of EEP: Based on the implementation~actionplans of EEP, the M&E /EMIS /Statisticssectiondeveloped standardizedtools and procedures to collect, store, analyze, and report information required for program monitoring and evaluation. The EMIS is computerized and networkedwith the regional offices at the 15target governorates. Reports from GAEB, the national investmentbank, EEP monitors and external consultants are used to monitor and evaluate the civil works component of the program. The EMIS provides detailedtimely reports disaggregated by reason of construction,donor, and current implementation situation at school, governorate and program levels. The Kirkpatrickapproach is adopted to monitor training programs. Each implemented program is subjected to Evaluation of Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and Results. The interventions of providing equipmentare monitored and evaluated before, during and after implementation using specific tools. On site training was arranged for MOE district offices to build capacity and promote a culture of evaluationand accountability. All the materials and tools developed at the section are made availableto the MOE Monitorsthrough the GPPMUs. To evaluatethe impact of EEP, a longitudinal study was designed with the assistanceof an international expert provided by the EU's Project CoordinationUnit. The studywas based on the national standards and implemented nation wide with a baseline measurement for approximately 1,200schools in all governorates. An additional 500 schools in innovative or experimental projects were also included. (e-g. one-classroom schools,language schools, private schools) and the 300 schoolsof the ESP. The field work phase of the study was implemented by a trained team of researchers fiom NCERD using the designedquestionnairesand interview checklists. NCEEE designed the standards-based achievement tests for grades 5 and 8 in Arabic, math, English, science and social studies. In March and April 2005, two internationalexperts trained NCERD and NCEEE researchers in data analysis: scaling methods and multi-level modeling. The final results of the analysis of 2,000 schools provided conclusions about the factors have had significant impact on pupil achievement in Egypt. Impactof Area 111:NCERD was contractedto assess the impact of the middle management training. The team visited a sample of schools to collect required information by applying specific tools. The results proved that more than 50 percent of the trained managers apply what they learned fiom the training. Part of the training program needed to be modified to new trends adopted by the MOE, such as communityparticipation. 2.3 Net Present ValueLEconomicrate of return: Not calculatedfor theproject. 2.4 Financial rate of return: Not calculatedfor theproject. 2.5 Institutional developmentimpact: Building and securing institutional sustainabilityhas always been an important concern during the course of implementing EEP. In the course of building the capacity of the implementing agencies, needs assessments of the NCEEE and NCERD were conducted. Modernizing the Regional Training Centers and videoconferencenetwork with modem equipment served the implementationneeds of some EEP training activities and at the same time built capacity in the MOE. The project has made a positive impact on the institutional development of the MOE and its departments as follows: (i) school constructionto reduce classroom density, eliminate shifts and serve remote areas, especially for girls; (ii) Regional Training Centersequipped in 12governorates; CDIST became the main coordinating body for training in the MOE; (iii) construction of the Qena and Cairo Centers and refurnishing of other Regional Training Centers to increase training capacity; (iv) school-based training units were established in every school in Egypt; (v) the MOE's EMIS has been automated and is being used more effectively for decision-making;(vi) GAEBYsMIS has been improved with project financing and the tendering process and the quality control of the construction process have been fully computerized; (vii) the NCEEE conducts regular assessments for schools in Egypt and the agency's performance improved after receiving TA from EEP; and (viii) PC labs provided to all school buildings under EEP. More importantly, the project contributed to the Bank's policy dialogue with the MOE, resulting in major initiatives leading to: improved education quality; communitymobilization through awareness campaigns and communityparticipation within the Effective School Program; school improvement fimding, school-based Training and Evaluation Units; establishment of National Education Standards; preparation of the First Strategic Plan; establishmentof an advanced and automated EMIS; e-learning; and other interventions. 3. Major Factors Affecting Implementation and Outcome 3.1 Factorsoutside the control ofgovernment or implementingagency: Fluctuationsof exchange rates between the US Dollar and the Egyptian Pound and between the SDR and the US Dollar occurred over the life of the project. At project appraisal in 1996,the Egyptian pound was much stronger than at project closingin August 2006: respectively, LE3.40 to US$1 and LE 5.7 to US$l. Also, the exchange rate between the SDR and the US Dollar resulted in a decrease of US$3.5 million of the originally estimated funds. Exchange rate differences during the project implementationperiod allowed for the additional construction of schools. Additional schools provided more spaces for girls and out of school children. More teacherswere hired and in turn trained on proper skills of teaching and utilizing technology in the classroom. 3.2 Factorsgenerally subject to government control: Delay in Credit Effectiveness. The government'snormal ratificationprocedures by the Parliament for foreign borrowing took almost one year; this delayed project start-up and subsequentlyproject implementation. Grant hnds enabled the project to move quickly into the implementationphase as follows: (i) established GPPMUs by securing offices, hiring staff, and providing equipment and furnishings; (ii) conducted soil surveys at the sites of project-financed schools. 3.3 Factors generally subject to implementing agency control: Experienced and well-qualified personnel staffed the PPMU. Project management was generally very good and PCU managers maintained excellent relations with Bank staff and facilitated visiting missions. In particular, project accounts were maintained accurately and with keen oversight. 3.4 Costs andfinancing: Total project costs were estimated at LE 3.35 billion or US$835.52 million equivalent with a foreign exchange component of US$270.12 million or about 32 percent of total program costs. Base cost estimateswere calculated using June 1996prices. IDA funds were disbursed against the core program activitiesof the EEP. The EU supportedthe entire program through tranche release disbursementsagainst Guiding Criteria and Indicators agreed with the government. The IDA Credit of SDR 51.5million, (US$75 million equivalent) financed the project components: Access and Equity, Qualityof StudentPerformanceand System Efficiency. The EU contributed US$125 million in co-financing. The government's expenditures for EEP were maintained at the initial level, amountingto US$10.9billion over theproject's five-year span, of which US$635.5 million supported core activities of the EEP. IDA supportedpriority items within the core program not funded b the government. EU finds were not earmarked for specific items and financed all remaining items in the annual work plans, includingconsultant servicesfor the first year. Table(12) Estimated Project Costs and Financing by Componentin US$ million Project components Total Govt. IDA E. Union Accessand Equity 448.5 406.4 17.5 24.6 Quality of Student Performance 359.0 229.1 51.6 78.3 Systemefficiency 28.0 5.9 22.1 TOTAL PROGRAM COST 835.5 635.5 75.0 125.0 Financial Inputs to date: The EU grant was originally 100million Euros equivalent, 8 million allocated to the PCU. The World Bank creditwas US$75 million, equivalent to 51million SDR. Due to fluctuationsof exchangerates, the actual credit value equaled US$71.4 million, fiom which US$12.5 million were allocated to MOHE for the Faculties of Education component of EEP. Annex 1provides summarized informationof financial inputs by donor and, categoryat activity level. Table (13) Expenditureby category by donor: 9 W B US$ EU Euro Civil Works(mainlyschool construction) 27,402,886 3,7400 Training and technical Assistance 17,432,380 31,300 Goods 11,717,611 19,700 PSI Grant 14,339,273 Total 70,892,150 88,400 Budget 71,440,000 92,000 %of expenditure 99,3% 96% 4. Sustainability 4.1 Rationale for sustainability: Project sustainability is likely. Government commitmentto improving the education system is demonstratedby a doubling in its share of funding for education in Egypt since the 1990s. The share of educationin public expenditure increased from 10percent in 199011991to 22.6 percent in 1996/1997,and increased slightly in 2003104; this share is high by international standards. In addition,Egypt iscommitted to the Education for All goals and is likely to achieve universalprimary completionrate by 2015, having ensured equitable access to primary educationto both girls and boys in 2005. Government ownershipis expected to remain strong. GAEB continues to be responsible for the school construction program and has high capacity. In the area of improving the quality of education, the MOE continuesto set policiesto ensure quality educationfor all and have enunciatedNational Education Standards. The Standardsintroduce excellencein five domains: effective schools,teacher management and communityparticipation,aswell as curriculum and student achievement. Furthermore,quality has increased following the establishmentof the school-basedTraining and EvaluationUnits as these uni'ts play a greater rolein training teachers and in assessing student performanceon a regular basis. Stakeholderownership is demonstrated through NGOs, Parent Teacher Associations and Boards of Trustees.Community leaders ensure that initiatives have started under the project activities, such as the school improvement fund, and the Effective School Pilot Project. The NGO department of the MOE is expected to play a key role in motivating,monitoring and building the capacityof NGOs to ensure sustainabilityof the successfbl initiativespiloted under different projects. MOE institutional and management effectiveness has improved to some extentthrough the project,particularlywith regard to the in-servicetrainingprograms and the EMIS forbetter policy- and decision-making.The capacityof the various implementingagencies of the MOE, such as GAEB, CCIMD, NCEEE, NCERD & CDIST, both centrallyand at the governorate level, has been strengthened and further capacitybuilding is continuing after EEP. 4.2 Transition arrangement to regular operations: Most of the project's activitieshave been integrated into the regular work program and operations of the MOE, minimizing the need for special transition arrangements. EEP have made inputsin the areas of access and equity, qualityof teaching and learning, and system efficiency. An MOE CoordinatingCommitteemonitors the performance of the implementing agencies that support the governmeut's education strategy and serves as a forum to ensure that duplication of services is avoided and that obstaclesto implementationareremoved. It isworth noting that GAEB has mainstreamed all EEP inputs for school construction into its ongoing work program. The EMIS is also enhancingefficiencyof the education system through its links with GAEB, the schoolsand the local levels. Also, CDIST has mainstreamed all EEP trainingprograms into its ongoing work program. In-service teacher training programs are ongoing with greatly expanded capacityat the project-supported regional trainingcenters. All Regional Traihing Centers are hlly operational and managed by the MOE. TheNCEEE continuesto conduct additional evaluation studies, particularly longitudinal and baseline studiesto measure the progress of system indicators and to study the in-depth training impact. As part of the policy dialogue, Egypt hasjoined TIMSS for the firsttime, which will help in comparing its education qualityand student achievement in math and science with other countries, both regionally and internationally.This may result in new reforms in curricula and examinations. Also, recommendations have been made by ajoint BankIEuropeanCommission supervision mission that the MOE should establish a Monitoring and EvaluationUnit within the ministry and support, as a priority, evaluation work. The results of the longitudinal study (in two phases) will feed into the MOE's curricular planning for the coming years. The results of the Baseline studyhave fed into the EEP activity throughout the project duration. 5. Project Costs and Financing World Bank Expenditure by Cate~orv: EU. Expenditure by Category School Construction:The EU financed building 148 schools. Total cost - Euro37.5 m = LE 185 m. TelephoneLines: 1,500 schoolswere provided with telephone lines in the 15targeted governorates. Total Cost - Euros 2 m =LE 1.5 m II Goods: 1,150schoolswith ICT hardware,peripherals and consurnables, data networking and cabling and computer furnitureas well as training in the 15targeted Governorates. Total Cost Euro 16.4 m. = LE 120m. Educational Materials: (encyclopedias for Libraries). Total Cost - Euros 7.6 m =LE 6.2 m Trainina,Consultants,Campaigns: a. Training of MiddleManagement - 897 local (selected from them) 660 to continue the training abroad. Total cost Euro 12.7m = LE 90.5m b. In Country TrainingTotal cost Euro 10.7m = LE 42 m c. Local Consultants, Campaigns,Operational Cost. Total Cost Euro 6 m = LE 30 m ANNEX 8. COMMENTS COFINANCIERS AND OTHER PARTNERSISTAKEHOLDERS OF 1 N.A. ANNEX LISTOF SUPPORTING 9. DOCUMENTS (USED BY THE BANK ICR TEAM TO WRITE THE ICR) Project Concept Note, November 1, 1995 Staff Appraisal Report, World Bank, October 21, 1996 Mid Term Review, World Bank, May 2001 and February 2002 QSA Report, World Bank,November 1,2004 Education in Egypt, LongitudinalStudy Report, MOE, February 2006 The Effective SchoolProject, Baseline Report, Ahraf Bkr, May 19,2005 Idara-Level Organizational Analysis, ElizabethBoustagui Logan, April 28, 2005 Increasing Girls' School Enrolment in the Arab Republic of Egypt, Case Study, FarrukhIqbal and Nagwa Riad Public ExpenditureReview, World Bank, 2004105 Joint mission aide-memoires MOE ProgressReports ANNEX10.FACULTIES OF EDUCATIONPROJECT(FOEP) RESULTSFRAMEWORK The Faculties of Education component had its own performance targets (seven) and indicators agreed after this activity's transfer to MOHE in 2002. These are listed below: First target: Creating enhancement environment based on clarity of vision & mission. Project target Completion Indicators on start Quality control indicators indicators - Participation of There were no - Participation 1.Document on 50% of teaching staff visions, mission, or exceeded 50%. vision, mission in project activities. reference - Consensus reached and reference -Meeting teaching conceptual on the general vision, framework was staff and assistants in frameworkas a and mission of submitted for all faculties. starting point and facultiesof evaluation and -Diversity of topics in scientific education. arbitration. workshops and environment for 2. The document meetings. development. was also sent to -Agreeing on general faculties for vision, mission, and discussion by reference conceptual scientific boards, framework for committees and faculties of education teaching staff. in Egypt, through 3. The document briefing, feedback. was redrafted in the light of feedbacks received by project management. Second target: Reforming teacher preparation system in all elements (sequential and integrated). Project target Completion Indicators on start Quality control indicators indicators - Designing a There was no 75% of the target 1-Curricula comprehensive description or was achieved descriptions were guiding model for content of programs because: laid by professors teacher preparation or their elements. - No decision was in arts, science, - Achieving a positive made on testing and education outcome from students prior to faculties, and revision of the enrollment. revised by 220 guiding model. - No decision was staff members, - Implementing the made obliging all and 10foreign model on a suwey- education faculties to experts. wise basis. amend their by-laws 2-Programs, -Other faculties during 200512006. curricula changing their -The survey study descriptions, and teacher preparation was conducted in 4 contents were systems faculties (see results evaluated by local, -Devising descriptions of survey follow-up and foreign for 1400curricula and evaluation) experts. -Revising programs -Up to August 2006, 3-Programs and by local and foreign only 8 facultieshas documents were experts. updated their by-laws examined by in line with faculties of developed model, and education and won approval of feedbacks were sector's committee. taken into -Other faculties won account. university board 4-Internal approval on new by- regulations and laws, but still under other teacher discussion in sector's preparation comrnittee. documents were -All of this represents submitted to an unprecedented sector's committee achievement in and won approval. Egypt, in terms of developing national quality standards and adhering to them in designingprograms, content, and descriptions. Third target: Professional development of teaching staff and their assistants. Project target Completion Indicators on start Quality control indicators indicators 1. Training 50& of - Irnplemente - Target was 1. Training . teaching staff and d programs were of over 75% achieved, programs were assistants. general purpose for according to submitted to 2. Implementing non-specialists. monitoring, faculties of training programs with - There were assessment results. education prior to a degree of satisfaction no structured - Number of implementation and of at least 50% for programs for IT programs modified in the Programs and level of softwaretraining to implemented was light of feedback. training. get international 640. 2. Training 3. Providing at license or the - Number of programs were least 50% of trainees equivalent. trainees in first phase examined by with ICDL. totaled experts for 4. Creating 5645lprogranl. recommendation. sufficient numbers of - Total number 3. An trainers in facultiesof of trainees in second assessment was education. phase was conducted after first 5. Providing approximately Phase of training teaching staff and 400Olprogram. and the programs administrativestaff - 815 of staff, were modified with IT software administration accordingly. training. members were 4. Assessment trained on IT. study of training programs was conducted (see document on follow-up and assessment) Fourth target: improving infrastructure qualityof education faculties. Project target Completion Indicators on start Quality control indicators indicators 1 . Teaching - Infrastructure 1. Target 1. Standardization staff feeling project of over 95% of was hlfilled committees included has established education faculties before loan members from all infrastructurefor was below levels closing date fields. enhancement. needed to properly despite many 2. Network 2. Supporting prepare teachers. difficulties. supplier's engineer was applied practical 2. 75% of present in faculties for 3 aspects of labs are used in months for the purposes professional and teaching in of operation and specialized faculties of training. cumculums. education. 3. Compensatory 3. Associating 3. Curricula training to teaching Cumcula with are associated staff and assistants. technology. with appropriate 4. Faculties were 4. Using technologies. surveyed on need for infrastructurein 4. Over 50% science and geography teachingprocess. success in labs, classroom 5. Enhancing building staff technologies, and their teaching staff capable of using ability to provide ability to use technology. technical support for technologies. -There is a need operation. for a decision by the Higher Council of Universities establishing a mechanism in every university to follow up with continuoususe of labs. -Fundingproject to maintain continuous follow-up, training and purchasing needed software. Fifth tarpet: Ensuring good performance of faculties of education. Project target Completion Indicators on start Quality control indicators indicators 1. Assessing - Only 15% of - Participation - Regular current situation of faculties introduced indicator fulfilled; technical follow-up faculties using SWOT projects, before percentage exceeded by (QAAP). analysis. QAAP,FOEP 70%. - Financial 2. Developinga agreement. - Projects still follow-upby FOEP vision for each faculty, running till June in the light of publicizing and 2007 (contracts technical follo~7-up. discussing it. started on January 3. Describing 2006 for one year and programs. half) 4. Describing curricula. 5. Designing strategic plan for self- development. 6. Holding seminars and meetings on development and enhancement. 7. Participation of at least 50% of faculties with programs. 8. Establishing internal quality systems in faculties of education. Sixth target: Adopting faculties' self-reform approach. Project target Completion Indicators on start Quality control indicators indicators Competitive schemes: - Only 15%; 1. Evaluation some faculties completion of of introduced 1. Atleast75%of introduced few projects. projects; each by 3 facultiesparticipating partial projects 2. Assessment arbitrators. with competitive -throughHEEPF. study shows over 2. Regular projects. 75%achievement of technical and 2. 75% of competitive projects. financial follow-up universities (see document on of projects. participatingwith follow-up and projects. assessment) 3. Diversity of 3. 85% of projects to cover faculties of education different aspects of participated in the teacher preparation projects. system, and associate 4. Over 1300 faculties with teaching staff environment. members participated 4. Fully (about 25% of all implementing80% of members and the projects. assistants). 5. Permanent centers were established in faculties for the continuation of the projects. 6. Some projects were integrated into faculty by-laws. 7. Courses were transformed into electronic and distance learning. 8. Scientific documents were issued for all projects. 9. New specialized sections were established in faculties of education;education technology and special education. 10. Post-graduate study programs were upgraded. Seventh target: Associating project activitieswith schools and other projects. Project target Completion Indicators on start Quality control indicators indicators 1. Implementing - Average 50% - Follow-up training programs in achievement rate. of project schools by teaching Such activities need implementation staff members. to continuethrough and, training 2. Implementing 2007, and second programs. Illiteracy eradication phase of - Evaluating and adult education enhancement training programs, programs. projects. manuals and documents by arbitrators.