CHAPTER 10
MANAGING QUALITY INTERVENTIONS
10.1 Introduction
Managing quality interventions involve a continuous process of monitoring and
follow-up of the programme progress in order to identify the strengths and
weaknesses at various levels of programme implementation. The purpose is,
therefore, to assess programme progress with reference to the objectives and
achievable targets. Research, monitoring and evaluation are intrinsic part of RMSA
which has to be built into the total life cycle of the programme beginning with preplanning to planning, implementation and assimilation. Managing for quality must
be seen as a continuous process that enables and provides constructive feedback to
achieve the set programme objectives.
The RMSA framework clearly specifies the roles and functions at the hierarchical
levels; however, it is important to develop guidelines for monitoring and evaluation
to manage the quality aspects at every level of secondary education system.
Conventionally, monitoring and supervision of any new scheme or programme,
particularly in the area of school education, have been through authoritative and
control system. Today also, monitoring of schools includes visit of a school
inspector or a team constituted by state functionaries under their purview. These
visits are usually few and far between. This reduces monitoring to a merely
‘policing’ function. Hence, it is important to carefully institutionalise the
monitoring and evaluation mechanism to manage the quality concerns with quality
in relation to its stated objectives, norms and practices.
10.2 Strategies for multi-layer mechanism
The strategies for evolving multi-layer mechanism for quality improvement under
RMSA are discussed hereunder:
1. To be effective and useful, monitoring and evaluation requires the
identification of milestones, which must be reached within the prescribed
time frame. Monitoring and evaluation must reveal the ground realities
necessitating adjustments in strategies of implementation. Existing planning
for monitoring under RMSA includes SMDC, the Gram Sabha and Gram
Panchayat, the District Programme Coordinator and District Panchayat, the
State Mission and State Government, the National Mission and Executive
Committee/Project Approval Board/Project Approval Committee (PAC),
the Bureau concerned and the Consultants at the Ministry of Human
Resource Development. The RMSA framework also envisages that
monitoring will also be done on the basis of half yearly reports and other
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reports. Regular visits will be made to States/UTs. However, there is a need
for detailing out multi layer guidelines and development of Quality
Monitoring Tools for monitoring and evaluation activities. In the system of
monitoring mechanism, supervision and programme evaluation is
conceptualised as an in built component. Programme evaluation in the
context of quality improvement refers to systematic collection, analysis and
interpretation of evidence relating to adequacy of inputs, processes and
outputs. It reflects upon the status of the system on one hand and serves to
attain quality of education on the other.
2. The monitoring system under RMSA will be a multi pronged programme so
that a constant strive for quality is maintained. In this regard, the 10-S
framework is proposed which considers the ten essential criteria that
impinge on secondary education quality improvement programme, under
RMSA. These relate to the following:
S.No Parameter
.
Task
1.
Structure
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
2.
Strategy
i.
Role Assigned
Role clarity
Linkage
Coordination
Networking
Tools
and
Techniques
required
i. Question
naire
ii. Observat
ion
Schedule
iii. Docume
nt
analysis
iv. Interview
Schedule
(For
School,
NCERT,
NUAPA,
Ed.
CIL,
SCERT,
IASE,
CTE,
DIET,
BRC,
CRC
RMSA
Unit)
Short and
intermediate
planning
ii. Annual and
Institutional
plan
iii. Long term
i. Tools for
Analysin
g
planning
documen
ts
develope
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Issues raised
i. Which Institutions
are the major players
of this Scheme?
ii. What roles these
have been assigned
for implementing of
the scheme?
iii. Are they clear about
their roles and taking
steps accordingly?
iv. Are these structures
functioning parallel
overlapping others’
roles?
v. What is the nature of
linkage /coordination
among them?
i. What plans of action
different structures
have for achieving
the
goals
of
Universalisation of
SE?
ii. Whom they involve
planning
iv. Perspective
plan
d
by
different
structure
s
ii. Question
naires
iii. Interview
(For
School,
NCERT,
NUAPA,
Ed.
CIL,
SCERT,
IASE,
CTE,
DIET,
BRC,
CRC
RMSA
Unit)
3.
Systems
4.
Style/
Culture
i. Infrastructure
i. Question
ii. Communication
naire
Channel
ii. Observat
iii. Coordination
ion
and
selfSchedule
regulation
iii. Interview
among staff in
Schedule
day-to-day
functioning of (For
School,
the organisation NCERT,
NUAPA,
Ed.
CIL,
SCERT,
IASE,
CTE,
DIET,
BRC,
CRC
RMSA
Unit)
i. Cooperation
among staffs
ii. Effective
Leadership
iii. Community
Participation
(PTA)
i. Question
naire
ii. Observat
ion
Schedule
iii. Interview
Schedule
(For
School,
NCERT,
95
to prepare these
plans?
iii. What database they
use to make their
perspective plans?
iv. Does Plan of Action
also provide scope
for
continuous
feedback?
v. What
guidelines
these structures use
for their planning
exercise? To what
extent they find these
guidelines helpful?
i. What facilities are
available in the
institute
as
an
indicator of quality?
ii. What other essential
facilities
are
required?
iii. What
kind
of
communication
channel is available:
Wheel, Chain or all
channels?
iv. How effective is this
channel?
v. What is the extent of
coordination
and
self-regulation
among staff for day–
to-day functioning of
the organisation?
i. What is the level of
cooperation among
staffs?
ii. What are the aspects
where staffs
cooperate each other
and to what extent
this help in the
functioning of the
5.
Staff
6.
Shared
Vision and
Values
NUAPA,
Ed.
CIL,
SCERT,
IASE,
CTE,
DIET,
BRC,
CRC
RMSA
Unit)
organisation?
iii. What type of
leadership exists in
the organisation?
iv. Whether this helps in
the functioning or
hinders the effective
functioning of the
organisation?
v. What is the extent of
Community
Participation in the
organisation?
vi. How does it help in
the functioning of
the organisation?
i. Observat
ion
Schedule
ii. Interview
Schedule
i. What is the
motivation level of
the staff?
ii. What are the reasons
for high or low
motivation in staffs?
iii. What are the
qualifications of
Staffs at various
levels?
iv. To what extent they
understand learner
and learning
process? Are they
clear about the
objectives of
education as well as
learning?
v. What are the actions
on the part of staff
which reflect team
spirit?
i. Question
naire
ii. Observati
on
Schedule
i. Whether the
programmes
conducted by these
organisations reflect
social and other
i. Motivated
ii. Adequately
qualified
and
trained
iii. Having clarity of
the objectives of
school education
in general and
secondary
education
in
particular
(common goal)
iv. Understand
Learner
v. Team spirit
i. Social
concerns
(Gender,
Marginalised,
Inclusive)
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ii. Health
and
iii. Interview
Physical
Schedule
Education
iv. Tools for
iii. Arts
and
analysis
Aesthetic
(For
School,
iv. Peace
and NCERT,
work
NUAPA,
Ed.
CIL,
SCERT,
IASE,
CTE,
DIET,
BRC,
CRC
RMSA
Unit)
7.
Student
8.
Syllabus
and
Textbook
9.
Success
(performa
nce/
achieveme
nt)
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Motivated
Ask questions
Self-disciplined
Engaged
in
learning
v. Has
good
relations
with
teachers
i. Observat
ion
Schedule
ii. Interview
Schedule
Revised as per the Analysis
of
perspectives of the syllabus and text
NCF-2005
i. Assessment
inbuilt
in
classroom
learning and also
summative
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concerns? If yes, to
what extent and in
what form?
ii. Whether the
documents/textbook
s developed by these
organisations reflect
social and other
concerns?
iii. If yes, in what form:
integrated or
isolated/imposed?
i. Do students take
initiatives while
teaching learning
process? What are
the initiatives they
generally take?
ii. What kind of
questions they ask in
the classroom? How
these questions help
in the development
of the lesson in the
classroom?
iii. What kind of
relationship they
have with their
teachers?
i. Whether syllabi and
textbooks at
secondary level
have been revised
by states/UT as per
the perspectives of
NCF-2005.
ii. If yes, what are the
major changes
which reflect the
curriculum reform.
i. What tools and
techniques teachers
are using to ensure
students’ learning
progress during
ii. Assessment
covers various
aspects
of
student’s
personality, i.e.
subject
knowledge
as
well
as
behaviour, skill,
attitude, interest
and sensitivity
towards gender,
marginalised etc.
iii. Assessment
using various
techniques.
10
State
Database
classroom
processes?
ii. Are these methods
and techniques
helpful in producing
significant results?
iii. Are students’
enjoying assessment
in -built learning or
feel stressed and not
responding?
iv. What procedures
teachers use for
recording their
observations?
v. Is this
troublesome/time
taking or teachers
feel that it is useful
for ensuring
student’s learning?
i. Whether school
mapping is
completed. If not, on
what basis
States/UT’s are
developing their
annual/perspective
plan.
ii. Which state agencies
are involved in
collecting and
developing
database.
iii. What are the road
blocks states/UT’s
are facing in
developing its
database.
i. School Mapping
completed
ii. Data
covering
required aspects
have
been
collected
for
perspective
planning
No data gap
3. Quality is a major concern under RMSA; managing the quality
interventions will be a priority and will be done through the academic
structures at the national, state and district level (NRG, SRG and DRG)
created specifically for the purpose (refer figure 2).
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4. At the national level, process and quality indicators will be developed by
NCERT to track the quality of programme implementation. Tools and
techniques form an important part of the monitoring mechanism. For the
management of quality at secondary stage, a set of quality monitoring tools
and techniques are required. These tools have the potential of tapping the
correct information so that appropriate measures can be taken up. These
tools and techniques can be of many forms like- information schedules,
rating scales, check lists, observation schedules, record sheets,
questionnaires, opionnaires etc. These tools serve the purpose of
identification of the strengths and weaknesses at different levels of the
system.
5. Supervision and monitoring of the programme is a continuous process.
There may be instances when one set of tools are used quite frequently
where as others are administered depending upon the circumstance. Thus,
periodicity of supervision and monitoring plays a vital role in programme
evaluation. An important requirement is the functionaries’ capacity to
design and use tools and interpret meaningfully the gathered information.
6. Research will play an important role managing the programme.
Independent studies will mainly be conducted at both national and state
level to provide feedback on the effectiveness of different
Inputs
Processes
Outcomes. The RMSA encourages research and
evaluation as an ongoing continuous process to monitor the progress of the
programme implementation. A separate Quality Fund is proposed to be
earmarked for undertaking quality interventions under RMSA wherein the
fund requirements for carrying out researches will be a part of it.
7. In this effort the role of community assumes paramount significance. The
community leaders and groups need to be sensitised on issues related to
monitoring of children’s progress and other quality related school activities.
Existing PTA’s, SDMC’s etc., should be involved in this process by
organising fortnightly/monthly meetings in the schools.
8. States to give priority to develop and implement monitoring system to
measure quality related outcomes: students learning outcomes, teacher
performance, student and teacher attendance rates by gender and social
categories, change in class room practices, impact of teacher training,
efficacy of textbooks, and quality of academic supervision at different
levels.
9. A school based Annual Information System, called SEMIS, is already being
implemented through out the country. Through the system, data on very
important issues like physical infrastructure and facilities, availability of
teachers, enrolment and academic performance of students, professional
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development of teachers etc., are collected annually, with 30th September
each year as the record date. A fairly large number of quality curriculum
indicators will be generated for different levels that will reflect the
wholesome educational scenario of the respective state. This will also
promote micro- planning and the preparation of AWP&B of a district/state
as well.
10. In keeping with the thrust for ‘Quality with Equity’, strategies and
approaches to measure the outcomes, a Results Framework will identify
measurable indicators of quality of learning, inform about the baseline and
the targeted results (both data collection instruments and the frequency of
measuring such outcomes) are to be developed. The states/districts are
expected to develop the state/district specific results framework on the
suggested indicators.
10.3
Plan of Action
Functionaries at different levels, both individual and institutional, have a
role to play in the monitoring mechanism and programme evaluation. The
monitoring of the programme is visualised at three levels:
1. National Level
2. State Level
3. District level
Representatives of National Resource Group, State Resource Group and
District Resource Group will be involved for managing quality
interventions at the secondary stage.
Multi-Layer Monitoring Mechanism
S.No. Programmes and Activities Nodal Agency
Modalities
i. The sub-committees
i. NCERT
1. Development of Quality
under NRG to draw up
(National
Monitoring Tools for each
the action plan, format
Level)
level given the expectations
design and
ii. SRG
and roles assigned to the
implementation
and
functionaries of that very
strategies for devising
DRG
level.
quality monitoring tools.
(State level)
ii. The Planning and
Management Group ,
both at district and state
level, will have a
significant role to play
at the state level for
managing quality inputs
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iii.
iv.
2.
Orientation of functionaries at
various levels for the
implementation of quality
monitoring tools.
NCERT
NUEPA
State
Education
Departments/
SCERT/
IASE/CTE and
other similar
organisations.
i.
ii.
iii.
3.
Strategies for intervention on
the basis of feedback received
in different monitoring phases
at different levels.
All subcommittees
and groups
under NRG,
SRG and DRG
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i.
and bringing out the
periodic indices of
quality.
The states and UTs to
hold consultation
workshops to discuss
and define the roles and
functions of
functionaries associated
with the monitoring
mechanism at different
levels.
DRG to hold workshops
with district and school
level functionaries to
provide the feedback on
the try out of tools for
finalisation and later
administration of tools.
NCERT and NUEPA
will conduct orientation
programmes for the
state/UT functionaries
State university
departments/SCERT/IA
SE/CTE to conduct
orientation programmes
for district functionaries.
District level
functionaries to conduct
orientation programmes
for school and other
local level functionaries
on the administration of
tools.
Sharing of the feedback
and developing
strategies for
improvement and
necessary interventions.
ii. Documentation of the
monitoring and
evaluation feedback at
each level for
continuous monitoring
and evaluation
mechanism.
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