USAID Sindh Basic Education Program (SBEP) Report # 32 for the month of May 2014 Component Sector Government to Government Program Monitoring and Implementation Unit (PMIU) Financial reconciliation of July 2013-March 2014 got from the treasury department, Government of SIndh. Ground breaking ceremony held in Sukkur, where as Education Minister attended event. Procurement related series of meeting were held at PMIU. Survey and research for Furniture workshop initiated/conducted. Bids for furniture, generators, laptops, and air condition evaluated. PC-I reviewed and revision was initiated. PD along with team attended the meeting with USAID consultants i.e MSI for M&E frame work at Marriot Hotel Karachi Program Director (PD) attended USAID portfolio review meeting (PRM) with USAID and Economic Affairs Div. in Islamabad. Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist has joined PMIU PM (LR&CM) conducted meeting to address administrative issues at District Sukkur with Director Schools Education Sukkur. PM (LR&CM) visited package ii schools of Khairpur PM (LR&CM) presided over the handing over ceremony for package III schools of Sukkur at Arian school Sukkur with other stake holders. PM (LR&CM) initiated the process of getting options for package VI (Karachi II) from Director Schools Karachi. PM (LR&CM) got the land issues in Larkana –I PM (LR&CM) initiated the process of clarification of land related issues for larkana II PM (LR&CM) got NOC for Larkana –I, from Literacy and Education Department. Non-Government to Government Community Mobilization Program (CMP) Communities organized Annual School Days in 30 schools in districts Khairpur, Sukkur, Kashmore, Jacobabad, Larkana, Kambar Shadad Kot, Dadu and towns of Karachi. CMP team supported Halcrow in organizing the second district groundbreaking ceremony at Govt. N. Modern Pubic School in Sukkur on May 20. CMP organized seven MoU signing ceremonies for seven new construction schools in Khairpur and Sukkur districts. CMP trained 181 SMC sub-committee members in eleven UC based trainings in Sukkur and Khairpur districts. CMP completed Project Baseline Study Reports on child Nutrition, community mobilization, gender Parity Index. CMP initiated procurement process for hiring services of a legal firm for establishing PPP frameworks, and shortlisted three firms after consulting with the GOS, PMIU and conducting a market survey. 1|Page CMP authored a report on EMO policy initiatives in response of Education and literacy Department. Sindh Reading Program (SRP) Meetings held with senior managers and staff of different organizations i.e. Bureau of Curriculum, Provincial Institute for Teacher Education, Sindh Textbook Board, Sindhi Language Authority, and Sindhi Adabi Board. Harmonization meetings continue to be held with CMP and PRP. A half-day meeting was held with USAID/Islamabad M&E and USAID/Karachi personnel and MSI personnel on monitoring and evaluation plans. First Field Mentors Professional Development Workshop held from May 21-31 for 114 individuals including 100+ supervisors from the eight target districts. Preparations for the ‘Pedagogical Practices’ Study have commenced. The EGRA/EGMA Pilot was carried out with the assistance of VTT, a sub-contracted organization. The Pilot activities included workshop to prepare pilot study enumerators held from May 5 to 10, Indus Hotel, Hyderabad. Two practice sessions held in Hyderabad’s schools dated May 7-8, 2014. Pilot data collection initiated May 12-17 in 24 Hyderabad’s schools Stage 1 of the EMTL Strategy has been carried out over three weeks in Hyderabad and Karachi by a technical working group consisting of approximately 25 personnel from the Sindh Textbook Board, Sindhi Adabi Board, Sindhi Language Authority, District Colleges of Education, General Education Colleges and one Associate Degree in Education (ADE) graduate. The working group participated in one week of technical professional development sessions, undertook one week of visits to publishing houses and markets in Hyderabad and Karachi to examine and collect print and other materials. In the third week, the group evaluated and identified a set of print and other materials using several quality metrics. The selected Essential Teaching and Learning Material were incorporated into the C1 Field Mentor Professional Development Workshop held in May. Discussions are planned to explore ways to utilize the ETLM Toolkit more broadly (within Sindh, Pakistan and internationally) and embed the content and practices within targeted government bodies. Field research conducted as to gain accurate information on the NFE system in the 319 CMP villages and then more broadly across the eight districts Comparative analysis conducted of existing NFE curricula. Monitoring and Evaluation Manager Mr. Sohail Khan and Office Manager Mr. AhtshamYousuf have joined SRP: Over all USAID is leading efforts for the identification of technical assistance needs of the education department. Currently two advisors i.e. Senor Engineer and HR advisor provided by the U Technical Assistance to PMIU and E&L - A&E Services Package 1: Construction of Six Schools in Khairpur. - Package 2: Construction of nine (09) Schools in Khairpur Construction work is ongoing at four schools namely Jhajh regulator, Karoondi, Sami and Satabo as per the construction schedule. - Package 3: Construction of 11 Schools in Sukkur Contractor has established project office, staff house in Sukkur city. Sites have been handed over to the contractor. Schooling areas are in progress of being cordoned off. Package 4: Construction of 7 Schools in Larkana Sub PC -1 has been prepared and submitted for approval. The consultant has completed bid evaluation and the meeting of Procurement committee is due to be held soon wherein the Consultant will present the bid evaluation report which then will be hoisted on SPPRA website. - 2|Page Over all physical progress of Package 1 up till 31 May, 2014 is 16% whereas Planned Progress up to this period was 25%.The progress only during the month of May is measured up to 2%. School wise planned and achieved progress status is tabulated below: The consultant is of the view that the contractor may not be able to complete the work in time at all. And the contract may as well be terminated. Package 5 Karachi Field activities for topo surveys and geo – technical investigation have been completed in seven schools. Land issues are at final stage of resolution. Third party verification: M&E of School Construction · · · NESPAK visited 01 school during reporting period for verification of Milestone No. 1 at Setharja school. Verification certificate issued by NESPAK To-date five (05) verification certificates have been issued by NESPAK for MS-1 on five sites for construction of schools package-01 Last site Ghagri school MS-1 verification is due in early June 2014 Tameezuddin Khero Program Director PMIU-SBEP 3|Page