03 PIP 2009 Annual Report Jan 2010

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Sri Lankan - German Development Cooperation

Performance Improvement Project (PIP)for development actors in the North and East of Sri Lanka

The Performance Improvement Project works with the Public Administration in the North and East of Sri Lankaand is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Ministry of

Nation Building and

Estate Infrastructure

Development

2009

Trincomalee

January 2010

Annual Report


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Sri Lankan - German Development Cooperation

Performance Improvement Project (PIP)

for development actors in the North and East of Sri Lanka

The Performance Improvement Project works with the Public Administration in the North and East of Sri Lanka and is funded bythe German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Ministry of

Natio n Buildingand Est ate

Infrastructure

Development

Annual Report 2009

Trincomalee

January 2010


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List of abbreviationsACLG Assistant Commissioner of Local Government

(also R/ACLG)

ADB Asian Development Bank

ADS Assistant Divisional Secretary

BC British Council

BMZ German Federal Ministry for Economic

Development

CAM Comit dAide Mdicale

CAP Capacity Building for Implementing Authorities

at Local Level

CARITAS Catholic agency for overseas aid and

development

CBO Community Based Organisation

CDO Community Development Officer

CIM Centre for International Migration

CIRM Centre for Information Resource Management

CLG Commissioner of Local Government

CS Chief Secretary / Chief Secretariat

DS District Secretary / Secretariat, Divisional

Secretary / Secretariat

ECCD Early Childhood Care and Development

EHED Eastern Human Economic Development Centre

EP Eastern Province

EPC Eastern Provincial Council

ESCO Eastern Self-Alliant Community Awakening

Organisation

FSCT Food Security and Conflict Transformation

Project

GS Grama Seveka (Grama Niladari)

GTZ German Technical Cooperation

HRD Human Resource Development

IDP Internally Displaced People

ILDP Integrated Local Development Planning

ILO International Labour Organisation

INGO International Non Governmental Organisation

KNH Kindernothilfe

LA Local Authority

LG Local Government

MA Management Assistant

MC Municipal Council

MDTD Management Development Training Department

(EP)

MDTI Management Development Training Institute

(NP)

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

NECORD North East Community Restoration and

Development Project

NECCDEP North East Coastal Community Development

Project

NGO Non Government Organisation

NP Northern Province

NPC Northern Provincial Council

OD Organisational Development

PA Programme Assistant

PDE Provincial Director of Education

PIDT Public Information Dissemination Training

PIN People In Need

PIP Performance Improvement Project

PLA Participatory Learning in Action

PPA Provincial Public Administration

Pre

STEPS

General English for Public Servants

PR Public Relations

PRO Public Relations Officer

PS Pradeshiya Sabha

R/ACLG Regional Assistant Commissioner of Local

Government (see ACLG)

RDO Rural Development Officer

RDS Rural Development Society

SCiSL Save the Children in Sri Lanka

SLIDA Sri Lanka Institute for Development

Administration

STEPS Skills Through English for Public Servants

TO Technical Officer

Unicef United Nations Childrens Fund

UC Urban Council

WRDS Womens Rural Development Society

WSPS Writing Skills for Public Servants

ZDE Zonal Director of EducationZOE Zonal Office of Education (ZDE)


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Contents

1. Overview .. 1

1.1 Introduction .... 3

1.2 Complimentary publications . 4

1.3 Executive summary . 5

1.4 Progress on Baseline Study recommendations from 2009 ..................................... 6

1.5 Summary of recommendations for 2010 . 8

1.6 Progress measured by Capacity WORKS Success factor ... 10

1.7 Project summary ..... 13

1.8 Project logframe (revised) . 15

1.9 Financial summary ..... 18

2. Human Resource Development (HRD) . 19

2.1 HRD Inputs 21

2.2 HRD progress on activities . 23

2.3 HRD progress on outputs 26

2.4 HRD details 28

2.4.1 Course details .. 28

2.4.2 The STEPS Institute Jaffna .. 32

2.4.3 Trainer evaluation and accreditation system ... 34

2.5 HRD indications for the next quarter . 35

2.6 HRD issues and recommendations .. 36

2.7 HRD Operational Plan for 2010 .. 37

3. Local Government . 39

3.1 Local Government inputs ... 41

3.2 Local Government progress on activities . 43

3.3 Local Government progress on outputs .. 46

3.4 Local Government details .. 47

3.4.1 Strengthening advisory committees in local government ... 47

3.4.2 Upgrading the redressal system ............ 48

3.4.3 Disseminating public information .... 49

3.4.4 Implementing integrated local development planning . 50

3.5 Local Government indications for the next quarter . 52

3.6 Local government issues and recommendations .. 54

3.7 Local Government Operational Plan for 2010 . 57


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4. Community Development ... 59

4.1 Community Development inputs .. 61

4.2 Community Development progress on activities .. 62

4.3 Community Development progress on outputs . 66

4.4 Community Development progress on use of outputs .. 67

4.5 Community Development details .... 68

4.6 Community Development indications for next quarter .76

4.7 Community Development issues and recommendations ... 78

4.8 Community Development Operational Plan for 2010 81

5. Other Inputs 83

5.1 Consultants and Contracts . 85

5.2 PIP office and staff .. 86

5.3 Equipment . 86

6. Appendices .... 89

Appendix 1: PIP forward calendar January December 2009

Appendix 2: 2010 STEPS courses and locations draft plan

Appendix 3: Sample trainers evaluation form

Appendix 4: Public Information Dissemination Training 2009

Appendix 5: Observation on Committee Systems in 6 Local Authorities

Appendix 6: Gandhinagar WRDS Proposal

Appendix 7:Collaborating on pre-school education leafletAppendix 8: ECCD Institutional Framework leaflet


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1

Part One: Overview


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1.1 Introduction

Purpose of the report

The Performance Improvement Project (PIP) Annual Report 2009 has been produced so that colleagues,

partners, stakeholders, and intermediaries can be brought up to date on the project, in terms of

progress towards results. The report has also been written to facilitate annual planning, project

monitoring and evaluation for 2010. In line with GTZs annual targets for 2009, the report quantifies

progress as much as possible with facts and figures.

Layout of the report

The report covers the period from 1 January to 31 December 2009 and is divided into five parts. Part

one, Overview, contains a bibliography of complementary reports and papers that support the Annual

Report 2009, an executive summary, progress on recommendations from the PIP Baseline Study Report

2009, a summary of recommendations for 2010 drawn from issues highlighted in the report, progress

measured in terms of Capacity Works success factors (GTZs new management approach), the project

summary with revised log frame and a financial summary for 2009. Parts two to four cover the three

main project areas Human Resource Development, Local Government and Community Development.

Each of these parts is divided into Inputs, Progress on activities, Progress on outputs (and where

relevant Progress on use of outputs), Details, Indications for the next quarter, Issues and

recommendations, and Operational Plan. Inputs are listed as the resources PIP has contributed to make

the reported activities and outputs possible: consultants, contracts, and equipment. Progress on

activities and outputs is set against the project indicators and quantified in terms of quality, quantity

and time. The fifth part, Other Inputs, lists the consultants and contracts that fall outside the three

project results chains, and the staffing and equipment inputs that support all project areas.

Project background

The GTZ Performance Improvement Project (PIP) is implemented by German Technical Cooperation

(GTZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is

a good governance conflict transformation project which operates in the conflict affected North and

East of Sri Lanka. The projects mandate is to build capacity for provincial and local government, and

community based organisations so that they can work together towards sustainable development in a

participatory and conflict mitigating way. This includes strengthening integrated English and good

governance training, a system of trainer competencies and accreditation, public grievance redressal and

public information dissemination by local authorities, public participation on local government AdvisoryCommittees, integrated local level development planning, and small scale community development

projects by womens groups, including provision of early childhood care and development. The projects

main stakeholders are the Chief Secretaries, Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners of Local

Government, and selected local authorities of the Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils, selected

Divisional Secretariats, the Ministry of Education Culture and Sport Northern Province, and 30 Womens

Rural Development Societies in the Eastern Province. The projects implementing partners at

government level are the Management Development Training Department and the Centre for

Information Resource Management Eastern Province, the Management Development Training Institute

Northern Province, and at international level, British Council Sri Lanka and Czech NGO People In Need.


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1.2 Complementary publications

The report contains summarised details from a number of other reports and publications, which serve as

stand-alone documentation on PIP 2009 that should be consulted in their own right.

General documents

Baseline Study Report 2009, Performance Improvement Project, August 2009

2009 2010 Project Document, Performance Improvement Project, September 2009

HRD

STEPS Phase 4 End-of -Year Report 2009, British Council, January 2010

Report on the Methodology of Training Course, Helen Drinan, August 2009

Report on the Evaluation and Accreditation Scheme for NPC and EPC Trainers, Helen Drinan, November

2009

A Handbook for the Evaluation and Accreditation of Trainers (Draft), Helen Drinan, November 2009

Writing Skills for Public Servants, (Participants Workbook and Trainers Notes), Kennett and Knight, GTZ

2008

Writing Skills for Public Servants I (Participants Workbook and Trainers Notes) Draft, Jill Knight, 2009

Local government

Observations on Committee system in 6 local authorities Best practises and recommendations,

Performance Improvement Project, December 2006

Public Information Dissemination Training, Trainers Notes and Participants Workbook, Jill Knight, GTZ

2009

Assessing planning capacity of local authorities and divisional secretariats in Jaffna District, Petr Navrat,

July 2009

Preparation of a medium-term integrated local development framework (Four year rolling plan),Guidelines, Northern Provincial Council, March 2009

Local Government Consultancy 2009 Final report, Petr Navrat, December 2009

Community Development

Proposal writing training for WRDS an interim assessment report, CIRM, November, 2009

Interventions in public awareness and community development in Batticaloa District, Malcolm Rodgers,

April 2009

Promoting advocacy an interim report, Malcolm Rodgers and Performance Improvement Project, July

2009

Promoting advocacy final report, Malcolm Rodgers and Performance Improvement Project, November

2009

Frontline officers joint workshop, Performance Improvement Project, July 2009Livelihood case studies, Performance Improvement Project, December 2009

Pre-School Collaboration (leaflet), People In Need, August 2009

Collaboration on Pre-school Education Progress Report, PIN, October 2009

Institutional Framework for Early Childhood Care and Development, (Leaflet), People In Need, January

2010

Report on the Institutional Framework for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), People In

Need, 2009

Community Development Resource Book Concepts, experiences, the way forward, CIRM, Draft, March

2009

Peoples Planning Process Support Documents, NECCDEP, B Cattermoul and P Townsley, 2009


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1.3 Executive summary

PIP had a productive 2009 and the project is generally on track for 2010. Relations with key stakeholders

and implementing partners are strong and figures show results at both intermediary and beneficiarylevel. Recommendations for improving approach and implementation are mainly concerned with

government commitment and ownership, and are outlined in section 1.6 below.

The PIP 2009 Baseline Study Report was well received and formed a credible foundation for project

approach and interventions as well as a benchmark by which to measure impact. Progress on Baseline

Study recommendations is summarised in section 1.4 below.

The Skills Through English for Public Servants programme continues to build capacity in English, good

governance, development and conflict transformation skills for a large number of public servants and

their civil society counterparts. In 2009 415 public servants successfully completed STEPS courses; 85%

of whom improved by at least one level in English. The STEPS Institute Jaffna was opened on 19 October

2009 by the Honourable Governor Northern Province and the GTZ Country Director. The Management

Scheme that ensures the Institutes sustainability was approved on 18 December 2009.

A further 560 public servants successfully completed practical training courses with direct relevance to

the workplace in Public Information Dissemination, Methodology of Training, Integrated Local Level

Development Planning, Effective Communication Skills, Induction to Public Service , and Self Access

Skills. Nearly 50 women from Womens Rural Development Societies (WRDS) in vulnerable areas

successfully completed training in project proposal writing for their own village development and 54

women began training as pre-school teachers. As a result,

20 local authorities in the Eastern province designed information campaigns on granting building

approvals, mosquito control, solid waste management , tax assessment and dealing with stray cattle,

which will be implemented in 2010.

Local Authorities and District Secretariats from three areas in the Jaffna peninsula (Point Pedro UC,

PS and DS, Valikamam West PS and Chankanai DS, and Velanai Island South PS and Velanai DS)

embarked on integrated local development planning after the guidelines were adopted by the

Northern Provincial Council in July 2009. A Support Team, set up in the office of the Regional

Commissioner of Local Government Jaffna, delivered training for phases I and II and planning teams

in each of the three areas were established. The preparation of three development profiles began.

An advocacy approach to community development by linking 30 WRDS to 6 local authorities and

donors in the Batticaloa District was introduced in cooperation with People In Need (PIN, the Czech

NOGO PIP works with). This included raising the profile of local authorities through the services they

offer at village level and empowering women in the community to learn the donor and the

governance landscape. 10 WRDS submitted small scale socio-economic proposals to local

authorities for pre-school construction or renovation and to donors for collective business initiatives

in coir, tailoring, and Palmyra production and for a childrens play park.


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1.4 Progress on Baseline Study recommendations from 2009

HRD

Recommendation CompletedIn

progress

Not yet

startedComment

Training should continue to be delivered based

on previous needs analyses.

See 2.2 Activities

and 2.3 Outputs

Priority to General English (Pre STEPS and

STEPS should be given.

See 2.2 Activities

Bridging courses should be developed.

Pre STEPS II and

WSPS I

Training courses should be directly related to

the workplace.

PIDT, ILDP,

Methodology

Senior managers should utilise staffs new

skills in the workplace.

HRM workshops to

be run in 2010

The pool of trainers should be increased and

certified with agreed competencies.

20 resource persons

certified

More women should be trained at senior

management level.

Women School

Principals in Jaffna

recruited for STEPS

Redressal system training materials should be

updated.

Rewriting in Dec 09

piloting Apr 2010

Local Government


progress

Not yet

started

Comment

Support for local government reforms should

be channelled through CLG, ACLG and Local

Authority Chairmen, Councillors, Secretaries.

But see 3.7 Issues

on Advisory

Committees

A feasibility study should be conducted on

Advisory Committees.

See 3.4 Details

A balanced composition of committees should

be ensured.

The project is

behind schedule

Quality assurance on the way committees

function should be provided.

The project is

behind schedule

The redressal system should be standardised. See 3.2 Activities

Redressal system complaints analysis should

be used to improve LA service delivery.

Planned for 2010

PIDT should be used to improve LA service

delivery.

See 3.5 Outputs

The role of the PRO should be strengthened. Planned for 2010

Two-way communication between the LA and

the public should be improved.

See 3.7 Issues on

PIDT

Models of good service delivery that benefit

the poor should be duplicated.

See 3.3 and the

work of PIN

Community based advocacy should be

encouraged.

See 4.3 Activities on

Advocacy


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Community Development


progress

Not yet

startedComment

Women from vulnerable communities should

be supported in establishing relations with

their local authorities.

See 4.3 Activities

and Advocacy

Consultants report

There should be a two way promotion of

services and needs between LAs and WRDS.

See 4.3 Activities

and 4.4. Outputs

WRDS and community centres should work

together.

PIP might not

pursue this.

LAs should find better ways of promoting their

services than Citizens Charters.

See 3.4 Outputs on

PIDT

More outreach through sub offices, mobile

services and CDOs should be done by LAs.

The project is

behind schedule on

this.The redressal system could be set up in areas

where the project works with WRDS.

This idea not taken

up yet.

Grama Sevakas could be encouraged to refer

people with grievances to the redressal system

This idea not taken

up yet.

RDOS and SSOs should coordinate their roles

with CDOs at community level.

See 4.3 CDO-RDO

3.3 PIDT for Social

Services Dept. and

2.3 RDO Effective

communication


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1.5 Summary of recommendations for 2010

HRD

The Eastern Provincial Council should open up STEPS courses to School Principals, English language

teachers and English medium Maths and Science teachers, just as the NPC did in 2009. Human

Resource Management workshops for senior managers should target this issue.

Sustaining STEPS in the Eastern Province should be a key discussion point at the EPC Steering

Committee meeting in February 2010.

The Trainer Evaluation and Accreditation System should be ratified at the next Steering Committee

meeting.

Local Government

A model for local government advisory committees that addresses both content (committeefunctions, rights and responsibilities) and process (committee composition and ways of working)

should be piloted.

Both EPC and NPC CLGs and the ACLGs should work with PIP to promote the public redressal

system as a means of analysing cumulative complaints for community needs, as well as solving

individual grievances.

PIDT trainers should get involved in designing and running an information campaign of their

own, including the setting of objectives and the use of indicators to measure impact so that they

can draw on their own experience when delivering training on the same.

Examples of objectives and indicators should be gathered from the range of information

campaigns that have now taken place because of PIDT and fed back into the training materials.

ACLG staff should help local authorities evaluate the effectiveness of the information

dissemination they have carried out.

Local authorities should be encouraged to use more two way communication in their public

information dissemination.

Senior managers responsible for implementing local government reform in the Northern

Provincial Council should convince the District and Divisional Secretaries in Jaffna of the

importance of ILDP and gain their support for it.

CLG NP and ACLG Jaffna should work with PIP to draw up formal job descriptions/duty lists for

the ILDP Support Team, encourage the team to be more active and diligent, monitor their work

and ensure regular team meetings take place especially when the PIP consultants are not there,

work with PIP to improve the teams computer and translation skills, and brief participants at

the start of ILDP workshops (especially senior officers) to support rather than criticise the ILDP

trainers.

PIP and the senior management of the NPC should decide on the real aim and impact of ILDP,

whether it is a planning intervention that aims to produce socio-economic profiles and 4-year

rolling integrated development plans, or whether it is a capacity development intervention that

aims to produce a sustainable support unit and training courses on ILDP.


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Community development

New WRDS project activities should involve both old and new WRDS members in order to

maintain capacity and team work and build leadership skills to compensate for inevitableattrition of the skills base within the WRDS.

Relations between RDS and WRDS should be improved by getting them to work together and

share responsibility for village functions and pre-school decisions.

WRDS members should get training in how to disseminate messages and meeting action points

accurately. At the same time collective meetings which WRDS attend should be facilitated in

such a way that all meeting members understand clearly what has been decided and what has

to be done.

CLG Eastern Province and ACLG Batticaloa should help PIP find alternatives to village functions,

as well as ways of making village functions apolitical.

Construction or renovation of pre-school buildings should be used as the focal point for bringing

the WRDS and their local authorities closer together.

Divisional Secretariat local authority cooperation should be encouraged at field level through

harmonising the duties of the CDOs, RDOs, SSOs etc. and at steering level through committees

for regulating early childhood care and development.

NGOs and INGOs working at local level should get a better understanding of, and work more

closely with, local authorities, not just the central line authorities.

The Eastern Provincial Council, through the CLG and ACLG Batticaloa should find ways of

supporting payments of pre-school teachers in the very poorest communities.


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1.6 Progress measured by Capacity WORKS Success factors

Strategy

In 2009 PIP supported a number of Sri Lankan government directives for local government reform and

community development. The projects work with Womens Rural Development Societies (WRDS)

supported the 2007 2010 Eastern Province Development Plan. Work on strengthening public advisory

committees, grievance redressal and improved channels of communication were implemented in

response to Local Government Reforms circulars No. 2, 4 and 10 (2007), the National Policy Declaration

for Local Government (2007) and the Citizens' Charter, emphasising public participation for sustainable,

democratic development (2008). Wadakkil Wasantham (Northern Spring), the three year investment

programme for the Northern Province 2010-2012 from the Department of National Planning, Ministry of

Finance and Planning (July 2009), and Sri Lankas declaration that 2009 was the year of English and IT in

education, backed PIPs strengthening of the STEPS Institute Jaffna, the Organisational Development

(OD) Unit at the office of the ACLG Vavuniya, and the Management Development Training Institute, NP.

The project laid out its gender strategy in the Project Document it published in September 2009, namely,

to strengthen the number of women and the significance of the role they play in provincial council

management and participatory community development. In 2009 this was carried out by ensuring the

1000 plus numbers of men and women on training courses conducted through the project were

balanced according to the purpose of the training. On STEPS courses, a little more than 50% of places

were taken by women. More senior women managers and administrators, with specific reference to

school principals and administration officers, were targeted for placement testing in 2009. As a result,

11 women school principals and In-service Advisors were signed up for STEPS courses in Jaffna District.

Local government invited more women citizens to join public committees in Jaffna District as a direct

result of the PIP Baseline Study which had pointed out the fact that women were underrepresented on

committees. Over 300 women from 21 villages in Batticaloa District began to develop their voice,

advocacy and community mobilisation skills as a result of PIP, PIN and CIRM inputs while managing to

keep their male Rural Development Society (RDS) counterparts on side. 18 women leaders were

empowered to present their village development proposals to donors and local authorities. In addition,

Initial steps towards pre-school education for girls and boys were taken by promoting positive gender

role models for children in pre-school teacher training for 54 new teachers.

Cooperation

The project continued to strengthen cooperation between local authorities (LAs) and the communitiesthey serve and increased public participation in local government and community development. This

was done by improving public information dissemination, grievance redressal, and facilitating WRDS-

driven village development projects. Cooperation was also strengthened between the devolved and

central line government structures at local level in order to streamline service delivery at community

level. This was done through improving integrated governance cooperation (devolved and central line

authorities working together) to harmonise inputs to community development through coordinated

roles and responsibilities. Community Development Officers from the provincial government service and

Rural Development Officers managed by the central government service attended coordination

workshops to reduce duplication and gaps at community level. Integrated local level development


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planning (ILDP) and Divisional Secretariat-Local Authority mutual referral of WRDS proposals, according

to each others mandates also increased cooperation. In addition, over 400 staff from a variety of public

service central and provincial government backgrounds, who would normally rarely meet, studied

together on STEPS courses. This built trust, cooperation and informal networks with English as a link

language and tool for conflict transformation.

Steering structure

The PIP Baseline Study 2009 created a benchmark against which operational planning could be

formulated and progress towards impact could be monitored. Regular, consultative bi-lateral meetings

with partners were held as well as more formal steering workshops with key government partners

(March and November 2009) to highlight achievements, adjust operational plans and deal with issues

arising. The project regularly contributed to EPC and NPC Provincial Planning Coordination Meetings,

Ministry of Nation Building quarterly reports and Ministry of Local Government coordination meetings in

Colombo. Planning and reporting progress with WRDS stakeholders was done on a more informal

monthly basis at village level and through weekly field visits. Reports were produced and disseminated

to stakeholders, partners, and donors in an accessible, reader friendly format. Regular financial

monitoring was conducted to ensure adherence to local subsidy contracts with implementing partners

Centre for Information Resource Management (CIRM), Management Development Training Department

(MDTD) EP, Management Development Training Institute (MDTI) NP, OD Unit Vavuniya, STEPS Institute

and ACLG Jaffna. Building contracts with local authorities for pre-schools were awarded according to

strict criteria set down by PIPs cooperation partner People in Need (PIN).

Processes

Activities and outputs were combined to from discrete initiatives to maximise impact and efficiency.Synergies between activities were capitalised on wherever possible. For example, the Methodology of

Training course utilised the Effective Communication workshops for its teaching practice in July 2009. As

a result 20 trainers were qualified, 4 senior managers got practice in the evaluation and accreditation of

trainers, and more than 50 Management Assistant participants improved their effective communication

skills. A similar chain is planned for local government in 2010. Local government will standardise their

public grievance redressal system (step 1) analyse collective complaints from it (step 2) base Public

Information Dissemination on the analysis (step 3) to advertise improved local government services

(step 4).

Project activities and outputs were implemented in a sustainable manner, by collaborating on thedecision making process with key stakeholders and partners. For the redressal system, integrated local

development planning, local government public committees, public information dissemination, and pre-

school education, this meant channelling implementation from the start through the offices of the

Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner of Local Government, MDTD, MDTI and CIRM, with strong

endorsement by the Chief Secretaries in each case. In addition, sustainability was ensured for the STEPS

Institute Jaffna by ensuring the management scheme was written in a way that allowed for a varied

mandate in the future, including income generation. Approval for the mandate was approved by the

Governor in time to capture a 2010 Northern Provincial Council budget allocation.


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Learning and innovation

Building on lessons learnt, the project accommodated the fact that in a generalised public service,

human resources are constantly eroded and such attrition should be factored in, not fought against. This

meant planning and implementing interventions that did not rely overmuch on the personality or skills

of specific managers in government or WRDS women leaders in the community. The incidence of key

project partners moving on or being transferred was found to be high. Out of 60 women leaders

targeted by the GTZ supported FSCT project in 2008, PIP found 14 still available for training in 2009; out

of 35 trained Programme Assistant trainers trained in 2007, 7 remained in key training departments. In

addition, PIP has worked with 5 different Commissioners of Local Government in the Eastern Province

since 2005. Dealing with attrition on this scale requires the stamina to start anew with each replaced

manager or leader, but it is essential for sustainability. To this end, inputs, activities and outputs were

channelled through a variety of key stakeholders and intermediaries, for damage limitation, and on-

going training was factored in. 20 resource persons from a variety of departments in the Northern andEastern Provincial Councils were trained as trainers through the Methodology of Training course to

replenish the pool, and new WRDS leaders were selected for proposal writing courses.

In addition, new systems and training materials were clearly documented and disseminated in the form

of guidelines (Integrated Local Development Planning, Redressal and Committee guidelines), handbooks

(The Community Development Resource Manual), and trainers notes and participants workbooks

(Writing Skills for Public Servants 1, the Methodology of Training, Public Information Dissemination

Training). All these materials were made sustainable through extensive piloting and redrafting,

standardised formats, agreed writing conventions and templated layouts to arrive at quality products,

with publishing rights, electronic formats and hard copies given to the Northern and Eastern Provincial

Councils.

Task based, learner centred, participatory training standards were encapsulated in the syllabus and the

training materials to drive the methodology and the content even when the trained trainers have gone.

In addition, a stake-holder driven trainer competency and accreditation system was established through

MDTD, MDTI and CIRM so that the pool of resource persons can be augmented and accredited on a

regular basis in future.


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1.7 Project summary

Name GTZ Performance Improvement Project (PIP)

Donor German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Objectives 1. Provincial and local government staff and counterparts in the Northern andEastern Provinces use new skills to improve the way they work as service

providers, within their organisations and with the public (Human Resource

Development).

2. Local government in the Northern and Eastern Provinces uses improvedmechanisms of communication and planning for better service delivery and

conflict mitigation (Local Government).

3. WRDS in Batticaloa District work with local authorities and donors to

implement small scale socio-economic plans for improved facilities, services

and livelihoods in their villages (Community Development).

Scope Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, Vavuniya, Mannar and Jaffna Districts

Duration January 2009 December 2010 (currently working on an extension to 2013)

Beneficiaries The conflict and tsunami affected population of the Northern and Eastern

Provinces with particular reference to vulnerable low income groups of all ethnicgroups, the public the local authorities serve, and womens organisations.

Intermediaries The management and technical staff of approximately 70 organisations from the

provincial and local authorities and the central line authorities at local level, their

civil society counterparts, womens groups and community based organisations.

Executing agency The Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development

Implementing

agency

The Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils

Key stakeholders The Offices of the Chief Secretaries (CSO), Eastern Province (EP) and Northern

Province (NP)

The Commissioners and Regional Assistant Commissioners of Local Government,

(CLG and R/ACLG) EP and NP; 49 local authorities, EP and NP

The Centre for Information Resource Management (CIRM) EP

The Management Development Training Department (MDTD) EP

The Management Development Training Institute ( MDTI) NP

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, NP

30 Womens Rural Development Societies (WRDS), EP


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Cumulative Value Cumulative, overall project duration: 9 years 4 months from 09/2001 to 12/2010

Cumulative total budget of 10,881,000

Previous phases

Current phase

Date Phase Value Description

09/2001

to

08/2003

preliminary

phase with ADB

956,000 rehabilitation, training and

community development trust

building measures with NECORD

09/2003

to

12/2008

second phase

with DFID

4,000,000

with

2,100,000

co-

financing

from DFID

organisational development, human

resource development, planning and

information management and good

governance, for the NEPC, then EPC

and NPC, through CSO, PPS, CIRM,

MDTD and CLG; interlinked to the

Capacity Building for Implementing

Authorities at Local Level Project

(CAP), 08/2005 to 10/2008

Date Phase Value Description

01/2009

to

12/2010

current phase;

extension of the

second phase

3,825,000 human resource development, local

government reform and community

development.

Reporting period January December 2009


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1.8 Project log frame (revised)

Development impact

Equitable distribution of resources and greater public participation - through good governance, promotion of democracy at decentralised level, and balanced socio-

economic development - contribute to peace building in Sri Lanka.

Indirect impact

Social equity is improved by conflict sensitive, participatory public services which benefit the vulnerable and the poor.

Outcome

Management tasks and service delivery for socio-economic development are carried out in a coordinated, participatory and conflict sensitive way at provincial and local

level.

Outcome indicator 1 Outcome indicator 2 Outcome indicator 3

650 people working at provincial and local government

level apply what they have learnt about good governanceand conflict transformation in the work place. (Means of

verification: gender sensitive survey)

Conflict sensitive, participatory mechanisms

(committees, redressal systems) are establishedand used in at least two local authorities. (Means

of verification: minutes, publications and

agreements)

Plans and proposals from womens/ community

based groups are reflected in at least 10 current,small scale socio-economic projects. (Means of

verification:agreements and local development

plans)

Use of output 1 Use of output 2 Use of output 3

Provincial and local government staff and counterparts

improve the way they work as service providers, within

their organisations and with the public.

Local government uses improved mechanisms of

communication and planning for better service

delivery and conflict mitigation.

WRDS work on realistic projects for their village

development in terms of improved facilities, services

and livelihoods.

Output 1 Output 2 Output 3

Training courses, trainers and materials for key

competencies in planning, management, communication,

good governance and conflict transformation are

increased and made sustainable.

Public committees, redressal systems, information

dissemination and local development planning

become more equitable, responsive and efficient.

WRDS have the confidence and skills to access the

services of local authorities and other donors for

community development.

Activities 1 Activities 2 Activities 3

Bridging courses for Skills Through English for PublicServants (STEPS) are developed and STEPS courses

are run in different locations.

STEPS Institute in Jaffna is set up under the NPC. Good Governance and conflict transformation are

taught through a variety of courses: STEPS, public

information dissemination training (PIDT), effective

communication, self access skills, induction to public

service, report writing.

The training capacity of the Provincial Councils isstrengthened and a trainer evaluation and

accreditation system is established.

Public committees are improved in terms ofcomposition, ways of working and what they

discuss.

Public redressal staff and systems arestandardised, upgraded and expanded.

Local authorities receive Public InformationDissemination Training (PIDT).

Integrated local development planning isintroduced in new areas.

Information management for developmentprofiles is supported.

WRDS leadership is strengthened forcommunity development purposes.

Advocacy events are organised to bring theLocal Authorities and communities closer

together.

Livelihood development is strengthened andnew livelihood ventures explored.

Pre-school education, facilities, staff andsystems are strengthened.


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Use of output 1 Use of output 2 Use of output 3

Provincial and local government staff and counterparts

improve the way they work as service providers,

within their organisations and with the public.

Local government uses improved mechanisms of

communication and planning for better service delivery

and conflict mitigation.

WRDS work on realistic projects for their village

development in terms of improved facilities,

services and livelihoods.

Use of output 1 indicators Use of output 2 indicators Use of output 3 indicators

600 public servants and 70% of senior managersaffirm the use of English as a result of STEPS has

improved management, administration and/or

conflict transformation at work. (Means of

verification: end of course results and

questionnaire)

250 participants who work in communitydevelopment, education, local planning, grievance

redressal and public information dissemination

affirm that they have improved the way they work

with the public as a result of PIP training. (Means

of verification: survey)

The STEPS Institute in Jaffna becomes sustainableunder the NPC and provides quality assured

courses on a regular basis for public servants and

teachers. (Means of verification: Management

scheme, budget allocation, course enrolment)

Provincial council training organisations (CIRM,MDTD, MDTI) accredit trainers and use them to

deliver needs based training programmes. (Means

of verification: trainer competency evaluations)

Advisory Committees contribute to successful servicedelivery in 2 local authority areas.

(Means of verification: committee minutes, reports,

notices)

Public Relations Officers successfully resolve conflictsthrough the redressal system in 10 local authority

areas.(Means of verification: complaints register and

database)

Complaints analysis improves service delivery in 2local authority areas.

(Means of verification: local authority and public

survey)

5 Local authorities successfully disseminate keymessages through public information campaigns.

(Means of verification: campaign records, materials

and public survey)

Local authorities use development profiles andintegrated local development plans for participatory

planning and service delivery in 2 areas. (Means of

verification: plans and minutes)

10 WRDS submit realistic, needs basedproposals for community development and

/or collective business initiatives/livelihoods

to local authorities and other donors.

(Means of verification: documents, LA

records, correspondence)

(20) WRDS managed pre-schools providequality pre-school education for (X)

children.

(Means of verification: classroom

observation records and teacher/material

evaluations)

(5) WRDS get local authorities and/or theMinistry of Education to provide on-going

quality assurance and support for (10) pre-

schools.

(Means of verification: records of visits,

meeting minutes, survey.)

Note: The public redressal system, PIDT, WRDS advocacy/proposal writing, WRDS Pre-School, and STEPS for English language/English medium teachers impact a t

beneficiary level. STEPS for non teachers, Effective Communication and the Methodology of Training impact at intermediary level. ILDP and strengthening

advisory committees also impact at intermediary level instead of the envisaged beneficiary level because the time it will take for these two initiatives to produce

results in the community goes beyond the life of the project.


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Output 1 Output 2 Output 3

Training courses, trainers and materials for key

competencies in planning, management,

communication, good governance and conflict

transformation are expanded and institutionalised.

Public committees, redressal systems, information

dissemination and local development planning become

more equitable, responsive and efficient.

WRDS have the confidence and skills to access

the services of local authorities and other

donors for community development.

Output 1 indicators Output 2 indicators Output 3 indicators

STEPS is successfully expanded to five levels. 900 participants successfully complete STEPS

courses and 70% of them are able to apply

improved English skills in the workplace.

400 participants are able to apply new skills ingood governance and conflict transformation.

The STEPS Institute in Jaffna becomes operationalunder NPC management.

25 Provincial council trainers meet agreedcompetency standards and deliver quality training

programmes in a variety of subjects.

5 advisory committees are established and pilot newways of working with the public.

Local authorities implement upgraded complaintssystems and analysis through 10 existing and 5 new

public redressal systems.

20 local authorities design effective public informationcampaigns on different issues.

Integrated local development profiles and plans aredesigned for 3 areas.

15 WRDS establish working relations withtheir local authorities and other

development actors.

15 WRDS produce realistic, needs basedproposals for community development or

collective business initiatives/livelihoods.

6 successful village open days enable 500people to get to know their local authorities

better.

Activities 1 Activities 2 Activities 3

Bridging courses for Skills Through English forPublic Servants (STEPS) are developed and STEPS

courses are run in d ifferent locations.

The STEPS Institute in Jaffna is set up under theNPC.

Good Governance and conflict transformation aretaught through a variety of courses.

The training capacity of the Provincial Councils isstrengthened and a trainer evaluation and

accreditation system is established.

Public Committees are improved in terms ofcomposition, ways of working and what they discuss.

The public redressal system is standardised, upgradedand expanded.

Local authorities receive public informationdissemination training (PIDT).

Integrated local development planning is introducedin new areas.

Information management for development profiles issupported.

WRDS leadership is strengthened forcommunity development purposes.

Advocacy events are organised to bring theLocal Authorities and communities closer

together.

Livelihood development is strengthenedand new livelihood ventures explored.

Pre-school education, facilities, staff andsystems are strengthened.


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1.9 Financial Summary 2009

All figures are in Euros.

Consultants

Human Resource Development 94,695

Local Government 54,366

Community Development 43,050

Other 8,892

Sub total 201,003

Contracts

Human Resource Development 265,172

Local Government 54,030

Community Development 130,122

Other 51,575

Sub total 500,899

Other Inputs

Procurement 54,545

Training (Accommodation, Meals, Venue Hire, Transportation) 62,291

Sub total 116,836

GTZ inputs

National and International Staff 490,300

Office running costs (Trincomalee, Jaffna, Batticaloa, Colombo) 177,200

Management costs 199,900

Sub total 867,400

Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development Tax and Duty

reimbursement

- 21,300

Total 1,664,838


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Part two: Human Resource Development


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2.1 HRD Inputs

Consultants

Name: Jill Knight, Materials Design Consultant

Contract dates: 23 February 6 November 2009

Consultancy aims: Design, develop, pilot and evaluate training courses for local authorities on

disseminating public information (PIDT) and writing skills for administrative

purposes (WSPS 1).

Name: Helen Drinan, Methodology Consultant

Contract dates: 9 June 25 November 2009Consultancy aims: Design and pilot a sustainable trainer evaluation system for the Northern

and Eastern Provincial Councils and get senior management to endorse it. Make

the Methodology Course more sustainable and increase the pool of trainers.

Name: Lynda Gill, English Language Teaching Consultant

Contract dates: 24 Jul 09 15 Sept 09

Consultancy aims: Pilot the Writing skills for Administration (WSPS I) course and give feedback for

the second draft.

Name: S Surendran, HRD Database Consultant

Contract dates: 5 June 30 September 2009

Consultancy aims: Develop a database in Access for PIP HRD that can keep records on all PIP

course participants and print a variety of monthly reports by course type,

location, job category, gender, ethnicity, achievement etc. for monitoring and

evaluation and to support human resource management in the Provincial

Councils.

Contracts

Implementing partner: British Council Sri Lanka

Contract name: Skills Through English for Public Servants Phase 4 (STEPS 4)

Contract dates: 1 March 2009 26 November 20 10

Contract aims: Provide 4 week intensive content and language integrated programmes

so that 920 Provincial Council staff (400 PreSTEPS I and II; 360 STEPS; 160 WSPS I

and II) are able to use enhanced critical thinking, good governance, conflict

transformation, planning, management and English skills in the workplace.


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Implementing partner: Management Development Training Department

Contract name: Training Programme for 350 Public Servants

Contract dates: 1 May 30 November 2009

Contract aims: To provide Training programme for 350 public servants in Induction to Public

Service, Effective Communication skills, Computer Hardware training, New

Public Financial Management and Public Accountability, Human Resource

Management, Personality Development and Positive Attitudes.

Implementing partner: Chief Secretarys Office, Northern Provincial Council

Contract name: Extension to Common Hall for Capacity Building at NPC

Contract dates: 1 April 15 October 2009

Contract aims: Provide a suitable training and learning space for professional development

of Northern Provincial Council staff conducted by the Management

Development Training Institute (MDTI,NP) and others.

Implementing partner: Ministry of Education Culture and Sports, NP

Contract name: Modification of STEPS Institute Building, Jaffna

Contract dates: 19 August -10 October 2009

Contract aims: Complete the renovation of the STEPS Institute Jaffna and make it operational

for the start of the STEPS Programme Set F, November 2009.


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2.2 HRD progress on activities

Participants and

courses are in

place for an

expanded STEPS

programme

Bridging courses

for Skills Through

English for Public

Servants (STEPS)

are developed

STEPS courses are

run in different

locations.

Plans to accommodate 900 public servants (550 from NP and 350 from EP) onSTEPS courses between Mar 2009 to Nov 2010 were agreed through a fourth

contract signed with British Council, 20 February 2009.

The PIP Baseline Study with 473 senior and middle managers, field officers, and

clerical staff from 65 organizations in the NPC and EPC analysed public servants

ability in English language, good governance and conflict transformation skills,

February May 2009.

1251 staff from 82 NPC, EPC organisations and Central ministries sat the

placement test and 1052 qualified for STEPS courses at 5 levels: Pre STEPS I,

Pre STEPS II, STEPS, WSPS I, and WSPS II. Placement Tests were conducted:

District Dates No. people

Batticaloa 10 12 February 2009 36

Jaffna 24 26 February 2009 233

Vavuniya 26 27 March 2009 85

Trincomalee 11 12 May 2009 119

Ampara 19 21 May 2009 54

Colombo 20 21 August 2009 52

Jaffna 8 10 December 2009 540

Materials for a second General English for Public Servants course (Pre STEPS II)

at pre intermediate level, for Pre STEPS I graduates who attained 4/3 final

scores and for those who scored high Band 2 on recent Placement Tests, were

developed by British Council, March May 2009. Pre STEPS II was piloted by the British Council 15 June 10 July 2007 and

became part of the STEPS suite for regular use after the second pilot in Jaffna,

21 September - 16 October.

Materials for a second Writing Skills for Public Servants course (WSPS I), dealing

with letters and minutes at intermediate level for STEPS graduates who

attained 4/3 final scores and for administrators who scored Band 4 on recent

Placement Tests, were developed by PIP Materials Development Consultant,

July October 2009.

WSPS 1 draft 1 was piloted by PIP English Language Teaching consultant, 3 28

August 2009 and draft 2 by British Council 9 November 4 December 2009.

STEPS Courses were run on a regular basis in Jaffna from April 2009 onwards.

Courses were run in Batticaloa and Colombo for staff who could not be

residential in Trincomalee.

Place Set A13/03 10/04

Set B24/04 22/05

Set C12/06 10/07

Set D24/07 21/08

Set E18/09 16/10

Set F6/11 4/12

Trinco

Jaffna

Batticaloa

Colombo 7 wks


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The STEPS

Institute in Jaffna

is set up under the

NPC.

Good Governance

and conflict

transformation are

taught through a

variety of courses.

A building was designated by the CSO and the Ministry of Education NP at

Canagaratnam MMV (Stanly College) Jaffna for the STEPS Institute and initial

refurbishment by NECORD of Rs2.8m carried out, May- August 2009. Ministryof Education NP and PIP completed the refurbishment with contributions of

Rs800,000 and Rs700,000 respectively, August - October 2009. The STEPS

Institute was officially opened by Hon. Governor NP and Country Director GTZ,

19 October 2009. STEPS courses delivered by British Council started 4

December 2009.

1 PA, NPC Trincomalee and 1 PA, Regional Commissioners Office, Jaffna, were

assigned to PIP for on-the-job training in STEPS course administration in

preparation for permanent appointment to the STEPS Institute, from February

2009.

8 Jaffna based staff from the Ministry of Education NP - 6 ISAs and 2 MAs -were trained to administer Placement Tests the STEPS Institute, 8 December

2009.

Materials for a four-plus-one day Public Information and DisseminationTraining (PIDT) were developed by PIP Materials Development Consultant, and

piloted with the Social Services Department, EP, 16 - 19 March 2009 and PIDT

training of trainers, 26 - 29 May 2009. The first pilot for local authorities was

conducted in Batticaloa District for 19 PROs and CDOs from 9 local authorities,

29 June 2 July 2009 with follow up 23 Sep2009. PIDT materials were produced

in Tamil and Sinhala in August and September 2009 respectively.

3 more PIDT courses, for local authorities in Trincomalee and Ampara and 3follow up days for local authorities in Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara were

conducted August December 2009 see Local Government activities for

details.

Courses for 1029 public servants either specifically (*) or indirectly addressing

good governance/conflict transformation were conducted March Dec 2009.No. and Course No.

courses

Duration Practical

component in

the workplace

No.

participants

Pre STEPS I 7 4 weeks 130

Pre STEPS II 2 4 weeks 31

STEPS* 9 4 weeks 176

WSPS 1* 2 4 weeks 18

WSPS II* 5 4 weeks 60

Effective Communication 6 4 days 128

Self Access Skills 3 4 days 30

Induction to Public Service* 6 5 days 106

Methodology of Training 1 17 days 20

PIDT* 5 4+1 days 66

Proposal Writing for WRDS* 3 4 days 47

Introduction to ILDP* 5 1 day 108

ILDP Phase I (Stages 1 3)* 3 1 day 56

ILDP Phase II (Stages 4 6) * 3 2 days 53

Total 1029


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The training

capacity of the

Provincial Councils

is strengthened

and a trainer

evaluation and

accreditation

system is

established.

The construction and refurbishment MDTIs training hall at the NPC was

successfully completed, 15 September 2009 and the building was opened by

the Hon. Governor, NPC and Chief Secretary NPC, 25 September 2009.

78 potential/actual resource persons with experience in specific technical

fields from the Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils were nominated by

MDTD, CIRM, and PPS EPC, and MDTI and PPA NPC to be trained as learner

centred, task-based trainers, June 2009.

A three-week intensive Methodology of Training Course for 21 resourcepersons (12 from the EP and 9 from the NP) selected from 78 nominees (see

above), was conducted by PIP Methodology Consultant, including training of

trainers for 5 methodology trainers from MDTD and CIRM, EPC with specific

reference to their observation and feedback skills and development of

materials (participants worksheets) in Tamil, 13 -31 July 2009.

Trainer competencies and observation criteria for trainer certification were

developed by PIP Methodology Consultant and modified during a three day

Certification training /Observation Standardisation workshop with the Directors

CIRM, MDTD and MDTI and Assistant Secretary PPA, 23 28 October and

decisions were recorded in the Handbook for Evaluation and Accreditation of

Trainers, December 2009.

Four 3-day teaching practice workshops in effective communication skills, goodgovernance, teambuilding and leadership were planned, organised and

delivered by 20 resource persons (trainee trainers - see above) to over 50

Management Assistants as the teaching practice component of theMethodology of Training. Resource persons were observed and certified by

Directors CIRM, MDTD and MDTI and Assistant Secretary PPA:

Place Date No.

trainees

Certified by

NPC 29 321 Oct 2009 5 Dir MDTI, Asst Sec Min PPA

Jaffna 4 5 Nov 2009 4 Dir MDTI, Asst Sec Min PPA

EPC 9 11 Nov 2009 6 Dir CIRM

Batticaloa 16 18 Nov 2009 6 Dir MDTD

Training for 35 trainers was conducted and trained trainers went on to deliver13 courses, May to December 2009.

Course Dates Medium of

delivery

No trainers

trained

No. courses run by

trainers thereafter

Methodology of

Training

13 31 July Tamil 5 (Feb 2010)

Effective

Communication

27 31 July Tamil 20 4

PIDT 26 29 May Tamil and

Sinhala

7 3

ILDP October -

November

Tamil 4 6

Total 36 13


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2.3 HRD progress on outputs

Training courses, trainers and materials for key competencies in planning, management, communication,

good governance and conflict transformation are expanded and institutionalised.

Indicators

STEPS is

successfully

expanded to five

levels.

900 participants

successfully

complete STEPS

courses and 70% of

them are able to

apply improved

English skills in the

workplace.

PreSTEPS II materials, assessment and certification are finalised and

systematised for regular use as part of the STEPS suite, December 2009.

WSPS 1 draft 3 is completed and handed over to the British Council for further

piloting, December 2009.

Systems for placing participants at 5 different levels are refined and in use for2010 courses.

415 public servants from the Northern and Eastern Provinces and Colombo

Ministries successfully completed STEPS courses through Sets A F, 13 March

4 December 2009:

Course Total Men Women

Pre STEPS I 130 51 (40%) 79 (60%)

Pre STEPS II 31 15 (48%) 16 (52%)

STEPS 176 87 (49%) 89 (51%)

WSPS I 18 8 (45%) 10 (55%)

WSPS II 60 32 (53%) 28 (47%)

Total 415 46.5% 53.5%

District Number 270 came from the Northern

Province, 118 from the EasternProvince, and 22 from the Ministry

of Nation Building and Estate

Infrastructure Development and

the Ministry of Constitutional

Affairs and National Integration,

Colombo.

Jaffna 172

Trincomalee 117 (inc.NPC HQ)

Batticaloa 48

Vavuniya 25

Ampara 18

Mannar 8

Of these 80% were Provincial Council staff, and 20% District and Divisional

Secretariat staff. The remaining 5 came from NGOs.

Designation Number

Management Assistants 141 (34%)

Programme Assistants and Development Assistants 127 (31%)Community Development Officers and Field Officers 89 (22%)

Teachers 23 (5%)

Senior Managers 35 (8%)

After the course, 85% of Pre STEPS I and II and STEPS participants were able to

demonstrate improved English language skills for the workplace by at least

one level. 100% of WSPS I and II participants were able to demonstrate

improved writing skills for administration and project management purposes

by at least one level.


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400 participantsare able to apply

new skills in good

governance and

conflicttransformation.

The STEPS Institutein Jaffna becomes

operational under

NPC management.

A comprehensive baseline study was published, setting out clear targets for

improving and applying new skills in good governance and conflict

transformation and closing the gap between staffs stated and proven

knowledge, August 2009.

Over 700 public service professional staff are able to apply new skills in good

governance and conflict transformation:

176 STEPS graduates are able to use good governance and conflict resolution

skills for the workplace.

78 WSPS graduates are able to increase efficiency, effectiveness and

transparency of written communication in public service.

128 Effective Communication graduates 22 AOs and 106 RDOs, PAs and

CMAs are able to use nekw communication strategies for work.30 Self Access Skills graduates are able to use the internet for their on-going

professional development.

106 Induction to Public Service graduates (43 Sinhala and 63 Tamil speaking

newly recruited MAs) are able to describe their roles and responsibilities in

good governance terms.

20 Methodology of Training resource person graduates are able to use more

participatory, democratic methods in the classroom for improving

effectiveness in teaching their subject.

66 PIDT graduates (12 SSOs, 54 PROs and CDOs) are able to draft leaflets and

posters for information campaigns on services for people with disabilities,building approvals and public health awareness.

47 Proposal Writing Skills women graduates are able, with support, to

represent their WRDS needs and draft proposals for small scale community

development projects for their villages.

56 ILDP graduates (11 ACLG and 45 LA staff) are able to implement the

Institutional Set Up phase, planning stages 1 3.

53 ILDP graduates (10 ACLG staff and 43 LA staff) are able to implement the

Profile Preparation phase for planning stages 4 6.

The Management Scheme mandating the structure, staffing and functions ofthe STEPS Institute Jaffna as a permanent organisation of the Northern

Provincial Council was formally approved by the Hon. Governor, Northern

Province, and NPC budget was allocated for the Institutes running costs for

2010 onwards through the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport NP, 18

December 2009.

Course administration for STEPS suite courses running at the STEPS Institute

was handed over to the PA, Regional Commissioners Office from 6 November

2009.


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25 Provincial

council trainers

meet agreed

competency

standards and

deliver quality

training

programmes in a

variety of subjects.

540 placement tests were successfully conducted by 6 ISAs and 2 MAs

appointed by the Ministry of Education NP to be responsible for this work in

the future.

Materials for the 3 week Methodology of Training course were finalised with

Trainers Notes in English and Participants Worksheets in Tamil, November

2009.

21 (11 from EP and 10 from NP) resource persons successfully completed the

Methodology of Training course, 31 July 2009.

4 EPC and NPC senior managers - Directors CIRM and MDTD, EPC, Director

MDTI NPC and Assistant Secretary PPA NP - are able to use the tools in the

trainer evaluation and accreditation system to certify trainers, from November

2009.

20 resource persons were certified as trainers under the new trainer

competencies criteria - 10 certified as competent with support and 10

certified as competent to deliver learner centred, task based training on

effective communication skills and teambuilding, December 2009.

2.4 HRD details

2.4.1 Course details

The STEPS Suite

Skills Through English for Public Servants STEPS is

designed for provincial and local government staff and

their civil society counterparts working with

disadvantaged communities in the North and East of Sri

Lanka. STEPS is a content-and-language-integrated

learning programme. It provides teachers, public

servants and NGO workers with a unique opportunity to

develop their skills in good governance, effective

communication, critical thinking and management allthrough English. STEPS is a suite of courses pitched at

five different levels of English from elementary to lower

advanced. There are two levels of General English for

Public Servants, then the eponymous Skills Through

English for Public Servants followed by two levels of

Writing Skills for Public Servants. Participants from

Sinhala and Tamil speaking communities, central and provincial government structures, rural and urban

backgrounds, are integrated in the same class through the common denominator of their English

language needs. They are encouraged to share ideas and form new bonds and networks for the future.


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A 2008 STEPS impact assessment of 114 public servant participants and their line managers from five

different districts verified that STEPS has had a positive impact on a large number of public servants and

that its influence extends beyond the classroom. 60% reported increased knowledge in Good

Governance and Conflict Transformation. 55% felt more empowered to deal with conflicts resulting

from rank, ethnicity or gender. 36% reported utilising informal networks between central and devolved

government structures to the benefit of their departments. 85% of senior managers clearly agreed that

STEPS met the good governance and capacity development needs of the Provincial Councils.

General English for Public Servants (Pre STEPS I and II)

The General English for Public Servants - Pre STEPS I and II are both four week courses designed to give

staff who tested in at an elementary level enough English and study skills to follow other content

relevant courses in English in the future, including the STEPS course. The courses therefore focus on

boosting participants grammar and vocabulary as well as their competency in using the four skills in

English listening, speaking,

reading and writing. It is a

communicative, learner centred

course based around the

international publications,

Language In Use, Elementary and

Pre-Intermediate. In the first

week there is a series of learner

training sessions to encourage

participants to develop an effective set of study skills. In addition recycling of language is systematically

built into the four weeks through a Consolidation hour at the end of each day, a series of Study Page

sessions and a weekly recycling session.

Skills Through English for Public Servants

STEPSis a lower intermediate, four week

intensive course for managers and

administrators working in development.

It is divided into four one-week units. Unit

one is on the Economy and looks at topics

from globalisation to microfinance. Unit

two is on Conflict Transformation and

moves from learning to deal with conflicts

at home and in the workplace to

analysing community conflicts and using

conflict resolution skills. Unit three is on

Society and Development and covers

education and health and gender equity. Unit four is on the Environment and looks at disaster

management, environmental protection and eco tourism. Participants also improve their critical thinking

skills by learning how to organise information, analyse, prioritise, evaluate, problem solve, and make


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distance education courses on the internet, and use the internet to develop English language skills.

There is also an internet and email clinic to help participants troubleshoot specific problems.

Methodology of Training

The three week intensive Methodology of Training course with a two to five day add-on teaching

practice component in the work place is designed for provincial council resource persons and new

trainers. This unique course helps participants

increase their repertoire of practical techniques for

conducting presentations and interactive lectures,

managing task based learning and facilitating

participant output. Trainee trainers learn to focus

on learning rather than teaching by building skills in

classroom management, session planning and

applying knowledge of different learner styles to

the development of training materials. The course

incorporates a lot of peer practice, observation and

feedback before requiring participants to deliver a

real course or workshop such as Induction to Public

Service or Effective Communication during their teaching practice. Certification is based on the

effectiveness of their delivery during the teaching practice and how much it evidences agreed trainer

competencies and what they have learnt on the course in terms of planning, delivery, achieving session

objectives, staging, techniques and interpersonal skills.

Cumulative figures for PIP supported coursesThe following table shows that 3,031staff working in development in the Northern and Eastern

Provinces successfully completed PIP supported courses since they were first introduced.

2006 2007 2008 2009 Sub Total Total

Course NP EP NP EP NP EP NP EP NP EP

Pre STEPS I 108 130 55 75 97 33 260 238 498

Pre STEPS II 24 7 24 7 31

STEPS 27 18 98 96 110 114 98 54 333 282 615

WSPS I 7 11 7 11 18

WSPS II 12 6 40 50 44 13 96 69 165

Induction to Public Service 91 102 200 302 25 64 106 316 574 890Self Access Skills 40 55 14 16 54 71 125

Effective Communication 25 64 152 25 216 241

Methodology of Training 7 17 24 9 12 16 54 70

PIDT 1 65 1 65 66

Proposal writing for WRDS 47 47 47

Spatial Planning 68 144 68 144 212

ILDP (Stages 1 6) 53 53 53

Cumulative totals 1253 1778 3031


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About 100 more public servants from the NPC than the EPC have followed STEPS courses because of the

STEPS Institute Jaffna, while more courses overall (in other subjects) have been run for the EPC. This is

because since the de-merger courses run in MDTD are for the Eastern Province alone and MDTI has, as

yet, no in-house trainers to do the same job for the Northern Province. In addition, local government

PIDT and WRDS proposal writing courses were piloted only in the East in 2009. These balances will be

redressed in 2010.

2.4.2 The STEPS Institute Jaffna

In May 2009 the North East Community Restoration and Development project (NECORD) provided funds

for converting a derelict building in the grounds of Canagaratnam MMV into the STEPS Institute Jaffna

and in October 2009 PIP

and the Ministry of

Education, Culture and

Sports, Northern

Province finished off the

building and refurbishing

work. This included

putting in an entire new

floor to prevent termite damage, as well as commissioning custom built educational furniture that

enables participatory group work learning. The STEPS Institute Jaffna, opened on 19 October 2009 by

Major General Chandrasiri, Honourable Governor Northern Province and Jutta Zinnel, Country Director

The renovation process, STEPS Institute Jaffna: May to October 2009

GTZ, now gives STEPS a permanent home in the North. The STEPS Institute Jaffna is part of the Northern

Provincial Councils vision to create a quality centre for the on-going professional development for

public servants. It targets key managers and administrators as well as teachers of English and English

medium Maths and Science. The Institute has a trainers room, an auditorium that can be divided into

two classrooms, and two other spacious classrooms that accommodate up to 80 participants at any one

time around 600 participants a year - on task-based, learner centred STEPS courses.

Managed by the Chief Secretary and administered by the Ministry of Education Culture and Sports,

Northern Province, the STEPS Institute is becoming sustainable with its own management scheme and

annual budget as of 18 December 2009 and the permanent appointment of staff in 2010.


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The Hon. Governor NP and Country Director GTZ cut The Regional Commissioner Jaffna lights the lamp.

the ribbon to open the STEPS Institute, 19 October

2009

Opening speeches by Secretary Ministry of Education NP, Secretary to the Hon, Governor NP and Country

Director British Council

Former STEPS participants present what they have studied to the visitors (left) and Country Director GTZ (right)


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2.4.3 Trainer evaluation and accreditation system

The Trainer Evaluation and Accreditation system, still in a draft form, seeks to promote a pool of trained

resource persons in the Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils who can run participatory, learner-centred, task-base workshops and courses that deal with the real learning needs of public servants in

specific, specialised or technical subject areas. As well as providing a structure for professional

development of trainers, the accreditation part of the

system will help departments choose the right trainer for

the HRD input they require.

The system was designed in close consultation with the four

senior managers most involved in the HRD, Mr S

Krishnananthan, Director MDTI NP, Mr P Vageeshan,

Assistant Secretary PPA NP, Mr V.D. Sharma, Director MDTD

EPand Ms Rohini Singarayar, Director CIRM EP, who will be

the main users and ensure its future

implementation, quality and

sustainability.

These four now have a shared

understanding of the systems

purpose and use, including

agreement on trainer selection

criteria, competency levels to be

achieved, standards for trainer

certification, and the evaluation tools

to be used.

In short, trainer evaluation and

certification is based on the trainers

ability to

plan and prepare training inputs with achievable, learner-centred objectives

use task-based, participatory, Input-Task- Output style methodology to ensure real learning takes

place during the training session convey the subject matter efficiently and effectively

use a range of classroom management skills to facilitate teaching the learning

display appropriate manner, interpersonal skills and self awareness

give and receive constructive feedback for on-going professional development.

(See Appendix 3 for a sample trainer evaluation form that expounds the above evaluation criteria.)


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2.5 HRD indications for the next quarter

STEPS

STEPS Placement testing will be conducted in Vavuniya, Mannar, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee for 600

public servants. 504 places will be made available for NP and EP public servants on STEPS suite courses

Sets G to M in 2010 (See HRD Appendix 2 for details) and 9 courses targeting 150 public servants in

Trincomalee, Jaffna and Colombo will be conducted January March 2010. An HRD database for all PIP

trainings since 2006 will be completed and versions provided for the Northern and Eastern Provincial

Councils respectively one to be held at MDTD and one at the STEPS Institute, Jaffna.

STEPS Institute Jaffna

The Management Scheme for the STEPS Institute Jaffna will be implemented, with a first STEPS

Management Committee meeting in February 2010 to begin the process of appointing NPC staff on a

permanent basis to run and manage the Institute. Meanwhile, at the STEPS Institute Jaffna, PIP will

continue on-the-job training for the PA Course Administrator from the Regional Commissioners Office

and the gradual hand-over of responsibilities to the NP. Refurbishment work, including installation of a

generator, air conditioners and classroom equipment, and negotiations with NECORD on the

establishment of hostel facilities for residential participants from other NP districts will also begin.

Methodology of Training

20 resource persons with an emphasis on trainers for local government will be selected for, and attend

the Methodology of Training courses which will run for four weeks starting 8 February 2010.

Nominations of resource persons from the Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils for this course will

be based on the selection criteria agreed under the Trainer Evaluation and Accreditation system. Thecourse will be supervised by PIPs Methodology Consultant. New methodology trainers will be trained in

the process, and existing methodology trainers will get further support. The Trainer Evaluation and

Accreditation system will be presented to the Northern and Eastern Provincial Council key stakeholders

in February 2010 at the Steering Committee meetings for discussion and ratification. The system will be

implemented from April onwards starting with the certification of trainers who attended the

Methodology of Training course February-March 2010.

Public Information Dissemination Training (PIDT)

PIDT will be integrated in the Methodology of Training course as the new teaching practice component,

replacing Effective Communication. In this way, PIDT trainers for the Northern and Eastern Provinces can

be trained as PIDT trainers at the same time as increasing the general pool of trainers. PIDT can then be

run in Jaffna by April 2010 and the trainers certified in the process.

Human Resource Management Seminars

A series of one day workshops in Human Resource Management will be designed and piloted with the

senior managers of the NPC, February-March 2010 and thereafter in the EPC. This will be combined with

a training needs analysis and will help senior managers to get a better understanding of PIP supported

training inputs and encourage them to make their staff use the skills and knowledge they have accrued

on PIP supported training courses once they return to the work place.


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2.6 HRD issues and recommendations

Participants for STEPS courses from the Eastern ProvinceThe project experienced difficulties in getting participants for STEPS courses from Ampara and Batticaloa

districts in 2009 even when they were nominated by their heads of departments. With many of the

invitees not turning up at the last moment, particularly from Ampara, 21 places went without filling,

which affected PIP annual targets from the Eastern Province, made the courses less cost-effective and

imbalanced ethnic diversity. It is recommended that the Eastern Provincial Council opens up STEPS

courses to School Principals, English language teachers and English medium Maths and Science teachers,

just as the NPC did in 2009. In addition, the Human Resource Management workshops planned for

February should target this issue in the East.

Recruitment of course administration staff for the STEPS Institute Jaffna

The STEPS Institute is in urgent need of permanent administrative and support staff who can ensure

participants are selected, invited, looked after properly while studying and certified after their courses

finish. At present, the Programme Assistant assigned to the task is alone and over worked. The following

positions need to be filled, in the first place through transfers from the Ministry of Education and

thereafter with permanent appointments, and clear duty lists for them drawn up: 2 Programme

Assistants, 1Chief Management Assistant, 1 Office Essential Services and 1 Sanitary Labour. At the same

time, a new member of staff from the Northern Provincial Council at Kanniya needs to be appointed to

support participant selection, and the Programme Assistant who used to do the job, now promoted and

stationed in Jaffna, needs to be released to continue to support the STEPS Institute in Jaffna, as agreed

at the NPC meeting 22 December 2009. More problematically, the whole question of a sustainablemechanism for STEPS in the Eastern Province, whether through MDTD or some other training

institution, needs to be addressed. It is recommended that sustaining STEPS in the Eastern Province

should be a key discussion point at the EPC Steering Committee meeting in February 2010.

Institutionalising the trainer evaluation and accreditation system for the EPC and NPC

The EPC and NPC need to ensure commitment from senior managers in Jaffna and Batticaloa,

a) in the application of training standards in departments where training is taking place and

b)in getting them to join the pool of senior manager evaluators along with Directors MDTD, MDTI and

CIRM. This will involve training them to use the trainer evaluation tools and standardising their

observation skills. The pool of senior manger evaluators can then become the Accreditatio