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FROM PLANNING TO PERFORMANCE: TRAINING ON PROJECT PLANNING, PROPOSAL WRITING AND REPORTING SKILLS Addis Ababa, Ethiopia November 16 - 20 2015 Conducted by ELD Training www.eldtraining.com

FROM PLANNING TO PERFORMANCE: TRAINING ON ...2015/11/16  · The training on Project Planning, Proposal Writing and Reporting Skills was held at the Harmony Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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Page 1: FROM PLANNING TO PERFORMANCE: TRAINING ON ...2015/11/16  · The training on Project Planning, Proposal Writing and Reporting Skills was held at the Harmony Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

FROM PLANNING TO PERFORMANCE: TRAINING

ON PROJECT PLANNING, PROPOSAL WRITING AND

REPORTING SKILLS Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

November 16 - 20 2015

Conducted by

ELD Training www.eldtraining.com

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Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 3

Summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 3

Course Evaluation ................................................................................................................................................... 4

Daily Narrative ........................................................................................................................................................ 6

Day One ................................................................................................................................................ 6

Course Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 6 Setting Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 7 Data Gathering Methods .................................................................................................................... 9 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 10 Day-end Feedback ........................................................................................................................... 12

Day Two .............................................................................................................................................. 13

What is Professional Writing? ........................................................................................................... 13 Writing Clearly ................................................................................................................................. 15 Organizing Ideas .............................................................................................................................. 16 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 17 Day-end Feedback ........................................................................................................................... 17

Day Three ........................................................................................................................................... 18

Planning the Report ......................................................................................................................... 18 Drafting Practical ............................................................................................................................. 19 Day-end Feedback ........................................................................................................................... 19

Day Four ............................................................................................................................................. 20

The Logical Framework Approach ..................................................................................................... 20 Proposal Planning Practical ............................................................................................................... 22 Day-end Feedback ........................................................................................................................... 22

Day Five .............................................................................................................................................. 23

Proposal Writing Practical ................................................................................................................ 23 Feedback, Review and Evaluation ..................................................................................................... 23

Annexes ................................................................................................................................................................ 24

Annex 1: Course Schedule .................................................................................................................... 24

Annex 2: List of Participants .................................................................................................................. 24

Annex 3: Outputs of Group Work .......................................................................................................... 25

Reports ........................................................................................................................................... 25 Proposals ........................................................................................................................................ 36

From Planning to Performance: Training on Project Planning, Proposal Writing and Reporting Skills Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 16 - 20 2015

ELD Training www.eldtraining.com

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Introduction

This report documents the process and evaluates the outcomes of a five-day training conducted for a group of six participants representing Oxfam GB, The Pestalozzi Foundation, The Embassy of Finland, Rescue the Child and Youth, IDE and Voice of Wilderness Development Organisation. (See Annex 2 for a list of participants.)

The training on Project Planning, Proposal Writing and Reporting Skills was held at the Harmony Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from November 16 - 20 2015. The training was designed and led by ELD Director Mr. Neil Kendrick.

This report begins with a summary and evaluation based on daily feedback, and is followed with a day-by-day narrative of what was covered. Participants' feedback can be found at the end of each day's narrative. Work produced by participants is annexed.

Summary

The overall aim of the training was to develop participants' skills in developing reports and proposals. In terms of reporting, this covered setting objectives, gathering and analysing data and planning the report; as well as writing clearly, organising ideas in writing and drafting a report that achieves its objectives.

The proposals modules covered analysing the situation, setting project objectives, selecting a strategy and create a project framework; as well as planning and drafting a proposal that convinces the donor that:

• The problem is worth solving • It can be solved • The writer has the capacity to carry it out

The first day was effective in establishing clear parameters for the training and mutual expectations of what would be achieved and how. Some essential theory on setting reporting objectives was covered, while participants also learned how to select methods for gathering data. The second half of the day introduced participants to tools for data analysis, including Mind Mapping.

The focus on Day Two shifted to writing skills. The day started with a session designed to help participants understand what professional writing was, and how to evaluate a good piece of writing. They then learned and practiced tools for improving clarity while, in the afternoon, they learned the principles of organising ideas in writing and how to apply these to organising paragraphs. The day ended by wrapping up the data analysis started on the previous day.

The third day saw participants working in teams with great synergy. They developed plans for and drafted reports that had clear objectives, were well-organised and persuasive. Teams also had time to edit their reports and add images to illustrate the key points.

On the fourth day participants learned the Logical Framework Approach to project planning. It was a practical day, with teams working through the steps to develop their Log Frames.

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On the final day, teams planned and drafted their proposals. In the afternoon, the results of their work was shared in the plenary, before the course was evaluated (see next section) and certificates awarded.

Various methods were used - presentation, group discussion, individual work, pair- and team-work, problem solving, coaching, small exercises and extended assignments. While a lot of information was provided, the training aimed to allow for maximum participation and practice, and always tried aimed to keep things simple and break what was complex into simple steps.

As a result, participants were able to gain a lot of new knowledge and learn several new tools to apply in their working areas. They learned step-wise processes for reporting, from setting objectives through to drafting and editing, as well as the steps of project planning and proposal writing.

Feedback (detailed in the next section) was extremely positive, with all participants very happy. All participants were satisfied in terms of being more skilled and confident - a direct outcome of the extended practical work combined with the right amount of inputs and the tools learned

Course Evaluation

The course was monitored daily through refection on what went well as well as what need clarification, and reinforced throughout with participant-led review sessions. Daily feedback ensured all participants were on track, and was very positive throughout. Participants' comments can be found at the end of each day's narrative.

Despite the small group size, participants were active and involved throughout, They showed a great enthusiasm and willingness to apply the tools presented and practiced, even when these were unfamiliar. They contributed a great deal to discussions, sharing their experiences and exploring how

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to adapt the tools and concepts to their own working areas. They found the learning relevant and applicable and, in final evaluation (below) rated the course extremely positively in all aspects.

Interestingly, all participants gave the maximum rating for 'improved confidence' - something we do not usually see scored so positively. Typically, confidence comes over time, and we would only expect to see this after participants had returned to their projects and had time to apply what was learned. This would indicate that there was sufficient practice to allow them to become certain of their ability to apply what was learned. Also, in terms of practical work produced, the standard of outputs (see Annex 3) was extremely high - all teams consistently applied what was learned and managed to develop reports and proposals that had clear objectives, were well-organised and developed and were persuasive.

Criteria 0-20 20-40 40-60 60-80 80-100 Objectives met? X XXXXX Your skills improved? X XXXXX Confidence gained? XXXXXX Content appropriate? XXXXXX Useful materials? XXXXXX Methodology appropriate? XXXXXX Trainer’s knowledge & skill XXXXXX Logistics XXXXXX Worth coming? XXXXXX

Other comments from participants included:

• I wish I had taken this training sooner, as I have a made a lot of errors in the past in writing proposals. But now - whether in writing a sentence, a report or a proposal - I have a 'magic skill'. Thank you.

• I definitely got new knowledge and I am impressed with the amount of work accomplished. I loved the Mind Mapping approach - it is very easy to learn and apply. I hope to participate in other ELD training courses.

• The training was useful. It has helped me with project planning and reporting, making these easier. Through working with small teams on the course I gained more practical knowledge than I expected. I am very happy with the trainer's approach, knowledge and skills in giving us important guidance. I am really happy I attended.

• It was a very interesting course and I would like to attend other ELD training courses. It really improved my skills and now I will be able to independently develop proposals and write reports. Thank you!

• I really appreciated learning Mind Mapping, as well as other tools like the Fog Index. I gained a lot of knowledge in just a one-week training.

• This was a very practical training where I managed to correct a lot of ideas and was able to see what I had been doing wrong all these years. There were some very useful tools which I will put into practice immediately and start using regularly.

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Daily Narrative

Day One

The first day was effective in establishing clear parameters for the training and mutual expectations of what would be achieved and how. Some essential theory on setting reporting objectives was covered, while participants also learned how to select methods for gathering data. The second half of the day introduced participants to tools for data analysis, including Mind Mapping.

Course Introduction

The day began on time and managed to achieve its objectives. We began with a welcome to all participants (after which the trainer introduced himself and briefly described his experience in delivering similar training to international organisations. Participants then introduced themselves in the plenary.

The trainer then elaborated on the purpose for the training - the broad objectives of enhancing participants' ability to plan projects, write project proposals and write quality professional reports.

Participants were then asked to share their expectations from the training. Expectations were invited for all levels -

• Method / preferred learning style • Content / knowledge / learning • Desired change in skill • Effectiveness - how the improved skills would have a later impact

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Participants saw from this exercise how their expectations could be used as a baseline for later evaluation. We then went on to look at the initial schedule (See Annex 1: Training Schedule) to see how it reflected the participants' expectations.

The first session wrapped up with agreement on logistics and norm setting to ensure efficient use of the time available and a successful training.

Setting Objectives

The next session looked at setting report objectives.

Following brainstorming on the key question ‘What is the overall purpose of reporting?’ the group came up with various reasons for reporting. We then discussed the key questions that we consider while setting specific report objectives such as:

• What is the history? • What are the current issues to be explored? • How will the results of the investigation be used? • Are we looking at strengths and weaknesses? • Are we looking at process, performance or outcomes?

We then examined the Four Levels of Evaluation and saw that as a project moves forward we progressively gather information at more of the levels. We also saw how the four levels correspond closely to the results-chain in the Logical Framework.

Effectiveness

Change in Skills / Behavior

Learning and Knowledge

Reactions and Feelings

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Next, using Mind Maps, we saw how the progress report fits together as a learning and action document; and we also explored some of the many aspects that can be included in evaluations.

To fully understand the format and develop a plan for data gathering, analysis and presentation an essential starting point is to map the structure / format in order to (i) identify the questions the report should answer and (ii) identify where the information needed will be found.

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Data Gathering Methods

Data Gathering Methods was the next issue discussed. The participants first brainstormed various ways of data gathering and participants then each selected one method in which they had experience. Participants then shared their selected method in the plenary, considering the purpose, benefits and challenges in using the method for data collection. The six methods discussed were:

• Survey • Interview • Desk Study • Observation • Focus Group Discussion • Case Study

Each method presents both opportunities as well as having drawbacks; and some methods help us get more quantitative data, while others are for qualitative. It was further emphasized that, both in order to get the required information in an economic, reliable way and to get both breadth and depth of information, an approach that integrates several methods is preferable.

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Data Analysis

The afternoon session began with an exercise on interpreting survey data. Participants discussed and came up with interpretations for seven graphs based on a public opinion poll carried out during the height of Nepal's civil war. It was interesting that, despite only having statistical information, it was possible to understand a lot more than just 'the numbers' from careful examination. A key learning from the session was that data is never neutral - everything has some meaning or importance - and it is the reporter's job to explain rather than 'let the facts speak for themselves'.

Next, the trainer introduced participants to the three steps of data analysis.

• Read everything • Cluster / organise the information • Identify patterns, associations and relationships

Participants were given a fact sheet which was to form the basis of extended practical work throughout the rest of the week. This fact sheet contained around 30 pieces of 'information' related to the status of children in Nepal. In the first step of analysis, participants, in groups, read through and discussed each piece of data, noting their reactions and thoughts. Through the exercise, some questions were raised - after all, secondary data is static and often incomplete or does not fully answer our questions - and participants naturally tried to connect some of the ideas. It was recognised that this step, though quite limiting, was necessary as a familiarisation stage and that some conclusions, even though incomplete, were already starting to emerge.

Next, we moved to the second step. The same information was issued to participants, this time cut up onto separate pieces of card. Participants then clustered these to find some structure for the information. This was very much a trial-and-error process and, like step one, also had its limitations. While some pieces of information definitely belonged in a particular category, others seemed to belong in more than one 'box' while others were 'orphans', seemingly unrelated to the rest. In the end, a basic structure for the data was agreed.

This basic clustering of data was then broken down even further within each section to give us a basic structure for the data. While this level of analysis would be sufficient to give a descriptive report, we had seen on Day One that the reporter's responsibility includes that of explaining the data. For this, it was necessary to synthesise the data.

Participants were then taught the principles of Mind Mapping and the basics of Mind Manager software. After a few minutes practice with the software they went on to gather all the information together in a simple Mind Map.

From Planning to Performance: Training on Project Planning, Proposal Writing and Reporting Skills Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 16 - 20 2015

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Next, participants were shown how to analyse the data. First, they were asked to 'describe' the data (using the Mind Manager 'Call Out' function). This exercise has two benefits. First, it allows participants to 'step back' from the data and start to draw conclusions; and, secondly, it means that during drafting participants would be unlikely to be 'lost for words', as all their ideas would be easily accessible.

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Finally, we demonstrated how to connect different ideas in the map - usually causes and effects. This allows us to connect together issues that would not normally be apparent - such as early marriage and its consequences on girl education and maternal mortality.

By the end of the day, not all analysis was complete, and this would be resumed at the end of Day Two.

Day-end Feedback

Happy About ...

• Simple and relevant methods for organising data • Very interactive and informative • Learned new project software • Interactive, clear and easy to understand • Good time management • Data gathering and Mind Mapping sessions • Data analysis and data collection • Data analysis and interpretation • Mind Manager is useful • Data collection methods • Good presentations

Questions & Concerns ...

• Mind Mapping was a bit complicated • Need more energizers?

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Day Two

The focus on Day Two shifted to writing skills. The day started with a session designed to help participants understand what professional writing was, and how to evaluate a good piece of writing. They then learned and practiced tools for improving clarity while, in the afternoon, they learned the principles of organising ideas in writing and how to apply these to organising paragraphs. The day ended by wrapping up the data analysis started on the previous day.

What is Professional Writing?

The first major input of the course was on the principles of Professional Writing.

First, participants brainstormed their ideas around the focus question 'What is Professional Writing'. Ideas were diverse, and tended to describe what is good writing rather than define the concept itself. The trainer then volunteered a definition that 'Professional Writing is about creating action / change'.

Next, we examined the features of effective writing, which are presented below.

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Next, we considered the responsibilities of the Reporter and Proposal Writer.

Responsibilities of the Reporter were clarified as being to:

• Investigate • Analyse • Understand • Describe • Explain • Draw conclusions • Recommend • Help your reader decide on action

Responsibilities of the Proposal Writer were to:

• Investigate the Situation – using a range of tools and points of view • Analyse – understand the causes of the problem to be addressed • Describe & Explain – help your donor to see the situation the way you see it • Develop a Plan of Action – set objectives, devise a strategy, schedule activities, developing a

monitoring and evaluation mechanism and management plan … • Persuade your Reader that –

o The problem is worth solving o It can be solved o You can do it

The session continued with a reading task (where participants were read and evaluated two pieces of writing).This allowed participants to develop their awareness of what makes writing good, and led to some interesting discussion on the merits and weaknesses of each writing sample. Overall, participants already showed a very clear understanding of what to identify as features of good writing. An interesting learning from the session was also that, when having difficulty reading a text, it is, in most cases, the writer's fault and does not suggest poor reading skills! Writers should aim to be understood.

The final topic planned for the morning session was on the Writing Process. Participants learned that writing was a four-step process of Analysis, Planning, Drafting and Editing: a process we would follow throughout the course.

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Writing Clearly

The day continued with examining how to improve clarity in writing. Participants were introduced to a tool called the Fog Index (FI). By analysing the Average Sentence Length (ASL) and percentage of complex words (words of three or more syllables), the Index gives us a score equivalent to 'the number of years education a reader needs to easily understand a text the first time'.

The tool was illustrated using the reading tasks from the previous session, where we saw the least popular text had a very high IF, while the text all had agreed was clear and easy to follow had an IF within the accepted range for professional writing.

Participants then tested the Fog Index of their own writing, using an online Fog Index calculator. In most cases, their FIs were somewhat high, and they would see how, as the session progressed, how they could bring this down without losing any of the quality of their writing.

Before starting the simple exercises, we discussed the benefits of keeping sentences short. These included:

• Easier and faster to write • More accurate • Easier and faster to read • Make your message more obvious • Get your reader’s attention • Easier to remember

We then presented, gave examples of and practiced through various exercises four ways to reduce the ASL and increase readability as follows:

• Making paragraphs shorter • Making sentences shorter • Preferring to use short words • Reducing unnecessary words • Getting rid of meaningless phrases • Cutting out emphasising language • Reducing nominalisations and abstract ideas

(The last two of these tools was practiced in the afternoon session.) As we worked through the tasks, the trainer frequently highlighted various issues related to writing style, such as cultural factors, an organisation's culture, the message-reader-medium relationship and power-distance.

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Organising Ideas

In the afternoon, the focus turned to organising ideas in writing. We saw that there were two main ways of organising our ideas - the Inductive and Deductive approaches. While the Inductive approach is logical, it often fails to be persuasive. We suggested that participants prefer to use the Deductive approach as it:

• It helps the reader to decide on action • It’s more persuasive • The reader might not read everything • It gets the reader’s attention • It helps the reader to follow the argument • It shows respect

There was quite some resistance to this idea initially, as some participants had been using only the Inductive approach. However, by the end of the session all participants realised the value of presenting their ideas in this way. The session continued by looking at the various ways to organise the main points of any document:

• Chronology / Sequence • Location • Order of Importance • General to Specific • Specific to General

However, whichever way of organising ideas is used, it is always essential to give the main point as soon as possible to help the reader to follow the rest.

The session on what makes a paragraph effective further reinforced this. One key feature of a good paragraph is the presence of a Topic Sentence, usually the first sentence of the paragraph. The Topic Sentence can give the structure of the argument, but, more usually, is interpretive, offering a summary, conclusion or reaction to the evidence the paragraph presents.

The rest of the session was based around practical exercises where participants tried to identify the Topic Sentences for a range of paragraphs. Interestingly, as well as being hard work (something we should not force on our readers!) participants came up with many various (and often contradictory) Topic Sentences for the same data. This further illustrated the importance of Topic Sentences in persuading the reader to see things the way we see them.

The session concluded by examining how, if we are consistent in using Topic Sentences, we can both aid readers in speed reading and also summarise our documents easily by using the Topic Sentences as the basis for a document overview.

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Data Analysis

In the final session of the day participants developed their data analysis further. They added description throughout their maps, and connected some of the cross-cutting issues together in preparation for the next day's planning, drafting and editing.

Day-end Feedback

Happy About ...

• Excited to learn about the Fog Index • Gained new knowledge on

Professional Writing • Fog Index was impressive • Enjoyed the session on organising

ideas • Professional writing and the Fog Index • Tools for improving clarity and

organising ideas

• I can see the problems with my writing and know how to change them

• Deductive approach and Topic Sentences

• Fog Index is useful • Very simple and useful tools • Deductive approach • With practice I hope I will be perfect!

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Day Three

The third day saw participants working in teams with great synergy. They developed plans for and drafted reports that had clear objectives, were well-organised and persuasive. Teams also had time to edit their reports and add images to illustrate the key points.

Planning the Report

The day took participants through a more extended exercise where the Mind Map analysis was used as a vehicle for Drafting. The trainer first highlighted the key sections of a report, and together we discussed the purpose and what is included in each section. We also realised that while reports are structured inductively, the inclusion of a summary makes it 'professional writing'.

The trainer then illustrated how to restructure the Mind Map into a report format and how the different parts fitted together.

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Drafting Practical

Initially, the trainer guided the writing, demonstrating how to write the purpose statement, methods, limitations and structure parts of the introduction.

For the background section, he demonstrated, eliciting ideas from participants, how we build the paragraphs based on the Mind Map. Progressively, participants worked with less and less guidance, until, in teams, they drafted the various sections of the report.

The trainer then illustrated how to ensure all the conclusions could be drawn out from the topic sentences and main points in the text, and demonstrated how these could be balanced with recommendations so these important sections were all evidence-based, The end result was a clear report with good flow and structure, conclusions based on firm evidence and logical recommendations.

Participants had further time to edit for objectives, clarity, organisation and language, as well as to illustrate their reports with images. Participants reports are in Annex 3.

Day-end Feedback Happy About ...

• Great exercises • More practice with Mind manager • Drafting was more exciting than I expected • Very practical day • Converting Mind Mapping drafts to Word is useful • Learned more skills on design and layout using Word • Exporting the Mind Map to Word is great • Formatting pictures was useful • I learned helpful and new skills • Learned how to write conclusions and recommendations based on evidence • I have to apply this immediately in my work

Questions & Concerns ...

None

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Day Four

On the fourth day participants learned the Logical Framework Approach to project planning. It was a practical day, with teams working through the steps to develop their Log Frames.

The Logical Framework Approach

Day Four turned the focus more specifically towards the Proposal Writing objective with a Logical Framework Approach 'walk through'. After some brief theory and history of the LFA, we got straight to the Logical Framework itself - the columns, the rows, the different sections and the diagonal logic.

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Along with the above conceptual illustrations, a complete case study / example was regularly referred to, illustrating the ideas presented.

After the theory, we looked at each of the steps - Problem Analysis, Setting Objectives and Defining a Strategy. Next, we saw how these ideas were integrated into the Logical Framework, and how the rest of the data (Preconditions, Assumptions, Inputs, OVI and MOV) were incorporated.

Finally, we looked at how the analysis and Logical Framework data were developed through Mind Mapping into a plan for drafting the Proposal.

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Proposal Planning Practical

Participants were given the option of working alone or in teams. In the end, they formed two groups for the extended practical. The groups' selected extended assignments were:

• GROUP 1: Lack of Education among Pastoralist Children in Dali Fagi • GROUP 2: Low Number of Girls Continuing in Higher Education in Afar

Throughout the afternoon, teams worked together smoothly, applying the tools learned so far. They developed Problem Trees, Objectives Trees and Log Frames as a preparation for the next day's planning drafting. Throughout the day the trainer monitored and coached the teams as needed.

Day-end Feedback Happy About ...

• Logical Framework • Learning how to develop a strategy • Identifying the core problem and building the Problem Tree and Objectives Tree • An intensive but productive day • I enjoyed the challenge • Interesting to learn how to build a Log Frame • I learned simple and new ways to develop a Log frame • Helpful practice • Another interesting tool introduced • Turning the Problem Tree into an Objectives Tree was interesting • An exciting day • Good to get more practice with Mind Manager • Good guidance made thing progress smoothly

Questions & Concerns ...

None

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Day Five

On the final day, teams planned and drafted their proposals. In the afternoon, the results of their work was shared in the plenary, before certificates were awarded.

Proposal Writing Practical

During the morning, teams continued working on their extended assignments, each group working at their own pace and getting inputs from the trainer as and when needed. Participants first finalised their Log Frames before drawing all the analysis so far into a Mind Map of the proposal which they used as a basis for drafting the key parts of the proposal - the Situation Analysis / Problem Analysis and Project Description.

Feedback, Review and Evaluation

After the final break, we shared the results in the plenary - Problem Trees, Objectives Trees, Log Frames, proposal plans and drafts. (Please see Annex 3.) Overall, participants demonstrated a clear ability to apply the learning, both technically (in terms of their Log Frames) as well as through well-organised writing that applied many of the tools learned earlier in the course.

The workshop then ended with a review of the key points covered and participants had an opportunity to raise any questions they felt had not been covered. Participants also completed the final evaluation (see Summary and Course Evaluation).

After issuing certificates, the training closed with final thanks from the trainer to all the participants for their hard work and commitment.

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Annexes

Annex 1: Course Schedule

Day One

• Course Introduction / Opening

• Setting Reporting Objectives

• Data Gathering Methods

• Data Analysis

Day Two

• Introduction to Professional Writing and the Writing Process

• Writing Clearly

• Organising Ideas in Writing

• Data Analysis 2

Day Three

• Planning the Report

• Drafting, Editing and Design

Day Four

• The Logical Framework Approach

• Extended Practical 2 - Analysis

Day Five

• Extended Practical 2 – Planning

• Extended Practical 2 - Drafting

• Final Presentation of Team Work

• Review, Evaluation and Closing

Annex 2: List of Participants

Name Organisation Email Nega Megersa Voice of Wilderness [email protected] Selamawit Imiru Mersha Rescue the Child and Youth [email protected] Meseret Mengistu The Embassy of Finland in Ethiopia [email protected] Faisal Abdi Ahmed OXFAM GB [email protected] Mehret Tesfay Pestalozzi Children's Foundation [email protected] Djalale Itana IDE [email protected]

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Annex 3: Outputs of Group Work

Reports The following three reports were written by teams based on their analysis of the following 'factsheet'.

• 49% are girls • 51% are boys • 93% live in the villages • 7% live in cities • 80% are immunised • 56% are malnourished • 40% belong to extremely poor families • 70% are admitted to school • Only 53% complete primary level education • 79% of boys and 61% of girls are enrolled in primary level • 52% of the total population are children below 18 years • Only 71% of the population have access to potable water • The total population is 24 million • Every year about 779,000 babies are born • Every year 78,000 children die • Every day 206 children lose their life • 45,000 children die of diarrhoea every year • There is only one children’s hospital • There is one child specialist to 102,671 children • There are 23,885 primary schools • 2.6 million children are engaged in different sectors of child labour • Twice as many girls as boys in the 10 – 14 age group are at work • At least 40,000 children are bonded labour • 5000 children are living / working on the streets • Every year 1500 pregnant mothers out of 100,000 die during childbirth • Annually, 5000 – 7000 women are trafficked to neighbouring India. • 34% of marriages involve children below 15 years of age • Approximately 100 children are in adult prisons with their parents

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MISERABLE SITUATION OF CHILDREN IN NEPAL INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this report is to explain the situation of vulnerable children in Nepal and to recommend feasible solutions to the issues raised.

Nepal is small country of 24 million people. It has a majority of young population, mostly living in rural areas and around the number of boys and girls is almost the same.

Over half of the population, 52%, of Nepalese children is under 18. However, children’s rights are not protected, access to education is limited and health care is poor

We have gathered information for this report from structured questioner, focus group discussion, interview of key informants and secondary data obtained from the national statistics agency and DHS.

However, due to time scarcity we are unable to interview the relevant government officials exhaustively who were engaged in close meetings.

This report is organized as follows

1. Poor state of children health 2. Children Education needs improvement with gender disparity 3. Child rights are highly denied

HEALTH

There is poor health situation in Nepal. There is high mortality rate, widespread diarrhoea, and maternal death as well as unmet access to medical facilities.

The level of mortality rate is high. Event though, the annual birth rate is 779,000 more than 10% of them (78,000) die yearly and 206 of them die on daily basis. This is partly due to the extreme poverty of the people. Because of the deep-rooted poverty parents cannot afford to pay for the medical treatment of their children. This is also one of the main reasons for children’s drop outs from school.

Despite, that 80% of children are immunized, but 45,000 of them die because of diarrhoea, which is the effect of limited access to safe water. Out of 100,000 mothers 1,500 die during delivery and this is also due to the harmful culture of early marriage.

Children suffer due to the limited access to medical support. There is only one hospital and one specialist for 102,671 children.

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EDUCATION

Education in Nepal needs improvement. Limited access, low attendance and high gender disparity are the main hindrances.

Access to primary school is limited, as there are only 23,885 primary schools available. Still if the locations of these primary schools are mainly available in cities they can only serve the minorities, 7% of urban dwellers. Despite to the high number of young population, the number of primary school is not sufficient at all.

The school dropout rate is very high. Even though the number of enrolled children is relatively good, 70%, the dropout rate is 25%. This is mainly due to severe poverty, early marriage and child labour.

There is high gender disparity. While 79% of boys attend school only 61% of the girls have the privilege to go. Even though the demographic population of boys and girls does not vary much, poverty, early marriage are the main causes for girls’ school drop outs.

RIGHTS

Children’s rights in Nepal are denied. There is child labour, high early marriage, high trafficking; many children are on the streets and in prison.

Child labour is high. There are 2.6 million children engaged in child labour and 40000 are in bonded labour while the number of girls is twice to that of boys. This is due to the acute poverty, lack of ample schools and the rural setup they grow.

There is also high early marriage. 34% of the girls under the age of 15 are exposed to unwanted early marriage. This has affected their enrolment and completion of schools.

There is high trafficking. Annually 5000 - 7000 girls are forced to go to India. This is mainly caused by the extreme poverty and lack of awareness about child rights.

The situation of street children needs attention. About 5000 children are found on the streets of Nepal. This is mostly due to family crisis caused by poverty.

The issue of children in prison is also critical as 100 children are found in prison who are exposed to several drawbacks like psychological problems. These children obviously have limited access to education and health facilities.

CONCLUSIONS

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• There is a poor health situation among children in Nepal. There is high mortality rate, number one killer diarrhoea, and maternal death as well as unmet access to medical facilities

• Education in Nepal needs improvement. Limited access, good attendance and high gender disparity

• Children rights in Nepal are denied. There is child labour, and high rates of early marriage. • Gender disparity is very sensitive and is affecting the wellbeing of young girls.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Children’ health condition should be improved. The GON and civil society organizations should urgently intervene and increase the number of children’s hospitals and professional.

• The right to education of the Nepal children should be addressed as soon as possible. More schools should be established and the gender disparity should get immediate attention. The government and UNICEF should collaborate to resolve this problem.

• The right of children in Nepal needs immediate attention. Child labour should be gradually abolished by improving the livelihoods of the communities. This should be addressed mainly by the government and all development agents. Child rights advocators should also work to create awareness on child rights.

• Gender should be mainstreamed on all sectors in Nepal. Thus the government as well as Ministry of women affairs as well as women’s associations should give special focus to the issue.

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VULNERABLE SITUATION OF CHILDREN IN NEPAL

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to explore the vulnerable situation of children in Nepal. It discusses the situations from Health, Education and Rights perspectives.

Nepal is a small country of 24 million people. It has a young, mostly rural population and around the same number of boys as girls. Over half of the population are children. 52% of Nepalese are children under 18. However, children's rights are not protected and their access to education and health care is poor. Most children live in rural areas. 93% of children live in villages, while just 7% live in cities. These children in remote areas face an even worse situation in terms of rights, health and education. There are more or less the same numbers of boys as girls. There are 51% of boys and 49% are girls. However, there is widespread gender inequality. Girls are more likely to be married early, drop out of school and be trafficked.

Children's basic needs are not met. Malnourishment is widespread, poverty is common and access to safe water is limited. Over half of the population is malnourished. 56% of Nepalese are exposed to malnourishment. This situation is resulting in school dropout of children, child mortality and more number of street children.

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20% of children are exposed to preventable diseases

Two fifth of the population are under poverty. This represents 40% of the population. Bonded labour and trafficking, low school completion rates, and growing number of street children are the results of poverty. Almost one third do not have access to safe water. Only 29% of Nepalese population has access to safe water. As a result children are exposed to diarrhoea and later to child mortality.

We have gathered information for this report from desk review of Demographic and Health Survey of 2014. However, this report is only confined to two rural villages in Nepal and may not represent the national situation of Nepal.

We have organized this report as follows:

1. Poor state of Children’s Health 2. Unsatisfactory level of Education 3. No Child Rights

We then go on to recommend possible interventions for the improvement of the situations.

1. HEALTH

Overall the health situation in Nepal is poor. There is high child mortality, preventable diseases and unmet access to health services.

Nepal has high child mortality. Out of 779,000 new born 78,000 dies yearly this means 206 children dying daily. Child labour is one of the reasons for child morality. Preventable diseases are the major causes of child mortality. The biggest cause is diarrhoea. 45000 children die annually from diarrhoea.

Although immunization is at good level, 20% of children are still exposed to preventable diseases. Besides, maternal mortality is also high. 1500 per 100000 mothers die each year while giving birth. These are resulting from limited access to safe water, not enough hospitals, and early marriage.

Accesses to health services are unmet. There are not enough hospitals and specialists for children. Although child population is over half of the total population, there is only one children hospital. The ratio of specialist to child is 1:102671. Because of this, children are unable to complete school.

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Only 61% of girls go to school

40,000 children are used for bonded labour

2. EDUCATION

Education in Nepal is not good. Although access is high, the number of children finishing primary school - especially girls - is not satisfactory.

Access to primary education is high. There are 23,885 primary schools in Nepal. However, attendance of children in school is not satisfactory. Although enrolment is high completion rate is low. Out of 2/3 of the children who are enrolled only 1/2 complete school. 70% of children enrol and only 53% complete. Poverty, malnourishment, child labour, child trafficking, early marriage, no safe water, and poor health services are among the factors for low school completion.

Education is gender biased. Boys are encouraged while girls are discriminated. 79% of boys are sent to school while girls are only 61%. In some cases, girls are forced to early marriage and trafficking.

3. RIGHTS

There are no child right in Nepal. Child labour and early marriage are practiced, trafficking is prevalent, street children are not taken care of, and children are imprisoned with parents.

Child labour is practiced in Nepal. Bonded labour is high. 40,000 children are used for bonded labour. These children are between 10-14 years. Girls involved in child labour are as twice many as boys. Child labour contributes to high school dropout. Poverty is the reason for child labour.

Early marriage is practiced. 34% of girls under 15 years of age are forced to early marriage. Because of this, there is high maternal mortality in Nepal. High girls school dropout is also the result of early marriage. Child trafficking is prevalent. Annually 5000-7000 girls are trafficked to India. Poverty is the root cause for child trafficking.

Street children are not taken care of. There are 5000 street children in Nepal. These children are deprived of basic and social services including their rights. There is no segregation of imprisonment for parents and children. 100 Children are imprisoned with their parents. Children imprisoned do not have access to basic needs, health services and education.

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CONCLUSIONS

• Children's basic needs are not met. Malnourishment is widespread, poverty is common and access to safe water is limited.

• Overall the health situation in Nepal is poor. There is high child mortality, preventable diseases and unmet access to health services.

• Education in Nepal is not good. Although access is high, attendance and gender balance is not satisfactory.

• Children are not taken care of, and children are imprisoned with parents. • There is no child right in Nepal. Child labour and early marriage is practiced, trafficking is

prevalent, street children are not taken care of.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Children’s basic needs must be met. The government and UN agencies must urgently work towards providing food security and access to safe water for all.

• Health situation in Nepal must be improved. Child mortality and better access to health services need immediate attention of the government and international community.

• Education system must be strengthened in Nepal. Awareness creation and incentives should be extended to increase retention of students in school.

• Government must exercise child right protection.

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CHILDREN IN NEPAL FACE ENORMOUS CHALLENGES INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this report is to highlight the situation of children in Nepal in terms of their access to the basic services like health, education and children's rights.

Nepal is a small country in south Asia which lies between china and India. The population of Nepal is about 24 million. Most children in Nepal (93%) live in rural areas while only 7% of the population live in cities.

Children's basic needs are not met. Malnourishment is widespread, poverty is common and access to safe water is poor. 56% of children in Nepal are malnourished. Malnourishment affects children's health and their resilience to diseases. It also affects their achievement in their educational performance. Access to safe water in Nepal is limited. Almost one third of the children have limited access to safe water. About 29% of Nepalese children don't access safe water. This leads to diarrhoea, the biggest cause of children's death in Nepal.

Poverty is common in Nepal. 40% of children in Nepal live in poverty. This means, many children in Nepal are subject labour abuse. As a result, they drop out from school to support their families.

We have gathered information for this report from survey of community members, local and International NGOs and local authorities in Nepal. However, we wouldn't be able to written documents about the situation of children in Nepal.

We have organized this report as follows:

1. Poor state of Children's Health: 2. Low Education Levels: 3. Poorly Addressed Child Rights

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Only Half of Children Complete their Primary Education

Health Services for Children are Severely Limited

2.6 Million Children Work

1. HEALTH

The overall health situation in Nepal is poor. There is high child mortality, widespread preventable diseases and unmet health service.

There is high child mortality in Nepal. 779,000 children are born every year in Nepal. However, over 10% of the children die every year that is 206 deaths every day.

This is due to widespread preventable disease in Nepal. The biggest killer is diarrhoea. Though immunization is good in Nepal (80%), there are 45,000 deaths of children every year due to diarreah. Out of 100,000 mothers 1500 of them die every year. Access to health service is unmet. There is only one hospital for the total population of children in Nepal. in addition there is only one child specialist per 102,671 children, which means lot of children do not access health services.

2. EDUCATION

Education in Nepal is low. Even though access to education is good, there is poor attendance and uneven sex distribution.

Access to education in Nepal is good. There are 23,885 primary schools. Primary schools are enough which means there is one primary school for every 705 children in Nepal.

School attendance in Nepal is poor even though there is enough number of schools. There is 70% enrolment of children; however completion rate is only 53%. Particularly in rural areas poverty prevents children to attend school as they are engaged in labour to secure their livelihood.

There is uneven distribution of sex in education. 79% of the boys attend education while only 61%of girls attend school. Lower number of girls attends school due to higher number of trafficking, early marriage and girl engagement labour force.

3. RIGHTS

Children’s rights in Nepal are poorly addressed. There is a disturbing children's labour in Nepal. Early marriage is alarming and girl's trafficking to neighbouring India happens annually. There is a need of attention to street children and children in prison

Child labour in Nepal is disturbing. Out of the total children in Nepal 21% of them are engaged in labour force. Most of the children in the labour force are under the age of 18. In addition, majority of them are from the rural area. Bonded labour is about 40,000. there are more underage girls in the labour force and Girls between the ages of 10-14 are twice as many as boys.

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Early marriage in Nepal is an alarming rate. Girls in Nepal that are under the age of 15 affected by early child marriage are 34%. Most of these children are from the rural area. Due to early marriage, both the child and mother are at risk of death. Trafficking of girls in Nepal is alarming. Every year, 5000-7000 girls are trafficked to neighbouring India. These girls trafficked to the neighbouring India are mainly from poor rural families. They are also subject to rape, sexual violence the worst from of labour abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

• Children's basic needs are not met. Malnourishment is widespread, poverty is common and access to safe water is poor.

• The overall health situation in Nepal is poor. There is high child mortality, widespread preventable diseases and unmet health service.

• Education in Nepal is low. Even though access to education is good, there is poor attendance and uneven sex distribution.

• Children’s rights in Nepal are poorly addressed. There is disturbing children's labour in Nepal. Early marriage is alarming and girl's trafficking to neighbouring India. There is a need of attention to street children and children in prison.

• Gender bias is wide spread, affecting girls’ health, education and rights.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Children’s basic needs must be met. The GOV and UN must urgently work towards providing food security and access to safe water for all.

• Children’s basic health services must be provided. The Government of Nepal, UN and other NGOs must take action in preventing preventable diseases and reduce child mortality.

• Children’s attendance and school completion must be addressed. The GON must urgently make all efforts to create awareness among parents to bring all their children to school.

• Children’s rights in Nepal must be addressed. The GON, UNICEF, Save the children and other rights based organizations must ensure child rights by providing proper protection, health, education and food for all kids in Nepal.

• Gender bias must be prevented. GOV, UN Agencies and other rights organization must urgently address GBV by providing education, safety to all girls in Nepal.

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Proposals

GROUP 1: Lack of Education among Pastoralist Children in Dali Fagi

PROBLEM TREE

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LOGICAL FRAMEWORK

Narrative Summary OVI MOV Assumptions Goal Improvement in Status Of Pastoralist

Livelihoods

Purpose Enhanced number of pastoralist children going to school in Dali Fagi District

By the end of the project, additional 3000 pastoralist children will get access to quality education during the project life time

Enrolment, Attendance sheets, examination result reports

No change of government policy

Outputs Positive attitude towards education By the end of the project: • 80% of parents are willing to

send their children to school.

Observation, FGD, Survey

No financial constraint among parents

Availability of access to education for pastoralist children will be increased

• 7 ABE schools with separate toilets are available

• Supplementary books are available

Observation

The quality of education in Dali Fagi District will be improved

• 80% of the teachers are qualified • 7 parent, teachers and students

associations (PTSA) assumed ownership to lead the schools

• 3,000 supplementary books for each Afar, Science, Maths and English subjects are available

• 7 solar panels are available in ABE schools Dali Fagi.

Observation, reports,

Activities 1.1 Train 30 extension workers to do house to house mobilisation to send children to school 1.2 Work with local authorities and organize two workshops and posters and brochures on the importance of education, prevention of HTPs, girls rights 1.3 Establish and strengthen five school clubs in each school

2.1 Construction ABE schools for pastoralists 2.2 Establish mobile educational systems 2.3 Construct separate toilets for boys and girls 2.4 Construct water points in ABE schools 3.1 Upgrade teacher’s knowledge through trainings in local language (Afar). 3.2 Establish and strengthen parents, teachers and students association. 3.3 Develop supplementary materials to support teaching learning process in Afar. 3.4 Provide solar panels to project ABE schools

Inputs Budget: Total cost: USD 500,000 Direct costs: $400,000 Construction of 7 ABE schools including toilets: $250,000 Trainings: $ 20,000 Supplementary books: 30,000 Mobile system support: $100,000 Staffing, logistics and other over heads: $100,000

Preconditions Local government provides contingency plans to Dali Fagi communities Conflict resolution mechanisms are put in place by local authorities and clan leaders. Government will improve roads leading to Dali Fagi districts and its surrounding villages. Government will provide health care services to the communities in Dali Fagi

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DRAFT PROPOSAL

ENHANCING CHILDREN’S EDUCATION IN DALI FAGI CONTEXT

Dali Fagi district is located in Afar regional state which is very remote and underdeveloped area. Major challenges are:

• Underdevelopment • Poor situation • Low political representation

The Dali Fagi community lives in remote and underdeveloped area. 90% of the Pastoralist community depend on animal rearing. They are very conservative and predominantly Muslim community where 96% are Sunni Muslims and only 4% of them follow other religions. The area is rough terrain where there are rough roads and the weather is hot and dry. The temperature in the area ranges from 33-45 degree Celsius.

The Dali Fagi community lives in poor economic situation. Their major occupation is animal rearing. 90% of the community depends on livestock. There is a low income among the communities, where the unemployment rate is 80%. Majority of them live under the poverty line. They are vulnerable and are not food secure. The literacy rate is very low with 20.3% of female and 52.5% of male literates.

The Dali Fagi community is politically less represented. It is politically marginalized community with less representation in the regional and federal governments. Particularly women are excluded from political participation.

PROBLEM ANALYSIS

The education situation in Dali Fagi requires intervention. Schools are inaccessible, with poor quality and severe cultural practices hinders enrolment of children. Poor health situation and high mobility are also one of the major factors for enrolment of children. As a result, there is high unemployment, low sanitation and hygiene practices and high illiteracy rates. There is low income as there is 80% unemployment. The average income per person is ETB per day.

Schools are difficult to access due to the rough terrain and under developed infrastructure. There are rough roads and the weather is hot and dry with low rain fall. Mostly the temperature ranges from 33-45 degree Celsius. There are limited schools, electricity and water infrastructures.

The available educational services are in poor quality. There is shortage of educational materials in local language as there is one book for three children and one teacher guide for 3 teachers. Also students learn in Amharic (the national language). There is scarcity of formal and informal education as there are no functioning mobile schools and systems in place. Local language is not developed in Afar. Only 7% of the teachers can teach in local language (Afar). The qualified teachers in Afar are very low. For example, 5% of the available teachers are diploma holders and there are no degree holders at all.

There are severe cultural practices in Dali Fagi. Girls are excluded from social activities as over 85% of the social activities are done by male. Harmful traditional practices are common. About 90% of the girls in Afar are victims of FGM and over 80% suffer from early and arranged marriage. Parents

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have low awareness on benefits of education. 80% of the parents are not willing to send their children to school.

Children from Dali Fagi suffer from poor health. Preventable diseases are common. There is a low immunization as the health coverage in Afar is only 35%. Preventable animal diseases are also common. Transboundary animal diseases affect almost 60% of their animals.

Pastoralists are not settled due climate change. They don't have diversified livelihood as they only depend on livestock. Pastoralist communities in Dali Fagi live in remote areas where access to the communities is a challenge.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The project will contribute towards the improvement of the education situation in Dali Fagi. It will focus on the creating attitudinal change among the communities, increasing access to education and improving the quality of education.

The project will directly address the attitudinal problems among the Dali Fagi communities towards education. Through this approach, awareness on the benefits of education will be enhanced. It will also crate higher awareness on girls' rights.

The project will also contribute towards increasing the availability of education to Dali Fagi Pastoralist children. As more schools will be constructed, access to schools will be easier. The project will also improve infrastructure and other facilities in the schools. Mobile schools will be provided to the end users.

Further, the project will address the quality of education in Dali Fagi. The project will provide solar panels for the schools. It will increase the availability of educational materials in local language for formal and non formal schools.

Output 1: Positive attitude towards education

• Train 30 extension workers to do house to house mobilization to send children to school • Work with local authorities and organize two workshops and posters and brochures on the

importance of education, prevention of HTPs, girls’ rights • Establish and strengthen five school clubs in each school

Output 2: Availability of access to education for Pastoralist children will be increased

• Construction ABE schools for Pastoralist • Establish mobile educational systems • Construct separate toilets for boys and girls • Construct water points in ABE schools

Output 3: The quality of education in Dali Fagi District will be improved

• Upgrade teacher’s knowledge through training in local language (Afar). • Establish and strengthen parents, teachers and students association. • Develop supplementary materials to support teaching learning process in Afar. • Provide solar panels to project ABE schools

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MONITORING AND EVALUATION

For the evaluation of the project observation, evaluation of reports and survey approaches will be followed. The M&E will be conducted by the funding, the implementing organization and the community bi-annually. The result of the M&E will be communicated to all parties involved.

BUDGET

Total: $ 500,000

Direct Costs: USD 400,000

Indirect Costs: USD: 100,000

Funding: 70% from donor / 30% from community & local government

ORGANISATION BACKGROUND

Our organization is working for the well being of children by providing access to quality education and other benefits. It is managed by the board, general assembly and executive director with 3 major departments

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GROUP 2: Low Number of Girls Continuing in Higher Education in Afar

PROBLEM TREE

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LOGICAL FRAMEWORK

Narrative Summary

OVI MOV Assumptions

Goal Improved living condition of girls in AFAR

By 2020, 60% of new graduates will either be employed or continue higher education

Labour office report

Ministry of education statistics

Purpose More girls continue onto higher education in AFAR

Number of girls enrolled in higher education increases from 3% to 15% by the end of project.

Baseline survey

Government report

Employment opportunities are available for women

Outputs 1. Girls have access to school

100 girls joining school by the end of 2nd year

Attendance list

Registration list / report

Parents are willing to send their girls

2. Improved academic performance of girls

80% of enrolled girls passing the national exam by the end of the third year

School report

National exam scores

3. Parents can afford to send their girls to school

50 girls from poorest families attend school by the end of the first year

Attendance reports

Natural disasters / Drought does not affect parents ability to send their girls

Conflict does not affect parents ability to send their girls

Activities 1.1 Construction of hostel for girls

2.1 Provide tutor and mentor

3.1 Provide bursary support, food and clothes

3.2 Provision of additional asset (cash, animals, seed) to most needy families

Inputs

Total cost = ETB 11,800,000

• Construction = ETB 2.5million • Land free • Equipment + furniture=

1million • Water =100,000 • Human resource = 2 million • educational materials=250,000 • Stationary materials= 1 million • Food items = 5 Million • Bedding materials = 50,000 • Sanitary napkins = 100,000 • Detergents = 200,000 • Incentive = 100,000

Preconditions

• Secured land • Government

permission • Security

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DRAFT PROPOSAL

ENABLING GIRLS CONTINUE ONTO HIGHER EDUCATION IN AFAR

SITUATION

CONTEXT

Afar is one of the remote areas in Ethiopia. It is located in the North Eastern part and is known for arid and dry climate. It has a total population of 1,390,273 where 42.27% are women. 86% live in the rural settings. Only 5% of the infrastructure is developed. Most of the community is pastorals. 90% lives in the rural and are often mobile. Because of that conflict over pasture exists with different tribes.

Harmful traditional practices are common. 100% FGM, early marriage and polygamy are widely practiced. Girls’ school enrolment is very low. Only 22% of girls are sent to school. Traditional beliefs like "educated girls become non-religious" are among the causes. Girls in Afar are exposed to unimproved living conditions.

Girls’ rights are denied. They are forced into arranged marriage, not sent to school nor included in family/community decision making and are unemployed. Girls are likely to be married early. Girls under the age of 15years are forced to be married by their parents. This leads to increased child and maternal mortality. 100/1000 women die of maternal mortality each year. Girls also face psychological problems and in few instances become suicidal. So far 2 girls’ suicidal cases have been recorded.

Few women are included in decision making position. Only 2% of educated women are involved in government assignments. Few women are employed in Afar. Only 5% of educated women have jobs. This results in economic dependency of girls/women, girls migration and trafficking. A few girls migrate and around 5% of girls are trafficked to other countries.

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PROBLEM ANALYSIS

Very few girls continue onto higher education in Afar. A mix of factors hinder girls' higher education in Afar. These include:

• Negative community attitude • Low education of the community • Economic obstacles, access • High dropout rate

Overall, Afar community has negative attitude towards girls. Harmful practices like FGM, polygamy, arranged and early marriage are practiced, gender discrimination is widespread and overall the community level of education is very low. 100% FGM is practiced, girls under the age of 15years are forced to early marriage, men have at least 5 wives, and mostly only boys are sent to school.

In Afar the overall level of community education is low. Only 20% of the population is educated. This is because afar is a remote area, 90% of the community is mobile, low infrastructure, unfavourable climatic condition, and little information access. Drought is very frequent, there are no roads, electricity, water supply and health centres.

Parents in Afar face economic Obstacles. Parents have low income and cannot afford to send their children to school. This represents 80% of the parents. Access to higher education schools is difficult in Afar. The number of schools is limited, higher education schools are far from villages and girls have domestic workload to come to school. Only 2 preparatory schools are available. Higher education schools are at least 150-200km far from villages.

There is high girls’ school dropout rate in Afar. Girls have weak academic performance in school. More than 60% of girls enrolled fail or drop out.

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The project goal is to improve the living condition of girls in Afar. By 2020, 60% of new female graduates will either be employed or continue higher education.

The project objective is to enable more girls continue onto higher education in Afar from 3% at present to 15% by the end of the project.

The primary approach that will be used is supporting girls’ performance and secondary approach will be by reducing economic obstacles. The rationale behind is that it enables more women to be educated, reduce drop out; more girls will come to school and is cost effective.

The major outputs of the project are:

1. Girls have access to school

2. Improved Academic performance of girls

3. Parents can afford to send their girls to school

To achieve the above outputs the following activities will be conducted:

1.1 Construction of hostel for girls

2.1 Provide tutor and mentor

3.1 Provide bursary support, food and cloth

3.2 Provision of additional asset for parents

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MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The monitoring and Evaluation will include approaches, frequency, and communication. The project will use a combination of approaches for monitoring and evaluation including observation, reports, and surveys. M&E will be conducted during and after implementation of project.

During the implementation monitoring of activities will be conducted. After implementation of project terminal reports, evaluations, assessments and impact studies will be conducted on outputs and impact of the project.

The communication plan for the project is through periodic reports, stakeholder meetings, community meetings, media, and impact reports.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Program manager: based in head office will oversee all education related projects. • Project coordinator: based in project area will oversee and coordinate all project activities,

resources and finance. • Finance: based in project area will be responsible for controlling the project financial

activities. • Social worker: based in project area will be responsible for closely working with communities

on social issues related with the project. • Warden: based in the hostel will be repressible for managing the hostel and related staff.

BUDGET

The total Budget for this project is estimated to be ETB 12.8 million. The 11.8 million will be financed by Donor and the rest will be co-financed by Go-Design International.

Total Output cost will be ETB 6.1 million. Other costs will cover around 6.4 million ETB. Out of the total output cost, Construction of hostels costs ETB 2.5 million, Tutorials and mentoring will cost 3.25 million ETB and Parent incentives will cost 100,000 ETB.

ORGANISATION BACKGROUND

The purpose of our organization is to provide quality education in Afar.

Our organization has been working in Afar for the past 10 years. We have successfully implemented early child development project, girls education project and hope centre for disabled children project.

Board of directors

Executive Director

Program Manager

Project Coordinator

Casher store keeper Purchasing Logistcs M&E

Social Worker

Admin and Finance

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