final consultancy report to upload to linkedin

1

Consultancy Service for the Inception Phase of Malala FIT Programme on

Support to National Capacity Building to Realize Girls’ Right to Education in Pakistan

Consultancy Report

15 December 2014

A. Background

1. The two key deliverables outlined in the consultancy contract pertain to: determining

local programmatic needs by engaging with the provincial and local stakeholders and;

developing the project document on the basis of the needs identifiedon the promotion of

girls’ education in the project site (KoltaGamoon Union Council) of Punjab province.

2. While it was expected from the consultant to produce the above two deliverables, he also

was tasked to provide technical support for: strategically implementing the inception

phase of Malala FIT programme; identifying provincial needs and expected results;

analyzing the needs identified by provinces/areas; proposing joint programming areas with

other UN agencies; engaging in consultative process with provincial counterparts to

identify areas of project interventions.

3. A detailed account of most of the tasks accomplished was documented in the consultant’s

progress report of 17 November 2014 (Annex 2).

4. This report outlines additional tasks accomplished in the past one month.

B. Tasks accomplished

5. The stakeholder consultative process which started with the official counterparts of Punjab

late October continued through the month of November till date. The stakeholders were

contacted in person as well as through telephone calls followed by a successive visit to the

province and local communities. The visit led to the identification of the potential Union

Council as the project site.

6. A systematic analysis of key educational indicators of Punjab was carried out to identify

some potential districts and Tehsils for the project intervention. The provincial

stakeholders were appraised of the results of the analysis and ranking and an agreement

was reached to select Muzaffargarh district and Jotai Tehsil (see Annex 3 for the ranked list

of districts and Annex 4 for ranked list of Tehsils).

7. Similar analyses were carried out for all other provinces and federal areas, the result of

which was made available to UNESCO NPO (Education) for consultation with the relevant

stakeholders.

8. Informal meetings with UNICEF, JICA and WFP have been organized to explore the

possibilities of joint programming and/or creating synergy by bringing together every

agency’s comparative advantage.

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9. The field context appraised during the consultant’s mission to Muzaffargarh and the

communities of two UCs has been documented in the mission report (Annexed in the draft

project document, see Annex 1). The findings of the appraisal mission informed the

development of the project document for Punjab.

10. The project document (Annex 1) has been structured in UNESCO’s standard format that

has outlined: executive summary; rationale, background and objectives; expected results

and outputs; approach and methodology; project management and implementation;

monitoring, evaluation, and lessons learning and; visibility. The budget of the project has

been prepared for the share of US$ 776,850 (incl. 9% PSC) allocated to the province from

total Malala FIT of US$ 7 million for Pakistan.

C. Challenges and proposed way forward

11. The Punjab project document needs to be reviewed by relevant stakeholders following

which a stakeholder meeting needs to be convened to discuss their comments and

feedback. The project document will be revised and finalized based on the comments,

feedback and outcome of the stakeholders’ meeting.

12. The consultative process and the approach to developing the Punjab project document

provide the structure and method to prepare projects for other provinces and

administrative areas.

13. As proposed in the mid-term report of the consultant, all the project documents could be

drafted by the end of December 2014 seeking agreement on a general framework and a

broad area of programme interventions if flexibility was allowed to continue the analysis of

the local situation and needs and revise the documents by further streamlining the results

framework within the initial 3 months of the project implementation. This will give the

stakeholders the time required for them to review the drafts and provide comments and

feedback to revise them by the end of March next year for endorsement by the

Programme Steering Committee in early April.

14. Secondary data of the UC level indicators are not available, hence must be collected from

the primary source. To collect the baseline data for the indicators of the results matrix the

community level stakeholders need to be consulted through their involvement in meetings

of school management committee, village education committee, teachers, and women’s

and men’s groups. Some of the processes could (should) be tedious and time consuming,

especially when community stakeholders would be required to engage in PRA to map the

village context and assess the social, economic and educational status of families. For

many indicators the process of determining baseline and setting targets will be best done if

it followed participatory approach, which will at the same time ensure community

ownership of the data along with that of the project implementation and monitoring.

15. Collection of baseline data and setting targets against all the indicators will be possible

either by involving CBOs/NGOs having local base

or by engaging UNESCO staff directly.

engagement of NGOs/CBOs. They should, however, be aptly oriented about the purpose

process and participatory methods.

16. Follow up meetings with UNICEF, JICA and

project documents continues,

UNWOMEN and ILO also need to be contacted for their possible linkage with the Malala

project.

RoshanChitrakar, PhD

10December 2014

Collection of baseline data and setting targets against all the indicators will be possible

either by involving CBOs/NGOs having local base and experience in participatory methods

or by engaging UNESCO staff directly. The preferred option should be through the

. They should, however, be aptly oriented about the purpose

and participatory methods.

Follow up meetings with UNICEF, JICA and WFP need to be organized, as the

continues, to concretely engage with them in joint programming.


Collection of baseline data and setting targets against all the indicators will be possible

and experience in participatory methods

The preferred option should be through the

. They should, however, be aptly oriented about the purpose,

as the drafting of

to concretely engage with them in joint programming.


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Support to national capacity building to promote girls’ right to education in Pakistan

UNESCO Contact: Responsible Officer: Beverly Jones, Islamabad Office

Deputy: Maki Katsuno-Hayashikawa, ED/BLS/BAS

BSP/CFS Contact1:

Jessica Jeavons, Chief, BSP/CFS/BLT

Office Address:

UNESCO Islamabad

7th floor, Serena Business Complex

G-5, Islamabad

Pakistan

Website address: http://www.unesco.org.pk/

Geographical scope/benefitting

country(ies):

Pakistan

Duration (in months): 24 months

Total funding requested: $776,850 (incl. 9% PSC)

Partner(s) institutions:

Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Trainings;

and

Department of Literacy and Non-Formal Education and

Department of School Education, Punjab

Executive Summary: In term of population size Punjab is the largest province of Pakistan with more than half of the entire

Pakistani people residing in the province. Although gender parity in key education indicators is not a

serious issue for several districts of the province, girls in far flungcommunities particularly along its southern

and western boarders continue to seriously lag behind boys in terms of access to, completion in and benefit

from education. The persisting disparities in girls’ education in such areas are not only in terms of access,

but also of retention and completion in primary and secondary education. Girls’ survival rate to 5th

grade

continued to be an issue of concern in southern and western districts of the province.

This project is designed within the overall framework of the Malala Fund-in-Trust programme

description.Malala Fund for Girls’ Right to Education was established under the MOU signed by Government

of Pakistan and UNESCO on 10 December 2012. A Framework Funds-in-Trust Agreement was signed by the

parties on 6 February 2014 establishing the overarching programme “Support to national capacity building

to realize girls’ right to education in Pakistan”. In the likelihood of a chronic lack of adequate resources and

capacity in various areas of educational development especially at the local level, the Programme will focus

on developing and strengthening the local institutional and organizational capacities in designing,

implementing, and monitoring interventions for promoting girls’ education that are well focussed and

targeted, but also creative and innovative, in both formal and non-formal education sub-sectors.

The overall framework of the Malala FIT programme is structured to evolve through three distinct phases

1 This can be added at a later date when a specific donor has been identified.

Annex 1. Project Document

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over the period of 36 months: inception (phase 1), implementation (phase 2) and documentation and

scaling up (phase 3). The implementation phase will further consist of three components by different

intervention sectors, objectives/expected results, with specific activity areas that aim to widen access to

education and improve the retention and completion rates of girls through improved quality of education.

This proposal specifically refers to part of the phase 2 or the implementation phase in Punjab

province.Separate project proposals are prepared for rest of the provinces and federal areas of Pakistan (4

provincial and 1 federal covering all 4 areas). This proposal is preparedon the basis of the series of

consultative meetings with the provincial and local stakeholders—such as education authorities of the

Department of Literacy and NFBE, Department of School Education, Muzaffargarh District Education

Officials, local NGO/CBOrepresentatives, community leaders, men and women of selected Union councils of

Jatoi Tehsil and stakeholders, students and teachers of NFBE and community school centres of Multan.

The consultative meeting and analysis of key education indicator followed by a reconnaissance visit to the

local communities led to the selection of KoltaGamoon Union Councils of Jatoi Tehsil, Muzaffargarh district

of Punjab as the project site. A rapid appraisal of girls’ educational needs was carried out in the context of

two villages of KoltaGamoon and Bair Band UCs during the inception phase. The context of two

NFBE/community school centres in Multan was also assessed. The rapid appraisal of these contexts

informed the selection of programme intervention areas and expected results outlined in this proposal (see

Annex C for the details of the context analysis).It has been proposed that the project will yield 7 key results

through the delivery of 20 outputs.

1. RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND

Outline the overall purpose of the project, the target beneficiaries and the expected outcomes

1.1 Overall Purpose

1.2 Relevance

The overall framework programme “Support to national capacity building to

realize girls’ right to education in Pakistan” is structured to evolve through

three distinct phases over the period of 36 months: inception (phase 1),

implementation (phase 2) and documentation and scaling up (phase 3). The

implementation phase consists of three components by different intervention

sectors, objectives/expected results, with specific activity areas that aim to

widen access to education and improve the retention and completion rates of

girls through improved quality of education and policy support.

The project that this proposaloutlines is tailored to meet specific education

development needs of girls in the target communities in selected UCs of

selecteddistricts in Punjab, contextualizing the overall programme strategies to

the local situation and needs, but at the same time contributing towards the

programme’s overarching objectives, expected results and outcomes as follows

(as provided in the programme document):

• Development goal: It is expected that at the highest level, the

Programme will contribute to advancing gender equality through

education by ensuring the right to free and compulsory education

• Programme objectives: The overall purpose of the programme is to

support the government’s efforts in increasing access and improving

retention and the quality of education through capacity building and

targeted interventions at both institutional and community level.

Specifically the programme will aim to reach three overarching

objectives as follows:

(1) expand access for girls to education at primary and secondary

levels through policies that target girls who are hardest to

reach;

(2) improve the quality and relevance of basic education to ensure

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that educational contents, teaching practices and learning

environments are gender-sensitive; and,

(3) strengthen policy implementation at national, provincial and

community levels to ensure the right to quality basic education

and to safe learning and working environments for all children,

especially girls and women

The project proposed in this document is prepared on the basis of the

implementation mechanism consulted, discussed and agreed with the relevant

local and provincial stakeholders. The proposal outlines the activities and

expected outputs each accompanied by the indicators and targets, which too

were consulted, discussed and agreed with the stakeholders.

1.2 Beneficiaries and

other Stakeholders

Main and direct beneficiaries of the project are the Ministry of Federal

Education and Professional Training, the Provincial Department of Literacy and

the Provincial Department of School Education, the Provincial Department of

Literacy and Non Formal Education, Muzaffargarh District Education Office,

teachers, parents and girls. The secondary beneficiaries are Parent-Teacher

Associations, NGOs, CBOs, community members, and national policy makers.

The project will ultimately benefit girls at pre-primary, primary and lower

secondary education levels (aged between 4 to 18 years)

Since the success of the overall programme is dependent on a strong national

and local ownerships and harmonization of the project activities with on-going

initiatives within the country (and National/Provincial Action Plans), the

implementation of the project in Punjab province will ensure identification and

involvement of all stakeholders and partners both at federal and provincial

levels in the series of consultations to monitor the progress and provide

necessary feedback to address any issues confronting the implementation

process.

1.3 Overall and specific

objectives

The overall objective of the project is to support the provincial government’s

efforts in increasing access and improving the quality of education through

capacity building and targeted interventions at both institutional and

community levels. Specifically, the project will aim to:

(1) expand access for girls residing in target communities to education

at primary and secondary levels through provincial educational

policies that target girls who are hardest to reach;

(2) improve the quality and relevance of basic education in the target

communities to ensure that educational contents, teaching

practices and learning environments are gender-sensitive; and,

(3) strengthen policy implementation at the provincial and community

levels to ensure the right to quality basic education and to safe

learning environments for all children, especially girls and women

in the target communities

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1.4 Expected results and outputs/deliverables

Performance

indicator (PI) (a

maximum of three):

Means of verification

(M) (data source):

Quantitative and/or

qualitative Target (T)

(on the basis of

baseline data (b)):

Expected Result N°1 Girls are better prepared

and supported to

accessprimary education

and transit to and

completelower secondary

education

PI 1: % of girls’

enrolment in ECE/pre-primary programmes

PI 2: % of girls’

enrolment in primary education

PI 3: % of girls’ rate of

transition from primary to lower secondary education

PI 4: % of girls

completing lower secondary education

M 1: Project report, EMIS




T 1 and (b 1): TBD after

the appraisal of the project context during first 3-month of the implementation


the appraisal of the context





Activity 1

Output/deliverable N°1.1

Capacity of ECE, primary and

lower secondary teacher-

trainers andteachers

enhanced to review

curriculumanddevelop

and/or adaptsuitable

teaching/learning materials

in their teaching

PI 1: # of teacher

trainers trained in

reviewing curriculum

and developing TL

materials

PI 2: # of teacher

trained in reviewing

curriculum and

developing TL

materials

PI 2: # of teachers

using the

teaching/learning

materials in their

teaching

M 1: Workshop reports

M 2: Monitoring reports

M 2: Monitoring reports








Regular monitoring and

tracking system related

togirls’ enrolment and

transition to lower

secondary education

established.

PI 1: Number of

community meeting

conducted to engage

in PRA to assess the

progress in

enrolment per cent

PI 2: Number of

school keeping and

using girls’ grade-

promotion records to

discuss and devise

strategies to improve

girls’ learning

M 1: Monitoring

reports,Social maps,

minutes of the meetings

M 2: Monitoring reports,

school records, PTA

meeting minutes





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achievements


Integrated family support

system (e.g., stipend, take-

home food ration, school

meals, etc.) instituted to

facilitate the timely access

and retention of girls in

primary schools

PI 1: Number of girls

receiving stipendsor

conditional cash

transfers

PI 2: Number of

families benefiting

from food for girls’

education scheme


school records, PTA

meeting minutes


school records, PTA

meeting minutes





Expected Result N°2

Community stakeholders

fully engaged in the

promotion of girls’

education

PI 1: Number of

functional PTAs

PI 2: Level of

awareness among

parents

PI 3: Number of girls’

group formed that

are engaged in social

and/or educational

activities

M 1:Project reports,

minutes of PTA meetings

M 2:Project reports

M 2:Project reports







Activity 2


Community-based school

management strengthened

through the activation of

PTAs

PI 1: Number of PTAs

activated/strengthen

ed

PI 2: Number of PTA

meeting organized

per year

M 1: Quarterly reports,

photographs

M2: Quarterly reports,

photographs





Output/deliverable

N°2.2Awareness of parents

(specially fathers) and

community members raised

on education, particularly

girls’ education

PI 1:Number of

parents/community

members completing

gender sensitive

literacy or non-formal

education

programme

PI 2: Number of

gender sensitive

literacy or NFE

programme

M 1:List of

parents/community

members







Support for girls’ education

increased through alliance

with religious leaders and

politico-religious parties

PI 1:Number of

religious leaders

attending PTA

meetings

PI 2: Number of

gender sensitive

workshop for

religious leaders and

members of politico-

religious parties

M 1:List of religious

leaders and member of

politico-religious parties







Girls’ group established and

PI 1:Number of girls’

group established

M 1:Quarterly reports,

photographs



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supported to engage in

social and/or educational

activities outside classroom

or in the community

PI 2: Number of girls

engaging in activities

M 2: Quarterly reports,

photographs




Diverse and flexible basic

education opportunities

(primary and middle)

accessed by adolescent girls

PI 1: # of adolescent

girls’ enrolment in

NFBE

PI 2: # of girls

participating in NFE

EP for lower-

secondary education

PI 3: # of girls

transitioning to

secondary education

from NFE

programmes

M 1: Project reports









Activity 3

Output/deliverable N°3.1:

Flexiblenon formal basic

education programme

accessed by out-of-school

girls

PI 1:% out of school

girls enrolled in

flexible NFBE

programme

PI 2:%enrolled girls

completing flexible

NFBE programme

M 1:Quarterly reports







Flexible non-formal lower

secondary education

equivalency programme

(e.g. home based, school-in-

a mobile phone, etc.)

accessed by out-of-school

adolescentgirls

PI 1:% of out-of-

school girls enrolled

in equivalency

programmes

PI 2:% of girls

completing

equivalency

programmes

M 1: Quarterly reports







Parental education and

family literacy programmes

emphasizing the importance

of girls’ right to education

attended by semi and non

literate parents through

CLCs

PI 1:Number of

parents attending

parental education

and family literacy

programmes

PI 2:% of parents

completing the

programme with the

required level of

competency








Improved girls’ performance

in primary and secondary

education

PI 1: % of primary

level girls scoring at

least the pass mark

(33%) in literacy and

mathematics

achievement tests

M 1: Project reports,

school records



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PI 2: % of lower

secondary level girls

scoring at least the

pass mark (33%) in

language, science and

mathematics

achievement tests

PI 3: % of secondary

level girls scoring at

least the pass mark

(33%) in the

achievement tests of

4 key subjects


school records


school records





Activity 4


Locally relevant gender

sensitive teaching learning

materials used in schools

PI 1:Number of

teaching learning

materials developed

that are gender

sensitive and locally

relevant

PI 2:Number of

schools using

supplementary

teaching learning

materials that are

gender sensitive and

locally relevant








Digital libraryestablished in

schools for Primary and

secondary students

PI 1:Number of

primary school

having digital library

facility

PI 2:Number of

secondary school

having digital library

facility








Gender sensitive/responsive

teaching materials and

methodologies applied by

teachers

PI 1: # of teacher

educators trained in

gender

mainstreaming

PI 2: # of teachers

applying gender

sensitive/responsive

materials and

methodology








Learning outcome

assessment tools that are

locally relevant and gender

sensitive administered by

schools

PI 1:Number of

primary schools

administering the

learning outcome

tool




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PI 2:Number of

secondary schools

administering the

learning outcome

tool

M 2: Quarterly reports T 2 and (b 2): TBD after



Employability or

entrepreneurship of

adolescent girls completing

lower and secondary

education is enhanced

PI 1: % of girls

enrolled in vocational

training programmes

PI 2: % of school-to-

work transition rate

for adolescent girls


school records


school records





Activity 5


Digital literacy and

vocational training offered

to girls in lower secondary

schools

PI 1:Number of lower

secondary school

introducing digital

literacy and

vocational training

PI 2:Number of girls

taking digital literacy

and vocational

training








Vocational and skill training

programmes linked with and

supported by local business

attended by adolescent girls

PI 1:Number of

adolescent girls

attending the

vocational training

programmes

PI 2:% of girls

completing the

programme with the

required level of

competency








Capacity of relevant

provincial education officials

enhanced to improve

educational policy

environment and budgetary

allocation supporting

gender equality in education

PI 1: Number of

officials trained in

gender –responsive

budgeting

PI 2: Number of

schools and NFE

centres benefitting

from gender

responsive budgeting

for education

PI 3: % of budgetary

allocation for

expanding girls’

education










Activity 6


Advocacy

PI 1:Number of

education officials



the appraisal of the

12

meeting/workshops

organized for making

available the bills,

legislations and laws related

to Article 25-A of the

Constitution

participated in

workshops to review

or draft bills,

legislations and laws

for the enforcement

of Article 25-A

PI 2:Number of

education officials

trained in drafting

strategies and

budgetary proposals

to implement the bill,

legislation and laws

related to Article 25-

A


context




Policies, strategies and

guidelines developed to

respond to gender issues

(including gender

responsive budgeting and

SRGBV) and the

implementation of Article

25-A developed

PI 1:Number of

education officials

and civil society

representatives

attended workshops

to review existing

policies and

strategies and draft

new policies and

strategies

PI 2:A set of new

policies and

strategies drafted,

discussed and

adopted to respond

to gender issues








School environment is felt

safe by girls and parents

PI 1: Number of

school with separate

functioning toiletsfor

girls and boys

PI 2: Number of

school integrating

peace education and

conflict management

and resolution in

teaching and learning

process


school records






Activity 7


School sanitation,

infrastructure and

transportation facilities

improved

PI 1:Number of PTA

meetings organized

that focussed on

improving school

sanitation,

infrastructure or

transportation




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facilities

PI 2: Number of

school having

improved sanitation,

infrastructure or

transportation

facilities





Curricula and teaching-

learning (including digital)

materials on peace

education and conflict

management and resolution

developed/adapted

PI 1:Number of

workshops organized

for teacher trainers

to review curriculum

and develop/adapt

teaching learning

materials to integrate

peace education and

conflict resolution

PI 2: Number of

teachers trained in

integrating peace

education and

conflict management

and resolution in

teaching and learning

process







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2. APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

2.1 Implementation

strategy

Overall Strategic Approach

The implementation of the Malala FIT programme in Punjab will be guided

by the three cross-cutting strategies outlined in Annex 1: Project Description

of the Framework Agreement signed by the UNESCO DG and Pakistan State

Minister of Education. The purpose is to ensure that a holistic but targeted

approach to programme intervention is taken at the community, district and

province levels which also will influence the national level policy formulation

and implementation in favour of girls’ right to education.

Strategy 1: Ensure a multi-sectoral approach to lay a strong foundation for

girls’ education at all levels—national, provincial and community

Since girls face multiple barriers and are subject to layers of disadvantage

that manifest in various ways depending on the different junctures of their

lives, efforts to promote access to education of girls must be complemented

by interventions to reduce the risk of their economic and social exclusion

during and beyond education. A multi-sectoral approach is thus required at

all levels of the governance structure, bringing the different actors and

partners to the table, representing both education and non-education

sectors, such as health, social welfare and labour sectors, etc., to ensure an

integrated response to the challenges of improving girls’ access to and

quality of education. Therefore, the programme will attempt to clearly

identify and analyse the multi-layered barriers to girls’ education during the

initial three months of the implementation of the project at the provincial,

district, Union Council and village levels to ensure a multi-sectoral approach

to addressing girls’ education.

Guided by the principle of a holistic life-cycle approach to girls’ education,

interventions should also strategically target those stages in life that could

lay a strong foundation and make a lasting impact in reversing the negative

effects of discrimination against girls in education and beyond. For example,

available data continue to reveal that in many countries (and notably in

Pakistan), the highest incidence of drop-out of girls in education frequently

occurs in the early grades of primary education and during the transition

period from primary to lower secondary education. While, the high level of

drop-out in the early primary grades and the barriers to girls’ transition to

lower secondary education may have their own root causes, it is also clear

that focussing interventions on these two particular stages of girls’ lives

would hold potentials in laying the foundation for improving and sustaining

access to, performance in and completion of education by girls.

Strategy 2: Explore effective use of non-formal and flexible delivery of

gender-sensitive education and training.

Given the limited government resources, schools are not physically available

within the village where girls are living. This context was clearly evident in

the case of the two Union Councils visited during a field reconnaissance visit

by professionals from UNESCO and Punjab Literacy Department. Even when

schools are available, with growing security concerns for girls’ and for female

teachers in the remote rural areas, walking long distance to primary or

secondary schools is not felt safebytheir families. Due to religious and

cultural practices, families in the proposed project site demand separate

15

How is gender equality addressed in the approach?

The project is fundamentally designed and developed to address the

persisting issue of gender inequality in education. Every activity is,

therefore, focused on promoting education of girls (young and adolescent)

2A study could be considered to learn how Qoranic schools in Pakistan are integrating ‘academic’ curriculum equivalent to the

formal schools, and how they can support the continuation of girls’ education. 3 A model to be explored is the open school provision at secondary education level in India.

schools for girl that results in increased resource burden on the government.

The physical lack of girls’ school should not at any circumstance become an

excuse for not being able to provide for and ensure girls’ right to continue

their education.

In order to reach all girls, and especially the adolescent girls, in diverse

environments, the delivery of education and training must be innovative,

flexible and adaptable to the girls’ real life context as much as possible.

Learning and teaching materials and resources also need to be accessible,

easy to produce, revise, and reproduce in a cost-effective manner.

Alternative delivery modes of formal education2 should be made available

for those who are unable to commute to school due to various reasons, but

are able to continue their education at home by distance. Availability of

equivalency programmes, or open school provisions3, for example, could

facilitate the continuation of education by girls who had dropped out from

primary or lower secondary schools.

The use of technology (such as computers, mobile phones, etc), both basic

and advanced, should be explored fully in order to identify the best modality

and tools to reach the girls as well as teachers, who could otherwise be

learning in isolation from the wider world. The use of ICTs will be considered

both as delivery of education and as forming skills and knowledge in ICTs, so

as to increase the employability of adolescent girls after lower secondary

education.

Strategy 3: Fully engage community-level stakeholders in the promotion of

girls’ education.

Girls’ education cannot be treated in isolation from other developmental

efforts, particularly at the community level, and those related to community

empowerment and gender equality, as effects of political and religious

leaders’ influence as well as those related to inter-generational factors such

as mother’s/parents’ educational background, fathers’ and community

leaders’ awareness and support to their daughter’s education, etc., have

direct impact on the chances of making girls education a success.

Partnerships with various stakeholders, especially at the local level,

therefore, will need to be encouraged, including with civil society

organizations, religious leaders, and mass mediathat are particularly

successful in reaching targeted and marginalized groups, including girls and

women in remote areas.

16

and women, especially belonging to hard-to-reach areas in the province.

The results that the project aims to achieve have categorically considered

indicators that are clearly gender disaggregated. Therefore, gender analysis

will be an in-built feature of the project that will ensure all its interventions

to be strictly gender responsive. The project will also ensure that due

consideration will be given to gender balance in identifying the secondary

and/or indirect beneficiaries of the project, e.g., PTA and community

members, teachers, head teachers, trainers, education officials, and CSO

representatives.

Description and sequence of activities4

(3 months after the start of project activities, when the situation is well assessed, a revised

results matrix and more detailed budget will be submitted to the Project Steering Committee

for endorsement and approval by the government of Pakistan)

1. Project launching meeting with provincial stakeholders

A meeting of all relevant stakeholders will be organized to formally launch

the project in the province and establish the provincial project monitoring

committee (PPMC). The work plan will be shared and relevant focal points

will be identified for carrying out the activities as per the plan.

2. Organization of the first PPMC meeting to agree on the M&E process

and template (the approach to collecting the baseline and setting targets

against each indicator will also be discussed and agreed upon).

3. Workshops of ECE teacher trainers to review early primary grade

curriculum and development of suitable training and TL materials

A provincial workshop will be organized jointly by UNESCO and the Provincial

Department of School Education for 20 ECE trainers to review the curriculum

and the UNESCO-promoted mobile phone based training module. Proposal

for improving the curriculum, particularly to reflect gender equality

perspective, will be developed. The mobile training package will be

updatedspecifically to appropriate it to be gender responsive. A detailed

plan of ECE training of trainers and the training guide will be finalized. The

20 trainers will be identified and selected using the criteria agreed by the

Provincial Department of School Education. The ToR of the trainers will be

developed jointly by UNESCO and the department.

4. Training of trainers on ECE and gender issues

A two-day training of trainers on ECE and gender issues will be organized at

the province level. There will be 20 trainers taking part in this training

programme. The ToT will be organized jointly by UNESCO and the Provincial

Department of School Education.

5. ECE teachers’ workshops on mobile phone based ECE training

4 In the event that it is necessary to undertake a needs assessment to complete project design and /or to be able to present a

detailed budget, use the following formula “(X) months after the start of project activities, when the situation is well assessed, a

revised log frame and more detailed budget will be submitted to the donor for approval”.

17

The 20 trainers will be organizing the two-day parallel workshops for 20 ECE

teachers each. The trainees will be followed up by their respective trainer

through the mobile phone based training module. A local implementing

partner will be selected to monitor the impact of training on classroom

practice and student learning.

6. Stakeholders’ meeting to devise the mechanism to initiate integrated

family support system in the communities and decide on criteria of

selecting the beneficiaries

7. Organization of head teachers’ meeting to discuss:

a. the establishment of regular monitoring and tracking system on

girls’ enrolment and transition to lower secondary;

b. the PTAs status, their availability, revitalization or formation,

agree on school level PTA formation, if needed, and the agenda

and organization of the next PTA meeting;

c. building alliance with religious and politico-religious parties;

d. formation of girls’ group/club;

e. integrating gender perspective in teaching learning;

f. potential of initiating digital library;

g. issues related to student learning outcome;

h. teacher training needs to promote gender equality and girls’

education;

i. issues related to SRGBV;

j. issues related to peace education and conflict management and

resolution in teaching and learning; and

k. issues related to guidance and counselling cell for girls in school

8. Selection of the implementation partners to (all the NFBE, non formal

middle level equivalency programme and community school will be

contracted to the Provincial Department of Literacy and NFBE):

a. organize PTA strengthening workshops;

b. organize parental awareness raising workshops;

c. build alliance with religious and politico-religious parties;

d. establishment of and support to girls’ groups/clubs and their

network at district/province level

e. implement NFBE bridging programmeand non formal lower

secondary education equivalency programme for out-of-school

or school dropout girls;

f. implement parental education and family literacy programme;

g. work with private sector to implement vocational and skills

training programme for adolescent girls;

h. organize gender training to build capacities of teachers;

i. assist schools to initiate and strengthen digital library facilities

j. pre-test, analyse and implement learning assessment tools

k. build capacities of teacher trainers and teachers for the

integration of gender responsive content and methods in TT

programmes, and the development of mobile phone based

teaching/learning resources;

l. review the content and delivery method of lower secondary

education curriculum to propose and implement more

diversified content and method thereby increasing relevance

and interest of adolescent girl learners;

m. deliver digital literacy and vocational skills training to girls

18

attending lower secondary schools;

n. organize gender-responsive training programmes for NFE

teachers;

o. review NFBE curriculum from the point of view of gender

sensitivity and develop supplementary materials to fill up any

observed gaps;

p. develop gender-responsive teaching/learning materials for

secondary equivalency NFE programmes;

q. develop advocacy materials and organize workshops for strong

legislative or legal support to and enforcement of the

implementation of Article 25-A;

r. organize training of educational officials to build capacity to

analyze the budgetary allocation issues and prepare a provincial

white paper proposing a more gender-responsive budgetary

allocation scheme for education;

s. organize workshops of education officials and civil society

representatives to review existing educational policies and

strategies and propose more gender-responsive policies and

strategies that would respond to the issues of SRGBV and

implementation of Article 25-A;

t. organize workshops for head teachers, teacher trainers and PTA

members to disseminate SRGBV related policies and strategies

and monitor the progress at the school level in terms of training

of teachers, registration and record on SRGBV, the actions taken

by the PTA;

u. develop and launch advocacy message through local media on

GBV

v. assist schools in improving sanitation, infrastructure and

transportation facilities;

w. develop curricular materials on peace education and conflict

management and resolution and organize training of teachers on

these; and

x. assist schools to establish guidance and counselling facilities for

girls.

9. Organization of quarterly meeting of the PPMC and consolidate

quarterly reports for submission to the NPCC and PSC

10. Organize the bi-yearly meeting of NPCC to review the progress

11. Organization of the PSC meeting for necessary strategic guidance and

approval.

2.2 Risk analysis and

mitigation

The level of risk to the successful implementation and delivery of results

within the specific duration of the project implementation phase of 2 years is

medium to low. The main risks anticipated are the sudden political changes

and instability in the province with the potential to hinder the timely

delivery of the project outputs. Although the political factor may be outside

the control of the project, given the strong commitment of the government

to the overall programme, other potential risk factors associated more

directly with the project's implementations are expected to be well

addressed and mitigated through the close cooperation and coordination

with the Ministry of Education, the Provincial Department of School

Education and that of Literacy and NFBE, and UNESCO.

2.3 Sustainability and exit The project implementation will be overseen by a locally formed provincial

19

strategy

project monitoring committee (PPMC) consisting of members representing

the department of education, civil society and UNESCO. The PPMC is

accountable to the national programme coordination committee (NPCC) and

the project steering committee (PSC) at the federal and global levels

respectively. Overall the project is supported by the followingstructure

which is expected to ensure a strong provincial and national ownership of

the project and eventually be up scaled through the regular provincial

education budget.

• Programme Steering Committee

• Programme management mechanism at national level

• Project teams at provincial and federal area levels.

• Project team within UNESCO Islamabad

• Programme monitoring and evaluation mechanism

The province is a recipient of other donor funds (e.g. DFID, WB, EU) to

implement its education sector plan which will be well informed by the

project’s good practices. The project activities will complement the

implementation of the provincial education sector plan, particularly in

promoting girls’ education. There will be strategic recommendations on how

the project activities can be integrated in the education sector plan and

continued through other donor funds.

3. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

• Who will be carrying out the different project activities? (Outline the project implementation

and management arrangements including a clear description of the roles and responsibilities of

UNESCO and each of the partners).

The project activities will be jointly carried out by UNESCO and the provincial counterparts, but under the

overall management of UNESCO Islamabad. UNESCO HQ and Bangkok Office will provide technical and

administrative backstopping throughout the implementation phase. The Federal Ministry of Education and

Baluchistan Department of Education will be the main counterparts of UNESCO and will be responsible for

coordinating the plans and delivery of the project activities. UNESCO will enter into implementation

partnership agreement or service contracts with appropriate NGOs, training institutions and/or individual

consultants to deliver specific activities of the project.The Punjab Department of Literacy and Non Formal

Basic Education will be implementing NFBE, non-formal lower secondary equivalency programme and adult

literacy and CLC related activities by signing contracts with UNESCO. Since, this entails the envolvement of

the government body as an IP in a self-benefiting FIT programme, the derogation required to supersede

UNESCO rule will be sought from UNESCO HQs Contract Committee.

4. MONITORING, EVALUATION, LESSON LEARNING

4.1 How will the performance of the project be monitored and evaluated?56

5 Monitoring, reporting and evaluation processes and tools should be designed to capture information on activities,

outputs/deliverables and expected results. At the output/deliverable and expected results levels adequate provisions for data

collection should be made covering all performance indicators (with associated quantitative and/or qualitative targets), starting

with a baseline for each performance indicator. Information on key performance indicators should be collected periodically in order

to track progress towards project implementation, output/deliverable delivery and achievement of the expected results. Please

refer to a) the monitoring and reporting guidelines and b) the Guidance Note on Evaluation of 07.11.12

20

The implementation of the project will be overseen bytheprogramme steering

committee (PSC), national programme coordination committee (NPCC) and the

provincial programme monitoring committee (PPMC). The PPMC will ensure

quarterly review and monitoring of the progress against each of the indicators,

baselines and targets that are clearly defined in the results matrix, which will

be revised after the initial 3 months of project implementation. There will be

an independent evaluation of the project towards the end of its

implementation.

4.2 How will be the beneficiaries and other stakeholdersinvolved in

monitoring and evaluation?

The PPMC will be represented by the two provincial departmentsof education

(Literacy/NFE and school education), local religious leaders, schools from the

project site, girls’ club/network, PTAs, local civil society organizations and

UNESCO. The PPMC with support from UNESCO field coordinator prepares the

quarterly progress report by collecting the indicator specific data. The PPMC

will collect reports of each project activity, progress data collected and collated

by UNESCO, engage itself in direct interactions with the beneficiaries, schools,

institutions and relevant stakeholders to prepare case studies and stories of

good practices along with any challenges and issues facing the implementation.

There will be quarterly review meeting organized to share the progress, issues

and challenges and provide feedback to the implementing partners, training

institutions and/or consultants, all of which will lead to the development of

specific action points to address the issues and challenges.

5. VISIBILITY

5.1 The communication and media strategy of the project will guide the project’s

visibility initiatives. Fundamentally, the project will ensure a systematic

documentation of the implementation process and the progress made through

print and electronic media. Every important activity and action will be captured

in photographs and video clips, which will feed footage to video documentaries

of the project andpromote the visibility of the project.The progress reports and

key project events accompanied by success stories and/or case studies

captured in prints, photographs or electronic media will be made available for

public consumption through UNESCO’s website and through local media. All

publications and documents produced during the project implementation will

also bear the logos of the government and UNESCO as a way to highlight the

joint initiative/collaboration.

6 If appropriate, indicate the specific reporting requirements established by the donor and consistent with the provisions in the

funding agreement.

21

Annex A: Budget (by UNESCO Budget Line)

Category of expenses Year 1 Year 2 Total

10 - Personnel costs, consultants and missions 57898 37508 95406

International & National Staff 30170 2730 32900

Temporary Staff 15000 15000 30000

10' - Staff Mission Costs 5128 5128 10256

11 - Consultants 3850 10900 14750

National Professionals 1250 1250 2500

Delegates & External Individuals Missions 1250 1250 2500

11 - Other Contracts 1250 1250 2500

20 - Contracted Services 277750 277750 555500

Contracted Research 2500 2500 5000

Contracted seminars and meetings 2000 2000 4000

Contracted document production 1250 1250 2500

Subcontracts 135000 135000 270000

Implementation Partners Agreements (IPAs) 135000 135000 270000

Security costs 2000 2000 4000

30 - External Training and Grants 3750 3750 7500

Grants and Fellowships 1875 1875 3750

External Training and Seminars 1875 1875 3750

40 - Equipment and Maintenance 9102 8698 17800

Equipment 2250 2250 4500

Leases 4276 4024 8300

Maintenance & Repairs 2576 2424 5000

50 - Other Expenses 18691 17809 36500

Publications 1250 1250 2500

UN Joint activities (security costs) 4585 4315 8900

Conferences & Meetings 1250 1250 2500

Programme activities 1250 1250 2500

Communications 2112 1988 4100

Utilities 1443 1357 2800

Other supplies 6492 6108 12600

Finance Costs 309 291 600

SubTotal - direct costs 367191 345515 712706

80 - Support costs 33047 31096 64144

TOTAL 400238 376611 776850

22

Annex B: Rapid appraisal of the field context (Muzaffargarh)

UNESCO - Mission Report 26-29 November 2014

1. Name of staff member: RoshanChitrakar, Consultant, UNESCO Sameer LuqmanQureshi, Project Manager, UNESCO 2. Programme / project: 944PAK1000“The Malala Funds-in-Trust programme “support to

national capacity building to realize girls’ right to education in Pakistan.”

3. Purpose of mission: The overall purpose of the mission is to collected field based

information, issues, problems and challenges pertaining to girls’ education in order to inform the development of the Malala FIT project document for Punjab province. More specifically the purpose of the mission is to: carry out a rapid assessment of the field context around the potential project sites exploring issues and problems pertaining to girls’ education in communities of Tehsil Jatoi, district Muzaffargarh, Punjab; discuss and share ideas and experiences with stakeholders representing the local government, CSOs and community members: visit communities in 1 or 2 Union Councils and discuss among Government counterparts, CSO’s and community members on issues and problems related to girls’ education and select one UC as the potential project area.

4. Location(s): Village Mohana in UC Bair Band, village BastiLashari in UC

KotlaGamoon. Both UCs are located in Tehsil Jatoi of District Muzaffargarh. Village Chadoratta and village KanoraBastiDhoopSerri, of UC Hamid PurTehsil and District Multan.

5. Persons/Institutions met:

• Mr.Sajjad Ahmad Saquib, Project Director, Literacy and Non Formal Basic Education Department, Government of Punjab

• Mr.MukhtarHussain, Acting In-charge (a.i.) for Executive District Officer (EDO) and District Officer Elementary Education (Male), Muzaffargarh,

• Mr.AqeedatHussainSoomro, District Officer Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Muzaffargarh

• Ms.OmeKalsoomSeyal, Executive Director, Social Youth Council of Patriots (SYCOPT), Muzaffargarh

• Mr.KhurramShahzad, General Secretary, Alfalah Welfare Organization

23

6. Results achieved

UNESCO team along with the accompanying SYCOPT Programme Manager appraised Mr.MukhtarHussain, the District Officer Education and the EDO (a.i.) and Mr.AqeedatHussainSoomro, District Officer Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, about the Malala FIT programme and obtained the concurrence of the EDO’s office on the selection of Tehsil Jatoi where needy communities in one or two Union Councils would be identified for the implementation of the programme. Discussion with the officials also touched upon key education and gender issues in the district, UNESCO’s global best practices and its comparative advantage along with possible interventions under Malala FIT programme. The EDO (a.i.) assured the District Education Office’s full cooperation and support for a successful implementation of this important project. Successive discussions among the UNESCO team, the government representative and the local CSO representatives followed by a collective field visit to some villages, locally running community schools and discussions with teachers, local leaders, representatives of CBOs, and men’s and women’s groups led to the identification of one of the most deprived Union Councils as a potential project site to implement the programme in the province. The mission had also been successful in collecting key issues and problems barring girls from going to formal or non formal school and from continuing education for those who once attended formal or non formal school. The issues identified pertained not only to education sector but were of multi-sector in nature that demanded a holistic approach to programmatic intervention in order to effectively promote girls’ education in the communities of the proposed UC. Meeting with district education officials in Muzaffargarh

a. UNESCO team, together SYCOPT Programme Manager, briefed the District Muzaffargarh Education department about the Pakistan Malala FIT Programme, its inception phase and the purpose of the field visit. They were also appraised about the consultation process that took place between UNESCO team and the Department of School Education and that of Literacy and NFE for the past several weeks, which led to the ranking of all the Punjab districts based on some key education indicators and selecting Muzaffargarh as the project district. Similarly the four Tehsils of Muzaffargarh district were further ranked to select Tehsil Jotai in order to carry out a rapid assessment of the socio-political context in some communities focusing particularly on girls’ education and decide on a most needy Union Council to implement the Malala FIT programme. The officers appreciated the process and criteria followed.

b. During the discussion some locally faced issues of girls’ education were also shared by the district officials which included rampant poverty and girls’ requirement to support family livelihoods, early marriage, lack of awareness among parents, and lack of availability of female teachers and that of schools, particularly middle and high schools, within an accessible distance for girls.

c. The district education officials informed that increasing girls’ enrollment in school had been the priority for the Government of Punjab, but at the same time the government faces with the issues of poverty, opportunity costs, early marriage, lack of middle and secondary schools within accessible distance for girls, retaining the enrolled girls in the school, unemployment, etc. They claimed that the government was serious to address most of these issues. For example the government provided a quarterly stipend of Rs.

24

600 to each girl who continued education in secondary school after completing 5th grade.

d. Similarly girls studying in grades 6 to 10 also received a monthly amount of Rs. 200 for

stationery. However, despite such serious efforts the district administration continued to face with the challenge of improving girls’ enrollment in primary and secondary schools and retaining enrolled girls in the school. Clearly there was a need to complement the supply oriented efforts of the government with interventions to strengthen the demand side.

e. During the meeting it was discussed that while it was important for the government to continue its scheme of providing cash incentives to girls, the issues of girls education must also be complemented with more innovative means of supplies such as opportunities of flexible learning through non formal means not only at the level of primary education but also middle and secondary education. It was felt important that girls should be allowed to learn during the time and in the space they found it convenient. Learning opportunities for girls should not be limited within the four walls of the school. There should be policy support for the provision of learning resources and incentives to girls who were learning on their own or through an open learning mode and to allow them to register to take the board examinations at 5th, 8th and 10th grade levels as and when they felt they were ready.

f. On the concern for demand side strengthening, it was discussed that the government should encourage community participation in and ownership of not only all educational interventions but also the efforts to analyze and set targets to resolve educational issues such as those related to OOSC and community awareness. Community mobilization and initiatives need to be supported through strengthening CLCs, PTAs/SMCs and through the formation and mobilization of girls’ club with an effective coordination with civil society, media, local CBOs and NGOs.

Rapid Appraisal Mission to Communities UNESCO team with the presence of Mr.Sajjad Ahmad Saquib of Punjab Department of Literacy and NFE, and Mr.RanaJangshir, a locally based development worker, had a meeting with the representatives of the two of the local NGOs—SYCOPT and Alfalah Welfare Organization (AWO). The meeting dwelt on the NGOs’ experiences working in the communities implementing current and previous projects, the issues and challenged faced and important lessons learned. The failure to sustain good projects of NFBE surfaced prominently. For example the NFBE centers established in villages of Jatoi Tehsil, which were quite successful to enroll many OOSC, had fizzled out after the project ceased to exist precisely due to the absence of viable exit strategies and weak policy advocacy. The NGOs’ experiences offered good lessons that would potentially inform the implementation of the Malala FIT programme in the local communities. The NGO representatives shared the information about the general field context of communities in Jotai Tehsil and proposed some areas to be covered by the current UNESCO and Literacy Department’s joint mission. It was explained that Tehsil Jatoi had 16 Union Councils and in view of the security situation and accessibility of UNESCO staff members for rigorous monitoring, five Union Councils (BindaIshaq, Shehar Sultan, Bair Band, KotlaGamoon and Vanis) were proposed for consideration. However, upon further deliberation it was revealed

that Bair Bund and KotlaGamoon are far behind in socio economic indicators than others. These two UCs are approachable particularly for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation and pose no security threat. The representative of the AWO facilitated the fieMohana and village BastiLashari of these UCs. Visit to Muktab Primary School, Village Mohana of Union Council Bair Band

a. Maktab Primary School of Mohana village by its very name was once one of several Muktab or Mosque schools established and managed by the Mosque caretaker, known as Molvi, to teach children religious education equivalent to grades 1 twas the case in this particular school. The school now operated as a normal primary school (grades 1-5) but still lacked regular government school status depriving it of the recurrent state funding for its operation. It is under the of course compelling him to run multi

b. For the period of three and a half years until 2013 the school was picked up by SYCOPT as a Save the Children funded CHHAON project school to i(Basic Education Community School) model. The project initiated second shift classes in the school for the out of school girls of the village. Two female teachers Ms.Fozia and Ms.Shafqat Zahra with training support and supervision oadjoining village. The local community overwhelmingly supported the project and acknowledged the educational benefit it brought to the out of school girls. The project was claimed to be successful to attract many OOSC (girls). Buthe second shift. There was no record as to what went on with the girls attending the school during the project period.

c. Apparently, the importance of putting in place a clearly defined exit strategy and sustaining the good initiative of the project through public policy support were completely ignored while designing and implementing the CHHAON project. The local people gathered during the visit of the field mission confirmed that the people in the village had lost interest on

Figure 1.Maktab Primary School, Mohana

that Bair Bund and KotlaGamoon are far behind in socio economic indicators than others. These two UCs are approachable particularly for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation and pose no security threat. The representative of the AWO facilitated the field visits to Village Mohana and village BastiLashari of these UCs.

Visit to Muktab Primary School, Village Mohana of Union Council Bair Band

Maktab Primary School of Mohana village by its very name was once one of several Muktab or Mosque schools established and managed by the Mosque caretaker, known as Molvi, to teach children religious education equivalent to grades 1 to 3, which no longer was the case in this particular school. The school now operated as a normal primary

5) but still lacked regular government school status depriving it of the recurrent state funding for its operation. It is under the care of only one male teacherof course compelling him to run multi-grade teaching without much skill to do so.

For the period of three and a half years until 2013 the school was picked up by SYCOPT as a Save the Children funded CHHAON project school to implement NFBE of BECS (Basic Education Community School) model. The project initiated second shift classes in the school for the out of school girls of the village. Two female teachers Ms.Fozia and Ms.Shafqat Zahra with training support and supervision of SYCOPT were hired from adjoining village. The local community overwhelmingly supported the project and acknowledged the educational benefit it brought to the out of school girls. The project was claimed to be successful to attract many OOSC (girls). But the school no longer ran the second shift. There was no record as to what went on with the girls attending the school during the project period.

Apparently, the importance of putting in place a clearly defined exit strategy and tiative of the project through public policy support were

completely ignored while designing and implementing the CHHAON project. The local people gathered during the visit of the field mission confirmed that the people in the village had lost interest on the school as they did not find much use sending their

Village, Bair Band UC

© UNESCO Islam

abad\RoshanChitrakar

that Bair Bund and KotlaGamoon are far behind in socio economic indicators than others. These two UCs are approachable particularly for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation and

ld visits to Village

Visit to Muktab Primary School, Village Mohana of Union Council Bair Band

Maktab Primary School of Mohana village by its very name was once one of several Muktab or Mosque schools established and managed by the Mosque caretaker, known as

o 3, which no longer was the case in this particular school. The school now operated as a normal primary

5) but still lacked regular government school status depriving it of the care of only one male teacher—

grade teaching without much skill to do so.

For the period of three and a half years until 2013 the school was picked up by SYCOPT mplement NFBE of BECS

(Basic Education Community School) model. The project initiated second shift classes in the school for the out of school girls of the village. Two female teachers Ms.Fozia and

f SYCOPT were hired from adjoining village. The local community overwhelmingly supported the project and acknowledged the educational benefit it brought to the out of school girls. The project

t the school no longer ran the second shift. There was no record as to what went on with the girls attending the

Apparently, the importance of putting in place a clearly defined exit strategy and tiative of the project through public policy support were

completely ignored while designing and implementing the CHHAON project. The local people gathered during the visit of the field mission confirmed that the people in the

the school as they did not find much use sending their

children, especially girls, to the school until the availability of good teacher was ensured.

d. From what was observed and heard during the visit, one would gather that the school was nothing more than an adsubstandard primary education. The basic educational need of the entire village was thus badly neglected.

e. The school had a catchment of 300 households in Mohana village. Even with a conservative average estimate of only one primary school age child per household, the school was expected to have a capacity of enrolling at least 300 children. But the 2school had an enrollment record of only 82 students were present on the day the mission visited the school. Clearly the village hchildren who were out of school, while less than a third of those enrolled seemed to be regular in attending the school.

f. The only teacher deputed to the school said that children did not come to the school owing to the ongoing season of labor migration to Karachi, seasonal labor work in local landlords’ farm to pick and harvest cotton (particularly by girls) and parents’ lack of interest in the school. Language was another

barrier because Seraiki was the mother tongue of all the children while the textbooks were in Urdu.

Figure 2. Meeting with local resident in the premise of Maktab Primary School

children, especially girls, to the school until the teaching learning condition and availability of good teacher was ensured.

From what was observed and heard during the visit, one would gather that the school was nothing more than an ad-hoc arrangement for poor children to acquire a rather

ary education. The basic educational need of the entire village was thus

The school had a catchment of 300 households in Mohana village. Even with a conservative average estimate of only one primary school age child per household, the hool was expected to have a capacity of enrolling at least 300 children. But the 2

school had an enrollment record of only 82 students (23 girls) of which merewere present on the day the mission visited the school. Clearly the village hchildren who were out of school, while less than a third of those enrolled seemed to be regular in attending the school.

The only teacher deputed

the school owing to the on-

seasonal labor work in local landlords’ farm to pick and harvest cotton (particularly

ck

barrier because Seraiki was the mother tongue of all the children while the textbooks were in Urdu.

. Meeting with local resident in the premise of Maktab Primary School

Figure 3. The teacher and students in Maktab Primary

© UNESCO Islam


© UNESCO Islam


eaching learning condition and

From what was observed and heard during the visit, one would gather that the school hoc arrangement for poor children to acquire a rather

ary education. The basic educational need of the entire village was thus

The school had a catchment of 300 households in Mohana village. Even with a conservative average estimate of only one primary school age child per household, the hool was expected to have a capacity of enrolling at least 300 children. But the 2-room

) of which mere 25 (5 girls) were present on the day the mission visited the school. Clearly the village had many children who were out of school, while less than a third of those enrolled seemed to be

27

g. Contrary to the constitutional provision of right of every child to free and compulsory education, primary education was not totally free (nor compulsory) in this school. Each student was required to make a mandatory contribution of Rs 20 per month to the Faroog-e-Taleem fund established centrally but managed locally at the district department of education. The share of deposits made by each school would be re-paid to the school to carry out development work at its premise. But there was no evidence that the school had benefited from any such fund.

h. Mr.Qutub Ali, a member of the School Management Committee running a shop in front of the school, acknowledged the rampant presence of OOSC in the village. Of his own 8 kids only one son was going to school. He said children were required to work in farms as agriculture laborers—poverty kept them away from school. In the gathering he listened quietly to the local landlord Malik Abdul Majeed making a comment that putting local youths through skills training would be a waste of time as they needed to help their parents in their work. Qutub Ali did not publicly disagreed with the landlord, but later told one of the visiting UNESCO staff that the landlord would definitely not want youths to be skilled obviously because he did not want to see the shortage of cheap labor to work in his farm land. Qutab Ali also reported that the people in the village suffered from water borne diseases because of the poor quality of water they were fetching from under the ground, the water-table of which was ever decreasing. The village also suffered badly from the devastating floods of 2010.

Visit to Village BastiLashari of Union Council KotlaGamoon

a. It took about half an hour drive to reach BastiLashri from village Mohana. Mr.Mian Khalid from the community informed that the population of UC KoltaGamoon was around 34,000. Average household size was 8 implying the presence of at least 4000 household in the UC. There were 200 villages in the UC. More than 40% of the people rely on agriculture while 60% depend on the earning from selling labor. Early marriage of girls and child labor were very common in the village. The locals estimated that on an average 3 girls from each house remain out of school. There could be at least 12,000 school age girls out of school in the entire UC.

b. Local people of village BastiLashari were pre-informed for a meeting with the visitors from UNESCO, Department of Literacy Lahore and SYCOPT. There were some 20 men gathered outside the boundary wall and about the same number of women gathered inside the boundary wall of what once was a one-room community school for local out-of-school girls running under same project Chhaon also implemented by SYCOPT—unfortunately this school too had the same history and story as that of MuktabPrimay School. The room was made available by the owner of the house, who was not happy to see the closure of the school but very much willing to let the room used again for teaching girls.

c. The visitors had separate discussion sessions with the men’s and women’s groups for about an hour and half. In order to quickly assess the extent of out-of-school girls in BastiLashari, 4 men present in the group discussion with men were asked how many children—boys and girls—each of them had and who/how many of them were going to school. The first man said that he had 6 kids (1 girl) and only one boy was going to school. In the case of the rest of the men too the same pattern prevailed—7 kids (4 girls) with 1 boy in school; 4 kids (1 girl) no one in school; 9 kids (6 girls) one boy in school. If

projecting this pattern for whole village would be cthat 7 among 8 children are out of school in the village with a very slim chance for a girl to be in the school. Of the 12 girls mentioned none was going to school. Among the women (most of them were teenaged or at e

d. Distance to school, poverty, early marriage, corporal punishment (particular for not wearing uniform leading to dropout), lack of interest among parents and opportunity cost were the key reasons for many children and mostschool or dropout in the middle or not transitioning to middle or secondary school after completing primary. The nearest primary school, let alone middle and secondary, was more than 2 kilometer away. The villagers were noschool if they had to walk long distance. They did not see it worthwhile to sacrifice the income their daughters brought by working in the farmland picking cotton as they could not see any concrete and immediate benefiThe women said that they would need support of their daughters to sustain their livelihoods as they earned Rs. 500 per day by picking cotton.

e. It would be injustice to blame the locals for their indifferent outlook towards girls’ schooling. Even by knowing that return of education was farfetched they were prepared to invest in the education of their daughters, but not without adequate family incsustain the livelihoods. Gul Nawaz, the father of 6 young children who also made available the room for the community school, said that he needed support either to raise cattle or to start rickshaw driving so that he could earn enough to spare his kschool. Provision of vocational skills training for youths was expressed as a preferred complementary intervention by the participants of the group discussions to motivate OOSC and youths to enroll in formal and non formal education programme

f. Because of the poverty, the villagers could not afford nor did they prefer enrolling their children to the locally available private schoolCHHAON project and the community school it started but regretted to see it calong with the project. They would want the school to be revived. A lady participant volunteered to take initiative to reduring the CHHAON time but wanted the commitment that the community school would be re-opened. Otherwise, she said, keeping girls at home would be social as well as economic burden for the parents prompting them to marryyoung age so that the burden would be transferred to the husband. Sustained opportunity for girls to continue education with support and mobilization of women’s group would certainly prevent girls early marriage in the community. Gul Nawaz said

Figure 4.Shamo Mai, a local resident

“There is so much at stake. What does it matter even

when education is free? Sending girls to school also

means buying uniform and providing them with day time

food. It does not stop there. I would have to take the

extra burden of washing their uniform, polishing shoes,

providing them food on time, tidy them up for school

if I don’t have any other thing to do,” Shamo Mai.

© UNESCO Islam


projecting this pattern for whole village would be close to accurate, it could be inferred that 7 among 8 children are out of school in the village with a very slim chance for a girl to be in the school. Of the 12 girls mentioned none was going to school. Among the women (most of them were teenaged or at early 20s) attending the meeting

Distance to school, poverty, early marriage, corporal punishment (particular for not wearing uniform leading to dropout), lack of interest among parents and opportunity cost were the key reasons for many children and most of the girls to remain out of school or dropout in the middle or not transitioning to middle or secondary school after completing primary. The nearest primary school, let alone middle and secondary, was more than 2 kilometer away. The villagers were not willing to send their daughters to school if they had to walk long distance. They did not see it worthwhile to sacrifice the income their daughters brought by working in the farmland picking cotton as they could not see any concrete and immediate benefit of their schooling far away from the village. The women said that they would need support of their daughters to sustain their livelihoods as they earned Rs. 500 per day by picking cotton.

It would be injustice to blame the locals for their indifferent outlook towards girls’ schooling. Even by knowing that return of education was farfetched they were prepared to invest in the education of their daughters, but not without adequate family incsustain the livelihoods. Gul Nawaz, the father of 6 young children who also made available the room for the community school, said that he needed support either to raise cattle or to start rickshaw driving so that he could earn enough to spare his kschool. Provision of vocational skills training for youths was expressed as a preferred complementary intervention by the participants of the group discussions to motivate OOSC and youths to enroll in formal and non formal education programme

Because of the poverty, the villagers could not afford nor did they prefer enrolling their children to the locally available private school which is 1 KM away. They valued the CHHAON project and the community school it started but regretted to see it calong with the project. They would want the school to be revived. A lady participant volunteered to take initiative to re-instate the women’s group which they had formed during the CHHAON time but wanted the commitment that the community school

opened. Otherwise, she said, keeping girls at home would be social as well as economic burden for the parents prompting them to marry-off the daughter at a young age so that the burden would be transferred to the husband. Sustained

r girls to continue education with support and mobilization of women’s group would certainly prevent girls early marriage in the community. Gul Nawaz said

.Shamo Mai, a local resident

“There is so much at stake. What does it matter even

when education is free? Sending girls to school also

means buying uniform and providing them with day time

have to take the

, polishing shoes,

providing them food on time, tidy them up for school—as

lose to accurate, it could be inferred that 7 among 8 children are out of school in the village with a very slim chance for a girl to be in the school. Of the 12 girls mentioned none was going to school. Among the

arly 20s) attending the meeting

Distance to school, poverty, early marriage, corporal punishment (particular for not wearing uniform leading to dropout), lack of interest among parents and opportunity

of the girls to remain out of school or dropout in the middle or not transitioning to middle or secondary school after completing primary. The nearest primary school, let alone middle and secondary, was

t willing to send their daughters to school if they had to walk long distance. They did not see it worthwhile to sacrifice the income their daughters brought by working in the farmland picking cotton as they could

t of their schooling far away from the village. The women said that they would need support of their daughters to sustain their

It would be injustice to blame the locals for their indifferent outlook towards girls’ schooling. Even by knowing that return of education was farfetched they were prepared to invest in the education of their daughters, but not without adequate family income to sustain the livelihoods. Gul Nawaz, the father of 6 young children who also made available the room for the community school, said that he needed support either to raise cattle or to start rickshaw driving so that he could earn enough to spare his kids to go to school. Provision of vocational skills training for youths was expressed as a preferred complementary intervention by the participants of the group discussions to motivate OOSC and youths to enroll in formal and non formal education programmes.

Because of the poverty, the villagers could not afford nor did they prefer enrolling their KM away. They valued the

CHHAON project and the community school it started but regretted to see it closed along with the project. They would want the school to be revived. A lady participant

instate the women’s group which they had formed during the CHHAON time but wanted the commitment that the community school

opened. Otherwise, she said, keeping girls at home would be social as well off the daughter at a

young age so that the burden would be transferred to the husband. Sustained r girls to continue education with support and mobilization of women’s

group would certainly prevent girls early marriage in the community. Gul Nawaz said

that he would be happy to provide the same room where CHHAON classes were running to revive the commu

g. It could be concluded from the meetings with the men’s and women’s group that the community was committed to promoting girls’ education complemented by skills training programmes but were facing acute lack of accessible and sustained govand necessary social safety net to compensate the opportunity cost of educating girls. CHHAON had been an effective initiative but the discussion and analysis revealed it to be a viable but missed opportunity which could have worked out theto ensure the continuation of the community school through regular government programme.

Visit to Non Formal Basic Education (NFBE) Center and Community School in Multan

Owing to the prevalence of the highest number of outprovinces of Pakistan, the Department of Literacy and Non Formal Education of Punjab has taken several initiatives to reduce the number of outprovince. It has both established and expfunctional literacy programmes reaching out to the most vulnerable and excluded children and adults. The process of the development of a girls’ education project under the Malala FIT was viewed as an opportunity to add a more effective and innovative dimension to the Department’s on-going initiatives. In this context, the mission paid visits to some communities to observe such initiatives and discuss with local people to have a sense of the impact made and issues faced. The purpose was to see the potential for the Malala FIT project to build on to what had been already taking place. Visit to Non Formal Basic Education (NFBE) Center at village Chadoratta In order to assess the educational context and issues of excluded girls belonging to families of brick kiln workers the mission visited the NFBE center at Chadoratta village of Hamid Pur UC Multan district which was established by Punjab Literacy Departmen

Figure 5.Zaiwar Mai (woman in blue) wants to see the community school

© UNESCO Islam


that he would be happy to provide the same room where CHHAON classes were running to revive the community school and women’s group activities.

It could be concluded from the meetings with the men’s and women’s group that the community was committed to promoting girls’ education complemented by skills training programmes but were facing acute lack of accessible and sustained government support and necessary social safety net to compensate the opportunity cost of educating girls. CHHAON had been an effective initiative but the discussion and analysis revealed it to be a viable but missed opportunity which could have worked out the strategy and plans to ensure the continuation of the community school through regular government


Owing to the prevalence of the highest number of out-of-school children among all the provinces of Pakistan, the Department of Literacy and Non Formal Education of Punjab has taken several initiatives to reduce the number of out-of-school children and illiterate adults in the province. It has both established and expanded NFBE centers, community schools and functional literacy programmes reaching out to the most vulnerable and excluded children and adults. The process of the development of a girls’ education project under the Malala FIT was

o add a more effective and innovative dimension to the Department’s going initiatives. In this context, the mission paid visits to some communities to observe

such initiatives and discuss with local people to have a sense of the impact made and issues faced. The purpose was to see the potential for the Malala FIT project to build on to what had

Visit to Non Formal Basic Education (NFBE) Center at village Chadoratta

In order to assess the educational context and issues of excluded girls belonging to families of brick kiln workers the mission visited the NFBE center at Chadoratta village of Hamid Pur UC Multan district which was established by Punjab Literacy Department under Punjab Work Place

an in blue) wants to see the community school to resume and GulNawaz(right) offers the space

© UNESCO Islam


that he would be happy to provide the same room where CHHAON classes were

It could be concluded from the meetings with the men’s and women’s group that the community was committed to promoting girls’ education complemented by skills training

ernment support and necessary social safety net to compensate the opportunity cost of educating girls. CHHAON had been an effective initiative but the discussion and analysis revealed it to

strategy and plans to ensure the continuation of the community school through regular government


children among all the provinces of Pakistan, the Department of Literacy and Non Formal Education of Punjab has

school children and illiterate adults in the anded NFBE centers, community schools and

functional literacy programmes reaching out to the most vulnerable and excluded children and adults. The process of the development of a girls’ education project under the Malala FIT was

o add a more effective and innovative dimension to the Department’s going initiatives. In this context, the mission paid visits to some communities to observe

such initiatives and discuss with local people to have a sense of the impact made and issues faced. The purpose was to see the potential for the Malala FIT project to build on to what had

In order to assess the educational context and issues of excluded girls belonging to families of brick kiln workers the mission visited the NFBE center at Chadoratta village of Hamid Pur UC

t under Punjab Work Place

offers the space.

Literacy Project. Project Director Mr.Sajjad Ahmed Saquib had specifically instructed the Department’s local staff to arrange this visit.

a. The centre was running for the past 5 years to provide non

services to the children the brick kilns being operated in the village. There was an enrollment of 70 children while more than 3 hundred such children were still out of school. The turnout on the day of the mission’s visit was goodThe one-room building standing in a small compound was a contribution of a local villager Mr.Rana Muhammad Wazir. A dedicated female teacher engaged in multi grade teacher switching between the children inproject, who apparently was doing her best to attract as many out of school children to this school as possible. The number had already reached beyond the capacity for a single teacher and a single room school to handle. There was a need to appoint at least one other teacher to share the burden.

b. This year 7 students of this school appeared in the grade 5th (primary education) board examination of which 5 students were successful. The number of children taking the examination and passing primary level was expected to increase in the years to come as more children were attending in lower grades. A total of 15 students would appear the examination next year. The teacher was not sure if any of those who completed 5

Figure 6. NFBE Center students at Chadoratta

© UNESCO Islam


© UNESCO Islam


© UNESCO Islam


Literacy Project. Project Director Mr.Sajjad Ahmed Saquib had specifically instructed the Department’s local staff to arrange this visit.

The centre was running for the past 5 years to provide non-formal primary education ces to the children the brick kilns being operated in the village. There was an

enrollment of 70 children while more than 3 hundred such children were still out of school. The turnout on the day of the mission’s visit was good—69 kids were present.

room building standing in a small compound was a contribution of a local villager Mr.Rana Muhammad Wazir. A dedicated female teacher engaged in multi grade teacher switching between the children in-door and out-doors was employed by the

arently was doing her best to attract as many out of school children to this school as possible. The number had already reached beyond the capacity for a single teacher and a single room school to handle. There was a need to appoint at least one

acher to share the burden.

This year 7 students of this school appeared (primary education) board examination of which 5 students were

successful. The number of children taking the examination and passing primary level was expected to increase in the years to come as more children were attending in lower

students would appear the examination next year. The teacher was not sure if any of those who completed 5th grade here would be going to middle school

. NFBE Center students at Chadoratta village sitting in and outside the only room while the teacher moves in-between attending the children

© UNESCO Islam


Literacy Project. Project Director Mr.Sajjad Ahmed Saquib had specifically instructed the

formal primary education ces to the children the brick kilns being operated in the village. There was an

enrollment of 70 children while more than 3 hundred such children were still out of 69 kids were present.

room building standing in a small compound was a contribution of a local villager Mr.Rana Muhammad Wazir. A dedicated female teacher engaged in multi grade

doors was employed by the arently was doing her best to attract as many out of school children to

this school as possible. The number had already reached beyond the capacity for a single teacher and a single room school to handle. There was a need to appoint at least one

(primary education) board examination of which 5 students were successful. The number of children taking the examination and passing primary level was expected to increase in the years to come as more children were attending in lower

students would appear the examination next year. The teacher was grade here would be going to middle school

between attending the children

as the one in a nearest distance was 3particular, it would be impossible to travel such a distance.

c. The mission team met a group of laborsthe members of the Village Education Committee. All of them valued educating their children but the work in the brick kiln as the only livelihood option compelled them to make the hard choice of not sending temporary nature of their work requiring them to move from place to place. One laborer said that he had no idea about the education and faith of his two sons. He said “I just came here 3 months ago and don’t kfor long. I keep on switching cities in search of good wages and my family accompany me. I cannot think of sending my sons to school. They too will end up working like I.”

d. Mr.Sajjad Ahmed Saquib (PD, Li

accompanying the mission team to the NFBE centre were of the view that the children of these migrating laborers needed to be reached out with better and wider NFBE programmes which could be the only viathem from being out-of-school. It was felt necessary for the Malala FIT project to include an aspect of experimenting and exploring how the NFBE approach to addressing the key educational issues such as accesscould be improved, better designed and scaled up.

Visit to Non Formal basic Education Center at village KanoraBastiDhoopSerri. Multan

a. This NFBE center was running sincPunjab Accelerated Functional Literacy Project. A formal Girls Primary School was 5 kilometer away from here. The current enrollment was 84 of which 81 students were present during the visit. The Village Education Council had provided his house for the school.

b. It was clear from the overall condition and performance of the children that the home-based nonschool age girls from the community to come together and engage in the learning

process. The girls performed confidently in front of the visitors.

Figure 8. Students led by the young girl at the home

© UNESCO Islam


as the one in a nearest distance was 3-4 kilometer away from the village. For girls, in ould be impossible to travel such a distance.

The mission team met a group of labors working in the brick kiln some of who were also the members of the Village Education Committee. All of them valued educating their children but the work in the brick kiln as the only livelihood option compelled them to make the hard choice of not sending their children to school mainly because of the temporary nature of their work requiring them to move from place to place. One laborer said that he had no idea about the education and faith of his two sons. He said “I just came here 3 months ago and don’t know whether I will continue working here in Multan for long. I keep on switching cities in search of good wages and my family accompany me. I cannot think of sending my sons to school. They too will end up working like I.”

Mr.Sajjad Ahmed Saquib (PD, Literacy and NFE Department) and his project colleagues accompanying the mission team to the NFBE centre were of the view that the children of these migrating laborers needed to be reached out with better and wider NFBE programmes which could be the only viable, practical and flexible option to prevent

school. It was felt necessary for the Malala FIT project to include an aspect of experimenting and exploring how the NFBE approach to addressing the key educational issues such as access, quality, equivalency and institutionalization could be improved, better designed and scaled up.


This NFBE center was running since 2010 for girls only under the Punjab Accelerated Functional Literacy Project. A formal Girls Primary School was 5 kilometer away from here. The current enrollment was 84 of which 81 students were present during the visit. The Village Education Council Chair Mr. Haji Muhammad Shabbir had provided his house for the school.

It was clear from the overall condition and performance of the based non-formal primary school was helping the

om the community to come together and engage in the learning

process. The girls performed confidently in front of the visitors. The only teacher

Students led by the young girl at the home-based community primary school singing for the visitors

Figure Haji Md. Shabbir

© UNESCO Islam


© UNESCO Islam

abad\RoshanChitrak

ar

4 kilometer away from the village. For girls, in

working in the brick kiln some of who were also the members of the Village Education Committee. All of them valued educating their children but the work in the brick kiln as the only livelihood option compelled them to

their children to school mainly because of the temporary nature of their work requiring them to move from place to place. One laborer said that he had no idea about the education and faith of his two sons. He said “I just

now whether I will continue working here in Multan for long. I keep on switching cities in search of good wages and my family accompany me. I cannot think of sending my sons to school. They too will end up working like I.”

teracy and NFE Department) and his project colleagues accompanying the mission team to the NFBE centre were of the view that the children of these migrating laborers needed to be reached out with better and wider NFBE

ble, practical and flexible option to prevent school. It was felt necessary for the Malala FIT project to

include an aspect of experimenting and exploring how the NFBE approach to addressing , quality, equivalency and institutionalization


om the community to come together and engage in the learning

The only teacher

Figure 7. VEC Chair Haji Md. Shabbir

Ms.RabiaBatool, who was the inthat many students this year would be appearing in the 5th grade board examination and expected a good result for them. But she was not sure if any of them would be able to continue beyond primary level owing to the non availability of Middle school nearby.

c. This was the only school available for the community which is accessible for girls, but there were still many girls and boys who could not be accommodated in the school for its limited capacity and absence of similar school for boys.

d. The teacher seemed to have done her best tocurricular activities of some sore, e.g., singing and keeping the center clean. However, the teaching learning context in the school appeared rather challenging as all the 81 students present had to share the sthe teacher let alone the remarkable teacher student ratio of 1:81.

7. Main follow-up action points

• Pay a follow up visit to Lahore to discuss and agree with Punjab Government and obtain concurrence to finalize UC Kon the field visit and experiences gained it could be effectively argued that the UC is relatively under privileged where many girls and their families are suffering from poverty and deprivation forcing many girls to remain out

• Propose in the project document of Malala FIT pertaining to Punjab province the provision of non-formal education up to 8could not continue education at the middle ldistance and those who will be completing the NFBE or formal primary level

Figure 9. Less fortunate boys among about 150 OOSC deprived of access to basic education in village KanoraBasti

Ms.RabiaBatool, who was the in-charge of the school and teach the children, informed ear would be appearing in the 5th grade board examination and

expected a good result for them. But she was not sure if any of them would be able to continue beyond primary level owing to the non availability of Middle school nearby.

ol available for the community which is accessible for girls, but there were still many girls and boys who could not be accommodated in the school for its limited capacity and absence of similar school for boys.

The teacher seemed to have done her best to help children learn as well as engage in cocurricular activities of some sore, e.g., singing and keeping the center clean. However, the teaching learning context in the school appeared rather challenging as all the 81 students present had to share the same room and multi-grade teacher was inevitable for the teacher let alone the remarkable teacher student ratio of 1:81.

up action points

Pay a follow up visit to Lahore to discuss and agree with Punjab Government and obtain concurrence to finalize UC KotlaGamoon as the project site for Punjab province. Based on the field visit and experiences gained it could be effectively argued that the UC is relatively under privileged where many girls and their families are suffering from poverty

cing many girls to remain out-of-school.

Propose in the project document of Malala FIT pertaining to Punjab province the formal education up to 8th grade level to allow access to those girls who

could not continue education at the middle level due to lack of school in an accessible distance and those who will be completing the NFBE or formal primary level

Less fortunate boys among about 150 OOSC deprived of access to basic education in village KanoraBasti

© UNESCO Islam


charge of the school and teach the children, informed ear would be appearing in the 5th grade board examination and

expected a good result for them. But she was not sure if any of them would be able to continue beyond primary level owing to the non availability of Middle school nearby.

ol available for the community which is accessible for girls, but there were still many girls and boys who could not be accommodated in the school for

help children learn as well as engage in co-curricular activities of some sore, e.g., singing and keeping the center clean. However, the teaching learning context in the school appeared rather challenging as all the 81

grade teacher was inevitable for

Pay a follow up visit to Lahore to discuss and agree with Punjab Government and obtain otlaGamoon as the project site for Punjab province. Based

on the field visit and experiences gained it could be effectively argued that the UC is relatively under privileged where many girls and their families are suffering from poverty

Propose in the project document of Malala FIT pertaining to Punjab province the grade level to allow access to those girls who evel due to lack of school in an accessible

distance and those who will be completing the NFBE or formal primary level

Less fortunate boys among about 150 OOSC deprived of access to basic education in village KanoraBasti

33

• Training of girls as they continue education in, or after the completion of, the middle level on appropriate and job oriented vocational skills needs to be specifically highlighted in the project document.

• Appropriate exit strategy and sustainability issues of the project needs to be discussed with provincial departments, district education authorities and local civil society organization including potential IPs, which must be explicit in the project.

• The possibility of involvement of Punjab Literacy/NFE Department and/or School Education Department as the implementation partners (IPs) of the Malala FIT project needs to be discussed and agreed. Such an involvement, if decided, needs to be reflected in the project document so that UNESCO HQs Contract Committee is informed prior to the endorsement of the project document by the PSC and the process of derogation (a requirement as per UNESCO rule for engaging in contract with the government body in a self-benefitting FIT programme) is expedited on time.

• Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and World Food Programme (UN-WFP) need to be contacted for possible partnering in proposed project initiatives in order to address the poverty and food security issues— schemes such as cash and/or food for education of girls will have to be initiated for poor and vulnerable families.

• Findings of this mission report need to be shared and discussed with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the field realities are well appraised and reflected in the project document.

• An effective community mobilization strategy should be an integral part of the intervention programme so that mothers, youths and community elders/leaders take full ownership of the intervention.

34

Consultancy Service for the Inception Phase of Malala FIT Programme on

Support to National Capacity Building to Realize Girls’ Right to Education in Pakistan

Mid-term Progress Report

15 November 2014

D. Background

1. The key task of the consultancy is to follow up on the decision made during the

National Programme Coordination Committee (NPCC) related particularly to taking

the Malala FIT inception phase activities forward. The expected outcomes were to

ensure an understanding of the Malala FIT programme in general and inception

phase in particular among the provincial and federal area stakeholders. It was also

expected that the stakeholders would be fully engaged in determining appropriate

project sites along with local programmatic needs to inform and be further engaged

in the development of their province/areas specific project documents. The

consultant was tasked to facilitate the process related to these outcomes and to

finalize at least one project document by the end of the consultancy period (15

December 2014).

2. The Malala FIT programme’s Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting held on 9th

April 2014 endorsed the formation of the National Programme Coordination

Committee (NPCC) to be co-chaired by the Additional Secretary of Ministry of

Federal Education and Professional Training and Director UNESCO Islamabad. The

membership of the NPCC comprises of senior bureaucrats from the provinces and

federal areas including the representative of Economic Affairs Division (EAD), Federal

Ministry of Finance. It has been notified that the Secretaries of Education of all the 4

provinces, and those of GilgitBaltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Additional

Chief Secretary of FATA, Joint Secretary of Capital Administration and Development

Division and the Deputy Secretary UN Affairs of Economic Affairs Division, Ministry of

Finance will be the members of the committee. The PSC meeting also endorsed the

formation of the Federal/Provincial Programme Monitoring Committees (F/PPMC),

which will be formed as soon as the provincial/federal area projects are finalized and

endorsed by the PSC.

3. The previous consultancy report documented that following the organization of the

first PSC meeting and approval of the inception phase project proposal and budget,

UNESCO Islamabad obtained the budget code on 9th May 2014 to start

implementing the inception phase activities. The 6-month inception phase was due

to expire on 8th November 2014. Due to the on-going and protracted political crisis

in the country which caused considerable disruption to the work of the federal

government and UN agencies, some critical activities of the inception phase have not

moved forward for more than a month. In the light of such a political context, the

inception phase period was extended until 31st December 2014.

4. It was documented that the main purpose of the inception phase is to establish and

agree with the NPCC the implementation of the planned activities through the

initiation of a consultative process with the provincial and federal area stakeholders

to carry out a comprehensive situation analysis and needs assessment studies in all

Annex 2. Consultant’s mid-term report

35

the potential project sites and develop the five projects. UNESCO Islamabad

completed the process of selecting two consulting firms to carry out the needs

assessment survey after which it waited for more than a month for the NPCC to

meet on 12th August 2014 and to obtain the NPCC concurrence to award contracts

to the selected firms. But the NPCC meeting could not be held on the scheduled

date due to the on-going political crisis. After a long wait, finally the first NPCC

meeting was held on 23rd September in Islamabad.

5. The first meeting of the NPCC held on 23rd

September 2014, which was not

represented by all the members (members from all the four provinces and the

Economic Affairs Division were absent), discussed the proposed options and

approved the option of equal division of the programme funds to all provinces and

federal areas. However, the NPCC disapproved the engagement of the two firms

selected by UNESCO for carrying out the needs assessment survey. It was decided

that the relevant authorities of the provinces and federal areas with the assistance

of UNESCO would determine the project intervention needs for their respective

provinces and areas, based on which they were to prepare the project documents.

This decision raised an issue of the possibility of further delay in having the inception

phased completed by the end of December 2014.

6. In this context, the consultant is expected to orient UNESCO provincial coordinators

and other related staff members to work primarily with provincial and areas

stakeholders and establish links with other UN agencies to look for and strengthen

possible synergies in promoting girls education in project sites. The UNESCO

provincial coordinators had already gone through the first round of orientation soon

after the first NPCC meeting and were asked to initiate contacts with provincial focal

persons to further orient them of the programme and tentatively agree on the

possible project sites.

E. Summary of the Progress to Date

7. While the UNESCO provincial coordinators in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and

Baluchistan are working with the relevant provincial counterparts to orient them of

the Malala FIT programme, discuss /agree on the project sites and determine the

way forward to complete the inception phase, these tasks also need to be carried

out in Punjab and all four federal areas. To this end, field missions of Education

Programme Specialist, National Programme Officer and the consultant have been

planned. The first such mission has just been accomplished in Punjab on30-31 of

October 2014 followed by a successive mission on 13-14 November 2014. The

missions to GilgitBaltistan and Ajad Jammu and Kashmir were planned for mid

November, which would have to be re-scheduled due to the unavailability of the

required NOCs.

8. The first mission to Punjab involved meeting the provincial education authorities of

the Department of Literacy and Non Formal Education and the Department of School

36

Education.7The authorities of the departments agreed principally to consider up to 5

union councils from 2 or 3 southern districts of Punjab for implementing the Malala

FIT project. The provincial officials requested that UNESCO hold on to making the

final decision until the proposal is consulted and agreed with the secretaries of the

two departments. The planned and scheduled meeting with the secretaries did not

take place due to their engagement in the other unforeseen commitment. Similarly,

the scheduled meeting with the Additional Secretary (General) Mr.Rana Hassan

Akhtar also did not take place because of his unavailability. It was felt necessary to

organize a follow up meeting to finalize on the project sites and resolve other

technical issues.

9. The meeting with the Additional Secretary of Literacy and NFE Department and the

separate meeting with the officials of the School Education Department agreed to

allow UNESCO appointed local expert to be placed within the premise of one of the

two departments and work together with the authorities to assess and analyze the

needs and prepare the project document. It was agreed to finalize the project

document by the end of November this year. After the second mission, however, a

re-thinking of this arrangement is necessary as it seems likely that the project will be

implemented in districts that are more than 6 hours drive from Lahore but much

closer to Islamabad. The UNESCO staff may rather be based in one of the district

offices where the project will be implemented.

10. The mission also had meetings with UNICEF, JICA and Buniyad Foundation (a locally

based NGO) which explored possibilities of collaborations as and when the Malala

project will be rolled out in the province. The project can potentially adapt the rich

teaching learning resources and teacher training packages related to NFBE

developed by JICA. UNICEF is already working both at the field level promoting

education of tribal and deprived children in far flung districts in Southern Punjab and

at the upstream policy level. The meetings with UNICEF and JICA discussed the

possibility of the synergy that could be achieved through a coordinated

implementation of the Malala FIT programme in Punjab.

11. During the second mission to Punjab, a meeting was held with Mr.Rana Hassan

Akhtar, the Additional Secretary of the Department of School Education, in the

presence of the department’s focal person for the Malala FIT programme (the

Deputy Secretary of Academic) and the Deputy Secretary of EMIS. The Additional

Secretary argued that the Southern districts of Punjab had been over flooded with

several donor supports in education particularly promoting girls’ education. He said

that the districts have received almost every kind of soft interventions ranging from

enrollment drive to teacher training, but there were still other districts elsewhere

where the situation was equally bad if not worst. He urged to consider districts such

7 The authorities present in the meeting at the Department of Literacy were: Additional Secretary

Mr.NadeemAlam Butt; Project Director, Campaign for Enhancement of Literacy, Mr.Sajjad Ahmad Saquib

(also focal person for Malala FIT programme); Additional Secretary and Project Director of Punjab Accelerated

Functional Literacy Project, Mr.MahammadUsman; and 4 other senior officials. Those contacted in the

Department of School Education were Deputy Secretary (Academic) Mr.Aftab Ahmed and Deputy Secretary

(EMIS) Mr. Abdul Qayyum Khan.

37

as Khushab, Mianwali, Jhang, Attock and Bhakkar. The necessity to limiting the

geographical coverage to 3 to 5 Union Councils from one or two of the selected

district was, however, agreed.

12. The change of the geographic coverage proposed in the meeting with the Additional

Secretary (General) of School Education Department was shared with the Secretary

of the Literacy Department during a separate meeting with his team. He agreed in

principle with the proposal of focusing on 3-5 UCs of the newly identified districts.

The Secretary invited the UNESCO mission to discuss the proposed Malala FIT

program with the officials representing several District Education Offices of Punjab

who incidentally were undergoing a capacity development training programme in

the Department. After a brief orientation on the purpose of the UNESCO mission

and the Malala FIT programme, the officials were asked to work in 3-4 groups for

each to come up with a concept note on some possible areas of programme

intervention to promote girls’ education which the Malala FIT programme might

consider. While developing the concept note they were asked to remain within the

overall framework of the Malala FIT programme. The concept notes would be

developed by 22nd of November and sent to UNESCO for consideration.

13. On November 14th morning a meeting was held with 6 representatives of local CSOs

working in the communities of the southern districts of Punjab to discuss local issues

and needs that the Malala FIT programme could potentially consider. The

participants shared their good practices as well as burning issues they faced during

and after the implementation of several projects in specific communities (e.g., issues

related to educational structure, sustainability, political will, capacity, and

discrimination against minority groups). The CSOs were found quite resourceful in

terms of experiences on: improving educational access, quality and attrition rate for

girls and marginalized children; learning materials; social mobilization; advocacy and;

organization of training programmes. Their existing resources and lessons that they

had learned could be strategically adapted during the implementation of the Malala

FIT programme in other districts.

F. Challenges and proposed way forward

14. While the involvement of the local stakeholders in the needs assessment and project

development processes can potentially lead to ensuring increased local ownership

and accountability, the process can potentially be challenging in remaining focused.

The process in Punjab has already been long and time consuming. The draft project

document will be revised only after receiving the concept papers that the district

officers will be developing. Finalization of the Punjab project document may take

longer time than expected.

15. In order to avoid lengthy process of agreeing on every programme intervention and

expected result with concerned stakeholders at the provinces and administrative

areas, it will be necessary to complete the preparation of all the project documents

seeking agreement on a general framework and a broad area of programme

interventions allowing the flexibility to continue the analysis of the local situation

38

and needs and revise the project document by further streamlining the results

framework within the initial 3 months of the project implementation.

16. UNESCO Islamabad office will need to ensure that necessary project staff will be on

board latest by the end of November 2014 in order to supervise the needs

assessment work that the provincial and federal area authorities will undertake and

ensure that both the process and the final outcomes of the needs assessment study

are essentially owned by the stakeholders, are accurate, comprehensive and

relevant to contribute effectively to the development of the project proposals.

17. If necessary project staff members are on board by the end of November and the

development of the project documents are allowed the flexibility of the revision

within the three months of implementation, then realistically the inception phase

can be completed by December 2014, by which time the projects of all the provinces

and Federal Areas should have been endorsed by the Project Steering Committee for

them to be approved by the government and rolled out by January next year. The

communication strategy and monitoring system (with the finalization of indicators,

baseline and targets) will be in place within three months after the projects will be

rolled out in the field.

RoshanChitrakar, PhD

17 November 2014

39

Support to National Capacity Building to Realize Girls' Right to Education in Pakistan

District Ranking for Implementation in Punjab Province

P#16 P#22 P#40 P#52

District

Literacy

GPI

Primary

enrolment

(GPI)

Girls'

survival

(%) to G5

Girls'

transition

PE to ME

(GPI)

Composite

score Rank

Punjab 0.70 0.90 55 0.97

1 Attock 0.60 1.00 79 0.93 0.83 25

2 Bahawalnagar 0.65 0.78 43 0.91 0.69 13

3 Bahawalpur 0.65 0.77 37 1.06 0.71 14

4 Bhakkar 0.47 0.76 43 0.85 0.63 4

5 Chakwal 0.72 1.01 90 0.91 0.89 30

6 Chiniot 0.47 0.61 35 0.80 0.56 1

7 DG Khan 0.41 0.70 26 1.15 0.63 5

8 Faisalabad 0.81 0.95 77 1.00 0.88 29

9 Gujranwala 0.87 1.04 78 0.95 0.91 31

10 Gujrat 0.82 1.24 76 0.96 0.95 33

11 Hafizabad 0.66 0.97 70 0.82 0.79 22

12 Jehlum 0.72 1.09 66 1.00 0.87 28

13 Jhang 0.52 0.83 52 0.79 0.67 11

14 Kasur 0.64 0.94 59 0.96 0.78 21

15 Khanewal 0.49 0.84 38 0.98 0.67 12

16 Khushab 0.49 0.76 46 0.72 0.61 2

17 Lahore 0.90 1.13 92 1.00 0.99 36

18 Leiah 0.56 0.80 50 1.01 0.72 16

19 Lodhran 0.47 0.8 42 0.92 0.65 8

20 Mandibhauddin 0.71 0.96 68 0.94 0.82 23

21 Mianwali 0.51 0.78 47 0.82 0.65 7

22 Multan 0.67 0.91 31 0.99 0.72 17

23 Muzaffargarh 0.43 0.86 35 0.80 0.61 3

24 NankanaSahab 0.73 0.88 88 0.88 0.84 26

25 Narowal 0.72 1.12 66 0.81 0.83 24

26 Okara 0.56 0.83 51 0.95 0.71 14

27 Pakpatan 0.51 0.78 37 0.87 0.63 6

28 Rahimyar Khan 0.57 0.69 42 0.94 0.66 10

29 Rajanpur 0.36 0.69 28 1.28 0.65 8

30 Rawalpindi 0.78 1.14 91 0.99 0.96 34

31 Sargodha 0.71 0.91 62 0.88 0.78 19

32 Sahiwal 0.58 0.95 61 0.93 0.77 18

33 Sheikhupura 0.79 0.98 100 0.96 0.93 32

34 Sialkot 0.88 1.12 88 1.01 0.97 35

35 Toba Taik Singh 0.76 0.98 65 1.02 0.85 27

36 Vehari 0.57 0.98 56 1.01 0.78 19

Annex 3. Punjab district ranking

40

Muzaffargahr

Ranking of Tehsils

OBJECT_ID T_CODE_NAME Enrol_Pri_GPI SR_Girls TR_Pri_Mid_GPI Composite

score Rank

82 ALIPUR 0.72 25 0.81 0.59 2

83 JATOI 0.79 26 0.69 0.58 1

84 KOT ADDU 0.91 47 0.76 0.71 4

85 MUZAFFARGARH 0.88 33 0.86 0.69 3

Annex 4. District Muzaffargahr Tehsil ranking

final consultancy report to upload to linkedin

Documents