Comprehensive Evaluation of the CIDA funded Project “Supporting Jordan Education” (SJE)

Detailed description of project Back

The Education Reform for the Knowledge Economy (ERfKE) is a comprehensive national five-year plan to transform kindergarten, basic and secondary education tom meet the needs of a modern, knowledge-based economy and consists of four components:

• Reorienting education policy objectives and strategies and reforming governance and administrative systems;
• Transforming education programs and practices to achieve learning outcomes relevant to the knowledge economy;
• Supporting the provision of quality physical learning environments;
• Promoting learning readiness through expanded early childhood education.

CIDA’s support to ERfKE focuses on the two first components and was delivered through two mechanisms: a $5 Million Consultancy trust fund managed by the World Bank and a $15 Million TA project, Supporting Jordan’s Education (SJE) to transform the administration and delivery of public primary and secondary schooling with enhanced teaching and learning. Currently the Government of Jordan, with the support of donors (the World Bank, USAID, and CIDA) is in the initial stages of implementation of the Second Phase of Education Reform (ERfKE II) for the period 2010-2016. The End of Term Comprehensive Evaluation of SJE is intended to inform MOE about the outcomes of the investment, highlight how the project has (or not) met expectations, delivered results, the problems/constraints faced, and the contribution of the programme to the reform efforts.

The study is qualitative in nature and the key impact/outcome indicators to be analysed are:

• Transformed administration and delivery of public education in primary and secondary schools with enhanced learning to produce graduates with the skills necessary for the knowledge economy;
• Strengthened governance and administration of education, including the appropriate devolution of authority to district and local school level and the empowerment of school principals and teachers as educational change agents; and
• Sustainable capacity in the MOE to support continuous improvement in curriculum, instruction, learning and assessment, and to use appropriate education information to monitor progress and inform education policy and planning.

Type of services provided

PROMAN provides the services of a Senior Education Expert who:

• Reviews all relevant documentation;
• Examines current development, progress and achievements;
• Prepare study design and detailed (qualitative) methodology, indicators, instrument(s);
• Organizes and conducts a survey in carefully selected schools in a number of districts exposed to the program and in a control group;
• Analyses the data and drafts conclusions and recommendations;
• Presents and discusses findings at a workshop;
• Drafts the final report.

PROMAN manages the contract, provides backstopping including the recruitment via Jordan subcontractor of the surveyors and a data processor.