Assessment of the Higher Education Partnerships for Global Development Program
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ASSESSMENT OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Volume I Administered by: The Association Liaison Office for University Cooperation in Development (ALO) A Program Financed Under USAID Cooperative Agreement HNE-A-00-97-00059-00 Prepared for: The United States Agency for International Development The Office for Educational Development Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade (EGAT) Under the Global Monitoring and Evaluation (GEM) IQC Contract No: FAO-1-00-99-00010-00 Task Order 813 Conducted by: Richard Dye, Team Leader Maria Nagorski Peter Pelham Gerald Wein Saba Farzaneh Kristi Mueller November 30, 2004 International Science and Technology Institute, Inc. 1820 North Fort Myer Drive Suite 600 Arlington, VA 22209 Telephone: 703-807-2080 Fax: 703-807-1126 GEM Prime Contractor AGUIRRE INTERNATIONAL 1156 15 th St., N.W. Suite 1000 Washington, D.C. 20005 Telephone: 202-263-9260 Fax: 202-296-6926 Table of Contents Volume I Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................iii Acronyms............................................................................................................................ v Executive Summary........................................................................................................... vi I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 A. Background............................................................................................................. 1 B. Assessment Goals ................................................................................................... 6 C. Methodology of the Study ...................................................................................... 6 D. Organization of This Report ................................................................................... 8 II. Evaluation....................................................................................................................... 9 A. Findings: Partnership Programs.............................................................................. 9 1. Institutional Partnerships .................................................................................... 9 2. Special Initiatives.............................................................................................. 14 3. Results of Institutional Partnerships and Special Initiatives............................. 14 4. Building Successful Partnerships...................................................................... 15 5. Future Program Design Issues .......................................................................... 16 B. Findings: The Larger USAID–Higher Education Community Relationship........ 18 1. Non-Partnership Activities................................................................................ 18 2. Future Program Design Issues .......................................................................... 20 C. Cross-Cutting Issues in the ALO Program ........................................................... 21 1. Quality Assurance, Performance Monitoring and Reporting ........................... 21 2. Sustainability of the Partnerships...................................................................... 22 3. Program Finances.............................................................................................. 23 D. Program Management and Governance................................................................ 29 E. Non-USAID Partnership Programs....................................................................... 34 F. Summary............................................................................................................... 34 III. Recommended Future Strategy and Approach ........................................................... 36 A. General.................................................................................................................. 36 B. Program Strategy and Approach........................................................................... 36 C. Program Components............................................................................................ 37 D. Program Instruments............................................................................................. 40 E. Program Management and Governance................................................................ 41 F. Program Coordination and Relationships............................................................. 42 G. USAID Program Management.............................................................................. 43 H. Timetable and Transition...................................................................................... 43 I. Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 43 i I. Introduction Volume II Appendix A: GEM-ALO Assessment SOW Appendix B: ALO Cooperative Agreement Program Review Work Plan Appendix C: Partnership Data Appendix D: Analysis of Web-Based Survey Results–ALO Assessment Appendix E: Assessment Team's Partnership Site Visits Appendix F: Interview Protocols Appendix G: ISTI Assessment Team Contacts Appendix H: Facilitated Dialogues Appendix I: Non-USAID Programs of Interest Appendix J: Bibliography Appendix K: USAID Sources for ALO Funding Appendix L: Assessment Team Member Biographies ii Acknowledgments This study could not have been conducted without the cooperation of many organizations and literally hundreds of people 1 who contributed their time, energy and ideas. The assessment team’s initial introduction to its assignment and source of guidance throughout came from staff and consultants of USAID’s Office for Educational Development (ED) of the Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade (EGAT). The team met frequently with the current and previous Contract Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR), Martin Hewitt and Gary Bittner, as well as with Dr. John Grayzel, Buff McKenzie, Ron Raphael, Ken Lee, Roslyn Hobson, Sandra Russo and others. Several senior USAID officers made time in their schedules to meet with an assessment team member or to attend a facilitated dialogue that the team organized. These included Carol Peasley (A/AID/C and Acting AA/AFR), Emmy Simmons (AA/EGAT), Jon Breslar (DAA/PPC), David Liner (DAA/LG), and many others. The team is also indebted to the many USAID technical and desk officers who provided ideas and assistance. Overseas, assessment team members met with Mission staff in 10 countries. Mission staff helped the team to understand the partnership programs in the context of the country’s and the Mission’s development objectives and programs. Other Mission staff contributed by completing a survey designed by EGAT/ED personnel. Many individuals and groups within the U.S. higher education community cooperated fully with the assessment team and were the source of many ideas for program improvement. The team is particularly indebted to Joan Claffey, the former ALO Director, who helped the team to get started even as she was leaving, and to Christine Morfit, acting director of ALO, who, despite carrying out the responsibilities of the director and deputy director, found time to answer the team’s many queries, identified areas for programmatic and management improvement and encouraged the ALO staff to be open and helpful to the assessment team. The ALO staff, particularly Charlie Koo, Johnson Niba, Jennifer Sisane, Marilyn Crane, Michelle Wright and Tony Wagner provided data on partnerships, suggestions on partnerships to visit and people to see and insights into the workings of the program. Several staff members of the American Council of Education (ACE), including Michael Baer, Yvonne Wills, and Kristin Carter were helpful in providing financial data. The team is indebted to members of the ALO Board of Directors (the presidents of the six university associations) and the members of the ALO Advisory Council who shared their experiences and ideas with the team. The ALO Board of Directors includes Drs. George Boggs (American Association of Community Colleges), Constantine Curris (American Association of State Colleges and Universities), Nils Hasselmo (Association of American Universities), Peter Magrath (National Association of State Colleges and Land Grant Universities), David Ward (ACE) and David Warren (National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities). Members of the Advisory Council who were particularly generous with their time included Drs. William Bertrand, Montague (Tag) Demment, Earl Kellogg, Norman Peterson and Carolyn Williams. 1 See Appendix G, ISTI Assessment Team Contacts. iii I. Introduction The number of individuals within the college and university communities, both in the U.S. and overseas, who provided generous assistance to the assessment team is far too numerous to mention by name. These people spent countless hours with the team on the telephone being interviewed or setting up schedules, meeting with the team, introducing team members to colleagues and program beneficiaries, arranging site visits, completing the team’s survey of partnership directors, and helping in many others ways. Wherever the team traveled in the United States or overseas, it was welcomed warmly and received outstanding cooperation from university project directors, other faculty and students participating in partnership activities, and