American Institutes for Research Academy for Educational Development Aga Khan Foundation CARE Reaching and Educating At Risk Children (REACH India) Discovery Channel Global Education For the period of October 1, 2005 to September 31, 2006 Fund Education Development Center Howard University International Reading Association The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation Juárez and Associates, Inc. Submitted by: Michigan State University American Institutes for Research With: Sesame Workshop Juarez and Associates World Education Save the Children Federation, USA University of Pittsburgh U.S. Agency for International Development Cooperative Agreement No. GDG-A-00-03-00006-00 World Education American Institutes for Research 1000 Thomas Jefferson St. NW Washington, DC 20007 www.equip123.net 3 Table of Contents I. Executive Summary........................................................................................3 II. Introduction....................................................................................................6 III. Achievements.................................................................................................7 IV. Project Update – Regions...............................................................................8 A Delhi..................................................................................................8 a. Direct Service Delivery Grantees 1. AADI 2. CEMD 3. DISHA 4. KATHA 5. SARD b. Capacity Building Grantees 6. Deepalaya 7. Prayas B Jharkhand..........................................................................................12 a. Direct Service Delivery Grantees 1. Badlao Foundation 2. Banvasi Vikas Ashram 3. Centre for Women’s Development b. Capacity Building Grantees 4. Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra C Kolkata..............................................................................................17 a. Direct Service Delivery Grantees 1. Institute of Psychological & Educational Research (IPER) 2. Manovikas Kendra 3. Sanlaap b. Capacity Building Grantees 4. CINI Asha 5. CLPoA 6. Vikramshila D Chhattissgarh....................................................................................23 a. Direct Service Delivery Grantees 1. AASHA 2. Lokshakti Samajsevi Santhan 3. Vanvasi Chetna Ashram b. Capacity Building Grantees 4. Digdarshika 5. Naandi Foundation E Mumbai............................................................................................26 a. Direct Service Delivery Grantees 1 REACH India Annual Report October 2005-September 2006 1. Avehi-Abacus 2. Doorstep 3. Sahaara Charitable Society 4. Save the Children India 5. Shelter Don Bosco 6. Ummeed F Karnataka..........................................................................................30 a. Direct Service Delivery Grantees 1. Agastya International Foundation 2. Tropical Research and Development Centre 3. The Teacher’s Foundation b. Capacity Building Grantees 4. Akshara Foundation 5. Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement V. Project Update – REACH India components.................................................34 A Quality Education.............................................................................34 a. Quality Education Assessment Tool b. Technical Assistance Workshops c. Site Visits d. Exposure Visits B Monitoring and Evaluation...............................................................36 a. Capacity building of grantee NGOs b. Development/ modifications of monitoring templates c. Consolidation of REACH India targets d. Other Achievements e. Lessons Learned f. PMP Results C Dissemination and Network Development.......................................40 a. Dissemination Products b. Network Development D Finance and Grants Administration..................................................42 E Organisational Development............................................................45 VI. Other Issues...................................................................................................48 A Mid TermReview B Reduction in Grant C No cost Extension D Changes in management structure E Advisory Board VII. Challenges.....................................................................................................50 VIII. Annexure A PMP Annexure B Finance Annexure 1 C Finance Annexure 2 2 REACH India Annual Report October 2005-September 2006 I. Executive Summary REACH India, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to strengthen the capacity of India non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to contribute to achieving India’s constitutionally-mandated goal of Universal Elementary Education. In order to contribute to this goal, REACH India provides selected NGOs with grant funding to implement projects defined by the terms of project proposals. The proposals were reviewed and approved by REACH India project staff, a project selection committee and USAID. In addition to grant funds, REACH India provides administrative and technical support to the organizations selected to receive grants. The project area of REACH India comprises six regions of India, three urban (Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai) and three rural (Jharkhand, Chhattissgarh, North Karnataka). The project aims to benefit 200,000 children via a variety of NGO interventions such as bridge courses for out of school children; coaching support for in-school children at-risk of dropping out; through teacher training and other means. Two types of grants are made to NGOs: direct service delivery grants for NGOs implementing projects themselves and capacity building grants for NGOs who, in turn, will select and provide capacity building assistance to another range of NGOs. Beginning in September 2003 the project has passed through several, overlapping phases that have been reported on in prior six monthly reports: Phase 1: Project establishment—office, staffing, Advisory Board and Grant Selection Committee, development and approval of project procedures and methods; Phase 2: Grant announcement, review and selection process begins; finalization of Project Monitoring Plan; Phase 3: Grant selection process in additional regions; initial technical assistance workshops with NGO grantees conducted; project implementation by selected NGO partners begins; project monitoring and evaluation tools developed and/or modified including the individual student profile, the student tracking tool, the education quality checklist, and the organization development checklist; Phase 4: Grantee selection process in additional regions; initial technical assistance workshops with NGO grantees conducted; newly selected grantees begin project implementation; technical assistance in quality education; financial management and organization development provided to NGO grantees selected earlier; REACH India national conference organized and conducted; including production of film on REACH India; quality education workshop series (Learning Classroom Series) designed and first sessions held in Delhi; reviews of financial practices of grantees conducted followed by development and implementation of plans for improvement. By the beginning of this reporting period (April 2006), the grant roll-out process had been completed in all six regions. Implementation by Delhi grantees began in October 2004; in Jharkhand in December 2004; in Kolkata in January 2005; in Chhattissgarh in June 2005; in Mumbai in October 2005 and, finally, in North Karnataka in November 2005. In all, $9.4 million in grant funds were committed to 33 NGO partner grantees (including LSS of Chhattissgarh), 22 (including LSS) direct service delivery grantees, 11 capacity building grantees and 68 sub-grantees of capacity building grantees. The annual report will focus on the progress made by these grantees in implementing their projects, on the technical assistance provided to grantees via the REACH India project and on the monitoring and evaluation efforts conducted. REACH India, during this reporting period, exceeded most of the established quantitative targets. As on 31 August 2006, a total of 94,471 children aged six to fourteen were directly benefiting from project implementation by REACH India supported grantees against the target of 60,000 mentioned in the Performance Monitoring Plan thereby exceeding the year II target by 57% (cumulative). (See page 1 of PMP Annexure) Another highlight of the year II findings is that overall retention rate for REACH India grantees was 87% as compared to the target of 75% set for Year 2. Students in formal schools being offered remediation services through a REACH India funded program demonstrated a retention rate of 95%. (See page 2 of PMP Annexure) 3 REACH India Annual Report October 2005-September 2006 Currently, 3870 people are contributing to the project results reported. In the process, they are also gaining valuable experience and training that has potential for increasing their capacity to contribute in the future to achieving India’s goal of universal elementary education. Teacher training has emerged as an even larger component of the REACH India project than initially anticipated. As of September 2006, 2288 formal school teachers and 1060 formal school administrators have been trained. By extension, it is estimated that there are some 91,520 children benefiting from improved teaching/instructional methods. This shift toward the provision of more teacher trainings than originally anticipated in the project document and PMP, is indicative of the flexibility and responsiveness of the project to the changes circumstances that are resulting