USAID MALI SELECTIVE INTEGRATED READING ACTIVITY (SIRA) Quarterly Report October 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 Submission Date: January 30, 2021 Contract Number: AID-688-TO-16-0005 under IDIQC No. AID-OAA-I-14-00053 Activity Start Date and End Date: 02/08/2016 to 07/31/2021 COR: Binta Bocoum Submitted by: Suzanne Reier, Chief of Party Adwoa Atta-Krah, Project Director Emails: [email protected]/ [email protected] Education Development Center Rue 209, Porte 45 Hamdallaye ACI 2000, Bamako Tel: (223) 2029 0018 Disclaimer: This report is made possible by the support of the American People jointly through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) andJuly the 2008Government of Mali. The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) and1 its subcontractors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. 1. PROGRAM OVERVIEW/SUMMARY USAID Mal SIRA (Selective Integrated Reading Activity) Program Name: Activity Start Date and End February 8, 2016 to July 31, 2021 Date: Name of Prime Education Development Center Implementing Partner: [Contract/Agreement] AID-688-TO-16-0005 under IDIQC No. AID-OAA-I-14-00053 Number: Œuvre Malienne d’Aide à l’Enfance du Sahel (OMAES), Save the Children, Name of Subcontractors School to School International Total Estimated Cost $50,080,957 Major Counterpart Ministry of National Education (MEN) Organizations Mali: Administrative regions of Koulikoro, Ségou, Sikasso and the District Geographic Coverage of Bamako (cities and or countries) October 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 Reporting Period: January 30, 2021 2 1.1. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Program Overview/Summary ................................................................................................ 2 1.1. Table of Contents .................................................................................................................... 3 1.2. List of Acronyms ...................................................................................................................... 4 1.3. Executive Summary- ................................................................................................................ 5 1.4. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 7 1.5. Overview/Background and Objectives ................................................................................ 8 2. Activities Update by IR and Sub IR ....................................................................................... 9 2.1. Planned Activities for this Reporting period by IR and Sub-IR .................................... 20 2.2. Activities Achieved during this Reporting Period ........................................................... 20 3. Actions to be taken for Activities Planned but not Achieved ..................................... 20 4. Challenges/Difficulties Encountered ................................................................................. 35 5. ReSilience ................................................................................................................................. 36 6. Cross-cutting Issues ............................................................................................................... 36 7. Policy and Governance Support.......................................................................................... 39 8. Collaboration, Partnerships, communications/Events .................................................... 39 9. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning .................................................................................. 39 10. Management/Staffing .............................................................................................................. 50 11. Risk Management and Security ............................................................................................ 51 12. Planned Activities/Events for Next Quarter .................................................................... 53 13. Annexes .................................................................................................................................... 53 January 30, 2021 3 1.2. LIST OF ACRONYMS AE Académie d’Enseignement (Regional Education Office) CAP Centre d’Animation Pédagogique (District Education Office) CBO Community Based Organizations (Organisations Communautaires de Base) CDA Community Development Agent (Agent de Développement Communautaire) CF Community Facilitators CGS Comité de Gestion Scolaire (School Management Committee) CP Conseiller Pédagogique (Pedagogical Counselor) CPS Cellule de Planification et de Statistiques (Planning and Statistic Office) CRPC Regional Coordinator of Community Participation CV Community Volunteers DAE Directeur de l’Académie de l’Enseignement (Director - Regional Education Office) DCAP Directeur du Centre d’Animation Pédagogique (Director - District Education Office) DFM Direction des Finances et des Mteriels (Directorate of Finance and Material) DNEF Direction Nationale de l’Enseignement Fondamental (National Directorate of Fundamental Education) DNEN Direction Nationale de l’Enseignement Normal (National Directorate of Teacher Education) DNP Direction Nationale de la Pédagogie (National Directorate of Pedagogy) EDC Education Development Center EGRA Early Grade Reading Assessment IDIQC Indefinite Deliverable/ Indefinite Quantity Contract IRI/IAI Interactive Radio Instruction/Interactive Audio Instruction IEP Institut pour l’Education Populaire (Institute for Popular Education) INSO International NGO Safety Organisation IR Intermediate Result (Résultat Intermédiaire) MEN Ministère de l’Education Nationale (Ministry of National Education) M&E Monitoring and Evaluation OMAES Œuvre Malienne d’Aide à l’Enfance du Sahel (Malian Works to Support Children in the Sahel) OSA Overseas Security Advisory Council PAPEM Projet d’Appui à la Professionnalisation des Enseignants au Mali PC Pedagogical Counselor RCPC Regional Community Participation Coordinators SBCCC Social Behavior Change Communication Campaign SC Save the Children SIG-FC Système Intégré de Gestion de la Formation Continue (Integrated System for Managing In service Training) SIRA Selective Integrated Reading Activity SMC School Management Committee STS School to School International UN United Nation USAID United States Agency for International Development January 30, 2021 4 1.3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY- Education Development Center (EDC) and its implementing partners, Oeuvre Malienne d’Aide à l’Enfance du Sahel (OMAES), Save the Children and School to School International (STS) are pleased to submit this quarterly report for the period covering October through December 2020. As the Pandemic continues in Mali and as security and political instability linger, SIRA through careful planning and rigorous monitoring accomplished most of what was planned for this quarter. The team adopted an adaptive management approach that required us to rethink and adjust timelines, modify and sometimes postpone activities and regularly communicate with USAID, the Ministry and beneficiary communities. The quarter welcomed the newly reopened schools that had been closed since March 2020 due to COVID- 19. The Grade two teacher training, although extremely challenging given the COVID-19 situation, was very well-received by teachers after many months of inactivity. The training reinforced learning about the Balanced Literacy approach and also provided teachers and their Grade 1 colleagues with catch-up modules so that they could complete the 2019-2020 school year successfully. Joint monitoring visits showed an enthusiastic team of school directors, teachers and students, as well as community organizations and parents who were all happy to be back in school. Grade 2 pedagogical materials were printed and distribution to the CAPs and schools started before the end of the year. School to School International (STS) was able to finally move forward with the last EGRA training and data collection in Bamako, Sikasso and Koulikoro. Target beneficiaries in all the regions have now been fully trained. As next steps in the capacity development process, beneficiaries will analyze data and write reports for all 3 regions and the district of Bamako. The community participation component implemented its package of activities at the community level while respecting the COVID-19 safety protocols. Communities and families were eager to restart activities. The postponed Beekunko assessment took place and data is currently being analyzed. In relation to COVID-19, flyers explaining prevention measures for parents in Bamanankan were printed and distributed by volunteers, posters for SIRA’s first and second grade classrooms were developed, COVID-19 radio messaging was inserted into current radio contracts and new radio stations were identified. Lastly, handwashing stations were purchased and distributed to the majority of SIRA schools. A summary of the quarter’s major achievements in all three intermediate result areas is provided below: For Intermediate Result 1: Classroom Early Grade Reading Instruction Improved: The first quarter of FY21 focused on supporting schools and teachers after almost 6 months of school closures. - Grade 2 teachers' training. 3,784 Gr.2 teachers from SIRA’s 10 Academies in Koulikoro, Sikasso and Segou Regions and the District of Bamako were trained in two waves on the Balanced literacy approach, decodable words and gender