HIV & AIDS in the Education Sector in Cambodia

Transcription

1 HIV & AIDS in the Education Sector in Cambodia Prepared by ICHA Secretariat under the direction of Patrick Duong and H.E Im Sethy Royal Government of Cambodia. Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Interdepartmental Committee for HIV & AIDS (ICHA) Published with the support of the SCRH Programme. A multi-donor programme led by DFID and financially managed by UNDP Overview on Monitoring and Evaluation (Process and Impact) Fact Sheet:

2 2 2 Fact Sheet: CONTENT: HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector in Cambodia Interdepartmental Committee for HIV & AIDS General Overview on the Programme and on Monitoring and Evaluation Introduction: by His Excellency Im Sethy, Secretary of State, p.3 PART I: General Presentation on HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector in Cambodia: Cambodia profile and data: p.5 A priority for the Cambodian Royal Government: p.7 HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector: p.7 The Ministry s structure to respond to HIV/AIDS: p.9 PART II: General Overview on Monitoring and Evaluation: The Ministry s HIV/AIDS Strategy: p.13 The M&E system: p.14 Monitoring Behavior Changes: p.17 A joint M&E system between the Ministry and NGOs: p.19 The Qualitative and Participatory Approach: p.23 Monitoring of Mainstreaming Activities: p.27 Monitoring of Institutional Capacity Building: p.32

3 3 3 Introduction As in many other South East Asian countries, HIV/AIDS is a major concern for Cambodia. This ICHA Fact Sheet (#2) aims at briefly describing the Ministry s Monitoring and Evaluation system that is based on a dual approach using quantitative and qualitative tools for assessing both process and impacts of HIV & AIDS programme. The Fact Sheet also aims at highlights some of the key lessons we learned and wish to share with colleagues. While the country has recovered from the Khmer Rouge regime ( ) and from the tragedy of losing up to 3 million children, women and men in the killing fields, Cambodia is still engaged towards mobilizing resources to rebuild and strengthen its society, including through providing adequate education and health services to its population. Despite the fact that the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has dropped from 2.1% (2002) to 09% (2007), Cambodia prevalence rate is still among the highest in the region. More worrying, the economic growth of the country, the population migration and the new consumer behaviors that the economic development is generating are increasingly putting the young Cambodian population at risk. As a key actor of the National Response to HIV/AIDS, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) has been implementing since 1999 an HIV/AIDS programme that aims at protecting and preventing the students, the out-of-school Cambodian youth and the MoEYS labour force from being infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Developing policies, setting systems, mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in the Education sector, integrating HIV/AIDS in the national curriculum, training pre- and in-service teachers and education officers are therefore among the top priorities of the Ministry s Interdepartmental Committee on HIV/AIDS (ICHA). Thanks to the support of the United Kingdom s Department for International Development (DFID), UN Agencies and other development partners, ICHA is now, considerably strengthened and recognized for its experience in mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in the education sector. I am therefore grateful to Mr. Patrick Duong, the DFID/UNDP Advisor to the Ministry and to the ICHA Secretariat for having prepared these series of fact sheets which primarily aims at giving an overview on the Ministry s HIV/AIDS programme and share information and practices. His Excellency, Im Sethy Secretary of State Chairperson of ICHA Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport

4 4 4 PART I: General Overview on HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector in Cambodia

5 5 5 Part I: HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector in Cambodia I.1. Cambodia Profile: Cambodia is situated in the Southeast Asia neighboring Vietnam to the east, Thailand and Laos to the north, Thailand to the west and a short coastline to the south. It has an area of 181,035 square kilometers and a population of approximately 13 million (Census in 1998: 11.4 million, of which there are almost 6 million female), spread out over 24 provinces with the capital Phnom Penh situated in the mid-south of the country. Almost 85 percent of the population live in the rural areas earning their living from agricultural industries, like rice farming, market vegetable, fishing and a handful of them earn from agro-industry. Picture: Cambodian female secondary students participating in a peer education programme. I.2. HIV/AIDS Data on Cambodia: (Data from the National AIDS Authority (NAA) and the Ministry of Health, (NCHADS), 2005) Cambodia has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the region, yet its decade-long response to HIV and AIDS has been comparatively strong and effective. In the years since HIV was first detected in Cambodia, many thousands of people have died of AIDS-related illnesses and many more have been emotionally and financially affected. Yet, there are successes within this story. Prevention campaigns amongst selected high-risk populations have proven highly effective. Cambodia is now one of the few countries in the world that has demonstrably reversed the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as shown in the declining prevalence rate among adults, reduced by a third. Between 1997 and 2003 the prevalence of HIV in the adult population fell from 3.0% to 1.9%. (Note: the rate is 0.9 in 2007). (NAA, 2006).

6 6 6 HIV Transmission mechanisms: Other Mother to Child 90% Sexual Contact Estimated HIV Prevalence (in %)* among adults aged 15-49, (*from the modeled number of PLHA): Estimate number of people aged living with HIV/AIDS, : Total Number 180, , , , ,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20, ,150 4,300 Man Total Men Women Women 18,700 45,700 85,600 12,000 33,700 60,800 24, ,600 81,100 39, , , , , , , , ,100 95, , ,500 99,100 92,700 84,600 51,600 75,200 65,600 56,400 56,400 56,800 57,200 57,500 57,700 57, Year

7 7 7 I.3. HIV & AIDS is a priority for the Royal Government of Cambodia: HIV/AIDS is a key priority 1 for the Government of Cambodia and for its Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS). Keeping in mind the recent tragic history of Cambodia, the country must today continue to concentrate its efforts on rebuilding the society and ensuring proper education and health services to its population 2. Resources mobilized for HIV/AIDS are therefore also seen as contributing to development and poverty reduction strategies and have a direct impact on other MDGs (Poverty, Gender, Child mortality, etc). The overall goals of the Cambodian National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan : To reduce new infections of HIV; To provide care and support to people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS; To alleviate the socio-economic and human impact of AIDS on the individual, family, community, and society. I.4. HIV & AIDS and the Education Sector: The Cambodian education sector remains fragile and needs to be strengthened (during the Khmer Rouge regime most of Cambodian teachers were killed and the schools destroyed). On the other hand, with an extremely large young population, the Cambodian youth (students and out-of-school youth) is increasingly exposed to HIV/AIDS and to new social and contemporary temptations and risks 3. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has in this context decided to implement a HIV/AIDS preventive education programme 4 to deliver HIV/AIDS education in public schools as well as to reach out to the most vulnerable children who do not yet have access to regular education. In addition, the Ministry is increasingly mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector and in 15 of its own departments (see following pages and Part II). 1 Cambodian Law on HIV/AIDS and National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan ( ) 2 Ref: Cambodian MDGs, PRSP and the Rectangular Strategy of the Royal Government. 3 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, MoEYS and UNICEF, The National Law on HIV/AIDS mentions in its Article 3 that MoEYS is responsible for: Integrating HIV/AIDS education in the school curriculum; Focusing on In and Out-of-School Youth; Training Teachers as resource persons; Cooperating with the civil society and NGOs.

8 8 8 Primary NER by District 180,000 primary school-age children (60% of girls) are still outof-school: (MoEYS, EMIS, 2005) < 60% % % % 90% > 1.5. Why is it important for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to fight HIV/AIDS? At least for 4 reasons: 1. The Ministry is responsible for providing education to the Cambodian youth (formal and non-formal education), 2. The Ministry is the main governmental institution that can implement a youth Preventive education programme at the national level, 3. The Ministry has the responsibility to protect and preserve its labor force (120,000 teachers/staff) from being infected by HIV, 4. The HIV/AIDS programme gives the opportunity to develop new management tools, new teaching methodologies and to address sensitive topics such as reproductive health and drug abuses. 100% Less than half of children complete the 6-year primary cycle: 90% 80% 70% 60% (MoEYS, EMIS, 2005) 50% 40% % 20% 10% 0%

9 9 9 I.6. Consequences for the Cambodian Education Sector if HIV/AIDS infections increase? The enrolment rates will fall (girls being more affected) The number of trained and skilled teachers will decrease Drop outs will increase as children will need to take care of families The financial resources allocated to the Education Sector might be redirected to cover health and care support (and quality of education will decrease). In ,700 children could become orphans due to HIV/AIDS (NCHADS, estimates) I.7. How is the Ministry organized to respond to HIV & AIDS? The Ministry has established the ICHA (Interdepartmental Committee for HIV & AIDS) as a coordination structure to mainstream HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector. This committee is chaired by the MoEYS Secretary of State and comprises 15 Departments and Institutes. Its annual budget is approximately USD 2,3 million. The Ministry HIV has an HIV Strategic Plan ( ) and recently developed a Workplace Policy on HIV. ICHA receives its main support from the UK s Department for International Development (DFID), as well as from UNICEF, UNFPA, UNESCO, UNDP and other development agencies. From 2008, the Ministry s HIV programme will further be strengthened with support of the World Bank, the European Union and the ADB. ICHA also closely cooperates with international and local NGOs and coordinates its programme with the National AIDS Authority (NAA) other line Ministries and the Donor community. Strengthening Cambodia's Response to HIV/AIDS (SCRH) is a 5-year multi-sectoral programme developed and funded by DFID (managed by UNDP) to support the efforts of the Royal Government of Cambodia in preventing and mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS. The SCRH Programme supports the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS), the National AIDS Authority (NAA), the National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STDs (NCHADS), and the BBC World Service Trust. A budget of USD 5 million is allocated to MoEYS together with the assistance of an international Advisor. (Note; The programme ended in December 2007)

10 10 10 I.8. ICHA s top objectives: Develop policies and systems to increase the Ministry s capacity to respond to HIV/AIDS and reduce the impact in the Education sector, Implement a nation wide preventive education programme for Cambodian students and out-of-school youth (approx. 6 million), Train and raise awareness of MoEYS employees to protect and prevent themselves, Reduce stigma and discrimination (including support to vulnerable children), Progressively address sensitive topics and issues (eg: Reproductive health, Drugs, Street children 5 ), Develop curriculum, manuals and train teachers on how to teach HIV/AIDS (and other related topics) in public schools and non-formal educational settings. Sources of information on HIV/AIDS (Primary students): One red seed = 10% (Extract from the Participatory Process Assessment & Evaluation used by MoEYS, 2006) Angkor Thom District in Siem Reap Province Teachers Friends TV NGO News Papers & Magazines Parents Neighbors & Community pilot assessment Ravi Jayakaran / sterengthening Cambodia's response to HIV/AIDS / MoEYS -DFID-UNDP partnership 18 5 Depending on the season, there are between 10,000 to 23,000 Street Children in Phnom Penh (15% of them could be HIV Positive and 80% using drugs).

11 11 11 I.9. The 4 main Pillars of the ICHA Strategy: MoEYS Process supported by Donor s technical assistance (4 Pillars) The 4 main Pillars of the ICHA Strategy Policy Development and Strategic Planning Institutional Development and Performance Management Support for Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in the Education and Youth Sector National Preventive Education Programme (Life Skills/ Behavior Change) GOAL: MoEYS contributes to stabilizing and reducing HIV/AIDS infections in Cambodia. I.10. Recent achievements: Adopted its HIV Strategic Plan ( ) The new Curriculum Framework now integrates HIV/AIDS topics in grade 6, 7, 8 and 9, A Life Skills policy is developed, A HIV Workplace Policy is developed HIV/AIDS are part of the new Students Performance Minimum Standards, HIV/AIDS is integrated in the National Examination plans, All pre-service teachers attend a 5-day training on HIV/AIDS, In-service teachers are progressively trained on HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS Manuals and IEC tools are developed, The Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme is launched in 7 provinces, The Ministry is reaching out to Out-of-school youth and to Street Children, HIV/AIDS related topics (such as Reproductive Health, drugs) are integrated in the programme, Cambodia is one of the 4 Countries selected for a first round of activities with the UN Global Initiative for HIV/AIDS Education. The DFID Monitoring and Advisory Team has suggested that the model and experience of MoEYS in the area of HIV/AIDS be used for other line Ministries or in other countries (Output to Purpose Review mission, October 2005).

12 12 12 PART II: General Overview on the ICHA Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

13 13 13 Part II: Monitoring and Evaluation of the HIV/AIDS Programme II.1. The 4 Pillars of the Ministry s HIV/AIDS Strategy: MoEYS Process supported by Donor s technical assistance (4 Pillars) The 4 main Pillars of the ICHA Strategy Policy Development and Strategic Planning National Preventive Education Programme (Life Skills/ Behavior Change) Support for Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in the Education and Youth Sector Institutional Development and Performance Management The following sections briefly describes how the MoEYS monitors these 3 pillars. GOAL: MoEYS contributes to stabilizing and reducing HIV/AIDS infections in Cambodia. o Pillar 1: Policy Development and Strategic Planning: The objective of this first component is to ensure that HIV & AIDS (and other related topics) remains a priority for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and that relevant strategies and goals are set up. o Pillar 2: This pillar supports the planning and implementation of the National Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme that targets the Cambodian youth (In-School and Out-of- School Youth, approximately 6 million). o Pillar 3: This third component aims at mainstreaming HIV/AIDS across the MoEYS, it focuses on integrating HIV/AIDS in the National curriculum, training pre and in-service teachers, developing curriculum and IECs, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation. o Pillar 4: Under this last pillar, institutional development, capacity building and training activities are organized to strengthen the Ministry s capacity to plan, implement and monitor HIV/AIDS programmes. Financial management, Procurement, Human resource management and Merit based incentive schemes are also addressed under this component.

14 14 14 Background on DFID s support to the Cambodian Royal Government Recognizing the efforts and the need to assist the Cambodian Royal Government to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the United Kingdom s Department for International Development (DFID) is providing 15.6m financial support to assist the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) in its efforts to control HIV/AIDS, through the Strengthening Cambodia s response to HIV/AIDS programme (SCRH). The programme is implemented from 2003 to 2008 in 3 National Executing Agencies (National AIDS Authority, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STD, and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports). Support is also provided to the BBC World Service Trust (BBC-WST) for media and awareness campaigns. The Programme funds allocated to the 3 National Executing Agencies are channeled through UNDP. International Advisors are assigned in each of the Agencies. II.2. The M&E system of the HIV/AIDS Programme: As a key cross-cutting issue, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is entirely integrated in the HIV/AIDS Ministry s programme. The MoEYS M&E system addresses both Process and Impact(s). The Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, with the support of DFID has therefore opted for a combination of quantitative and qualitative/participatory approaches. This dual system allows focusing on implementation and quality of processes/operations as well as on end results. In addition, while a centralized system was required in the early phase, the Ministry is now moving towards greater decentralization and involvement of local authorities. Cooperation with local actors (community leaders, pagodas, youth groups, etc) and NGOs is therefore essential. The following sections briefly describe how the Ministry is assessing 3 of the 4 pillars of its HIV/AIDS strategy: Section 1 (page 17) gives an overview on how the MoEYS monitors and evaluate: Behavior changes and the effectiveness of the national Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme. Section 2 (page 27) briefly reviews: Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in the MoEYS: integration of HIV/AIDS in the National Curriculum, Pre and In-Service Teacher Trainings, Curriculum development, etc. Section 3 (page 32) finally present basic information on: Institutional Development and Capacity Building: effectiveness of Policy and Systems development, Financial management, Staff performances, Trainings.

15 15 15 LOGFRAME OF THE MoEYS HIV/AIDS PROGRAMME: PROGRAM PURPOSE: "Increased capacity of MoEYS to implement mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in line with the revised education sector HIV/AIDs strategy". OUTCOME 1 OUTCOME 2 OUTCOME 3 The statement at this level describes the "long-term outcome" that the program is seeking to achieve, or the "result" Reduced potential for HIV/AIDS infection in children and youth in programme areas. Improved commitment & capacity of MoEYS staff at Ministry, provincial and district levels to pro-actively respond to the challenges of the epidemic by incorporating HIV/AIDS policy and activities and action plans. Heightened capacity of MoEYS staff at Ministry, provincial and district levels in strategic thinking, planning, programme management, monitoring and evaluation of education programs. The statement at this level describes how the "long-term outcome" above w ill be achieved, the w ork that w ill be undertaken to get the result w anted. OBJECTIVE 1 To increase awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS and other health related topics for in-school and out of school children and youth, with the purpose of reducing the risk of exposure to HIV. OBJECTIVE 2 For MoEYS Departments to mainstream HIV/AIDS and other related topics in their regular work plans. OBJECTIVE 3 To strengthen the institutional capacity of the MoEYS to manage, coordinate and implement education programs. These statements at this level describe actual things that have been done that w ill lead to the achievement of objective above. MoEYS adopts a comprehensive set of manuals and IEC materials for the Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education program. A 'life skills for HIV/AIDS Education Program' is implemented for in and out of school youth in 10 provinces (50% districts) and for street children in 3 areas of Phnom Penh by HIV/AIDS is inco rpo rate d in to th e ESP, ESSP & MoEYS has pre pared a n HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan for the period HIV/AIDS is integrated into the new MoEYS curriculum and textbooks (Primary, Secondary & NFE) from A set of manuals is developed and used for Teacher Trainings Departments of Finance and Inspectorate actively support the ICHA Annual Work Plans. Pre and in-service teachers (primary and secondary) are trained and teach HIV/AIDS and other health related topics in schools. Youth, Sport, ASEAN Affairs Departments are implementing supporting activities (awareness) with their target groups. Technical expertise and oversight of MoEYS HIV related manuals and other materials provided by ICHA Secretariat and the SHD. Personnel Department drives active campaign to promote HIV awareness for staff, including non-teaching staff, at the MoEYS central level and in the provinces ICHA secretariat effectively and efficiently manages and coordinates the HIV/AIDS mainstreaming activities within the Ministry. Cap acity of 6 0 staff a cross th e MoEYS is b uilt in terms of education programs management Institutional arrangements and management systems are in place MoEYS/ICHA coordinates and liaises with national institutions, donors, UN agencies and NGOs. A monitoring and evaluation system is in p la ce for ICHA p rog ra mme imple men tatio n

16 16 16 II.3. Aim of the monitoring system: Monitoring is the regular observation and recording of activities taking place in a programme. It is a process of routinely gathering information on all aspects of the programme. Monitoring enables programme managers to check on how programme activities are progressing. Monitoring also involves giving feedback about the progress of the programme to the donors, implementers and beneficiaries of the programme (see Logframe on previous page). Reporting then enables the gathered information to be used in making decisions for improving programme performance. Monitoring assists the MoEYS in providing information needed in order to: analyze the current situation; identify problems and devise/find solutions; develop trends and patterns; maintain programme activities on schedule; measure progress against objectives; formulate & adjust future goals & objectives; make decisions about resources. The overall aim is to come up with a clear, workable and useful Monitoring and Evaluation framework for the programme. The framework is the gathering together of all of the relevant information needed to monitoring and evaluation process and progress tools in the programme. A Participatory Process Evaluation to assess the different sources of information on HIV/AIDS.

17 17 17 Section 1: II.4. Monitoring of Behavior Change: (Effectiveness of the national Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme ) As earlier mentioned, one of the main MoEYS priority is to provide HIV/AIDS education to the Cambodian in and out-of-school youth. The Ministry has therefore designed and implemented a national Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme that aims at providing the Cambodian youth (through classroom teaching and peer education) with basic information, knowledge tools and skills on HIV/AIDS prevention and protection. The programme also addresses stigma and discriminations, as well as other HIV/AIDS-related topics such as reproductive health and drug abuses. The programme is designed in respect of the socio-cultural norms of Cambodia and tailored to the age and skills of the beneficiaries. The Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme is implemented by contracted NGOs in primary, secondary schools and reaches out communes and villages with out-of-school youth and community representatives (see summary chart on next page). In addition, a specific programme has been designed to address the Street Children of Phnom Penh who are increasingly at high risk. The Ministry s monitoring system for this Behavior Change component ( Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme ) is heavily drawn from the consolidation and analysis of information coming in to the central level. This data is collected at the local level (districts, villages, schools, youth groups, etc) by NGOS and MoEYS (Central, Provincial, and District officers) through monitoring visits to the field, as well as through the activities of the process evaluation team. The monitoring system used in the Behavior Change component follows a dual system (quantitative and qualitative/participatory approaches) which allows focusing on implementation and quality of processes/operations as well as on end results. Cooperation with local actors (community leaders, pagodas, youth groups, etc) and NGOs is therefore essential. A Primary School in Kampong Speu

18 18 18 Brief on the strategy of the Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme : Summary of the Life Skills for HIV/AIDS education strategy: Students in the target area & youth out of school in the target area Give responsibility to selected Local NGOs NGO trains District Trainers District trainers train Peer Educators in school and out of school District trainers also facilitate class room training with responsible NGO s support NGO continue to mobilize other support from District and provincial leadership for the program Must be aware of HIV/AIDS and be equipped to know how to be safe. While the first part of this section describes some of the key activities carried out by the Ministry and the NGOs to monitor the Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme, the second part (from page 23) describes the Qualitative and Participatory Process Evaluation that is used to assess behavior changes and the effectiveness of the national preventive programme. Peer education activity in a small village

19 19 19 II.5. A Joint M&E system between the Ministry and NGOs: a) Information already known about youth risk behavior in Cambodia: Part of the monitoring system includes the consolidation of relevant findings from baseline surveys related to youth sexual and reproductive health and risk behavior that were conducted in These surveys include: 2004, Cambodia National Youth Risk Behavior Survey Pedagogical Research Dept. MoEYS; UNICEF; UNESCO 9,388 young people (11-18 years) in all 24 provinces of Cambodia and municipalities 2004, RHIYA Cambodia Baseline Survey Reproductive Health EU/UNFPA Initiative for Youth in Asia 2,075 young people (15-24 years) in 8 of the 11 RHIYA project provinces and municipalities b) Information being collected by the NGOs: The NGOs contracted by the MoEYS to implement the nation wide Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme have each developed a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework. The information they regularly collect and analyze includes: Baseline and end KAP surveys Pre-test and post-tests carried out prior to training of peer educators and at beginning of engagement with schools and out of school youth, and at end of project Snapshot survey Life skills teaching observation IEC report forms Training evaluations Success story and case study reports Peer contact records Event reports, including event impact surveys (Individual; case study) Peer education observation Peer educator daily logs District Team Members weekly work plans Rapid survey of youth regarding services received from peer educators Students and out of school youth self-reporting Quarterly progress reports Workshop reports The possibility of introducing the Most Significant Change monitoring technique has also been discussed with the contracted NGOs. To be effective this technique relies on having a system in place that fits with the relatively time consuming collection and analysis process. The Training of Trainers workshop for the district training teams, followed by monthly meetings, offers an

20 20 20 ideal process for introducing this monitoring technique. NGOs have expressed interest in this monitoring technique and may trial it in some districts. If successful this technique will provide the MoEYS with a rich source of stories about the programme from the perspective of program participants. A selection of these stories may be collated into a publication at the end of the programme. c) Sharing of information between NGOs and the Ministry: Diagram 1 (see below) shows the process for MoEYS review and incorporation of information reported by NGOs. The information from the NGO Quarterly Reports is summarized, including key quantitative data; implementation issues; lessons learned and recommendations made by the NGOs. This information is then consolidated with MoEYS monitoring and evaluation information, which is then used as the basis for quarterly meetings with the NGOs. The lessons learned from this summary analysis are discussed and any changes needed to the programme are agreed at these meetings. Programme progress and changes agreed are discussed at the ICHA Technical Working Group meetings and reported to the SCRH Steering Committee. Quarterly NGO Progress Report received Reports summarized & collated, including: Qualitative data, Implementation issues, Lessons learned and Recommendations MoEYS M&E information collated & consolidated with NGO information Joint MoEYS/NGO meeting to discuss progress and agree on changes Diagram 1: PROCESS FOR REVIEW AND INCORPORATION OF INFORMATION REPORTED BY NGOs Overview of progress and changes reported at 6 monthly Steering Committee

21 21 21 II.6. The MoEYS Monitoring Processes: Central level and local actors MoEYS Provincial and District Education Officers visit the programme at the local level on a monthly basis and complete the standard monitoring report form produced by the ICHA Secretariat. The flow of monitoring information from the provincial and district level offices is outlined in Diagram 2 (see below). In addition, monthly monitoring visits to selected programme sites are also conducted by the central level (ICHA Secretariat). Diagram Feedback provided to Provincial and District Officers 1. Monitoring Visits to programme areas by Provincial and District teams. Completion of standard Field Trip Report. FLOW OF MONITORING INFORMATION (Provincial and District level) 2. Monitoring forms discussed and summarized at quarterly Provincial and District meeting 4. Recommendations and any other actions undertaken with NGOs 3. Summarized document forwarded to ICHA Secretariat A separate monitoring form has been prepared to capture information from these visits. The information from these monitoring visits are summarized and used to inform quarterly joint MoEYS/NGO meetings.

22 22 22 Programme High level Indicators used to assess Awareness and Knowledge (Extract from the ICHA log frame) Program Element to be Monitored Performance Indicators Methodology to be used in Monitoring Means of Verification Component 1: Objective: To increase the awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS and other health related topics for in-school and out of school children and youth, with the purpose of reducing the risk of exposure to HIV. PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS: Outcome: Reduced potential for HIV/AIDS infection in children and youth in program areas Students perceptions, behaviors and knowledge with respect to HIV/AIDS improved. Improved perceptions behaviors and knowledge with respect to HIV/AIDS of out-of-school youth & vulnerable children. Confidence and skills of teachers raised in terms of: - knowledge of HIV/AIDS facts & issues - use of innovative student-centered methodologies Key information in quarterly NGO reports re: teachers, students, out of-school youth, vulnerable children, collated and summarized on Summary Report form, including: - quantitative information - implementation issues - lessons learned - recommendations and action needed. MoEYS collation of NGO survey findings and recommendations formulated. Small evaluation team selected & trained. Key evaluation questions decided, information collected & analyzed from selected sites. Findings used to improve program. MoEYS staff undertaking field visits (ICHA quarterly; PoE monthly; DoE monthly) complete field visit report forms. Information collated & action taken where needed. Summary of information & action used to inform MoEYS quarterly joint meetings with NGOs MAT team undertakes annual OPR including visits to a number of selected provinces. Quarterly, annual and final program reports prepared by contracted NGOs. MoEYS summary report form ICHA annual achievement report Baseline/endline surveys completed by NGOs Written results and analysis from process evaluation activities Monitoring and field visit report forms completed by MoEYS (PoE, DoE) and by ICHA SHD staff during field visits. Annual MAT OPR Report

23 23 23 II.7. The Qualitative and Participatory Approach: An additional tool to control quality A process evaluation team, comprising 12 staff from the Pedagogical Research Department has been created to develop the on the ground monitoring and evaluation skills of the MoEYS and, at the same time, provide information about the performance, relevance and success of particular approaches and components of the Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education programme. The evaluation team was trained on Qualitative and Participatory Assessments. Purpose of Process Assessment: 1. Are the systems in place? 4. What and where are the Gaps? The P.P.A.E. (Participatory Process Assessment and Evaluation) 2. Are they being implemented? 3. Is the intended Impact occurring? One of the participatory methods that the team has been trained in is The Ten Seed Technique (TST). This technique is useful in gathering qualitative information on various issues, especially with regard to the perceptions of the community and the way people see themselves in relation to others. While the TST is a very versatile Participatory tool with very wide scale use, it has in this case, been specifically prepared to meet the needs of the process assessment and evaluation team and especially designed to provide at regular intervals the information that is required for the programme to assess the progress of the process and achievement of intended milestones. II.8. Background and Principles of Participation: The TST has now been widely used in the Greater Mekong Sub-region to assess Participatory development programs. One of the biggest advantages of this technique is that it allows for discussion of information that is otherwise sensitive to handle. Besides using the seeds and

24 24 24 grouping them to depict information, there is the creation of a visual that tremendously enhances the quality of discussions. Due to their non-threatening nature, the seeds allow group members to feel free to express themselves openly and frankly. Facilitation is an art. In fact it is a way of life! Care must be taken to ensure that the core team of Process assessment and evaluation team members gets ample input to develop their capacities to become good facilitators. While facilitating, it is important to ensure that there is adequate time available for the exercise. This involves planning well in advance and ensuring that all members of the group feel comfortable. Working in teams is important for this reason. II.9. The uniqueness of Qualitative information: Qualitative information bears a different mandate than that for Quantitative information. While preparing the report one must capture the uniqueness of the context that will emerge when facilitation is done well. Unlike quantitative information, the outcome of the exercises will be a narrative document with the visuals of each exercise in it. Comparing between sites is therefore not so much a matter of being better than or worse than, but a matter of looking for linkages and learning from the composite information. Principe of the Participatory Approach: Similar to methodology used in Science: What we do in PPA&E: Look & go deep Lay out the information and let it speak Not for criticism or judgment, but for CQI Qualitative information allows for obtaining width as well as depth to the information and this is what gives it its richness. To begin with, the principle is to cast the net wide and get as much width from the information as possible. When something is seen to be significant, it is good to go into depth and probe as much as possible for hints of reasons and causes. In some cases it may even be possible to carry out case studies of people who are seriously affected. This often throws light on reality in a most unusual way. For example, one may facilitate through awareness and capacity building, sexual negotiation skills, but the whole issue of condom

25 25 25 availability in the village may be the biggest stumbling block. In conservative society, it may be also difficult for girls to ask questions of clarification, and the findings may be to list some of the questions that normally arise and answer them. II.10. Types of focus groups & documentation of findings: The TST can be used for interviewing individuals, for interviewing a small homogenous group such as a government department where only one person may function as a spokesperson or with a small group where everyone is free to participate. The technical term for the first type is Key informant interview. The second type is referred to as a semi- structured interview and the third one is referred to as a focused Group discussion. The exercises designed for the Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme were are all specifically designed for Focused Group Discussions (FGDs). The dynamics of group interaction allows for triangulation (correction and modification by others in the group) of the information. The ideal size of a FGD is 7 to 9 people. Care should be taken to get a random representation along with reasonable gender balance and age balance (when relevant). In terms of Documentation, each exercise has a code that begins with PPAE followed by a number. While the facilitator is facilitating the group discussion; the documenter will note (as bullet points) all the important points that emerge. At the end of the discussion he/she will also copy the visual. A TST Exercise for the Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme : Code Number: PPAE-NGO-01 Time required: minutes Name of the exercise: Effectiveness of the NGO s strategy with the District Teacher Trainers (DTT) Materials required: Flip charts, marker pens, seeds, masking tape. Preparation: Read the Briefing notes on the TST, and after the focus group of District Trainers has been briefed about what is expected of them, proceed with the exercise. Example: The code number to identify the exercise, and compare one site Angkor Thom District in Siem Reap Province Materials required NGO STRATEGY RATIO Effectiveness EFFECTIVE NOT EFFECTIVE Providing them with and training them in the use of Books Demonstrating how student centered training is done Demonstrating the use of Role play for communication Demonstration of the use of Posters Training in facilitating Group discussions Name of the exercise pilot assessment Ravi Jayakaran / sterengthening Cambodia's response to HIV/AIDS / MoEYS -DFID-UNDP partnership Steps involved: Ask the Focus group to group the seeds together to portray the different strategies used by the NGO to train them as seen in the example above. After they have made the groupings and described briefly each of the strategies, find out the effectiveness of each of the strategies as shown in the example above. Analysis of the information: In the above example, the NGO used 5 types of strategies for training the DTT. The strategies that they emphasized the most were use of books and facilitating group discussions, followed by use of the student centered method. Among these the most effective were Demonstration of student centered teaching and facilitating group discussions. The least effective method was the use of role plays. 2 Preparations required

26 26 26 At the end of the session day, each team will look at the exercises that it has completed and read through the documentation, highlighting the important points. This also helps edit out points that have repeated themselves in the course of documentation. The highlighted points are synthesized into a summary that is about 1-2 paragraphs in length. To summarize, each exercise will have the following: The Code with guiding questions A copy of the visual A transcript of the discussions with important points highlighted A summary of the important points. The summaries (written in sequence) constitute the site summary. The original copy of the visuals and code with transcript (as mentioned above) are preserved in a box file at the ICHA Secretariat for reference when required. The original flip chart on which discussions were carried out and which has the original visual is left behind at the site with the group interviewed. Flow of information (PPAE Team): ICHA Out side support Feed back Feed back Keep them on track PPA&E team NGOs Quarterly Assessment Missions

27 27 27 Section2: II.11. Monitoring of Mainstreaming Activities In addition to the Behavior Change component (see previous section), the Ministry considers that Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector is essential to sustain HIV/AIDS education programmes and activities. The Ministry has therefore established, in 1999, the Interdepartmental Committee for HIV/AIDS, ICHA (see Part I) to develop HIV/AIDS policies and coordinate the HIV/AIDS activities of the 15 MoEYS Departments and Institutes. Strategic plans, Annual work plans, Curriculum development, Pre and In-Service teacher trainings, IEC developments, Production of TV and Radio spots are among the mainstreaming activities carried out by the Ministry at the central, provincial and district levels (see box on page 28). The monitoring and review process for the mainstreaming activities is described in Diagram 3 (see page 29). Mainstreaming activities undertaken by the fifteen MoEYS Departments involved in the ICHA programme are implemented in accordance with the ICHA Annual Work plan, which briefly describes proposed Department activities and outlines the budget available. Departments then complete Activity Request forms which provide more detailed planning information about the Activity, including: rationale for activity; objective; expected outcomes; implementation plan; and monitoring and evaluation process. Progress or final reports are submitted by Departments at each quarter. In their final reports, Departments are expected to reflect on the process and include information about achievements, problems encountered and lessons learned as a result of implementing the activity. The lessons learned are incorporated into the Departmental strategic plans for the following year. MoEYS/ICHA latest publications for teachers, students and out-of-school youth

28 28 28 Example of Mainstreaming activities in Cambodia: - Develop and implement an HIV/AIDS Strategy in support to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy of the Royal Government, - MoEYS is the first Cambodian Ministry to adopt a HIV Workplace Policy. - Strengthen the Ministry s capacity to plan, implement and monitor HIV/AIDS programmes, - Enhance the Ministry s capacity to manage funds, procure goods and services, encourage staff performance and cooperate with NGOs, other key partners and coordinate activities, - Integrate HIV/AIDS (and other related topics such as Reproductive health and drugs) in the National curriculum and in the Education Strategic Plans, - Integrate HIV/AIDS in the annual work plans and objectives of MoEYS Departments at the central and local levels, - Develop comprehensive HIV/AIDS Curriculum, Manuals and IEC tools (develop locally in respect of the socio-cultural norms of Cambodia), - Train Pre and In-Service teachers on HIV/AIDS and encourage them to integrate HIV/AIDS in the regular classes, - Develop HIV/AIDS education programs for Out-of-School youth, - Raise awareness of MoEYS teaching and non-teaching staff, - Develop Sport and Youth HIV/AIDS awareness activities, - Produce TV and Radio spots. Samples of IEC tools used in the Life Skills for HIV/AIDS Education Programme

29 HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector in Cambodia (Monitoring and Evaluation), July Diagram of the MoEYS Mainstreaming Programme 8. Department provides brief report to ICHA Technical Working Group, including lessons learned Summary Report & Financial Acquittal submitted to UNDP 9. Summary form of Activity/Financial Report prepared by Programme Officer Administration & filed 7. Quarterly progress or final report submitted. If final, then Financial Liquidation Report to be included 1. Annual strategic plans developed in each Department 6. Funding provided by MoEYS Finance Department Towards a Learning Institution: Mainstreaming Activities within MoEYS Approval, Monitoring, & Review Process 2. ICHA annual work plan 5. Activity Request approved by relevant Department Director 3. Department prepares & submits Activity request to Technical Secretariat 4. Secretariat appraisal of Activity Request, Revised by Department if necessary

30 HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector in Cambodia (Monitoring and Evaluation), July Example of Indicators collected in a HIV/AIDS training workshop (Extract from MoEYS/ICHA M&E framework): A. General Observation: Not good Average Good Very good Place Participants' participation The whole workshop process Time respect Collaboration of local authorities B. Workshop Activities: Number of Facilitators from MoEYS (and Females): Number of Facilitators from local authorities (and Females): Total Number of Participants (and Females):.Participants from (and Females): Pre-test Yes No Post-test Yes No Clear Specific objectives Yes No Clear Schedule Yes No Not good Average Good Very good Capacity of Trainers C. Methodologies Used: Child Centered Role Play Games IECs material/documents Confident level of Teaching Interaction between Trainers and Participants Question answered (Trainer/Facilitator) D. Textbook and Topic covered (Do the participants clearly understand the topics? And is the trainer providing clear information and answer to questions?) Textbook's Name: Topics: Not Clear P/C Clear Very Clear 1-. : : :

31 HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector in Cambodia (Monitoring and Evaluation), July Programme High level Indicators used in Cambodia to ensure that HIV/AIDS remains a priority of the Ministry (Extract from the ICHA log frame) Program Element to be Monitored Performance Indicators Methodology to be used in Monitoring Means of Verification Component 2: Objective: For MoEYS Departments to mainstream HIV/AIDS and other related topics into their regular work plans IMPLEMENTATION ELEMENTS: Output 2.1 HIV/AIDS is incorporated into the ESP; ESSP & MoEYS has prepared an HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan for the period. The ESP and annual ESSP both include strong reference to HIV/AIDS. An HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan for the period is developed and being implemented by all MoEYS Departments Review of ICHA communication records demonstrate ICHA active in ensuring HIV/AIDS is strongly represented in ESP & ESSP and has been key influential group in developing the MoEYS HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan ESP & ESSP documents HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan document ICHA advocacy communication documents Output 2.2 HIV/AIDS is integrated into the new MoEYS curriculum and textbooks (Primary, Secondary & NFE) from New subject curriculum for primary & secondary trainees includes HIV/AIDS and other health related topics as part of core curriculum. New subject curriculum for NFE trainees includes HIV/AIDS and other health related topics and is used in 4 provinces. Annual ICHA work plan demonstrates practical application of MoEYS HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan ICHA representation on technical working groups developing new subject curricula and textbooks Review of subject curricula and textbook drafts and revision if not included NFE Department to record number and location of NFE trainees being taught with new curricula Collation of number and location of schools using textbooks that include HIV/AIDS as core topic. Annual ICHA comprehensive work plans MoEYS National Curriculum Policy Students Minimum Performance Standards Subject curriculum manuals for primary, secondary schools at TTD & NIE NFE subject curriculum & textbooks Textbooks available in schools

32 HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector in Cambodia (Monitoring and Evaluation), July Section 3: II.12. Monitoring of Institutional Capacity Building Institutional development and Capacity building is another key priority for ICHA. This component is considered as the backbone to ensure that the Ministry has the capacity, systems and skills to plan, implement and monitor its HIV/AIDS programme. With the support of multilateral and bilateral aid agencies, the Ministry has therefore conducted a functional task analysis to reorganize its Interdepartmental Committee for HIV/AIDS (ICHA) and is implementing (with the assistance of DFID) an Output Based Incentive Scheme (OBI) that aims at increasing staff performance and encourages changes in working methods. Financial management and Procurement regulations were also introduced to strengthen the Ministry s capacity to manage donor budgets and to allocate funds to departments. Regular capacity building and training activities are also provided to the Ministry staff at the central and local levels. Training of Provincial and District Education Officers on HIV/AIDS The monitoring of the Institutional Capacity Building component is managed by the ICHA secretariat who collates information about financial and procurement procedures, staff performances, trainings undertaken by ICHA staff; ICHA coordination with donors, UN agencies and NGOs; and other systems underpinning the ICHA operations. Monitoring in this component aims to demonstrate that ICHA runs efficiently and effectively and is able to confidently manage relations with partners and donors.