RESOURCES, SKILLS AND CAPACITIES IN EARLY GRADE READING …

June 1, 2017 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Chemonics International Inc.

RESOURCES, SKILLS AND CAPACITIES IN EARLY GRADE READING IN AFGHANISTAN FINAL REPORT

DISCLAIMER The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States government.

RESOURCES, SKILLS AND CAPACITIES IN EARLY GRADE READING IN AFGHANISTAN FINAL REPORT Contract No. AID-OOA-0-14-00055, Task Order No. AID-306-TO-15-00064

Cover photo: Grade 4 students at Gulayee Araban Girls High School in Jalalabad City (Credit: RSC-EGR Project)

RESOURCES, SKILLS AND CAPACITIES IN EARLY GRADE READING FINAL REPORT | i

CONTENTS

Acronyms ........................................................................................................... ii

Executive Summary .......................................................................................... 1

Introduction ....................................................................................................... 3

RSC-EGR Project Activities ............................................................................. 4

Inventory of Early Grade Reading Materials....................................................................... 4

National Early Grade Reading Assessment and School Management Effectiveness and Safety Survey ...................................................................................................................... 7

Institutional Capacity Assessment of the Ministry of Education................................. 14

Assessing the Potential for Public-Private Partnerships in Support of Early Grade Reading in Afghanistan .......................................................................................................... 17

Study Tour .............................................................................................................................. 21

Annex A. Cost Ingredient Report ................................................................. 26

RESOURCES, SKILLS AND CAPACITIES IN EARLY GRADE READING FINAL REPORT | ii

ACRONYMS AKF Agha Khan Foundation

EGRA Early Grade Reading Assessment

EMIS Education Management Information System

GIROA Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

GIZ Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit

G-PriEd Georgia Primary Education Project

ICA Institutional Capacity Assessment

IRC International Rescue Committee

IRR inter- rater reliability

JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency

MOE Ministry of Education

NESP National Education Strategic Plan

NGO Nongovernmental Organization

NTA National Technical Scale

PED Provincial Education Directorate

PPP public-private partnership

RSC-EGR Resources, Skills and Capacities in Early Grade Reading

RSI Rahman Safi International

SMES School Management Effectiveness and Safety Survey

STS School to School International

UNICEF United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund

USAID United States Agency for International Development

RESOURCES, SKILLS AND CAPACITIES IN EARLY GRADE READING FINAL REPORT | 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This final report summarizes the accomplishments of the USAID-funded Resources, Skills and Capacities in Early Grade Reading in Afghanistan (RSC-EGR) project. In collaboration with the Afghanistan Ministry of Education (MOE), RSC‐EGR developed an inventory of early grade reading materials available in primary schools in Afghanistan and analyzed the suitability of these materials for improving reading ability. The analysis considered phonological and morphological aspects and characteristics of each grade’s reading curriculum. This work provided the MOE and stakeholders with a picture of the available reading materials in Afghanistan, established the concept and process for effective evaluation of reading materials, and supported efforts to integrate reading strategies in government schools. To guide the project’s efforts, RSC‐EGR formed a Reading Materials Assessment Working Group of MOE staff members. With the support of international reading materials experts, the working group developed evaluation criteria, compiled an inventory of all early grade reading materials in the country, and evaluated the materials according to the agreed criteria. Evaluation criteria included support for phonics, reading level, and physical specifications and characteristics of the books, such as size, font, illustrations, color, and binding. The findings of this evaluation revealed ways to harmonize and improve the stock of early grade reading materials available in Afghanistan and to provide support for all levels of early grade readers. To provide the MOE with an understanding of the current reading abilities of students across Afghanistan and factors that may be impacting their learning, RSC-EGR conducted an early grade reading assessment (EGRA) and a school management effectiveness and safety (SMES) survey. The EGRA is an internationally accepted tool for assessing reading competencies and comprehension by students in early grades, and USAID has used it in more than 60 countries. The project conducted the EGRA in both Dari and Pashto nationwide. Alongside the EGRA, the SMES survey captured the context of the broader learning environment. Taken together, the findings of the SMES survey and the EGRA enabled the project to identify any statistically significant positive or negative trends. Overall, the EGRA and SMES provided valuable findings for the MOE to inform the design and implementation of new initiatives to improve early grade reading. The RSC-EGR closely engaged the MOE in assessment design and implementation. The EGRA Working Group collaborated with RSC-EGR staff on the design of the EGRA and SMES and took part in data collection. Working group members came from all key MOE departments involved in early grade education, namely Planning, General Education, Teacher Training, Curriculum, and Academic Supervision. The results of the EGRA and SMES were shared and discussed with MOE representatives at the central, provincial, and district levels in a national consultation conference and regional workshops across the entire country. Participants at the national conference made suggestions to develop policies to support early grade reading in Afghanistan.


To reinforce the capacity developed with MOE technical members, RSC-EGR organized a study tour to Georgia of the country’s education system, particularly in providing quality education at the primary levels. The study tour also provided the opportunity for participants to learn how the Georgian education system is being reformed and what aspects were included in the reform program facilitated by the USAID Georgia-Primary Education (G-PriEd) project. To determine the capacity of the MOE to support national early grade reading improvements, RSC-EGR conducted an Institutional Capacity Assessment (ICA). The ICA looked at where capacity could be strengthened and where resources could be better aligned within key departments in order to implement an evidence-based, conflict-sensitive nationwide early grade reading program. An ICA working group supported the RSC-EGR technical team to conduct the assessment at MOE Kabul and provincial levels. Comprised of 22 MOE staff members, the working group representing six departments — General Education, Curriculum, Planning, Academic Supervision, Academic Council, and Teacher Education. The working group also played a vital role in reviewing policy documents and conducting focus group interviews with implementing partners. RSC-EGR conducted an assessment of the potential of the private sector in Afghanistan to contribute to the support of early grade reading. The assessment focused on main indicators of interest and willingness of the private sector, such as companies and universities, to partner with the government, with public schools, and civil society organizations to support reading in early grades. It also looked at the level of interest in the public sector for the development of education public-private partnerships (PPPs). In addition, the assessment gathered information on the interest of companies to support reading overall, and in what ways and to what scale companies would consider providing that support. Lastly, the assessment explored the interest within the MOE, private companies, and universities to establish PPPs, including for cost-effective and feasible mobile technology in support of improved early grade reading. In the assessment, the project collected survey responses as well as holding discussions with stakeholders. Section I summarizes RSC-EGR’s data collection and reach. Section II details the assessments conducted and their findings and provides recommendations based on those results as discussed with decision-makers and technical members of the MOE. Annex A presents costs incurred in project implementation.


SECTION I

INTRODUCTION The Resources, Skills, and Capacities in Early Grade Reading (RSC-EGR) project collected and analyzed data and information for use in ongoing policy dialogue between the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIROA) and relevant donors about early grade reading reform. RSC-EGR contributed to two of USAID’s global education strategy goals: the improvement of reading skills for 100 million children, and access to safe and equitable education for 15 million children in crisis and conflict-affected environment The data collected by RSC-EGR will encourage broader discussion about challenges in early grade reading and help the GIROA to shape the design and implementation of efforts to improve early grade reading. Toward this goal, the project implemented four key activities: • Established an inventory of student reading materials available in primary schools,

and provided a technical analysis of the degree to which the materials are evidence-based according to current reading research and theory

• Conducted a nationwide Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and School Management Effectiveness and Safety (SMES) survey to collect information on primary school students’ reading abilities and factors affecting reading performance

• Evaluated the capacity of relevant departments of Ministry of Education (MOE) of

Afghanistan to implement enhanced nationwide early grade reading interventions

• Assessed the potential for public-private partnerships to support improved early grade reading in Afghanistan

This final report provides an overview of these activities, the assessment findings, and recommendations and lessons learned. Ultimately, the early grade reading assessments and other activities of the RSC-EGR provide the MOE with new data and tools to inform the planning of national early grade reading reform initiatives. Information collected under RSC-EGR also assists USAID to understand more fully the Ministry’s capacity to absorb and use on-budget or core-budget financing related to improving early grade reading.


SECTION II

RSC-EGR PROJECT ACTIVITIES INVENTORY OF EARLY GRADE READING MATERIALS

To support the MOE’s early grade reading initiatives, the RSC‐EGR was tasked with developing an inventory of early grade reading materials available in primary schools in Afghanistan and analyzing the degree to which these materials are suitable for improving reading ability. This analysis was based on phonological and morphological aspects and characteristics of each grade’s reading curriculum. This work provided the MOE and all stakeholders with a picture of the available reading materials in the country, established the concept and process for effective evaluation of reading materials, and supported efforts to integrate reading strategies in government schools. To guide project activities, RSC‐EGR formed a Reading Materials Assessment Working Group of MOE staff members. With the support of international reading materials experts, the working group developed evaluation criteria, compiled an inventory of all early grade reading materials in Afghanistan, and evaluated the materials according to the agreed criteria. Evaluation criteria included support for phonics, reading level, and physical specifications and characteristics of the books such as size, font, illustrations, color, and binding. The findings of this evaluation revealed ways to harmonize and improve the stock of early grade reading materials available in the country, and to provide support for all levels of early grade readers. FORMATION OF THE READING MATERIALS ASSESSMENT WORKING GROUP RSC‐EGR engaged representatives of the MOE’s Curriculum, Teacher Education, and Academic Supervision departments, as well as primary grades teachers, to form a Reading Materials Assessment Working Group. The first task of the working group was to review existing international research‐based criteria used to assess reading materials. The group understood that international criteria would need to be adapted to the Afghan context based on its relevancy to Dari, Pashto, and other instructional languages in Afghanistan. Importantly, they took into consideration internationally recognized effective aspects to be broadly applied, including readability, educational value, relevance of content, appropriate use of language, appropriate use of script and font size, originality, creativity, durability, and cost‐effectiveness. For instance, cultural adaptations needed to be made in terms of illustrations including girls, pictures, colors used, and curriculum topics. The criteria were also adapted to the limited printing quality available in Afghanistan. DEVELOPMENT OF EVALUATION CRITERIA With the support of international reading specialists, the working group developed evaluation criteria to review the available reading materials in Afghanistan based on international standards.


Before starting the evaluation process, the working group reviewed textbooks of Grades 1 to 4 to understand the reading curriculum at each level, including vocabulary, syntax and grammar, sentence length and complexity, passage length, and themes. Based on their findings, they finalized evaluation criteria for the assessment of early grade reading materials. The evaluation criteria developed were grouped into several categories, with “yes/no” options that helped the evaluators decide whether the book is generally appropriate for use. The criteria were designed to encompass skill development, extension, or enrichment when learning to read or reading to learn. Other criteria related to readability and the physical characteristics of the book were also considered. Some criteria were for use only for specific kinds of books (e.g., fiction or informational). The identification of the appropriate grade for the book was left to the judgment of the evaluator. Each book was evaluated by two evaluators working independently, to ensure consistency and objectivity in evaluation. For some books, if an evaluator was unsure whether a book was appropriate or not, the whole group reviewed it together to make a collective decision. Use of the evaluation criteria continues after the conclusion of the RSC-EGR project. It is now an established resource for the MOE to review new reading books in the future and will enable the MOE to approve books for use in schools. Importantly, it will help indicate specific ways that such materials maybe used in classrooms, for example, books for reading aloud by the teacher, decodable books, and books for independent reading. COLLECTION AND ASSESSMENT OF READING MATERIALS All members of the working group took part in the initial collection of materials. Materials were collected in two phases, first from Kabul and Nangarhar, and then from Balkh, Badakhshan, Khost, Farah, Kandahar, and Herat — provinces determined to be relatively safe to visit. In total, 1,688 titles of reading materials were collected. Of these, 405 books were rejected as irrelevant for early grade reading, 216 titles were duplicates, and 25 were in English and rejected because English is not a language of instruction and taught only as a subject. The remaining 1,042 reading materials were evaluated and entered in the inventory database. Of these, 946 were recommended for primary grades as supplementary materials for individual reading and for read-aloud sessions and 96 were not recommended because they contained errors and mistakes. At the request of the MOE, books above Grade 4 were evaluated although they are outside the target range of this review. Also, in addition to the 1,688 titles, the working group evaluated non-book materials, including wall charts, packages of loose A3 format sheets for whole-class shared reading with a picture on one side and text on the other side, cassettes, DVDs, and flash cards. Ultimately, the quantities of non‐book materials collected were small. However, most of the collected materials was suitable for use within the project’s targeted Grades 1 through 4. Almost all reading materials available in the country are in either Dari or Pashto, with a few dual‐language (Dari and Pashto) reading books.


The total number of reading materials collected (1,688) was much greater than initially expected. Most of the items are books published by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) with the support of international development partners such as USAID, with a few non‐book materials. Locally published reading materials can also be found in English for sale to parents and for use in private schools. DEVELOPMENT OF THE INVENTORY DATABASE RSC-EGR developed a database to catalogue the collected and evaluated reading materials. Using this easily searchable resource, the MOE access information on what reading materials are available in the country, the author, the publisher, the grade level, language, working group evaluation findings, and other factors. Now housed within the MOE’s Education Management Information Service (EMIS) department, the database can be updated in the future to add new publications. The Curriculum, Publications, and Academic Supervision departments acknowledged the value of the comprehensive reading materials inventory and noted the multiple ways in which this tool can support the ministry’s early grade reading efforts. The database is also online for public access, available to schools and parents. School teachers and principals can easily search recommended titles. They can also select suitable books for different student categories within the classes based on their reading levels. The public, especially parents, can easily select high-quality early grade reading materials for their children based on their reading skills and knowledge. Previously a huge number of children’s books in the market were not identified by reading level, but now parents and the public can refer to the database for selecting specific books recommended by grade level. Moreover, readability criteria is now in place for publishers and children’s book writers to use when developing early grade reading materials. RECOMENDATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED The working group concluded that most of the early grade reading materials collected were developed without coordination with the MOE Curriculum Department and the publishers to ensure they were supportive of reading skills of primary grade students. To assure the quality in publishing reading materials, the working group recommended the Curriculum Department establish an editorial team, with members from various departments to manage the coordination between the MOE and publishers.

“By merging the inventory database with the EMIS, the EMIS will be more completed... becoming the richest informative database to fulfill the needs of the MOE staff and all beneficiaries”

— MIRWAIS AHMADZAI, EMIS SPECIALIST,

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION


The working group found that Afghan children faced lack of decodable and simple books. They recommended that the Curriculum Department and publishers produce a number of high-quality decodable books for preschool and Grades 1 and 2. Concerned about the quality of teaching these materials, working group members recommended that the Teachers Education Department conduct a two-day training for primary grade teachers on best practices for teaching reading materials and that the Academic Supervision Department monitor the training and teaching processes. RSC-EGR did not collect and evaluate audio and visual materials. However, the project recommends that the Curriculum Department use and adapt the criteria developed by the Reading Materials Assessment Working Group, evaluate these types of materials, and upload them to the database. Lastly, RSC-EGR highly recommends establishing “reading labs” at the provincial and district levels. These labs should contain materials for children to practice reading and should be open for teachers to conduct reading activities with their students. NATIONAL EARLY GRADE READING ASSESSMENT AND SCHOOL MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY SURVEY

To provide the MOE with an understanding of the current reading abilities of students across Afghanistan and the factors that may impact their learning, RSC-EGR conducted two assessments, an Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and a School Management Effectiveness and Safety (SMES) survey. The EGRA is an internationally accepted tool for assessing reading competencies and comprehension by students in early grades, and has been utilized by USAID in more than 60 countries. The project conducted the EGRA in both Dari and Pashto nationwide, alongside the SMES survey in order to capture the context of the broader learning environment. Together, the SMES and EGRA findings were examined to identify any statistically significant positive or negative trend. The assessments provided valuable findings for the MOE to inform the design and implementation of new initiatives to improve early grade reading. The RSC-EGR closely engaged the MOE in the assessment design and implementation. A group of MOE members was formed to work with RSC-EGR staff on the design of the EGRA and SMES and to take part in data collection for them. The members of the EGRA working group were from all key departments of the MOE, namely Planning, General Education, Teacher Training, Curriculum, and Academic Supervision. Through the close involvement of the MOE, the project ensured the assessments were fully aligned with the information needs of the ministry. This involvement also built the capacity of MOE staff to implement future EGRA and SMES surveys with minimal support from donor agencies. Additionally, RSC-EGR engaged two subcontractors, School to School International (STS) and Rahman Safi International (RSI). STS provided international technical


expertise in EGRA and SMES survey implementation and analysis. RSI conducted the local assessment and provided data quality assurance services. EGRA INSTRUMENT DESIGN The RSC-EGR team and the EGRA Working Group reviewed examples of EGRA and SMES in other countries and adapted assessment tools to the Afghan context. The working group and RSC-EGR staff decided to assess early grade students in the five EGRA subtasks described below: • Phonemic awareness. Ten different questions were developed. Each question

contained three words, two of them starting with similar sounds and one with a different sound. The students were asked to identify the different sounds.

• Letter sounds. One hundred letters were organized in a table in an unusual order. Students were requested to pronounce letter sounds. This was a timed task: one minute was allocated to pronounce as many letters as they could.

• Non-word reading. Fifty non-words with one, two, and three syllables were

selected to be read in one minute.

• Reading fluency. Short simple stories, four in Dari and four in Pashto, to gauge reading fluency were developed by the working group. After pilot-testing and refining the stories, one story in each language was selected for the EGRA.

• Reading comprehension. The child responds correctly to different types of

questions including literal and inferential questions about the text they have read

• Listening comprehension. A story was read to the students, and they were then asked questions from the story to explore comprehension.

Both a Dari and a Pashto EGRA were developed to accommodate the language of instruction within each school.

Additionally, for each subtask, a guide was developed for the assessors and some examples for the students. These guides were important to remind the assessors of their responsibility in the subtask and to help the students understand what was being requested from them. SMES SURVEY DESIGN The working group and RSC-EGR reviewed internationally developed SMES questionnaires and questions, and ultimately created six instruments for the SMES survey: • Student questionnaire. To assess students’ context, questions covered what they

do at home and who helps them and on how they feel in school and on the way to school.

• Teacher questionnaire. The questions focused on teachers’ abilities, experiences, and methods of teaching and on their feelings in regards to safety.


• Principal questionnaire. The questions looked at principals’ experiences and

education, school management and safety, general situation of school, and the environment inside and outside the school.

• Shura/parent questionnaire. The questions for the Shura/parent committee focused on school management and safety.

• School checklist. This constituted a general checklist of school inventory, office and teaching materials, and safety instruments.

• Classroom observation. In a three-minute structured observation of a class, the teacher’s attention, student activities, teacher activities, and materials being used were noted.

Both EGRA and SMES tools were piloted in several Kabul city schools, revised based on the pilot results, and finalized before national data collection. EGRA AND SMES SCHOOL SAMPLE RSC-EGR conducted the EGRA and SMES in a sampling of 1,265 primary schools — both public general education and community-based education schools — across all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces plus the city of Kabul. This constituted approximately 35 schools per province. The assessment included both schools in “warm” zones, with the school year starting in October, and in “cold” zones, with the school year starting in March. Drawing the initial selection from the MOE database of early grade schools, RSC-EGR conducted physical verification of the schools to confirm their current operating status and attributes, such as number of male and female students. Through this verification process, a number of schools were replaced in the sample because they were closed, inaccessible, or did not have enough students for the assessment. DATA COLLECTION To accommodate differences in school-year calendars, the EGRA and SMES were conducted in Grades 2 and 4 in warm weather schools and Grades 3 and 5 in cold weather provinces. Ten students were assessed in each grade, with students selected randomly. The ideal was to select an equal number of male and female students for evaluation, although this was not always possible since there were often fewer female students present in mixed schools that taught both boys and girls. Additionally, students who participated in the EGRA were also asked to answer the SMES student questionnaire. The SMES teacher questionnaire was completed by two teachers (Grades 2 and 4) in each school, where both Grades 2 and 4 were functional. As part of the SMES, the school principal and a Shura member were also interviewed in each school. Nearly 200 assessors — comprised of RSI, MOE, and Provincial Education Directorate staff — conducted the EGRA and SMES from Students in Ghazni during the EGRA,

February 2016.

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April through August 2016 with 15,610 students across Afghanistan. Additionally, classroom observation assessments were conducted separately in September and October 2016. Through multi-day workshops held before data collection, the project trained assessors on EGRA and SMES fundamentals and assessment procedures. The workshop focused on building assessment skills and conducted inter-rater reliability tests to ensure assessors were uniformly evaluating and marking assessments. The electronic data collection program Tangerine was used to collect and transmit data. Assessors received tablet computers with the EGRA and SMES questions in Tangerine. Each day, as mobile service or internet access was available, they electronically transmitted the assessment to the RSI quality assurance offices and STS. Where use of tablets for data collection was not possible, either due to technical challenges or security concerns, paper questionnaires were utilized. EGRA AND SMES RESULTS Results for EGRA and the SMES assessment are presented in detail in the report submitted by STS. The summary below highlights the most important findings of EGRA by language of instruction and of the SMES. • EGRA Results in Dari-Medium Schools

— While students in Grade 2 were able to read on average 21.70 correct words per minute, more than one-third of them had zero scores on oral reading fluency (36.1 percent).

— While students in Grade 4 on average read 44.26 correct words per minute, almost one-fifth of them had zero scores on oral reading fluency (18.3 percent).

— On average, Grade 2 students answered correctly only 26 percent of reading comprehension questions, and in Grade 4, only 48 percent of questions were answered correctly.

— Boys outperformed girls in phonemic awareness, letter sound identification, non-word fluency and oral reading fluency. However, these differences disappeared regarding reading and listening comprehension.

— Schools in urban locations outperformed their rural counterparts on all tasks in both grades.

— Percentage of grade two students scoring 61 and above CWPM in reading fluency: 11.8%.

— Percentage of grade four students scoring 61 and above CWPM in reading fluency: 33.7%.

— Percentage of grade two students scoring 80% and above in reading comprehension: 13.5%.

— Percentage of grade four students scoring 80% and above in reading comprehension: 35.3%.

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• EGRA Results in Pashto-Medium Schools


— While students in Grade 2 were able to read on average 18 correct words per minute, more than one-third of them scored zero on oral reading fluency (43.9 percent).

— While students in Grade 4 on average read 43.4 correct words per minute, slightly more than one-fifth of them scored zero on oral reading fluency (20.2 percent).

— On average Grade 2 students answered correctly only 36 percent reading comprehension questions, and Grade 4 answered only 52 percent correctly.

— Boys outperformed girls on phonemic awareness, letter sound identification, non-word fluency, and oral reading fluency, yet boys lost this edge with reading comprehension and listening comprehension and performed comparably with girls.

— Student attending Pashto-medium schools in urban locations performed the same or better than their counterparts in rural schools on all tasks.

— Percentage of grade two students scoring 61 and above CWPM in reading fluency: 7.4%.

— Percentage of grade four students scoring 61 and above CWPM in reading fluency: 33.0%.

— Percentage of grade two students scoring 80% and above in reading comprehension: 10.1%.

— Percentage of grade four students scoring 80% and above in reading comprehension: 28.1%.

— • SMES Survey Results

— In Dari-medium schools where some textbooks were distributed and schools that had some desks and chairs, students’ oral reading fluency scores were higher than in schools without such facilities.

— In Dari-medium schools Grade 4 students who used the library, performed better in oral reading fluency task than students who did not use the library.

— In both Pashto and Dari-medium schools, students who indicated that they liked school and who enjoyed reading had higher scores in reading fluency than similar students who did not like school and did not enjoy reading.

— In both Pashto and Dari-medium schools, students who indicated that they ate breakfast and also laughed or were happy the day before their assessment participation read with greater fluency than students that did not eat breakfast and were not happy.

— In both Pashto and Dari-medium schools, students who attended mosque before being admitted to school had higher scores in reading fluency.

— In both Pashto and Dari-medium schools, students who indicated having a television and/or radio at home had a greater fluency in reading.

— In grade four in Dari-medium schools and in grade two in Pashto-medium schools, there were higher fluency rates among students whose teachers reported asking students questions while reading, students having a notebook


for homework, and helping students correct their reading mistakes. Students whose teachers did not report using these practices had lower fluency rates.

LESSONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS Key lessons learned from the EGRA and SMES assessments can inform any future assessments in support of ongoing development of early grade reading programs: • While strong efforts were made to recruit and include female assessors, logistical

and cultural challenges made it difficult to include as many female assessors as expected. As a result, male assessors were unable to collect data from female students in some remote, rural areas. Efforts should continue to be made in ensuring women are able to participate as assessors.

RSC-EGR assessment was originally designed to examine results at the regional level. The opportunity exists to conduct province-focused assessments in the future in order to provide a more detailed measure of reading abilities and learning conditions at each local level. In all cases, assessors should be hired from the local areas and be native speakers of the languages being assessed.

• To better equip the MOE with the ability to directly analyze and interpret

collected data, the skills and capacities among MOE staff for data analysis should be further developed.

Recommendations Based on the EGRA Results

• Strengthen the comprehension skills of students by building their ability to identify and decode words, reinforcing their background knowledge and understanding of language structure and vocabulary, and building their oral language skills

• Introduce teachers to strategies for integrating comprehension as a part of each reading lesson, including activities to use before, during, and after reading

• Identify ways to help encourage the development of foundational reading skills in girls so that achievement gaps are minimized

• Identify factors that contribute to early grade reading success in urban schools and seek ways to replicate them in rural schools

Recommendations Based on the SMES Survey Results

• Provide early grade students with more reading materials and resources and make schools a print-rich environment

• Promote teachers conducting read-alouds at least three days each week for at least 20 to 30 minutes, and making read-alouds interactive

• Promote teachers providing opportunities for students to read independently for at least 15 to 20 minutes every day

• Promote teachers to keep asking questions while their students read and to provide corrective feedback


• Improve students’ access to TV and radio programs, as it helps with learning vocabulary and in developing awareness of the context and storytelling

• Promote parents ensuring their children eat something before they go to school

• Provide all students with textbooks, desks, and chairs

• Provide children with access to some kind of educational program, such as kindergarten prior to being admitted to school

Of note, the SMES survey did not analyze Shura engagement in school management as this was not requested by the MOE during the validation workshop.

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL WORKSHOPS On April 16 and 17, 2017, a national workshop with the purpose of discussing with senior representatives of the MOE the national-level results of the EGRA and SMES assessments, was held at the Kabul Star Hotel with 44 participants. During the two-day discussion, the participants gave comments and recommendations that will be addressed in the final EGRA/SMES report. They also made suggestions to develop policies to support early grade reading in the country. With the same purpose, regional workshops with participants from the Provincial and District Education directorates were held in Herat, Jalalabad, and Mazar on April 19 and 20, 2017, and in Kandahar and Kabul for the Central region on April 22 and 23, 2017. The total number of participants was 924 POLICY CHANGES/REFORMS THE MOE RECOMMENDED IN THE EGRA CONSULTATION WORKSHOP • Formulate a policy on how to

monitor reading lessons

• Define the role of school Shuras in contributing to early grade reading reforms and incorporate it into the social mobilization strategy

• To ensure all children receive textbooks on time, the MOE Publication Department should revise the textbook distribution policy

• Formulate a separate policy in the Curriculum Department to focus specifically on the five components of reading and writing, phonemic awareness, letter sounds, non-word reading, reading fluency and reading comprehension, and listening comprehension

• Formulate a policy on the engagement of the private sector to support early grade reading reform in the country

• Adhere to the MOE policy on assigning professional and experienced teachers to teach early grade students

Activities during the Institutional Capacity Assessment in Kandahar province, December 2016

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• Formulate a policy to assign/prioritize female teachers to teach early grade students (Grades 1 to 3)

• Formulate a policy to focus on various mechanisms to raise public awareness about childrens well-being

• Promote the Teacher Education Department including reading instruction and assessment of reading in its curriculum

• Promote Curriculum Department developing reading curriculum that include reading materials for early grades

• Support the MOE establishing reading benchmarks and standards for early grades based on EGRA results

• Revise the policy for the development of early grade reading materials to ensure grade level appropriateness of the materials

• Formulate a policy on national assessments of reading to determine how and how often these assessments should be conducted

• Adhere to the MOE policy on internal coordination to strengthen coordination among MOE departments


INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY ASSESSMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

The project’s Institutional Capacity Assessment (ICA) aimed to determine the capacity of the MOE to support national early grade reading improvements. This assessment looked at where the capacity could be strengthened, and where resources could be better aligned within key departments to implement an evidence-based, conflict-sensitive nationwide early grade reading program. Institutional capacity is defined as the quality of leadership, incentives, systems,

resources, and personnel that produce results based on the mission, goals, and objectives of the institution. It refers to both the organizational capacity as reflected by the institution’s public mandate, legitimacy, resources, and systems and by the human capacity reflected by the motivation, status, technical, and managerial skills of its leaders and staff. The ICA Working Group was comprised of 22 MOE staff members representing six departments. The working group supported the RSC-EGR technical team to conduct the assessment at MOE Kabul and provincial levels. They also played a vital role in reviewing policy documents and conducting focus group interviews with implementing partners. METHODOLOGY This assessment was conducted by the RSC-EGR ICA technical team and a working group created from representatives of the MOE essential directorates and departments. Assessments were carried out within the MOE in Kabul as well as in 10 provincial education departments. Based on USAID’s Education ICA tools, the assessment was conducted using a mix of qualitative and quantitative research and included document analysis and interviews with implementing partners and MOE key actors and leaders. The RSC-EGR technical team, along with the working group members, developed questionnaires for in-person interviews, question guides for group and telephone interviews, and observation forms. Observation from the MOE departments was obtained through the observation forms. Additionally, focus group interviews were conducted with the MOE implementing partners —GIZ, UNICEF, AKF, Save the Children, JICA, Swedish Committee, Care, and IRC — to determine their priorities related to capacity building and early grade reading programs. Lastly, existing MOE policy documents were identified and reviewed. The limitations of the assessment were significant: geographic access to provinces due to security issues, lack of access to data for the policy framework analysis, and some interviewers with limited knowledge of the subject matters of the assessment. . Even though the interviewers were oriented in advance, some had technical problems during the interviews, particularly, in curriculum, planning, and EMIS-related subjects. This limitation reduced the ability to assess the knowledge and experience of the interviewees ASSESSMENT PROCESS


The ICA began with a review of existing policy documents in order to identify MOE objectives and priorities. The RSC-EGR technical team, along with the working group members, reviewed existing documents related to national policies, leadership, and financing. This included documents such as the National Education Strategic Plan (NESP), Education Law, Operational Plans, Education for All, and Education Joint Sector Review. Next, a total of 255 MOE key actors and leaders participated in the formal ICA assessment process, in Kabul and in the 10 provinces of Kandahar, Herat, Balkh, Bamyan, Badakhshan, Logar, Kapisa, Panjshir, Parwan, and Nangarhar. In-person interviews were conducted with 95 MOE staff members at the Kabul MOE and with 55 staff members at the provincial level. Group interviews were conducted with 18 MOE leaders at Kabul MOE and with 61 representatives at the provincial level. Moreover, 26 PEDs were interviewed through telephone, and observation was done with the MOE departments using observation forms. Departments assessed include Planning, Curriculum, Teacher Education, Academic Supervision, Academic Council, and General Education. Focus group interviews were conducted in order to determine priorities related to capacity building and early grade reading programs. Groups interviewed were the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, Save the Children, Agha Khan Foundation (AKF), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, and Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee. Responses from in-person interviews were graded as “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory.” Responses from group interviews with leaders and telephone interviews with PEDs were analyzed through data coding. FINDINGS Findings of the ICA are included in the report submitted to USAID and have been discussed with MOE representatives. Overall, the ICA identified a number of areas of opportunity within the MOE for improvement of early grade reading programs. The following findings of the assessment, along with the strengths and weaknesses of each MOE departments related to management of early grade reading programs, have been presented and discussed with the MOE members: • MOE organizational structure. The MOE is highly centralized and priorities are

largely passed down from central level to the provinces.

• Policy related to early grade reading. There are no formal policies to support early grade reading programs in Afghanistan. Only NESP III, already completed and in implementation for the period 2017 to 2021, mentions early grade reading —on just one page.

• Language policy supporting early grade reading. Textbooks are produced in the two official languages Dari and Pashto for all grades. Textbooks in eight other languages are in production.


• Early grade reading indicators and targets in sector plan. There are no indicators that correspond to early grade reading.

• National and sector leadership for early grade reading. There is no specific leadership that focuses on early grade reading.

• Adequate financing for early grade reading. Currently, early grade reading is not part of the curriculum, either for students or teachers, and therefore funds are not allocated.

• Distribution of textbooks. There is a gap between what the school needs and what they receive. There are still many students without textbooks in schools at the primary levels. Regional variations are not considered in the curriculum.

• Proportion of trained teachers. Low qualifications of teachers, supervision, and incentives are other issues that have affected the quality of education, particularly at the primary levels. More than half of all teachers do not have the required minimum qualification of Grade 14 or above.

• School timing. Most of the schools deliver education in three shifts where students stay in school for just two or three hours. Most PEDs believe that this amount of time is not enough for children to learn and for teachers to give each student individual attention.

• School Shuras. Although there is a policy related to school Shuras, and community engagement in schools, there is little evidence that they exist or are functional.

• Classroom assessment. The system for classroom assessment is not well-established, and there are no criteria specifically for assessing early grade reading. In theory, teachers should make ongoing assessments in the classroom, but this is not happening. There are only school-based tests at the end of each term.

• National assessment. The EGRA conducted under the RSC-EGR project is the first attempt to do an assessment at the national level. At present there is no directorate, department, or unit responsible for national assessments.

• Lack of capacity among MOE staff to support early grade reading. MOE staff face lack of capacity to support early grade reading reforms. To some extent, technical knowledge and skills relating to early grade reading have been gained by the teachers during project implementation. However, capacity building has not yet been institutionalized. The MOE needs more specific skills at different levels to prioritize and implement early grade reading programs in the long term.

• Facilities and equipment. There are still many schools with no proper buildings, teaching, and learning facilities. Based on our observations of the MOE’s departments key to early grade reading, they still lack necessary equipment and facilities.

LESSONS LEARNED Most of the development programs in Afghanistan have been supply-driven, not demand-driven. RSC-EGR successfully conducted the ICA of the MOE, but its importance was not coordinated with MOE actors and authorities at different levels (both at the MOE Kabul and provincial levels). This means a missed opportunity to specifically gain their buy-in, feedback, and views and impact the MOE’s existing policies, commitments, strategic plan, and willingness.


The buy-in process should begin at the design stage, not after the project has already been developed. For example, when the ICA was already underway, some MOE staff members at the provincial level discussed whether this assessment was a priority rather than other activities they considered more important within the Ministry. RECOMMENDATIONS Together, RSC-EGR and representatives of key MOE departments developed recommendations for improvements. The list below presents the most important recommendations by category. • Policy and organizational structure. To address the efficiency gaps, the MOE should

have specific and clear policies that support early grade reading reforms at the national and provincial levels, and should facilitate preschool education for children throughout the country. The ministry should also give more attention and authority to the decision-makers and leaders at the provincial education levels.

• Human resources, knowledge and skills. The MOE should enhance staff capacity in conducting learning assessments and have specific capacity building programs for key departments responsible for early grade reading reforms. More attention should be given to the Curriculum, EMIS, Planning, Academic Supervision, Teacher Education, and General Education departments.

• Facilities, equipment, and material. Textbooks should be provided to all students at the primary level, and the MOE should mobilize more facilities and equipment for education departments at the ministry, provincial, and district level to support early grade reading reforms. Teaching and learning material should be provided to schools for the primary levels, and a budget should be allocated for early grade reading reforms.

ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN SUPPORT OF EARLY GRADE READING IN AFGHANISTAN

The RSC-EGR conducted an assessment of the potential of the private sector in Afghanistan to contribute to the support of early grade reading. The main focus of the assessment was the interest and willingness of the private sector, such as companies and universities, to partner with the government, public schools, and civil society organizations to support reading in early grades. The assessment also looked at the level of interest in the public sector for the development of education public-private partnerships (PPPs), including cost-effective and feasible mobile technology.


The information gathering looked at the interest of companies to support reading overall, and in what ways and to what scale companies would consider providing that support. The project collected survey responses and held discussions with stakeholders. The major questions the assessment aimed to address were as follows: • Are there any potential national and international partners (including mobile

technology companies) interested in supporting national reading improvement programs in Afghanistan?

• Do the potential partners have capabilities and interest in providing programmatic approaches to reading improvement?

• Does the PPP have any effect on cost of reading programs? If yes, what is the percentage of that?

• What are the main challenges in establishing education PPPs in Afghanistan? METHODOLOGY The project designed and conducted the assessment across the country. To capture inputs from a geographically balanced selection of private companies, the team divided the country into five main regions, namely east, west, north, center, and west central. The provinces were selected from each region where the private sector has a considerable involvement and active presence. Based on this principle, Nangarhar was selected as a target province from the east, Balkh from the north, Herat from the west, Kabul from the center region, and Bamyan from west central region. The RSC-EGR team developed a questionnaire to collect data from companies on their interest and willingness to support reading programs in schools. The 46-question survey was comprised of three sections: biographical information, past partnerships and relationships, and information related to the level of motivation and willingness of companies to support education and reading. The team piloted the survey with companies and NGOs and adjusted it accordingly to confirm that respondents understood the questions, and to increase the probability of obtaining answers to all questions. To reach a wider net of people, the RSC-EGR team designed six conferences in five cities. As the PPP concept is new in Afghanistan, in each conference a review of lessons learned and examples from other countries were provided, with particular attention to India and Pakistan. The presentation of this assessment mostly focused on private sector support to early grade reading, including an overview of PPPs and models of corporate social responsibility. Of note, the audience was of representatives of private companies with limited experience or expertise in education, but with an interest in providing support to the sector.

PPP Conference held in Herat, May 2016.

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The RSC-EGR team obtained a list of 5,000 national and 129 international private companies in different sectors from the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency. From this list, 200 companies with more than $10,000 of initial capital were selected to attend the first conference, held in Kabul on August 30, 2016, to engage the private sector to support reading in Afghanistan. In partnership with the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the RSC-EGR team conducted central and regional conferences and meetings with private sector representatives, national and international NGOs, and the public sector in Kabul, Nangarhar, Mazar, Herat, and Bamyan. A final event was held in Kabul on October 10, 2016. During these events, 163 private companies and 119 NGOs completed the project’s questionnaire. To cover all stakeholders and get their interest and willingness in PPPs, 11 general directors of the MOE and nine private universities in the city of Kabul were interviewed. The survey was also conducted with four mobile technology companies; one aim here was identifying the cost of sending text messages to the teachers and students. After collecting all completed questionnaires, the data was entered in Stata, a statistical software for data analysis. RESULTS The results of the discussions with private companies and of the assessment showed a high degree of interest to support reading activities in Afghanistan and to do so through partnerships with the MOE. It was clear that companies recognized the significance of reading for Afghanistan’s future. A large number of private companies (89 percent) were interested in supporting reading activities in schools. Additionally, 92 percent of these companies were willing to partner with the MOE. Companies could support reading in Afghanistan through a wide range of activities. Survey results showed the primary activity that most private companies (79 percent) expressed interest in was providing books for school libraries. Based on the results of the assessment, giving awards to students who demonstrated progress in reading was the second activity that most of the companies (77 percent) were willing to support. In addition, 75 percent of companies were interested in giving awards to teachers whose students’ scores in reading assessments showed the greatest improvements. Of the companies that completed the survey, 66 percent were willing to support early grade reading through education technology. This is important since it is an area of mutual interest for the private sector and the Afghanistan government. Through meetings, RSC-EGR learned that the MOE’s priorities are to create greater opportunities to improve reading in the early grades through classroom libraries and mobile devices to support literacy in the country. The mobile technology platforms, expressed in the discussion with RSC-EGR team, can be a mechanism for accessing reading programs and materials and expanded in a largely cost-effective manner.


A narrow number of private companies (11 percent) that completed the survey have little or no interest in supporting reading activities. However, they did mention various incentives that would raise their willingness and interest. Branding opportunities can increase the interest of 90 percent of these companies to support reading. Raising the visibility of the company was cited by 80 percent of private companies as a factor that can increase their willingness to support reading. The Afghanistan government and the donor community are working to improve education, specifically reading. The MOE currently works on publishing books with several NGOs. However, it appears that many of these projects are limited by the reach of the organizations implementing them, since it was difficult for them to obtain permission to implement the programs in schools. Also, organizations face resource and material constraints. Partnerships among the government and national and international NGOs, at the national, provincial, and district level, are essential. Beside the quantitative survey results, it was clear that the PPP conferences allowed the opportunity for companies to consider PPPs and supporting education in ways that had not previously been on their radar. It provided an opportunity for companies to think of approaches for supporting reading in schools. While there is a high degree of interest among the private sector to participate in PPPs, as well as interest among government officials, both sectors identified several challenges. These included corruption in schools, lack of government support to the private sector, and lack of PPP strategy in the MOE. Such challenges would need to be addressed as Afghanistan considers the true potential for establishing education PPPs. RECOMMENDATIONS • Implement a regulatory framework for education public-private partnerships. A lack of

a good relationship between public and private sector is the biggest challenge for forming education PPPs to support early grade reading. To build trust and repair relationships, it is important to implement a policy framework to guide education PPPs. Such a framework would establish the criteria for developing public-private partnerships in education.

• Consider taking a decentralized approach in conjunction with a strong national plan for education PPPs. This approach would have a good result in the formation of public-private partnerships for improving early grade reading. To this end, the MOE can communicate with other organizations to improve forming PPPs in education, such as municipal advisory boards with committees for various purposes, including PPPs.

• Pilot mobile education platforms in selected areas throughout the country, monitor their effectiveness, and scale up successful models through increased partnerships. Mobile technology offers an appropriate and cost-effective approach for the MOE and the Afghanistan government to partner with private companies. In particular, mobile platforms have the capacity to reach large areas to provide access to reading for children in underserved, remote areas as well as cities.


• Partnerships between the private sector and the MoE are extremely beneficial for education in the country. It is also extremely beneficial to partner with the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as with provincial chambers of commerce and economy directorates, to ensure greater participation of the private sector.

• The private sector exhibits a great interest in learning about PPPs and about

corporate social responsibility, and it is clear that many companies have not had exposure to these concepts in a formal manner. Many companies indicated their willingness to support reading and to partner with the MOE. However, at the same time, companies stress the difficulties involved, including a lack of government support for the private sector. Going forward, it would be useful to obtain greater information on how previous partnerships have been conducted, and to address the bottlenecks in collaboration between the public and private sectors.

STUDY TOUR

From April 1st to April 8th of 2017, RSC-EGR project organized a study tour to the country of Georgia for ten Ministry of Education staff members from the Planning, Girls Education, Academy Council, Teacher Education, Curriculum, and Communication departments. Also participated in the study tour three staff members from the RSC-EGR project and one staff member from Afghanistan USAID. The purpose of the study tour was to learn about the Georgian education system, particularly in terms of providing high-quality education at the primary levels. The study tour also provided the opportunity to learn how the Georgian education system is being reformed and what aspects were included in the reform program facilitated by the USAID G-PriEd project. Through this study tour, MOE staff from Afghanistan were able to witness firsthand the best practices and lessons learned from the Georgian MOE, specifically related to early grade reading. The participants were divided into three groups of ICA, Reading Material Assessment, and Early Grade Reading Assessment. STUDY TOUR FINDINGS • Investments should be made on enhancing the capacity of school principals to

better ensure they provide both professional and management support to the teachers.

• Schools were provided with teaching and learning resources making them a

print-rich environment. Students enjoy learning if they are provided with a variety of learning resources.

• Teacher professional development is key to improving student learning.

• Teachers should learn more about a variety of tasks to assess their students’ level on the ability to read, and plan their instruction to cater to their students’ needs.


• A teacher learning cycle and coaching mechanism is beneficial. The G-PriEd-supported teachers’ learning cycle and coaching mechanism in schools was useful for teacher improvement. Teachers are given an opportunity to discuss difficulties with their coaches and together they try to find solutions.

• Parents in Georgia are literate and can help their children to learn reading. However, in Afghanistan the literacy rate is 36 percent, and most parents cannot read and write and are therefore unable to help their children through conventional ways.


LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE STUDY TOUR • Reading materials development and assessment. The study tour observed different

kinds of materials developed for reading improvement, such as a teaching manual that included all materials and methods that teachers should follow during language teaching. Afghanistan does not have such materials for teacher improvement and needs to develop them in both Pashto and Dari. In addition, the G-PriEd project developed online tutorial materials for all primary grade teachers. Teachers can easily download those materials, implement them, and follow them for their own methodological improvement. They are useful and easy to use and could be a model for Afghanistan to implement.

• Early grade reading assessment. G-PriEd established two kinds of assessments for student improvement at the school level: 1) electronic tools for diagnostic assessment for both math and reading; and 2) formative assessment mechanism for teacher improvement. The electronic tools for diagnostic assessment for both math and reading subjects were easy to use by teachers to diagnose students’ ability and level and categorize their learning outcome in each class. Based on this assessment, the teachers concentrated more on the students having problems in the area where they were weak. Specific tools and practices developed for formative assessment helped teachers in trying to reform their teaching methods. These assessments are necessary for reading improvement in classes. Afghanistan can create such systems for early grades students. Lastly, Georgia established a special department for assessments, the National Assessment and Testing Center. This center has the responsibility to conduct all national assessments within the MOE. In addition, it is responsible for developing and administering the university entry test for students graduating from Grade 12. This kind of center is very important and necessary for all countries, including Afghanistan.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION RSC-EGR recommends making the learning environment as a fun for students as possible. The current learning environment is tough for Afghan students; they cannot enjoy reading, so they cannot learn well. The Georgian students were enjoying the environment, and the materials were developed in such a way to be enjoyable and interesting for them.

Afghan teachers and students have limited reading materials. It is suggested that the MOE strongly focus on preparing a large number of reading materials for teachers and for students. In Georgia, with the support of the G-PriEd project, the country developed a guideline for teachers to teach reading. The country has a large number of interesting materials in the guideline, and teachers only need to print them and give them to students while teaching reading.


It is important to use the internet for promoting teacher knowledge. An interesting practice in Georgia was the online learning resources developed by the G-PriEd project. Teachers used online training materials to support their teaching pedagogical approaches. However, many Afghan schools lack access to the internet and teaching materials. The MOE can concentrate on the preparation of internet facilities for schools and online training resources.

The current learning practice in Afghanistan is not student-centered. It is important to have a well-defined strategy of student-centered approaches. In Georgia, teachers used a student-centered approach to facilitate critical thinking in students. The MOE can promote more student-centered learning.

It is also recommended that the Afghan MOE create a coaching system in all schools, especially for early grades. The Georgian MOE, with the support of the G-PriEd project, created a coaching system in schools. This generated a learning cycle in which teachers sat together discussing issues and students with learning challenges. In Georgia, coaches supervised the process and advised teachers on solving student learning problems in an easy manner. Though the class size is too large in Afghanistan’s schools, an attempt should be made to introduce formative assessment to be used by teachers.


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The study tour participants observing a class with G-PriEd team, April 3, 2017.

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The study tour participants during observation of a Georgian early. April 4, 2017.


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Study tour participants during observation of a class, April 8, 2017.


ANNEX A. COST INGREDIENT REPORT

This annex details costs incurred in Year 2 of the Resources, Skills, and Capacities in Early Grade Reading in Afghanistan project, presenting actual costs incurred from July 27, 2016, to April 30, 2017, and estimated final costs through May 15, 2017. Per USAID guidance, it breaks down costs into four categories: general management, tool development, data collection and reporting, and security

I. GENERAL MANAGEMENT

General management costs cover home-office management, field-office management, overhead, and other direct costs. Home-office management includes all staff based in the home office who have been billable throughout the project and travel and allowances for them as applicable. It also includes staff who provided certain support services, such as procurement and household effects, from the home office; only costs associated with their salary is included in the home-office staff line item for these staff members. The field-office management costs include salaries, allowances, and travel for former chiefs of party, Nancy Parks and Julio Ramirez de Arellano, and expatriate staff based in Kabul that participate in Chemonics’ shared cost platform for IT, security, and other support. It also includes all local staff salaries and fringe for local professional and local support, as well as applicable allowances. As all staff have played a part in assessment tools development and data collection, local staff salaries are included only in general management. For staff hired before implementation of the National Technical Assistance (NTA) scale, salaries include 25 percent hazard pay. For staff hired after the NTA scale was implemented, this includes all allowances required by local labor law. Overhead costs are included in general management at Chemonics’ rate of 58.25 percent for general overhead and 65.41 percent for home-office overhead. Other direct costs include the direct costs billed by RSC-EGR in the second year of project implementation.

II. ASSESSMENT TOOLS DEVELOPMENT

Assessment tools development costs for Year 2 are associated with the following subline items:

• EGRA. Included within the training and piloting of the EGRA are all costs associated with the STS subcontract. In Year 2, School to School played an integral role in data cleaning and EGRA/SMES and classroom observation report writing. The EGRA subline item also includes costs related to translating the final report and to training, workshops, per diem, and transportation related to the classroom observation survey.


• Reading materials assessment. This line item includes salary, allowances, and travel for short-term consultant Andy Smart and all expenses to facilitate working groups to prepare Ministry of Education staff to assess the reading materials put forth in the database, including per diem and transportation for book collection. Additionally, it includes the cost of the development of the reading materials database and expenses associated with the picture development for sample books.

• Institutional capacity assessment. Costs include salary, allowances, and travel for short-term consultant Sue Emmott. All expenses associated with the institutional capacity assessment tool development workshops to date have been included in this subcategory.

• Public-private partnership assessment. Short-term consultant Rachel Cooper’s salary, allowances, and travel are all included under the public-private partnership assessment subcategory, as well as travel by Sediqa Fahimi, the public-private partnership coordinator, to engage potential partners. This subcategory also includes costs for planning and hosting regional workshops, as well as a workshop in Kabul, translation costs, and travel expenses for RSC-EGR staff and MOE staff that participated in the workshops.

III. DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING ACTIVITIES

Data collection and reporting costs are associated with the following subline items:

• EGRA/SMES. Data collection activity costs for EGRA and SMES include all costs associated with the subcontractor RSI for coordinating data collection. Additionally, workshop expenses and preparation for the workshop, such as travel, video recording, and report translation, are included in this section.

• Reading materials assessment. This subline item includes translation services for the database.

• Institutional capacity assessment. This subline item includes per diem for the institutional capacity assessment working group, as well as travel expenses, top up cards, and honoraria. It also includes translation services for the final report.

• Public-private partnership assessment. The final report translation for the public-private partnership assessment report is included in this subline item.

Additionally, data collection and reporting costs include expenses related to data cleaning, organization, and presentation for all assessments.

IV. SECURITY

Chemonics maintains a continuous subcontract with our risk management providers, Services International and the Afghan Public Protection Force, for all our Afghanistan projects. This eliminates the need for multiple security contracts and enables our projects to share security resources, resulting in significant savings and a more effective security platform. RSC-EGR is billed for only static costs of contract continuation and for level of effort designated to the project each month. Costs


included in this line item are costs from risk management providers billed exclusively to the RSC-EGR contract. V. ADDITIONAL COSTS

Please note this cost ingredient report does not include equipment, vehicles, and freight; general and administrative; and fixed fee. Costs originally incurred in Afghanistan Afghanis were converted using one common exchange rate throughout the year. As the costs reported here cover July 27, 2016, to April 30, 2017, and estimated costs for May, final costs will become available with the submission of the final SF-1034 Form, Public Voucher for Purchases and Services Other Than Personal. We will submit the form promptly after the finalization of the negotiated indirect rate agreement.


COST INGREDIENT REPORT - PROJECT YEAR I, JULY 27, 2015 - JULY 26, 2016

ACTIVITY AMOUNT

I. General Management $128,538.54 Home-office staff $95,804.30 Home office fringe $32,734.24 Field-Office Management $1,285,533.75 Chief of party, Nancy Parks $344,166.31 Shared Cost Platform staff $79,350.64 Long-term U.S. national and third-country national fringe $175,726.76 Salary local professional staff $499,461.63 Salary local short-term professional staff $4,545.01 Salary local support staff $13,724.65 Local professional fringe $165,121.57 Local support fringe $3,437.18 Overhead Costs $713,367.00 Other Direct Costs $888,157.56 II. Assessment Tools Development (October-April 11) EGRA/SMES – Training and Piloting the EGRA $858,700.00 School-to-School International subcontract $372,086.70 Assessor training $99,947.98 RSI subcontract for assessor training $248,164.00 Transportation costs (taxis) for EGR staff to pilot EGRA $6,192.64 Translation services $1,260.61 MOE Working Group expenses (lunches, transportation, supplies) $7,868.31 Verification of schools: Provincial Field Officers $123,179.76 Reading Materials Assessment $78,755.60 Mary Spor, short-term technical assistance $35,403.69 Andy Smart, short-term technical assistance $34,913.07 MOE Working Group expenses (lunches, transportation, supplies) $8,161.52 Translation services $277.32 Institutional Capacity Assessment $8,472.53 ICA Working Group expenses (lunches, transportation, supplies while tool was being developed) $8,472.53 Public-Private Partnership Assessment $10,557.50 Rachel Cooper, short-term technical assistance $10,433.63 Travel to companies (Nasir) $123.87 III. Data Collection Activities (April-August) EGRA/SMES $1,357,004.69 RSI subcontract $1,098,905.00 MOE assessor per diem $163,494.44 Mobile phone $20,686.07 Phone top up cards $1,563.73 Stationery supplies (notebooks, bags, etc.) $8,492.65 Electronic tablets $41,677.64 Tablet covers $9,487.00 Timers $359.20 Styluses $217.20 Transportation for EGRA Working Group observers $2,088.89 Per diem for EGRA working observers $6,003.02 Honoraria to MOE master trainers $2,239.22 EGR staff travel to observe EGRA $1,790.63 Reading Materials Assessment $4,309.44 Transportation to collect books $493.75 Per diem during travel periods $1,576.47 Honoraria to working to MOE book assessors $2,239.22


ACTIVITY AMOUNT Institutional Capacity Assessment $642.69 Per diem for ICA while traveling $642.69 IV. Security $509,359.97 Totals $5,843,399.27


COST INGREDIENT REPORT – PROJECT YEAR 2, JULY 27, 2016-MAY 15, 2017

Activity Amount

I. General Management $121,680.18 Home-office staff $97,639.85 Home-office fringe $24,040.33 Field Office Management $862,317.81 Chief of Party, Nancy Parks $103,389.87 Chief of Party, Julio Ramirez de Arellano $130,931.57 Shared Cost Platform staff $36,802.14 Long-term U.S. national and third-country national fringe $46,322.50 Salary local professional staff $384,777.56 Salary local short-term professional staff $8,362.47 Salary local support staff $52,421.97 Local professional fringe $91,942.22 Local support fringe $7,367.51 Overhead Costs $511,420.39 Other Direct Costs $751,657.21 II. Assessment Tools Development EGRA/SMES/Classroom Observation $520,817.76 School-to-School International Subcontract $462,699.33 Translation Services $1,265.62 Classroom Observation Training $56,852.81 Reading Materials Assessment $73,367.87 Andy Smart, short-term technical assistance $37,966.52 MOE Working Group expenses (lunches, transportation, supplies) $16,905.29 Database Development $1,990.97 Per Diem and Transportation to collect books and Travel Expenses $9,062.67 Pictures for Reading Materials Assessment’s Sample Books and Translations $7,442.42 Institutional Capacity Assessment $959.27 Sue Emmott expenses $51,028.97 ICA Working Group expenses (lunches, transportation, supplies) $959.27 Public-Private Partnership Assessment $74,599.53 Rachel Cooper expenses $36,901.59 Regional workshops $3,868.10 Kabul workshop $5,693.14 Public-private partnership conference translation services $1,617.59 Travel expenses (Per Diem, Transportation, Accommodation) $26,519.11 III. Data Collection and Reporting Activities EGRA/SMES $1,218,254.85 RSI subcontract $839,918.00 EGRA/SMES Validity Workshop expenses $6,612.16 EGR staff travel to observe EGRA $3,477.86 EGRA/SMES video recording $11,832.91 EGRA/SMES report translation $847.87 Classroom observation travel $32,707.54 Post monitoring survey $33,533.70 National and regional dissemination workshops $289,324.81 Reading Materials Assessment $3,586.48 Translation Services $3,586.48 Institutional Capacity Assessment $21,777.62 Per diem for ICA staff while traveling $9,946.85 Travel expenses for MOE ICA Working Group $5,509.38 Top Up Card to MOE ICA Working Group $729.09 ICA final report translation $592.30 Honoraria to ICA Working Group $5,000.00


Public-Private Partnership Assessment Final report translation $1,280.67 IV. Security $364,471.71 Totals $4,526,191.35

U.S. Agency for International Development

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20523

Tel.: (202) 712-0000 Fax: (202) 216-3524

www.usaid.gov

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