Usaid’s Early Grade Reading Program Ii (EGRP II) in Nepal · 4 Management, Administration, and...

Government of Nepal, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology

October 30, 2020 This publication was prepared for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by RTI International.

USAID’s Early Grade Reading Program II (EGRP II) in Nepal Quarterly Progress Report: June 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020

USAID’s Early Grade Reading Program II (EGRP II) in Nepal Quarterly Progress Report: June 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020 Cooperative Agreement No. 72036720CA00001 Prepared for Jaya Krishna Upadhyay Agreement Officer’s Representative Education Development Office United States Agency for International Development/Nepal GPO Box No. 295 U.S. Embassy, Maharajgunj Kathmandu, Nepal E-mail: [email protected] Prepared by RTI International P.O. Box 12194 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194 Telephone: 919-541-6000 http://www.rti.org/ The authors’ views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute. RTI and the RTI logo are U.S. registered trademarks of Research Triangle Institute. Cover photo: Supplementary reading materials distribution at the Education Development Directorate, Tanahun District [Photo credit: EGRP II staff]

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EGRP II in Nepal, Quarterly Progress Report, June 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020 iii

Table of Contents Page

List of Tables ............................................................................................................. iv

List of Figures ............................................................................................................ iv

List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................. vi

1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Program Overview ................................................................................ 1 1.2 Executive Summary .............................................................................. 1 1.3 Program Description ............................................................................. 4

2 Progress and Key Current and Cumulative Achievements During the Quarter ............................................................................................................ 7 2.1 Objective 1: Support development and rollout of the IC and

continue to scale up EGR ..................................................................... 7 2.2 Objective 2: Build municipal- and provincial-level capacity for

delivering EGR services ........................................................................ 9 2.3 Objective 3: Improve LGs’ ability to provide TPS, coaching,

mentorship, and supervision ............................................................... 14 2.4 Objective 4: Support continuity of learning during the COVID-19

pandemic ............................................................................................ 16 2.5 Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Adapting ................................. 19 2.6 Government of Nepal Liaison ............................................................. 22 2.7 Collaboration and Coordination with Similar Interventions in the

Sector ................................................................................................. 25 2.8 Gender Equality and Social Inclusion ................................................. 26 2.9 Communications, Branding, and Marking ........................................... 27 2.10 Summary of Programmatic Accomplishments versus Goals .............. 28 2.11 Summary of Indicator Targets versus Actuals .................................... 29

3 Challenges, Lessons Learned, and Mitigation Strategies .............................. 29

4 Management, Administration, and Safety ...................................................... 30 4.1 Management ....................................................................................... 31 4.2 Human Resources .............................................................................. 31 4.3 Finance and Administration ................................................................ 32 4.4 Procurement and Logistics ................................................................. 32 4.5 Information Technology ...................................................................... 33 4.6 Safety and Security ............................................................................. 33

iv EGRP II in Nepal, Quarterly Progress Report, June 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020

4.7 Environmental Compliance ................................................................. 34

5 Finance and Expenditure Status .................................................................... 34 5.1 Activities for Next Quarter with Estimated Expenditure ....................... 34

Annex A: Progress by Indicators ........................................................................ 36

Annex B: List of Key Upcoming Events and Dates ............................................. 37

Annex C: Success Story or Case Study ............................................................. 38

Annex D. High-resolution Photo Files with Captions .......................................... 41

List of Tables Table 1: Components of the local capacity needs assessment survey ................. 10

Table 2: Planned GON participants in MTOTs for local capacity-development workshops ......................................................................... 11

Table 3: Status of SRM delivery in the 22 NEGRP expansion districts as of September 30, 2020 ................................................................................ 14

Table 4: Plan for interactive digital content development, by subject and grade (number of lessons/activities) ........................................................ 17

Table 5: Status of EGRP II introductory meetings at provincial and local levels ....................................................................................................... 24

Table 6: Challenges, lessons learned, and mitigation strategies .......................... 30

Table 7: Cumulative costs and projected expenses .............................................. 35

List of Figures Figure 1: EGRP II program goal and objectives ....................................................... 4

Figure 2: Objective 1 components ............................................................................ 7

Figure 3: Objective 2 components ............................................................................ 9

Figure 4: Screenshot of Apollo Press’s online SRM distribution tracking system ..................................................................................................... 13

Figure 5: Objective 3 components .......................................................................... 15

Figure 6: Objective 4 components .......................................................................... 16

Figure 7: Analysis of potential learning loss due to approximately 5 months of school closures ................................................................................... 18

Figure 8: EGRP II monthly planning data entry interface ....................................... 21

Figure 9: EGRP II progress reporting data entry interface ..................................... 21

Figure 10: EGRP II monthly progress tracking dashboard ....................................... 22

EGRP II in Nepal, Quarterly Progress Report, June 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020 v

Figure 11: Participants in provincial and local consultations for EGRP II AWP development, by organization/role .......................................................... 23

Figure 12: Key AWP feedback from local and provincial stakeholders .................... 23

Figure 13: Participants in EGRP II introductory meetings, by sex and province ....... 24

Figure 14: Participants in EGRP II introductory meetings, by organization/ role and province ........................................................................................... 25

Figure 15: EGRP II staffing by gender and ethnicity ................................................ 26

Figure 16: Public version of the EGRP II coverage map .......................................... 28

vi EGRP II in Nepal, Quarterly Progress Report, June 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020

List of Abbreviations AWP Annual Work Plan CB-EGRA Classroom-Based Early Grade Reading Assessment CDC Curriculum Development Center CEHRD Center for Education and Human Resource Development CLA Central Level Agency COP Chief of Party COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019 EDCU Education Development and Coordination Unit EDD Education Development Directorate EGR Early Grade Reading EGRA Early Grade Reading Assessment EGRP Early Grade Reading Program EGRP II Early Grade Reading Program II ERO Education Review Office ETC Education Training Center GESI Gender Equality and Social Inclusion GON Government of Nepal GPE Global Partnership for Education HRDD Human Resource Development Division IC Integrated Curriculum IEMIS Integrated Education Management Information System IT Information Technology LEU Local Education Unit LG Local Government MEL Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning MOEST Ministry of Education, Science and Technology MOSD Ministry of Social Development MTOT Master Training of Trainers NARN National Assessment of Reading and Numeracy NEGRP National Early Grade Reading Program NPR Nepalese Rupees OLE Nepal Open Learning Exchange Nepal RTI RTI International (registered trademark and trade name of Research Triangle

Institute)

EGRP II in Nepal, Quarterly Progress Report, June 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020 vii

SRM Supplementary Reading Material SSDP School Sector Development Plan TA Technical Assistance TEAMS Training and Exchanges Automated Management System TPD Teacher Professional Development TPS Teacher Professional Support UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development VAT Value-Added Tax

EGRP II in Nepal, Quarterly Progress Report, June 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020 1

1 Introduction 1.1 Program Overview

Program name: USAID’s Early Grade Reading Program II (EGRP II) in Nepal

Program start date and end date: June 1, 2020 – May 31, 2022

Name of prime implementing partner:

RTI International

Cooperative agreement number: 72036720CA00001

Names of subcontractors: N/A

Major host-country counterpart organizations:

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST), Curriculum Development Center (CDC), Center for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD) [which includes the Human Resource Development Division [HRDD] and Education Review Office (ERO)]

Geographic coverage: Kathmandu and the following districts: Achham, Baglung, Banke, Bara, Bardiya, Bhaktapur, Bhojpur, Dadeldhura, Dailekh, Dang, Dhankuta, Dhanusha, Dolpa, Doti, Kailali, Kapilvastu, Kanchanpur, Kaski, Khotang, Mahottari, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi, Nawalparasi West, Parsa, Rasuwa, Rautahat, Rolpa, Rupandehi, Salyan, Saptari, Sarlahi, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchok, Siraha, Surkhet, Taplejung, Tanahun

Reporting period: June 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020

1.2 Executive Summary This report provides a progress update for the Early Grade Reading Program II (EGRP II) covering June–September 2020. EGRP II is a 2-year, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded program of technical assistance to the Government of Nepal (GON) that will be implemented from June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2022. EGRP II’s support to the GON will be provided in the context of the shift toward the recently developed integrated curriculum (IC), ongoing decentralization in Nepal’s governance system, and, most likely, prolonged disruptions to teaching and learning due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Building on the foundation of the first Early Grade Reading Program (EGRP) from 2015 to 2020, EGRP II aims to improve early grade literacy for students in grades 1–3 in Nepali public schools by supporting IC development and rollout (Objective 1), building local capacity for early grade reading (EGR) service delivery (Objective 2), improving teacher professional support (TPS) (Objective 3), and assisting with the COVID-19 response in the education sector (Objective 4).

June–September 2020 marked EGRP II’s start-up period. As such, the main focus during the quarter was on detailed program design; annual work plan (AWP) development; and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) plan drafting. The EGRP II team approached these tasks through extensive consultations with USAID as well as GON stakeholders at central, provincial, district, and local levels, coordinated through the Ministry of Education,

2 EGRP II in Nepal, Quarterly Progress Report, June 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020

Science, and Technology (MOEST). The consultations highlighted key considerations that the program will need to take into account related to how the GON aims to roll out teacher professional development (TPD) and TPS for the IC. The discussions also touched on ideas related to the content that will need to be more fully developed for the planned rounds of local capacity-development workshops, and the most relevant ways to support local governments (LGs) with COVID-19 response activities at the municipal level. For example, participants in the consultations highlighted the importance of building local-level understanding of and capacity to implement TPS effectively; to incorporate guidance on COVID-19 response in the education sector, and to work through local structures such as District Core Teams. It is expected that both the AWP and the MEL Plan will be finalized based on further GON and USAID feedback during the October–December 2020 quarter.

In addition to AWP and MEL Plan creation, the EGRP II team embarked on preparations for initial activity implementation. This included offering technical assistance through emails, virtual meetings, and telephone calls to the Center for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD) on planning for IC TPD rollout. The EGRP II team advised CEHRD to include basic EGR components within the Nepali subject area in the TPD module and develop a separate 5-day customized module on EGR. The team advised that developing a 5-day customized module on EGR would be beneficial in two ways. First, it would allow enough time for modelling and practice on EGR instruction during teacher training. Second, it would help meet the NEGRP minimum package requirement as well as the Disbursement-Linked Indicator (DLI) requirement in the School Sector Development Plan (SSDP). However, the CEHRD team decided that they would discuss internally to determine the training modality and would request EGRP II technical assistance to develop training packages and plan for rollout, based on their internal decision.

Similarly, technical assistance was provided to the Education Review Office (ERO) on data cleaning, data analysis, and preparation of reports for Classroom-based Early Grade Reading Assessments (CB-EGRAs) and the National Assessment of Reading and Numeracy (NARN). The EGRP II team also developed and began deploying a survey of local-level capacity needs and connectivity, and coordinated with the School Sector Development Plan (SSDP) Technical Assistance (TA) team on the content of their intended local-level education sector planning workshops. Both of these efforts will inform detailed design of local capacity-development workshops through EGRP II during the next quarter, which will most likely need to have a substantial emphasis on local COVID-19 response modalities in the face of prolonged school closures.

Distribution of supplementary reading materials (SRMs) to 22 new expansion districts for the GON’s National Early Grade Reading Program (NEGRP) got underway during the June–September 2020 period, conducted jointly between EGRP and EGRP II. Furthermore, the EGRP and EGRP II teams embarked on a partnership with the Open Learning Exchange (OLE) Nepal to develop 119 new interactive digital lessons for grades 1–3 of primary school. Once designed and launched on the Center for Human Resource Development (CEHRD) learning portal, these will be an important resource to promote continuity of children’s learning while schools remain closed or operate with restricted attendance.

In addition to these programmatic activities, the EGRP II team launched substantial operational efforts during the reporting quarter, including participating in the handover of


equipment and office space from EGRP to EGRP II; hiring 79 staff for the Kathmandu office as well as four regional offices; and establishing required financial, logistics, procurement, communications, and information technology processes and standards.

Priorities during the October–December 2020 quarter will include finalizing the AWP and MEL Plan; completing hiring for the remaining 13 staff positions; and beginning key programmatic activities related to the IC, policy support, local capacity development, TPS, and COVID-19 response.


1.3 Program Description EGRP II is a 2-year, USAID-funded program of technical assistance to the GON that will be implemented from June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2022. Similar to USAID’s EGRP, EGRP II will continue to support the GON to scale up the NEGRP in coordination and collaboration with relevant stakeholders so that all grade 1–3 students in community schools in the 38 current NEGRP target districts demonstrate improved reading outcomes. EGRP II support will be provided in the context of (1) the shift from a subject-based curriculum to an IC in the early grades, (2) the transition from a centralized to a decentralized governance system, and (3) ongoing and potential future disruptions to teaching and learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, EGRP II will achieve its goal through four objectives, as captured in Figure 1.

Figure 1: EGRP II program goal and objectives

Objective 1 focuses on offering technical assistance to CDC and CEHRD as they develop and roll out a 10-day training package for the IC nationwide so that the eight new NEGRP target districts that have not yet received training can meet NEGRP minimum package training requirements.

EGRP II will then fund master training of trainers (MTOT) for 50 additional trainers for the nationwide IC training package in program Year 1 and 150 in Year 2, to supplement the 120 trainers already planned by CEHRD in Year 1. As part of these efforts, the program will offer technical assistance for quality monitoring of the MTOTs as well as subsequent training rollout at cluster level. EGRP II will also help CDC and CEHRD to design research on effective strategies for implementation of the IC.

Furthermore, the program will assist MOEST and its central level agencies (CLAs), including ERO, to analyze and disseminate EGRP assessment outcomes. The program will also support ERO to analyze and report on data from NARN and CB-EGRAs. These data will be used to inform policy making and practice around early grade learning, including reporting for the

Outcome: Improved early grade literacy in grades 1-3 for students in Nepali public schools

Objective 1: Support development and rollout of the IC and continue to scale up early grade

reading

Objective 2: Build municipal- and

provincial-level capacity for delivering early

grade reading services

Objective 3: Improve local government ability

to improve teacher professional support, coaching, mentorship,

and supervision

Objective 4: COVID-19 response


United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4,1 potential revisions to the NEGRP minimum package, a new education sector plan reflecting EGR best practices, and revised national EGR benchmarks.

Anticipated outcomes under Objective 1 include the following: • Technical support offered on EGR best practices in the nationwide, 10-day IC training

package development and MTOTs • MTOT funded for 200 master trainers for the nationwide IC training package, in

agreement with the GON • Operational research on the IC to inform future implementation • Assessment data analyzed and utilized to inform education sector policy and

programming

Through Objective 2, EGRP II focuses on helping municipalities formulate education policies and costed action plans that reflect NEGRP minimum package expectations around EGR under the IC. EGRP II will support Local Education Units (LEUs) to use data for decision making by developing and maintaining LEU profiles with information on learning outcomes, EGR teacher training status, coaching frequency, and teacher and student language profiles. In addition, the program will help LGs document and report information on allocation and use of discretionary budget resources in education. The above will be achieved through a set of capacity-development trainings delivered at the LEU level as well as supportive follow-up meetings and monitoring efforts. Finally, EGRP II will pick up from where EGRP left off at contract close at the end of October 2020, by overseeing the remaining distribution of SRMs to schools in all 22 NEGRP expansion districts.

Anticipated outcomes under Objective 2 include the following: • All LEUs in 38 districts are using the updated Integrated Education Management

Information System (IEMIS) and education profiles • All LEUs in 38 districts are tracking and reporting discretionary resources dedicated

to education • All schools in 38 districts have at least one book corner for grades 1–3

Objective 3 focuses on assisting LEUs with implementation of TPS. Based on the research findings and experience from EGRP, EGRP II will support CEHRD to prepare revised TPS guidelines and a manual, incorporating a menu of TPS implementation options for LEUs. The program will then support CEHRD and Education Training Centers (ETCs) to design, roll out, and monitor MTOTs for TPS. EGRP II will also support mixed-methods operational research, which will allow MOEST and CEHRD to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of different TPS menu options. Joint monitoring and periodic visits by GON officials and program staff to LEUs and schools will reinforce best practices in EGR instruction and TPS. EGRP II will also help the government design and implement master training for roster experts for TPS. As a result of these efforts, LGs in the 38 districts will have defined and tested an evidence-based model for teacher support, coaching, and supervision and will be

1 Sustainable Development Goal 4 focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.


systematically reporting on teacher attendance, classroom teacher observations, and time spent teaching.

Anticipated outcomes under Objective 3 include the following: • CEHRD has updated TPS guidelines and manual to support flexible TPS approach • MTOT completed for TPS • All LEUs piloting an approach to TPS • Operational research on the TPS pilots completed

Objective 4 centers around the COVID-19 response as it pertains to education. This will include activities to help central and subnational governments promote EGR engagement for students during extended school closures, prepare for resuming EGR instruction upon schools’ reopening, and plan for possible future school re-closures. This objective is intended to provide a flexible approach to respond to emerging needs resulting from the pandemic. Planned activities include supporting CEHRD and CDC to develop new digital early grade learning content for CEHRD’s learning portal. EGRP will also provide technical assistance to CDC to develop materials for teachers/parents and children, reflecting adjusted curriculum content during a shortened 2020-2021 academic year. In the same vein, the program will support CEHRD in helping teachers adjust how they cover the curriculum and deliver instruction during the shortened year. EGRP II will also assist ERO with assessing learning loss during that year.

The program will provide direct support to LEUs to implement community- and home-based learning opportunities, targeting rural, disadvantaged municipalities that are heavily impacted by COVID-19, have limited access to online or radio/television learning opportunities, and may not re-open schools in the foreseeable future. Finally, field-based program staff will continue the practice established through EGRP of supporting palikas to utilize funds for local-level COVID-19 responses – particularly printing and distribution of self-learning materials for students – and participating in emergency cluster mechanisms at provincial, district, and municipal levels to support coordination and planning.

EGRP II is implemented in 38 NEGRP districts, covering 396 LEUs. The program provides intensive support for implementation of the NEGRP minimum package in 22 districts where MOEST is expanding EGR activities (referred to as Levels 1 and 2) and continued technical assistance for the 16 districts that were targeted under EGRP (called Level 3).2 EGRP II operates from a Kathmandu central office as well as four regional offices. Supported by other regionally based technical staff, one District Coordinator per district works closely with LEUs and other LG staff to plan for and roll out NEGRP activities. The District Coordinators are embedded in Education Development Directorates (EDCUs) at the district level to support LEUs in implementing activities such as MTOT rollout, monitoring and use of data for decision making, and building of LEU skills in TPS.

2 In the EGRP II program design, Levels 1 and 2 districts are slated to receive more intensive interventions to assist them as they start up and/or roll out NEGRP interventions, while Level 3 districts will be assisted to consolidate and sustain the NEGRP interventions previously supported through EGRP.


2 Progress and Key Current and Cumulative Achievements During the Quarter

This section describes EGRP II’s progress toward program outcomes and deliverables during the first quarter of implementation from June through September 2020. The section first provides updates of activities and achievements under program objectives 1-4, related to improved curriculum and instruction, local capacity development, and TPS, as well as COVID-19 response in the education sector. Next, updates are shared on program MEL efforts as well as liaison with the GON and collaboration with other actors in the sector. The section also delves into activities undertaken to promote gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) and describes communications, branding, and marking efforts. Finally, a summary of programmatic accomplishments compared with goals during the June–September 2020 quarter is provided.

2.1 Objective 1: Support development and rollout of the IC and continue to scale up EGR

Objective 1 focuses on supporting the GON with development and rollout of the IC and policy-related support for scale-up of best practices in EGR in the context of the IC and decentralized governance, as captured in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Objective 1 components

Under Objective 1 during the June–September 2020 quarter, EGRP II focused on consulting with GON stakeholders, gathering important perspectives to inform detailed program design and drafting of the Year 1 AWP activities related to support for IC rollout and implementation. In addition, the EGRP II team began offering technical assistance to ERO on CB-EGRA and NARN data analysis.

Sub-Objective 1.1: Support IC rollout and implementation

In the June–September 2020 quarter, the EGRP II team held a series of virtual consultations with the CEHRD technical team, along with the Deputy Director General of the Human Resource Development Division (HRDD), with regard to plans for revising the TPD package to align with plans for IC rollout. These discussions were focused on setting overall objectives for the teacher training and determining how to revise the training framework and contents, both to provide grade 1–3 teachers with adequate knowledge and skills in EGR instruction and to meet IC requirements.

Objective 1: Support development and rollout of the IC and continue to scale up EGR

1.1: Support IC rollout and implementation

1.2: Support MOEST policy and planning for NEGRP


As of September 2020, CEHRD had decided on a 10+5-day TPD module for the IC, which incorporates all four subjects, including Nepali. As in past trainings, 10 days will be delivered face-to-face, with 5 days of in-school practicum. Within this approach, 2 out of the 10 days of face-to-face training are allocated to the Nepali subject because there are three other subject areas as well as some generic sessions to be covered within the overall allotted time. Based on discussions with CEHRD and USAID, EGRP II’s support to these efforts will include:

• Offering technical assistance on integration of EGR best practices in the 10-day IC TPD certification package and on rollout of MTOTs for 120 trainers

• Funding MTOTs for the 10-day IC TPD for an additional 50 master trainers in Year 1 and 150 trainers in Year 2. This will be subject to CEHRD’s request, and may shift to covering all 200 trainers in Year 2 instead of splitting them between the years.

In addition, one of the proposed Year 1 activities is to support CDC and CEHRD with a research study on effective strategies for IC rollout. EGRP II initially suggested that this study should be designed during Year 1 and then rolled out during Year 2 to allow more time for full implementation of the IC. However, instead of that approach, CDC requested that EGRP II collect feedback from field visits that had already been conducted in the locations where the IC was piloted during the 2019/2020 school year and prepare a comprehensive report analyzing that feedback. This request has been taken into account in a revised version of the Year 1 AWP.

Sub-Objective 1.2: Support MOEST policy and planning for NEGRP

Activities to support MOEST policy and planning for NEGRP during the June–September 2020 quarter mainly revolved around consulting with MOEST and the CLAs on the detailed design of Year 1 AWP activities, as also discussed above under Sub-Objective 1.1. In addition, in coordination with EGRP, the EGRP II team prepared to support dissemination of EGRP endline findings at the national level through a learning and sharing event scheduled for mid-October 2020. The Year 1 AWP then anticipates that provincial and local endline dissemination events will take place from December 2020 onwards. Local-level dissemination is slated to occur through local capacity-development workshops, while provincial-level sharing will take place through dedicated dissemination events with both provincial and district stakeholders.

In addition, the EGRP II Year 1 AWP includes technical assistance to MOEST to develop the new education sector development plan, with an emphasis on sharing best practices and policy recommendations for EGR. Based on USAID feedback on the timeline for education sector plan development, this activity will take place in the October–December 2020 quarter, since MOEST expects to have the draft ready in December 2020.

Finally, the EGRP II team offered support for NARN and CB-EGRA data analysis and reporting in the Year 1 AWP. During the reporting quarter, the EGRP II MEL team continued the work started under EGRP to support ERO with analyzing the NARN data that were collected in January 2020. In August and September 2020, EGRP and ERO organized rounds of virtual meetings to explore and understand the NARN data, develop a data cleaning protocol, and begin the data cleaning and analysis process. The project team also provided support to ERO in NARN data analysis. It is expected that data analysis and reporting will be completed by ERO, with EGRP II support, around November 2020.


In a similar vein, EGRP II supported local and district education offices to collect and compile CB-EGRA data. In 2020, a total of nine districts conducted CB-EGRAs, while the remaining seven could not, due to COVID-19 restrictions. At the district and regional levels, EGRP II District Coordinators and Regional MEL Coordinators supported GON to clean and analyze the CB-EGRA data. At the central level, EGRP II provided technical assistance to ERO to prepare a national-level visualization platform. As of the end of September 2020, ERO and EGRP II had received data from six districts—Kaski, Banke, Bardiya, Dadeldhura, Dang, and Kailali—while for the remaining three districts, EGRP II’s District Coordinators and Regional MEL Coordinators were still following up with government personnel. It is expected that by the end of the October–December 2020 quarter, EGRP II will have supported ERO to develop a Power BI-based online mode and an Excel-based offline mode for data visualization platforms.

ERO and EGRP II, along with other CLAs, will then use the CB-EGRA data along with other relevant assessment data to revise the national EGR benchmarks in subsequent quarters. This process is expected to update and validate current benchmark of 45 words per minute with 80% comprehension and develop intermediate benchmarks such as "emergent reader," which allows teachers to assess children’s progress along a continuum and MOEST to demonstrate progress in the percentages of children that fall into categories from “non-reader” all the way to “reading at benchmark.”

2.2 Objective 2: Build municipal- and provincial-level capacity for delivering EGR services

Objective 2 aims to build municipal and provincial capacity to deliver and scale up EGR services in the context of decentralization and the IC. To achieve this, EGRP II will work on building local capacity for NEGRP planning and implementation, supporting the use of data for decision making at the local level, and providing SRMs to target schools in the 22 NEGRP expansion districts, as captured in Figure 3.


Activities under Objective 2 during the June–September 2020 quarter included preparing for local capacity-development workshops by designing and starting up a local capacity and connectivity assessment survey, as well as overseeing distribution of SRMs to target locations.

Objective 2: Build municipal- and provincial-level capacity for delivering EGR services

2.1: Provide capacity-building for palika

officials and LEU staff

2.2: Support LGs to develop policies and

costed plans for NEGRP under the IC

2.3: Support LEUs and LGs to use data-driven

decision making

2.4 Provide supplementary reading materials to promote

children's reading skills


Sub-Objective 2.1: Provide capacity building for palika officials and LEU staff

Sub-Objective 2.2: Support LGs to develop policies and costed plans for NEGRP under the IC

Sub-Objective 2.3: Support LEUs and LGs to use data-driven decision making

Work got underway for Sub-Objectives 2.1–2.3 through developing and deploying a survey of local capacity needs, human resources, and Internet connectivity and information technology (IT) equipment availability for all 396 of EGRP II’s target LEUs. The survey was designed to inform detailed development of content for the local capacity-development workshops that are planned to start up in the October–December 2020 quarter. It included questions related to local education sector COVID-19 response activities and resource allocation plans, to help with development of EGRP II’s local-level support activities under Objective 4. It was also set up to identify the extent to which each LEU can pivot to virtual meeting and workshop formats in line with their existing connectivity and equipment, with the expectation that pandemic conditions will continue to result in restrictions on in-person gatherings.

The survey launched at the end of September 2020 and utilizes KoBo Toolbox as the data collection platform. To complete it, EGRP II District Coordinators interview staff from each LEU and enter data on the five main components outlined in Table 1 below. It is expected that data collection for the survey will be completed in all 396 target LEUs in October and the results compiled in the first half of November 2020.

Table 1: Components of the local capacity needs assessment survey Component Key areas covered

Availability of IT in the LEU Availability and reliability of power supply, computers/laptops, and Internet facilities

Human resources for IT Availability of human resources to operate IT facilities and troubleshoot connectivity and technology-related challenges

Human resources for key LEU functions, including IEMIS management

Availability of human resources for IEMIS management/updating and capacity of LEU staff in software-based monitoring data collection

Existing LEU practices in EGR planning, monitoring, and reporting as well as COVID-19 response

LEU use of data for planning and decision making, capacity in IEMIS management/updating, use of IEMIS data, monitoring and support to schools, EGR-related activities in the municipality, and status of book corner in early grade classrooms

Existing practices on COVID-19 response in the education sector, including whether LEUs have mapped students based on MOEST’s categories of connectivity; adopting any alternative means of teaching and learning; and provision of resources for alternative approaches

LEU understanding of NEGRP, the minimum package, and related activities in the municipal annual plan

LEU officials’ understanding about NEGRP and the minimum package; extent of incorporation of EGR activities in municipal planning and budgeting

Based on the findings of the capacity needs assessment, the final contents for the capacity-development workshops will be prepared in the October–December 2020 quarter.


Additionally, the EGRP II team will consult with the SSDP TA team and Reading for All team to harmonize workshop contents and ensure appropriate coverage of disability and inclusion topics.

The EGRP II Year 1 AWP – which was finalized during the June-September 2020 period – lays out the anticipated process for rolling out the local capacity-development workshops. The focus of these workshops will be to help LEUs and relevant local stakeholders effectively implement NEGRP in each municipality, in line with the NEGRP minimum package requirements as well as the demands of the IC. To achieve this, during the June-September 2020 reporting period, EGRP II developed a plan for 3-day capacity-development workshops including at least three participants from each local level (two from the LEU and one from the planning section of the municipality), totaling to approximately 1,200 participants. In Year 1, the 18 Level 1 districts and 4 Level 2 districts will participate in two rounds of workshops, while the 16 Level 3 districts already supported by EGRP will participate in only one round.

During the June-September 2020 period, the EGRP II team worked on developing a single-layer cascade training approach for these workshops, with MOEST, CEHRD, and EGRP II staff leading the MTOTs for participants from EDCUs, selected LEUs, ETCs, Education Development Directorates (EDDs,) and Ministries of Social Development (MOSDs). EGRP II District Coordinators, Regional Technical Coordinators, and Regional MEL Coordinators will also participate in the MTOTs so they can effectively support the subsequent local-level trainings. Altogether, EGRP II anticipates that there will be approximately 178 participants in the MTOTs, who will then facilitate the capacity-development workshops for LEU personnel, grouped by district/cluster. Table 2 lays out the expected number of participants in the MTOTs by province.

Table 2: Planned GON participants in MTOTs for local capacity-development workshops

Province

# of districts in the

province

# of LEUs in the

province

# of MTOT participants from

EDCUs/LEUs

# of MTOT participants from

MOSDs/ETCs/EDDs Total

Province 1 4 35 12 6 18

Province 2 8 136 40 6 46

Bagmati 4 30 14 6 20

Gandaki 6 40 18 6 24

Province 5 7 69 23 6 29

Karnali 4 38 12 6 18

Sudur Paschim 5 48 17 6 23

Total 38 396 136 42 178 Although the specific contents of the local capacity-development workshops are yet to be finalized based on the process described above, the broad themes and topics were developed during the June-September 2020 period on the basis of the Year 1 AWP consultations with


local, district, provincial, and central-level officials as well as the SSDP TA team. These align with the planned outcomes under Sub-Objectives 2.2 and 2.3 and include the following:

• NEGRP policy, guidelines, minimum package, and the IC • Sharing of EGRP endline results • Education planning processes and tools, development/review of municipal education

plans, and planning for discretionary budget allocation • Use of data for decision making, including CB-EGRA data and LEU profiles • TPS guidelines, materials, menu of options, roles and responsibilities and planning for

classroom observations • Alternative learning arrangements to respond to COVID-19 challenges • Disability and inclusion strategies and guidelines

The topics covered will also vary based on the participants’ level of familiarity with NEGRP. For example, the 16 EGRP districts in Level 3 already have a high level of understanding, while the other districts in Levels 1 and 2 may not. As such, LG officials in the Level 1 and 2 districts will begin with more orientation before progressing to practicums on education planning and use of data for decision making. The topics, structure, and timing of the workshops may need to be adjusted in the October-December 2020 quarter if the COVID-19 pandemic requires limits to the size and length of in-person gatherings or shifts to virtual modalities. This will build on adjustments that EGRP made in the local capacity development workshops conducted in September and October 2020, such as condensing some topics and breaking participants into smaller groups. It may also tap into expertise in conducting virtual events that the team developed through EGRP’s CEHRD capacity development training in July 2020 and the final EGRP learning and sharing event in October 2020.

To help lay the groundwork for strong relationships and capacity building for local governments, the EGRP II team worked closely with the LEUs on coordination and rapport-building with Education, Sports, and Youth sections of each municipal government on a regular basis. Through virtual meetings, phone calls, and document sharing, the team disseminated information on the NEGRP minimum package, SSDP program implementation guidelines, and provisions for purchasing EGR student workbooks. The EGRP II team also reviewed local level plans and policies to identify the gaps and to encourage local governments to incorporate EGR activities in their policies and plans. During the data verification process as part of the capacity needs assessment survey, EGRP II team members also advocated for utilizing data for decision making and continuing or initiating preparation of local level education profiles. Further details about efforts to build and maintain relationships at local levels are provided in the section on Government of Nepal Liaison below.

Sub-Objective 2.4: Provide SRMs to promote children's reading skills

Upon USAID’s request, EGRP printed and began distributing Nepali SRMs to the 22 NEGRP expansion districts during the July–October 2020 quarter. A competitive bidding process had been started in the previous quarter, with Apollo Press selected as the successful bidder. The program team classified the 177 SRMs into three groups based on level of difficulty, which were later packed and labeled for grades 1–3. Before printing began, CDC


requested that all print-ready copies be revised to reflect a new GON logo and national map of Nepal. This was completed as requested in mid-July, and all printing was done by the end of August. Apollo Press began distributing the materials shortly thereafter to the schools in the 22 NEGRP expansion districts.

Before distribution could be undertaken, the central team had to carefully verify school-level data using IEMIS as well as direct verification by program staff with LEUs. This was an important first step in ensuring accurate distribution numbers to each LEU and school, given that these are new target areas. The team found some discrepancies between IEMIS and the direct verification data, and updated the SRM targeting plans accordingly. In several cases, the discrepancies were due to schools that had been merged, but that information was not yet included in IEMIS.

In addition, because COVID-19 restrictions limited movements and gatherings in many places, an SRM distribution protocol was developed to ensure safety and hygiene and to clearly lay out roles and responsibilities for verifying distribution to end-users. Furthermore, Apollo Press is providing an online tracking system with a distribution visualization dashboard that includes maps as well as cumulative totals and updates on distribution numbers achieved by each of its staff. This system provides an extra layer of verification for the SRM distribution. Figure 4 provides a screenshot of the mapping function in Apollo’s system (taken during the initial stages of distribution).

Figure 4: Screenshot of Apollo Press’s online SRM distribution tracking system

As of the end of September 2020, 1,216 schools out of the 9,019 total schools in the target districts, plus 82 LEUs, had received the SRMs (Table 3). After considering the number of students in each school, two sets of SRMs were provided to the schools with more than 60 students each in grades 1–3, based on the most recently available IEMIS student data. Likewise, two boxes for each LEU and seven boxes for each EDCU are being delivered, to ensure a surplus of SRMs in case they are found to be needed based on enrollment numbers.


With USAID approval, costs for SRMs distributed through October 2020 will be covered through EGRP, and therefore the SRMs distributed through that date will be attributed within EGRP indicator tracking. Thereafter, SRMs distributed from November 1, 2020 onward will be paid for through EGRP II, and those numbers of SRMs will be counted toward the EGRP II target.

Table 3: Status of SRM delivery in the 22 NEGRP expansion districts as of September 30, 2020

Province District

Total # of schools in the

district # of schools with SRMs delivered

# of LEUs in the district

# of LEUs with SRMs delivered

Province 1 Bhojpur 384 20 10 2

Khotang 486 2 9 1

Taplejung 331 53 9 3

Province 2 Bara 431 33 16 3

Dhanusha 395 79 18 7

Mahottari 373 21 30 1

Rautahat 379 19 18 13

Sarlahi 451 36 20 1

Siraha 477 40 17 1

Bagmati Rasuwa 90 36 5 4

Sindhuli 567 45 9 2

Sindhupalchok 519 93 12 5

Gandaki Baglung 517 63 10 2

Myagdi 228 34 6 2

Tanahun 447 69 10 5

Province 5 Kapilvastu 545 86 10 6

Nawalparasi West 204 84 7 5

Rolpa 405 33 10 1

Karnali Dailekh 472 107 11 3

Salyan 446 85 10 6

Sudur Paschim

Achham 485 107 10 4

Doti 387 71 9 3

Total 9,019 1,216 251 82

2.3 Objective 3: Improve LGs’ ability to provide TPS, coaching, mentorship, and supervision

Objective 3 focuses on building capacity for TPS, which is a key input in helping teachers build and sustain improved practices for EGR instruction. Objective 3 activities will include support CEHRD/HRDD with revising TPS guidance, supporting LGs to roll out TPS, and


conducting joint monitoring and coaching side-by-side with GON officials, as captured in Figure 5.


As with Objectives 1 and 2, the bulk of efforts under Objective 3 during the June–September 2020 quarter centered around AWP consultations for detailed design of TPS-related activities. This builds on the technical assistance provided through EGRP to help the GON develop a teacher support mechanism, in which a coaching/mentoring role is assigned to head teachers and primary in-charge teachers to support EGR teachers with their everyday practice, teacher learning groups are held so teachers can provide mutual support, and external coaching is provided from the LEU or Resource Center. As part of these efforts, TPS guidelines were developed in 2018 to drive implementation of the TPS system, but EGRP II identified the need to update the guidelines in light of recent changes to the TPS system and decentralized governance structures across the country.

Sub-Objective 3.1: Support CEHRD/HRDD to revise TPS guidance and to incorporate a menu of options

During the June–September 2020 quarter, the EGRP II team held several virtual meetings with MOEST and CEHRD to review and revise the TPS guidelines and incorporate a menu of implementable and sustainable TPS options based on experience under EGRP. In the initial consultation meetings, CEHRD officials expressed their interest in developing an effective and durable teacher support mechanism either by using the existing TPS structures or by mobilizing subject experts at local levels. Since many staff in the CEHRD teacher training section, including the Director, were newly transferred into their roles, EGRP II laid the groundwork for collaboration by sharing the TPS documents developed so far—including the TPS guidelines, TPS training manual, and TPS resource materials—for their review.

The EGRP II team also began supporting CEHRD to organize a workshop to share the findings of the study on the effectiveness of the TPS system that was conducted during the final year of EGRP. The study indicated that there is an urgent need for an effective TPS mechanism to address problems that the teachers face in their everyday classroom practices. This workshop, along with more detailed preparations for revising the TPS guidelines and

Objective 3: Improve LGs’ ability to improve TPS, coaching, mentorship, and supervision

3.1: Support CEHRD/HRDD to

revise TPS guidance and to incorporate a

menu of options

3.2: Support LGs to develop and roll out

plans for TPS implementation

3.3: Training and support for LEU staff to use theTPS guide and

resource materials

3.4: Conduct joint monitoring and

coaching


rolling out TPS MTOTs, will be conducted during the October–December 2020 quarter, subject to modifications that may be required due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

Sub-Objective 3.2: Support LGs to develop and roll out plans for TPS implementation

Sub-Objective 3.3: Training and support for LEU staff to use the TPS guide and resource materials

Sub-Objective 3.4: Conduct joint monitoring and coaching

Activities under Sub-Objectives 3.2–3.4 will begin in subsequent quarters and will be covered in future reporting periods.

2.4 Objective 4: Support continuity of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective 4 entails COVID-19 response activities to help students continue learning during extended school closures, and help LEUs and schools prepare for school re-openings, as well as potential re-closures, as outlined in Figure 6.


Objective 4 activities during the June–September 2020 quarter mainly focused on consultations to develop the COVID-19 response activities in the AWP. In addition, the EGRP II team launched a partnership with OLE Nepal on interactive digital learning content development and conducted an initial analysis of potential learning loss due to prolonged school closures. The COVID-19 situation was rapidly evolving during the reporting period, with the MOEST approving new guidelines for flexible learning strategies, CDC developing options for adjusting curricular content for a shorter academic year, CEHRD exploring options to support teachers with adjusting their instruction, and ERO considering how to assess student learning loss. In addition, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), as well as other development partners and implementing agencies, launched COVID-19 response activities in the education sector, which will require EGRP II to coordinate carefully to avoid duplication of efforts. The EGRP II team has been continuously tracking and mapping these efforts and will continue coordinating with the GON and USAID during the October–

Objective 4: COVID-19 response

4.1: EGR learning engagement for students during extended

school closures

4.2 Preparing for EGR instruction upon schools'

reopening4.3 Planning for possible school

re-closures


December 2020 quarter to further define and refine the program’s pandemic response support.

Sub-Objective 4.1: EGR learning engagement for students during extended school closures

To support the COVID-19 response in the education sector and promote continuity of learning, USAID requested EGRP to establish a partnership for interactive digital learning content development. The goal of this partnership was to develop additional online learning content to supplement existing lessons on CEHRD’s online learning portal at https://learning.cehrd.edu.np/, especially important during times of extended school closures with large numbers of children forced to learn from home.

In the April–June 2020 quarter, EGRP developed a request for proposals for development of 119 new interactive lessons/activities across the Nepali, Mathematics, Science, English, and Social Studies subjects as well as Nepali Sign Language and for children with dyslexia. The breakdown of the new content to be developed in each subject and grade is presented in Table 4; the content could be subject to slight adjustments, particularly to align with subject area changes in the IC.

Table 4: Plan for interactive digital content development, by subject and grade (number of lessons/activities)

Subject Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Total

Nepali 5 4 5 14

Mathematics 6 5 8 19

Science 4 3 5 12

English 5 3 6 14

Social Studies 12 13 10 35

Nepali Sign Language 15 0 0 15

Dyslexia 10 0 0 10

Total 57 28 34 119 The drafting of the request for proposals and the procurement process were conducted with support from the USAID-funded Reading for All Program, which provided technical assistance on the disability and inclusion aspects of the procurement and will continue to support content development. OLE Nepal was selected as the successful content development partner after a competitive application process, and is expected to start its work in early October 2020. Although the procurement commenced under EGRP, with USAID approval, it is expected that this effort will be overseen and fully funded through EGRP II.

Sub-Objective 4.2: Preparing for EGR instruction upon schools' reopening

With support from RTI home office technical advisors, in July and August 2020, EGRP II prepared initial projections of potential EGR learning loss due to prolonged school closures. This analysis was based on typical between-grade progression in children’s EGR skills in Nepal and in other Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) datasets globally. It used data from the EGRP endline EGRA assessment conducted in early 2020, and assumed that a loss

https://learning.cehrd.edu.np/


of around 5 months of schooling from the 2020/2021 school year would result in large backward slides in children’s basic reading proficiency levels.

This would be even more striking for non-Nepali speaking children. For example, as Figure 7 demonstrates, the statistical modeling predicts that 38% of students who speak Nepali as a second language would typically be able to read zero words at the end of grade 3, while after prolonged school closures, that would increase to 61% when they eventually start grade 4. These losses are expected to be even more profound as school closures continue beyond August 2020, when the analysis was conducted.

Figure 7: Analysis of potential learning loss due to approximately 5 months of school closures

It is important to note that this analysis assumes that the vast majority of students do not have access to distance learning opportunities. As such, the learning loss may not be as severe as indicated by this analysis, in cases where children do have access to online learning or other forms of distance learning. Because there are currently no reliable, nation-wide statistics on the extent of access to distance learning, or the quality of those learning opportunities, it would be difficult to model analytically.

Picking up on this urgent learning crisis, EGRP II worked with ERO to plan for conducting a learning loss study in program Year 1. Based on discussions with ERO, the main objective of this study will be to assess the level of learning loss of EGR children at the end of the 2020/2021 school year due to COVID-19-related school closures. EGRP II will support ERO to adapt CB-EGRA tools for this purpose and may need to support ERO to adopt virtual assessment methods if face-to-face approaches are not possible. This collaboration will be further fleshed out over the coming two quarters.


In addition to this focus on learning loss due to COVID-19, EGRP II has offered technical assistance to CDC and CEHRD on their efforts to adjust the curriculum and instruction for anticipated lengthy school closures. The National Curriculum Council recently approved a Curriculum Content Adjustment Framework to guide adjustments to the curriculum and instruction during a shorter academic year. Related to this, CDC identified the need to develop model learning facilitation materials for students and teachers/parents to help with the necessary adjustments.

As of the writing of this quarterly report, CDC was exploring potential assistance from partner organizations for development, printing, and distribution of these kinds of learning support materials for the current school year. Although these plans have not yet been finalized, EGRP II may be able to help CDC with development of the grade 1–3 learning support materials for teachers and students in the Nepali subject as well as models for student learning assessment. Related to these efforts, CEHRD has also been developing an action plan to support teachers in facilitating students’ learning during an abbreviated school year. This also presents opportunities for EGRP II assistance, which will be explored with USAID guidance during AWP finalization in the October–December 2020 quarter.

Sub-Objective 4.3: Planning for possible school re-closures

Activities have not yet been planned or implemented on planning for possible school re-closures because schools have not re-opened in the first place. This will be revisited as needed in future reporting.

2.5 Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Adapting MEL-related activities in the June–September 2020 quarter focused on annual work planning, conducting the MEL team orientation and capacity development, developing and deploying a local capacity and connectivity assessment survey as well as an EGRP II staff capacity assessment survey, leading development of the MEL Plan along with draft indicators and targets and an indicator tracking database, and developing online monthly planning templates and dashboards. In addition, the MEL team started up planned technical support activities, such as NARN and CB-EGRA data cleaning, analysis, and reporting.

Annual work planning

Throughout June–August 2020, the MEL team contributed inputs to the EGRP II AWP development process and detailed budgeting efforts. The MEL team supported design of externally facing technical support activities to the GON, as well as internally oriented MEL activities such as maintaining planning and indicator tracking systems, databases, and dashboards.

Capacity development of regional MEL teams

Once all four Regional MEL Coordinators were hired, the Kathmandu-based MEL team oriented them on their roles and responsibilities and provided training on data collection, cleaning, and management tools using virtual applications such as Google Form, KoBo Toolbox, and advanced Excel functions so that they will be able to support and troubleshoot the problems they may encounter while supporting their colleagues in the region and districts. The central MEL team also oriented the Regional MEL Coordinators and other regional staff on how to administer (a) the local capacity needs and connectivity survey, (b) the staff


capacity survey, and (c) EGRP II monthly planning forms, on a pilot basis until the Year 1 AWP is finalized and approved by USAID.

Local capacity needs and connectivity survey

The MEL team supported the Objective 2 team to develop the local capacity needs assessment survey. This included helping to develop the questions on connectivity in the survey and creating the data entry platform as well as the database for data entry. The MEL team also oriented field staff on how to deploy the survey and troubleshoot any questions that come up when collecting data from the target LEUs.

Capacity assessment survey for EGRP II staff

The MEL team designed and deployed an online staff capacity survey, also using KoBo Toolbox, to assess their current knowledge and skills in core areas of program implementation, management, and technical support. The survey is expected to wrap up in October and will subsequently be used to design short, in-house virtual capacity-building seminars for program staff based on the identified knowledge and skills gaps. One of the first priorities will be to deliver a training for program staff on how to design and conduct virtual meetings, workshops, and trainings in coordination with RTI home office advisors on education and technology.

MEL Plan development

In August and September 2020, the MEL team focused significant efforts on drafting the EGRP II MEL Plan. This document lays out the overall MEL approaches, as well as the specific monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities that will be implemented, to measure and report on progress toward program objectives. One of the core elements of the MEL Plan is the performance indicator tracking table coupled with the performance indicator reference sheets. A total of 18 indicators were drafted and will be revised as needed based on USAID feedback.

Monthly plan and progress tracking system

To make monthly planning and reporting more consistent, and to enable real-time tracking of progress toward planned AWP outputs, the MEL team developed an automated monthly planning and progress reporting system (see Figure 8, Figure 9, and Figure 10). The system utilizes KoBo Toolbox as the data collection interface, with an Excel-based platform using Power Query that visualizes progress toward monthly objectives. The system links with the objectives and sub-objectives in the Year 1 AWP through drop-down menus to reduce errors in data entry. It will remain in pilot form until the AWP is approved by USAID, and feedback from the EGRP II team during the pilot phase will be used to make adjustments as needed.


Figure 8: EGRP II monthly planning data entry interface

Figure 9: EGRP II progress reporting data entry interface


Figure 10: EGRP II monthly progress tracking dashboard

2.6 Government of Nepal Liaison During the June–September 2020 quarter, EGRP worked closely with MOEST and the CLAs through a series of regular and consultative meetings. To begin, courtesy meetings were held with the new MOEST Secretary and Joint Secretary, as well as the new Directors General of CEHRD and ERO, to orient them on EGRP II priorities and plans.

As part of the detailed program design process during the start-up phase, an initial sharing meeting with MOEST on the cooperative agreement with USAID for EGRP II was held on July 15, 2020. The meeting was led by the Joint Secretary of the MOEST Planning and Monitoring Division, with the participation of other planning and policy section colleagues. During the meeting, the EGRP II team shared the program design, objectives and strategies, possible activities, and arrangements for program implementation. In addition, the meeting finalized the modality, coverage, and participants for subsequent AWP consultative meetings with provincial and local officials and stakeholders.

With guidance from the MOEST, EGRP II then organized virtual consultative meetings with provincial and local stakeholders to share program objectives and collect their feedback on the draft Year 1 AWP. Seven consultative meetings were conducted separately with stakeholders from each of the seven target provinces during July 27–29, 2020. In total, 87 local and provincial officials as well as MOEST, CLA, and USAID representatives participated in the local consultations on the AWP (Figure 11).


Figure 11: Participants in provincial and local consultations for EGRP II AWP development, by organization/role

A summary of the local-level feedback and inputs on the AWP was shared with MOEST during a brief meeting on August 18, 2020. This feedback included the points captured in Figure 12, among others.

Similarly, consultative meetings with CDC, ERO, and CEHRD were organized on August 19 and 20. During these meetings, the EGRP II program design, a summary of feedback from provincial and local consultations, and a revised draft of the EGRP II AWP were shared and discussed. After intensive discussion, suggestions were collected on key aspects of the AWP, such as IC implementation, assessment, TPD and TPS, and strategies to respond to the COVID-19 situation.

Thereafter, a joint consultative meeting was organized on August 27, 2020, with MOEST and CLA representatives to develop a collective understanding on proposed program activities. This consultative meeting affirmed the draft EGRP II AWP, which was to be submitted to the NEGRP Steering Committee during a steering committee meeting scheduled for the end of August 2020. Due to a leadership change within the MOEST Planning and Monitoring Division, this steering committee meeting could not be held as planned; it is expected to be rescheduled during the October–December 2020 quarter.

Several other technical coordination meetings were held, with overlapping mandates between EGRP and EGRP II. For example, this included discussion on EGR teacher performance standards, digital learning materials development, launching the Ramailo Padhai (Reading is Fun) mobile app, and launching the NEGRP documentary. The EGRP II team also began

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Figure 12: Key AWP feedback from local and provincial stakeholders

• Local stakeholders flagged that inadequate human resources to roll out the IC is a challenge.

• There is a need for clear guidance to local levels on use of the EGR materials for grades 2 and 3 in the period before the IC is rolled out in those grades.

• The printing and distribution mechanisms for EGR materials at local levels need to be clarified.

• Local officials requested capacity building on rolling out the components of the NEGRP minimum package, and especially on their role in implementing TPS activities.


coordination with the CLAs on CB-EGRA and NARN data analysis and report preparation, and with CDC and CEHRD on how to adapt NEGRP minimum package elements to the flexible learning strategies promoted by the GON in response to COVID-19.

The EGRP II teams at regional and district levels also established (or re-established) relationships with provincial and district counterparts in the program’s target districts, conducting initial courtesy discussions and orientations on NEGRP and EGRP II objectives, and starting the mapping of LEU capacity and connectivity for the purposes of designing the planned LEU capacity-development workshops. Virtual introductory meetings had been completed in 31 out of the 38 EGRP II target districts by the end of the June–September 2020 quarter (Table 5), with plans to complete the remaining meetings once all District Coordinators have been hired in the October–December 2020 quarter.

Table 5: Status of EGRP II introductory meetings at provincial and local levels

Province # of districts # of districts completed Remarks

Province 1 4 4 All completed

Province 2 8 8 All completed

Bagmati 4 2 2 districts planned for next quarter

Gandaki 6 4 2 districts planned for next quarter

Province 5 7 6 1 district planned for next quarter

Karnali 4 2 2 districts planned for next quarter

Sudur Paschim 5 5 All completed

TOTAL 38 31 In total, 445 participants (11% women) from LGs and EDCUs participated in the virtual introductory meetings. Details disaggregated by sex and province are presented in Figure 13.

Figure 13: Participants in EGRP II introductory meetings, by sex and province

8 5 3 8 114

12

29

120

22

47

68

29

79

0

20

40

60

80

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120

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Province 1 Province 2 Bagmati Gandaki Province 5 Karnali SuderPaschim

Female Male


The EDCUs, in collaboration with the EGRP II regional and district team members, invited relevant stakeholders—including the LEU heads/representatives, selected mayors, deputy mayors, and other elected LG representatives—to the introductory meetings. As outlined in Figure 14, participation was robust across provinces and different types of stakeholders despite challenges related to virtual participation in the face of COVID-19 limitations.

Figure 14: Participants in EGRP II introductory meetings, by organization/ role and province

A virtual introductory meeting was also completed jointly with Province 1 and Province 2 officials, under the coordination of the two MOSDs. In total, 7 officials from the two provinces and 11 from EDCUs within the provinces participated in the meeting. This was particularly useful because these provinces have several NEGRP expansion districts that were not previously covered under EGRP. Additional introductory meetings are planned for the October–December 2020 quarter.

2.7 Collaboration and Coordination with Similar Interventions in the Sector The EGRP II team was active in establishing new collaborations or strengthening existing coordination that had been established through EGRP. For example, together with CEHRD, CDC, and the Reading for All program, EGRP established a new partnership with OLE Nepal for digital learning content development (described in Section 2.4). EGRP II team members also contributed to discussions on EGR during routine meetings of SSDP technical working groups on EGR; curriculum; and examination, accreditation, and assessment.

The team continued the ongoing collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to share information on research methodologies and available data for a planned research study on positive deviance in Nepal’s education sector under the Data Must Speak initiative. Through this effort, the first EGRP shared findings from studies on teacher motivation, TPS, and community engagement in reading that used elements of positive

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EDCUs LEUs Elected officials and others


deviance research methodology. UNICEF formed a task group for this that includes a team member from EGRP II’s MEL team.

Similarly, EGRP II coordinated with the SSDP TA team on developing initial content and rollout plans for local capacity-development workshops. As part of this process, the team provided feedback to the SSDP TA team on its planned workshop contents. In addition, the program leadership established communication with the Education Cluster leads to gather information on the education sector COVID-19 response, to inform detailed design of related EGRP II activities and geographic targeting decisions.

The team expects these collaborations to continue and expand during upcoming quarters as program activities start to roll out.

2.8 Gender Equality and Social Inclusion EGRP II activities related to GESI during the first program quarter (June–September 2020) centered around developing detailed performance indicator reference sheets with disaggregation by gender and ethnicity, and ensuring gender balance to the extent possible in initial AWP consultation meetings and orientations with government officials. However, only 11% of participants in the introductory meetings were women, which indicates that the program needs to intensify efforts to involve women leaders in future activities.

With regard to social inclusion, the digital content development sub-award to OLE Nepal includes development of interactive lessons to teach Nepali Sign Language and lessons for children with dyslexia. This content will be further elaborated over the next two quarters with technical support from the Reading for All program as well as local experts in these two areas of disability inclusion.

GESI was also considered during the hiring process to build the EGRP II team, to the extent possible in line with the existing recruiting environment in Nepal. This resulted in a team that is multi-ethnic and nearly one-quarter female (Figure 15).

Figure 15: EGRP II staffing by gender and ethnicity

24%

76%

Women Men

32%

22%20%

11%

8%6%

1%

Brahmin Madhesi / Terai

Chettri Newar

Hill Janjati Dalit

Muslim


These figures will be updated once all hiring is complete during the October–December 2020 quarter. In addition, during the next quarter, EGRP II aims to advance the focus on GESI by identifying a GESI focal person or task team and conducting staff capacity building on GESI in programmatic activities.

2.9 Communications, Branding, and Marking The first quarter of EGRP II coincided with the last quarter of EGRP. Therefore, a major portion of the communication unit’s time was focused on completing the communication products capturing the experiences, successes, and processes of EGRP, which will aid communication efforts for EGRP II. These products included the NEGRP animated short film, documentary, short videos, classroom videos, photo stories, and infographics, which will enable effective communication about NEGRP when sharing information with key stakeholders, particularly in the new NEGRP expansion districts. This will be especially useful when communicating about the extensive community mobilization aspects that EGRP supported, as these will no longer be covered with the same intensity in EGRP II.

Communications strategy and staff capacity development

During the June–September 2020 quarter, the EGRP II team reviewed the branding strategy and marking plan as well as other stipulations in the cooperative agreement and began developing a communications strategy, templates, and a staff capacity-development training package. Development of these will be concluded during the October–December 2020 period. In addition, the team provided inputs on communications activities in the draft Year 1 AWP—such as an EGRP II program introductory booklet, an official program launch event, and collection of professional photography—which will be implemented subject to USAID approval of the AWP.

Communications products

The EGRP II team produced a short briefing paper to describe the program to GON officials during initial orientations. The briefer described the core program objectives, geographic coverage, and support to NEGRP priorities. In addition, the team developed revised program targeting maps for both internal and external dissemination, to align with the GON’s new national map (see Figure 16 for the public version).


Figure 16: Public version of the EGRP II coverage map

Branding

During the June–September 2020 quarter, EGRP II’s efforts related to branding focused mainly on addressing OLE Nepal’s request to include its logo in the interactive digital learning content developed for CEHRD’s learning portal. Since the portal content developed earlier by OLE Nepal included its logo, it requested that the logo also be incorporated in the new products developed in partnership with EGRP II. After discussion, USAID approved OLE’s logo to remain in the content developed by OLE Nepal with the following branding placements: OLE Nepal logo to be on the top left corner, USAID’s logo on the bottom left, and RTI’s logo on the bottom right of the frame containing the new content.

Media coverage

EGRP II did not garner extensive media coverage during the reporting quarter because the program was still in the start-up phase. However, there was a piece of news in onlinekhabar.com that described the situation of early graders studying in the community schools of Parsa District and the positive role played by NEGRP. The article is available here: https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2020/10/901928

2.10 Summary of Programmatic Accomplishments versus Goals EGRP II was in the start-up phase during the June–September 2020 quarter. As such, this quarterly report mainly provides an update on the status of key start-up activities, such as staffing, office and equipment handover from EGRP, and design consultations on the Year 1 AWP.

All first drafts of initial deliverables stipulated in the EGRP II cooperative agreement were submitted on time according to due dates agreed upon with USAID. This includes the following:

https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2020/10/901928

http://onlinekhabar.com


• The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, submitted on August 27, 2020

• The Year 1 AWP, submitted on September 7, 2020

• The MEL Plan, submitted on September 30, 2020

In addition, USAID agreed that this first quarterly progress reporting deliverable could cover the period from June to September 2020 (a 4-month period) instead of the 3-month period that the report would typically cover.

The EGRP II team began working to address USAID feedback on the AWP after receiving it in mid-September. This feedback predominantly focused on the need to include more direct support activities for COVID-19 response at the local level.

To address the comments and flesh out those aspects of the AWP, EGRP II began gathering additional information that would enable selection/detailed design and targeting of COVID-19 response activities. This included deploying the local capacity needs assessment survey (described in Section 2.2), which incorporated questions about current local-level COVID-19 response activities as well as future plans. It also entailed gathering information, to the extent available, on local-level COVID-19 support provided by other organizations. This information was predominantly found through Education Cluster tracking mechanisms and covered activities by UNICEF, Save the Children, World Vision, and other agencies that report through the Cluster’s tracking efforts. EGRP II also continued to follow up with CEHRD and the World Bank team to obtain information on LEU-level targeting for GPE COVID-19 emergency funds, which are expected to target a sub-set of 100 LEUs with more intensive interventions.

Beyond the work to complete the required deliverables and gather information to guide local-level COVID-19 support, EGRP II also started preparatory work on upcoming programmatic activities, such as consultations with ERO on CB-EGRA and NARN data analysis as well as coordination with CEHRD on revisions to the TPS guidelines.

Additional progress on programmatic accomplishments versus goals will be reported in future quarters as activity implementation gets underway in earnest.

2.11 Summary of Indicator Targets versus Actuals The EGRP II MEL Plan with performance indicators has not yet been finalized by the end of the June–September 2020 reporting period. As such, progress by indicators is not yet reported here.

3 Challenges, Lessons Learned, and Mitigation Strategies

This section briefly describes some of the emerging challenges, lessons learned, and mitigation strategies during the first reporting quarter of EGRP II.


Table 6: Challenges, lessons learned, and mitigation strategies Challenges and lessons learned Mitigation strategies

Frequent changes in leadership positions within MOEST resulted in additional time requirements for the EGRP II team to build new relationships.

EGRP II conducted courtesy meetings and program briefings with the new officials in MOEST leadership positions, worked closely with MOEST focal people, and continuously coordinated on scheduling of key activities.

COVID-19-related restrictions on travel and in-person meetings made it challenging to complete key start-up tasks, such as AWP development workshops and introductory meetings with district and local officials.

EGRP II used virtual meeting technology where possible, or smaller in-person meetings with adequate sanitation and social distancing in place.

Lack of a centralized, one-stop tracking system for the local-level COVID-19 response in the education sector has required additional time and effort for tracking local-level activities, designing supportive activities, and targeting interventions to the areas with most need.

Coordination with other stakeholders—including GON at the central, provincial, and local levels and development partners and implementing agencies—has been critical to ensuring effective design and implementation of COVID-19 response activities for EGRP II. Although CEHRD and the agencies involved in the Education Cluster have been gathering information on existing activities, there is as yet no detailed, centralized database of the types and locations of interventions at the municipal and school levels. In addition, as of the end of September 2020, CEHRD had not yet identified the municipalities that will be targeted for additional support through emergency funds in the GPE Program, which is a key piece of information that will inform EGRP II’s own targeting. As such, the EGRP II team has been proactively gathering all available information from different sources, including CEHRD, the Education Cluster, the GPE team, and LEUs through the LEU capacity needs and connectivity assessment. It is anticipated that this process will be completed in November and will inform EGRP II’s detailed targeting of COVID-19 response activities in the education sector.

Limited availability of Internet connections at local levels may impact the ability to conduct capacity-development activities as planned.

EGRP II designed and began rolling out an LEU capacity development needs and connectivity assessment that will enable tailoring of activities to existing capacity and connectivity in each municipality.

The overlapping period between EGRP and EGRP II from June to October 2020 resulted in high staff workloads, particularly for central-level staff focusing on EGRP closeout, final activity implementation, and reporting at the same time as EGRP II start-up, AWP design, and MEL Plan development.

Detailed individual and team weekly work planning, frequent check-in meetings, and backstopping by the RTI home office enabled the team to balance tasks between the two programs as well as possible during the overlapping period, although there were some periods when attention had to be focused on one program more than another (for example, the intensive consultation period for the EGRP II AWP, and the preparation period for EGRP’s final learning and sharing event).

4 Management, Administration, and Safety The EGRP management and operations teams undertook many activities during the July–October 2020 quarter. The following summarizes the primary tasks completed.


4.1 Management Program startup was the main focus of management activities during the June–September 2020 quarter. The emphasis in June and July was on recruitment of staff into program roles and overseeing office and equipment transition from EGRP to EGRP II as well as new equipment procurements where needed. In addition, throughout July and August, the program leadership team concentrated on working with the GON and USAID to develop the Year 1 AWP, through extensive consultations from the local to the national level. In September, EGRP II leadership worked on gathering further information about the COVID-19 response in the education sector to inform revisions to the AWP in line with USAID requests. The program leadership also supervised development of the MEL Plan throughout August and September on the basis of the overall program design and AWP.

Finally, the team worked with USAID to institute cooperative agreement modification #1, to change the program name from “Early Grade Reading Transition Support” (EGRTS) to “Early Grade Reading Program II.” EGRP II also requested an amendment to the Implementation Letter between USAID and the GON to reflect the new program name, which will facilitate official communications with the GON on issues such as Value Added Tax (VAT) reimbursement.

During the reporting period, EGRP II maintained close coordination with GON counterparts through frequent phone and email communication, virtual meetings, and in-person discussions where necessary (and possible, in light of COVID-19 restrictions). This coordination was mainly led by the Director of Programs while the Chief of Party (COP) was evacuated to the United States for 3 months (from early July through early October 2020). In particular, the Director of Programs and the Objective 2 team conducted outreach to newly appointed leadership at the Secretary and Joint Secretary level in the MOEST, and to new Directors General in the CLAs.

Finally, the EGRP II management team continued to coordinate COVID-19 mitigation procedures and staff safety measures included in the program’s approved Risk Mitigation Plan, including teleworking arrangements and restrictions on travel and meeting participation.

4.2 Human Resources • Successfully recruited, oriented, and mobilized 79 RTI local hires for EGRP II for the

Kathmandu office and four regional offices. • Prepared, managed, and maintained documentation related to personnel actions for

short-term independent contractors and consultants. • Coordinated various consultative meetings for project start-up and staffing from the

human resources perspective. • Assisted the COP and RTI home office in updating the EGRP II Employee Handbook

and benefits packages as per the new Nepal Labor Act of 2017. • Assisted the COP and home office in updating the field operations manual for EGRP

II. • Worked with RTI’s Asia Regional Office and home office Human Resources teams to

the launch the Social Security Scheme and enroll employees with the Social Security Fund as per the new Labor Act of 2017.


• Prepared various operational directives, procedures, and forms in relation to EGRP II start-up.

• Coordinated with USAID and government agencies for obtaining long-term visas for the COP and her family.

• Efficiently managed working space and equipment for EGRP II staff working in the Kathmandu office and four regional offices.

• Efficiently managed the operation of 12 project vehicles, 47 motorcycles, and 7 back-up generators (maintenance, fuel, logbook, registration, insurance, etc.).

• Successfully supported completion of mandatory online RTI trainings, 2020 professional development goal setting and check-in meetings, and COVID-19 health pledge for all employees.

• Issued one local short-term technical assistance contract for support with COVID-19 response activities.

4.3 Finance and Administration • Prepared and submitted RTI’s quarterly VAT reporting to USAID. • Submitted VAT invoice of to the Inland Revenue Office. • Prepared fiscal year 2020 VAT report for USAID submission. • Submitted monthly financial reports to the RTI home office. • Reviewed workshop / event budgets. • Ensured smooth and timely financial management of key functions, such as cash

management requests, payroll, and vendor disbursements. • Supported the management and technical teams to conduct detailed budgeting for the

EGRP II AWP. • Coordinated with the home office on budget review and tracking. • Made 266 financial transactions during this reporting quarter.

4.4 Procurement and Logistics • Solicited and evaluated bids and selected vendors for:

− Digital early grade learning content development for COVID-19 response; − Photocopiers, laptops, and other IT equipment approved under the EGRP II

procurement plan. • Negotiated and administered contracts for:

− Leased space for COP residence and central and regional offices, − Round-the-clock security services at EGRP II Kathmandu and Nepalgunj offices

and the COP residence, − Facilitated enrollment in Group Personal Accidental and Medical Insurance for

EGRP II staff and their spouses and dependents, − Procured office supplies and travel services,


− Procured Internet services for the EGRP II office in Kathmandu and four regional offices.

• Received and recorded assets that were transferred from EGRP to EGRP II with USAID approval.

4.5 Information Technology • Developed and implemented procurement plan for IT equipment for EGRP II. • Provided ongoing support to the program team to comply with RTI’s privacy and

security policies and any other issues that arose related to computer operations. • Coordinated with the Asia Regional Office teams in maintaining EGRP IT systems. • Purchased/renewed and installed program-related license applications in official

laptops and systems. • Repaired and maintained problematic laptops, IT equipment/systems, cable

networking, and firewalls of EGRP II Kathmandu, regional, and district offices. • Provided remote IT support to all EGRP II staff during COVID-19 lockdowns /

prohibitory orders. • Managed a centralized data backup system for all EGRP- and EGRP II-related work.

4.6 Safety and Security • Prepared Safety and Security Manual for EGRP II. • Assisted COP with preparation of the EGRP II Emergency Preparedness and

Response Plan. • Assisted COP in preparing and updating the COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Plan for

USAID and home office approval. • Maintained an up-to-date list of the physical whereabouts and working arrangements

of all staff. • Maintained rosters for working from home and in-office for essential closeout tasks. • Maintained the staff contact list and emergency phone tree and Viber group. • Continuously provided information and guidance related to COVID-19 to all staff

through email, Viber, and phone tree. • In response to the lockdown and limitations on ground transport, adjusted guard

scheduling for full-time coverage to EGRP II offices and COP residence. • Monitored any potential escalations such as security incidents, staff illnesses,

hoarding, or looting. • Conducted periodic checks on office security and the presence of guards via telephone

in light of the lockdown on ground transport. • Maintained sufficient fuel, sanitizers, and masks for EGRP II offices. Monitored

implications of India-Nepal border closures on supplies of food, fuel, and medicines in Nepal.

• Conducted initial deep cleaning of all the Kathmandu and regional/district offices after the lockdown was lifted and repeated this process on a monthly basis.


• Maintained up-to-date staff database for COVID 19 health insurance for staff, spouses, and dependents, and procured COVID-19 insurance package for all.

4.7 Environmental Compliance No specific activities/tasks related to environmental compliance were undertaken during the June–September 2020 reporting period.

5 Finance and Expenditure Status 5.1 Activities for Next Quarter with Estimated Expenditure Activities for the October-November 2020 quarter will focus on finalizing the AWP and MEL Plan based on USAID feedback. The specific details and timing of these activities may change as the AWP is finalized, and projected expenditures are estimates that may need to be adjusted, for example, if COVID-19 restrictions require shifts to virtual modalities instead of the in-person events that were originally budgeted. In fact, the forecasted expenditures presented with this report have been revised downward from original estimates in the first AWP submission because of the expectation that in-person meetings and workshops will likely still not be extensively possible during the upcoming quarter.

Under Objective 1, the team will coordinate with CDC and CEHRD on designing and planning for Integrated Curriculum TPD training package development and MTOTs. EGRP II will support MOEST and the CLAs with dissemination of EGRP endline findings with central, provincial, district, and local stakeholders; provide EGR-related inputs for development of the post-SSDP education sector plan; and provide technical assistance to ERO to analyze and report on NARN data and analyze existing early grade reading assessment data to start the process of reviewing the current national benchmark.

Objective 2 activities will include detailed analysis of the results of the LEU capacity and connectivity survey, and collaboration with CEHRD, the SSDP TA team and other agencies on development of the contents and fine-grained plans for rolling out LEU capacity development workshops. Field-level staff will continue to orient and build understanding of district and local-level officials on EGRP II program objectives, the NEGRP Minimum Package, and early grade reading through ongoing meetings and discussions. In addition, SRMs will be distributed to the remaining schools in the 22 NEGRP target districts not already covered through EGRP before that program ended in October 2020.

Under Objective 3, the EGRP II will work with MOEST and the CLAs to share and review evidence and experience on TPS and begin revising the TPS guidelines and planning for rollout of TPS MTOTs. This will also include preparing TPS orientation materials and revising monitoring tools to be shared during the LEU capacity workshops under Objective 2.

Efforts under Objective 4 will focus on starting up the partnership with OLE Nepal and supporting the process of developing new digital learning content development, including 45 lessons in Nepali, math and science. Staff will continue gathering information and establishing partnerships for local-level COVIED-19 response in the education sector, and participating in sector coordination mechanisms such as the Education Cluster. The EGRP II will also support CDC to develop teacher/parent guidelines and student learning materials to


support rollout of the CDC’s new Curriculum Content Adjustment Framework for the shortened 2020-2021 academic year; and help CDC and CEHRD develop a teacher training package on these materials, as requested by CDC and CEHRD and if approved by USAID as part of the revised AWP.

In the MEL realm, EGRP II will translate the MEL plan, once approved, into the program’s MEL system, data collection tools, and data visualization platforms. Program staff will also participate in targeted capacity building on the aspects of the MEL system that are relevant to their roles.

Finally, program leadership will continue to liaise with GON counterparts and other sector partners, through ongoing informal meetings and a planned Steering Committee Meeting. In addition, communications guidelines and templates will be finalized during the upcoming quarter and a program launch event may be held upon request of USAID.

Financial reporting is provided in a separate excel file. However, the total cumulative costs invoiced from program inception in June 2020 through September 2020, as well as the projected October-December 2020 expenses, following the cost categories in the cooperative agreement, are included in Table 7 below.

Table 7: Cumulative costs and projected expenses


Annex A: Progress by Indicators The EGRP II MEL Plan with performance indicators has not yet been finalized by the end of the June–September 2020 reporting period. As such, progress by indicators is not yet reported here.


Annex B: List of Key Upcoming Events and Dates Specific dates have not yet been set for key upcoming events in the next reporting quarter. Once dates are set, those will be communicated to USAID as soon as possible.

Date(s) Event


Annex C: Success Story or Case Study A Glimmer of Hope: Colorful storybooks reach Nepal’s community

schools despite the COVID-19 pandemic

Like many other countries around the world, Nepal has experienced profound effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools across the country have remained shuttered for months, and parents and teachers have had to resort to alternative approaches to keep children engaged. Even in cases where local governments have slowly begun to resume schooling once conditions allow, challenges remain in ensuring that children receive the same education they would have had in normal times.

“We’ve re-opened our school, but the required textbooks have not reached our school yet. However, to children’s delight, colorful storybooks for grades 1 to 3 have arrived. So instead of textbooks, we are engaging children with these books. Children love them so much that they are coming to school just to enjoy these books.” Mr. Kalbir Oli, the head teacher of Barmasidda Basic School situated in Gandav Rural Municipality, Rolpa District, is talking about the supplementary reading materials (SRMs) developed, printed, and distributed by the National Early Grade Reading Program (NEGRP), led by the Government of Nepal and technically supported by USAID’s Early Grade Reading Program (EGRP).

A child reading one of the storybooks distributed through NEGRP with EGRP support, Kanchanpur District

(Photo credit: Merit Maharjan)

In the face of challenging circumstances, EGRP has been working tirelessly to provide children with SRMs. These materials were first developed and distributed during the first 5 years of the program, from 2015 to 2020, in more than 5,000 community schools in the 16


initial NEGRP target districts. EGRP is now assisting the GON to distribute over 1.8 million copies of the 177 SRM titles identified during the first phase of NEGRP, in more than 9,000 schools across 22 new NEGRP expansion districts.

Just as COVID-19 has affected education in Nepal, it has also disrupted businesses such as the professional presses that typically handle such large-scale printing jobs, as well as their distribution networks. Nevertheless, despite a patchwork of travel restrictions coupled with strict requirements for sanitation and social distancing, SRMs had already reached more than 1,200 schools by the end of September 2020, and many are now in the hands of teachers such as Mr. Oli and his students.

National, district, and local governments have played a crucial role in ensuring a smooth distribution process. First, the Kathmandu-based Center for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD) coordinated with the Education Development and Coordination Units (EDCUs) in each of the 22 districts. The EDCUs, in turn, collaborated with the Local Education Units (LEUs) in the 251 target municipalities to ensure that the SRMs reached schools as quickly as possible while still observing pandemic safety protocols.

As Mr. Ramakanta Sharma, head of the EDCU in Tanahun District, notes, “Because I had also previously worked as the NEGRP focal person in CEHRD, I understand and fully support the program’s purpose. The [Government of Nepal] has allocated substantial resources to improve children’s learning through this nationwide program. Therefore, I believe that we all should work together to support the government to achieve the objectives.” Mr. Sharma believes that the SRMs are a particularly welcome sight in the face of the challenging circumstances facing children in community schools during the pandemic.

In addition to government officials, EGRP’s regional office staff and District Coordinators have played a key role in ensuring timely SRM delivery to their end-users. As the EGRP District Coordinator based in the Tanahun EDCU reflects, “The intensive one-to-one communication with the LEU heads to help them understand the importance of SRMs and their use was so important. After this, the LEUs organized a head teachers’ meeting with the schools in the municipality and agreed on the SRM distribution plan.” This coordination is even more impressive given the recent expansion of NEGRP in Tanahun and the other 21 new NEGRP target districts, an effort which brings with it a need to build new relationships between government officials and program staff.

When all is said and done, each school will receive the 177 SRM titles plus three book lending registers, divided into sets of 59 grade-appropriate titles and one register each in grades 1 through 3. Every LEU will also receive a box of SRMs to display in their library corner to serve as a model for how schools can display the SRMs in their classrooms.

With distribution expected to wrap up in all of the target schools by December 2020, Mr. Oli and teachers like him can expect to see many more happy readers engrossed in storybooks, even while the world around them remains uncertain.


A child choosing from the SRMs displayed in her classroom, Dang District (Photo credit: Swadesh Maharjan)


Annex D. High-resolution Photo Files with Captions A limited number of photos are available this quarter, given that it was the program start-up period and communication protocols had not yet been rolled out to all field staff. Additional photos will be provided in future reporting periods.

No. Photo caption Date and location Photo credit

1

Sample Book Corner at the EDCU Office

Baglung District, September 2020 EGRP II Staff

2

SRM Distribution Verification

Accham District, September 2020 EGRP II Staff

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