Mexico - Third Technical Training Project

 ICRR 10475 Report Number : ICRR10475 ICR Review Operations Evaluation Department 1. Project Data : OEDID: OEDID : L3358 Project ID : P007704 Project Name : Third Technical Training Project Country : Mexico Sector : Vocational / Teacher Training L/C Number : L3358-ME Partners involved : Prepared by : Helen Abadzi, OEDST Reviewed by : Roy Gilbert Group Manager : Greg Ingram Date Posted : 08/17/1999 2. Project Objectives, Financing, Costs and Components : Being the third in a series to finance the National Professional Technical Education School (Consejo Nacional de Educacion Profesional - CONALEP), the project was to further improve quality, efficiency, and relevance of CONALEP training programs. Over 50% of resources were to improve quality -related objectives: (a) revision of instructional materials, (b) expansion of training activities, and (c) improving adminisration for effectiveness and efficiency. The program also financed some civil works, equipment, teacher training and studies . The loan was reduced from US$152 to US$137 in response to the economic crisis of 1995. It closed on December 31, 1998, after two six-month extensions, and a balance of US$ 3 million was cancelled. 3. Achievement of Relevant Objectives : Implementation slowed during the 1995 economic crisis, when exchange rates rose . It accelerated in the last years of the project, and objectives were substantially fulfilled . (The first and second project of this series were audited in 1996, and outcomes were rated as satisfactory ). 4. Significant Achievements : Curricula were streamlined and 29 specialties were developed according to market needs and state -of-art technical requirements. Overall, cost recovery from all training and services offered by CONALEP reached 20% in 1998, meeting the appraisal target. In particular, CONALEP's cost recovery of the technical assistance centers, which train specialized staff at factories, increased from 12% in 1992 to 46% in 1998. Businesses seek CONALEP services . Student enrollments surpassed targets by 12%-44%, but completion rates were still low at project closing (43.8% in 1998 compared to a target of 65%). CONALEP has also been successful in recruiting part -time professors who are practicing technicians at competitive salaries and using panels of experts to evaluate its curricula . 5. Significant Shortcomings : The studies conducted on market needs and graduate employment had methodological weaknesses and limited utility in improving program effectiveness . Student dropout rate continues to be high; remedial measures to lower have been taken, but it is too early to know their effect . Accounting was suboptimal, and there considerable procurement irregularities. Administrative costs were about 25% of course costs and did not drop to about 10%, as expected. 6. Ratings : ICR OED Review Reason for Disagreement /Comments Outcome : Satisfactory Satisfactory Institutional Dev .: Substantial Substantial Sustainability : Likely Likely Bank Performance : Satisfactory Satisfactory Borrower Perf .: Satisfactory Satisfactory Quality of ICR : Satisfactory 7. Lessons of Broad Applicability : Support of institutions by the Bank (as in the case of three CONALEP projects ) needs to have a long-term view. Long-term support can help build institutions and gradually focus them so that they can perform the objectives of their creation efficiently and adapt to market needs . Vocational projects often suffer from the inability to hire the staff they need . Flexibility in hiring suitable part-time teachers at competitive salaries is essential in improving the quality of vocational training . Large and complex studies require methodological expertise and attention to detail which is often unavailable . Efforts must be made to have appropriately trained consultants available, or study results may have limited utility . 8. Audit Recommended? Yes No Why? CONALEP continues to develop some best -practice examples of cost-effective vocational education 9. Comments on Quality of ICR : The ICR was satisfactory. However, it could have provided more detail on expected and actual costs and on procurement irregularities.