China - Higher Education Reform

 ICRR 12419 Report Number : ICRR12419 IEG ICR Review Independent Evaluation Group 1. Project Data: Date Posted : 07/05/2006 PROJ ID :P046051 Appraisal Actual Project Name :Higher Education Reform Project Costs 104.4 121.73 US$M ) (US$M) Country :China Loan/ US$M ) Loan /Credit (US$M) 70 70 Sector (s):Board: ): ED - Tertiary US$M ) Cofinancing (US$M) education (98%), Central government administration (2%) L/C Number :C3213; L4474 FY ) Board Approval (FY) 0 Partners involved : Closing Date 07/31/2005 09/30/2005 Evaluator : Panel Reviewer : Division Manager : Division : Helen Abadzi Kris Hallberg Alain A. Barbu IEGSG 2. Project Objectives and Components a. Objectives The project sought to improve the quality and relevance of undergraduate basic science and engineering programs through integrated reform activities in curriculum and teaching methodology . Specifically it sought to: (a) enable project universities to improve teaching and learning through restructuring the curriculum, reducing narrow specializations, and introducing integrative interdisciplinary courses; (b) enable the project universities through a collaborative partnership program, to disseminate the reforms they developed to their poorer partner institutions; and (c) strengthen institutional planning and administration and central coordination . b. Components (or Key Conditions in the case of Adjustment Loans ): (i) Achieving Improvement in Teaching and Learning (US$84.0m at appraisal, US$104.82m actual) to restructure curricula and provide interdisciplinary courses in science and engineering, with student -centered teaching strategies through: (a) restructuring of academic programs through continuous curriculum development to ensure market adaptations, (b) reforming learning strategies, (c) improving learning opportunities and conditions, and (d) upgrading teachers and staff to support the reforms . Among other activities, new equipment would be provided to complement the new expanded and modernized physical facilities for first and second year science and engineering programs and to establish integrated laboratory centers . ii) Using Partnerships and Networks to Spread Reforms (US$5.2m at appraisal, US$6.63m actual) to link the 28 (ii) project universities with less developed partner institutions and thus widen the impact of the higher education reforms. The partnership elements would include : (a) offering to staff advanced degrees, courses in science and engineering content, and knowledge of teaching methods; (b) exchange of students between institutions and opportunities of students of poorer universities to use the better equipment and teaching -learning resources financed under the project; and (c) good practices in teaching methods and institutional management . iii ) Supporting Institutional Capacity for Change (US$4.2m at appraisal, US$8.21m actual) to strengthen Ministry (iii) planning and central coordination, capacity through the following activities : (a) national-level technical assistance activities, (b) policy-based research studies on research themes identified by the Ministry of Education, (c) textbooks and electronic materials reform, and (d) student loan pilot scheme for Lanzhou University . c. Comments on Project Cost, Financing, Borrower Contribution, and Dates Bank financing consisted of a US$ 20 million loan and a US$50 million credit. The actual project cost was US$121.73 million, 116.60% of the revised appraisal estimate . The increased cost was mainly due to the cost of civil works funded by counterpart resources from the institutions . The heaviest expenditures, in absolute terms, compared with the revised appraisal estimates, were laboratory equipment (133%) as well as curriculum and textbook development (285%). After an extension of two months, the project closed on September 30, 2005 and was fully disbursed. 3. Relevance of Objectives & Design : The project was closely aligned with the Borrower's higher education sector development priorities as described in the China Higher Education Reform and was also consistent with the Country Assistance Strategy (CAS). The reforms the project implemented reflected needs for technological upgrading, particularly among the less well developed universities and were thus relevant to the needs of the higher education sector . 4. Achievement of Objectives (Efficacy) : The project was judged to have met and, in many aspects, exceeded its development objectives . Targets for various activities were met and often exceeded, as follows : (a) Improving teaching and learning at project universities (high). By the end of the project a total of 1,486 subject areas were reformed and 4,203 courses were updated (126% of the target of 3,340 courses). Lab facilities were built or renovated and received up -to-date equipment. Total lab areas in participating universities increased by 162% from 258,000 square meters in 1999 to 419,000 square meters in 2005. A tracer study showed a high demand for graduates of participating universities, particularly among multinational companies . Those who graduated after 1999 (after project effectiveness ) had better skills than those who graduated earlier . (b) Strengthening reforms through collaboration (substantial). Many cooperative activities took place with the partner institutions, including study visits, faculty training and exchange of about 42,317 students, and distance education. The more developed universities had to dedicate 15% of their proceeds to this effort, but the work was unevenly distributed. Some spent 146.6% of the amount, others 10.9%, and only 75% of them reached or exceeded the planned expenditures. The poorer institutions were handicapped by lack of access to project financing and by dependence on the larger institutions . (c) Strengthening institutional planning, administration and central coordination (substantial). By the end of the project about 550 staff had been trained in financial management, equipment procurement, and project management . There were 21 study tours in key thematic areas and 12 large-scale seminars involving 1,764 participants on management-related issues. Textbooks were procured through competitive bidding . Tracer studies and surveys were carried out by the project. Survey findings suggest that the learning environment in new laboratories was highly conducive to student learning, beneficiaries expressed strong satisfaction with the overall implementation of the project and its outcomes, and graduate employment rates were highly satisfactory . However, a student loan fund was moderately satisfactory, because policies requiring students to repay before graduation were not changed . 5. Efficiency : Efficiency was substantial. The project was implemented with few delays and relatively efficiently; numerical targets for various activities were exceeded but funds were used as planned during appraisal . One factor influencing use of funds was the large amounts that the universities spent from their own budgets for the project (see section 2c). 6. M&E Design, Implementation, & Utilization: An elaborate evaluation design was used with multiple indicators that were closely monitored (related to operating conditions, the educational process, and institutional efficiency ). A data collection system was established on undergraduate programs as well as an evaluation agency under the Ministry of Education that included considerable staff training 7. Other (Safeguards, Fiduciary, Unintended Impacts--Positive & Negative): There was strong commitment by the government and participating universities throughout project implementation, as well as effective oversight by the Ministry of Education . Nevertheless, the staff responsible for the partnership program with poorer institutions changed frequently, and the changes adversely affected some of the poorer institutions. 8. Ratings : ICR ICR Review Reason for Disagreement /Comments Outcome : Satisfactory Satisfactory Institutional Dev .: High High Sustainability : Highly Likely Highly Likely Bank Performance : Satisfactory Satisfactory Borrower Perf .: Satisfactory Satisfactory Quality of ICR : Satisfactory NOTES: NOTES - When insufficient information is provided by the Bank for IEG to arrive at a clear rating, IEG will downgrade the relevant ratings as warranted beginning July 1, 2006. - ICR rating values flagged with ' * ' don't comply with OP/BP 13.55, but are listed for completeness . 9. Lessons: -Effective coordination, staff training, and integration of technical assistance and management activities are necessary to carry out complex projects with multiple partners implementing large -scale reforms. -Although poorer educational institutions may benefit from partnerships with others that are better off, they must be given some control of funds for their own use rather than depend on the priorities of the better -off institutions for project implementation. 10. Assessment Recommended? Yes No Why? Many innovative activities took place in this project that deserve better study . But the reviewer should know Chinese well and have access to a wide range of beneficiaries . 11. Comments on Quality of ICR: The ICR is satisfactory and depicts the events of the project in sufficient detail . However, annex 2 appears to contain errors, with expenditures for component 2 shown in the wrong place and not exactly corresponding with others in the text.