Announcement of Guinea's Higher Education Management Support on November 28, 1995

The World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20433, USA IDA News Release No. 95/ /AFR Contacts: Eric Chinje (202) 473-4467 (Internet: Echinje@worldbank.org.) Sheela Reddi (202) 473-5091 GUINEA: Higher Education Management Support The following is information on a project approved by the World Bank's Board. DATE: November 28, 1995 WORLD BANK GROUP SUPPORT: International Development Association (IDA)I credit: SDR 4.5 million (USS 6.6 million equivalent). The IDA credit is for 40 years, including 10 years of grace; it carries no interest but has an annual charge of 0.75 percent on the disbursed balance and a variable charge of up to 0.5 percent (currently zero percent) on the undisbursed balance. TOTAL COST: USS 7.4 million OTHER PROPOSED FINANCING: Government of the Republic of Guinea IMPLEMENTING AGENCY: Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Culture (MESRSC) ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: December 1999 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project will provide support for development and implementation of a new policy framework in Guinean higher education, and for institutional capacity-building. It will: * Support institutional reorganization by financing analysis and reform of university governance, finance, management, female participation, student services, user fees and other areas in the context of decentralization and institutional autonomy; and financing Ministry-level development of accreditation and evaluation procedures. * Upgrade the information and communication systems by overhauling data collection, analysis, and dissemination procedures at the central Ministry level; creating institutional information systems; and improving communications via installation of a telephone system at the University of Conakry, radio communications throughout the sector, and Internet connectivity. * Improve Budgetary Programming and Monitoring by supporting Ministry-level financial management, including establishment of an internal audit unit and application of competitive funding criteria to allocation of institutional grants; and supporting institution-level financial management, including implementation of a computerized accounting system. IDA (the World Bank's concessionary lending affiliate) credits are denominated in SDRs (Special Drawing Rights), which are valued on the basis of a "basket" of currencies. The US dollar equivalent ofthe SDR ofthe IDA credit reflects the exchange rates at the time ofthe negotiations ofthe credit. Archives/Records Center, H 81-001 ( 1)