Ghana - Literacy and Functional Skills Project

Document of The World Bank FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Report No.: 18065 IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT REPUBLIC OF GHANA LITERACY AND FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PROJECT (Cr. 2349-GH) June 24, 1998 Human Development 3 Africa Region This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization.  CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (December 5, 1997) Currency Unit = Cedi US$1.00 - Cedi 1,937.38 SDR1 US$1.44 US$1 = SDR.69 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Metric System FISCAL YEAR OF BORROWER LITERACY CYCLE January - December October to September (2 year cycle) ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS BIA Beneficiary Impact Assessment DFID Department for International Development GBC Ghana Broadcasting Corporation GBPA Ghana Book Publishers Association GILLBT Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy, and Bible Translation GLSS Ghana Living Standards Survey GNAT Ghana National Association of Teachers ICR Implementation Completion Report IDA International Development Association IGA Income-Generation Activities JSS Junior Secondary School LFSP Literacy and Functional Skills Project MOE Ministry of Education MTR Mid-term review NBSSI National Bureau of Small-Scale Industries NFED Non-Formal Education Division NGO Non-governmental organization NOK Norwegian Kroner NSS National Service Secretariat Nuffic/CESO Netherlands Organization for International Co-operation in Higher Education/Center for the Study of Education in Developing Countries ODA Overseas Development Organisation PMU Project Management Unit RAC Research Advisory Council SDR Standard Drawing Rights SSS Senior Secondary School UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund |[Vice Peident: Jean-Louis Sarbib (AFR) |Country Director: Peter Harrold (AFC10O) Sector Manager: Helena Ribe (AFTH3) Task Team Leader: Irene Xenakis (AFTH3 )  FOR OFFICLAL USE ONLY REPUBLIC OF GHANA LITERACY AND FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT (Cr. 2349-GH) TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE EVALUATION SUMMARY ...................................................................... I INTRODUCTION .......................................................................1 A. THE WORLD BANK'S SUPPORT FOR LITERACY .................................................................... I B. OBJECTIVES OF THE LITERACY AND FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PROJECT ............................................................... 2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES ...................................................................... 6 A. PROJECT OUTCOMES AND IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE ..................................................................... 6 B. PROJECT DESCRiPTION AND COMPONENTS .................................................................... 6 I LEMENTATION EXPERIENCE AND RESULTS ...................................................................... 10 A. ASSESSMENT OF PROJECT'S SUCCESS AND SUSTANABILITY .................................................................... 10 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, FUTURE OPERATIONS AND KEY LESSONS LEARNED ............... 12 A. IMPORTANT FINDINGS OF PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE .......................................................... 12 STATISTICAL ANNEXES Table 1: Summary of Assessments Table 2: Related Bank Loans/Credits Table 3: Project Timetable -- Table 4: Loan/Credit Disbursements: Cumulative Estimated and Actual Table 5: Key Indicators for Project Implementation Table 6: Studies Included in the Project Table 7A: Project Costs Table 7B: Project Financing Table 8: Status of Legal Covenants Table 9: Bank Resources: Staff Inputs Table 10: Bank Resources: Missions Appendices: A. Mission's aide-memoire B. Summary of Borrower's contribution to the ICR This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization.  REPUBLIC OF GHANA LITERACY AND FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT (Cr. 2349-GH) PREFACE This is the Implementation Completion Report for the Literacy and Functional Skills Project in Ghana, for which Credit 2349-GH in the amount of SDR 12.4 million (equivalent to US$ 17.4 million) was approved on March 26, 1992, signed on April 22, 1992, and became effective on July 21, 1992. The project was further supported by a grant from the Kingdom of Norway of 20 million NOK (equivalent to US$ 2.9 million), which was administered by The World Bank. Tlhe Credit was originally scheduled to close on June 30, 1995. However in practice, the Credit was closed on December 31, 1997 after being extended twice, first from June 30, 1995 to December 31, 1996, and then from December 31, 1996 to December 31, 1997. The last disbursement took place on April 29, 1998. A total undisbursed balance of SDR 951,086 of the Credit and NOK 1,482,484 of the Norwegian grant, were canceled upon closure. This Implementation Completion Report was prepared by Ms. Margaret Kilo and Mr. John Elder of the Human Development Group Three (AFTH3) of the Africa Region, with the technical support of Mrs. Betty Casely-Hayford. It was reviewed by Mrs. Irene Xenakis (Senior Implementation Specialist, AFTH3), Ms. Janet Leno (Senior Education Specialist, AFMGH), and Mrs. Helena Ribe (Sector Manager, AFTH3). The Government of Ghana contributed to the preparation of the report by providing relevant data, and by preparing its own evaluation of the project (see Appendix B). The preparation of the ICR begun during the Bank's completion mission in October 1997. The draft ICR was discussed as part of a consultative workshop which took place in Accra, Ghana, from April 27 to May 1, 1998. The main objective of the workshop was to integrate lessons learned from this operation into the subsequent phase of Bank's support for the Ghana Literacy Programme. The ICR is based on the Bank's Staff Appraisal Report, the Development Credit Agreement, project supervision reports, and correspondence between the Bank and the Government of Ghana. Findings from monitoring visits by World Bank staff, several learner assessments (carried out by NFED), a qualitative Beneficiary Impact Assessment (BIA), and other relevant reports prepared by the Government of Ghana, have been integrated into the ICR. A copy of the BIA is available from the Africa Information Service Center.  IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT LITERACY AND FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PROJECT (Cr. 2349-GH) EVALUATION SUMMARY Bank's Role in the Sector 1. Between fiscal year 1970 and fiscal year 1990, one-fifth of the World Bank's projects in low-income countries contained a literacy element, but these elements accounted for only I percent of total project costs. A study by the World Bank's Operations and Evaluation Department (OED) shows that, from fiscal year 1963 to fiscal year 1990, approximately 11 percent of the funding for all Bank-supported education projects was spent on non-formal education. 2. In Ghana, the World Bank and the Government of Ghana have completed five projects in the education sector, including the Literacy and Functional Skills Project (Cr. 2349-GH), since the establishment of the Economic Recovery Program in the mid-80s. Four education projects are currently being implemented: (i) the Tertiary Education Project (Cr. 2428-GH); (ii) the Primary School Development Project (Cr. 2508-GH); (iii) the Vocational Skills and Informal Sector Project (Cr. 2695-GH); and (iv), the Basic Education Sector Improvement Program (Cr. 2885-GH). Two education operations have been proposed in the sectoral lending program: Functional Literacy II and the Post-Basic Education Project. Description of the Literacy and Functional Skills Project 3. The Literacy and Functional Skills Project (Cr. 2349-GH) was the first stand-alone non- formal education project supported by IDA in the Africa Region. It was designed to assist the National Functional Literacy Programme,which the government initiated in 1990 after the 1989 census showed that the level of illiteracy among Ghanaians aged 15 and over was as high as 67 percent. 4. The project was reviewed by the World Bank's Board on March 26, 1992, was signed on April 22, 1992, and became effective on July 21, 1992 with a projected closing date of June 30, 1995. During the Bank's Mid-term Review of the project in April 1994, several administrative and pedagogical changes were made that greatly improved the implementation of the project and made the achievement of project objectives more likely. The closing date of the project was extended twice (from June 30, 1995 to December 31, 1996 and then to December 31, 1997) to allow for the strengthening of the NFED's management capacity and the implementation of specific activities. The project finally closed on December 31, 1997. 5. A follow-up operation, Functional Literacy II, is scheduled for fiscal year 1999. The implementation of this project will benefit considerably from the experience of the first project. Demand for literacy services in Ghana is clearly high, and research undertaken during the first project can be used to tailor the content and timing of literacy courses to this demand.  Objectives of the Project 6. The overarching objective of the Literacy and Functional Skills Project (LFSP) was to improve the quality of life of the poorest Ghanaians, especially those in rural areas, by equipping them with basic literacy and numeracy skills and new knowledge. The government hoped that the LFSP would bring about a dramatic reduction in illiteracy in Ghana within a decade. In particular, the project stressed the need to make learners "functionally" literate, in other words, to be able to apply their new skills in practice in their daily lives. The project's specific objectives were: * To strengthen the institutional capacity of the Non-formal Education Division (which was established in 1986 under the Ministry of Education to coordinate all non-formal education activities in Ghana) to manage the entire literacy program effectively * To ensure that all of the aspects of the program were subject to frequent evaluation and monitoring and that research and evaluation were key inputs in the development of any new initiatives * To improve the existing literacy program so that a large proportion of the 840,000 adults who would be allowed to participate would become functionally literate * To ensure that all new literates, whether from the school system or from the literacy program, had access to a range of reading materials in the Ghanaian languages * To expand the coverage of the FM broadcasting system to support the functional literacy program and to increase the frequency of educational broadcasting in the Ghanaian languages. Components of the Project 7. The project contained the following elements: (i) institutional support; (ii) research, monitoring and evaluation; (iii) classroom teaching; (iv) a system of supervisors to monitor the attendance and progress of learners and the performance of the facilitators; (v) classroom materials and learner motivation; (vi) the creation of a literate environment; (vii) radio studio and transmission facilities; (viii) post-literacy classes; and, (ix) assisting NGOs and other literacy providers with training and materials. Credit Covenants and Special Agreements 8. Credit covenants were primarily in the areas disbursement and procurement. The Government of Ghana complied with the terms of all of these covenants (see Part II, Table 8). The NFED also entered into special arrangements with: (i) the National Bureau of Small-scale Industries (NBSSI) to oversee the income generation activities of the project; (ii) the Ghana Book Publishers Association (GBPA) to produce reading materials in 15 Ghanaian languages; (iii) the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to provide air time to the project in its Tamale and Ho studios; (iv) the New Times Corporation for printing and distributing to the literacy  classes community newspapers in the 12 languages of the southern sector; and (v) the Gonja Literacy Project and the Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy, and Bible Translation (GILLBT) for printing and distributing to the literacy classes community newspapers in the northern sector. IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE AND RESULTS. Costs and Financing Arrangements 9. From its onset, the LFSP was supported by the IDA Credit and an IDA-administered grant from the Kingdom of Norway. The Literacy Programme had greatly benefited from the involvement of the British Department for International Development (DFID), formerly known as the Overseas Development Agency. Also, UNICEF initially provided funding for the training of trainers but gradually phased this out. 10. It was estimated at the time of appraisal that it would cost US$30.9 million, with financing coming from IDA (US$17.4 million), the Kingdom of Norway (US$2.9 million), UNICEF (US$0.6 million), and the Government of Ghana (US$ 10 million). The DFID participated in the project, contributing some of its support by providing resident technical assistance to the NFED. Because of the depreciation of the Cedi and various implementation issues, the actual project cost only US$ 27.4 million or 90 percent of total estimated cost. Project Results and Outcomes H1. The overarching objective of the project was to improve the quality of life of the poorest Ghanaians by providing literacy training. This was vital because poverty and illiteracy are closely linked in Ghana. The more specific project objectives were pertinent to the country's needs but were somewhat ambitious given the weak capacity of the NFED and the large number of people who were expected to participate in the project's literacy classes. 12. Nevertheless, the objective of providing literacy training to 840,000 learners was not only attained but even surpassed, partly as a result of the project being extended twice. About 1,373,571 learners enrolled (as of December 1997), of whom 726,714 (as of June 1997) had completed the training. The two learner assessments undertaken in the last two years of the project demonstrated that many learners succeeded in acquiring literacy and numeracy skills, with scores in reading being significantly higher than in writing. The level of illiteracy found in the 1987 census was 67 percent of the population over the age of 15. The most recent data show that this has dropped to 51 percent. Much of this decline is due to the people who completed the literacy courses under the LFSP. 13. The low drop-out rates for learners (about 22 percent) and high retention rates for the volunteer facilitators (over 85 percent), often a problem in literacy programs, indicate that there was a strong demand for literacy, and that the learners and facilitators were highly motivated. Implementation of the project was helped by very high demand for literacy, particularly among  iv the 25 to 44 age group. This provided a large pool of people motivated to take the courses over a fairly long period. Qualitative research indicates a variety of reasons for attending literacy classes including the desire to avoid being cheated in financial transactions, the need to read instructions on agro-chemical packages, the belief that literacy was a prerequisite for improved social status, the desire to send and receive mail without assistance and the need to keep accurate accounts. 14. The project was in many ways self-targeting, since only illiterates would be interested in participating and most illiterates were poor. It helped to counter regional disparities in access to basic education, as 67 percent of the learners were from the northern sector compared to only 17 percent from the Greater Accra area. Sixty percent of the learners were women, and 70 percent of them had had no formal schooling before starting the courses provided by the project. 15. On the monitoring visits it became clear that learners are demonstrating their increased appreciation for education by enrolling their children in primary school, thereby expanding enrollments at that level. The Beneficiary Impact Assessment mentioned that there has been an increase in self-esteem among learners and an increase in awareness of the choices available to them in such areas as family planning, health and hygiene, agricultural practices, preservation of the environment, and civic awareness. Implementation Experience 16. A critical factor in the success of the project was the fact that it was possible to find, recruit, and retain a large number of dedicated volunteer teachers (facilitators), many of whom taught throughout several consecutive courses even without receiving the promised incentives. Another important factor was that the project received high-level political support, as well as participation and support at the grassroots level from local communities. 17. However, the management capacity of the NFED itself was weak. Managers changed frequently, and at times there was no identifiable leader of the institution. Initially, the complexity of the project meant that those at the NFED who were charged with implementing it failed to understand it fully. The working relationship between NFED staff and the staff of the Project Management Unit (PMU), which had been established under a different Bank project to handle procurement matters, was also a problem during most of the early stages of implementation. The institution of regular meetings of a Project Implementation Committee improved implementation. However, the Government of Ghana was slow in making available its matching funds, which often hampered the progress of the project activities. 18. While the literacy teaching itself was able to continue despite institutional weaknesses, important activities such as research, monitoring and evaluation, supervision, and the delivery of supplies suffered due to the weak in-house capacity of the NFED. Project managers secured some technical assistance to improve monitoring and evaluation late in the project. Forward planning for the training of supervisors and facilitators was uneven, but improved during the last two years of the project. The production of classroom materials was delayed several times because no one was willing to make relatively minor small decisions. Several key management problems were resolved in the last two years of the project, which resulted in a concomitant improvement in the performance of the project.  v 19. The project was not very successful in printing and distributing reading materials in local languages in order to establish a literate environment for learners, although it did succeed in ensuring that the content of the literacy lessons was tailored to the practical needs of the learners. The BIA reported that the radio component was successful, and this will be evaluated in detail during the preparation of the subsequent project. The project's scheme to provide small loans to groups of learners who wished to start an income-generating activity initially benefited about 76 groups. The impact of this component will also be evaluated as part of the preparation of the next project. 20. Project planners underestimated the difficulties that would be involved for the NFED in collaborating with other institutions, such as the GBC, the GBPA, the NBSSI, the universities, and the New Times Corporation. These difficulties initially slowed down some of the project activities (such as the dissemination of books in local languages, some income-generating activities, and applied research). However, it is not clear that this should have been evident at the time of appraisal. 21. The emphasis put on establishing a strong monitoring and evaluation system was based on the experience of other literacy programs, but the capacity of the NFED to carry out the necessary work was overestimated. The monitoring and evaluation system improved during the course of the project, although the original plan to introduce a decentralized research system was not realized. The major restructuring of the monitoring and evaluation component occurred near the end of the project and, thus, could not be evaluated. The Performance of the Bank and the Borrower 22. The World Bank's overall performance was satisfactory throughout the preparation and implementation of the project. It ensured staff continuity on the project, providing guidance in outlining the NFED's core activities and helping the institution to focus on the goals of the project. The Bank was responsive to the NFED, giving advice and reacting to the staff's requests in a timely fashion, being flexible in approving project activities using the Operational Plan (which was adopted after the mid-term review as a way to coordinate all of the project's activities), and reallocating funds to ensure the smooth implementation of the project. It encouraged the NFED to assist other providers of literacy services, to contract out some of the project activities for which it lacked a comparative advantage, and to revise its plans whenever necessary to increase the project's impact. In addition, the Bank demonstrated its commitment to the goals of the project by extending the project twice so that certain improvements could be consolidated. When funding from the DFID became available during the latter half of the implementation phase of the project, IDA and the DFID conducted joint missions to supervise the project, which increased donor coordination. The joint aide-memoires issued at the end of these missions helped to overcome several implementation problems. 23. The contribution of the borrower -- the Government of Ghana -- was satisfactory. The staff of the NFED showed a strong commitment to the goals of the program and worked hard to improve their own skills over time. The performance of the NFED leadership was uneven and often unsatisfactory but improved in the latter part of the project. High turnover of NFED staff and leadership, often without the knowledge of donors, had a negative impact on the program.. The PMU's performance was satisfactory by and large, but it also had a high turnover of staff to the detriment of the project. Over time, coordination between the PMU and the NFED improved, which improved the implementation of the project.  vi The Sustainability of the Literacy Programme 24. There are three main sustainability issues: whether the Government of Ghana can allocate adequate resources to the Literacy Programme, whether the NFED has the capacity to ensure the quality of services it delivers, and whether graduates can sustain their level of literacy after leaving the project. The estimated unit cost of the literacy training provided under the project is about $29 per graduate.1 This is considerably lower than the annual cost for one year of primary school, which amounts to $47.42. In other literacy programs in the developing world, costs per learner are $37.61 in Bangladesh, $30.14 in Uganda, $173.28 in Senegal, and $99.27 in El Salvador (Valerio, 1997). Despite the relatively low cost of the Ghana project, it is not clear that the govermnent is committed to sustaining the project without the support of external donors. 25. In terms of institutional sustainability, it seems clear the NFED has increased its capacity to deliver services to large numbers of people, but it also needs to increase its capacity to deliver the promised incentives to the facilitators to ensure that they remain committed to continuing their teaching. 26. The issue of whether graduates can sustain their literacy after completing the classes is less clear. The activities of the LFSP that were designed to create a literate environment were not very successful, so this question needs to be reviewed carefully when the next project is being prepared. Much additional thought needs to be given to what are the best methods for providing reading materials to learners. The current use of the silk-screen technology in the production of the community newspapers has great potential for strengthening community-level activities. Alternative ways of promoting the production of written materials in local languages should also be explored. Key Lessons Learned 27. Some important lessons can be drawn from how the project was implemented. The lessons learned even from the less successful components will be useful inputs into subsequent projects in the same field. * In a large project, it is important to contract out peripheral elements to allow the staff of the implementing agency to focus on the primary goals of the project. * Large-scale projects require high levels of political support and commitment as well as strong participation and acceptance at the grassroots level both by the communities and their leaders. * Strong and stable leadership of the top project management is key to providing direction, guidance, and support to staff at all levels. When this is lacking, the project suffers substantially. These costs are calculated based on total project costs minus costs for post-literacy materials, radio equipment, and infrastructure. The number of completed learners is based on information from NFED records, the 1997 leamers assessment, and an estimate of the number of learners that have completed their first year who will complete the two-year cycle.  vii * The project must be responsive to the needs and perceptions of the learners. As such, it should be designed to be flexible to enable it to adjust to local conditions, (such as harvest seasons and migration patterns) within a framework of agreed parameters and indicators of quality (such as the duration of the instruction, class attendance, and learning outcomes). * The project can play an important role in the community by incorporating development activities into the regular class schedule and involving learners in related schemes foi improving the local community. * For Ghana to eradicate illiteracy, the formal and non-formal education sectors must join forces to ensure that their respective programs are cost-effective and of high quality. Also, the implementing agency must help non-government lproviders of literacy services by providing them with technical assistance and teaching materials. * Literacy instruction is more likely to be effective and to sustain participants' motivation when it is carried out in circumstances where it is clear to the learners that being literate will improve their daily lives. * Literacy interventions need to be continually monitored to ensure that they are effective. To this effect, the research and evaluation capacity of organizations like the NFED will either have to be significantly strengthened or local consultants will have to develop the expertise to service these organizations. 28. As a result of the LFSP, the NFED has a good institutional foundation on which to build a subsequent literacy project. The basic systems are in place. Preparatory activities for future projects should examine in more detail the results of some of the elements of the project such as teaching methods, instructional materials, support to income-generating activities, the radio programs, and the impact of development inputs to determine whether or not to continue these activities and, if so, the best ways to increase their effectiveness. 29. Having successfully established a large-scale project, any future project should concentrate on improving the quality of services delivered rather than rapidly expanding the quantity of services available. The next project should place more emphasis on the quality of the literacy classes, on the monitoring and evaluation of the outcomes, on post-literacy activities, on building a literate environment, and on improving the coordination of the project's activities with those of other development agencies and literacy providers. 30. The NFED needs to reflect on its mission and its comparative advantage as the agency responsible for coordinating Ghana's non-for mal education activities and for implementing the National Functional Literacy Programme. In consultation with stakeholders and beneficiaries, the Government of Ghana needs to determine how the program can best cater to the needs of the target population and become more cost-effective.  IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT REPUBLIC OF GHANA LITERACY AND FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PROJECT (Cr. 2349-GH) PART I: PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ASSESSMENT INTRODUCTION A. THE WORLD BANK'S SUPPORT FOR LITERACY 1. The economic decline that Ghana suffered from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s adversely affected the country's social indicators, particularly within the education sector. This led the IMF, the World Bank, and other donors to become involved in an Economic Recovery Program (ERP), which for over 15 years has attempted to stabilize the Ghanaian economy. In 1989, the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS) found that only 32 percent of people aged 15 and older were literate. Primary school enrollments had gone down from 80 percent in 1980 to 74 percent in 1989 as a result of the economic decline, but they then recovered to 77 percent in 1992/93, four years after the start of the ERP. The most recent figures (1996) indicate that enrollment in primary school (6 to 11 year olds) is 75 percent and in junior secondary school (12 to 15 year olds) is 58 percent. Government spending on education has increased steadily during the course of the literacy project from 3.4 percent of GDP in 1990 to 4.7 percent of GDP in 1996. In 1998, 43 percent of the Ministry of Education's budget is allocated to primary schools, 22.4 percent is allocated to junior secondary schools, 16.4 percent is allocated to senior secondary schools, 12.1 percent is allocated to tertiary education, and 0.58 percent is allocated to non- formal education, which includes adult literacy. 2. Between the World Bank's fiscal year 1970 and fiscal year 1990, one-fifth of its projects in low-income countries contained an element of literacy training, but these accounted for only 1 percent of project costs. Since 1991, the Bank has approved only four self-standing literacy programs out of a total of 164 education projects (spending only about US$110 million out of a total of US$12 billion). These four projects were the Indonesia Third Non-formal Education Project of 1991 (CR-343 10), the Ghana Functional Skills and Literacy Project of 1992 (CR-2349); the Senegal Pilot Female Literacy Project of 1996 (CR-28730), and the Bangladesh Non-formal Education Project of 1996 (CR-28220). 3. There are now signs that adult literacy programs are receiving more support and emphasis from donors for a number of reasons (Eisemon et al 1995). First, reaching communities in remote rural areas requires making a special effort, and these communities may be better served by alternatives to traditional schooling. Second, economic and political turmoil in many countries has limited the number of opportunities available to many young adults to learn. Third, efforts by governments to expand the formal education system and to provide high- quality education have been undermined by severe economic decline in many countries,  2 particularly in Africa. Thus, what is needed are cost-effective programs that teach basic literacy skills to adults with little or no formal schooling in order to increase their productivity. 4. In Ghana, since the ERP was instituted, the Bank and the Government of Ghana have completed five projects in the education sector, including the Literacy and Functional Skills Project (Cr. 2349-GH), the Health and Education Project (Cr. 1653-GH), the EDSAC (Cr. 1744- GH), the EDSAC II (Cr. 2140-GH), and the Community Secondary Schools Construction Project (Cr. 2278-GH). There are four additional projects currently being implemented: the Tertiary Education Project (Cr. 2428-GH), the Primary School Development Project (PSDP), the Vocational Skills and Informal Sector Project (Cr. 2695-GH), and the Basic Education Sector Improvement Program (BESIP). Two operations have been proposed in the Bank's sectoral lending program: Functional Literacy II, and the Post-Basic Education Project. B. OBJECTIVES OF THE LITERACY AND FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PROJECT 5. The Literacy and Functional Skills Project (LFSP) was designed to support the National Functional Literacy Programme, which the government initiated in 1990 after the 1989 census showed that the level of illiteracy among Ghanaians aged 15 and over was as high as 67 percent. The government hoped that the Literacy Programme would dramatically reduce illiteracy in Ghana within a decade. 6. The overarching objective of the LFSP was to improve the quality of life of the poorest Ghanaians, especially those in rural areas, by providing them with basic literacy and numeracy skills and new knowledge and attitudes. In particular, the project stressed the need to make learners "functionally" literate, in other words, to apply their new skills in practice in their daily lives. The project's specific objectives were: - To strengthen the institutional capacity of the Non-formal Education Division (which was established in 1986 under the Ministry of Education to coordinate all non-formal education activities in Ghana) to manage the entire Literacy Programme effectively * To ensure that all of the aspects of the project were subject to frequent evaluation and monitoring and that research and evaluation were key inputs in the development of any new initiatives * To improve the existing Literacy Programme so that a large proportion of the 840,000 adults who would be allowed to participate would become functionally literate * To ensure that all new literates, whether from the school system or from the literacy project, had access to a range of reading materials in the Ghanaian languages * To expand the coverage of the FM broadcasting system to support the Literacy Programme and to increase the frequency of educational broadcasting in the Ghanaian languages. Project Description and Components 7. The LFSP contained the following elements: (i) institutional support; (ii) research, monitoring, and evaluation; (iii) classroom teaching; (iv) a system of supervisors to monitor the attendance and progress of learners and the performance of the facilitators; (v) classroom  3 materials and learner motivation; (vi) the creation of a literate environment; (vii) radio studio and transmission facilities; (viii) post-literacy classes; and (ix) assistance to NGOs. 8. Institutional Support. When the Non-formal Education Division (NFED) was first set up in 1986, it was a loose organization comprised of staff who were more familiar with the formal education system than with managing and delivering a non-formal literacy program. Thus, it was essential to strengthen the institutional capacity of the NFED. To this end, the British Overseas Development Agency (ODA, now the Department for International Development: DFID), carried out a study to determine the most effective institutional structure for the NFED. Under the LFSP, a management structure was put in place to manage and coordinate the activities of the NFED, and in-service training was organized for staff at the central, regional, and district levels. 9. Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation. This component of the LFSP was designed to increase the effectiveness of the NFED by investigating smaller literacy initiatives in Ghana and by researching ways to make the program more effective (for example, by improving reading materials, lighting systems, the management information system, and learning outcomes). To this end, the project aimed to create a central Research Unit, to train all regional staff in research techniques, and to designate monitoring and evaluation officers at the regional and district offices of the NFED. In addition, the NFED was to devote considerable resources to a program of external research and evaluation under the supervision of a multi-disciplinary group from three Ghanaian universities responsible for approving proposals and administering a specially created Research Fund. 10. Classroom Teaching. During the pre-appraisal and appraisal phases of the LFSP, important changes were made to the content of the literacy courses to be taught under the project and to teaching methods to be used. The tradition of rote learning and syllable drills was abandoned in favor of the Freireian approach comprised of key words and slogans. The classes would emphasize the functional aspects of literacy (in other words, the ways in which being literate would help learners in their daily lives). Also, there would be discussions about development in the classes and the learners would be involved in related activities for improving the local community. The acquisition of functional numeracy was stressed, because learners had expressed their desire to be able to calculate prices in the market place and in other financial transactions. The project was particularly designed to address the special needs of women in such areas as nutrition and child care. The training given to facilitators and supervisors would also emphasize Freireian techniques and followed the "cascade" approach, whereby a national training team would train the regional teams, who in turn would train the district teams. Literacy teachers at the community level (facilitators) taught on a voluntary basis and were motivated by incentives such as gifts of bicycles and sewing machines, which were distributed according to criteria laid out by NFED management. 11. Supervision System. Supervisors were seen as providing the critical link between the NFED's district offices and the literacy classes. They were to verify the existence of the classes and to monitor the attendance and progress of the learners, and the performance of the facilitators. The NFED arranged for the National Service Secretariat (NSS) and the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) to be responsible for supervising the Literacy Programme nationwide. NFED district officers in turn were responsible for monitoring the performance of the NSS and GNAT supervisors. The supervisors received training and teaching materials similar to those given to the facilitators and, in addition, they received training in  4 monitoring and evaluation methods and in Freireian teaching techniques to enable them to work with the facilitators. Their incentives included being given a bicycle (to help them to cover long distances between literacy education centers) and a radio set. At a later stage, they were to be trained to ride a motorcycle, which they would be given if they met criteria laid down by the NFED. 12. Classroom Materials and Learner Motivation. The materials to be given to learners upon enrollment were a literacy primer, an exercise book, a slate, a pencil, and an eraser. Upon completing the basic literacy cycle, learners were to be given two functional reading books. For self-improvement activities related to lessons in the primer, the project provided development inputs such as vegetable seeds (for lesson related to nutrition), oral rehydration salts (for lessons on the treatment of diarrhea), muslin cloth (for lessons on safe drinking water), tree seeds and plastic bags (for lessons on the environment), and red powder (to demonstrate how flies transmit disease). Following a protocol signed between the NFED and the National Bureau for Small- Scale Industries (NBSSI), the project provided small loans to groups of learners who wished to start an income-generating activity such as garri production (processed cassava), fish smoking, bread making, and kente weaving. 13. Creating a Literate Environment: One key element of the project was to ensure that graduates from both the formal and non-formal education systems had access to sufficient reading materials in the local languages to prevent them from lapsing back into illiteracy. To achieve this end, the NFED undertook to: * publish and distribute a community newspaper in 15 local languages under protocols with New Times Corp6ration, the Gonja Literacy Project, and the GILLBT * commission the publication of books in all 15 local languages and to assemble book boxes that each consisted of 20 of these volumes, with one book box being shared between two classes - subsidize a part of the book production costs of the Ghana Book Publishers Association (GBPA) depending on the language in which the book in question was being published, the size of its likely market, and the complexity of the material that it covered. * encourage local communities to produce their own reading materials using low- cost silk- screen technology. 14. Using Radio Studio and Transmission Facilities. During the pilot phase of the Literacy Programme which was supported by ODA, one FM radio station in Ho in the Volta Region and one in Tamale in the Northern Region were selected to be rehabilitated under an agreement between the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and the NFED. In return, these stations were to air education, literacy, and development programs in selected local languages during at least 60 percent of their peak listening hours. 15. Post-literacy Classes. It became evident during the pilot phase of the Literacy Programme that not all learners were entirely new to literacy. Some of them had dropped out of elementary school and needed a chance to begin their education again and perhaps to return to the formal school system. Therefore, the needs of this group were different from those of learners who were entering a classroom for the first time. Thus, post- literacy classes were to be organized for this group as part of the LFSP. It was envisaged that graduates of the basic literacy cycle would eventually take the post-literacy classes as  5 a way to sustain their newly acquired functional literacy. An English language pilot scheme for literacy in English was also designed to target this group. 16. Assisting the Literacy Efforts of NGOs. Under the terms of the project, the NFED would train facilitators for and provide literacy materials to any NGO (particularly church-based organizations) that could put together a literacy class of at least 25 participants. The NFED also liaised with larger NGOs that were already operating their own literacy programs throughout Ghana. Credit Covenants and Special Agreements 17. Credit covenants were primarily in the areas of disbursement and procurement and all of them were complied with (see Part II, Table 8). The NFED entered into special agreements with other institutions in Ghana to deliver the various components of the LFSP. Most of the covenants concerned disbursement and procurement issues. The NFED entered into special arrangements with the National Bureau of Small-scale Industries (NBSSI) to oversee the income- generation activities under the project. The NFED would evaluate and recommend the groups who were most suitable to participate in the credit scheme and train them, while the NBSSI would process the loans. To encourage the publication of reading materials in Ghanaian languages, the NFED collaborated with the Ghana Book Publishers Association (GBPA) in terms of funding and marketing. The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) participated in the LFSP by agreeing to air the literacy programs produced by the NFED on radio stations in the Tamale and H6 districts. An agreement between the NFED and the New Times Corporation enabled the printing of a community newspaper in the 12 languages of the southern sector and its distribution to the literacy classes. A similar agreement between the NFED and the Gonja Literacy Project and the GILLBT enabled the printing and distribution of community newspapers to the northern sector. Costs and Financing Arrangements 18. From the beginning, the LFSP was supported by the IDA Credit and an IDA- administered grant from the Kingdom of Norway. The project greatly benefited from the involvement of the DFID, while UNICEF initially provided support for the training of trainers but gradually phased it out. The Literacy Programme was estimated to cost US$ 30.9 million, with financing coming from IDA (US$17.4 million), the Kingdom of Norway (US$2.9 million), UNICEF (US$0.6 million), and the Government of Ghana (US$10 million). The DFID participated in the Programme, contributing some of its support by providing resident technical assistance to the NFED. Because of the depreciation of the Cedi and various implementation issues, the actual project cost only US$27.4 million or 90 percent of the total estimated cost. Implementation Schedule 19. The National Adult Literacy Programme was started in 1990 by a special government task force. The task force studied existing literacy programs in Ghana, undertook study tours of literacy endeavors in other African countries, and drew upon the Bank's 1989 Sector Study: "Basic Education for Self-Employment and Rural Development." Early in January 1991, the  6 government submitted its project proposal to the World Bank, and, by the end of January, a joint mission of staff from the Bank and ODA was organized to evaluate the government's proposal. The outcome was a set of recommendations to improve the Literacy Programme's reading materials, training programs, radio support activities, organization, and staffing. The Literacy and Functional Skills Project (Cr. 2349-GH) was reviewed by the Board on March 26, 1992, signed on April 22, 1992, and became effective on July 21, 1992 with a closing date of June 30, 1995. The project closing date was extended twice to allow for the strengthening of NFED management capacity and the implementation of such project activities as the English Pilot scheme and the community newspaper. The project finally closed on December 31, 1997. Mid-term Review 20. During the project's Mid-Term Review in April 1994, the following agreements were reached: (i) to extend the basic literacy cycle from one year to two years; (ii) to conduct systematic learner assessments to evaluate the extent to which those who participated in the project acquired literacy skills; (iii) to request the NFED to collaborate with a research institution to strengthen the research and monitoring component; (iv) to provide certificates to final-year learners/graduates of the project; and (v) to increase the role played by the regional and district offices of the NFED in supervising the project supervision. An Operational Plan prepared as a result of the mid-term review was not fully utilized initially but later improved the planning and the monitoring of the project. PROJECT OBJECTIVES A. PROJECT OUTCOMES AND IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE 21. This section reviews the outcomes of the LFSP relative to its objectives, both in overall terms and then by component. It also reviews the experience of implementing the project, including the performance of both the Bank and the Government of Ghana. Finally, it outlines some questions about the sustainability of the literacy initiative in Ghana. B. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND COMPONENTS Project Results and Outcomes 22. The overarching objective of the project was improving the quality of life of the poorest Ghanaians by providing literacy training. This was vital because poverty and illiteracy are closely linked in Ghana. The more specific project objectives were pertinent to the country's needs but were somewhat ambitious given the weak capacity of the NFED and the large number of people who were expected to participate in the project's literacy classes.  7 23. Nevertheless, the objective of providing literacy training to 840,000 learners was not only attained but even surpassed, partly as a result of the project being extended twice. About 1,373,571 learners enrolled (as of December 1997), of whom 726,714 (as of June 1997) had completed the training. The two learner assessments undertaken in the last two years of the project demonstrated that learners succeeded in acquiring literacy and numeracy skills, with scores in reading being significantly higher than in writing. The level of illiteracy found in the 1987 census was 67 percent of the population over the age of 15. The most recent data (1997) show that this has dropped to 51 percent. It can be assumed that much of this decline is due to the people who completed the literacy courses under the LFSP. 24. The low drop-out rates for learners (about 22 percent) and high retention rates for the volunteer facilitators (over 85 percent), often a problem in literacy programs, indicate that there was a strong demand for literacy, and that the learners and facilitators were highly motivated. Implementation of the project was helped by very high demand for literacy, particularly among the 25 to 44 age group. This provided a large pool of people motivated to take the courses over a fairly long period. Qualitative research indicates a variety of reasons for attending literacy classes including the desire to avoid being cheated in financial transactions, the need to read instructions on agro-chemical packages, the belief that literacy was a prerequisite for improved social status, the desire to send and receive mail without assistance and the need to keep accurate accounts. 25. The project was in many ways self-targeting, since only illiterates would be interested in participating and most illiterates were poor. It helped to counter regional disparities in access to basic education, as 67 percent of the learners were from the northern sector compared to only 17 percent from the Greater Accra area. Sixty percent of the learners were women, and 70 percent of them had had no formal schooling before starting the courses provided by the project. 26. On the NFED monitoring visits, it became clear that learners are demonstrating their increased appreciation for education by enrolling their children in primary school, thereby expanding enrollments at that level. The Beneficiary Impact Assessment mentioned that there has been an increase in self-esteem among learners and an increase in awareness of the choices available to them in such areas as family planning, health and hygiene, agricultural practices, preservation of the environment, and civic awareness The Success of Each Project Component 27. The extent to which the project's overall objectives were achieved was dependent on the success or failure of each individual component of the project. 28. Institutional Strengthening. At the outset of the project, the NFED's management capacity was weak. Managers changed frequently, and there was often no identifiable leader of the institution. Initially, the staff and management of the NFED had difficulty understanding the project as it had many different components. This meant that they felt little ownership of the project. 29. Considerable effort went into building the capacity of the agency and with some success, so that, by the end of the project, the NFED had increased its capacity to deliver literacy services to large numbers of people. This improvement was particularly evident after the mid-  8 term review. The main emphasis of the capacity building effort was put on training facilitators, supervisors, district and regional staff, and central management. Furthermore, the director of administration and- finance benefited from long-term technical assistance given to the agency by the British, although this assistance did not provide the transfer of skills envisaged. 30. Capacity problems related to the procurement of materials remained an issue throughout the project. In particular, the lack of a clearly defined arrangement between NFED and the Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) in the Ministry of Education led to significant delays in the procurement of project inputs. A significant failure was that the NFED did not develop the capacity to help other providers to deliver literacy services, which had been an important aspect of the original project proposal. In addition, the agency failed to implement procedures designed to improve the quality of the services delivered. Nevertheless, the institutional reforms of the NFED introduced by the project have made it a stronger agency, better able to deliver literacy services. 31. Research, Monitoring and Evaluation. Research activities were slow to get off the ground. As planned, a research advisory committee was established in 1993/94 with members from both the NFED and the universities. This committee reviewed proposals and organized some training on research methodology. However, proposals were too academic and not geared to helping NFED improve its program and the long approval process for proposals (which involved the NFED, the advisory committee, the Ministry of Education, and the World Bank) meant that no useful research was commissioned. Thus, the committee was discontinued. 32. Other problems encountered in the research component were: (i) poor procurement planning and a lack of appropriate hardware and software; (ii) a lack of appropriate research capacity at all levels; and (iii) the fact that NFED staff had too many demands on their time from other project activities. The research component, as originally designed, required unrealistically high levels of research capacity at both the central and the decentralized levels of the NFED, which is main reason why the planned decentralization of research activities never materialized.. 33. In an effort to strengthen the research program, the NFED and Nuffic/CESO (of the Netherlands) established a partnership to develop a system for designing and conducting field research on topics that would make the Literacy Programme more effective. This partnership reinvigorated the research program and produced recommendations on how to restructure it to make it more effective and operationally oriented. The pace of research increased in the last two years of the project, mainly as a result of the technical assistance provided by Nuffic/CESO. Several studies were conducted, as a result of which adjustments were made to the way in which the project was being implemented (see Part II, Table 6). Nevertheless, this component of the project was never sufficiently strong. 34. In setting the objective of establishing a strong monitoring and evaluation system for overseeing the activities of the Literacy Programme, project planners overestimated the capacity of the NFED to carry out the necessary work. The basic monitoring system that was established was sound, but, in practice, it suffered from the following problems: (i) important information was not collected (for example, on completion rates, facilitator drop-out rates, and the number of classes that stopped in mid-cycle); (ii) little checking was done of the validity of the information provided; (iii) field staff did not understand the importance of providing accurate information; (iv) there was little feedback from the NFED headquarters on the information collected; and (v),  9 when these data were analyzed, the findings of this analysis were not used to modify the project activities. Also, supervision, an important part of any monitoring and evaluation system, was weak, due to logistical problems and to a lack of capacity among the supervisors. 35. The NFED's collaboration with Nuffic/CESO provided an opportunity to revise the monitoring system. New data collection forms were designed, based on the needs of different groups involved in the programme. A new plan for collecting data was prepared, and training programs were designed to ensure that all of the different actors in the system understood their roles and the importance of collecting accurate data. These revisions were only introduced towards the end of the project, so it has not been possible to evaluate their impact. 36. Classroom Teaching. The project was able to recruit and retain a large number of dedicated volunteer facilitators (with a retention rate of over 85 percent). Many facilitators have even taught for several literacy cycles without receiving the promised incentives. 37. Supervision System. The importance of supervision to the success of the literacy classes was not fully appreciated initially by NFED. Field supervisors were selected for reasons other than their technical qualifications and level of commitment to the project so that many of them were neither competent nor motivated. Poor supervision was demoralizing for learners and facilitators and had a negative impact on the monitoring and evaluation system. 38. Classroom Materials and Learner Motivation. As its title indicates, the LFSP stressed the importance of the functional aspects of literacy teaching so that lesson content was tailored to the practical needs of the learners. This proved to be a big factor in stimulating demand for the project's literacy course. 39. The project also increased learners' awareness of important development issues in the areas of agriculture, health, family planning, and nutrition, sometimes with the help of staff of ministries such as health, agriculture, and forestry, staff of NGOs, and community leaders. No evaluation has been done of the actual impact of the development activities undertaken as part of the literacy project, so it is impossible to draw a conclusion about the effectiveness of these activities. However, it is known that, in some communities, participating in development activities changed the attitudes and behavior of both participants and their neighbors. 40. As part of this component, the project introduced a small loans scheme to fund groups of newly literate people who wished to set up income-generating activities. Initially, this scheme benefited about 76 groups. However, delivering and recovering small loans requires skills that the NFED does not possess and should not try to acquire. This was recognized during the preparation of the project, and the contract with the NBSSI was meant to address this issue. Unfortunately, the NBSSI itself did not possess the required outreach capacity and instead relied on the NFED to evaluate potential beneficiaries and to administer the credit scheme, which was the situation that project planners wished to avoid in the first place. 41. Institutional weaknesses affected the provision of classroom materials. For example, there were often delays in the producing and supplying them to the classes because of weak planning and management. 42. Creating a Literate Environment. Based on the experience of other literacy programs, the project emphasized establishing a literate environment to support learners while they  10 completed the basic literacy cycle and after they graduated. However, the NFED's collaboration with GBPA to promote the printing of reading materials in local languages was not satisfactorily completed. Only six marketing events were held. The NFED doubled the quantities of post- literacy materials procured from the GBPA to distribute in the project's book boxes, but the materials provided under the agreement were not as varied as desired. 43. Initially, the newspapers to be distributed to the literacy classes in their local languages were produced centrally, but, as a result, their distribution was sporadic and inopportune, and the news was often very stale by the time it reached the classes. In response to these problems, the NFED decided that community newspapers should be produced at the district level using a simple silk-screen technology. In some districts, this has worked quite well, but in others, particularly in the north, there have been logistical problems, requiring further training and supervision of those producing the newspapers. 44. Using Radio Studio and Transmission Facilities. In support of the functional aspect of the classes, the NFED arranged to broadcast its literacy material on two FM radio stations. The two stations at H6 and Tamale covered five languages. According to the Beneficiary Impact Assessment, the demand for these radio programs among the learners who spoke these languages was high, and learners made positive comments about the content of the broadcasts. Unfortunately, the NFED was not able to exploit the medium fully due to the limited range of the broadcasts and problems with the GBC in broadcasting relevant programs. The BIA reports that the radio component was successful, and it will be evaluated in detail during the preparation of the subsequent project. 45. Post-literacy Classes. No separate evaluation of these activities has been done. 46. Assisting the Literacy efforts of NGOs. While NFED did collaborate with some NGOs involved in literacy training, it did not play the facilitating and coordinating role that had been envisaged. IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE AND RESULTS A. ASSESSMENT OF PROJECT'S SUCCESS AND SUSTAINABILITY 47. Implementing the LFSP yielded a number of unexpected problems and consequences. For example, project planners underestimated the difficulties that the NFED would have in collaborating with other institutions (such as the GBC, the GBPA, the NBSSI, the universities, and the New Times Corporation). These difficulties initially slowed down progress towards attaining some of the project's objectives such as the dissemination of books in local languages, income-generating activities, and applied research. However, it is not clear that this would have been evident at the time of the project's appraisal.  11 47. The working relationship between the NFED and the PMU was also problematic during most of the early stages of implementation. The institution of regular meetings of an Implementation Committee alleviated some of these problems. 48. The project received high-level political support, but the Government of Ghana was slow in delivering its counterpart funding, which often hampered project activities. The Performance of the Bank and the Borrower 50. The World Bank's overall performance was satisfactory throughout the preparation and implementation of the project. It ensured staff continuity on the project, providing guidance in outlining the NFED's core activities and helping the institution to focus on the goals of the project. The Bank was responsive to the NFED, giving advice and reacting to the staff's requests in a timely fashion, being flexible in approving project activities using the Operational Plan and reallocating funds to ensure the smooth implementation of the project. It encouraged the NFED to increase its outreach to other providers of literacy, to contract out some project activities for which it lacked a comparative advantage, and to revise its plans whenever necessary to increase the project's impact. In addition, the Bank demonstrated its commitment to the goals of the project by extending it twice, so improvements could be consolidated. 51. The contribution of the borrower -- the Government of Ghana -- was satisfactory. The staff of the NFED showed a strong commitment to the goals of the project and worked hard to improve their own skills over time. The performance of the NFED leadership was uneven and sometimes unsatisfactory but improved in the latter part of the project. High turnover of NFED staff and leadership, often without the knowledge of donors, had a negative impact on the project. The PMU's performance was satisfactory by and large, but it also had a high turnover of staff to the detriment of the project. Over time, coordination between the PMU and the NFED improved, which improved the implementation of the project. The Sustainability of the Literacy Programme 52. There are three main sustainability issues: whether the Government of Ghana will allocate adequate resources to the Literacy Programme, whether the NFED has the capacity to ensure the quality of services it delivers, and whether graduates can sustain their level of literacy after leaving the project. The estimated unit cost of the literacy training provided under the project is about $29 per graduate.2 This is considerably lower than the annual cost for one year of primary school, which amounts to $47.42. In other literacy programs, costs per learner are $37.61 in Bangladesh, $30.14 in Uganda, $173.28 in Senegal, and $99.27 in El Salvador (Valerio, 1997). Despite the relatively low cost of the Ghana project, it is not clear that the government is committed to sustaining the project without the support of external donors. 53. In terms of institutional sustainability, it seems clear the NFED has increased its capacity to deliver services to large numbers of people, but it also needs to increase its capacity to 2 These costs are calculated based on total project costs minus costs for post-literacy materials, radio equipment, and infrastructure. The number of completed learners is based on information from NFED records, the 1997 learners assessment, and an estimate of the number of learners that have completed their first year who will complete the two-year cycle.  12 deliver the promised incentives to the facilitators to ensure that they remain committed to continuing their teaching. 54. The issue of whether graduates can sustain their literacy after completing the classes is less clear. The activities of the LFSP that were designed to create a literate environment were not very successful, so this question needs to be reviewed carefully when the next project is being prepared. Much additional thought needs to be given to the best methods for providing reading materials to learners. The current use of the silk-screen technology in the production of the community newspapers has great potential for strengthening community-level activities. Alternative ways of promoting the production of written materials in local languages should also be explored. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, FUTURE OPERATIONS AND KEY LESSONS LEARNED A. IMPORTANT FINDINGS OF PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE 55. This section examines the lessons learned from LFSP, lessons which have important implications for the planning and implementation of future literacy projects in Ghana and elsewhere. 56. Important Lessons from the Project. There are several general lessons to be learned from the way in which the LFSP was implemented. * In large projects, it is important to contract out peripheral elements in order to allow the staff of the implementing agency to focus on the primary goals of the project. * Large-scale projects require high levels of political support and commitment as well as strong participation and acceptance at the grassroots level both by the communities involved and their leaders. * Strong and stable leadership at the top of the institution managing the project is very important for providing direction, guidance, and support to staff at all levels. When this is lacking, the project suffers substantially. * The project must be responsive to the needs and perceptions of learners. As such, it should be designed in a flexible way to enable it to be adjusted to suit local conditions (such as harvest seasons and migration) within a framework of agreed parameters and indicators of quality (such as the duration of instruction, class attendance, and learning outcomes). * Literacy projects can play an important role in community development by incorporating development activities into the regular class schedule and involving learners in related activities for improving the local community.  13 * For Ghana to eradicate illiteracy, the formal and non-formal education sectors must join forces to ensure that their respective programs are cost-effective and of high quality. Also, the implementing agency must help non-government providers of literacy services by providing them with technical assistance and teaching materials. * Literacy instruction is more likely to be effective and to sustain participants' motivation when it is carried out in circumstances where it is clear to the learners that being literate will improve their daily lives. * Literacy interventions need to be continually monitored to ensure that they are effective. To this effect, the research and evaluation capacity of organizations like the NFED will either have to be significantly strengthened or local consultants will need to develop the expertise to service these organizations. 57. In addition, there are some lessons to be learned from the experience of implementing the specific components of LFSP. 58. Institutional Strengthening. While the NFED has increased its capacity to deliver services to large numbers of people, it still needs to increase its capacity to provide effective supervision and to provide incentives to the facilitators to ensure their commitment to continuing their teaching. The supervision of facilitators has been weak, as has the supervision of the supervisors by district office staff. 59. Community Development. The participation of communities in the project is important since the acquisition of literacy and functional skills is intricately linked to community activities. The BIA indicated that the most successful classes in terms of retention rates were those that were strongly supported by the local community. However, the relationship that the project has with local communities must be carefully thought out to avoid promising more than can be delivered in terms of complementary inputs such as credit. The support given by community leaders to local administrators of the project is especially critical for sustaining the commitment of the learners and facilitators, particularly considering the impact that the project is likely to have on the community as a whole, learners and non-learners alike. 60. Functionality. The results of the BIA showed that one of the great attractions of the project to potential learners was the functional aspect of the curriculum. Learners were interested in acquiring skills and practices that would allow them to increase their social and economic potential. According to the BIA, acquiring these skills gave learners greater self-esteem. However, the BIA also concluded that acquiring new knowledge did not often translate into behavioral change. For example, the learners were taught in the project classes that standing water around residences breeds mosquitoes and can lead to malaria. Nevertheless, the homes of learners who were visited during the BIA were surrounded by pools of mosquito-infested water. Thus, it is advisable to strengthen the links between the lessons taught in the classes and the practical community-level efforts of NGOs, donors, and the Ministries of Health and Agriculture. 61. Planning. It was found that advance planning to recruit facilitators, to acquire inputs, and to design training courses for facilitators is critical to ensure that classes follow an agreed  14 schedule. Also, the Operational Plan was found to be a useful management tool to link the various elements and activities of the project. . 62. Training. The training of facilitators and supervisors must be active and participatory. It should train them not only to teach literacy but also to lead class discussions on development issues and to facilitate development activities. In light of the fact that training is a critical element of the Literacy Programme and incurs significant recurrent costs, it is vital that the training be both effective and sustainable. In this context, the cascade methodology should be reevaluated. 63. Facilitators. So far, offering incentives to facilitators as rewards for their good performance has been effective, even though project management has had problems in delivering the incentives. However, it may be necessary to offer facilitators more regular compensation in the future to ensure their good performance over the longer term. It is important that appropriate criteria are used to select facilitators and these criteria should be uniformly applied. 64. Supervision. Although supervision has been decentralized, this has not really worked, and sanctions have not been enforced. If a second phase of the project is to be funded, the NFED will need to propose a viable supervision system including a reexamination of the qualifications expected of a supervisor. 65. Materials in Local Languages. The efforts to establish a literate environment have been disappointing, due in part to the GBPA's failure to comply with the agreement that it had with the NFED to produce reading materials in the 15 Ghanaian languages covered by the project. However, given the complexity of this task, further reflections on the best way to sustain a best way to sustain a literate environment would be useful. One book box containing a wide variety of titles should be assigned to each class and should be made available to both learners and the community. 66. Monitoring and Evaluation. Monitoring and evaluation systems need to be established from the start of the project, with baseline data and clear indicators to assess learning achievement and other benefits. The timely collection and processing of relevant and reliable data is critical for assessing the impact of the project and for making necessary adjustments. Applied research and, just as importantly, the application of these research findings are critical for increasing the effectiveness of the project. 67. Logistics. Over-centralized procurement can hinder the implementation of the project on the ground. Consideration should be given to decentralizing the procurement of a selected number of inputs. Ongoing capacity problems within the PMU will need to be solved before the next phase of the project is implemented. Summary 68. As a result of the LFSP, the NFED has a good institutional foundation on which to build a subsequent literacy project. The basic systems are in place. Planners of future projects should examine the lessons from some of the components of the LFSP, including teaching methods, instructional materials, income-generating activities, the radio programs, and the impact  15 of development inputs to determine whether or not to continue these activities and, if so, what are the best ways to increase their effectiveness. 69. Having successfully established a large-scale project, the Government of Ghana should concentrate in the next project on improving the quality of services delivered rather than rapidly expanding the quantity of services available. The next project should place more emphasis on the quality of the literacy classes, on the monitoring and evaluation of the outcomes, on post-literacy activities, on building a literate environment, and on improving the coordination of the project's activities with those of other development agencies and literacy providers. 70. The NFED needs to reflect on its mission and its comparative advantage as the agency responsible for coordinating Ghana's non-formal education activities in the country and for implementing the National Functional Literacy Programme. In consultation with stakeholders and beneficiaries, the Government of Ghana needs to determine how the project can become more cost-effective and best cater to the needs of the target population..  16 PART I1: STATISTICAL TABLES Table 1 Summary of Assessments Table 2: Related Bank Loans/Credits Table 3: Project Timetable Table 4: Loan/Credit Disbursements: Cumulative Estimated and Actual Table 5: Key Indicators for Project Implementation Table 6: Studies Included in the Project Table 7A: Project Costs Table 7B: Project Financing Table 8: Status of Legal Covenants Table 9: Bank Resources: Staff Inputs Table 1 0: Bank Resources: Missions  17 Table 1: Summary of Assessments A. Achievement of objectives Substantial Partial Negligible Not applicable Macro policies x Sector policies x Financial objectives x Institutional development x Physical objectives x Poverty reduction x Gender Issues x Other social objectives x Environmental objectives x Public sector management x Private sector development x B. Project sustainability Likely Unlikely Uncertain x Highly C. Bank Performance Satisfactory Satisfactory Deficient Identification x Preparation assistance x Appraisal x Supervision x Highly D. Borrower Performance Satisfactory Satisfactory Deficient Identification x Preparation assistance x Appraisal x Supervision: NFED staff x Management x Highly Highly E. Assessment of Outcome Satisfactory Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory x  18 Table 2: Related Bank Loans/Credits Loan/Credit title Purpose Year of Status .-__________________________________________ -approval Preceding operations 1. Health and The first "emergency" project in education and health 1986 Closed Education Project was designed to get textbooks, library books, writing 12/31/91 (Cr. 1653-GH) materials and other essential supplies into the school system as quickly as possible. 2. EDSAC I First of a series of projects designed to support the 1987 Closed (Cr. 1744-GH ) Government's 1987 Education Reform Program, 12/31/91 EDSAC I was a broad policy based SECAL covering the entire education system, with a greater part of the resources generated from the credit concentrated on the JSS levels (grades 7-9). EDSAC I established the PMU which has remained the project implementation facility for Bank and other donors. 3.EDSAC 1I EDSAC II was much like the first EDSAC but its main 1990 Closed (Cr. 2140-GH) policy framework dealt with school education and most of the resources were concentrated in the Senior Secondary School level. 4. Community The project supported the construction of about 150 1991 Closed Secondary Schools Senior Secondary Schools by local communities in rural Construction Project areas to help expand access to education and improve (Cr. 2278-GH) equity, particularly for girls. Ongoing operations: 1. Tertiary Education The project supports the first phase of the government's 1993 Project (Cr. 2428- tertiary education reform program, with stress on: (a) (GfH) quality improvement in teaching and learning; (b) improved management; (c) increased autonomy with accountability for the universities; and (d) a gradual expansion of enrollments. 2. Primary School The project assists the government in increasing 1993 Development Project learning achievements and enrollments in primary school.  19 3. Basic Education The project seeks to: 1) improve the teaching process 1996 Sector Improvement and learning outcomes; 2) strengthen management of Project (Cr. -GH) the basic education system through better planning, monitoring and evaluation by the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education, and by promoting active involvement of communities in the management of schools; 3) improve access to basic education, especially of girls, the poor and other disadvantaged segments of the population; and 4) ensure financial sustainability of the government program for basic education over the longer term.  20 Table 3: Project Timetable Steps in project cycle Date planned Date actual/ latest estimate Identification 04/22/88 Preparation 01/28/91 Appraisal 06/24/91 Negotiations 02/10/92 Board presentation 03/26/92 Signing 04/22/92 Effectiveness 07/21/92 Project completion 10/10/97 Loan closing 12/31/97 Table 4: Credit Disbursements: Cumulative Estimated and Actual (US$ millions) FY1992 FY1993 FY1994 FY1995 FY1996 FY1997 FY1998 Appraisal estimate 4.9 10.6 16.4 17.4 Actual 0.0 2.20 3.41 5.92 8.56 10.63 Actual as % of estimate 21% 21% 34% 49% 61% Date of final June, disbursement 1998  21 Table 5: Key Indicators for Project Implementation** OBJECTIVES INDICATORS OUTCOME COMMENTS No. of facilitators given 17,145 39,239 The numbers of facilitators initial training trained increased due to the extension of the project No. of supervisors given 1,126 1,194 NFED zones changed with each initial training literacy cycle, depending on #s of classes per zone Government's contribution Determination of timely Counterpart funding Non-Formal share of 1998 to project account monthly payment endemic problem for education budget = 0.58% program; Learner retention rates Improvement over time Over 80% completion rates Learner retention rates were high compared to other literacy projects. Rate was more or less constant throughout project Facilitator retention rates Improvement overtime over 85% Retention rates high compared to other literacy projects. Dedicated facilitators, many without promised incentives; ____ _ _ _ __ ___________ may not be sustainable Literacy/numeracy Improvement since mid- 3 learner assessments Increasingly positive results in acquisition term review undertaken by NFED reading and numeracy; poor results in writing Research program Continued undertaking of studies undertaken, some Variable quality, difficult to studies relevant to by NFED and others with connect study results to program quality help of external consultants changes in project Community Improvement Improvement since Mid- Considerable activity No evaluation of development Term Review undertaken in forestry, impact agriculture, livestock, handicrafts, school construction. Utility of Radio Increase in listening Utility of Radio not BIA reports wide use of radios audience from level at evaluated and high demand for radio Mid-Term Review among leamers Effective Demand for Increase of sales of private A total of 6 marketing Reading Materials publishers since Mid-Term events to promote sales of Review GBPA books around the country. No data on overall sales. Income-generating Cash advances to 76 230 IGA groups supported Demand for IGA support high; activities literacy groups by IDA Credit Repayment rates low. Agreement with NBSSI not successful ** Indicators presented are SAR project completion targets; whereas outcomes are those at project closing on December 31, 1997.  22 Table 6: Studies Included in Project Study Status __ Impact of study I. Problems and Constraints Completed Revision of Incentives Package for LFSPII to attract more female in Mobilization and Facilitators. Gender consultant was contracted. Participation of Female Learners in 2 selected Districts in Ghana 2. Implementation of Completed Distinction made between development activities and reinforcement Development Activities in techniques. This component of the program has become one of the areas of Functional Literacy Program l emphasis during facilitator and supervisor training programs. 3. Economics of the Completed Change in type of lanterns being procured. alternative lighting systems used in the LFSP by ADAR 4. Radio Research [ Completed Audience survey carried out within the catchmerit areas of the 2 stations. Findings analyzed and a refresher course for the program producers is about to take place. 5. 1st Impact assessment of Completed Revision in training content and methodology (RTT/DTT and facilitators learning achieved by final initial and refresher training). year Literacy Learners 6. IstNationwide Leamer 1 Completed [Revision of scoring system. Assessment 1996. j _____Identification of areas of emphasis during training programs. 7. Evaluation of book boxes, jpCompleted I Change all book boxes to aluminum. During Phase Two the book boxes 1996. will be distributed one to a class. 8. Evaluation of post training 1 Completed 1 Revision of content of facilitators training. competencies of Facilitators, Preparation of handouts for trainers on content of the primer. December 1993. _ _ ___I 9. Baseline Study prior to the Completed ir Baseline survey for radio usage recommended the use of the medium. commencement of radio j Based on the findings, 2 stations set up in the Volta and Northern Regions 10. Management, technical Completed Led to some changes in content of newspapers production and content problems of the rural newspaper. 11 11_1 11 Management and Completed Decentralization of development inputs. utilization of six development ||inputs supplied by NFED. 11 12. The role of incentives Completed Revision of incentive package for LFSP II for both Terminal mid-term and rewards for facilitators in periodic incentive packages. the Functional Literacy program. J 13. Impact Study in one pilot Completed Recommendations were fed into the program implementation in the areas and non pilot area - March 1 of training, logistics, supply and radio. 1996. 1 !! - 11 14. Problems in Completed implementation of FLP - November 1992.  23 15. Baseline survey Completed Economic and social study of target established, and impact to be measured in 2000. 16. Beneficiary impact Completed eesign of the FLP for LFSP. II (identify strategies to address some of the issues raised by first phase enhancing community ownership and l ~~~~~~~~~~~~collaboration/sustainability . Table 7A: Project Costs Item Appraisal estimate Actual/latest estimate (USS) L____ (US$M)_ Local Foreign Total Local Foreign Total Basic Literacy Materials 1.2 3.8 5.0 0.6 1.77 2.37 Support to Facilitators and Supervisors 0.4 3.6 4.0 0.1 1.1 1.2 Post Literacy Materials 0.3 0.5 0.8 0.06 0.93 0.99 Radio 0.1 1.7 1.8 0.1 1.7 1.8 Research and Evaluation 0.5 0.6 1.1 0.62 0.99 1.61 Institutional Strengthening 3.8 5.2 9.0 6.35 12.18 18.53 Infrastructure 0.9 0.6 1.5 0.1 0.87 0.97 Taxes and Duties 3.0 0.0 3.0 0.31- 0.31 PPF Refinancing 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.052 0.052 7. Contingencies: Physical 0.6 1.5 2.1 Price 0.7 1.1 1.8 11.5 19.4 30.9 8.24 19.60 27.84 TOTAL Table 7B: Project Financing Source Appraisal estimate (US$M) Actual/latest estimate (US$M) IDA 17.4 16.97 The Kingdom of Norway 2.9 2.63 UNICEF 0.6 0.05 Government 10.0 8.19 TOTAL 30.9 27.84  24 Table 8: Status of Legal Covenants STATUS SELECTION NO. OF COVENANT C = In Comp. COMMENTS ACTION TAKEN OR CREDIT/LOAN CD = Compliance REQUIRED AGREEMENT after Delay CP = Comp. with Partially NC = Not in Compliance. NYD = Not yet _______________________ ~~~~~~~~due 3.01 (a) Government to open a commercial bank account to C The Government opened and is meet expenditures under the project not financed by the operating the project account with a credit. commercial bank. 3.01 (b) Quarterly deposits into this accounts. C The project has experienced delays in the implementation of some components, due to delays in the quarterly deposits to the project account. 3.03 Procurement governed by Schedule 3. C The printing of the Revised Primer was particularly late this FY. This delayed the training of facilitators and the launch of the 1997 Literacy Cycle. Classes which were due to start by early in October, had to be postponed to November 1, 1997. 3.04 Mid-term Review C Done April 1994 3.05 (a) Government to present plans to implement reward CThe incentive scheme for facilitators system for facilitators and supervisors. needs to be improved. the acquisition and distribution of incentives is lagging. Facilitators are not completely satisfied with the bicycles and sewing machines that have been selected for the incentives program. 3.05 (b) Carry out rewards system. C No comments.  25 STATUS SELECTION NO. OF COVENANT C = In Comp. COMMENTS ACTION TAKEN OR CREDIT/LOAN CD = Compliance REQUIRED AGREEMENT after Delay CF = Comp. with Partially NC = Not in Compliance. NYD = Not yet due 3.06 (a) Government to present agreement with NBSSI. C NFED Agreement with NBSSI for the implementation of the Income Generation Activities (IGA) component of the project is now being implemented by NFED. NBSSI presence is limited to Regional Headquarters only, whereas NFED reaches the districts and zones. 3.06 (b) Implement NBSSI credit facility. C NFED not satisfied with the implementation IGA component by NBSSI. NFED has structures in all districts and zones, whereas NBSSI only reaches Regional headquarters. NBSSI was thus relying on NFED to collect data for its evaluation. NFED decided it would accomplish task by itself. 4.01 (a) Government to maintain financial records. C Government maintained satisfactory financial records of project activities. 4.01 (b) (i) Government to have all project records and accounts C Audits of project accounts have been audited. available on time. 4.01 (b) (ii) present Audit to IDA C No audit reports overdue.  26 Table 9: Bank Resources: Staff Inputs Stage of Project Cycle Planned Actual _________________________ Staff Weeks US$ ('000) Staff Weeks US$ ('000) 21.3 51.1 Preparation -- Appraisal l 33.8 81.8 Appraisal -- Negotiations 22.7 50.9 121.0 214.7 Supervision* 39.0 52.1 22.0 23.7 Completion* l TOTAL 61.7 103.0 198.1 371.3 *Planned information is only available for FY96, FY97, and FY98, and comparison with actual is not meaningful.  27 Table 10: Bank Resources: Missions ________ |________ _____Performance Rating Stage of Month/ Number Days Specialized Implemen. Develop. project cycle year of in staff skills Status objectives persons Field represented 1/91 3 22 TM, EdS,BS Identification 6/91 9 21 EdS (4), PP, RS, through to ES Effectiveness 10/91 2 21 PP, EdS I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2/93 2 11 PP,EdS 2 2 Supervision 6/93 2 12 PP,EdS 2 2 12/93 2 9 PP,EdS 3 2 1/94 2 PP,EdS 8/94 2 11 SEdS, PP U U 12/94 2 9 SEdS, PP 3 2 4/95 4 9 SIS, 00, SOO, S S EdS 10/95 5 7 A, SIS, EdS, PA, U S PS 2/96 3 12 SIS, EdS, PS S S 10/96 4 5 PS, SOO, SIS, S S EdS, PA 2/97 5 9 SIS, SOO, EdS, S S PO, FA 6/97 3 5 SIS, SOO, PO Completion 9/97 6 16 SIS, ES, S, SOO, S S 00, FA EdS= Education Specialist PP= Principal Planner RS= Research Specialist ES=Evaluation Specialist BS= Book Specialist S= Sociologist SEdS= Senior Education Specialist SOO= Senior Operations Officer SIS= Senior Implementation Specialist PS= Procurement Specialist A= Accountant PA= Projects Assistant FA= Financial Analyst 00= Operations Officer Africa Region C:\VSCAN\LFSPICR.DOC 04/26/98 4:33 PM  28 APPENDIX A AIDE-MEMOIRE Republic of Ghana Literacy and Functional Skills Project IDA (CR.2349-GH) - Norwegian Grant (T521795) Supervision and Completion Mission September 22 - October 10, 1997 1. An IDA mission3 supervised the Literacy and Functional Skills Project (LFSP) from September 22 through October 10, 1997. The mission's main objectives were to: (a) review progress in completing project activities programmed through December 31, 1997 (Credit/Grant closing date); (b) review progress in the implementation of the English Pilot; (c) assess progress in the preparation of the Beneficiary Impact Assessment (BIA) for LFSP and provide technical assistance as needed; (d) review status of the Implementation Completion Report (ICR), including GOG contributions, and discuss key sections; (e) review the proposed 1998 Literacy Program; (f) discuss with NFED/PMU/MOE the framework for the preparation of a second Literacy Project, (LFSP II); and (g) follow on the Education Sector Finance work relevant to the LFSP. The mission's work was framed by project documents, prepared by NFED/PMU, and field visits to literacy classes in the Ashanti Region. 2. The mission wishes to thank Dr. Christina Amoako-Nuama, Minister for Education; Mr. Kwabena Kyere, Deputy Minister, MOE; Mr. John Darlymple-Hayfron, Chief Director, MOE; Ms. A. Korsah, Director General, PMU; Mr. A. Akuoko, Acting Director, NFED; and the staff of NFED and PMU for their customary support and cooperation. Current Project Status 3. The LFSP is broadly achieving its development objectives and continues to support the GOG's long-term objective to combat adult illiteracy in Ghana. As the IDA credit and the Norwegian Grant come to closure, it is noted that, overall, the LFSP has come a long way in: (a) strengthening of the NFED' s institutional capacity; (b) monitoring and evaluating the literacy program; (c) consolidating and improving the literacy program begun in 1990 to allow learners to become functionally literate; (d) ensuring access of literates to reading materials in local languages; and (e) expanding the coverage of FM broadcasting in support of the functional literacy program. 4. The implementation of the project, however, has slowed down this year -- mainly because of weaknesses in planning and coordination of project activities, but also because of 3 The mission included Mmes/Messrs. I. Xenakis, Sr. Implementation Specialist (Mission Leader), M. Kilo, Education Specialist, J. Elder, Sociologist (AFTH3); G. Hancock, Sr. Operations Officer, T. Apronti, Projects Officer, and F. Yankey, Financial Analyst (AFGMH).  29 a lack of counterpart funds. Several project activities, including training, printing of primers, and general logistics have been delayed. As a result, the opening of the new 1997-1999 literacy classes has been postponed by one month (now re-scheduled for November 1, 1997) and several project activities programmed to be financed under the IDA credit and the Norwegian Grant may not be completed by the closing date, December 31, 1997. These activities have been reviewed and will continue to be monitored by NFED_ and PMU. A more detailed report on project activities is included in Annex 1. Implementation Completion Report (ICR) 5. The Bank requires that the LFSP ICR -- a standard evaluation requirement for all Bank supported operations-- be prepared by Bank staff and submitted to the Bank Board within six months after the closing date of the LFSP credit. An evaluation of the LFSP by the GOG/MOE should be a significant part of the ICR. The ICR will be drafted also taking into account the findings of the Beneficiary Impact Assessment (BIA) -- now under way (Annex II). The mission will send a copy of the draft ICR to the MOEINFED/PMU prior to finalizing it. The GOG/MOE contribution will be available by December 31, 1997. The LFSP ICR will be a document critical for IDA's consideration of a second phase of IDA assistance to the GOG Literacy Program. 6. The preparation of an ICR is customarily discussed during the last supervision mission before project closing (completion mission) -- that is, in the case of the LFSP, this mission. Among the key sections of the report are: the assessment of LFSP success, outcome, and sustainability; and lessons for future functional literacy operations or other education sector projects. The NFED staff conducted the first-round review, from their perspective, of project accomplishments and lessons learned. The mission appreciated NFED's rich insights and constructive feedback. From the mission's point of view, the messages coming from this exchange with NFED could be summarized in the following: In the last five years (1992-97), the LFSP has delivered five batches of literacy classes; recruited about 1,7i0,000 learners; experienced learner dropout rates of 15-20% ; enlisted about 40,000 facilitators; and implemented all the components envisaged under the project. After the mid-term review, April 1994, implementation improved gradually. Systems and processes were put in place and tested, mainly in the last two years. In this respect, the extension of the IDA credit and Norwegian Grant (twice, from 12/31/95 to 12/31/97) and DFID support were critical. The LFSP has had the support of the GOG/MOE and has taken root in the communities and groups of people, including women, targeted by the program. * Implementation lessons range over issues from institutional capacity (NFED/GES/PMU) to day-to-day field activities; and point to the importance of several factors without which the effectiveness of the Literacy Program would be compromised. These include: Community involvement Functional application of learning Maintaining a literate environment Quality of training (facilitators)  30 Classroom inputs and learning materials Facilitator incentives Quality of supervision Research, monitoring and evaluation Logistics and decentralization Information/Communication about the literacy program/activities Coordination with other literacy providers or demands Institutional (NFED) efficiency Program financing and sustainability A preliminary synthesis of the lessons seems to suggest the need for improvements in the above areas, as well as for the adoption by future literacy operations of an orientation and focus ensuring that: literacy skills are sustained and become more functional and responsive to learners' needs; the central role of the Functional Literacy Program in community development - and vice-versa - is recognized and capitalized upon; the Functional Literacy Program is a key part of the Ghana Education Sector. Second phase of IDA assistance-- LFSP II 7. GOG/MOE has requested the Bank to provide continuous support to various levels of education, and this has been reflected in the Bank's Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for Ghana. In response to this request, IDA is contemplating further support to the GOG Literacy Program through the Second Literacy and Functional Skills Program (LFSP II). 8. It is envisaged that the LFSP II would build upon successful experiences, cost- effective activities, and pilots in the on-going LFSP. It would target specific groups, particularly rural populations and female illiterates; continue to use local languages and perhaps English, depending on the outcome of the English pilot currently underway; and take into account the findings and recommendations of the ICR. The mission understands that for the GOG to achieve its objective to increase adult literacy in the context of vision 2020, access to literacy promoting activities would have to be increased. The proposed NFED targets for new learners are: 200,000 (1998-00), 300,000 (1999-01), 450,000 (00-02), 500,000 (01-03 and thereafter). 9. To assist in the preparation of the LFSP II, the Bank has obtained a PHRD Grant from the Government of Japan to provide technical assistance to the NFED/MOE. Formal communication from the Bank to GOG on this issue is underway. The mission stands ready to help with the processing and implementation of the PHRD Grant Agreement. * The mission understands that the GOG/MOE proposal for the second phase of IDA assistance to the Literacy Program, including the 1998 workplan, budget estimates, and financing plan will be sent to IDA by November 30, 1997. Key Issues  31 10. Completion of LFSP activities. There are several outstanding items under procurement (Annex III) that may not be delivered by the closing date of the IDA Credit and the Norwegian Grant. Additionally, it is estimated that about US$ 240,000 of the Credit and US$ 528,000 of the Grant have not been committed or programmed to be spent by the closing date December 31, 1997. * PMU/NFED will review the programming of activities and the procurement schedule, including contract amounts, procurement methods and delivery dates, and advise IDA of the steps that will be taken to ensure that outstanding items and services are delivered and available funds utilized by closing. 11. Furthermore, inactivity of the Special Account (SA) for a prolonged period of time has prompted the Bank to advise that the SA will close unless it becomes active shortly. The mission understands that an SA replenishment application, proposed for signature, has yet to be forwarded to IDA. This causes undue constraint to the project implementation at this critical stage. - The mission urges MOE to submit the replenishment application to IDA soonest and promptly collect documentation for subsequent Withdrawal Applications. 12. Counterpart funds. The implementation of the project has been constrained by the chronic lack of GOG matching funds. Currently, the balance in the project account is only about cedis 56 million, an amount insufficient for the smooth closing of the project; total GOG matching funds released to date amount to only 57% (c. 275 million) of the 1997 allocation (c. 481 million). The mission understands that requests for budget release.have been followed in a timely fashion, and that the balance of the 1997 allocation (c.206 million) was requested on October 5, 1997. The mission was assured that MOE will follow on this promptly. 13. Literacy Program financing. In view of the aforementioned financial constraints, it is critical to ensure adequate budget allocation to support the 1998 Literacy Program. It is noted that, in the last two years, the GOG financial support to the LFSP -- in matching funds and recurrent expenditures -- has decreased in real terms (Annex IV). * GOG financial support for the 1998 Literacy Program will be an indication of its commitment to the continuation of the GOG Literacy Program and the proposed LFSP II with IDA support.  32 APPENDIX B REPUBLIC OF GHANA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION NON-FORMAL EDUCATION DIVISION DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION REPORT LITERACY AND FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PROJECT (CREDIT NUMBER GH 2349-GH) EVALUATION OF THE BORROWER  33 INTRODUCTION 1. Initially, literacy activities in Ghana were supported by GTZ through the Institute of Adult Education and the Department of Community Development. In 1986, as part of the Educational Reform Programme (ERP), the Government of Ghana established the Non- Formal Education Division (NFED) under the Ministry of Education, and charged it with the task of coordinating all non-formal education activities in the country. At that time, non- formal education was defined as "all organized and semi-organized educational activities operating outside the regular framework of the formal education sub-sector and aimed at servicing various learning needs of different sub-groups of the whole population". The 1984 census had estimated the number of illiterates in Ghana to be about 6,000,000, with a cumulative effect as the population grew. 2. With the introduction of PAMSCAD in 1988, Overseas Development Agency (ODA, now DFID) provided assistance to NFED to the tune of 1.4 million sterling. UJNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, Canadian Organization for Development Education (CODE), the British Council, and IDA were among the initial collaborators. In 1989, the Functional Literacy Programme was introduced on a pilot basis in the Winneba-Apam, and Tono-Vea areas of the Central and Upper East Regions respectively. With the signing of the IDA Credit 2349-GH in 1992, the Literacy and Functional Skills Project was almost solely funded by the World Bank Credit, accompanied by a grant from the Kingdom of Norway, with the Government of Ghana providing matching funds. PROJECT OBJECTIVES 3. Project objectives were outlined as follows: a) assist in strengthening the institutional capacity of NFED to manage effectively the entire literacy program; b) ensure that all program aspects are subject to frequent evaluation and monitoring, and that research and evaluation become key inputs in the development of any new initiatives; c) improve the existing literacy program so that a large proportion of the 840,000 adults who participate become fully literate; d) ensure that all new literates, whether from the school system or from the literacy program, have access to a range of reading materials in Ghanaian languages; and, e) help expand the coverage of the FM broadcasting system to support the functional literacy program and to increase the frequency of educational broadcasting in the Ghanaian languages. PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES 4. The objectives of the National Functional Literacy Programme were defined as follows: (a) to enable participants to better meet their personal and social needs through enhancing their abilities to deal competently with everyday life in a literate community; (b) to equip learners with the knowledge, attitudes and skills that will enable them raise the quality of life in their community; (c) to enable learners improve upon their occupational skills through functional literacy; and (d) to broaden the reading interests of learners and establish an attitude of reading for pleasure through the provision of follow-up reading materials. The programme was particularly aimed at improving the quality of life of the poorest Ghanaians, especially those living in rural areas, with an emphasis towards targeting women.  34 ACHIEVEMENT OF PROJECT AND PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES 5. NFED has been successful in achieving the main objectives of the literacy programme, having enrolled over 1.3 million learners since its inception, over 60% of whom have been women, with most of the learners in rural communities. Monitoring visits and learner assessments carried out by NFED revealed that the teaching of the 3Rs was quite successful. NFED has been strengthened institutionally through management training, multi- purpose, initial, refresher and specialized training provided for NFED staff, facilitators and supervisors as required. NFED initially entered into agreements with a total of seven organizations (GNAT, GBPA, GBC, NSS, NBSSI, New Times Corporation, and the Ministry of Information), and made attempts to collaborate with NGOs and other providers of literacy in the country. During the implementation of the project, NFED worked closely with Nuffic/CESO to improve on its research, monitoring and evaluation capacity. 6. The research unit carried out about 10 studies (lighting systems, development inputs, classroom teaching and female participation, evaluation of bookboxes, etc.) to improve the implementation of the programme. For example, the study on developments inputs recommended the decentralization of procurement of some programme inputs. Income Generating Activities continue to interest learners, but only 230 out of 48,000 literacy groups were supported with small credits under the project. The agreement with the GBPA never resulted in the creation of a literate environment even after NFED doubled its procurement of books for bookboxes, and funded six bookfairs around the country. However, NFED transformed the rural newspaper into a community newspaper after successfilly piloting the silk-screen technology, thus encouraging local communities to increase their access to print materials. The BIA described the radio as vital for communication in rural communities, but NFED still has to capitalize on this medium. IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE AND RESULTS 7. The National Functional Literacy Programme was quickly expanded to cover fifteen (15) languages on a national scale in the early part of 1991, even before the pilot at Winneba and Tono had taken root. In 1992, with the involvement of IDA, emphasis was placed consolidating the existing levels of coverage rather than further expanding the programme, with priority placed on the creation of a literate environment. Further, supervision missions recommended the training of staff in research, monitoring and evaluation, and the engagement of consultants to provide technical support to NFED. Focus was placed on the core literacy activities through supervision and the production of materials for learners. GNAT supervisors were replaced by the members of the Association of Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (ACDR). However, not all supervisors have received them, nor have sufficient numbers of bicycles been distributed to female facilitators. 8. Training of facilitators and supervisors in the effective running of the Management Information System (MIS) planned under the collaboration with Nuffic/CESO has yet to be carnied out. Collaboration with other literacy providers such as GILLBT and Gonja Literacy Project has been abrogated in view of the decentralization of the production of community  35 newspaper. The silk-screen pilot was made nationwide in 1997, bringing to an end the collaboration with New Times Corporation. NFED collaborated with NSS to compile its "Success Stories". PERFORMANCE OF THE BANK 9. The Bank has provided considerable guidance and support throughout the implementation of the programme, and has been particularly responsive during the past few years. Bank staff may not have participated directly in training NFED staff, but contributions made during missions helped programme staff build on their shortcomings, making for capacity building. The Baseline Survey was helped tremendously by this support; when NFED staff raised the problem of data processing due to lack of software and staff time, the Bank suggested that the activity be out-sourced. Similarly, comments on the quality of the assessment report led the Unit to review the data collection tools, and to upgrade the current data making the results more interesting. Mission evaluation and approval of activities in the Operational Plan led to improvements in project implementation, and cut through the number of requests for "no-objection". On a few occasions when the Bank's directives were not clearly communicated, some decisions like the lighting system adversely affected implementation. RECOMMENDATIONS 10. For improved implementation of the next phase of IDA funding, the following recommendations should be considered: (a) Procurement procedures should include decentralized local shopping for special items, especially some class inputs such as chalkboard and easels; (b) For the creation of a literate environment, at least one bookbox should be provided per class; (c) Greater emphasis should be placed on the functionality aspect of the literacy programme which was not well implemented during the first phase of the programme; (d) Categorization and allocation of credit funds should be made to reflect NFED needs and its Operational Plan; (e) Greater support should be earmarked for IGA groups; (f) All supervisors should receive a motorbike; (g) Budgetary allocation should be made for the Field Operations Section to allow for follow-up visits to the field, to ensure that prompt corrective measures take place to improve programme delivery at the grassroots level; and (h) District Assemblies should be made signatories to all project funds allocated to districts as a first stage checking system.