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Lesson
Broader reflections on the experiences of the three development partners during their joint implementation of this ambitious program, and the implications for future, similar efforts would have been valuable. The considerable time lost due to misunderstandings among the partners at the beginning of the project, for example, might have been avoided if early agreement had been reached on how to deal with the different accountability mechanisms and requirements of the partners.

Project Number: 34285-013
Project Name: Education Sector Project II
Report Date:
Lesson
Greater flexibility in design and adherence to targets might have enabled more discussion and better communication and decision making within an ambitious time frame, especially during the first year. The design and monitoring framework (DMF) could have been revised early on, reducing the pressure on the Ministry of Education, Sport, and Culture (MESC) and alleviating the sense that they were not achieving results.

Project Number: 34285-013
Project Name: Education Sector Project II
Report Date:
Lesson
The Education Sector Plan is ambitious. Human capacity can easily be overloaded by attempting too many simultaneous reforms. Having fewer, but well-sequenced and phased priorities, is likely to have more impact.

Project Number: 34285-013
Project Name: Education Sector Project II
Report Date:
Lesson
The loss of much of the evaluative work and studies done under the Education Sector Project II (ESPII) when key staff departed leaving no document archive and the inability to provide quality data for the project completion report highlight the importance of institutionalizing a strong system for monitoring, evaluation, and learning.

Project Number: 34285-013
Project Name: Education Sector Project II
Report Date:
Lesson
The new curriculum provides a starting point for confident, capable teachers but is reportedly challenging for weak teachers. Developing the curriculum in the language the teachers use to plan and deliver their lessons (Samoan) would have lessened the risk of creating new vocabulary and provided a better base for weak teachers.

Project Number: 34285-013
Project Name: Education Sector Project II
Report Date:
Lesson
Although capacity has been developed (though not always retained) at an individual level, the benefits are less evident within MESC or more broadly. Capacity development could have been greater had MESC capacity been thoroughly assessed during design or had design fully considered the absorptive capacity of a small ministry. High staff turnover at the management level also contributed to challenges in building capacity.

Project Number: 34285-013
Project Name: Education Sector Project II
Report Date:
Lesson
Project implementation could have been improved with appropriate interagency coordination and support on civil works design and supervision. Following the restructuring of Public Works Department in the early phase of project implementation, a new mechanism was required to ensure proper supervision during subproject design and construction. As the midterm review for the ESP II noted, an education ministry cannot be expected to have the technical resources for this purpose.

Project Number: 30175-013
Project Name: Education Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Studies of affordability and the cost and efficiency of school operations and community appreciation of economic issues were needed. The IEM's school survey highlighted the thin spread of limited resources across the formal education system, which was also noted in the 2006 National Human Development Report for Samoa. Undertaking economic analysis of the education sector with examination of affordability issues would encourage policy development toward a more efficient use of resources such as specialist teachers and modern educational technology, including computers in schools.

Project Number: 30175-013
Project Name: Education Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Aid harmonization was difficult due to procedural issues. Lessons from the ESP PCR regarding harmonization of external inputs were applied to the ESP II under a sector-wide approach. While progress in harmonization of aid arrangements has been recognized in the recent evaluation of the implementation of aid effectiveness principles by the Government of Samoa, the funding agencies and government partners noted continuing problems, as arrangements require them to conform to ADB procurement systems, which are difficult to apply in a very small island country.

Project Number: 30175-013
Project Name: Education Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Upfront work is needed to use the sector lending modality. Project management flexibility provided to the borrower or executing agency may negatively affect project implementation and, consequently, the achievement and sustainability of project outcomes.

Project Number: 30175-013
Project Name: Education Sector Project
Report Date: