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Lesson
Future potential of distance education. The DEMP failed to expand tertiary education opportunities and increase the employability of graduates to the extent intended. The question of how to achieve both of these objectives remains. A central issue in this regard is how to improve external degrees. One of the lessons of the DEMP is that Sri Lankan students may not yet be ready for fully online courses, at least for the longer degree courses.

Project Number: 33251-013
Project Name: Distance Education Modernization Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Innovation needs champions. Effective champions are critical for the success of any new initiative. This is even more true for innovative projects, where strong commitment to the project on the part of both the government and ADB are critical to success. The failure to locate the DEMP within a government agency with strong ownership of the project was one of the factors that led ultimately to its failure.

Project Number: 33251-013
Project Name: Distance Education Modernization Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Ensure that the project performance indicators are appropriate for the time frame. In most education projects, and the DEMP was no exception, the focus of project implementation is on the development of facilities, teacher training, and programs that are only completed near the end of the project. The final achievement measures, however, are generally framed in terms of the number of students intended to benefit from the program. Again, the DEMP was no exception.

Project Number: 33251-013
Project Name: Distance Education Modernization Project
Report Date:
Lesson
A sound strategy for sustainability must be agreed. The experience of the DEMP provides a good lesson on the importance of developing and operationalizing sound sustainability strategies. The project paved the way for the establishment of an innovative national online learning system, but the lack of a clear long-term plan was one reason why the concept eventually failed.

Project Number: 33251-013
Project Name: Distance Education Modernization Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Ensure that the investment will be sustained. Fundamental change to education systems is complex and does not happen quickly. When an entirely new system is being created, as it was under the DEMP, it is critical that a commitment for sustained investment is made. Neither the government nor ADB had any interest in a follow-on project. Even a 1-year extension to allow enrolments to continue their upward trend at the end of the project was viewed unfavorably. Innovation and reform require more long-term commitment to be successful.

Project Number: 33251-013
Project Name: Distance Education Modernization Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Ensure adequate ADB support for project implementation. By definition, the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to guide and embed innovative change are likely to be scarce in both the borrowing countries and in ADB. It is evident that additional time and resources are required to support implementation, which did not happen in the case of the DEMP.

Project Number: 33251-013
Project Name: Distance Education Modernization Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Require expanded risk matrixes for all innovative projects. Considerable time, effort, and emphasis must be placed on the development and monitoring of the risk matrix for innovative projects. This applies particularly to risk identification and potential risk mitigation strategies. A range of alternative strategies should be developed in detail for every identified risk. The risk matrix and mitigation strategies for innovative projects should be discussed extensively by ADB and the government to ensure a common understanding and commitment.

Project Number: 33251-013
Project Name: Distance Education Modernization Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Allocate significant resources for preparation of innovative projects. For innovative projects, significant resources are needed up front. This can include resources for assessing the feasibility of, and demand for, the project objectives and approaches for achieving them, as well as to lay the groundwork for ensuring their acceptability among different interest groups. Resistance to the innovations proposed cannot be overcome at the same time as project implementation is proceeding. The same applies to demand for the project outputs and outcomes.

Project Number: 33251-013
Project Name: Distance Education Modernization Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Ensure projects have a clear and achievable focus. Apart from its innovative nature, the DEMP was also very broad, with the project inputs spread very thinly. The project included the construction of a national broadband network; mobilization of non-traditional partners including private institutions; capacity building and institution strengthening within the OUSL; development of online courses, which is notoriously difficult and slow; and implementation of these courses with the expectation of rapid, high enrolments.

Project Number: 33251-013
Project Name: Distance Education Modernization Project
Report Date: