Development Programs

PALESTINIAN – FINNISH EDUCATION PROGRAMME, PALFEP III

The Palestinian – Finnish Education Programme, Phase III is based on the priorities identified by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of the Palestinian Authority and agreed to by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

The Programme aims to contribute to the improvement of the quality of education through Human Resource Development at different levels of educational system. This is focused on capacity building of educational administrators and managers, assessment and evaluation, inclusive education, pedagogical use of ICT, and planning and aid coordination and harmonization. It also builds on and extends the achievements of the previous Palestinian – Finnish Education Programmes as well as on the latest developments in the fields of programme components.

National Institute of Educational Training NIET is the locus of capacity building for administrators and managers for specialized areas such as planning, management & leadership at different levels of educational system & leadership development. Also the capacity building of trainers is included in some specific areas such as inclusive education and pedagogical use of ICT. The institute will be supported in its own institutional development, as well as devising capacity building programmes and facilitating training for other directorates. Pedagogical use of ICT is included.

Support to Assessment and evaluation is the second Component of the PALFEP III. It contains support to the continuation of the assessment and evaluation activities and also introduces new areas such as assessment and evaluation in Inclusive Education, TVET and development of the Tawjihi. The focus is on development of diagnostic assessment and evaluation methodologies.

The following four areas will be addressed in the Assessment and Evaluation component: 

• To ensure continuity in existing and planned activities: textbook evaluation, content analysis, achievement testing, and evaluation of educational programmes. 

• To support the AED in new areas of development: inclusive education, the new Tawjihi, and TVET.

• Initiate gender affirmative action in the capacity building at AED and in districts and schools.

• The sustainability of the AED after PALFEP III must be taken into account in the planning and implementation of the project. Gradually, all activities which will be the normal running of the MoEHE must be brought on to MoEHE budget lines.

Support to the development of planning and donor coordination and harmonisation will be implemented through the following three development areas:

· Capacity building of MoEHE staff  in strategic planning, SWAP, donor cooperation & harmonization and management and monitoring of programmes and projects
· Development of coordination & harmonization of procedures with MoEHE directorates and donors
·  Improvement of the Planning and Programme Management System at MoEHE 

These development areas will be closely connected to the preparation of the new 5 year education sector strategic plan for the MoEHE. The aim is to support the development of an effective interface between MoEHE and donors so that both sides are kept mutually and fully informed, communication flows easily, and both sides are ready to adapt to new modes of donor support during the implementation of the new 5 year plan.

PALFEP III is largely needs based and process oriented. Resources are made available as needs are identified. Some needs were already identified and introduced in the programme document, but during the Inception period new needs were discussed and analyzed and those needs are reflected in the programme component plans.

The programme is for four years and is budgeted at 3,2 million Euro.

Overall objective:
The overall objective is to improve the quality of life of the Palestinian people through quality education

Purpose of the Programme:
Learners in formal & in technical & vocational  education benefit from quality assessment & evaluation, & quality planning, management, & teaching.

Component 1: Human Resource Development

RESULT:
National Institute for Educational Training (NIET), has sustainable capacity to plan, organise & evaluate human resource development & training programmes

Sub-Results:

1. Improved capacity among the staff of NIET

2. Improved capacity of administrators and managers in strategic planning, delegated management, gender issues and the use of ICT in education

3. Improved capacity of trainers

4. Plans and programs of NIET has been developed

Component 2: Assessment and Evaluation

RESULT:
The educational system has sustainable capacity to conduct & develop quality assessment & evaluation of learning outcomes, & educational programmes.

Sub-Results:

1. Improved capacity at AEC

2. First national curriculum evaluated

3. Evaluation studies are conducted

4. Improved capacity in assessment & evaluation in inclusive education

5. Improved capacity among educational staff in quality assessment and evaluation of  teaching/learning processes & learning outcomes in TVET/CBMT

6. New Tawjihi developed and implemented

7. Culture of Evaluation is disseminated

Component 3:  Development of Planning and Aid Coordination

RESULT:
Donor and project co-ordination in MoEHE is efficient & effective.

Sub-results:

1. Improved capacity of MoEHE  in strategic planning, SWAP, donor cooperation & harmonisation and management and monitoring of programmes and projects

2. Improved coordination with MoEHE directorates and donors

3. Improved Planning and Programme Management System at MoEHE

4. Plans and programs of NIET has been developed

RESULT:
Donor and project co-ordination in MoEHE is efficient & effective.

Sub-Result 1
Improved capacity of MoEHE  in

• strategic planning

• SWAP

• donor cooperation & harmonisation and

• management and monitoring of programmes and projects

Activities:

1. Analysis of the training needs

2. Preparation of training plans

3. Training in SWAP, donor harmonisation and project coordination

4. Capacity building in strategic planning at MoEHE

5. Capacity building in programme/project design, management, monitoring and evaluation  

Sub-Result 2
Improved coordination with MoEHE directorates and donors.

Activities:

1. Review of the donor-partner cooperation & coordination & harmonization

·         preparation of the ToR
·         selection of ST expert
·         expert mission
·         organising the start-up workshop
·         preparation of the report with recommendations, model and action plan
·         workshop on donor – partner cooperation – approval of the action plan
·         implementation of the plan

2. Regular meetings with MoEHE and donors

·         Meetings on the preparation of the new 5-year plan
·         ESWG meetings

Sub-Result 3
Improved  Planning and Programme Management System at MoEHE

Activities:

1. Further development of planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation procedures and systems at MoEHE

2. Computerization of Planning and Projects Management and Administration Systems.

3. Development of Strategic Planning System in the Ministry considering of SWAP, and the support to the preparation of the new 5-year plan

Contact:
Mr. Jouni Immonen
Team Leader/Adviser in Donor – Partner Relations
Palestinian Finnish Education Programme, PALFEP III
Ministry of Education and Higher Education
P.O.Box 576
Ramallah, Palestine
Tel. mobile: +972-599-258 061
Tel. office:   +972-2-298 3263 , +972-2-298 3273 
 +972-2-298 3263
Email: jouni.immonen@hcg.helsinki.fi

Mr. Shaher Hijjawi
Programme Coordinator, PALFEPIII
Ministry of Education and Higher Education
Palestine
Tel: (Office) +972 22 983 263, (Mobile) +972 599 732 475
Email: shaher_hijjawi@hotmail.com, shaher_hijjawi@yahoo.com