USAID CBJ FY 2002: Guatemala

Summary: Since the 1996 signing of the Peace Accords, universal coverage of primary education has been a top priority. Net primary enrollment increased from 69% in 1996 to an estimated 84% in 2000. In rural areas, though, one of every three children does not attend school and fewer than two of ten girls complete sixth grade. Although half of all Guatemalan school-age children are indigenous language speakers, only 18% attend schools where at least one teacher is a bilingual teacher. Although meeting Peace Accord targets, Government financing for education remains very low, with education representing only 2.46% of GDP in 2000. Mobilized constituencies capable of influencing government education policy and resource allocations decisions are decidedly lacking, although interest and commitment to education reform is growing among civil society organizations and opinion leaders.

The purpose of this objective is to increase educational access and equity, improve educational quality, and enhance the capacity and commitment of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and civil society to carry out strategies that strengthen the cultural and linguistic pluralism of the country, leading to a better educated rural society. Direct beneficiaries of assistance include Mayan school-aged girls and boys in the Quiché Department and indigenous men and women from rural areas. Indirect beneficiaries include teachers who are trained in bilingual education programs and future generations of indigenous children more likely to be educated and equipped to contribute to Guatemala's economic growth.

Key Results: (1) Increased access to intercultural and bilingual primary education for Quiché children through teacher training, development of multicultural materials and methodologies and increased parent participation; (2) Greater access to education services for rural communities in the seven Departments designated the "Peace Zone"; and (3) Implementation of educational policies and strategies that enhance gender and cultural pluralism.

Performance and Prospects: This objective met the 2000 targets established for the gross primary school enrollment ratio for girls and improved primary school rural gender equity ratio. Since the 1996 baseline, gross enrollment ratios in Quiché have increased by 31% for both girls and boys. Girls still lag behind boys, but are nearing full enrollment. Gross enrollment increased from 79.1% in 1999 to 93.3% for girls and from 97.3% to 111.3% for boys. The challenge now is to reduce repetition and increase promotion rates to reduce the number of over-age children in primary school. The university programs for indigenous students continue to operate at greater levels of efficiency than planned, with more recipients enrolled and more graduates (43% women). Six key educational policies/ strategies were implemented in 2000, reflecting a stronger government commitment to gender and ethnic equity.

USAID continues to successfully support increased educational access, quality and equity, especially for the indigenous and rural girls and women at different levels of the educational system. The Girls' and Women's Education Activity (GWEA) worked closely with the MOE and private sector organizations to position girls' education squarely within the plans and priorities of the new administration. In 2000, the MOE initiated more actions in favor of girls' education than were initiated by the MOE in any previous year since the start-up of the GWEA activity in 1997. For 2001 the MOE has committed to fund an additional 75,000 primary school scholarships for girls nationwide. In the same period, USAID worked to extend the MOE Girls' Scholarship Program to the Quiché communities most severely affected by the armed conflict, thus contributing to SO-level impacts in increased girls' enrollment and equity. A total of 2,681 girls received scholarships last year and will continue to receive them through 2003 from ESF-generated local currencies. The third grade completion rate for girls, a measure of improved quality and system efficiency, increased from 22% in 1999 to 28% in 2000, exceeding the 2000 target by over 25%.

The intercultural bilingual education program in Quiché, implemented by World Learning, is strengthening educational delivery through extensive teacher training, developing and applying innovative instructional materials and methodologies, and increasing parents' and especially mothers' participation in educational management and decision-making. Over 600 teachers received specialized training in bilingual education through a university-accredited program. USAID's LearnLink information technology centers set up in teacher-training schools, partly financed by the Summit of the Americas fund, are improving future-teacher preparedness. This assistance is contributing to improve quality of instruction for 96,000 Mayan children in Quiché. With new Summit of the Americas funding, the SO initiated a new activity designed to increase mothers' participation in educational management in targeted areas of Quiché. These on-the-ground activities are complemented by USAID-supported policy reform efforts designed to strengthen the policy environment for cultural pluralism and gender equity as well as develop capacity in the MOE and key CSOs for policy analysis, dialogue, and constituency-building skills for educational reform. The adoption of six intercultural bilingual and girls' education policy strategies can be attributed to USAID's policy dialogue and direct implementation efforts. Their expansion will be possible with World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and other bilateral donor support.

The Edumaya activity, implemented through the Rafael Landívar University, continues on course to achieve planned results. In 2000, 1,047 scholarship students (49% women) were enrolled in 36 degree programs. Evaluation studies undertaken by a local independent socioeconomic research institute show that scholarship recipients' salaries have increased, while students report that their families enjoy a better quality of life as well as increased school enrollment of younger family members. Employers of the scholarship recipients report increased decision-making and problem-solving skills, teamwork capacity and productivity in individuals; 75% of the students have assumed leadership positions in local or national-level organizations and institutions. The program will soon complete certification of 350 community education promoters as bilingual teachers, and funding for community education centers are both expanding educational access in rural communities and demonstrating models for more effective community involvement.

Severe cuts in GOG support to the National Literacy Committee, combined with implementation delays in the USAID-supported literacy activity, have required USAID to reexamine targets and strategies for supporting literacy in rural areas. An evaluation of the program was conducted and is being used to effect changes to activities in 2001, as well as decisions regarding future USAID support to literacy.

In FY 2001, USAID intends to obligate a total of $2,529,000 CSD to achieve the following results: 1) increase access to intercultural and bilingual primary education for Quiché children ($1,349,324); 2) provide greater access to education services for rural communities in seven "Peace Zone" Departments ($136,273); and 3) implement educational policies and strategies that enhance gender and cultural pluralism ($1,043,403). In addition, ESF-funded university scholarships to support bilingual education are notified under 520-006.

Additional Economic Support Funds (ESF) notified under the Peace Objective also finance university scholarships to support bilingual education.

In FY 2002, USAID intends to obligate a total of $2,750,000 CSD funds to achieve the following results: 1) increase access to bilingual intercultural primary education for Quiché children ($2,089,090); 2) provide greater access to education services for rural communities in seven "Peace Zone" Departments ($100,000); and, 3) implement educational policies and strategies that enhance gender and cultural pluralism ($560,910).

Possible Adjustments to Plans: Based on performance, USAID has reduced the funding level and will end our support for NGO literacy activities eight months earlier than planned. During the final implementation year (2001), efforts will be focused on finalizing and validating the integrated community literacy methodology, materials, and monitoring and evaluation system; and providing training to selected NGOs in their application. The USAID team will work with the Government of Guatemala (GOG) to examine priorities for USAID additional support for literacy.

Other Donor Programs: The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) are providing major education sector loans to facilitate the expansion of USAID education sector pilot activities such as the one-room school model and bilingual intercultural education. USAID is joined by German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the European Union (EU) and others focusing on increasing educational opportunities, especially for the rural indigenous. Donor and loan resources directed toward this objective (during the period 2000-2004) approximate $124 million with USAID being the largest single donor and contributing about 25% of the total.

Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: U. S. Grantees and contractors include: Save the Children, World Learning, Juarez and Associates, World Learning, Academy for Educational Development, and Management Systems International. Local grantees include Rafael Landivar University and local non-government organizations.

FY 2002 Performance Table

Guatemala 520-002

U.S. Financing

(In thousands of dollars)

	Obligations		Expenditures		Unliquidated
Through September 30, 1999	0	DA	0	DA	0	DA
	6,690	CSD	777	CSD	5,913	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA
Fiscal Year 2000	0	DA	0	DA
	3,035	CSD	1,777	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA
Through September 30, 2000	0	DA	0	DA	0	DA
	9,725	CSD	2,554	CSD	7,171	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA
Prior Year Unobligated Funds*	0	DA
	0	CSD
	0	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA	0	DA
	2,529	CSD
	0	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001	0	DA
	2,529	CSD
	0	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
			Future Obligations		Est. Total Cost
Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA	0	DA	0	DA	0	DA
	2,750	CSD	3,162	CSD	18,166	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA

Guatemala

Activity Data Sheet

FY 2002 Performance Table

Guatemala 520-002

U.S. Financing