QESSP (Quality Education Strategic Support Programme) is the name adopted for the Technical Assistance component of DFID’s £120m support to Ethiopia's General Education Quality Improvement Programme II (GEQIP II) managed through a World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund. DFID’s rationale for QESSP was to complement its support to GEQIP II by providing a contracted management agent for research and evidence building, capacity building and technical assistance to the Ministry of Education.
One of the many notable achievements of QESSP is its work in improving the standards of failing schools in Amhara Regional State. In doing so, QESSP partnered with the Regional Education Bureau to pilot a project designed to support 368 failing primary schools to improve their inspection ratings and move up a level within one academic year. At the end of the pilot the re-inspection result revealed that 80% of the 368 Level 1 schools were promoted to Level 2 with four schools promoted to Level 3.
The British Council managed the delivery of the programme, benefiting from resources provided by: ABCON PIC Research and Consulting House; Ark Education Partnerships Group; Delivery Associates Limited; 360Ground ELDIX IT Technology PLC; NFER; NILE and Transform ELT; Ethiopian Universities; Adam Smith International Limited; BDS Centre for Development Research; Ecorys International; Oxford Policy Management Ltd; PRIN International Consultancy and Research Services; SEGEL Research and Training Consulting PLC; and the University of Bradford.
At its close on 31st March 2019, QESSP had provided 7800 days of technical assistance to Ethiopia’s MoE and the wider education sector, across five components which support the full breadth of elements needed for quality service delivery.
‘The improvement began with acknowledging the fact that I should take responsibility for the result and should lead the efforts to improve the school. The eleven priority standards helped me remain focussed throughout the year.’
Mr Abayneh, Head Teacher, Ammanuel Primary School
(which moved from level 1 to level 3)
Find out more: www.ethiopia.britishcouncil.org/QESSP