Independent monitoring unit launched in education dept

CHITRAL, April 5: Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU), a project of Elementary and Secondary Education Department, KP, has been launched in Chitral. The objectives of the project are directly related with the overall objectives of the education sector plan and the roadmap already approved by the chief minister. It aims to put in place a robust monitoring mechanism that would support and ensure improvement in access, quality and particularly governance in the education sector. It is being implemented by elementary and secondary education department. The monitoring mechanism is required to look at dynamic data sets which regulate the performance of the education system at district and subsequently at the provincial level. This mechanism will enable the department to measure the overall performance of the districts and schools vis-à-vis education service delivery of which the DEOs (Education) and their teams are responsible. The proposed mechanism is not about monitoring done by the DEOs; it goes a step beyond that by monitoring the performance of the DEOs themselves in a very impartial and scientific way through provision of empirical evidence. Establishment of this unit will provide an effective tool to the department to take informed decisions and corrective measures to improve service delivery at all levels particularly at schools. The main functions of the unit would include regular data collection on Education Sector Roadmap and ESP indicators on monthly basis, monitoring of schools, coordination and conduct of basic analysis like increase/decrease in enrollment, teachers & students absenteeism, efficiency of delivery of textbooks and stipends for the consumption of district steering committee and the deputy commissioner. In order to ensure that the data collectors are regularly visiting each and every school in the district/province they will be provided tablets/smart phones and the data will be uploaded right at the school level in real time. This mechanism will reduce data collection and data reporting time. Data collection and monitoring assistants and Computer Operators have been appointed through the National Testing Service. They all are young, energetic and committed people. A position of District Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (DMO) has been created for each district. The DMO will manage and supervise the entire operation of data collection and to liaise with Provincial Government and perform other necessary functions for the successful implementation of Roadmap/ESP set by the Provincial government. Mr. Tariq Mehmood, a Provincial Management Service officer, has been posted as District Monitoring Officer (DMO) Chitral. He belongs to an educated family of village Gazeen, Yarkhun valley. Mr. Tariq holds Master’s degree in Public Policy from National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo, Japan. He is fully committed to implement the education sector plan and the roadmap approved by the chief minister for the educational betterment of Chitral. He is hopeful that the monitoring of public sector schools on daily basis and taking legal action against the absent teaching and non-teaching staff will bring a tangible change in the education department of Chitral.– Rehmat Ali Jaffar Dost.]]>