RESPECT Refugee Education Sponsorship Program Enhancing Communities Together

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RESPECT Azerbaijan

Assistance to primary and secondary schools in selected IDP Settlements

• Project Overview
• Operating Strategy
• Description of Beneficiary Population
• Logical Framework Approach Description of Objectives, Activities and Outputs

Project Overview

The educational system of Azerbaijan is undergoing a reform in a situation where reduction after the collapse of Soviet Union and large scale displacement following the Nagorno Karabakh conflict have resulted in a decrease in recourses available for basic education. Whereas pre-1990 statistics show that 90% of the population completed secondary education, only a fraction of IDP children do so today.

The attendance even in primary school classes is extremely low (50%). There is a severe lack of classrooms, training materials and supplies. Teachers don't know current teaching methods and instruments. That's why there is a great need to raise the level of education. The largest problem of the society is the condition of the 560,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and their children as the result of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, aggravated by the stagnation of the economy following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Unable for the present to return to their homes, the IDPs are disadvantaged as regard employment, income, housing conditions and access to public services. And this affects the quality and quantity of the education. Interviews of parents and schoolchildren in various parts of Azerbaijan show that parents in IDP households have greater difficulty than other population in sending their children to school sufficiently equipped and clothed. Combined with general economic situation of the country, this constitutes often the reason for absenteeism.

As the result, a whole generation of school-aged IDP children can not receive a proper basic tuition to prepare them for secondary education and further be active members of the society. Vice versa this group of IDP children become an obstacle on the way of the development of society.

Schools traditionally play an important role in the community development and problem solution in Azerbaijan. The teachers used to function as advisers in many issues in the communities, and represent the best- educated segment of the society. The teacher/ parent associations had an active role in not only ensuring proper use of the public and community's resources in education but also in mobilizing the communities in issues of children's wellbeing and health.

However, due to displacement and disruption in the normal communal structures, unavailable educational methods for current situation, this role of the schools in building a civil society has been degraded.

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Operating Strategy

In the general situation described above, many IDP communities have, nevertheless, tried to pool whatever meager recourses they have and created primary schools in whatever space is available to them. Even when the community is too small or poorly organized to achieve this, its members often value education a great deal and are ready to make sacrifices to ensure their children receive proper education.

It is recognized that sustained improvement in the life of the IDPs requires their full participation in decision making and sharing of the responsibility for success and failures. Therefore, the level of organization of the community will have to be assessed as the first step in selecting the beneficiary communities.

Different informal and formal interest and decision making groups in the community (women, elders, etc.) will be identified. Another part of the assessment will look at the resource base of the communities (the group's survival strategies, material and financial recourses, manpower available for community self- help work, etc.).

The community's relation to the surrounding communities, local authorities and Municipal bodies will also be assessed. As the result of the assessment, a community profile can be drawn and the following criteria be used to select the seven beneficiary communities (Settlement school #2 Gubatli district, Yukhari Mollu Rural school Gubatli district, Khojahan rural school Gubatli district, Kavdadig rural school Gubatli district, Farjan rural school Gubatli district, Gulabird rural school Lachin district, school #23 Zangelan district) among those assessed:

• Possess the skills or potential that require organizational development on conceiving, planning, implementing and maintaining an initiative project
• Location of IDP in densely populated areas (settlements and towns)
• Providing the schools in accordance with Azerbaijan Legislature principles
• Parents and teachers cooperation will be provided in the activity of the school. "UMID" HSSC as the national NGO will help the communities in mobilizing their resources to address the problems related to primary education and parental responsibilities, using its four years practice on community and education.

  As the three year partner of UNHCR on education issues "UMID" HSSC will use the training modules on community, community mobilization, and new educational methods. This will be done through forming and supporting parent- teacher associations in the target communities, as well as by raising the general awareness in the communities of the importance of joint efforts to address problems faced by the schools.

  The project will assist the communities in repair works of the communal schools or in construction of additional schoolrooms as required. Prior the commencement of the work "UMID" HSSC will commit its own recourses, such as labor and construction materials, and cash payment opportunities, and will identify the role of community in this. "UMID" HSSC and newly formed teacher- parent associations will joint their efforts to achieve these goals. These associations will be provided with necessary skills and instruments to play a decisive role in the solution of community problems. As mentioned above eight communities will benefit from this assistance.

• The target group will consist of volunteers, a teacher/ parent group of 2-3 teachers and parents will be established in every school.
• Two groups of 15-18 persons will be formed for training of trainers (TOT), and each group will comprise teacher/ parent communities of 3 or 4 schools.
• Teacher/ parent groups of 5-6 persons from each of the schools will apply the skills they managed in the training of trainers to their schools, affect the mobilization of teacher/ parent association, do every effort to establish community based organizations. "UMID" HSSC will participate in the implementation process of these activities.
• Statements detailing the activities of different communities will be developed during the practice sharing, the communities will share their practices, and the practice of communities established by "UMID" HSSC will be learned.
• Organization committee to establish community based organizations will be formed, regulations and statement will be developed, and working principles and management skills of community based organizations will be taught.
• Trainers will work together with the groups throughout November.

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Description of Beneficiary Population

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Logical Framework Approach
Description of Objectives, Activities and Outputs
(by Sector/ and Sector- Activity)

FMIS Sector Code: H FMIS
Sector Name: COMMUNITY SERVICES

Sector Objectives

• Foster creation of local and regional community- based organizations and of establishing linkages between these groups and Baku- based national NGOs through partnership and sharing of experiences.
• Encourage IDPs to participate in the management of their schools and to mobilize their communities to ensure that the importance of access to basic education is understood by the community as a whole.

Impact Indicators

• Networks of Community based organizations for education issues emerge and develop among target Communities and Baku- based NGOs.
• Beneficiaries' capability to determine their own priorities and values, and to organize themselves to act on these.

Progress vis-a-vis Impact Indicators

• Information on NGOs, their activities and working principles was rendered in seven Communities.
• Beneficiaries were divided into 2 groups, and participated in 2 trainings on identification of existing needs and analyzing skills.
• 21 Round Tables were conducted.

Planned Achievements/ Expected Outputs

• Informal community groups and leadership structures are identified to encourage IDPs to become more confident and proactive in addressing issues and problems related to education and parental responsibilities.
• The work of the newly formed parent/ teacher associations is facilitated, raising the communities' awareness to solve problems in primary education issues
• The new community- based organization are recognized and supported by the authorities
• The importance of providing basic education to both boys and girls in an environment that is conducive for learning is understood by the community.

Performance Indicators

• A parent/teacher association is formed and functioning in seven target communities by the end of the project.
• Number of parents attending the community meetings and wishing to be members of the parent/teacher association is doubled during the duration of the project
• Meetings are organized and attended regularly between the parent/teacher associations and the local education, youth, health and social protection authorities
• The attendance of the school- aged children, including girls, in the target communities reaches 95% by the end of the project.

Progress vis-a-vis Performance Indicators

• Teacher/Parent Committees were established in 7 IDP schools in Sumgait, and 35 teachers and parents became the members of these Committees.
• 250 Community members participated in Preliminary Community Meetings. Community Committees were selected on Democratic principles in these meetings of two stages.
• Discussions were held with the Ministry of Education, Sumgait ExCom, Education Departments of occupied regions and Sumgait Education Center, and they rendered proper advises on the support of the Committees.

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FMIS Sector- Activity Code: I- 03 FMIS
Sector-Activity Name: Educational Facilities Construction

Sector Objectives
Identification of repair, reconstruction and provision needs of primary schools

• Improve the role of Communities and teachers in needs assessment.
• Select teams on repair and reconstruction. Identify the provision Company for the purchase of materials.
• Identify the Company for the purchase of furniture and equipment, and develop Contracts.

Impact Indicators
Needs are identified in seven schools. Community takes part in needs assessment and plays its special role

• UMID staff members find more worthy Company on repair and provision through search, and they comply with their commitments.

Progress vis-a-vis Impact Indicators

• Nineteen primary education classrooms were selected and their needs were identified. Ten classroom repair deeds and estimates were developed.
• Negotiations were held with four furniture and three Construction Companies, and corresponding Contracts were signed.

Planned Achievements/Expected Outcomes

• Condition and number of the school buildings in 7 target communities is verified by technically qualified staff together with the local authorities.
• The communities' recourses (financial, labor) available for the rehabilitation and construction of community schools are assessed and their use negotiated between the community and "UMID" HSSC
• Repairs and construction of new schoolrooms is undertaken, with the participation of the community.

Performance Indicators

• Local authorities render their advises and agree with the list of the target schools. Selected technical staff cope with the objectives quite well.
• Community agrees to hand over its recourses, Umid gain success in the negotiations with the Community. Community's role is identified and its volume is determined.
• Repair and reconstruction of the classrooms are implemented successfully, and the Community takes an active part in these activities.

Progress vis-a-vis Performance Indicators

• The list of the selected 7 schools was submitted to Sumgait ExCom and Education Departments of the occupied regions. They agreed with them and their recommendations were taken into consideration.
• Community' s role in each of the school was identified, and Community agreed to provide 7 schools with manat cash funding, and to render technical support in the operations.
• Repair works have started in 12 classrooms of 4 schools and is going on successfully.
• Nineteen bookcases and wardrobes, 19 tables for teachers and 40 desks were prepared.

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• RESPECT Azerbaijan
• UMID Education Project
• RESPECT Eligible Schools
• UMID Chronology