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PROJECT INFORMATION DOCUMENT (PID) 
APPRAISAL STAGE 
Report No.:  AB2065 
Project Name 
Southern Sudan Multi-Donor Education Rehabilitation Project 
Region 
AFRICA 
Sector 
General education sector (100%) 
Project ID 
P097962 
Borrower(s) 
Sudan 
Implementing Agency 
Ministry of Education 
Sudan 
Environment Category 
[
]
A
[X ] B   [ ] C   [ ] FI   [ ] TBD (to be determined) 
Date PID Prepared 
January 25, 2005 
Date of Appraisal 
Authorization 
January 5, 2006 
Date of Board Approval 
February 15, 2006 
1.  Country and Sector Background 
 
The Government of South Sudan (GOSS) has adopted a vision for equitable development and 
poverty eradication, while recognizing that it is starting from a very low level in terms of 
institutional capacity and socio-economic conditions. Key education and health indicators, such 
as child and maternal mortality and primary school enrolment, are among the worst in the world; 
infrastructure is virtually non-existent with no paved roads outside the main urban centers; and 
lack of civil service and service delivery structures. Also, millions of Internally Displaced People 
(IDPs) are expected to return to the South, compounding the challenges.  
 
The broad objectives of the Ministry of Education of GOSS are to increase access; improve 
quality; promote equity with a major focus on girls; standardize curricula; and make learning 
contextually and culturally relevant. Specific objectives are to more than double primary school 
enrolment by 2011, from 22% to 55%; reach 15% of adults with literacy programs with a focus 
on young women and SPLA soldiers; increase girls� enrolment from 11% to 40%; and enroll 
15% of out-of-school youths in alternative education programs. 
 
To realize this vision and address the challenges of consolidating peace and eradicating poverty, 
the Ministry of Education will adopt a three-pronged strategy to: (1) consolidate existing gains, 
(2) develop all-round capacity for planning and management of education services, and (3) 
undertake preparatory activities for rapidly rolling out the full range of programs planned for the 
six-year interim period and, thus, accelerate progress towards meeting the Millennium 
Development Goals (MDGs). 
 
As provided by the CPA, the Government of Southern Sudan will have access to substantial 
domestically-generated revenues. However, considerable additional external resources will be 
needed to reduce the gap in the needed resources to enable Southern Sudan to realize these 
development objectives. In addition to finances, GOSS will need technical assistance and 
expertise in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of many of the programs and 
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in designing the systems.  It is expected that some of the external resources, both financial and 
technical, can be accessed through the Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) managed by the World 
Bank, while additional support will come through bilateral arrangements and the UN. 
 
2. Objective 
 
The project development objective is: �Primary school students, IDP�s, demobilized soldiers, and 
other non-traditional learners have improved access to enhanced quality of education, alternate 
learning opportunities, development of life skills and basic occupational skill training.�  
 
3.  Rationale for Bank Involvement 
 
During the past five years, many members of the international donor community have intervened 
in different ways to support development or rehabilitation of the education sector in South 
Sudan. Notable amongst these have been the following: USAID which, through CARE, has 
supported educational planning, teacher training, the development of learning materials, and the 
formulation of accelerated learning programs; UNICEF which has supported improvements in 
educational quality, enhancing access for the education of girls, building community schools, 
activities designed to reach nomadic peoples, and the establishment of school baseline data; and 
also, UNESCO which has supported activities in the area of education sector planning and 
curriculum development. The work of these agencies is complemented by others such as Save 
the Children, Norwegian Church Aid, Africa Educational Trust and numerous local NGO�s.  
 
While the foregoing interventions have been individually targeted at both immediate and longer 
term needs, none have had the mandate, the capacity or the resources to support rapid and 
sequenced rehabilitation of the sector in a coordinated and integrated manner. Consequently, the 
availability of MDTF funding provides the opportunity, in partnership with experienced agencies 
on the ground, to consolidate and expand ongoing actions within the context of the agreed sector 
development plan, while simultaneously strengthening the emerging capacity of Ministry of 
Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) to undertake policy development and education 
system management. 
 
The ESP, together with the aforementioned activities, provide the strategic context within which 
this project proposal has been prepared.  The proposal reflects (i) a need to provide an immediate 
response to the issue of teacher development; (ii) an urgent need to provide educational 
opportunity for IDP�s, demobilized soldiers and other non-traditional learners; (iii) the 
rehabilitation of war affected physical and institutional infrastructure; (iv) institutional capacity 
building and (iv) undertaking baseline studies and undertaking preparation work for Phase II if 
the Education Sector Development Program 
 
4. Description 
 
Component 1:  Enhance and Expand the Management and Delivery of Education Services 
at the County Level. 
 
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Component 1 provides a model for a decentralized training program for service delivery 
mechanisms for the approximately 14,000 new teachers that the MoEST plans to recruit by 2011, 
and supports the MoEST�s in-service teacher training and certification programs.  MoEST has 
developed a strategy and orientation program for the orientation, upgrading and certification of 
newly recruited teachers (Fast Track Teacher Training Program � Annex 9).  Implementation of 
this strategy is beyond the current capacity of the four Regional Teacher Training Institutes, 
which train a few hundred teachers per year, and is inconsistent with the GoSS strategy to 
devolve service delivery from the central to the county level in order to meet the need for teacher 
training and upgrading, while also adding to the capacity to deliver Alternate Learning Programs. 
The need to accelerate the training of female teachers is also a priority that will be addressed 
under this component. MoEST and partners recognize the need for dedicated facilities for female 
teachers and are currently developing specific strategies designed to increase the participation 
rate of both female teachers and students. These strategies will be incorporated in the final design 
of the component.  The potential of the Interactive Radio Instruction program that could support 
the delivery of the alternate Learning Program will be further explored. 
Component 1
 of
the 
project will provide resources for the construction of approximately 20 County Multi-purpose 
County Education Centers (CEC) and will fund the implementation of a Fast Track Teacher 
Education Program in each of these centers. The purpose of these centers will be : 
i. 
to support the development of administrative, management, and 
pedagogical capacity to coordinate and deliver quality education 
services at the county level;  
ii. 
to jump start teacher training at the county level in order to respond 
to the in-service training requirements associated with anticipated 
recruitment and upgrading demands, including those for accelerated 
learning;  
iii. 
to initiate accelerated/alternate education programs at the county 
level; and  
iv. 
to strengthen the capacity of the county level administration to 
support the development and delivery of education services at the 
Payam
 (district) level 
 
Each center will include classrooms, administrative offices and a resource center equipped with 
texts, teacher guides, and computers. Each center will have a water point and provision for power 
generation and waste management. While permanent buildings are being erected, provision will 
be made for learner accommodation using tents or other temporary arrangements.  Selection of 
sites for CEC�s will be undertaken collaboratively with the States, and will be based on criteria 
of population distribution and equity. In order to ensure cost efficiency, proximity to existing or 
soon to be improved access road will also be considered to be important criteria.  
 
Component 2: Responsive Resources for the Provision of Alternate Education and/or Skill 
Development for Non-Formal Learners. 
 
Three decades of civil war have fundamentally fractured the structure of society in Sudan. An 
estimated 3 million people have been internally displaced through conflict, famine or poverty. 
Females have been denied access to education as a result of the need to undertake household 
chores and responsibilities; the effect of cultural attitudes beliefs; and, the absence of appropriate 
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school infrastructure and facilities. Other non-traditional learner groups include overage children, 
demobilized soldiers, and nomads. In order to address the urgency to provide educational 
opportunity that would assist these groups to integrate more effectively into a post conflict 
society, MoEST has developed a series of alternate education and learning programs designed to 
meet their respective learning needs. Recognizing that these populations are dispersed and 
potentially mobile, a flexible response to the provision of education opportunities, as opposed to 
a
structured or systemic response, will need to be adopted for many years.  The purpose of 
Component 2 
of
the project is to provide a pool of resources targeted at demobilized soldiers, 
IDP�s, overage children, females and other non-formal learners wishing to access educational 
opportunity. These resources would be made available on a responsive basis to NGO�s, UN 
agencies, private sector, or other providers to deliver education services against clearly defined 
criteria developed by MoEST and partners.  It is envisaged that the proposed services would 
include:  
(i) 
development of literacy and numeracy; 
(ii) 
 post-literacy accelerated learning opportunities, such as the Accelerated Learning 
Program (ALP), 
(iii) 
short-term occupational skill development; and  
(iv) 
the incorporation of life-skills development, including the issue of HIVAIDS, as a 
cross cutting theme in all programs.  
 
While adopting a rapid and responsive approach to the provision of learning opportunities of 
non-formal learners, MoEST is cognizant of the need to ensure the establishment of clear 
pathways for the transition of these learners into formal education and/or vocational training 
programs. This will entail the development of relevant policies, learning assessment tools, and 
accreditation procedures.  MoEST will address these issues during the course of detailed 
component design. While program delivery would be undertaken through external providers in 
order to achieve the desired level of flexibility and responsiveness, the program also provides an 
important learning opportunity for both MoEST and individual teachers.  Consequently, 
contracts with external providers will include a requirement to provide mentoring opportunities 
for MoEST teachers or administrators who wished to gain experience in the design and delivery 
of non-formal education programs. Contracts will also include a requirement for the adoption of 
a
rigorous monitoring and evaluation process, in order to ensure that lessons learned are captured 
in real time.  This will enable program adjustments to be made during implementation as 
required.  While contracted providers will undertake program delivery, MoEST will maintain full 
responsibility for the overall program design, selection of contractors, program content, program 
quality, and auditing the achievement of learning outcomes. 
 
Component 3.Ministry of Education Science and Technology: Institutional Capacity 
Development. 
MoEST in collaboration with external partners has developed an �Education Policy and 
Implementation Guidelines.� This document provides a broad policy framework together with an 
organogram detailing the proposed structure of the Ministry and the functional responsibilities of 
the respective Departments. The document similarly describes the proposed institutional 
arrangements at the State and County levels. This policy document has yet to be ratified by the 
Council of Ministers and Cabinet.  Until this takes place, appointments to the respective 
departments at either the leadership or operational level cannot be made. Consequently, while 
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GoSS and external partners have shown ongoing depth of commitment to program planning, 
development and delivery during a highly challenging period, the building of a functionally 
operational Ministry at the Central, State and County level, remains as a daunting and long-term 
task.  
Component 3 
of
the project proposes to provide support for a phased and integrated program of 
institutional capacity development that addresses the full continuum of MoEST responsibilities, 
from education policy formulation, management and administration, through curriculum 
development, program delivery, and the assessment of learning outcomes. This program will 
build on work already completed or in progress, while also taking account of and leveraging 
capacity building activities proposed by other partners.  
At the policy level, the component would provide long-term technical assistance, either directly 
or with support from other partners, to identify core policy issues and work, on a mentorship 
basis with senior MoEST officials to undertake policy analysis and formulation.  In this 
connection, the component would provide immediate resources for further development of the 
EMIS as a foundational policy analysis tool. Technical assistance would subsequently be 
provided for policy work to be translated into regulations and associated operating procedure 
manuals.
 
Output from this work would also be captured in a series of policy seminars that would 
be delivered to relevant MOEST officials at the central, state and county levels. In order to 
broaden the perspectives of policy makers, resources would be made available for senior 
personnel to participate in study tours or short-term professional development activities relevant 
to their assigned responsibilities. In addition to support for policy development, investment will 
be made in strengthening the sister function of educational planning. Technical assistance will be 
provided to rapidly enhance the capacity of the Planning Department in the practices, processes, 
and procedures associated with both strategic and operational planning, program monitoring, and 
evaluation. 
At the administration and management level, the component will provide resources for the 
development and delivery of generic leadership and management training for personnel at the 
central, state and county level, while also including funding for both short-term and long-term 
training in specific discipline areas. At the county level, 
Component 3
 will provide support for 
additional management training through the Education Management Tool Kit (EMTK) that has 
been previously introduced. 
With respect to those activities falling in the teaching/learning continuum, 
Component 3
 will 
focus on further development of the �Curriculum Development Center� and the �Examinations 
and Learning Assessment Center� as two core institutional bodies. Resources will be provided to 
fully develop the mandate, organizational structure, staffing levels and operating procedures, for 
each center, including professional development for staff members.  Resources will also be 
provided to complete urgently required curricula. 
MoEST, in collaboration with external partners has undertaken redevelopment of curricula for 
core subjects in Grades 1-4. Work is nearing completion of core subject curriculum development 
for Grades 5-8. Curriculum and learning resource materials have yet to be developed for non-
core primary subjects and all secondary level subjects. A parallel need exists to develop teacher 
guides for all subjects. 
Component 3
 of
the project would provide resources for technical 
assistance, training, and procurement in support of (i) preparation of Teachers Guides for core 
Primary level subjects; (ii) expanding the supply of textbooks at the primary level; (iii) further 
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development of curricula and teacher guides at the secondary level; (iv) enhancement of 
textbook authoring skills; (v) printing of additional textbooks; and, (vi) development of learning 
assessment tools for the primary and secondary level. 
Component 4: Rehabilitation of School Level Infrastructure 
Building on the work of the school survey currently in progress, 
Component 4
 of
the project will 
commence with a rapid assessment of the rehabilitation requirements of schools in former 
garrison towns and war-affected areas, including rehabilitation of the Juba Training Center.  
Based on this assessment a pool of resources would be made available for access to rehabilitate 
the instructional facilities of individual schools. These resources would be administered by the 
MoEST, against criteria to be determined following the rapid assessment of rehabilitation 
requirements. 
Component 5: Phase 2 Planning and Project Preparation 
Components 1 to 4 comprise the first phase of the Education Rehabilitation Program and build 
on planning and operational activities undertaken by GoSS and other partners during the past two 
years. Based on the current capacity of MoEST, implementation of these components represents 
a
significant challenge, thereby leading to agreement between MoEST and the World Bank as 
administrator of MDTF funds, to adopt a phased approach to pursuing the sector-wide objectives 
reflected in the ESP. These additional objectives relate to (i) expansion of the secondary 
education system including curriculum development, production of textbooks, teacher training 
and school construction; (ii) re-development of the higher education system including 
repatriation of the three Southern Sudan universities from Khartoum, reorientation of curriculum, 
recruitment of faculty, and creating readiness for student enrolment; (iii) development of a 
technical and vocational education system consonant with the requirements of an anticipated 
growth in the labor market; (iv) development of focused initiatives to ensure improved gender 
equity in educational outcomes; and (v) the development of a strong local capacity to promote 
and manage community-level education initiatives.  
In addition to building an implementation capacity, each of the foregoing program areas require 
a
significant measure of further development and detailed project design prior to the allocation of 
resources. 
Component 5 
will provide resources for the establishment of a forum composed of 
MoEST and its development partners to determine priorities and programs to be implemented in 
the next phase of the project.  This will be followed by undertaking all those activities necessary 
for project preparation, including data gathering and analysis, formulation of objectives, 
development of component descriptions, detailed component costing, development of 
implementation arrangements, financial and economic analysis, and the development of 
comprehensive project preparation documents. 
 
5. Financing 
 
Source: ($m.) 
BORROWER 24.50 
SPECIAL FINANCING 
50.50 
 Total 
75.00 
 
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6. Implementation 
 
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MoFEP) for the Government of South Sudan 
which will be the recipient of the grant, and the Ministry of Education Science and Technology 
(MoEST) which is the implementing ministry for this project were established on 23 October 
2005.  A number of key positions in the ministries have not been filled yet, and the Ministries 
have no prior project experience with the proposed implementing entity or entities.   
 
The Project will be implemented over a three year period from April 2006 to June 2009.  The 
MoEST will have overall oversight of MDTF-funds through an inter-ministerial Project Steering 
Committee (PSC) chaired by the Minister, MoEST and including representatives of the relevant 
state education ministries, directors of key sub-sectors of the Ministry of Education, 
representative of the Ministry of Finance, chaired by either the Minister or Under Secretary of 
Education.  This committee will be responsible for providing overall policy and strategy 
direction for the Project, coordination with MDTF donors, managing donor and GOSS 
counterpart funds, overseeing implementation and monitoring progress of the different MDTF-
funded activities, approving annual work plans and budgets and facilitating day-to-day 
implementation.  
 
The implementation of each project components will be led by a designated department in the 
MoEST, which will have overall responsibility and accountability for the achievement of the 
objectives associated with a specific component.  Each such department will be supported by a 
Development Project Implementation Support Team (DPIST) and a specific Component 
Working Group.   
 
The Development Project Implementation Support Team (DPIST) is established at the central 
level with a reporting relationship to the Under Secretary (or a designated MoEST department), 
and will be responsible for the provision of support services in the areas of coordination, 
monitoring, communication, financial reporting and procurement to the departments leading the 
implementation of a project component.  DPIST Staff will potentially comprise a Team Leader;
 
Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist; Procurement Specialists; Financial Management 
Specialists; Organization and Management Development Specialist; Communications Officer; 
and Administrative Support Staff.  A final determination of DPIST staffing and reporting 
structure will be based on further discussion with MoEST and an analysis of current capability 
within the ministry. In the early stages of the project it is expected that key DPIST positions will 
be filled by national and international consultants, recruited through a competitive process.  
However, each consultant will be assigned a counterpart from MoEST who will assume 
responsibility for the respective functions as local skills are developed.  Financial and 
procurement responsibilities and procedures will be developed to integrate and harmonize with 
those of the central financial and procurement agencies being contracted by GoSS.   
 
MoEST will establish Component Working Groups (CWG) to support the MoEST departments 
with detailed operational planning of their respective project components.  Each CWG will 
comprise technical expertise drawn from the relevant directorates and departments of the 
Ministry, as well as representatives from the state and county level, and NGO partners as 
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appropriate, and will be led by the head of the MoEST department designated to lead the 
component.  CWGs will collaborate with DPIST at the component detailed design stage, assist in 
preparing the component implementation plans, and collaborate in the development of selection 
criteria or procedure manuals as required.  
MoEST Coordination Fora and Mechanisms 
 
Recognizing the range of issues and partners involved in reconstruction of the education sector in 
South Sudan, together with the concomitant need to ensure coordination and communication, 
MoEST has formalized the e
stablishment of �Coordination Fora and Mechanisms of The 
Education Sector in South Sudan�. Terms of Reference are now in place for each of the 
following: (i) Thematic Working Groups; (ii) Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Working 
Group; (iii) State Level Coordination; (iv) South Sudan Level Coordination; and, (v) The 
Education Reconstruction and Development Forum. In the context of the MDTF project, the 
detailed component design, together with implementation plans and operational manuals will be 
submitted to the relevant Coordination Working Group for information and guidance prior to the 
commencement of implementation activity. 
 
7. Sustainability 
 
In the present context, characterized by the absence of key institutional relays, scarce skilled 
labor and difficult transport and communications, the capacity to absorb funds, rather than their 
availability, is likely to be the main constraint.  Therefore the sustainability of this program 
depends on the establishment of a management structure and a clear definition of decentralized 
responsibilities where states, counties and communities play a leading role.  The Government 
will need to create a civil services quickly, and will face significant challenges in ensuring timely 
payment of those growing numbers of individuals who will be employed throughout the country. 
At the same time, there will be a gradual shift of NGO roles from relief organizations to 
government partners with responsibilities extending from capacity builders, innovators and 
advocates. 
 
Significant coordination efforts are also needed.  First, there will certainly be need for a major 
effort at donor coordination, particularly between the larger development programs in these 
sectors to be financed by USAID, the EU, DFID, and perhaps others.  This would prevent 
duplication and overlap (geographic or otherwise), and inconsistencies (in service packages and 
standards, staff remuneration, etc.)  but should also seek agreement � along with the government 
�
on
overall goals and strategies.  As noted above, the existence of a coordination framework 
will facilitate this task, but the challenge remains daunting. 
Second, inter-sectoral coordination is also important and should translate on the ground into 
coordinated geographic targeting to augment benefits through the multiplier effects of mutually-
supporting actions. Finally, the lack of skilled human resources constitutes a critical risk.  
Although the capacity building and training activities supported by this project will mitigate this 
risk, achieving the training, certification and recruitment targets for teachers, managers and other 
technical staff will be essential to the sustainability of this program. 
 
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8.  Lessons Learned from Past Operations in the Country/Sector 
 
The proposed project takes account of lessons from World Bank experience of reconstruction of 
the education sector in other post-conflict countries
1
.
Lessons applicable to Sudan include the 
following: 
�
Teachers are the most critical resource in education reconstruction
.
Conflict usually has 
profound
 and negative impact on a country�s teacher cadre.  Frequently dispersed, 
sometimes killed and often unpaid, teacher supply present a complex array of problems 
for reconstruction.  Reconstruction usually begins with a cohort of existing teachers 
inherited from previous systems and from community or private initiatives that sprung up 
during conflict.  In the early post-conflict period, qualified teachers may be attracted out 
of the teaching profession to more rewarding opportunities, while a large number of 
unqualified teachers are drawn into the system, creating a need for both rationalization 
and professional development. 
�
Reconstruction is not business as usual
.
Even though many of the developments tasks 
are familiar, the scale of the reconstruction challenge, the urgency of preventing relapse 
into violence and the extremely difficult operating conditions call for innovative 
strategies that address the usual development challenges along with the additional 
problems created by conflict.   
�
Importance of flexible project design and implementation arrangements
.
Experience in 
other countries has underscored the importance of flexibility in project design and 
implementation arrangements, given that the needs and the context constantly evolve. 
�
Acknowledge the importance of quality
.
Post-conflict situations often induce an �
access 
first, quality later
�
approach.  Rebuilding quality is one of the significant challenges in 
reconstruction, and should be a consideration from the outset.  Strategies to improve 
quality are most successful when implemented as an ongoing process rather than as a 
response to some standards determined historically or externally.  Discussions about how 
to improve quality of learning and of the learning environment are as important in 
temporary learning spaces under trees or canvas as they are in established systems. 
�
Education is a development activity
.
While education may be an important element of 
humanitarian assistance, it should be oriented toward the country�s social, economic and 
political development and the longer interest of the learners and society. 
 
9.  Safeguard Policies (including public consultation) 
 
Safeguard Policies Triggered by the Project
 
Yes
 
No
 
Environmental Assessment
(
OP
/
BP
/
GP
4.01) [x] 
[ 
] 
Natural Habitats (
OP
/
BP
4.04)
 
[
]
[x] 
Pest Management (
OP 4.09
)
[
]
[x] 
Cultural Property (
OPN 11.03
,
being revised as OP 4.11)
 
[
]
[x] 
Involuntary Resettlement (
OP
/
BP
4.12)
 
[
]
[x] 
Indigenous Peoples (
OD 4.20
,
being revised as OP 4.10)
 
[x] [ 
] 
1
Education and Post Conflict Reconstruction : Reshaping the Future
 (World bank, 2005
)
and Various project 
appraisal documents.
 
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Forests (
OP
/
BP
4.36)
 
[
]
[x] 
Safety of Dams (
OP
/
BP
4.37)
 
[
]
[x] 
Projects in Disputed Areas (
OP
/
BP
/
GP
7.60)
*
[
]
[x] 
Projects on International Waterways (
OP
/
BP
/
GP
7.50)
 
[
]
[x] 
10. List of Factual Technical Documents 
 
Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) Sudan 
�
Reports for Education 
 
-
The education sector plan of the New Sudan for the pre-interim period and 
January 2005 to December 2010 - March 2005 
-
Sudan: education assessment executive summary  - March 2005 
-
Northern Sudan education assessment  - November 2004 
-
North Sudan Action Results Matrix For Education 
-
South Sudan Action Results Matrix For Education  
-
Results Matrix Attachments: Three Areas  
 
11. Contact point 
Contact: Mourad Ezzine 
Title: Lead Education Specialist 
Tel: (202) 473-2290 
Fax: (202) 473-8107 
Email: Mezzine@worldbank.org 
 
12. For more information contact: 
The InfoShop 
The World Bank 
1818 H Street, NW 
Washington, D.C. 20433 
Telephone:  (202) 458-5454 
Fax:  (202) 522-1500 
Web: http://www.worldbank.org/infoshop 
*
By supporting the proposed project, the Bank does not intend to prejudice the final determination of the parties' claims on the 
disputed areas
 
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