Note No. 17 August 1995 Social Assessment and the El SAs involve a variety of methods for collect- ing and analyzing data, including both quantita- Salvador tive approaches, such as socioeconomic surveys, and qualitative approaches, such as beneficiary Basic Education assessments. The approach used depends mainly on the complexity of the issues and the degree of Modernization Project participation needed. The Bank does not restrict SA to project work. SA is an integral part of poverty assess- The World Bank supports development that ments, and may also be pertinent to many other improves human welfare and reduces poverty. aspects of country economic and sector work. Achieving this goal requires sustainable economic growth; the development of physical infrastructure, The El Salvador Basic Education human resources, and institutions; and sound Modernization Project environmental management. In recent years Education indicators in El Salvador remain development practitioners have recognized that among the worst in Latin America, with high having stakeholders participate in project selection levels of repetition and dropout. Only about 47 and design has a number of advantages: it can help percent of students ever complete Grade 6, and reach the poor and other vulnerable groups, an average of ten years of instruction are re- strengthen participants' "ownership" of the project, quired to produce a Grade 6 student. More than and improve decisionmaking. Development 50 percent of children repeat Grade 1. Dropout practitioners also recognize that systematic social rates in 1992 were 17 percent for Grade 1 and 9 analysis can help ensure that projects achieve their percent for grades 2 and 3. Of those students in objectives, that they are appropriately targeted, that grades 1-9, 67 percent of rural students and 53 they are acceptable to the intended beneficiaries, percent of urban students are older than the and that they are institutionally feasible. Social expected age for the grade in which they are assessment (SA) supports participation, and is a enrolled. The average school attainment is only tool for incorporating social analysis into the 4.5 years (3.1 years in rural areas). Bank's projects and analytical work. With Bank support, five years ago the government implemented the innovative Com- The Nature and Purpose of SA munity-Managed Schools Program (EDUCO) to SA is the systematic investigation of the social address coverage and quality problems in rural processes and factors that affect the outcomes of areas. EDUCO is a self-managed, private form of development projects. In project work, Bank staff education administered by elected community use SA to identify key stakeholders and establish a members (ACEs), who hire and fire teachers, framework for their participation in the project, to maintain the schools, mobilize parents, and raise ensure that intended beneficiaries find the additional resources. project's objectives acceptable, to assess the social In 1994 the government of El Salvador asked impacts of a project and determine how to mitigate the Bank to join the Inter-American Develop- any adverse impacts, and to develop the institu- ment Bank, the U.S. Agency for International tional capacity necessary for the project to succeed. Development, and nongovernmental organiza- Madalena dos Santos (LA2HR) was task manager of the El Salvador Basic Education Modernization Project. For more information on the social assessment, The World Bank, 1818 H St., NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA, Fax: 202-522-2510, E-mail: adani@worldbank.org. To view other Social Development Notes on social assessment, please visit the World Bank's website at: http://www.worldbank.org, and click on the "Social Assessment" section in "Development Topics." tions (NGOs) to support the reform of the procedures are beginning to have a basic education system with a new loan. positive impact on government account- The intent is to expand coverage and ability. The most obvious signs of this improve educational quality by modernizing new attitude are the creation of EDUCO the entire education system, extending and the acceptance of new stakeholders EDUCO to other rural areas, and fostering into the school decisionmaking process decentralization by shifting control to in traditional schools. school boards, community groups, and · The government sees access to and municipalities in traditional schools. quality of basic education as a priority. Both the National Plan for Development Objectives of the SA 1994-99 and the ordinary budget reflect As part of the preparation of the El this emphasis on basic education. Salvador Basic Education Project, an SA · The EDUCO model, as a community was conducted to (a) identify stakeholders; school management strategy, has the (b) evaluate the participation mechanisms appropriate incentives, community available in El Salvador's education sector; participation, and many proven suc- (c) identify the social issues of the project, cesses. For both parents and teachers, as well as its risks and benefits; and (d) help self-esteem and respect in the community the project design, planning, and implemen- are linked to participation. For teachers, tation by using participatory methods. participation is important be- Methods cause through it Why Parents Want Control Local consultants used a variety of they can achieve analytical methods for the SA. They drew the professional In1993theMinistryofEducationsupervisor from the following sources: discussions with status they think cametothevillageofSanNicolastoexplain twenty-four focus groups; in-depth inter- they have lost, EDUCO.Parentslikedtheideaandelecteda views with government officials in charge of For parents, it schoolboard.Theschoolboardinterviewed severalcandidatesbeforehiringFlorandSilvia. the reform, Ministry of Education staff, will help them AccordingtoFlor,theboardhiredwomen school principals and supervisors, represen- define the becausethepreviousmaleteacherabusedthe tatives of NGOs, officials of foreign govern- interactive girls,butthevillagershadnoauthoritytofire ments interested in supporting education in system their himbecausehehadbeenofficiallyappointed. El Salvador, and representatives of interna- children belong Parentstooktheirdaughtersoutofschool,and tional donor agencies; a case study of an to. However, the forafewyearstheyreceivednoeducation. EDUCO school; desk reviews, bibliogra- EDUCO model Nowthevillagershavecontrol.Theywere phies, reports, official and legal documenta- shows three happywithFlorandSilviaandrenewedtheir tion; and other information, including weaknesses that contracts,butiftheyhadbeenunsatisfied,they qualitative and quantitative data. The focus must be ad- wouldhavehadtheauthoritytofirethem.This arrangementgivesparentsasayinwhois groups consisted of rural and urban parents dressed. They are educatingtheirchildren,itenhancessupervision and teachers, some of whom sat on school (a) a reluctance oftheeducatorsandgivesthemincentivesto boards, who were affiliated with both by directors and performwell,anditgivestheboardmembers EDUCO schools and the traditional system. teachers to prestigewithintheircommunity. relinquish Source:CaseStudyofanACE Findings authority to The SA produced a number of findings: parents, (b) a · Stakeholders. The SA identified the potential for the community to use its primary stakeholders as parents, teachers, authority to restrict some children's supervisors, principals, Ministry of access to education, and (c) a persistent 2 Education administrators, and ACEs. The gender bias. teachers union, universities, and NGOs · The Ministry of Education's efficiency is are secondary stakeholders. constrained. The constraints include lack · New cultural pattern. The end of the civil of communication with society; defi- war and the new emphasis on democratic ciency in organizing the teaching profes- sion and providing supervision and support outnumber criticisms of teachers, training; inadequate planning, informa- and criticisms tend to be attenuated by tion, monitoring, and auditing systems; generalizations. complex financial mechanisms; a frag- · The main constraints to educational mented structure; and overly centralized reform are not economic; they are social, administration. The lack of communica- cultural, and institutional. First, even tion, in particular, fosters suspicion though parents in EDUCO schools among stakeholders to the extent that contribute to school building and mainte- they misunderstand the reform as a move nance, they are satisfied with the current toward privatization. system. However, parents resent being · Parents, teachers, and supervisors agree called to meetings only to be asked for that reform is necessary, but the lack of money. Second, for teachers, although communication results in tension. salaries in the private system are lower, Because of the lack of communication, teachers are willing to move to the people fear that the government wants to private sector because they feel it offers a privatize and better incentive system. Incentives for "municipalize" teachers are strongly tied to self-esteem. What the Government Wants education, thereby Low self-esteem derives from lost "Ourdesireistocontinuetheexperiencesthat undermining rather prestige, poor benefits, arbitrary promo- havebeensuccessful,suchasEDUCO,by than promoting their tions, poor infrastructure, and lack of givingawaymanyofouradministrativetasksin children's sole access to good training. Third, the traditionalschoolstootheragents,suchas access to social government currently has more financial municipalitiesandthechurch.Whatwehavein mobility. resources than it can disburse. mindthatisnewisexpandingcoverageand Privatization would improvingquality.Weknowweneedtoreform hurt families Recommendations theeducationsystemtosucceed,andweare doingitandaskingforsupporttohelpusdoit. financially, and The SA, taking into account stakehold- Ourmaingoalnowistoundertakeinstitutional municipalization ers' diagnoses of the problems and opportu- reform." implies further nities, recommends that project design Source:Interviewwiththeheadoftheproject politicization of · Recognize that the Ministry of personnel decisions. Education's most pressing problem, · Stakehold- which undermines educational quality ers value education. For parents, this and coverage, is not based on a shortage carries over to a desire to participate of resources, but rather on a lack of actively in all stages of their children's management and institutional capabili- education and in support of the school. ties. The project should include an · To parents and teachers, education institutional modernization component means skill development and moral that will (a) improve the information development. War and persistent migra- systems for monitoring, evaluating, and tion have caused a fear of disintegration making decisions; (b) develop mecha- of the family that fuels parents' desire to nisms to increase coordination between be involved in the education of their the central units and units at the regional children. One parent says: "The students and locals levels; (c) improve the quality have lost their values, they are rebellious, of the supervisory system and the partici- immoral, unmotivated to improve their pation of the private sector, NGOs, and lot or learn a trade." Teachers, responding groups from communities and universi- to the call to provide psychological and ties; (d) establish a follow-up on the 3 social education, have expressed the need project's impact, including promoting an for training in sexuality, drug addiction, evaluation system for learning perfor- and other nontraditional subjects. mance as an integral part of curricular · Parents have a positive attitude toward development; and (e) structure and teachers. "Teachers make miracles," organize teacher training to take place according to one mother. Expressions of during school vacations, be recognized by the University of El Salvador, begin as should (a) apply exclusively to teachers early as teachers' university training, and and supervisors (directors and technical provide teachers with the knowledge to staff should have their own criteria); (b) teach health care practices to children abolish position assignments traditionally and other community members. based on seniority; and (c) establish that · Promote the value of community partici- teachers will be competing for assigned pation in delivering better education posts and eliminate transfer or exchanges services. The challenge to the Ministry of of posts if coverage, especially in rural Education is to motivate and strengthen areas, is to be achieved. community and civic participation. To limit this to the ACEs underestimates El Salvador's resources and organization potential. New community actors should Why Teachers Are Unhappy be encouraged; the potential and abilities Teachersare "Thetraining,asinadequateasitis,isgivenat of networks and NGOs taken into the unhappywiththe thewrongtime,inthemiddleoftheschoolyear, account; and the private sector allowed to currentsituation orwithoutcoordinatingitwiththedistributionof compete to provide services such as becauseoftheir booksandmaterials." printing, design, and resource distribu- lackoftraining, "[Theministry]shouldseetoitthatwehave tion. theirlackofsocial bettertrainingthatismoreapplicabletothe · Strengthen communication between the standing,andthe problemandlesstheory." arbitrary "Itisveryclearthatwedon'thaveagood Ministry of Education and the public. allocationsof placeinsociety." The ministry should communicate to posts. "Postsareassignedarbitrarilyandbasedon society that the main goal of the educa- politicalcriteria...merithasnothingtodowith tional reform is not to privatize educa- assignment." tion, but to extend coverage and improve Source:Interviewswithteachers quality by making the management of services transparent through the community's active participation. · Suspend traditional hiring practices for Action Plan teachers to reorganize the traditional Based on the identification of major system of teacher administration and benefits and risks, the SA led to an action educational coverage. To take advantage plan that was incorporated into the project. of EDUCO's innovations, the traditional This called for setting up an effective system must be dismantled. Personnel communications strategy as a key tool for replacement and new contracts should be guaranteeing both public support for the assigned specifically to each departmen- education innovations and the establishment tal education center and managed by of a system to provide a permanent informa- community or civil institutions. tion channel within the Ministry of Educa- · Modernize and simplify the legal frame- tion, between the ministry and the public, work that oversees the Ministry of and to receive feedback from the sector's Education's functions to serve as the stakeholders. The communications activi- basis for administrative and financial ties, which started during project prepara- restructuring. tion, will continue through project imple- · Ensure that teachers are promoted based mentation to inform and mobilize parents, on proven ability as evaluated by the teachers, students, and others. In addition, Ministry of Education, not on seniority. the Ministry of Education's structure will be Their salaries should reflect the level of strengthened to facilitate the fulfillment of 4 preparation required for each level. In its coordination and monitoring roles. addition to seniority, the categories should be flexible enough to recognize and compensate further professional training. The Teaching Profession Law