ME 321 SEMINAR QUESTIONS 2018

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND POLICY STUDIES

ME 321: EDUCATIONAL PROJECT: Strategies, Implementation and Evaluation

SEMINAR QUESTIONS 2017/2018

1.      Discuss the reasons as to why educational planners should focus on improving the internal process of the educational system when preparing educational projects. In addition to the above, explain:

a)      What should be improved and

b)      How should be improved?

2.      Designing of relevant educational projects requires an educational planner to use a strategic approach at the initial stage of developing a project. Identify distinctive features, which differentiate strategic planning in business enterprise from strategic planning in educational organizations.

3.      SWOT analysis is a strategic planning technique for identifying internal Strengths and Weaknesses as well as external Opportunities and Threats of any organization. Using an Higher Education Institution of your choice, identify the perceived Internal Strengths and Weaknesses as well as External Opportunities and Threats.

4.      Discuss strengths and weaknesses of different approaches used in Needs Assessment in identifying educational projects.

5.      Giving specific examples from Tanzania, discuss the relationship between educational policy, planning, programmes and projects in connection to education system improvement.

6.      Education project identification involves collecting available data, visiting schools, and engaging in numerous consultations. Discuss.

7.      Discuss different stages (cycles) of educational projects, examining the purpose, the agents and the process involved at each stage.

8.      Applying your knowledge of ‘Education Sector Analysis’, discuss “Factors Influencing Teachers’ Requirement” and explain, using proper calculation, how to rationalize their placement and re-allocations.

9.      Factors influencing teachers requirement has tempted many curriculum experts and sometime educational planners.

a)      As a planner, analyze issues related to teachers’ flows using appropriate examples.

b)      Applying problem and objective trees, suggest relevant project title, project justification, and project objectives to handle perceived current problems of teachers’ requirement in education sector.

10.   “Monitoring is the internal management process, by which systematic information about plan implementation is gathered and analyzed, with a view to identifying strengths and weaknesses.” Discuss with reference to the monitoring procedure of a Medium-Term Plan as a cyclical process.

11.  With reference to education planning and projects implementation:

a)         Discuss the major types of budgets.

b)         Explain the significance of each type in project management.

12.  ‘Owing to scarce resources, many countries resort to external sources for the financing of part of their educational investments/projects and to procure the necessary foreign currency.” Discuss the risks associated with dependence on foreign sources in funding education improvement process.

13.  Discuss the relevancy of both hard and soft data in identification of project gaps through an inductive needs assessment.

14.        a) Point out the differences between ZOOP and ZOPP in the identification of social needs for project implementation in education sector.

b)   What are the main critiques and consequential quality features which encourage criticism to ZOPP applicability in need identification?

c)   Explain the implication of project assumptions/risks focusing on pre-conditions and frame-conditions.

d)  Using diagrammatic representation show the relationship of ZOPP in needs assessment.

15.  Considering the significance of indicators in project identification and implementation, discuss different types of indicators and prepare a simplified matrix of Primary Education Improvement Programme, which shows the relationship between project description, indicators/targets, and sources of verification and programme assumptions.

16.  Discuss the main steps of sector analysis and explain why you think these steps are necessary for project identification and implementation in education sector.

17.  Discuss general features of fully functioning Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) in Tanzania taking into account the reasons for its introduction, experiences in formulation and implementation, achievements and challenges.

18.  With reference to Local Government Financial Act No. 9 of 1982, discuss features of structural relationship between educational improvement through project design and implementation in the context of Tanzania and the annual operational plan and budgeting within the President’ Office, Regional Administration and Local Government Authorities (PO-RALG) formerly under Prime Minister’s Office abbreviated as PO-RALG.  

19.  a) With examples from developing countries, discuss the problems of national budgets and the risks of dependence on external sources of financing educational improvement projects.

b)      “Negotiation is inevitable for securing external financial sources for project implementation”. Explain how country-specific norms, values and cultural differences can influence negotiation and describe techniques that can help you become an effective negotiator for your country.