ME 321 Educational Projects: Strategies, Implementation and Evaluation

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND POLICY STUDIES

ME 321: EDUCATIONAL PROJECT: Strategies, Implementation and Evaluation

SEMINAR QUESTIONS 2018/2019

1.   With vivid examples, discuss the main categories in the analysis of the education system for improvement.

a)   Reveal common indicators for each category.

b)   What is the significance of these indicators to project formulation?

2.   SWOT analysis is a strategic planning technique for identifying internal Strengths and Weaknesses and external Opportunities and Threats of any organization. Using an institution of higher education of your choice, identify perceived Internal Strengths and Weaknesses as well as external Opportunities and Threats.

3.   Explain how the internal processes of the education system in developing countries, particularly in Tanzania have imposed the need for results-oriented management in education planning.

a)   Explain the evolution of the Management By Objectives (MBO) in organizations.

b)   From the above orientation, explain the application of Management By Objectives (MBO) as a tool for planning and project design.

4.   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.

5.   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.

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

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

8.   “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.

                 

9.             a) Use “a problem tree approach” to identify an educational project by showing the causes, focal problem and effects of early pregnancies among girls at primary schools in Tanzania.

b)   From the focal problem identified above, translate the “problem tree” to “objective tree” in Means-End logic framework.

c)   State an overall objective and three specific objectives of the identified educational project.

10.         Classify and discuss the three types of project evaluations as proposed by Chang (2006). In your discussion explain the major focus of each type of evaluation.

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.  Using concrete and feasible examples, discuss the inevitable link between national budgeting and the implementation of educational programmes and related projects execution.

14.         Discuss the linkages between Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP) by focusing on projects implementation related to Primary Education Development Plan (PEDP) and Secondary Education Development Plan (SEDP) in Tanzania.

15.   With references to the purposes, processes and agencies involved, discuss the stages of project life cycle in education.

16.   a) Projects financing for educational improvements are the most challenging issue in developing countries. With references to both internal and external sources of funding, discuss these challenges.

b) Reflecting on John Williamson (1990) economic Ten Commandments and the Washington Consensus or Bretton-Woods Systems, substantiate the negative effects of conditionalities attached to loans designed for educational projects implementation in developing countries.

17.    Negotiation is an essential element for project managers in order to obtain funds for project implementation in education. As a project manager, explain how you would prepare for negotiation as well as negotiations techniques or skills you are likely to employ.