Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697802617666.pdf (India)
Odisha Higher Education Program for Excellence and Equity Project” (OHEPEE) Odisha is one of the seven low-income states (LIS1) in India.

Despite several poverty reduction strategies and programmes in place, Odisha’s growth trajectory has seen slow momentum due to many reasons, but remarkable shortfall in human development outcomes more importantly.

This is equally applicable to some of the other LIS according to research.
Poor quality of education, large number of faculty vacancies and governance challenges in institutionalization of higher education management practices, as can been seen from percentage of NAAC accreditation and so on, are considered some of the known pathways contributing to the diminishing performance of HEIs as well as students in the contemporary order.
To address these issues, the GoI launched a HE scheme, Rashtriya Uchhatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), in 2014, to improve the quality of state universities and government colleges across India.

Odisha is one of the recipients of RUSA.

However, in its attempt to introduce reforms in Higher Education; State Government of Odisha had constituted one Higher Education Task Force in 2010 whose main mandate was to recommend measures to strengthen the HE in Odisha.
Odisha Higher Education Program (OHEP) is a brain child of that initiative.

Odisha higher Education Programme for Excellence and Equity (OHEPEE) aims to intervene in quality improvement measures not only to be effected at the institutional level but also to bring in best practices in governance and management performance of the HE sector during FY 2018-2022.
World Bank assisted ‘Odisha Higher Education Program for Excellence and Equity’ (OHEPEE), supports the Higher Education Department, GoO in strengthening state-level initiatives of the OHEP through two components: (a) OHEPEE PforR Program (US$165 million) and (b) a TA component (US$5 million).

Disbursements for the PforR is made against the achievement of specific Disbursement linked Indicator (DLIs) that would contribute to the achievement of the overall objectives of the Program.
The TA portion is used as an IPF instrument.

The TA will support the implementation of the PforR through capacity building, stakeholder consultations, TA, and research.

The flow of funds under the TA will be provided against specific investments.

1 Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh The boundary of the OHEPEE Program (FY 2018–FY 2022) focuses on initiatives that strengthen the quality and governance of higher education in Odisha.
The OHEPEE has two results areas: (a) improving quality of and students’ equitable access to selected institutions and (b) enhancing governance of the higher education system.

Under Results Area 1, the Program includes the following activities that directly contribute to the results areas of the Program(a)IDGs to universities and colleges that aim to incentivize institutes to undertake quality-focused initiatives and (b) state level initiatives for quality improvement.
Under Results Area 2, the Program will cover initiatives aimed at the improvement of governance of the system: (a) improvement of governance in colleges and (b) improvement of financial and procurement management and accounting in colleges.

RUSA focuses primarily on improving the infrastructure including equipment to state universities and colleges and it is not included in the Program.
Scholarship schemes are also outside the scope of the Program because these are complex with multiple agencies and departments involved in funding and implementation.

The main beneficiaries of the operation are all the higher education students, faculty and administrative staffs in 850+ colleges of higher education institution of Odisha including the 11 universities.
The funding of 138 colleges and 11 universities in two phases as of now is improving access to quality higher education for students from all backgrounds, particularly from scheduled tribes (ST) and other disadvantaged groups, strengthen the overall governanceing the equity and inclusivity of their institutions in achieving the equity based objectives of the project.
Based on the Institutional Development Plan (IDP), Government approved 70 colleges and 06 State Universities on 11th August, 2017 during first round of selection.

Another 70 colleges and 5 universities have been selected in the second round which commenced in the year 2019, The remaining colleges that do not receive the institutional grant will directly benefit from a faculty development program and the anticipated governance reforms.
In all, about 630,000 higher education students and about 21,000 faculty staff and 11,000 administrative staff at the colleges and universities will benefit from the project.

This is an ambitious plan of the State Government to transform Odisha into a competitive, high- growth, and productive State with a strong emphasis on increasing the supply of skilled workers to drive the economy.
This project will help Odisha to expand the opportunities for students aspiring for good quality higher education and help them become readily employable in the labour market.” The institutional development grants under the project will assist affiliated colleges in achieving autonomous status, improve the examination system, establish support centres for affiliated colleges in tribal-dominated districts, and help modernize university and college infrastructure.
Initiatives such as short term trainings for faculty, online student feedback system on faculty performance, and certain skill development courses will be undertaken at the state level to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the colleges.
The major outputs of the programme will be establishment of modern class rooms/laboratories/IT centers/library and e-library facilities; increased number of NAAC accredited institutions; establishment of Centers of Excellence in few disciplines and Incubation Centers for young entrepreneurs; establishment of a Research Exchange Fund; strengthening research capacity in disciplines that are of relevance to the economic and social development of the State of Odisha; strengthening of existing Academic Staff Colleges(ASC); access to skill development programs for students and improved systems for monitoring and evaluation capacity of the higher education sector.
Activities for funding under the Institutional Development Plan (IDP) can complement but not duplicate current or future funding being received under RUSA.

In consultation with the Vice Chancellors of the State Universities, the Government has initiated a process to bring in uniformity and high quality standards in the five identified areas of (i) Common Admission into P.G.

Courses by the Universities (ii) Uniformity in the Syllabi at U.G.

and P.G.
and P.G.

level (iii) examination reforms in UG and PG /Autonomous College levels (iv) Monitoring of on-time graduation and (v) Timely conduct of examinations and timely publication of results and award of degrees.

Detailed modalities for each of these action areas are being worked out so that clear steps can be taken with strict timelines.

Improving the research and innovation ecosystem has also been an important objective of the project.
As a first time initiative, nine numbers of Centres of Excellence(COE) in various niche research areas have been funded in the first phase in five state universities of Odisha.

Research proposals were invited and independently peer-reviewed in collaboration with OSHEC.

Modifications as suggested by the reviewers were incorporated and appropriate funds sanctioned to each COE in consultation with the University authorities.

Each COE will have association of a mentor who is a recognized expert in the field.
The annual funding will be decided through a performance review by OHEPEE and OSHEC Experts.

The first year reviews have been completed.

The second phase of COEs to the remaining five universities is under process.