３．調査要約表（英文版）

Summary of Final Evaluation Results
1. Outline of the ProjectCountry: Lao DPR

Project title: Reading Promotion Project

Issue/Sector: Education (Other)

Cooperation scheme: JICA Partnership Program

Division in charge: Human Development

Total cost: 15,926,400 yen (at contract)

Department
2002.12〜2005.12

Partner Country’s Implementing Organization:
National Library, the Ministry of Education

Period ofSupporting Organization in Japan: Action with Lao

Cooperation

Children

1-1 Background of the Project
Lao People’s Democratic Republic (hereinafter, Lao PDR) has faced many kinds of problems
regarding public education due to the influence of the education policy in the colonization period, theconfusion caused by Vietnam War, and the Asian economic crisis.

Reading activities are important forchildren to learn the Lao language and to develop imagination and creativity. Unfortunately, however,in Lao PDR, books for children in particular have lacked, and libraries at school have not been prepared,
which impedes the literacy development of children and the spread of basic education.
In order to improve such a situation, the Lao National Library had conducted “Reading Promotion
Project” since 1990 with a purpose to introduce books in public education nationwide.

The Action with

Lao Children (hereinafter, ALC), which is the implementing organization of the Project, had supported
the Reading Promotion Project in collaboration with the National Library in publishing books forchildren, distributing book bags and book cases, and conducting reading promotion seminars.

Throughthese activities, ALC had accumulated a variety of know-how with regard to reading promotion
activities.

In December, 2002, with the know-how, ALC started the Project in the scheme of

JICA-NGO partnership to expand reading promotion activities in Lao PDR with a view to increase
opportunities for children to enjoy reading.
1-2 Project Overview(1) Overall Goal
Human resources that are active to learn and love reading will be developed at project site.
(2) Project Purpose
Pupils at schools come to read books voluntarily.
(3) Outputs⑦

1. Books are available at schools.

⑧

2. Variety of book at schools is increased.

3. Environment of reading books for pupils is established by teachers responsible for reading- 35 -

promotion.
⑩

4. Story telling and reading activities are adopted in curriculum.

⑪

5. Reading activities at schools are continuously implemented.

⑫

6. Database for reading environment is established.

(4) Inputs (at evaluation)
1. Japanese Side1) Human Resources<Japanese side>
Project Manager (1), Project Coordinator (1)<Lao side>
Chief Project Manager (1), Project Assistants (4), Advisor (1)2) Materials and Equipment
Computers (3), Printer (1), Scanner (1), Copy machine (1), Fax machine (1), Camera (1), TV (1),Video deck (1), Cassette recorder (1), Book cases/bags (1,000 sets), Books (approximately 320,000),
Reading promotion handbooks (approximately 5,000)
2. Lao Side1) Human Resources
Staff of the Reading Promotion Department, National Library (2)2) Facilities
Venues for seminars
2. Evaluation TeamMr. Jun SAKUMA (Team Leader)
Team Director, Basic Education Team I,
Members of
Evaluation
Team

Group I (Basic Education), Human Development Department,JICA
Ms. Yoshiko SOGAWA (Evaluation Planning)
Basic Education Team I,
Group I (Basic Education), Human Development Department,JICA
Ms. Yasuko OSE (Evaluation Analysis)
Social Development Department, Global Link Management

Period of

May 8, 2005 〜 May 19, 2005

Type of Evaluation: Final Evaluation

Evaluation
3. Results of Evaluation
3-1 Summary of Actual Achievement(1) Achievement of the Project Purpose
At more than 80% of schools where monitoring was conducted, book bags/cases were utilized and- 36 -

maintained appropriately.

At most of the schools, reading activities were adopted, and pupils came to

be interested in reading and positive about learning.

Judging from these situations, it was evaluated that

the Project Purpose, “Pupils at schools come to read books voluntarily,” had been achieved.
Furthermore, books which were distributed in the Project were lent to the parents and people living in thecommunity, which will contribute to the achievement of the Overall Goal, “Human resources that are
active to learn and love reading will be developed at project site.”

However, at schools in the remoteareas, after the distribution of book bags/cases, due to the lack of the budget of the Ministry of
Education, district supervisors of education could not conduct monitoring in all the schools.

At many of

the schools in the remote areas, the utilization and maintenance of the books have not been monitored.
In order to make it possible for the district supervisors of education to monitor the reading promotion
activities at schools in the remote areas, it is significant for the Ministry of Education to reconsider thebudget allocation.
(2) Achievement of the Outputs
1) Output 1: Books are available at schools.
In the selection of the target schools, schools which were enthusiastic about reading promotion or had
never been received books before were prioritized in the Project.

Through the Project, book bags/cases

had been distributed to 1,000 schools in 7 provinces, and it was confirmed that those book bags/cases
were effectively utilized at most of the schools.
2) Output 2: Variety of book at schools is increased.
It was confirmed that in order to increase books for children 6 titles of books (2 titles/year for 3 years)
had been published and supplemented to 1,000 schools in 10 provinces, and that those books were being
read by pupils.

ALC is determined to continue to publish books for children with a view to strengthen

the sustainability of children’s interest in reading.
3）Output 3: Environment of reading books for pupils are established by teachers responsible for reading
promotion.
It was confirmed that at many of the target schools, books were maintained appropriately and thereading environment was well maintained by teachers responsible for reading promotion.

The

achievement of Output 3 was due to the effective utilization of the know-how on the maintenance ofbooks that teachers in charge of reading promotion learned at the seminars, and due to monitoring
activities conducted by district education supervisors.

In some target areas, the system to award

outstanding teachers in charge of reading promotion is being discussed.

Thus, some schools orprovincial/district education committees are trying to do something to motivate the teachers to be morepositive about reading promotion.
4) Output 4: Story telling and reading activities are adopted in curriculum.
At most of the target schools, story telling and reading activities are adopted in class.

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Some teachershave become creative about reading activities in class, by letting the pupils write how they feel after
reading or summarize the stories, and giving quizzes.

Since folk tales are very popular among thepupils, teachers utilize some of the folk tales as the textbooks of the Lao language in class.

Such aneffective utilization of the books is a significant output produced by the monitoring by the district
supervisors of education.

However, at some of the schools in the remote areas, books distributed in the

Project were not utilized effectively because district supervisors of education could not monitor
sufficiently in terms of frequency.

It is an important issue to be considered that district supervisors ofeducation conduct monitoring regularly to the schools in the remote areas.
5) Reading activities at Schools are continuously implemented.
At schools in the relatively urban areas, reading activities have been practiced effectively since district
supervisors of education have conducted monitoring.

On the other hand, at schools in the remote areas,

the books are not effectively utilized or appropriately maintained since monitoring activities have notregularly been conducted by district supervisors of education.

To strengthen monitoring activities,

especially to the remote areas, the Ministry of Education needs to address the budgetary issue in order toallocate the travel allowance for the district supervisors of education.
6) Output 6: Database for reading environment is established.
Baseline survey was conducted to schools before books were distributed; monitoring survey was
conducted to schools before books were supplemented.

In the Project, books were supplemented, thenext year, to the schools where books had been distributed. Therefore, it was possible for the Project toconduct monitoring the next year whey they supplemented additional books. Since district supervisorsof education could not visit all of the schools in the remote areas for monitoring, questionnaires to theschools had not been collected yet.

However, based on the result of the baseline and monitoring survey

which have been conducted, the database on reading promotion activities has been established, which isan appreciative output of the Project.

The database is expected to be effectively utilized for the

distribution and supplement of books in the future.
(3) Process of the Implementation of the Project
From planning to implementation of the Project, collaboration has been well maintained among
ALC, National Library, and the Ministry of Education, and the project activities, such as the selection of
the target schools, the distribution and supplement of book bags/cases, the organization of the seminars,
and monitoring, have been conducted effectively.
In the book distribution seminars, local resources were utilized as much as possible to make itpossible for each school to maintain books appropriately and to utilize the books effectively in an
independent and sustainable manner.
With the initiative of the JICA Expert (advisor on educational policy), “Folk Tale Contest” washeld in 2003.

In the contest, schools in some of the districts that ALC and other NGOs had supported

were targeted.

ALC provided assistance for the contest, and was able to realize effective collaboration- 38 -

with the JICA Expert and other NGOs.
3-2 Summary of Evaluation Results(1) Relevance
Being evaluated from the perspectives of 1) consistency with the policy of the Lao government; 2)
consistency with the policy of the Japanese government; 3) appropriateness of the selection of the target
group; 4) consistency with the needs of the local people; and 5) consistency with the organizational
philosophy of ALC, the relevance of the Project was judged high because of the following reasons.

With regard to 1) and 5), the Lao government has considered the expansion of basic education as animportant issue.

The National Library started “Mobile Book Case Movement (Reading Promotion

Project)” in 1990.

Since 1992, ALC had supported the movement.

Project was started in 2002.

To strengthen the movement, theTherefore, it can be judged that the direction that the Project pursues is

consistent with the educational policy of the Lao government and the organizational philosophy of ALC.
Regarding 2), the Japanese government prioritizes the expansion of basic education, in particular, in thefield of BHN (basic human needs), which also consistent with the direction of the Project pursues.

Asfor 3), in the selection of the target schools, out of the target provinces/cities, schools which lacked
textbooks or had never received books from ALC or the National Library before were prioritized.

This

way of selection can be judged appropriate in terms of not only the sustainability of reading promotion
but also the reduction of regional disparities in basic education.

Regarding 4), books which were

distributed by the Project are lent not only to the pupils but also to their parent and people in thecommunity, and they are happy to be given opportunities to enjoy reading. In particular, folk tales are
popular among not only children but also adults.

This shows that the books distributed by the Projectreflect the needs of local people.
(2) EffectivenessThe aforementioned 6 Outputs have been achieved almost as planned, through the activities, such as
the distribution/supplement of book bags/cases, the appropriate maintenance of books by teachers incharge of books, the instruction on reading promotion by the district supervisors of education, and themonitoring by ALC, the National Library, and the Ministry of Education (excluding part of the remoteareas).

As a result, not only the pupils but also people in the community have come to enjoy reading,which means that the 6 Outputs have contributed to the achievement of the Project Purpose and theOverall Goal.

Therefore, the effectiveness of the Project can be evaluated as high.

(3) Efficiency
Since by effectively utilizing the limited amount of materials and equipment provided in the Project,
the 6 Outputs have almost been achieved (excluding par of the remote areas) during the project period (3years), the efficiency of the Project can be evaluated as high.

Outputs 1 and 2, in particular, thedistribution of books to 1,000 schools and the supplement of books to 1,000 schools, could be achievedby the effective implementation of a series’ of activities including the selection of the target schools,- 39 -

distribution, monitoring, and supplement by ALC, the National Library, and the Ministry of Education.
(4) Impact
The positive impacts produced by the Project are 1) pupils’ positive attitude toward learning has been
fostered; 2) teachers’ enthusiasm about education has been enhanced; 3) reading promotion activities
have contributed to the education of the Lao language for the ethnic minorities; 4) parents’ have becomeaware of the significance of reading; and 5) books distributed/supplemented in the Project have beenutilized as educational materials for adult literacy education.
As for 1), pupils’ positive attitude toward learning can be observed in higher attendance rate to school,
higher reading and writing ability of the Lao language, and higher interest in reading.

With regard to 2),teachers in schools where books were provided began to actively utilize the books as educational
materials in class and become creative about class activities.

Regarding 3), the books provided in the

Project have been used as alternative textbooks at schools, which are lacking textbooks, in the remoteareas, where many ethnic minorities live.

This has contributed to improving the educational situation of

the Lao language for children of the ethnic minorities.

With regard to 4), not only children but also

their parents enjoy reading by borrowing books at school.

In addition, while some children borrowbooks at school, bring them home, and ask their parents to read aloud for the children, some children
read the books aloud at home for their parents who are illiterate.

Thus, through reading or story telling,

communication between parents and children has been promoted, and parents have become aware of thesignificance of reading activities at school.

Regarding 5), in some areas, at primary schools orcommunity centers, adult literacy educational programs are provided.

The basic Lao books or simple

and short folk tales, which were provided by the Project, are effectively utilized as appropriate
educational materials for the Lao language education.
As the negative impact of the Project, schools which stopped lending the books provided by other
donors were found.

Since at the book distribution seminars, the participants, who were teachers incharge of reading promotion, were trained to record the number of the books used and lent, some ofthem, though the number was small, misunderstood that they should not mix the books provided by other
donors with those by ALC, and discontinued lending the books by other donors.

To the schools wherelending books by other donors had been discontinued, when the project members visited the schools,
they instructed the teachers responsible for reading promotion to keep all the books together and to lend
the books.
(5) Sustainability
Being evaluated from the perspectives of 1) continuity of the effect of the Project, and 2) continuity of
the implementation system of the Project, the sustainability of the Project can be evaluated as highbecause the needs of the beneficiaries regarding reading promotion will continue to exist, and the system
to respond to the needs has been established during the Project period.

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Furthermore, ALC is planning tostart the Phase II of the Project and already have some specific ideas about the Phase II, with a view toexpand reading promotion activities.
high.

In that sense, the sustainability of the Project can be evaluated as

However, in order to ensure the sustainability of the reading promotion activities, which are

expected to be conducted independently by the Lao side, it is essential for the Ministry of Education toallocate the sufficient budget to reading promotion.
As for 1), judging from the fact that pupils, their parent, teachers, and local people have already cometo enjoy reading through the Project activities, and that teachers, in particular, has recognized thesignificance of reading activities, it can be expected that reading activities will continue to be actively
adopted in class and the books will continue to be effectively utilized.

Some of the primary schools areplanning to set up a library, developing the idea of the effective utilization of book bags/cases.

In someof the areas, people in the community are willing to cooperate for setting up a library by providing timberor labor.

In other areas, they are asking donations of the community people and planning to purchasebooks with the donations.

Judging from these positive attitudes toward reading promotion activities,

even after the Project is terminated, it can be expected that they will continue the reading promotion
activities voluntarily.

Moreover, ALC has already shown their will to implement the Phase II of the

Project in the fiscal year 2006.

ALC is planning to specifically work on publishing books for children,

supplementing books to the schools which they distributed books in Phase I, and conducting follow-up
activities.
With regard to 2), in the Project, ALC has worked on the target school, not independently bythemselves but collaboratively with the National Library, the Ministry of Education, and the Education
Committee of the target provinces, cities, and districts.

For instance, it was decided as mandatory forthe district supervisors of education when they visited the target schools to instruct not only generalschool activities but also reading promotion activities.

This shows that the system has been established

to continue reading promotion activities with the ownership of the Lao side.

However, the Ministry of

Education has faced a budgetary problem, and even cannot pay salaries to teachers regularly.

In orderto continue the reading promotion activities based on the mechanism or system that has been establishedby the Project, the Ministry of Education will be required to address the budgetary issues including a
regular payment of salaries to teachers and district supervisors of education.
3-3 Factors that Promoted the Realization of Effects(1) Factors concerning Planning
ALC, the National Library, and the Ministry of Education trained teachers responsible for reading
promotion in the book distribution seminars regarding the effective maintenance and utilization methods,
such as lending the books and recording them properly, repairing damaged books, story-telling, andplaying games with the books.
seminars.

These methods were appreciated by the teachers who attended theIn the reading promotion activities at school, the teachers are willing to adopt the methods

that they learned in the seminars.

Consequently, the books are well maintained, and reading promotion

activities have stirred the pupils’ interest in reading.

Therefore, the seminars that were held at the timeof distribution can be highly appreciated.

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(2) Factors concerning Implementation Process
In the Project, books were supplemented the next year books had been distributed.

At the time of

supplement, monitoring was conducted about the maintenance and utilization of the books which had
distributed the previous year.

Supplementing books can prevent pupils from being bored with the samebooks and contribute to making them become more interested in reading.

Furthermore, by conducting

monitoring, those who visit the schools can instruct the teachers in charge of reading promotion how to
repair damaged books or how to be creative in reading promotion activities in class.

In other words,

monitoring can contribute to the improvement of the reading environment for children.
3-4 Factors that Impeded the Realization of Effects(1) Factors concerning Planning
Nothing in particular.
(2) Factors concerning Implementation Process
The book bags/cases provided in the Project have been maintained appropriately.

However, at someof the schools, after the teacher in charge of reading promotion was transferred, no one has been assigned
to the successor.

Out of the schools which were monitored, at 10-20% of the schools, the books were

not maintained appropriately.
District supervisors of education are obliged to instruct how to practice reading promotion activities in
addition to the teaching methods of general school activities when they visit schools.

However, since atschools in the remote areas, it is impossible for them to go and return on the same day, the additional
budge is required for transportation, accommodations, and allowance.

However, due to the lack of thebudget, the Ministry of Education and the Education Section of the provinces and districts cannot
allocate sufficient money for the costs.

Consequently, it is difficult for the district supervisors to visit

schools in the remote areas, where at some of the schools, the utilization and maintenance situations of
the books are left unknown.

In order to make it possible for them to visit those schools, the Ministry of

Education and other related organizations need to take measured against the lack of budget in the field of
education.
3-5 Conclusion
Excluding in the part of remote areas, the expected 6 Outputs have almost been achieved as planned.
Pupils at the target schools have come to read voluntarily (=Project Purpose), and the custom of enjoy
reading has spread in the community (=Overall Goal).

Therefore, it can be evaluated that the Project

has almost achieved the Project Purpose and is now in the direction toward the achievement of theOverall Goal.

Before the Project was started, district supervisors of education used to visit the schools

and instruct on general class activities.

In the framework of the Project, it has been made obligatorythat district supervisors of education instruct on reading promotion activities when they visit the schools,
which is a significant output of the Project.

However, because of the lack of the budget of the Ministry- 42 -

of Education, district supervisors of education have not monitored schools in the remote areas.
Moreover, the Ministry of Education has faced other problems related to basic education, such as unpaid
salaries to teachers and supervisors of education, and the lack of textbooks and teachers.
problems have deterred reading promotion activities.

These

It is an important issue for the Lao side to

examine how to address these problems; ALC is expected to expand reading promotion activities,
considering the problems.
3-6 Recommendations
Due to the historical and cultural background, Lao PDR has been behind in the development ofread-and-writing culture.

It is necessary to continue to support reading promotion activities to raise theLao children’s literacy rate and to reinforce basic education.
In order to effectively implement reading promotion activities, it is important for the implementing
agency to collaborate with other JICA stakeholders, such as long-term experts in Technical Cooperation
Projects or advisors to the education-related agency, in preparing books and organizing education-related
events.
<To the Project>
By the termination of the Project, monitoring should be conducted on the distribution andsupplement of books in Salavan province, which had been implemented in the third year of the Project(2004).
In order to let the prospective beneficiaries, including children, enjoy reading, it is important for the
Project to let them be exposed to as many kinds of books as possible.
The award system for excellent teachers in charge of reading promotion needs to be introduced andspread in order for the teachers to continue to be active about reading promotion and be proud of theactivities.
At schools where the number of teachers is small and the teacher in charge of reading promotion is
responsible for multiple roles with a homeroom teacher, it is preferable to assign an assistant teacher incharge of reading promotion or a few volunteers of the pupils.
At schools where books are not effectively utilized or appropriately utilized, it is necessary for the
principals to actively work on the teachers to teach how to conduct monitoring and how to utilize thebooks for children.
ALC should prepare a proposal for Phase II as early as possible in the fiscal year 2005 not todiscontinue the positive effect of the Project.
<To the Lao Government>
The Ministry of Education needs to make efforts in the budget reform to allocate enough money for the
district supervisors of education to be able to visit schools in the remote areas, or to examine alternative
approaches with which will enable them to visit schools in the remote areas.
Appropriate measures need to be taken for the Ministry of Education to regularly pay salaries to the- 43 -

teacher in order to prevent them from losing their interest in reading promotion activities.

3-7 Lessons Learned
It is very important that the project members visit project sites and conduct hands-on monitoring to
implement a project effectively and efficiently.
In the countries where the educational policy or system has not properly been functioning, a projectin the field of education needs to be implemented along with the activities to strengthen the education
policy or system of the countries.
In a grassroots project, in general, an approach is taken to directly work on the project sits.
However, in order to effectively spread the project effect to as large an area as possible, it is essential forthe grassroots project to establish a top-down mechanism including the central and local governments.
Such a mechanism can contribute in large to the expansion of the project activities and the sustainabilityof the project effect.
In the JICA-NGO partnership projects, an implementing organization can promote to spread the
project effect by collaborating with aid activities in the other schemes of JICA.

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