WB-funded education project suffers from procurement setbacks

A WORLD BANK (WB)-funded project to capacitate elementary school teachers in Mindanao has suffered delays due to procurement and budget issues.

The Teacher Effectiveness and Competencies Enhancement Project of the Department of Education (DepEd) is co-funded by the World Bank with $110 million.

The project is expected to benefit two million elementary school students and over 60,000 teachers and school leaders in Mindanao, including in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The bank changed its overall implementation progress rating for the project to “moderately satisfactory” from “satisfactory” previously.

“The project was met with initial implementation delays as a result of procurement-related challenges and budget allocation,” the bank said in a status report.

Government funding for the project is not included as a line item in the budget but was categorized as unprogrammed appropriations in the 2023 General Appropriations Act.

The bank noted issues surrounding the release of government funds for the project, resulting in delays.

“There was an issue with the issuance of the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO), as the signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao – Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (BARMM-MBHTE) and Department of Education (DepEd) was delayed,” the bank said.

It noted that the DepEd submitted a revised request for the SARO in July, but it was issued a month after (Aug. 5).

After the signing of the MoA between the DepEd and Bangsamoro government, “a detailed action plan to expedite implementation of project activities has been agreed with DepEd,” the WB said.

The financial commitment for the Teacher Effectiveness and Competencies Enhancement Project was approved in June 2023, and has a closing date of June 30, 2028.

Components of the project include supporting teachers and school leaders in improving their classroom practices; providing adequate materials for effective teaching and learning; and project management, monitoring, and evaluation. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz