BEDP

Program Overview

The Basic Education Development Project (BEDP) is a cooperative initiative of the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG) and the Government of Australia (GoA). The Project was designed as a 10-year program supporting capacity building and school infrastructure development at province and school community levels. It is a major and important part of the Australian Agency for International Development’s (AusAID’s) program of assistance to the Papua New Guinea (PNG) education sector at sub-national level.

Program Goal & Purpose

BEDP’s goal is “to contribute to the effective implementation of quality and equitable primary schooling in PNG”. The Project’s purpose is “to establish an ongoing program of primary and community school facility development and maintenance which is being independently managed by school communities with assistance from Local Level Government (LLG), Non Government Organisations (NGOs), relevant PDoE (Provincial Division of Education) offices, and supported by appropriate GoPNG departments.”

View current reconstruction work along the Kokoda Track

BEDP focuses on capacity building through the development and maintenance of primary school facilities, and the development of partnerships between government and the women and men of the community.

BEDP Components

BEDP has 4 components:

1.	Capacity Building – To build capacity at national, provincial, district, school and community level
2.	Maintenance and Minor Works – To support infrastructure maintenance in primary and community schools in all provinces
3.	Infrastructure – To provide primary school infrastructure in targeted provinces in accordance with national criteria and local level priorities.
4.	Project Management - Which will provide effective and efficient management and technical support to program implementation

Component 1: Capacity Building

Objective: To improve the capacity in all provinces of national, provincial, and district personnel, local level institutions and communities, to plan and manage infrastructure for community and primary schools.

The ambit of the capacity building component is to:

	establish national school infrastructure guidelines;
	a unit within the Planning, Facilitation and Monitoring Division (PFMD) to monitor and support school infrastructure maintenance and development; and
	a District Women's Facilitator (DWF) network to promote the participation of women in school management and development.
	support provincial departments of education in providing capacity building to school Boards of Management (BOM); and
	to ensure they have capacity to self manage the program.
	promote increased participation of school communities
	support school BOMs to prepare & implement three year school Infrastructure Development Plans.

The ambit of the capacity building program is to:

	be tailored to the existing situation, resources & Government staffing limits;
	be undertaken at a pace consistent with the capacity of stakeholders, building on the knowledge of stakeholders, and developing capacities as needs arise;
	be managed to ensure the participation of women and men in all aspects of the project;
	build capacity at national, provincial, district, school and community level;
	use existing resources and structures;
	establish support networks; and
	promote self management and community partnership with government.

Component 2: Maintenance and Minor Works

Objective: To support infrastructure maintenance in primary and community schools in all provinces.

The key elements of the maintenance program are:

	annual maintenance grants to all primary and community schools including:
	distribution of initial maintenance grants following the collection of baseline maintenance data through a baseline maintenance survey and community participation survey;
	the provision of subsequent grants based on acquittal of the previous grant and preparation of a School Development Plan;
	maintenance grant funding to be based on the number of students attanding each school (with a minimum grant of K1000 and a maximum grant of K5000/school), with additional consideration for schools in remote areas following agreed guidelines.

Component 3: Infrastructure

Objective: To provide primary school infrastructure in targeted provinces in accordance with national criteria and local level priorities.

The project has established an infrastructure grant scheme to:

	provide infrastructure development funding to priority primary schools in the five new provinces;
	be responsive to available donor funding;
	prioritise infrastructure and allocation of funding in an open and transparent manner based on school development plans and information gained through the baseline maintenance survey;
	utilise a broad range of infrastructure and building options; and
	have construction managed by building professionals appointed by DoE.

Component 4: Project management

Objective: To provide effective and efficient management and technical support to program implementation

The ambit of the project management component is to:

	provide effective project support to local implementers;
	produce an Annual Plan which will define project implementation strategies and outputs on an annual basis;
	develop a monitoring and evaluation framework which will incorporate all aspects of project implementation;
	promote good governance principles in all activities; and
	act on impropriety swiftly to ensure the integrity of project objectives is maintained.