GH¢84,000 USAID grant for 4 Ashanti Education Directorates

THREE MUNICIPAL and one district education directorates in the region have benefited from a GH¢84,000 incentive grant from the United States Agency for International Development(USAID), for the implementation of the Educational Quality for All (EQUALL) programme.

Additionally, USAID has allocated GH¢26,800 to the directorates, for the implementation of the planned National Literacy Acceleration Programme (NALAP).

The beneficiaries are the Kwabre District, the Ashanti Mampong, Ashanti Bekwai and Konongo Municipalities.

They are among fifteen selected districts in the country that have benefited from an incentive grant of GH¢273,000 from the USAID, to implement the EQUALL programme for 2009.

In a letter to the districts, and signed by Mrs. Kay Leherr, team manager of EQUALL, it explained that the grant was based on quality presentation of applications, and the implementation of the plan developed in collaboration with EQUALL.

He stated that six criteria were used to approve the application, which included the effective use of comprehensive and cohesive planning and sound monitoring, and evaluation plan.

Others were efficient resource utilisation, partnerships and linkages and transparency, openness and accountability.

The letter explained further that ratings for two additional criteria, based on recent management performance and clear presentation and documentation, were determined by the EQUALL Education Management Improvement Team.

As part of the finalisation of the grant agreement, the letter asked the beneficiaries to submit their Programme of Work, Activity Costing Sheets and Activity Summary Worksheets.

It advised them to adopt a strategy for enhancing the impact of some of the activities that could strengthen the partnership with other stakeholders. Some other districts are Agona, Ga West, Techiman, Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira, West Akim, Akwapim North and Fanteakwa.