Citizen Engagement for Enhanced Accountability in Africa Rural School Fees Expenditure in Zimbabwe Case Study By Joy Chidavaenzi

Rural School Fees MonitoringInterventionRural School Fees Monitoring Centre for Total TransformationIntervening AgentCentre for Total Transformation Mazoe District, ZimbabweLocationMazoe District, Zimbabwe GoalPromoting quality education and general welfare of rural childrenGoalPromoting quality education and general welfare of rural children Basic Information

Bursar or School Accounts clerk officeBursar or School Accounts clerk office School Head involvementSchool Head involvement Education Officer involvementEducation Officer involvement Community apathyCommunity apathy Sequence of Events

Background Initiative is a result of reports and complaints by parents, teachers, students and school headsInitiative is a result of reports and complaints by parents, teachers, students and school heads –Inadequate Financial Controls and auditing procedures –Misappropriation of funds –Failure to pay staff salaries –High staff turnover –Inadequate educational facilities and resources –Poor record keeping –Parents being taken advantage of by school authorities

Objectives of the Initiative To educate and empower communities on their rights to: –information and participation in schools administration administration –demand accountability and transparency from school authorities and local councils –be part of decision making process. –Dismiss undesirable school staff

Tools and Methodologies Baseline surveysBaseline surveys Focused target group discussionsFocused target group discussions Workshops on school budgeting and expendituresWorkshops on school budgeting and expenditures Community score cards and report cardsCommunity score cards and report cards Structured interviews with the school headsStructured interviews with the school heads Community based Participatory Performance MonitoringCommunity based Participatory Performance Monitoring

Training Training of Community members 1.Transparency 2.Accountability 3.Budgeting and public expenditure 4.Roles, responsibilities and rights of school committees 5.Terms of reference 6.Monitoring and evaluation team with written reports going to District Councils, Local Leaders and Ministry of Education

Advocacy Activities Regular SA awareness meetings and workshops with stakeholdersRegular SA awareness meetings and workshops with stakeholders Community theatres against corruption.Community theatres against corruption. Local media.Local media. Open community forum with the Member of Parliament and Provincial GovernorOpen community forum with the Member of Parliament and Provincial Governor

Possible Obstacles Perpetrators usually related to some community membersPerpetrators usually related to some community members People may think that whistle blowing is not morally rightPeople may think that whistle blowing is not morally right Lack of jointly developed Code of Conduct for school authoritiesLack of jointly developed Code of Conduct for school authorities Bureaucratic dismissal processBureaucratic dismissal process School head rejected at one school relocated to anotherSchool head rejected at one school relocated to another fear of witchcraftfear of witchcraft

Results and Impact Reduction in corruption cases.Reduction in corruption cases. Sense of ownership of the local schools and education in general by community membersSense of ownership of the local schools and education in general by community members Development and strengthening of school development committees (SDCs) or parent/teacher associations (PTAs) with proper Terms of Reference.Development and strengthening of school development committees (SDCs) or parent/teacher associations (PTAs) with proper Terms of Reference. Improved quality of education.Improved quality of education. Improved educational infrastructureImproved educational infrastructure Establishment of Child Protection Working GroupEstablishment of Child Protection Working Group

Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) StakeholdersStakeholders –Parents/guardians –Local rural councils –Church leaders –Traditional leaders (chiefs and headmen) –Students / Youth –Local Member of Parliament –Provincial Governor –Parents Teacher Associations (PTA) –Other partners with interest in education.

Terms of Reference for the CPWG Budget and expenditure monitoringBudget and expenditure monitoring Recommend dismissal of undesired staffRecommend dismissal of undesired staff FundraisingFundraising School development monitoringSchool development monitoring Child abuse awareness campaignsChild abuse awareness campaigns Setting up of reporting systemsSetting up of reporting systems Promoting children’s rightsPromoting children’s rights

Joy Chidavaenzi 23 Kew Drive, Highlands, Harare, Zimbabwe Telephone: Mobile: