Chart for Reviewing National Strategies toward Open and Distance Learning and e-Education

Issues

Questions to ask

Preparing national
strategies

How are ODL and ICT part of the country-led reform process? (Is one in place or planned?)

How is this strategy set within a framework to develop education as a whole?

Is the strategy linked directly to significant educational goals? Other developments in telecommunications?

How does the strategy allow for content development and testing?

How will these issues be assessed realistically?

• Available infrastructure?
• Institutional capacity?
• Costs?
• Means of finance?

Building on what
has worked

Does the national framework on education call for more, better teachers? If so, has the country provided teacher development at a distance?
   
Does the national framework call for improving the quality of primary education? Does radio reach all schools?
Does the national framework call for expansion of tertiary education? Has open and distance learning been used in the past?
  

Investing in
innovation

• How will the initiative build on local infrastructure and experience?
• Has the initiative been tested in a pilot project before expanding?
• Has an evaluation been conducted? Is one planned?

Containing costs and
supporting long-term
financing

How will high-level, fixed costs be managed?

• Loans or grants
• National budget
• Student fees

Managing
recurrent costs

Will external financing be used?

• For going to scale
• For containing costs of technologies (favorable purchase policies, telecommunications connections, access to broadcasting)
• For student fees

Supporting national
capacity for
program design and management

What policies and incentives will attract high quality personnel?

What resources, public and private, need to be mobilized to attract expertise in design and management?
   

Creating partnerships
inside and outside
the country

Have the economies of regional cooperation been considered to:

• Maximize technical expertise?
• Reduce the burden of high fixed costs?
• Increase the number of learners?
• Share experience?

Have in-country partnerships been sought with other stakeholders such as:

• Telecommunications industries?
• Other private-sector partners?