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Mantra for Project Management to drive Social Impact
Ruchika Wadhwa Assistant Consultant TCS

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Title of the Paper: Stakeholder Management – Key to Successful Implementation of Right to Education Act
Theme: Mantra for Project Management to Drive Social Welfare Keywords: Right To Education Act, Stakeholders Management Abstract Right to Education (RTE)is a landmark act of the Indian government which mandates the state to provide free and compulsory Primary Education to children in the age group 6-14.
Implementation of RTE is fraught with multiple challenges at the ground level, like: lack of accountability of administrative bodies, unsatisfactory quality of teaching, and inefficient monitoring & grievance redressal mechanisms.
In a geographically and culturally diverse nation as ours, the said issues can be best addressed via a bottom-up approach. Each block/village faces a specific set of challenges in implementing RTE, which can be resolved only by empowering & educating stakeholders at the bottom of the pyramid.
Other stakeholders in context of RTE Act are School Management Committees set up as per RTE norms, parents, schools, local/state/central government bodies, media and NGOs.
Mobilization of public awareness coupled with efficient monitoring mechanisms can play a critical role in success of the act. Additionally, volunteer organizations (like TEACH India) and CSR arms of corporates can be engaged in supplementary teaching and teacher training activities to address the issue of quality of learning outcomes. The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad has already set up an RTE Resource Centre to aid economically backward students in gaining admission to schools as per RTE norms.
The success of Pulse Polio Program in India is evidence of how effective stakeholder management can contribute to success of nationwide social development programs.
This paper explores how Stakeholder Management processes are crucial to the realizing the vision of RTE.

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1. Introduction
The Right to Education Act, 2009is a landmark act that makes Elementary Education a Fundamental Right for children in the age group 6-14 years as per Constitution of India. The Act came into force on April 1, 2010.
Four years into implementation of the Act, India has made reasonable progress in the field of education. However the execution of the Act is fraught with multiple challenges and there is still a long way to go before we achieve the vision of universal elementary education.
Stakeholder Management is a key focus area in managing a program of this scale and nature.
2. Salient Features of RTE Act
 All children between the age of 6-14 years will have access to free and compulsory education in a neighborhood school
 All children, including those with special needs, will have the right to gain admission to age-appropriate class. Special training(bridge courses) will be provided to children who are above 6 years of age but have not previously received any schooling.
 25% seats in all private schools will be reserved for children from economically weaker sections (EWS).
 Neighborhood school accessibility for classes1-5 will be within 1km radius and that for classes 6-8 will be 3 km. Special transportation arrangements will be made by the state for disabled children and in difficult terrains.
 The act specifies norms for infrastructureavailabilityin schools (for e.g. - proper fencing, playground, library, drinking water, toilets, kitchen sheds etc.)
 The Act focuses on quality and meaningful education to be provided to children.
 The Act mandates formation of School Management Committees (SMCs) in every Government and Government aided school to enable community involvement in student education.
 National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) set up as monitoring agenciesto handle grievances of students/parents.
 Teachers to be provided in-service and pre-service training to equip them to impart quality education to students.
 No detention/expulsion policy for students. Students’ progress will be evaluated on the basis of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation(CCE) by teachers.

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 The chief vehicle of the government for implementation of RTE Act is SarvShikshaAbhiyaan (SSA). In addition, Mid-Day Meal Scheme is also a key instrument for achieving universal school enrolment.
3. Implementation of RTE Act–The Journey So far
1. School enrolment of children in the 6-14 age-group is now over 96%. 99% of India’s rural population now has a primary school within a one kilometer radius.However, out of school children are still very hard to reach, and school retention remains a serious issue.
2. There has been considerable improvement in school infrastructure facilities, as prescribed in RTE norms. 62% schools now have playgrounds, 73% schools have drinking water availability, 84% schools have kitchen shed for cooking of mid-day meals, 80% schools have separate provision for girls’ toilets.
3. Pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) has improved over the years, but compliance to the RTE PTR norms still remains low at 45%.
4. Quality of learning remains a key issue – on an average only 40% children of standard 3 level can read standard 1 level text, and only 30% children standard 3 students can do basic arithmetic.
4. Challenges in Implementation of RTE Act
1. Quality of Learning Outcomes
The quantifiable aspects of RTE framework like school access, enrolment, PTR- are slowly but steadily getting into place, however quality of education across government schools remains poor.
The government is therefore shifting focus to learning outcomes and quality of education.
The 12th Plan sets the target as: Improve learning outcomes that are measured, monitored and reported independently at all levels of school education with a special focus on ensuring that all children master basic reading and numeracy skills by class 2 and skills of critical thinking, expression and problem solving by class 5.
2. Community Mobilization
4 years into the enforcement of the Act, community involvement still remains very low. A lot of ground work needs to be done to spread awareness among parents and children on the significance of quality education and making them aware of their rights and responsibilities. Not many are aware of the grievance handling authority as per RTE Act, neither of the expectations from schools and teachers.

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RTE Act mandates the formation of a School Management Committee (SMC) in all government and government-aided schools. SMCs can play a crucial role in transforming the existing system at the school level.
As per RTE norms, 75% of SMC members should be parents, of which 50% should be women. One third of the rest should be students/local educationists, one-third should be teachers and the rest should be elected representatives of the local administrative body.
The idea behind constituting SMCs has been to empower students and parents and give them a say in the functioning of the school. The Act empowers SMCs to prepare an annual school development plan, to maintain an annual record of receipts and expenses of the school, to monitor the adherence of RTE norms by the school, to bringissues or grievances to the notice of local authorities.
3. Enrollment of EWS(economically weaker section) and urban deprived children- School Mapping and Micro-planning
Out-of-school children include children of migrant laborers, domestic helps, child laborers working in the informal sector, stay at home children looking after siblings or involved in domestic chores while parents go to work.
Bringing these children to school is a mammoth task, either because they are hard to reach out to or because the parents lose a significant source of income if these children go to school.
4. Monitoring of Implementing Agencies
There have been several reports of rules followed by schools/ local bodies/ states in letter, but not in spirit.
In Delhi, for example, every school has set up an SMC, but most of them have been hastily set up with no representation of parents/ students. Schools play safe by appointing their choice of candidates, while as per rules they should be elected representatives from school/parents associations/local bodies. Similarly, teachers in many government schools have started following CCE (continuous and comprehensive evaluation) procedure for appraising students, but it is being followed as a formality. Evaluation of skills and knowledge using projects etc. as per CCE criteria issued by NCERT is not followed in practice.
There needs to be proper monitoring/proper audits of schools and teachers to enforce the Act in its true spirit.
5. Lessons Learnt from Pulse Polio Campaign
Pulse Polio was a nationwide campaign launched in India in 1995 to eradicate polio. In January 2014, India was declared free of polio by WHO, marking the successful completion of the campaign.

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Following are some of the factors to which the success of Pulse Polio can be attributed:
1. Effective stakeholder management through clear demarcation of roles and responsibilities of stakeholders involved: All partners in the campaign, from central and local government bodies, UN agencies, and healthcare workers to NGOs – worked in tandem, forming strategic partnerships in order to achieve the goal.
2. Community mobilization through extensive door to door campaigning:The campaign involved micro level planning and execution. Mobilization of opinion leaders in communities was done to overcome public resistance to the vaccine.
Muslim dominated areas in some parts of India were offering resistance to polio immunization due to wrongly held beliefs about the adverse impact polio drops could cause. This resistance was conquered by involving Muslim religious leaders in disseminating information about the advantages of polio immunization, which worked to swerve public opinion.
To make RTE a success, we need to draw on the parallel of Pulse Polio, i.e., micro-level planning and execution, door-to-door canvassing and community mobilization, and identifying and mobilizing strategic groups/ opinion leaders in communities to achieve necessary outcomes.
These strategies will be discussed in detail in the coming sections.
6. Stakeholders Involved in RTE Implementation & Their Roles
Central Government
1. To prepare estimates of capital and recurring expenditure for implementation of RTE Act.
2. To fund a certain percentage of total expenditure on the Act to State governments.
3. To develop framework for national curriculum with the help of an appointed academic authority.
4. To develop and enforce standards for teachers
5. To provide technical support and resources to states for research,

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planning and capacity building of educational institutions.
State Government
1. To ensure compulsory admission, attendance and completion of elementary education by every child of the age group 6-14 years.
2. To ensure availability of a neighborhood school (in the radius of 1 km for primary, and 3 km for upper primary classes).
3. Ensure and monitor admission, attendance and completion of elementary education by every child.
4. Provide requisite infrastructure, teachers and learning resources to schools.
5. Provide special training to children who have not attended school so far to bridge learning gaps.
6. Provide training facilities for. Teachers.
7. Ensure timely prescribing of curriculum for elementary classes.
Local Body(District Education Office/Village Panchayats etc.)
Duties of state government above are also applicable to local bodies. In addition their responsibilities include:
1. To maintain records of children upto 14 years residing within the jurisdiction.
2. Ensure admission of children of migrant families.
3. Monitor functioning of schools in their jurisdiction.
4. Decide the academic calendar.
5. To undertake household surveys and school mapping to ensure enrolment of all children in jurisdiction.
Schools
1. All government schools to provide free elementary education schools to all students admitted.
2. Private schools to retain at least 25% seats for admission of EWS students. The cost of education of these children will be borne by the

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government.
3. Schools are prohibited from taking capitation fee, denying admission to children, inflicting physical punishment and mental harassment on children, expulsion/ detention of children till standard 8th.
4. Schools must fulfill prescribed norms regarding infrastructure facilities, playground, teacher pupil ratio etc.in order to be granted recognition to operate. Also each school to have a library, safe and adequate drinking water supply, proper toilet facilities, kitchen for Mid-Day Meal Scheme(in government schools).
5. School Management Committee must be constituted in all government and government aided schools.
Teachers
1. To complete curriculum prescribed in a timely manner
2. To maintain Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation(CCE) record for each student to monitor their learning and progress. To administer special instruction where required.
3. Teachers should not be involved in non-teaching activities like school administration, administration of Mid-Day Meal scheme etc. – which eat up their teaching hours.
School Management Committee
1. Monitor working of school
2. Prepare and recommend School Development Plan
3. Monitor the utilization of grants received from government
Academic Authority(NCERT/SCERT)
1. To lay down curriculum and evaluation procedure for elementary education
2. Curriculum design should target holistic development of children and build life skills.

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3. No examination policy, certificate of completion of elementary education to be awarded to children after 8th standard.
4. Advocate and lay down methodology for continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) of children’s skill and application of knowledge.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights(NCPCR)/
State Commission for Protection of Child Rights(SCPCR)
NCPCR and SCPCR are constituted to monitor children’s Right to Education. Their responsibilities include:
1. To hear grievances from children/parents/ guardians regarding RTE and take necessary action in lieu of the same.
2. To examine and review rules provided under RTE Act and recommend measures for their implementation.
National Advisory Council/ State Advisory Council
NAC/SAC include members with significant experience in field of elementary education/child development. They are constituted to advise government on implementation of provisions of RTE act in an effective manner.
DISE(District Information System for Education)
DISE looks into severalquality related parameters like student-classroomratio, teacher-pupil ratio, teachers' profiles andexamination results.
Government ofIndia, with the help of NCERT, has set up QualityMonitoring Tools (QMTs) - to monitor quality aspectssuch as student attendance, teacher availability inschools, student learning achievement, community support, etc.
NGOs
Following NGOs have done notable work w,r,t, RTE implementation so far:
1. Pratham: Brings out Annual Status of Education Report(ASER) which measures quality of learning of students across the country. ASER 2013 focuses on learning outcomes after implementation of RTE act and the gaps that need to be filled. Also involved in building awareness about the act and mobilizing community action.
2. JOSH: Joint Operation for Social Help – A youth initiative in Delhi that runs RTE public awareness Projects. Also conducted a rigorous ground

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level study on status of RTE implementation in various districts of Delhi
3. Pardarshita: Members actively involved in promoting RTE awareness and also members of SMCs of several schools.Organized ‘BalSunwai’ (public hearing conducted by children)- where parents and children cited their grievances w.r.t. RTE to Delhi Commission of Members of Child Rights official, Chairperson of National Commission of Minorities and other NGO representatives.
Other Stakeholders
United Nations – Recognizes India as an important partner in realizing the Millennium Development Goal of Universal Primary Schooling by 2015.
UNICEF has done notable ground work in identifying child labourers and putting them back in school. Also initiated WASHprogramme in schools to improve hygiene and sanitation, which has indicated corresponding increase in school enrolment and attendance.
American Indian Foundation(AIF)– Has undertaken thetask of training SMCs, youth, members of Women Self Help Groups(SHGs) and Panchayat Raj Institution (PRI) functionaries, to help them realize the goals of RTE in their respective locations. Have come out with SMC training handbooks.
Stakeholder Assessment Matrix
Stakeholder
Unaware
Resistant
Neutral
Supportive
Leading
Central Government
C,D

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State Government/Local Bodies
C D
Teachers
C C D D
Students C
C C D
Parents C C C D D
UN Agencies
C,D
NGOs/ Private Institutions
C,D
Monitoring Agencies(NCPCR/SCPCR)
C D
Legend: C- Current Influence, D-Desired Influence

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Power Influence Grid
7 .Stakeholder Management Strategy to Overcome Challenges
High Power, Low Influence
-State Government
-Media
-NCPCR/SCPCR
Teachers
High Power, High Influence
-Central Government
Low Power, Low Influence
Low Power, High Influence
-Parents, Children
-School Management Committees
-NGOs
Power Influence Grid
Stakeholders
Related Challenges
Issues
Current State
Desired State
Stakeholder Management Strategy
Parents/Children
Community Mobilization;
Enrolment of EWS andurban deprived children
1. Resistance in some pockets as children going to school implies loss of income for family 2. Parents are unaware of their rights as per the Act, stay neutral or passive; donot know where to log grievances
Low Power, High Influence Unaware/Resistant
High Power, High Influence Leading
1.Build public awareness through mass media and awareness campaigns(success of RTE penetration in Tamil Nadu can be attributed to 'kalajathas'- the jathas utilize cultural and folk media such as art, dance, theatre and music for mass communication) 2. Door to door campaigning, household surveys to mobilize opinion among parents to enroll out of school children. NGOs/UN agencies to be actively involved in the

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same.
3. Mid-Day meal scheme in schools serves to incentivize the parents and children. It must be used as an instrument to enroll maximum number of children in schools.
State Government/Local Bodies
Quality of Learning Outcomes;
Monitoring of Implementing Agencies
1. Lack of accountability and transparency, bureaucratic processes 2. Lack rigor to implement the act in mission mode
High Power, Low Influence Supportive
High Power, High Influence Leading
1.Centre must prescribe a milestone based approach to achieving RTE norms and demand states to furnish adequate reports/proofs of milestone implementation. 2. Auditory bodies must take stock of working of the government departments involved on a regular basis. These audits must serve not just as an appraisal mechanism, but also bring to light the concerns of the state in achieving its targets.
Teachers
Quality of Learning Outcomes
1. Non-academic activities eat up time of teachers in government schools 2. Lack of accountability, poor quality of teaching 3. Low motivation to subscribe to better teaching standards
High Power, Low Influence Neutral/Supportive
High Power, High Influence Leading
In-service and pre-service training has been prescribed for teachers as per norms of the act. In addition, teachers must be motivated to improve quality of teaching processes. This can be done by boosting teachers' involvement by awarding exemplary teachers at school, district and state level, creating awareness among teachers about the magnitude of power and responsibility they carry, and how they have the capacity to touch and improve many lives.
School Management Committee
Community Mobilization
1. Inadequate representation of parents and other elected members 2. Lack of proper training/orientation to execute duties as per RTE norms 3. Not given adequate thrust by schools due to
Low Power, High Influence Unaware/Resistant
High Power, High Influence Leading
1.American India Foundation along with many other NGOs is involved in training SMC members to develop School Development Plans and discharging other duties effectively, and creating awareness about the powers they are vested with. 2.Parents must be made aware of the powers they can exercise through SMCs via NGO led campaigns in

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8. Best Practices from The Field
1. UNICEF - Ministry of Human Resource Development Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme has helped increase attendance in schools in several states.“Hand washing song” is sung by children as they scrub their hands under running water, before eating. This is a regular practice and has not only brought down incidences of infection, but has also increased school enrolment. This is an example of how a creative twist to a daily practice can be used for far reaching impact.
2. The School Excellence Programme adopted in municipal schools in Mumbai slums aims to use a student-centric, activity-based teaching methodology named Co-operative Reflective Approach (CRA) provided by Naandi Foundation, in which students learn with & from each
vested interests
communities.
NCPCR/SCPCR
Monitoring of implementing Agencies
1. Lack of awareness among general public about grievance redressal forums provided by these commissions 2. Lack of proactive approach to tackling ground level problems/ monitoring state of working of implementing bodies.
High Power, Low Influence Unaware/Resistant
High Power, High Influence Leading
1.In many states SCPCR has issued a free helpline number to lodge grievances related to RTE. These numbers must be advertised through media to enable the information to reach the masses. 2. SCPCR/NCPCR helpline numbers must also be displayed in schools and children should be made aware by school authorities of their relevance. 3.Centre should establish a mechanism of regular audit of schools/local bodies/state government education departments via NCPCR/SCPCR to bring to light issues/concerns in execution of the act.

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other, with the teacher acting as a facilitator.Teachers and headmasters receive special trainings to adopt a scientific and creative approach to teaching. This has helped improve quality of learning outcomes greatly. In addition, as an incentive to keep children in school, the children from ethnic minorities are given Rs 2 per day, with irls being given Re 1 extra. This is in addition to the mid-day meal and the 27 articles the state government gives out for free, including the school uniform, a water carrier and a raincoat.
9. Conclusion Implementation of RTE Act faces numerous challenges like – lack of community mobilization, low quality of learning outcome, enrolment of out of school children, and effective monitoring of implementation agencies. Stakeholders in implementation of the Act – including parents, teachers, Central and State Governments, NGOs, School Management Committees, monitoring agencies (National & State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights), United Nations and its allied agencies – all have a vital role to play in realizing the vision of universal elementary education in India. Community mobilization through door to door campaigning, creative and innovative pedagogy, involvement of United Nations and NGOs at the ground level for school mapping and micro-planning, effective monitoring of executing bodies and spreading greater awareness among parents and children are some of strategies which can provide an impetus to this social development program.
References
[1] Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2013), 15 January 2014 [2] OjhaSeema S., Implementing Right to Education: Issues and Challenges, www.isca.in, 29th April 2013
[3] Annual Report 2012-13 Ministry of HRD, Department of School Education & Literacy, Department of HIher Education