Project Institutional and Implementation Arrangements

The holistic responsibility of this project and its implementation will lie with the Children Secretariat (CS) of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs (MWCA), with the participation of other relevant Ministries (Ministry of Hill country new villages infrastructure and community development, Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education), Provincial Councils and Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT), assisting in the progress of the project. The project Steering Committee (PSC) will be responsible in carrying out and monitoring all aspects pertaining to the project and its sub projects. The PSC will be chaired by Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, with representation from all other ministries present in the committee.

 All projects will be reviewed by the PSC, while annual work plans and budgets too will be allocated by this governing body. The PMU will be responsible in carrying out all matters relating to financial management and procurement throughout the project. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) activities too will be handled by them. In addition to this the PMU will bear the sole responsibility in consolidating all progress and financial reports to be submitted to MWCA and the World Bank (WB).

The Hill Country region is an active pocket, with many privately run ECD centers. However taking into consideration the large population there is growth potential. In order to address and facilitate the smooth running of operations the Ministry of Hill Country New Villages Infrastructure and Community Development (MoHCNVICD) have been appointed to oversee project activities in this sector, which are been carried out by the PHDT; while the PHDT reports on its progress to the PMU. 

•  CS/PMU is responsible for implementing activities directly related to the project, including overseeing activities undertaken by all implementing partners;
•  Managing project accounts.
•  Reviewing of the annual activity plan and procurement plan, whilst coordinating with the implementing partners.
•  Consolidating and preparing of necessary reports - financial and implementation progress and results. 
•  Coordinating external audit arrangements.
•  Coordinating, M&E activities, updating results framework and maintaining and updating of the Project MIS.
•  Communicating with stakeholders.
•   Providing guidance to District and Divisional level entities engaged in project implementation; and liaising with development partners.

Implementing partners

Provincial Councils (PCs)

• Assist MWCA in selection of sites for the establishment of new ECD facilities.
• Identify ECD resource centers to be refurbished.
• Coordinate with MWCA in implementing project related ECD activities in the respective provinces.
• Coordinating with MWCA in harmonizing and strengthening the ECD center registration process.
• Liaise with MWCA in conducting an independent social audits in respective districts.
• Upgrade and equip existing facilities identified as resource centers
  
  

District Secretariat

In collaboration with the District ECD coordinator located at the relevant DS coordinates with the Divisional Secretariats to carry out the following;

• ECD center selection/approve for facility improvement grants. 
• Supervise the implementation of the facility improvement grants.
• Review and approve progress and financial reports submitted by the ECD centers.
• Build/upgrade existing ECD facilities and hand them over to PCs and Local Government Authorities (LGAs).

Divisional Secretariat Office

The Divisional Secretariat with the assistance of the MWCA ECD Officer carries out the following activities;

• Inform ECD centers regarding project activities such as availability of the facility improvement grants, program and tuition fee support
• Determine eligible ECD centers in the LG division and inform them about application processors.
• Visit supported ECD centers on a regular basis to supervise progress and monitor center activities, provide feedback, document progress and enter monitoring data to ECD sector Management Information System (MIS).
• Collect/review progress and financial reports
• Review the progress and financial reports submitted by the ECD centers and verify that the work has been completed.
• Organize and Coordinate all short term training programs, awareness programs and interaction programs in the division.
• Annually collect basic data on all ECD centers in the division and enter them in the ECD sector MIS; and liaise with District Secretariat and PMU.

Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT) www.phdt.org

The PHDT is a tripartite Organization consisting of the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), Regional Planttaion Companies (RPCs) and Plantation Trade Unions (TU) formed by the GOSL. PHDT will be responsible in improving the ECD facilities and skills of the Child Development Officers in the Plantations under the ECD project.

PHDT will undertake the following activities under the supervision of the MoHCNVICD based on the work program agreed with the MWCA;

• Upgrade old, poor quality ECD centers in unserved/underserved areas of the plantation sector.
• Refurbish existing ECD centers/ Child Development Center (CDC).
• Conduct parent/teacher awareness programs and teacher training programs.
• Regularly visit the supported ECD centers/CDC supervise progress, monitor their activities and provide feedback and enter monitoring data in the sector MIS.
• Annually collect basic data on all ECD centers in the division and enter them in the ECD sector MIS;
• Maintain regular communication with the PMU and MoHCNVICD. provide them with regular updates and submit reports; and
• Facilitate Child Development Officers (CDOs) in conducting child development assessment.