Evaluation of MCC's Investments in the National Training Fund in Namibia

75 Pages·2017·0.64 MB·English

Evaluation of MCC’s Investments in
the National Training Fund in Namibia:
Findings from Second Round of
Qualitative Data
March 30, 2017
Kristen Velyvis
Arif Mamun
Anca Dumitrescu
Luke Heinkel
Ananya Khan
Submitted to:
Millennium Challenge Corporation
875 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Project Officer: Algerlynn Gill
Contract Number: MCC-10-0114-CON-20 (MCC-13-TO-0001)
Submitted by:
Mathematica Policy Research
1100 1st Street, NE
12th Floor
Washington, DC 20002-4221
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Project Director: Arif Mamun
Reference Number: 40233.362
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We greatly appreciate the support of the many people whose efforts contributed to this
report. First of all, we want to acknowledge the stakeholders who agreed to share information
that made this report possible. We would also like to thank the monitoring and evaluation
colleagues we worked with throughout the three year evaluation period for their input and
support: Algerlynn Gill and Emily Travis of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and
Kandi Shejavali and Kofi Owusu-Tieku of the Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia (MCA-
Namibia). We also appreciate the insights of Martin Wilkinson at MCA-Namibia, and Stevan
Dobrilovic and Mao Tjiroze at the MCC Resident County Mission in Namibia.
Multidisciplinary Research Centre (MRC) at the University of Namibia was responsible for
collecting the qualitative data. We especially thank Nelago Indongo for leading the data
collection effort. We also thank Alfons Mosimane and Immaculate Mogotsi for their hard work
and cooperation, and Cecilia Endunde, Angula Nahas Enkono, and Turkki Timoteus for
excellent support with data collection.
Our colleagues at Mathematica also provided valuable support. We are grateful to Delia
Welsh for carefully reviewing an early draft of the report. We also thank Kelly Kramer for
editing the report, and Felita Buckner for her production support.

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CONTENTS
LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................... ix
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. xi
I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 1
A. The NTF subactivity ................................................................................................................... 2
B. Findings from the first round of qualitative research ................................................................. 5
C. The NTA and the current vocational training environment in Namibia ...................................... 7
1. Organizational structure of the NTA.................................................................................... 7
2. Current vocational training environment in Namibia ........................................................... 9
D. Objectives of the report ........................................................................................................... 10
E. Organization of the report ........................................................................................................ 11
II. RESEARCH QUESTIONS, DATA, AND ANALYTIC APPROACH ............................................... 13
A. Research questions ................................................................................................................. 13
B. Data ......................................................................................................................................... 14
1. Data sources ..................................................................................................................... 14
2. Data collection and analysis ............................................................................................. 16
C. Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 16
III. FINDINGS ...................................................................................................................................... 19
A. Operation of the NTF ............................................................................................................... 19
1. Registration, compliance, and enforcement of the VET levy ............................................ 19
2. Role of the ISCs ................................................................................................................ 21
3. Role of public entities ........................................................................................................ 22
4. Role of development partners, private sector, and civil society ........................................ 23
5. Training quality .................................................................................................................. 26
6. Employer perceptions about the NTF ............................................................................... 28
7. Ministry officials, development partners, and civil society perceptions of the NTF .......... 29
B. Systems and staffing ............................................................................................................... 30
1. NTF organizational and management capacity ................................................................ 30
2. The LCDRS ....................................................................................................................... 31
3. Reporting system .............................................................................................................. 32
C. Management of funds .............................................................................................................. 33
1. The NTF levy’s role in the overall vocational training landscape ...................................... 33
2. Allocation of funds ............................................................................................................. 34

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CONTENTS MATHEMATICA POLICY RESEARCH
3. Cost of administering the system ...................................................................................... 34
4. Procurement of training in key priority areas ................................................................... 34
5. Grants for employer-provided training .............................................................................. 37
D. Measuring and responding to market demand for skills in priority areas ................................ 39
1. Measuring market demand ............................................................................................... 39
2. Responding to market demand ......................................................................................... 40
E. Employer-sponsored training ................................................................................................... 42
1. Grants to employers for their training costs ...................................................................... 42
2. Profile of employers applying for grants for in-service training ........................................ 44
F. Employer satisfaction with the NTF’s role ............................................................................... 44
1. Employer perceptions on the NTF creating a trained workforce ...................................... 44
2. Employer perceptions on employee performance in key priority areas ............................ 44
G. RPL certification program ........................................................................................................ 45
1. Implementation of RPL after the end of the pilot program ................................................ 45
2. Perceptions of certificate holders ...................................................................................... 46
H. Perceptions of the NTF’s sustainability ................................................................................... 47
1. Financial sustainability ...................................................................................................... 47
2. Organizational and management sustainability ................................................................ 48
IV. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS ......................................................................... 50
A. Summary of findings ................................................................................................................ 50
B. Implications for policy and practice ......................................................................................... 51
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................... 54

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TABLES
ES.1 Research questions addressed in the second round of qualitative research ................................ xiv
ES.2 Number of interviews ...................................................................................................................... xv
II.1 Number of interviews ..................................................................................................................... 15
FIGURES
ES.1 Logic Model for the NTF Subactivity .............................................................................................. xiii
I.2 Departments of the NTA .................................................................................................................. 7
I.3 Structure of the NTA Board .............................................................................................................. 8

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LIST OF ACRONYMS
CBET Competency-Based Education and Training
COSDEC Community Skills and Development Center
COSDEF Community Skills and Development Foundation
GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
GRN Government of the Republic of Namibia
ISC Industry Skills Committee
LCDRS Levy Collection, Distribution, and Reporting System
MCA-N Millennium Challenge Account Namibia
MCC Millennium Challenge Corporation
MHETI Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation
MIS Management Information System
MRC Multidisciplinary Research Centre at the University of Namibia
N$ Namibian Dollar (N$1 = US$0.07 as of June 28, 2016)
NAMCOL Namibian College of Open Learning
NDP National Development Plan
NIMT Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology
NQA Namibia Qualifications Authority
NSFAF Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund
NTA Namibia Training Authority
NTF National Training Fund
ProVET Promotion of Vocational Education and Training
RPL Recognition of Prior Learning
SACC Standards Assessment and Certification Council
SME Small and Medium Enterprise
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
US$ U.S. Dollar (US$1 = N$15.20 as of June 28, 2016)
VET Vocational Education and Training
VTC Vocational Training Centre
VTGF Vocational Training Grant Fund

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