Sector Assistance Program Evaluation on Education in Uzbekistan

 
4. 
Overall Assessment: Top–Down 
67. 
Based on the assessments of the (i) strategic positioning of ADB assistance; (ii) 
contribution to overall development results; and (iii) ADB’s institutional performance, described 
above (paras. 61–63), the overall rating of ADB's strategic and institutional performance (top–
down) is successful (Appendix 7, Table A7.1). 
B. 
Project/Program-Level (Bottom–Up) Performance Assessment 
1. Relevance 
68. 
BETDP.
The post-independence fiscal contraction had reduced the government’s 
capacity to print and distribute textbooks and instruction materials. As part of the modernization 
of education, the government had replaced Cyrillic with Latin script, and the entire set of school 
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The rationale of ADB’s Senior Secondary Education Project was “… to advance its economic and social transition, 
Uzbekistan needs a labor force with new skills and knowledge. The Government aims to establish an education 
system capable of imparting skills and knowledge in a market-oriented economy…” See ADB. 2009. Validation 
Report – Uzbekistan: Senior Secondary Education Project
. Manila (p. 1). 

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textbooks had to be written and produced anew. A new curriculum was to be devised, textbooks 
written, teacher guides prepared, and teachers trained. In a sense, some fundamental reforms 
for Uzbekistan’s transformation to a market-oriented society were in danger of being thwarted 
by the lack of school textbooks. BETDP was relevant
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to Uzbekistan and its education policies. 
It also fitted in well with ADB’s country strategy and its education sector strategy. However, 
project appraisal did not include the foreign exchange cost of importing paper for the textbooks. 
Consequently, the government had to bear the burden of importing paper. The rating for BETDP 
is relevant. 
69.