BMC - NGO MOU reg. Shelter-cum-Study for Street Kids by using Mun Schools - Draft 1


Please give your suggestions reg. the draft below -- prepared by Akanksha Rotary Clubs and other NGOs who have adopted 350 of the 1300 Municipal Schools are especially requested to respond. Should this be separated into 2 proposals -- a) pertaining to night shelter-cum-study only (e.g. no need of 1 iv) ), and b) for involvement in the normal routine? 
Thanks. Vinay

Voluntary Organisation (VO) SPECIAL PROJECT-Street Children Memorandum of Understanding

Introduction

The following document is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a special partnership project between the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (hereinafter referred to as MCGM) and the Voluntary Organisation (hereinafter referred to as VO) in the field of education.
 
This special project is an effort by VO to extend its activities in the field of rehabilitation of street children. Our aspiration is to enhance opportunities for these children by working with the MCGM through the formal school infrastructure, providing support in the form of shelter, education, extra-curricular activities, community support and infrastructure. 

The purpose of this MoU is to lay down the basic terms, conditions and guidelines for this partnership as well as the broad governance structure that will be used to monitor and assess the project.

Note that the initiatives listed here represent the comprehensive sum of all initiatives that VO may undertake - VO reserves the right to select which initiatives are most appropriate for a particular school. For each school that the project covers, VO will put together a specific plan and budget (within the guidelines given here) and pass it on to the relevant authorities for their information. 

Initiatives to be taken up as part of the VO Special Project (VOSP)

Idea
The space in Municipal Schools are free between 6PM and 6AM every day. There is a huge need of space faced by several Vos working with street children.  This idea is bring together the the above supply and demand, wherein the
MCGM provides access and usage of a specified area in the school for the VO to provide shelter and allied services to street children as defined in detail in the sections to follow.

The VOSP will consist of initiatives in four key areas: 

1)      Infrastructural support
a)      VO will provide limited infrastructural support to schools under the VOSP:
i)        VO will assign a corpus of not more than Rs. X Lakhs per school for the improvement and upkeep of infrastructure in the school in the first year of the project for that school. 
ii)       VO will further assign a corpus of not more than Rs. Y Lakhs per school per year in all future years towards maintenance of school infrastructure
iii)     The detailed budget and investment plan for each school will be drawn up by VO in consultation with the school HM(s) and permission from the AO (Schools). VO will retain full discretion on what investments it chooses to make in the school. 
iv)     Areas typically covered under this support may include 
a.       Painting and repair of school premises
b.       Temporary boarding and loadging facilities
c.       Installation of soft-boards
d.       Renovation of bathrooms
e.       Provision of basic furniture
f.        Renovation of drinking water facilities
g.       Renovation of flooring
h.       Electrical work
v)      VO may tie up with other organisations / individuals to provide this support .
vi)     All activities related to this expenditure will be coordinated / implemented by VO with relevant permissions for MCGM authorities.

2)      Extra-curricular support

a)      VO will start extra-curricular classes
i)        The initial list of activities includes music, sports/PT, art, dance drama and elocution. VO will have the discretionary right to decide which activities to put in for each individual school. 
ii)       MCGM will provide space for these activities free of charge. School ground if available will be made available for the use of the VO. 
iii)     All staff related to these activities (including both extra-curricular teachers and assistants) will be recruited by VO and will be on VO rolls; VO will provide these teachers with training where required. 
iv)     VO will have the right to design curriculum for the extra-curricular activities.
v)      VO will conduct independent assessments of the progress made by these children in these extra-curricular classes. 
vi)     VO will be free to tie up with other organisations / individuals to provide these activities.

b)      VO may set up and run a book and toy library in the school 
i)        VO will be responsible for the selection of books and toys for the library.
ii)       The library / reading room will be available to all students of the school.
iii)     The library / reading room will be accessible to students only during school hours at certain pre-specified times.
iv)     VO will be responsible for the recruitment of staff for the library who will be on VO rolls. This will include a library teacher and library assistants as required.
v)      The books / toys in the library will be the property of VO but will be used only for children in the school to which they are assigned. 
vi)     The MCGM will provide space to house the library within the school premises free of charge.
vii)   The VO foundation will be free to seek out and use tie-ups with other organisations to set up the library.
viii)  VO will put a computer in each library to maintain records. This computer will be the property of VO, but electricity charges for it will be borne by MCGM. The computer will be used only for purposes related to the
library and will not be used for any commercial purposes.

c)      VO may set up and conduct computer classes in the school: 
i)        Computers in the computer class will be the property of VO; VO will bear all expenses related to installation and maintenance of these computers.
ii)       MCGM will provide the space for the computer centre and will bear all electricity charges.
iii)     The computer centre will be used only for children enrolled in the project - it shall be put to no commercial purposes. 
iv)     VO will be responsible for developing and implementing curriculum in the centre.
v)      All teaching staff related to the centre will be recruited by VO and will be on VO rolls. VO shall take full responsibility for training of this staff .
vi)     Computer classes will be conducted within specified hours. 
vii)   VO will conduct independent assessments of the progress made by these children in these extra-curricular classes. 
viii)  VO will be free to tie up with other organisations / individuals to provide these activities.

3)      Educational inputs
a)      VO to conduct English, Language and Math study classes for children in order to improve the children's literacy and numeracy skills 
i)        Classes to be held for one hour a day during school hours (time tables for this to be worked out in discussion with school HM / staff).
ii)       VO to staff classes with teachers on its rolls; VO to be responsible for recruitment, training and evaluation of these teachers. Recruitment to be subject to VO guidelines.
iii)     VO to conduct independent student assessments to measure progress in these classes - results to be shared with MCGM. 
iv)     VO will design and implement the curriculum based on their baseline assessment.
v)      Classes will be conducted in the school premises itself in the spaces allotted.

b)      VO to conduct vocational classes for the children:
i)        VO to staff classes with teachers on its rolls; VO to be responsible for recruitment, training and evaluation of these teachers. Recruitment to be subject to VO guidelines.
ii)       VO to conduct independent student assessments to measure progress in these classes - results to be shared with MCGM. 
iii)     Classes will be conducted in the school premises itself in the spaces allotted.

4)      Health and Nutrition

5)      Shelter

General guidelines
a)      VO will implement this project in the selected schools for a period of two years. At the end of the two years, VO and the MCGM will jointly review the progress made in the school and decide whether the project in that school is to be continued / terminated. 
b)      The selection of schools to be included in the project will be done by VO.
c)      For each school, VO will write and submit a detailed one year plan outlining the activities to be conducted in each school. This plan will be for information of MCGM and can be used by MCGM to track progress of the project in each school. 
d)      VO staff will have permission to be present in the school throughout the academic year
e)      In the pursuance of these activities, VO will have the right to bring volunteers / VO staff into the school premises to assist the full time staff there.
f)       VO will have the right to undertake evaluation and training for all its employees in the way it sees fit. This may include visits of other VO staff to the school premises.
g)      To enable MCGM to monitor the work being done at each school, VO will submit the following report:
i)        A six-monthly activity report to the AMC of MCGM summarising the progress made by the VO Special Education Project across all schools. This will be discussed in a meeting between the AMC and VO representatives. 
ii)       An annual expenditure report summarising both capital and current expenditures incurred by VO in each school. This will be consistent with the VO annual audited results for that year.
h)      The co-ordinator for the VOSP from the MCGM side will be the DMC (Edcuation).
i)        VO will appoint an overall project coordinator for the Special Education Project. In addition, we may appoint assistant coordinators and other staff to help coordinate the working of the project across schools.