The Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) Project (P166415), funded by the World Bank with a budget of US$425 million, seeks to assist Tanzania in harnessing the potential of higher education to drive economic development and transformation. The Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST) is responsible for its implementation within the country. The project is scheduled to operate from September 2021 to July 2026, spanning a period of five years.

The Project Development Objective(PDO) is to strengthen the learning environments and labor market orientation of programs in priority disciplines and the management of the higher education system.

The implementation of the project focuses to support the following areas:

• Area 1: Construction or rehabilitation of infrastructure

• Area 2: Updating curriculum and introducing innovative pedagogical methodologies

• Area 3: Promoting applied research and innovation capacity

• Area 4: Building functional linkages with private sector/industry

• Area 5: Strengthening use of digital technology

• Area 6: Promoting self-generated income

• Area 7: Building capacity of academic staff and Institution leadership

The Eastern Africa Statistical Training Centre (EASTC) is one of the higher education institutions that have received financial support from the World Bank (WB) through MoEST to implement the project. The Centre has been granted $ 2,654,577.67, equivalent to TZS 6,130,959,495.08, to execute this project under sub-component 2.2. This sub-component focuses on promoting quality improvements in selected non-university institutions and fostering public-private partnerships in the delivery of programs in priority disciplines.
The Centre formalized its commitment to the project by signing a grant agreement with the Ministry on 01/12/2022, marking the effective date for commencing the project's implementation. The project's execution is guided by the Institution Strategy Investment Plan (ISIP).

EASTC Rector, Dr. T.M. Katunzi (left), signing the grant agreement with Dr. Fransis Michael, PS-MoEST, on 01/12/2022 at the MoEST Office in Dar es Salaam

In implementing the Project within project areas, EASTC will:

1. Construct and furnish One (1) Academic Block consisting of Lecture Halls, Class rooms and offices to support inclusive education
2. Rehabilitate existing hostel buildings to cater for people with special needs
3. Construct landscaping and walk ways to connect EASTC buildings and support people with special needs.
4. Digitize library resources
5. Develop and review curricula
6. Create capacity for Research, consultancy and Innovation for Industrial-Centred Research addressing local challenges, and impactful innovations
7. Develop and managed EASTC Journal Information System
8. Support Industrial Training
9. Develop and implement Learning Management System (LMS) to support delivery of blended learning (MOODLE)
10. Improve Internal application systems
11. Improve Network connectivity
12. Improve Entrepreneurial skills for Income Generating Unit (IGU)
13. Support Institutional Project Coordination and Management

• The Consultant has completed the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (EIA)
• The Centre has obtained the EIA Certificate.
• The Consultant is currently conducting a Design Review on civil works.

• Tracer study for Curriculum Development has been completed.
• Situation analysis for curriculum review has been completed.
• Curriculum writing is in progress.
• Environmental and Social Safeguards Documents prepared
• Gender Documents Prepared
• Integration of ICT internal systems to enhance business processes is in progress.
• The EASTC-Industrial Advisory Committee has been launched.
• The Moodle platform to enhance teaching and learning has been developed and is functional: Moodle platform

• Procurement of a field motor vehicle has been completed.
• Procurement of 60 Desktop Computers has been completed.
• Procurement of 8 Access Points at the Campus is in progress.
• Procurement of a Power Edge R650 Server and a Windows server (1) for the Digitization of the library is in progress.