Review of Norwegian support to the project: “Promoting Inter Cultural Collaboration between TaSUBa, University of Stavanger and Stavanger School of Culture”

The Project 
The NOTA-project started in 1998. Phase two was designed in order to contribute to the various institutional capacity building initiatives taking place at Bagamoyo College of Arts (BCA) and focus on strengthening BCA's capacity to implement its Strategic Plan.

Three institutions form the partnership in the NOTA- project II: Bagamoyo College of Arts (BCA). (The college changed its name in 2007 to TaSUBa), Stavanger School of Culture (SSC) and University of Stavanger, Department of Music and Dance (UiS)

The project also collaborates with the Norad Programme for Arts in Education (ACE), managed by the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education(SIU), and Fredskorpset (FK) Norway.

The goals of the NOTA project II are to: promote cultural collaboration between Tanzania and Norway, and contribute to transforming TaSUBa into an effective and efficient Executive Agency.

The support for the period of phase II under review 2006-2008 is 3 mill. NOK. (4.5 mill. NOK is planned for the remaining period (2008-2011).

Interesting Findings

• The overall conclusion of the review of the NOTA project is positive. The project contributes in many ways to TaSUBa:

Capacity development: The level of teaching, the level of students and the level of final production has been raised substantially on account of the project.
Research and documentation: The research and documentation work that is done cannot continue at this point without the support of NOTA. It is important for TaSUBa to provide quality research as a subject in order to raise the academic level and focus on the traditional art forms especially when the institution has to be more respected, competitive and to stand out also internationally as one of its kind.
Management development: The support by NOTA on the management development should be monitored closely in the coming years as this is the contribution that has not been strong enough to this point

• The project contributes also generally towards cultural cooperation between Norway and Tanzania through a number of activities.
• The efficiency of the program is satisfactorily. The outputs in relation to the inputs are higher than could be expected. Particularly is this due to the partner institutions' willingness to contribute to the project with staff within their own budget, and also because the NOTA project has been able to attract other contributions through their collaboration with partners such as Fredskorpset and the ACE program to supplement the funding from MFA.
• The effectiveness of the program is reviewed as satisfactorily at this point. The outcome related to the stipulated objectives in the Project Document has been met and the purposes of the project have been meaningful and are expected to be achieved. However, the support by NOTA on the management development is not showing clear results and must be looked into.
• It is therefore recommended to continue the project for the period 2009-2011. There should however be a plan for "phasing" out the project at the end of the support period, with a focus on sustainability both for the cross-cultural cooperation between Tanzania and Norway, between the partner institutions and for TaSUBa itself.