Case Study

Delivering Supply Chain Solutions to Improve Education Outcomes in Honduras

Supporting the Public Sector Book Supply Chain
Supply Chain Systems Strengthening
A group of schoolchildren pose for a photo

The Challenge

In Honduras, students and teachers in primary schools faced limited access to quality teaching and learning materials (TLM), particularly in Spanish reading. The existing book supply chains were inefficient, fragmented, and lacked sustainability. The Secretaria de Educación (SE) struggled with last-mile distribution, inconsistent enrollment data, and underdeveloped systems for managing and monitoring TLM logistics.  

Our Solution

Improving Last Mile Distribution through Supply Chain Systems Strengthening

Chemonics applied our global expertise in supply chain management to partner with the Honduran SE to strengthen the operations and efficiency of the TLM supply chain through:   

  • Production and Distribution of Quality Materials: Chemonics printed and distributed over 2.1 million TLM sets — including textbooks, teaching guides, and decodable readers — to more than 2,500 schools across 10 departments.  
  • Strengthening Supply Chain Systems: Chemonics optimized the TLM supply chain by delivering professional supply chain management training, introducing a track-and-trace system, establishing stakeholders communications and coordination platforms, and aligning operations with modern supply chain best practices. 
Textbooks, pencils, and calculator stacked on a desk
Two boys reading textbooks at a desk

The Impact

Improved Quality and Availability of Teaching and Learning Materials

Chemonics’ supply chain solutions led to significant improvements in the quality and availability of TLM in public schools in Honduras. 

  • Reach and Scale: Over 340,000 students benefited from the distribution of more than 3 million individual TLMs.  
  • Efficiency Benchmarks: The SE achieved a 98.27% efficiency rate in TLM distribution —delivering nearly all materials on time, with complete documentation and no damages.  
  • Institutional Ownership: The SE successfully led the final distribution phase, demonstrating increased capacity and ownership.  
  • Capacity Building: A new cadre of trained professionals now supports the development and delivery of quality reading materials, ensuring sustainability beyond the project’s lifecycle.