Three-Country Evaluation of I’m Learning! Quality Learning Environment Program

Client:

Save the Children Norway (Redd Barna)

Norad

Geography:

Cambodia

Uganda

Zimbabwe

ServiceS:

Applied research and evaluation

Data analysis, viz, reporting

Program strategy

SectorS:

Education

WASH

Child Protection

Background

Save the Children Norway piloted the I’m Learning! program in Cambodia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe from 2012 to 2017. The project aimed to create a quality learning environments in rural primary schools. Informed was engaged to evaluate the I’m Learning! pilot project, document lessons learned, and present a set of recommendations for Save the Children’s continued program development for participatory school improvement. To summarize the project, Informed reviewed all project documentation and research that had been carried out by the University of Oslo, KAPE, the University of Zimbabwe, and Gulu University. In addition, the Informed team traveled to program sites to carry out focus group discussions and engaging action research workshops with program participants, program staff, and ministry officials. Results were compiled in country-level reports as well as a cross-country summary report. Informed also presented findings and facilitated discussions during Save the Children and Norad strategy meetings.

What is I’m Learning?

The I’m Learning project is based on Save the Children’s Quality Learning Environment Framework. The project uses a participatory approach to help schools assess the quality of their learning environment and use the Quality Learning Environment Framework to guide the School Improvement Planning process.

objectives

  1. Develop three final country program reports that aggregate research, monitoring, evaluation, and learning data.

  2. Create a Summative Report based on the three country program reports that summarize learning across the three pilot sites.

  3. Provide recommendations for future participatory school improvement programming, with the aim of eventually developing a common approach for Save the Children.

Activities

Inception activities: Informed International reviewed all project documentation from the 3 country sites. This included the research carried out by the University of Oslo in partnership with local research institutes. This informed the development of an inception report.

Learning tools and approach: Based on the results of the inception activities, the team developed participatory evaluation tools for data collection.

In-country site visits and data collection: Focus group discussions at the schools gathered perspectives from program participants.

Action learning workshops: Informed carried out engaging and interactive workshops in each country, bringing together program staff, community members, and program participants to reflect on the project through outcome harvesting activities.

Analysis and Reporting: Results were compiled in a variety of formats including country specific reports, case studies, and a summative report. The team also prepared presentations for strategy workshops.