Here in CARE International’s Evaluation e-Library we make all of CARE’s external evaluation reports available for public access in accordance with our Accountability Policy.

With these accumulated project evaluations CARE International hopes to share our collective knowledge not only internally but with a wider audience.

Looking for something specific? You can filter the evaluations using the dropdown menus on the right side of the screen.

If you have an evaluation or study to share, please e-mail the document to ejanoch@care.org for posting.

Baseline Study Report of Flash Flood and Lightning

The baseline study concerning the impact of flash floods and lightning on the SUFAL-II project aims to analyze the context of flash floods and lightning, assess the scopes of the Early Warning System, and examine current trends of of hazard-specific responses taken by individual, community, and institutional levels. The objective of this project is to bolster the capabilities of vulnerable communities and institutions in Bangladesh to implement forecast-based early actions. The study employed a mixed-method approach, amalgamating both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques. This was done to assess the context, accessibility, usage, and potential of early warning systems and early actions for mitigating the risks associated with the flash floods and lightning hazards.
The study encompassed three districts prone to flash floods, namely Sylhet, Sunamganj, and Netrokona. For the treatment group areas, the selected Upazilas were Gowainghat, Dharmapasha, and Khaliajuri and for control group areas, the selected areas were Sylhet Sadar, Sunamganj Sadar, Madan.
Data was collected from 502 households, 12 focus group discussions, and 19 key informant interviews. The study's findings indicate that flash floods and lightning are recurrent and severe hazards that pose significant threats to the communities lives, assets, and livelihoods. These hazards are disproportionately affect women, individuals with disabilities and farmers. The study also identified several shortcomings in the existing early warning systems, including issues related to timeliness, quality, coverage, accessibility, comprehension, and trust.

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Adolescent Girls’ Education in Somalia (AGES) Post Project Evaluation Summaries

The Adolescent Girls’ Education in Somalia (AGES) project is an ambitious six-year initiative (2018-2024) funded by FCDO and USAID, which sought to enable 83,925 ultra-marginalized girls and female youth living in conflict-affected areas of Somalia to access quality education responsive to their needs. AGES combines the provision of three education modalities with financial literacy, youth savings groups, life skills, mentorship, and girl-led civic action. AGES enrolled a total of 90,698 girls in education, including 21,945 in primary education; 1244 in formal special needs schools; 13,276 in accelerated basic education (ABE); and 54,233 in non-formal education classes (NFE). This series of briefs highlights results on different components of results from the post-project evaluation.
Additionally, The Adolescent Girls’ Education in Somalia (AGES) project worked to improve learning outcomes and positive transitions for 90,698 extremely vulnerable girls and female youth in South Somalia. AGES research showed that vulnerable girls’ limited self-confidence and voice hinders participation in class, with a negative impact on learning, particularly among girls with disabilities and displaced youth. To address this barrier, AGES
formed school-based clubs known as Girls’ Empowerment Forum (GEF). Through the GEF, vulnerable students participate in activities to develop leadership skills with support from mentors and are linked to resource
persons within the community. They are trained to act as peer mentors within their schools and community, reaching out to other girls to provide support, and engaging in joint advocacy and action. GEF participants
work together to develop plans to address issues of their choice through girl-led action. GEF mentors and peer mentors are also trained on psychosocial first aid, providing support to those affected by shocks. In 2020-2024, AGES established 911 Girls’ Empowerment Forums with a total of 9,110 members. The GEFs were connected through 18 district-level networks. Read More...

Supporting meaningful civic engagement for improved accountability by leveraging digital technologies (Ref: ISAF-II) 2019-2023

This is the end of project Evaluation for CARE’s Implementation of Social Accountability Framework (ISAF) Project. Phase two of the ISAF was implemented in five target provinces (Ratank Kiri, Mondul Kiri, Koh Kong Kratie, and Stung Treng) over 50 months (2019-2024). ISAF II aimed to reduce poverty through democratic, inclusive, and equitable local governance and more accessible and equitable public service delivery. ISAF II worked with local Non-governmental Organisation (LNGOs) that were provided grants through the project and citizens of the five targeted provinces who received improved services (commune, health centres and primary schools).
Objective of the Evaluation
The overall objective of the end of project evaluation is to provide a full assessment of the intended goals and objectives of the action including the treatment of key evaluation questions and using the six Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development / Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC) criteria; relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability. The evaluation also aims to capture best practices, challenges, and lessons learned during the project intervention, and provide clear recommendations for CARE, the National Committee for Sub-national Democratic Development (NCDD), European Union (EU), World Bank and other relevant Development Partners and stakeholders for future interventions. The evaluation will measure the impact and progress against the project’s logical framework. The evaluation will assess all three sectors (commune administration, health centres, and school services) in all five selected provinces under CARE’s mandate.
End of project respondents were chosen from key project participants: citizens, youth (aged 15 to 30 years old), local authorities/services providers (commune and district levels, healthcare centres and primary schools) and Community Accountability Facilitators (CAFs). A total of 649 respondents were interviewed for the evaluation. Data collection was conducted with a team of 10 data collectors in December 2023. Read More...

Unlocking the Potential of Women-led Micro & Small Enterprises: Lessons from the IGNITE project in Pakistan, Peru, and Vietnam

Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are the economic backbone of most economies worldwide, increasing employment and reinvesting in local communities. In emerging markets, there are 365-445 million micro, small, and medium enterprises. However, 80% of women-owned small businesses with credit needs are either unserved or underserved, representing a $1.7 trillion USD financing gap.

CARE’s Ignite program, launched in partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, focused on supporting micro and small enterprises, especially those led by women, in Pakistan, Peru, and Vietnam
between 2020 and 2023.

Ignite took a market-based approach to service delivery that was sustainable and scalable by working with over 35 local partners across the three countries, 11 of which were core service delivery partners. These partnerships opened up much-needed access to financial and digital resources, while building entrepreneurs’ business capacity and networks.

Ignite set out to reach 3.9 million entrepreneurs in three years with $5.26 million USD in grant funding from Mastercard. The program exceeded initial goals, reaching more than nine million entrepreneurs, and unlocking access to $154.9 million USD in loans. More than 150,000 entrepreneurs were deeply supported with loans, critical support services, and training.

The commercial value in supporting women-led MSEs is irrefutable. Global data continues to show this and,
together with Ignite financial service provider partners, CARE has proved it. Despite this, gender bias continues to permeate throughout financial institutions the world over. CARE is calling on all financial service providers to read the proof in this report that women are better financial clients, to support the drive for 100% financial inclusion for women, and to invest in reaching this goal. Read More...

Ella Alimenta Al Mundo Linea de Base/Baseline She Feeds the World Colombia

El proyecto Ella Alimenta al Mundo busca facilitar las condiciones para que mujeres productoras estén empoderadas y cuenten con medios de vida más seguros y resilientes para la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional de ellas y su comunidad. Tiene como objetivo fortalecer el papel de las mujeres productoras a pequeña escala en cadenas de valor seleccionadas y mejorar los vínculos con los actores del mercado, incluida potencialmente la cadena de suministro de PepsiCo, para garantizar ingresos sostenibles y estables.
El presente documento corresponde al estudio de línea base que presenta los resultados en relación con la situación inicial y el contexto que viven las familias participantes del proyecto en los municipios de Pasto, Ipiales, Pupiales y Gualmatán del departamento de Nariño.
El análisis se orienta a dar a conocer las condiciones actuales con relación al empoderamiento económico de las mujeres, inclusión financiera, cadenas de valor inclusivas, procesos de comercialización justos y procesos productivos sostenibles, desarrollo de resiliencia y desarrollo de las asociaciones. De igual manera enfatiza en conocer las necesidades de capacitación en agricultura adaptativa, vinculación con el mercado, gestión financiera, prácticas de nutrición; de tal manera que sea posible fortalecer capacidades de la comunidad, especialmente mujeres para crear recursos propios y mejorar los vínculos con otros actores del mercado.
Brinda un análisis desde el enfoque de género que parte de la comprensión de cómo las relaciones de género influyen en todos los aspectos de una comunidad, tanto en el ámbito productivo como social. La distribución de tareas de las mujeres y de los hombres de un grupo social específico permiten comprender la dinámica de las relaciones de género, el apoyo mutuo, el intercambio, las cargas de trabajo con relación a otras labores, como son las tareas de cuidado y sostenimiento de la vida en el hogar.
La recolección, sistematización y análisis de la información fue realizada por el equipo consultor Tierra que Anda entre los meses de septiembre a noviembre de 2023.
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Lafiyayyan Yara (Healthy Child) – Reducing Infections Disease Among Children Under Five (RIDCU) Bade LGA, Yobe State

The Lafiyayyan Yara (Healthy Child): Reducing Infectious Disease among Children under Five (RIDCU-5) project was a 27-month private donor funded project implemented from October 2021 through December 2023. The project strengthened health systems in Bade Local Government Area (LGA) of Yobe state by providing required equipment and medication for health facilities, increasing capacity of health personnel to use approved diagnostic methods, and engaging the community to improve uptake of health services.
The primary objective of the evaluation was to assess the project's performance and document its achievements, challenges, and best practices to guide future similar programming; and provide recommendations to CARE Nigeria and its partners to make informed decisions and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of future initiatives.
Effectiveness
Evidence from the desk review showed that the project made remarkable progress towards reducing mortality in under-5 children through a community-based health systems strengthening approach that ensures that communities receive a core package of services. The major factors that influenced the effectiveness and achievement of the project results were the use of community structures (community health volunteers, model mothers, and community-based surveillance focal points), capacity building, the referral system and the Social Analysis and Action (SAA) approach through community dialogues, supportive supervision, routine monitoring visits and facility health promotion session. The SAA approach also helped to shift practices related to family planning, immunization and poor health seeking behavior, as evidenced from the qualitative findings.
Efficiency
In both the design and implementation of the project activities, CARE International RIDCU5 team ensured that the project was efficient. The project design allowed the RIDCU5 project to train and work with community members as volunteers and adequately build their capacity and work collaboratively with local partners and relevant stakeholders. The use of community structures and local partners made the project implementation cost effective and created the opportunity for sustainability.
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The project’s design engaged community volunteers1 to serve as model mothers, community-based surveillance focal points, feedback and accountability volunteers, and community health volunteers, has enabled the project to increase community mobilization through a cost-effective approach. Through the community referral system, and health promotion sessions, many women were reached through the activities of the community volunteers.
Impact
Findings showed that the objectives and activities of the CARE RIDCU5 project were relevant in addressing the humanitarian needs of Bade Local Government communities. The weekly dialogue session with model mothers helped to address social norms and practices that negatively impact maternal and child health and the strengthened detection and referral of infectious disease (acute respiratory illness, malaria, diarrhea, and measles) through community-based surveillance (CBS) that included door-to-door visits and referrals for care. Also, health promotion sessions and supportive supervision in the 22 health facilities of the implementation contributed to quality of services. The project was able to respond largely to the needs of the target groups, including Community Health Workers (licensed and volunteers); children under five and their caregivers; pregnant and postpartum women and adolescent girls through support to strengthen referral systems, community engagement approaches to improve health behaviors and accountability of the health system as well as capacity building and provision of supplies and equipment to improve health service delivery.
Sustainability
The involvement of community volunteers assisted in the community ownership of the project. At present, community volunteers and community leaders, who benefited from the training conducted by CARE International, are engaged in community mobilization and awareness creation among community members on various aspects of the project. Respondents reported that that through the knowledge gained from CARE international, they were able to strengthen their cooperation among each other. The project has also built the capacity of the local partners and community members in a sustainable way through supportive supervision and training for health care workers and volunteers to improve and enhance their capacity to diagnose and detect infectious diseases. Read More...

Impact Case Study and Documentation of the Tea, Herbs and Spices Farmer’s Situation and Experiences in the Phase I of Her Money, Her Life Project Implementation

CARE International's two-year Her Money, Her Life (HMHL) project (2021-2023), funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, aims to empower and economically uplift women farmers in Tanzania's tea sub-sector. In collaboration with Kazi Yetu Limited and key industry partners, the project targets 150,000 individuals, including 30,000 tea smallholder farmers (80% women). HMHL project builds on CARE's Agri Fund model with aim of investing in women to increase independence and economic opportunities to boost quality, quantity and diversification in Tanzania’s tea sub-sector. The impact study, conducted by Solveris Consulting Limited in November 2023, assesses the project's outcomes across seven districts in four regions, offering valuable insights into its effectiveness.
carried out by Kazi Yetu, funded by the project's grant. This ROI is expected to be more than doubled (188%) in 2025. The partnership between Kazi Yetu and stakeholders
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significantly impacts the specialty tea sector, showcasing rapid grant recovery/factory’s investment rate of return within 2.5 years. The project fosters economic viability and tangible benefits for farmers, contributing to positive transformation in livelihoods. Kazi Yetu's project interventions, highlighted by the SSTC demonstration factory, bring substantial and lasting benefits to farmers. Premium prices for green leaf tea sales, employment opportunities, and transformative training initiatives have significantly increased income for women tea farmers. The project's emphasis on value addition, including a solar dryer in Bumbuli, enhances product quality and market opportunities. Diversification into tea, herbs and spices production and commissions from bulk orthodox tea sales further contribute to income streams. The project's impact extends nationally, shaping the tea strategy and promoting specialty tea. The success of SSTC has catalysed national interest, leading to scaling efforts and increased global recognition for Tanzanian tea, enhancing market opportunities. Effectiveness of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) on Collective Investment: VSLAs demonstrate a significant 30% increase in women's involvement from 46% during baseline to 60% now, indicating successful interventions that contribute to economic resilience and social cohesion. Regional variations underscore localized impacts. Additionally, the study reveals that the majority of respondents (87%) comprising 89% females and 84% males reported their VSLAs engaging in collective investments using mobilised savings. This level of collective engagement in collective investments through VSLAs is approximately double the baseline figure (47%). The investments take various forms, including small businesses, transportation equipment, and livestock husbandry. Further evidence suggests that collective investments have enhanced VSLAs' capital, improved members' access to loans, and overall increased income through dividends from collective investments. Read More...

“FORTALECIENDO EL MOVIMIENTO DE TRABAJADORAS REMUNERADAS DEL HOGAR A TRAVÉS DEL APRENDIZAJE Y LA TECNOLOGÍA

Resumen ejecutivo
Descripción general Este documento expone un resumen de los hallazgos de la evaluación externa del proyecto “Fortaleciendo el Movimiento de Trabajadoras del Hogar a través del Aprendizaje y la Tecnología”- MovTRH&Tech, financiado por Cummins e implementado en dos fases entre el 2019 y el 2023 en Colombia, México, Brasil y Perú. Usando los criterios de evaluación que propone la OCDE, el informe presenta una valoración de los alcances estratégicos del proyecto, así como, lecciones aprendidas, buenas prácticas conclusiones y recomendaciones.
Hallazgos La pertinencia del proyecto se destaca desde su diseño, ya que, respondió a las necesidades de los movimientos de TRHs, incluyó acciones diferenciadas por país y empleó un enfoque participativo, adaptándose a contextos específicos. Se alineó con prioridades de instituciones y programas, contribuyendo a los ODS 5 y 8, la implementación del Convenio 189 de la OIT, leyes nacionales en México, Perú, Colombia y Brasil, los objetivos del Programa Regional Igual Valor Iguales Derechos, la visión 2030 de CARE y sus indicadores y la iniciativa Cummins Powers Women, entre otros.
El diseño de las aplicaciones contribuyó a la pertinencia, ya que, fueron diseñadas de manera participativa y diferenciada para cada país llevando a que respondieran a las necesidades propias de cada contexto. Así mismo, las campañas de comunicación y marketing contribuyeron a la pertinencia pues su desarrollo fue centrado en la experiencia y participación de las TRH, lo que constituyó un importante éxito para lograr sensibilización a diferentes públicos y ampliar el alcance esperado en un comienzo.
Strengthening the Domestic Workers Movement Through Learning and Technology (Phase III)
This document presents a summary of the findings of the external evaluation of the project “Strengthening the Domestic Workers Movement through Learning and Technology” - MovTRH&Tech, funded by Cummins and implemented in two phases between 2019 and 2023 in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and Peru. Using the evaluation criteria proposed by the OECD, the report presents an assessment of the strategic scope of the project, as well as lessons learned, good practices, conclusions and recommendations.
Findings The relevance of the project stands out from its design, since it responded to the needs of the HRT movements, included actions differentiated by country and used a participatory approach, adapting to specific contexts. It was aligned with priorities of institutions and programs, contributing to SDGs 5 and 8, the implementation of ILO Convention 189, national laws in Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Brazil, the objectives of the Equal Value Equal Rights Regional Program, vision 2030 of CARE and its indicators and the Cummins Powers Women initiative, among others.
The design of the applications contributed to relevance, since they were designed in a participatory and differentiated way for each country, ensuring that they responded to the needs of each context. Likewise, the communication and marketing campaigns contributed to relevance since their development was focused on the experience and participation of HRT, which constituted an important success in raising awareness among different audiences and expanding the scope initially expected. Read More...

Rapid Gender Analysis TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE TO STRENGTHEN ITS HEALTH SYSTEM

This Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) report presents findings from the gender and power analysis carried out in November and December 2023 in Falaba, Kambia, Bonthe, Tonkolili, Kenema, Karene, Kailahun, and Pujehun districts of Sierra Leone. The purpose of the RGA is to understand how gender and social norms, roles, relationships, and dynamics influence health outcomes and health-seeking behavior in Sierra Leone, especially for vulnerable populations. The report will inform the development of CARE’s future health programming and proposed interventions for health funding opportunities.
The document is structured into four primary chapters – Background, Methodology, Findings: Results and Analysis, and Recommendations—each containing sub-chapters. The background section outlines the study’s purpose, objectives, and underlying rationale. The methodology section describes the research design, applied approaches, data collection methods and participant information. The study’s key findings are categorized into distinct thematic areas aligned with CARE's Good Practices Framework for Gender Analysis and includes the following Core Areas of Inquiry:
• Household decision-making, division of labor and control of productive assets
• Control over one’s body
• Access to public spaces and services
• Claiming rights and meaningful participation in public decision-making
The RGA also applies the above domains related to health outcomes, behaviors, and health-seeking behavior, including gender dynamics within the Sierra Leone health system with recognition that unequal gender dynamics gaps impact health care providers and their ability to deliver quality services. Finally, the recommendations section outlines actions or interventions CARE should consider in future programming.
Key Findings:
* Men have more influence over decisions for the household than women—including the seeking of healthcare—and women lack control over key decisions related to sex, marriage, and children, including if and when to use contraception. Women’s mobility is limited by social norms which require male permission for movement.
• Contraceptive use is low. Despite around 70% of people knowing about contraceptives and where to get them, only 50% are currently using them. Many community members believe modern forms of family planning are haram or unhealthy, with anecdotal evidence suggesting there is perception that it promotes extramarital affairs.
• Front Line Health Workers (FLHW) face major barriers to effective service delivery: almost half of FLHWs interviewed are unpaid, effectively operating as volunteers, struggle with difficult living conditions and lack of supplies, and report inequitable treatment between male and female workers.
• There is a lack of evidence-based health information for pregnant women: only 27% of pregnant women in the study reported having received any information related to sexual and reproductive health or associated risks.
• Despite generally positive health-seeking behavior, both women and men are concerned by lack of availability of medicine. Read More...

End Phase Evaluation: Epidemic Control and Reinforcement of Health Services (ECRHS) Phase II Project in Sierra Leone

The Epidemic Control and Reinforcement of Health System Services (ECRHS) project is funded under the German Financial Cooperation (BMZ) with Sierra Leone through KfW. Two phases have been successfully completed during the project implementation. The first phase of the project was launched in November 2015 and ended in 2018. The first phase was originally designed to respond to the Ebola outbreak. The second phase of the ECRHS project was considered an extended phase of the ECRHS I; and started in January 2019. Whereas the primary focus of ECRHSI was on public health emergency response, the aim of phase II of ECRHS is the sustainable establishment of an epidemiological control system, whilst also strengthening the performance of the health system with a focus on reproductive health / self-determined family planning. The purpose of this report therefore is to present findings of the final evaluation of the ECRHS II programme evaluation which was carried out with the general objective of ‘assessing the result and impact of the project goal and outcomes in targeted northern region of Sierra Leone’. Read More...

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