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.

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

Baseline Report Evaluation of the CASCADE Programme in Uganda

The Global Alliance for Advanced Nutrition (GAIN) and CARE, with support from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, developed the CAtalyzing Strengthened policy aCtion for heAlthy Diets and resilience (CASCADE) programme application. The overarching goal of CASCADE is to improve food security and reduce malnutrition for at least 5 million women of reproductive age (WRA) and children in Benin, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia,
and Mozambique between June 2022 and December 2026. AIR® partnered with GAIN and CARE to design and conduct rigorous mixed methods impact evaluations of the CASCADE programme in the six target countries. The evaluations will answer questions about CASCADE’s causal impact, strengths, and challenges. The impact evaluation focuses on those aspects of the programme that are implemented at the beneficiary level. The evaluation team will also conduct, in 2027, a process evaluation to assess policy and systems-level change as well as implementation fidelity with support from local country teams.
The primary purpose of this baseline report is to document and describe the study sample in Uganda prior to the start of the programme, and to test for equivalence at baseline between the treatment and comparison groups. This report first explains the context, details, and motivation behind the CASCADE programme. Subsequently, it explains the theory of change (ToC), research questions, study design, baseline data collection, sample description, baseline measures of key indicators and domains, and baseline equivalence between the treatment and comparison groups. Lastly, the report provides insights about the nutritional status at baseline of the target population and identifies key areas to guide activities by the programme implementation team. Read More...

System Level Impact Evaluation Report on Categorization-based Farmer ID (FID) System in Nepal

This report highlights CARE's transformative initiatives through the Farmer Identity (FID) Card system, which significantly benefitted landless individuals, women, persons with disabilities, Dalits, Janajatis, and other marginalized groups in Nepal. Conducted from May to June 2024, the comprehensive impact evaluation utilized a participatory approach and contribution analysis to assess the impacts of the FID system. Key findings illustrate how the FID Card system has been integrated into local and federal agriculture policies, enhancing access to services for marginalized farmers and empowering communities. The report details the significant changes in agriculture policy, improved accountability, reduced discrimination, and enhanced social norms resulting from the intervention. The evaluation also identifies challenges and sustainability factors, providing actionable recommendations for future advocacy and implementation strategies.

Total Page Count: 67 Read More...

SATH (Self-Applied Technique for Quality Health Tool) Systems Level Impact Evaluation

Poor and marginalized women often encounter obstacles in accessing healthcare information and services in Nepal. In response to this equity gap, CARE Nepal introduced a social mapping tool named Self-Applied Technique for Quality Health (SATH) within Health Mothers’ Groups (HMGs) . The objective of this approach is to enhance women's access to health services and information, empowering them to take informed actions based on their learnings. Since 2008, CARE Nepal has implemented SATH in over 3,100 HMGs across 42 districts out of 77, through various projects. To assess the effectiveness of SATH, evaluation reports, case studies, relevant articles, and policy documents were reviewed and analyzed. It was found that SATH significantly contributes to strengthening the community health system by fostering women's involvement in health matters and operationalizing HMGs. Moreover, the tool aids in generating demand for, and utilization of, healthcare services by empowering women and supporting advocacy efforts.

As a result of these positive outcomes, the Government of Nepal adopted SATH as a successful approach under the Equity, Access, and Utilization Program in 2021. This initiative aims to improve access to, and utilization of, child health and nutrition services among marginalized communities, and it has since been expanded nationwide. This milestone marked a significant achievement in localizing the SATH tool within Nepal's health policy framework. CARE Nepal's rigorous policy advocacy played a pivotal role in this integration, highlighting its commitment to advancing maternal, newborn and child health initiatives. Read More...

Pakistan Multi-sector Integrated Emergency Response – Phase 2

Care Pakistan, Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP) and Fast Rural Development Programme (FRDP) jointly implemented DEC funded project titled, “Multi-Sector Integrated Emergency Response project to support the recovery of flood-affected people in Districts Dadu and Badin, Sindh province. The primary goal of the project was to deliver a comprehensive range of services to recover the needs of individuals affected by the floods. This initiative aimed to enhance the affected population's resilience and aid in their recovery from the aftermath of the floods. The following five project outcomes were designed to deliver an integrated response to the needs generated by the damages caused by the floods in terms of 1) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), 2) Education, 3) Protection, 4) Livelihood and 5) MPCA:

Increased access to clean drinking water for flood affected communities in target areas and provide better facilities for vulnerable groups.

Improved learning environment for children enrolled in schools in flood affected target area

Increased protection services to communities

Increased livelihood support to communities

Awareness raising and capacity building regarding the DRR.
CARE Pakistan intended to conduct endline evaluation of the project and contracted a consultancy firm, CDMSD to assess performance of the project on Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Development Assistance Committee (DAC) OECD-DAC criteria (Relevance, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact and Sustainability) and document its achievements, challenges, best practices, and the learning aspects for all stakeholders, with the aim of informing future similar programming. Further to assess the project strategies and interventions on and their quality criteria with specific focus on DNH, participation, inclusion and accountability strategies of the project.
The consultant employed a mixed approach comprised of qualitative and quantitative data to collect primary data and desk review for secondary data collection. 404 households were interviewed through sample beneficiary survey beside 10 FGDs with men and women and 16 Key Informant Interview conducted with project staff and relevant stakeholders. Appropriate quality control measures were put in place to ensure completeness and accuracy of the collected data. Read More...

Gender Equity and Resilience in Malawi: Insights from Titukulane RFSA Outcome Harvesting

Titukulane aims to build resilience and improve food security in rural Malawi through approaches that advance gender equality by addressing key constraints for women and girls. These constraints include the gender division of labor, intra-household decision-making, and access to productive resources. Gender equality is critical to achieving the broader objectives of Titukulane, as it directly affects agricultural productivity, economic empowerment, and the resilience of households and communities. By promoting women's and youth's active participation in leadership roles and community decision making processes, Titukulane seeks to ensure more sustainable and equitable outcomes in resilience building activities.

Building off the earlier Gender Outcome Mapping, the 2024 Outcome Harvest evaluated Titukulane’s impact on five gender equality interventions, which included:
- More women are now asking men for help with household chores, freeing up time for rest and family care.
- Men are becoming active in tasks traditionally viewed as women’s work, including child feeding and housekeeping.
- Women have greater influence over nutritional choices, especially in food purchasing and household meal distribution, though cultural norms still limit their authority over assets like land and livestock.
- More women are stepping into community leadership roles, though these roles are typically less influential than men’s.
- Community attitudes towards GBV are shifting, with more cases reported and discussed openly. Men and youth are increasingly vocal against GBV, fostering greater awareness. Read More...

Strengthening Household Ability to Respond to Development Opportunities (SHOUHARDO) III Plus Executive Summary

The Strengthening Household Ability to Respond to Development Opportunities (SHOUHARDO) III Plus is a two-year activity (2022-2024, extended to January 2025) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This initiative aims to enhance food security, resilience, and income for 168,521 Poor and Extreme Poor (PEP) households in the remote Char and deep Haor regions of Bangladesh. By focusing on income diversification, sustainable agriculture, market access, financial services, and nutrition, the program emphasizes gender equity, governance, disaster risk reduction, environmental considerations, and private sector engagement to maximize its impact.

The project engages local service providers (LSPs) to connect communities with government and private sector resources, promoting the consumption of nutritious foods and micronutrients, particularly for children under five, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls. The intervention spans eight districts: four in the Char region (Kurigram, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, and Jamalpur) and four in the Haor region (Netrokona, Kishoreganj, Habiganj, and Sunamganj).

No of Pages: 49 Read More...

Executive Summary – Curiosity Collective II: Are VSLA feminist platforms for gender transformation?

Report Length -3
This executive summary draws on the findings from Curiosity Collective II, a study conducted in early 2020 in West Africa, with a focus on the gender-transformative potential of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). The research evaluates how VSLAs can be a platform for challenging patriarchal structures that normalize violence and discrimination against women and girls. It applies CARE's Gender Equality Framework, which operates across three domains: Agency, Relations, and Structure. Over six days, the study assessed 13 VSLAs (both women-only and mixed groups) across Niger and Côte d'Ivoire, engaging local NGOs and feminist groups to explore VSLAs' roles in promoting gender transformation.

The study offers key recommendations, such as developing gender-based measurement tools, investing in women-only VSLA groups, integrating GBV risk mitigation, and engaging men and boys to challenge patriarchal norms. Additionally, it advocates for linking VSLA women to local women’s rights organizations to enhance political participation and addressing exclusion by adapting VSLAs to include marginalized groups such as LGBTQ+ individuals and survivors of violence. Read More...

Curiosity Collective II : Are VSLA feminist platforms for gender transformation?

CARE has worked with Village Savings and Loans Associations (VLSAs) since 1991. Their success has been primarily measured, since then, in terms of women’s economic agency. However, there is evidence that VSLAs have broader impacts, particularly in relation to gender equality for women and
girls. To date, there has still been little consistent investment in capturing these gender transformational impacts such as how VSLAs have promoted women’s dignity, women’s voice, challenged gender stereotypes and dismantled patriarchal power dynamics; all of which are changes CARE seeks in its gender equality framework.

This paper focuses on the gender transformative aspects of the VSLAs. It explores how VSLAs can be a platform to challenge patriarchal structures that discriminate against and normalize violence against women and girls. It builds on a Meta Evaluation, Curiosity Collective I carried out by the West Africa region Read More...

Curiosity Collective : Evidence of Social Changes for Women in Savings Groups

CARE has been working with Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) since it first launched the model in Niger in 1991. Over the years, VSLAs have reached more 7.6 MILLION members to form 357,000 groups in 51 countries. 81% of these members are women.

The economic impacts of the groups are well documented. Women and men in VSLA groups save between an estimated $400 and $700 million each year. In West Africa, 3.2 million women participate in VSLA. The savings and credit can be transformational, helping women start businesses, pay school fees, and access emergency loans when they have a crisis in the family. A randomized controlled trial of VSLAs conducted by Innovations for Poverty Action showed that VSLAs substantially increased women’s access to financial services, income, and ability to start businesses.

Perhaps more important, but less formally documented, is the impact that VSLAs have on women themselves, and the social fabric of their communities. Anecdotally, women themselves often point to increases in self-confidence, independence, and a greater belief in their own ability to change things in their lives, as the VSLA impacts that are most important to them. For example, one woman in Niger says, “[VSLA]1 has opened my eyes
and now I do not hide anymore and I speak a lot.”

Read More...

Political Economy Analysis in the Sundarbans and Hakaluki Haor Ecologically Critical Areas

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