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.

Adolescent Girls’ Education in Somalia (AGES) Endline evaluation

This evaluation of CARE International’s Adolescent Girls Education in Somalia (AGES) programme concludes a four-and-a-half-year effort to track the programme’s impact on various cohorts of girl learners. The evaluation is preceded by three previous evaluations: a baseline (BL) round in late 2019, a Midline 1 (ML1) round in early 2022, and a Midline 2 (ML2) round in early 2023. Three key outcomes for girls are measured through this study: 1) learning outcomes, as measured by numeracy and literacy skills; 2) transitions outcomes, measured by girls’ trajectories since first surveyed, such as whether a girl has progressed in grade levels, or secured gainful employment after their participation in the AGES programme; and 3) sustainable change emerging from shifts in social norms at the community and individual level, as well as strengthened institutional capacities to support inclusive education.
In addition, the programme’s theory of change (ToC) posits that several intermediate outcomes mediate the effect of programme interventions on the primary outcomes. As such, this study also examines progress on several intermediate outcomes: 1) attendance rates, 2) quality of teaching practices, 3) girls’ leadership and life skills, 4) school management and governance, 5) community support for girls’ education, 6) girl’s self-efficacy, 7) strengthened economic circumstances for female youth, and finally, 8) access to social support services.
Importantly, this study comprises evaluations for three separate groups of girls, all recruited into the study at various points in time. The study began with an original baseline cohort of girls participating in the formal education (FE), Alternative Basic Education (ABE), and Non-Formal Education (NFE) programmes. These girls were recruited from schools in the following states, or geographic zone: Banadir, South West State, and Jubaland. The ABE programme focused on accelerated education of basic skills to enable girls to transition into the formal education system, while the NFE programme aimed to equip girls with the skills – both hard and soft – needed to pursue livelihoods, though some NFE girls also transition to the formal education system. These initial groups – whom we collectively refer to as Cohort 1 (C1) or the baseline cohort – were first recruited at BL in 2019, and were funded by the UK’s Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) fund.
Two further cohorts, funded by USAID, were later introduced. Cohort 4, or C4, NFE girls were introduced into the study at ML1, while Cohort 5, or C5, NFE girls were introduced to the study at ML2. As such, unlike the C1 girls, we take the ML1 and ML2 evaluation rounds as the cohort-specific baselines for C4 and C5 NFE girls, respectively, and compare changes in main and intermediate outcomes from those rounds to EL. The USAID expansion of the NFE programming also meant the C4 and C5 Read More...

SISTEMATIZACIÓN DE LA ESTRATEGIA DE SALUD MENTAL DEL PROYECTO ALMA LLANERA DE CARE PERÚ

El presente documento sistematiza la estrategia de salud mental, la cual forma parte del segundo objetivo específico del proyecto “Alma Llanera” de CARE Perú que se viene implementando en las regiones de Tumbes, Piura, La Libertad, Lima y Callao desde septiembre del 2019 hasta agosto de 2023. Las acciones planteadas desde esta estrategia, enmarcadas en un enfoque territorial, apuntan a promover el acceso a servicios de salud mental de personas migrantes y refugiadas en sus ámbitos de intervención de manera integral considerando las variables sociales, políticas, culturales, económicas, entre otras. Todo ello, en el marco de lo establecido por la Ley 30947, Ley de Salud Mental1 (2019) y su Reglamento (Decreto Supremo 007-2020-SA)2 y acorde a los instrumentos internacionales de protección de derechos humanos, en el que el Estado peruano impulsa un proceso de reforma de la atención de salud mental con el fin de implementar un modelo de atención comunitario.
Esta sistematización, orientada desde una mirada comunitaria y participativa, incorpora las voces y saberes de las diferentes personas involucradas en la estrategia: equipo central y regional del proyecto, consultores del proyecto, responsables de la estrategia de salud mental de las DIRIS/DIRESAS/GERESAS, jefe/as y/o responsable de participación social comunitaria de los CSMC, agentes comunitarios de salud y beneficiarios/as del proyecto; a fin de recoger buenas prácticas, lecciones aprendidas y procesos innovadores, que permitan generar aprendizajes internos e interinstitucionales a partir de la implementación de esta estrategia. Las entrevistas individuales y los grupos de discusión fueron las técnicas principales para recolectar la información, complementado con la revisión de documentos concernientes al programa y a la estrategia en particular. 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...

End-line evaluation for Building and Strengthening Healthy households’ Order (BAHO) Project

This endline evaluation assessed the performance and impact of the BAHO/Indashyikirwa project implemented by CARE International Rwanda from September 2022 to August 2024 in Gatsibo and Nyagatare districts of Rwanda. The project aimed to enhance women economic condition by reducing intimate partner violence (IPV) through interventions at household, community and village levels. Key interventions included training of couples on equitable and healthy relationships, reducing gender-based violence (GBV) and increasing women’s economic decision-making power as well as engaging Women from Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), opinion leaders and Community Activists to influence positive change in the target communities. Additionally, the project leveraged digital technology to optimize the program’s reach and effectiveness.
The Building and Strengthening Healthy Households’ Order (BAHO) project was tested on 540 couples (1,000 individuals) with the aim to change attitudes towards violence and control over women’s mobility and finances, promoting positive behaviors such as communication, positive masculinity, shared chores, and joint decision-making.
The study employed a mix of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods including survey questionnaire, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Desk review. Data was collected from all categories of project beneficiaries and partners including trained couples (both using traditional and blended curricula), community activists, opinion leaders, project staff and implementing partners.
A comparative analysis of the findings from both baseline and endline evaluation was performed to examine the project’s impact compared to the situation when it started. Overall, a comparative view of the baseline and endline evaluation findings demonstrate commendable achievements of the BAHO/Indashyikirwa project at both the output and outcome levels, exceeding the initial targets. At the outcome level the project successfully met its target by training 480 couples, totaling 960 individuals, with an equal distribution of 480 males and 480 females. The digital curriculum trained 60 couples (120 individuals) equally divided between males and females. Most importantly, 100% of participants passed all the quizzes, and 100% completed at least 75% of the digitized content. The project trained 228 individuals as community activists (CAs), exceeding the target of 200. This included 124 females and 104 males, with a majority trained through traditional curriculum (192) and the rest (24) through digital curriculum. The project trained 249 community and religious leaders, beyond the initial target of 60 participants. The trained group comprised 147 females and 102 males. 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.
Read More...

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...

The First 1000 Days, Phase III in Sekong and Phongsaly Provinces

The First 1000 Days Project Phase III focuses on improving maternal and child mortality, improving health outcomes for women, adolescents, and children in the first 1,000 days of the life of children in Sekong and Phongsaly Provinces as well as to support poor and vulnerable households in remote, rural areas to facilitate access to and improve the quality of nutrition-related health services for mothers and children and improve food and nutrition security for community members. The project also integrates adolescent sexual reproductive health, women’s economic empowerment, responses to gender based violence, and stakeholder engagement in health.
This report examines the health, nutrition, and economic empowerment of women, adolescents, and children in Phongsaly and Sekong provinces of Laos. The baseline assessment aimed to understand the current situation and identify areas where interventions could have the greatest impact. Data was collected through a combination of surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interview with key stakeholders and interviews with mother of CU5, adolescent (age 15-19), men, healthcare providers, and community leaders.
The results showed that despite high antenatal care (ANC) utilization rates in both Phongsaly and Sekong, there remains room for improvement in overall healthcare delivery, particularly around childbirth. Home births remain common, highlighting the need for increased access to skilled birth attendants at health facilities and mobile outreach services. Sekong lags behind Phongsaly in skilled birth attendance rates.
Another area requiring attention is postnatal care. While attendance is satisfactory, there's potential to improve these services. Additionally, a concerning practice of some women lying over fire after childbirth needs to be addressed due to potential health risks.
Regarding family planning, awareness and usage vary significantly between the two provinces, with Phongsaly showing higher rates. Sekong especially needs increased access to family planning services, while both provinces could benefit from addressing confidentiality concerns surrounding these services, particularly in Phongsaly.
Food and nutrition security presents a significant challenge, as nutrition indicators showed poor nutritional status of children. Stunting rates among children under five are high, particularly in Sekong. Both provinces struggle with low dietary diversity, lacking adequate consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and animal source proteins. While breastfeeding practices show positive trends in early initiation and colostrum feeding, there remains poor long-term rates of exclusive breastfeed. Sekong has lower rates of early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding duration compared to Phongsaly, and even in Phongsaly, many mothers wean before the recommended 6 months. Read More...

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