Benin Mcgovern-Dole Project
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Foreign Agricultural Service, United States Department of Agriculture Benin McGovern-Dole Project FINAL EVALUATION September 2018 Endline Evaluation of Catholic Relief Services’ McGovern‐Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Agreement Number: FFE‐680‐2014‐046‐00 Funding Year: Fiscal Year 2014 Project Duration: 2014‐2018 Implemented by: Catholic Relief Services Evaluation Authored by: Advisem Services Inc. DISCLAIMER: This publication was produced at the request of the United States Department of Agriculture. It was prepared independently by Advisem Services Inc. The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Department of Agriculture or the United States Government. Endline Evaluation of Catholic Relief Services’ McGovern‐Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program FINAL REPORT Presented to Catholic Relief Services Submitted by Advisem Services Inc. Ottawa, Canada September 2018 Endline Evaluation of CRS McGovern‐Dole in Benin – Final Report September 2018 CONTENTS Abbreviations, Acronyms and Symbols ........................................................................................................... iii Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................... v 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Context ........................................................................................................................................ 2 2.2 Project Description ...................................................................................................................... 2 2.3 Evaluation Purpose ..................................................................................................................... 4 3. Methodology ......................................................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Design Framework ...................................................................................................................... 6 3.2 Lines of Enquiry ........................................................................................................................... 6 3.3 Sampling Strategy ....................................................................................................................... 9 3.4 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................. 22 3.5 Challenges, Issues and Limitations ........................................................................................... 25 4. Evaluation Findings .............................................................................................................................. 29 4.1 Relevance .................................................................................................................................. 29 4.1.1 Strategies to Improve Children’s Literacy ..................................................................................... 29 4.1.2 Strategies to Improve Enrollment and Attendance ...................................................................... 32 4.1.3 Strategies to Improve Community Participation and Engagement ............................................. 33 4.1.4 Stakeholder Satisfaction ............................................................................................................... 34 4.2 Effectiveness ............................................................................................................................. 37 4.2.1 Overall Attainment of Targets ...................................................................................................... 38 4.2.2 Results in Improving the Literacy of School‐Age Children ........................................................... 38 4.2.3 Results Increasing the Use of Health and Dietary Practices ......................................................... 53 4.2.4 Evidence from FGDs ...................................................................................................................... 55 4.3 Efficiency ................................................................................................................................... 56 4.3.1 Timely Achievement of Project Objectives ................................................................................... 56 4.3.2 Implementation Efforts and Coordination Between Project Partners ......................................... 57 4.3.3 Monitoring of Project Activities .................................................................................................... 58 4.3.4 Actioning of Recommendations Made in the MTE Report .......................................................... 58 4.4 Sustainability ............................................................................................................................. 59 4.4.1 Activities/Outcomes Most Likely to be Maintained ..................................................................... 59 4.4.2 Contributing Factors to Sustainability .......................................................................................... 64 4.4.3 Government Contribution ............................................................................................................ 64 i September 2018 Endline Evaluation of CRS McGovern‐Dole in Benin – Final Report CONTENTS (CONTINUED) 4.5 Impact........................................................................................................................................ 65 4.5.1 Quantitative Evidence on Desired Effects .................................................................................... 65 4.5.2 Discussion ...................................................................................................................................... 68 5. Conclusion and Lessons Learned ......................................................................................................... 70 5.1 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 70 5.2 Lessons Learned ........................................................................................................................ 71 6. Recommendations ............................................................................................................................... 73 ii Endline Evaluation of CRS McGovern‐Dole in Benin – Final Report September 2018 ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS AND SYMBOLS ACE Agent contractuel de l’État [government contractor] AME Association des mères d’élèves [school mothers’ association] APE Association des parents d’élèves [parent‐teacher association] CCS Head of school district [chef de circonscription scolaire] CFAF African Financial Community franc CI Cours d’initiation [introductory class] CP Cours préparatoire [preparatory class] CRS Catholic Relief Services DAC Development Assistance Committee DANA Direction de l’alimentation et de la nutrition appliquée [Food and Applied Nutrition Directorate] DAS Direction de l’alimentation scolaire [School Feeding Directorate] DEP Direction de l’enseignement primaire [Primary Education Directorate] DID Difference‐in‐difference DIP Direction de l’inspection pédagogique [Pedagogical Inspection Directorate] EGRA Early Grade Reading Assessment FFW Food for Work FGD Focus group discussion GoB Government of Benin INFRE Institut national pour la formation et la recherche en éducation [National Institute for Training and Research in Education] INGO International non‐governmental organization IPTW Inverse probability weighting KII Key informant interview M&E Monitoring and evaluation MEAL Monitoring and evaluation, accountability and learning MEMP Ministère de l’enseignement maternel et primaire [Ministry of Preschool and Primary Education] MGD McGovern‐Dole MTE Mid‐term evaluation NGO Non‐governmental organization ODK Online Data Kit OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development PMF Performance measurement framework iii September 2018 Endline Evaluation of CRS McGovern‐Dole in Benin – Final Report ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS AND SYMBOLS (CONTINUED) PMP Performance monitoring plan PTA Parent‐teacher association PTR Pupil‐teacher ratio RNG Random number generator ROA Rapid organizational assessment SILC Savings and internal lending community SO Strategic objective THR Take‐home ration ToC Theory of change ToRs Terms of Reference UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund US United States of America USAID United States Agency for International Development USDA United States Department of Agriculture WASH Water sanitation and hygiene WEI World Education, Inc. WFP World Food Programme iv Endline Evaluation of CRS McGovern‐Dole in Benin – Final Report September 2018 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The McGovern‐Dole International Food for interventions, to assess project design, Education and Child Nutrition Program implementation, and management, and to (hereafter referred to as McGovern‐Dole) is a provide lessons learned and recommendations