Independent Final Evaluation Combating Exploitive Child Labor in Madagascar September 15, 2012 Report developed and submitted by: Mei Zegers Independent Evaluator Funded by the United States Department of Labor Independent Final Evaluation Combating Exploitive Child Labor in Madagascar September 15, 2012 Report developed and submitted by: Mei Zegers Independent Evaluator Funded by the United States Department of Labor This page intentionally left blank. Independent Final Evaluation of Combating Exploitive Child Labor in Madagascar CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................XII ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................................... XIII MAP OF PROJECT AREAS ............................................................................................ XIV I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1 1.1 Final Evaluation Purpose ...................................................................................2 1.2 Key Areas of Focus for the Final Evaluation Reporting ....................................3 1.3 Overall Approach to the Evaluation ..................................................................3 II. RELEVANCE ..............................................................................................................6 2.1 Project’s Main Strategies/Activities in Cultural, Economic, and Political Context.................................................................................................6 2.2 Accuracy of Project Assumptions ......................................................................7 2.3 Main Obstacles or Barriers That the Project Has Encountered in the Country ..............................................................................................................8 2.4 Midterm Evaluation–Project Adjustments of Implementation and/or Strategy Based on the Findings and Recommendations ....................................8 III. EFFECTIVENESS .....................................................................................................11 3.1 Factors Influencing Success and/or Underachievement of the Objectives ........................................................................................................13 3.2 Effectiveness of Direct Action Interventions ...................................................13 3.2.1 Identification of Project Beneficiary Children .....................................13 3.2.2 Formal Education .................................................................................14 3.2.3 Nutrition and Health Care ....................................................................16 3.2.4 Vocational and Skills Training ............................................................17 3.2.5 Non-formal Education .........................................................................21 3.3 Effectiveness of Specific Project Models ........................................................23 3.3.1 Mentoring Model .................................................................................23 3.3.2 WORTH Micro Savings and Credit Activities ....................................26 3.3.3 Pathways Advancing Viable Education Through Creating Community Ownership and Capacities ...............................................29 3.3.4 Increasing Awareness of the Dangers of Child Labor .........................30 3.4 Child Labor Sectoral-Specific Issues ...............................................................32 3.4.1 Trafficking of Children ........................................................................32 3.4.2 CSEC....................................................................................................33 3.4.3 Agriculture and Livestock Sector ........................................................34 3.4.4 Quarrying .............................................................................................35 3.4.5 Children Working in Fishing ...............................................................35 Page iii Independent Final Evaluation of Combating Exploitive Child Labor in Madagascar 3.4.6 Transporting Heavy Loads ...................................................................36 3.4.7 Domestic Child Labor ..........................................................................36 3.5 Monitoring Systems .........................................................................................37 3.6 Management Strengths and Challenges ...........................................................38 IV. EFFICIENCY .............................................................................................................40 V. IMPACT .....................................................................................................................41 5.1 Impact on Other Organizations Working on Child Labor-Related Issues ................................................................................................................41 5.2 Education Quality ............................................................................................42 VI. SUSTAINABILITY ...................................................................................................43 6.1 Leveraging of Non-project Resources .............................................................44 VII. CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................45 7.1 Key Promising Practices and Lessons Learned ...............................................45 7.2 Key Recommendations ....................................................................................46 ANNEX 1–ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONSIDERATION ............50 ANNEX 2–EVALUATION SCHEDULE ............................................................................52 ANNEX 3–LIST OF INTERVIEWEES ..............................................................................60 ANNEX 4–STAKEHOLDERS’ WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS LIST ..........................69 ANNEX 5–REFERENCES ...................................................................................................72 ANNEX 6–TERMS OF REFERENCE ................................................................................74 I. BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION ...........................................................75 II. PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF EVALUATION ...................................................80 III. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY AND TIMEFRAME ..............................84 IV. EXPECTED OUTPUTS/DELIVERABLES .....................................................89 V. EVALUATION MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT .........................................90 Page iv Independent Final Evaluation of Combating Exploitive Child Labor in Madagascar EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Combating Exploitive Child Labor in Madagascar project was designed and implemented under very difficult humanitarian conditions. A challenging political crisis arose in the country soon after the project was launched, resulting in the need to adapt the project to respond to the crisis. The most significant change in the project design was the ending of collaboration with the government at different levels with a stronger focus on the development of local partnerships with a range of actors. The project, officially launched in October 2008, will end on September 28, 2012. It is being implemented by Pact, Inc. (Pact). A final evaluation of the project was conducted in June 2012. The project was designed to contribute to the elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor (WFCL) in Madagascar using a variety of relatively innovative approaches within this challenging context. The project is referred to in Madagascar as the “Kilonga” project, and will be referred to as such in the present report. Specifically, the objectives of the Kilonga project are to: 1. Prevent WFCL and withdraw current child victims; 2. Strengthen local capacity to combat WFCL and promote education; 3. Conduct public awareness campaigns regarding the adverse effects of child labor and the importance of education; 4. Promote research and put databases on child labor into place; and 5. Promote sustainability of efforts to fight child labor. As stipulated in the Cooperative Agreement, the project targets 9,000 children: 4,500 for withdrawal and 4,500 for prevention. Children are being withdrawn and prevented from Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), domestic servitude, mining, quarrying, farming, and heavy load carrying work in urban and rural areas through seven regional offices. The purpose of the final evaluation is to: 1. Assess whether the project has met its objectives and identify the challenges encountered in doing so; 2. Assess the relevance of the project in the cultural, economic, and political context in the country, as well as the extent to which it is suited to the priorities and policies of the host country government and the United States Department of Labor (USDOL); 3. Assess the intended and unintended outcomes and impacts of the project; 4. Provide lessons learned from the project design and experiences in implementation that can be applied in current or future child labor projects in the country and in projects designed under similar conditions or target sectors; and 5. Assess whether