Evaluation is the systematic assessment of the design, implementation or results of a project for the purposes of developing lessons or decision-making.
Portfolio
CAP – YEI
Signature issue
Right Track Africa (RTA) have been a Learning Partner to the CAP-Youth Empowerment Institute (CAP YEI) is an NGO funded by MasterCard Foundation. CAP YEI implements training programmes for underprivileged youths in Kenya to prepare them for employment and entrepreneurship using the Basic Employability Skills Training (BEST) since 2011. In the first – Demonstration – CAP YEI establishes and operates a training centre where the youth are trained. In the second – Replication – CAP YEI conducts the training in a hosting institution. In the third model – Capacity Building – CAP YEI offers the training to instructors of public/private institutions who are then expected to use BEST elements in their programs. The RTA study was an exploration of how the capacity building model has been implemented, and the lessons that can be drawn to improve its continued application.
Overview
RTA used principles from the Utilization Focused Evaluation (UFE) for the study, and the recommendations are grouped around four primary uses that had been identified by the commissioners of the study (CAP YEI Management), which were: To learn how to select counties to engage with, To learn which VTCs to recruit trainees from, To learn how to support the adoption of BEST Steps learned and To identify external assumptions for adoption and uptake of BEST model.
Kenya’s new constitution has devolved governance of many national services to the county level and the TVET education system is one of those functions. CAP YEI usually introduces an overview of the BEST model to TVET county directors and VTCs managers. CAP YEI staff then develop an interactive relationship with selected VTC instructors to discuss institutional challenges that can best be addressed by the BEST training process. It is useful to note that following the introduction of BEST to the TVET trainers (managers and instructors) they had freedom to choose steps they were interested in, fitting or aligning them into the TVET training cycles. This varied uptake is the most prominent characteristic of the Capacity Building model and the study findings provide great detail and recommendation about this aspect.
CCAFS
Signature Issue
Right Track Africa consultant Julius Nyangaga conducted an Impact assessment to analyze the impacts and outcomes the CCAFS project had achieved in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) seeks to promote a food–secure world through the provision of science-based efforts that support sustainable agriculture and enhance livelihoods while adapting to climate change and conserving natural resources and environmental services.
Through the partnerships, CCAFS is integrating the thematic research
(on adaptation, risk management and mitigation), facilitating user-driven research and enhancing the science-policy dialogue, up-scale sharing of knowledge, tools and approaches. In 2012 through 2013 the regional program started the process of transitioning learning sites into “Climate Smart Villages” – where research partners and developing partners worked with farmers to test a portfolio of promising climate change adaptation, risk management, and mitigation interventions.
Overview
After 3 years of operation, the CCAFS East Africa Regional Program contracted Julius Nyangaga of Right Track Africa to undertake an internal impact assessment analyzing the impact the regional program has made and the outcomes achieved in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia during its operations since 2010. This assessment was to highlight the impacts the program has made in influencing behavior change, examine the use of the knowledge and data generated by CCAFS and also provide recommendations for future activities. The term behavioural is broad, and refers to raised awareness, the acquisition and use of relevant knowledge and skills capacity, cultural and policy transformation in institutes and governance systems that would have the greatest effect on the target impacts. This means that the assignment sought to establish the extent to which these outcome results had taken place. And the sources of information were therefore representatives of such entities who were asked to explain such transformation. Or the challenges and gaps that still remain given CCAFS’ desired outcomes and any recommendations they could give to make progression more effective.
Concern Worldwide and Christian Aid
Signature Issue
In December 2018 Right Track Africa conducted final evaluation using Outcome Harvesting approach for two projects: Project 1: “The Accountable and Inclusive Management of Natural Resources and Livestock Production Systems in Marsabit County”, and Project 2: “Strengthening Citizens-County Government Collaboration in Water Governance for Enhanced Community Resilience in Marsabit County”. Project 1 was implemented by Concern Worldwide and Project 2 by Christian Aid/MIO-Net, and both funded by DFID’s Deepening Democracy Programme (DDP) under the Climate Change Governance (CCG) theme.
Overview
The main objective of the final evaluation was to assess the extent to which projects achieved expected climate change, and the governance of natural resources and water management. It presents an independent assessment of the respective projects analyzing the extent to which they achieved the expected results, key outcomes and the drawing of relevant lessons for the implementers and partners. Outcome Harvesting (OH) approach was the fundamental process in the final evaluation. Based on the outcome mapping approach, an outcome is described as ‘a change in the behaviour, relationships, actions, activities, policies, or practices of an individual, group, community, organization, or institution’. The changes are a result of change agents’ actions, who in this case were Concern and Christian Aid. OH ‘seeks’ outcomes (both intended and otherwise) and looks back to assess whether they are a result of the change agent and, if so, how that happened. It is important that there must be an identifiable causal-effect link between the projects’ interventions and the harvested outcomes. The method then helps the project develop lessons on how best to achieve their goals or objectives by adjusting and adapting their activities to produce the desired outcomes
CAP YEI
Signature Issue
Right Track Africa carried out a study using Utilization Focused Evaluation (UFE) principles in 2019 to analyze the extent to which the CAP Youth Empowerment Institute (CAP YEI) project has been gender-inclusive. CAP YEI is a non-governmental organisation founded in 2011, in partnership with funding organizations such as the MasterCard Foundation, EU, GIZ and others, that provides employability and entrepreneurship skills and linking vulnerable young people between 18 and 25 years of age to livelihood opportunities. The vulnerability in the youth refers to poverty, school dropouts, early motherhood or those in conflict with the law.
Overview
CAP YEI commissioned a study to analyse the extent to which its program has (since its inception) been designed to be gender-inclusive, the extent of success in this, and any supporting and limiting barriers to gender growth. The study developed lessons and recommendations on how this growth can be improved. The objectives of this study were developed in detail during inception interactions between CAP YEI’s management and its Learning Partner (Right Track Africa, RTA). The discussion was guided by the principles of Utilization Focused Evaluation (UFE).
CAP YEI implements a “Basic Employability Skills Training (BEST)”, a workforce-preparation programme for vulnerable youth. The three-month long BEST programme comprises different modules that “link learning with livelihood.” Life skills training is an integral part of this training and a foundation to all the other elements of the BEST-programme. Through BEST program, the youth get equitable qualitative learning after which they are able to access labour market-oriented opportunities, savings and credit to support their pathways to safe and positive futures. Through direct training (demonstration and replication centres) as well as indirectly (capacity building of the instructors of VTCs to apply BEST model in their
training), enrolled youth are taken through the program with expectations of changing their lives to a more meaningful life by linking them to internships, employments, entrepreneurship opportunities and supporting those wishing to pursue further studies.
WHH and PACIDA
Signature Issue
IN, 2018, Right Track Africa carried out a final evaluation for a project which was undertaken by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and PACIDA. WHH partnered with PACIDA in Kenya and AFD in Ethiopia to implement a BMZ funded project “Enhancing resilience of agro pastoralists and pastoralists in the Borana zone in the Dillo, Dirre, Miyo, Moyale, and Teltele districts, Oromia Region, Ethiopia and in the North Horr, Maikona and Sololo sub-counties in the Marsabit County in Kenya”. The two organizations commissioned an external end-of-project evaluation for an analysis of results and how the interventions have led to long lasting change in the lives of beneficiary communities, as well as the effect of any other confounding factors. The objective of the evaluation was to analyse end-of-project results and how the interventions led to long lasting change in the lives of beneficiary communities in the targeted districts in general and the effect of other confounding factors. The evaluation applied OECD/DAC criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability as a guide to key evaluation questions.
Overview
The objective of the project (KEN 1125) was to improve the living conditions of the pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities in the Borana Zone of the border-region between Ethiopia and Kenya and to enhance their resilience against drought. The specific objectives of the project were: To increase adequate nutrition for the target groups, to support access to safe drinking water by the beneficiaries, to increase and diversify the beneficiaries’ sources of income and to support disaster management mechanisms and coordination.
Welthungerhilfe (WHH) is one of the largest non-government aid agencies in Germany. The organization provides integrated aid: from rapid disaster aid to reconstruction and long-term development assistance in conjunction with local partner organizations. In Kenya, WHH has a country office in Nairobi, with intervention areas in mainly arid and semi-arid regions namely Makueni, Kitui, Kajiado, Narok, Tana River, Marsabit and Turkana. Other interventions areas in non-arid areas include Siaya, Kakamega, Bungoma and Vihiga County.
PACIDA was established in 2008 as an indigenous and not-for-profit organization in Kenya with the main aim of bridging the humanitarian and development gaps through increased networking, lobbying and partnership with local communities, government and development partners. The organization has been working with pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities in the County of Marsabit in Northern Kenya bordering Ethiopia to the south. The organization strives to strengthen local capacities and builds on local initiatives.
NIA and WHH
Signature Issue
In January 2019, Neighbours Initiative Alliance (NIA) in partnership with Welthungerhilfe Kenya (WHH-K) commissioned a midterm evaluation to assess the performance of the Pastoralist Resilience Project since its inception for lessons that can be used to plan and implement Phase 2 of the project. A team from Right Track Africa Ltd conducted the evaluation. The analysis assessed the extent to which the project had achieved its performance targets, and OECD/DAC criteria of efficiency, effectiveness, management, gender, equity, partnerships, sustainability, and coherence. The evaluation team then adopted Utilization Focused Evaluation (UFE; Patton, 2008) where the evaluation team serves as a facilitator of a learning process, rather than a judge.
The Neighbours Initiative Alliance (NIA) in partnership with Welthungerhilfe Kenya (WHH-K) has been implementing a project in the two counties, dubbed “Strengthening Resilience of Agro-pastoralist and Pastoralists in Kajiado and Narok Counties” since 2016 (hereafter referred to as the ‘KEN 1134 Project or the (NIA (Kajiado-Narok) Pastoralists Resilience Project’. The aim of the project is to strengthen the resilience of agro-/pastoral households and reduce their susceptibility to hunger and malnutrition The KEN 1134 project began in November 2016 and is expected to end in April 2020.
Overview
The evaluation report provided an in-depth analysis and documenting of qualitative and quantitative outputs and outcomes achieved in Phase 1 (2016 to 2018). The report also presented challenges faced, lessons learnt and recommendations for the partners and relevant stakeholders for Phase 2 of the project (2018 to 2020). The target communities of Kajiado and Narok counties are predominantly pastoralist and agro pastoralist communities. Other activities include tourism and cattle trading. The community in the region is patriarchal with the role and contribution of women undermined economically, socially and politically. Due to the factors contributing to their vulnerability (population, contracting rangelands, environmental degradation, and inadequate incomes) the communities have been affected by food insecurity and the effects of climate change, especially the increasingly recurrent and longer droughts.
The project had four result areas which were; improving household nutrition and health practices among the target community members, Milk production and trade, Pasture production and conservation and steer fattening and trading.