Moving Innovations in Education to Scale in Complex Emergencies: A process evaluation of a remedial education program in Dadaab and Kakuma

• In Event: Designing, implementing, and learning from mixed-methods randomized controlled trials in humanitarian contexts: lessons from remedial education in Dadaab and Kakuma
  In Formal Panel Session: Designing, implementing, and learning from mixed-methods randomized controlled trials in humanitarian contexts: lessons from remedial education in Dadaab and Kakuma.

Proposal

We will present the midterm results of a process evaluation of World University Services Canada’s (WUSC) Equity in Education in Refugee Camps in Kenya (EERCK) program.

The process evaluation of WUSC’s EERCK program focuses on three interrelated key areas: the program’s journey to scale, its model for teaching and learning, and its model for mobilization and community engagement. We also explore mechanisms of impact that address how participants interact with intervention activities, as well as external or contextual factors that influence program implementation.

Our process evaluation focuses on EERCK activities and outputs. This evaluation assesses the activities that need to occur at each level in order to reach the desired goals of successful implementation. The process data will also demonstrate whether the activities of EERCK are carried out as intended, and deviations may explain why the program has been successful in certain areas and not others. We use qualitative data collection methods, including key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and observations. KIIs are conducted with both internal and external stakeholders, as well as remedial teachers, community mobilizers, and community members. FGDs are facilitated with EERCK beneficiary girls and beneficiaries’ parents. We also conduct observations of remedial teacher trainings and remedial classes.

Midterm results highlight strengths of the program in addition to areas for improvement. According to qualitative data, program participants have positive perceptions about the EERCK program and its potential to improve girls’ education. EERCK is so popular that community demand for the program is larger than WUSC’s capacity to deliver the program. Key implementation challenges include a shortage of remedial teachers (particularly female teachers), insufficient training for remedial teachers, and the combination of the remedial teacher and community mobilizer roles (e.g., the same people are serving as both teachers and mobilizers) in both Kakuma and Dadaab. These findings provide important lessons for similar education interventions scaling in refugee contexts.

Authors

• Hannah Reeves Ring, American Institutes for Research

• Victoria Rothbard, American Institutes for Research

• Timothy Mwongera Kinoti, World University Service of Canada (WUSC)

• Darius Getanda Isaboke, World University Service of Canada (WUSC)

• Thomas J. De Hoop, American Institutes for Research