Introduction
Evaluations are a longer-term in-depth assessment of plans and programs, usually conducted by an external evaluator, that is used to inform decisions on the next education sector plan.
Evaluations differ from regular monitoring processes in that they generally focus on a more comprehensive analysis of fundamental policy questions that relate to the overall goals and long-term impact of the plan, rather than on more direct management questions. Evaluations are also generally produced by, or at least in association with, external experts to guarantee a higher level of objectivity.
ESP Monitoring and evalutation cycle
Midterm review/evaluation reports are generally conducted in the middle of the ESP to carefully examine regular obtained and problems encountered to support decision-making and possible revision of the targets and program foreseen for the second term of the plan. They are more methodical and more in-depth than annual performance reports and are generally prepared by the education ministry, though they may be complemented by evaluation studies carried out by external evaluators or by a team of ministry staff and external evaluation specialists. Midterm reviews are often formative in nature and feed back into programme implementation to improve performance. In terms of ECE considerations, the midterm review/evaluation provides a good opportunity for an evaluation of the pre-primary subsector, especially if there has been a change to policy or if the ministry of considering a change in ECE policy.
The timing of the final review and evaluation reports may vary. If the impact of the ESP is the major focus, then the evaluation may be conducted a while after the plan has been implemented. Final evaluations are summative in nature, and their purpose is to evaluate final results and impact and their relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability, as well as to analyze the reasons why certain results have been achieved and not others. The final evaluation also provides the opportunity to derive lessons for policy revision and to prepare for the next planning cycles. In terms of pre-primary considerations, the pre-primary department and its stakeholders should review the methodology and questions and provide any needed inputs to make sure that concerns related to pre-primary are included within the scope of the evaluation. Implementation evaluations may often be embedded in the Education Sector Analysis (ESA) to help to assess achievement, while also addressing the underlying factors’ for any non-achievement.
Reminders
The tool in Section 7 may be used beyond the Education Sector Plan (ESP) development process. It may be relevant in ECE programme implementation and review processes or for including ECE-related considerations for other efforts such as, but not limited to: multi-sectoral government and development partner review processes, donor reporting purposes, transitional education planning reviews and/or cluster strategy reviews/ “moment of reflection” reviews in humanitarian crises. It may also inform the next Education Sector Analysis as the ESA/ESP process begins anew.
Objectives
The overall objective for Section 7 is to provide ECE-related considerations when conducting external mid-term or final evaluations of the ESP. To achieve this objective, the following action should take place:
Identify ECE-specific considerations for external evaluations.