Mozambique ICDP. Evaluation Report 10/2007

Background

Since 2003, NORAD has been financing the International Child Development Programme (ICDP) in Mozambique. ICDP's ultimate beneficiaries are abandoned, traumatised and abused children at high psycho-social risks. The main objective of ICDP's programme in Mozambique is to raise the awareness and build up competence of the psycho-social and educative needs of children at risk. ICDP's philosophy is that children's needs are best catered for in the environment in which they have been reared. In cases where parents are missing, family-like situations should be established. Building upon local cultural values and traditions are important elements of this philosophy. Using local resource persons and activating traditional ways of child rearing through a community-based approach is essential. The operational strategies are based on training and transfer of knowledge from a central core team to local caregivers, with support of external expertise. ICDP has worked out various guidelines, e.g. a manual for the application of the ICDP programme and regularly produce documentation support for the activities.

Professor Lorraine Sherr's five day visit allowed for exposure to a variety of elements of the programme. This included a detailed set of documents as well as visits and interviews.

Purpose/objective

Review the progress of the ICDP Programme from 2003 (pilot project) to 2007 with the aim of providing feedback for the planning of the coming years of ICDP orientation and operation. This is in order to ensure successful implementation of the intervention. In summary some of the objectives of this evaluation, include, among others: Asses the relevance and appropriateness of the strategies and interventions applied by ICDP to address psychosocial needs of children; comment on the achievements of ICDP activities to date, comment on the efficiency of ICDP program/projects; discuss the sustainability of ICDP interventions; comment on possibilities of replicating the ICDP approach to other areas, situation or circumstances; to provide NORAD with inputs for further decision-making for the continuation of the support to ICDP in Mozambique; and comment on whether ICDP is reaching its goal of capacity building within psychosocial care and support. The evaluation will also be an important tool in decision making of future development of the project, and will be presented to other funding agencies.

Methodology

The methodology for evaluation over a short field visit included direct observation and discussion, report scrutiny, data observation, group work, individual interview and visits.

Key findings

The programme had clear strengths. A few are summarised here:
? International Links were good and the local programme benefited from the International experience and network.
? The project was based on a theoretically based intervention with a solid well worked through and articulated intervention. Many elements appear to be drawn from cognitive interventions, narrative theories and family therapeutic concepts and approaches. The core of the training provides teaching and integrating concepts of allowing, permission, evidence and addressing. This is aimed at positive interactions, solid child development and an additional children's rights outcome.
? Themes of the rights of the child, child development, enabling, HIV/AIDS and gender run through consistently.
? The structure is well worked through, tried via quite considerable experience and allows for capacity building and local adaptation.
? On the ground organisation is important. The headoffice provides a focal point for the programme, an operating centre and a reference centre for outreach work.
? The aim of the project was to reach out in an extensive network. The list of such endeavours shows that this has been achieved, but also shows that there is quite a long way to go before any form of national programme or integration is reached.
? There was clear enthusiasm and reception from staff and NGO groups that I met.
? There are very few such programmes operating, with a direct focus on child development, quality of care and in depth front line training of parenting and carer skills. As such it showed good utility.

Weaknesses:
? Some organisational aspects could be strengthened and some systems were open to weaknesses. For example the need for follow up and refreshing was apparent and this needs to be done regularly. The rotation of leadership and the different dynamics according to presence or absence of leaders as well as the interleadership dynamics may give a fluctuating leadership style. This could both enrich the programme but also be a difficulty.
? The programme content is well worked through, but may need adapting to local issues and updating according to current problems (such as HIV/AIDS). This process requires some investment.
? Outcome is important to monitor as a learning experience. The lack of evaluation makes it difficult to progress, understand mechanisms, document strengths/weaknesses of individual elements of the programme and to promote the programme in evidence based way.
? Use of the word "Psychosocial" poses some difficulties, with a western cultural presumption often difficult to translate. Indeed the very word is difficult to pronounce and the barriers are difficult to overcome. However there was general consensus and agreement about the needs and importance of emotions and emotional well being. Alternative language that may be used may include child development, mental health, and child wellbeing.
? Tools/facilities are important and this area could be developed. Those that were in existence were relied on enormously and this may render them overused.
? Strategy planning was weak and this could be strengthened

Recommendations

A number of ideas were raised which could possible feed into future growth. These are briefly summarised as:
? Media exposure, including radio exposure
? Feedback opportunities
? Publications - there is a need for more publications which could be put to effective use.
? HIV AIDS.
? Dissemination - many opportunities could be created. These may generate more work, and so should be paced strategically.
? Resource packs - this could be done with local consultation and would make a good adjunct to training interventions.
? Strategy. The project is in demand and is quite reactive in its strategy planning. It may be useful to have some special time (and expertise) to explore strategy planning and future developments. This will help turn a reactive project into a more proactive initiative.