External Evaluation Report: ACAD’s Project for Health and Education Services Improvement (IHE)

Background

The project “Improvement of Health and Education services for holistic dignity” (IHE) started in 2015 and targets more than 1.000 schools and approx. 140 health facilities run by the CELPA church in DRC, with capacity training in management for school principals and in emergency and maternal health for health workers.

The overall objective of the project is to improve the quality of services in CELPA’s health structures and schools in DRC. The specific objectives include to improve the quality of care in paediatric emergency care and in maternal care, to improve the management and monitoring of CELPA’s health structures, to improve the management and administration of CELPA schools, and improve the monitoring of the school coordination.

Purpose/objective

This external evaluation aimed to document the results and the changes that this project had produced as well as to provide recommendations for future development. The specific objectives were:

• To document the achievement of results
• To describe how project activities were implemented and their relevance with regard to the project goal achievement;   
• To determine the key outcomes and impact of this project in the Phase 1;
• To assess the cost-effectiveness of the activities;
• To assess strengths and weaknesses, especially related to the sustainability of the project;
• To provide recommendations for future project development.  

Methodology

The evaluation was carried out by two external consultants using participatory methods. It focused on three stages: the preparatory stage at the ACAD office, the onsite collection of qualitative and quantitative data in the field, and the analysis of the data. The methods included exchanges and semi-structured interviews, focus groups, interviews with stakeholders, evaluation questionnaire, SWOT-analysis, documentary review, comparison tables for project indicators.

Key findings

• The training workshops for school principals have produced considerable changes, including transparency in financial management at the schools, such as budget preparations with relevant organs involved, and more democratic and participatory management of the schools such as involvement of parents committees and students’ council
• The training workshops for health personnel have produced considerable changes in knowledge and practices in emergency care and in maternal care, leading to reduced maternal mortality rate.
• The sustainability is strong. The improved knowledge has led to changed practices in schools and health structures, new routines that will continue after the project period.
• The project is effective and efficient. The capacity training strategy has been relevant and effective, but improvement of infrastructure is also necessary to improve overall quality of services.

Recommendations

• Continue with the training of school principals in the schools not yet reached
• Continue with the training of health personnel in other topics related to maternal and infant mortality
• Build and rehabilitate infrastructures in order to provide an environment for quality care for all
• Strengthen follow-up after trainings to reach the health structures farther away, and make sure that the implementation and the sustainability of the acquired knowledge are effective

Comments from the organisation

We are not fully satisfied with the quality of the evaluation.