Evaluation of the Karen Christian College Early Childhood Development (ECD), 2009-2011 Project, BN 10650

Background:
The KCC ECD Project design is a teacher education initiative; Free Pentecostal Fellowship in Kenya based that apply Christian values though not discriminatory to individuals and groups of other religions in that show an interest in it.  KCC ECD Project’s major focus is on the following five outputs:
1. First Output: The candidates are equipped with knowledge of child development;
2. Second Output:  The Candidates use knowledge of the teaching/learning process to plan and implement meaningful curriculum;
3. Third Output: The candidates understand the importance of the family/community in children's learning and development and demonstrate respectful interactions;
4. Fourth Output: The candidates understands the use of formal and informal assessment evaluation strategies to monitor student progress and make instructional decisions;
5. Fifth Output: The pre-schools teachers are mobilized as change- agents in the society in regard to the social, ethical and health issues affecting the society.

The KCC ECD Project operation system is charged with gender equality adjudication with the recognition women as in the majority for their capacity building in ECD. The Project follows participatory methodologies from project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
This evaluation report has therefore assessed the impact generated by the KCC ECD Project and the extent to which it has incorporated the five outputs in development initiatives for, ECD teacher education in Kenya.

Purpose/objective:
This document is an outcome of a first evaluation exercise conducted for the Karen Christian College (KCC) Early Childhood Development (ECD) Project. The main evaluation goal is to determine the extent to which the programme has been effective in performing its objectives and to establish the type and extent of impact of the Project. The results of the evaluation are expected to form the basis for a redesign of the Project hence the conclusions and recommendations address the Projects’ relevance, design, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability.

Methodology:
The primary methodology that was used included:
1. Participatory interviews and focus group discussions with the ECD stakeholders, (i.e. lecturers, students and the Project Steering Committee);
2. KCC ECD Project and MOE documents review;
3. Onsite visual inspection of the KCC ECD Project environment;
4. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks (SWOR) of the KCC ECD Project operations.

Key findings:
The Karen Christian College Early Childhood Development Project evaluation comes as a response to bridging the gap of not having a baseline study during the Project inception and at a period for reviewing the operations of the Project at mid-term implementation. Evident from the focus group discussions, interviews and observations on site the College, the Project is viable as it shows signs of progress even though in some situations there seems to be risks. The KCC ECD students and faculty are all positive about teaming up to curb the negative situations of low enrolment by individually engaging in marketing, that they have started. The College has a potential of expansion, given time as education is a process that is a long-term appreciated initiative. One student respondent said that it is still early to expect enrolment to be higher than what they are as there has been minimal marketing and few ECD teachers have graduated.

Individuals and groups consulted in this evaluation, about the KCC ECD teacher education programme including the Kenya Institute of Education officials, confirmed that the implementation of the constitution on ECD is guarantee enough that there is serious demand for teacher education for this level of education. The Project sponsors, locally and internationally should therefore intensify the College support to meet the needs of women who are in the majority in this cadre to improve their livelihood and self-esteem as they develop to be professionals in ECD education.

Recommendations:
a) For sustainability, KCC ECD must intensify the marketing strategy to increase student population that will expand the ECD College budget.

b) Evident from the mid-2011, the tuition fee improved and the local partners continue to contribute from FPFK church contributions and agricultural products such as grain and vegetables to the college kitchen to support students. The College reports should periodically and formally inform the church about this support to attract more contributions.

c) Periodic advertisements should be posted in local media houses, targeting positive times (e.g. immediately after the news for electronic media).

d) Faculty remuneration and conditions of service will need to be reviewed in order to retain the ECD personnel and equate them to other sister Projects benefits and salaries.

e) The FPFK church conferences and possibly local services should be targeted through the pastors for marketing KCC ECD teacher education through:
a. Formal presentations made to potential students,
b. Displayed or exhibited on site and distribution of flyers.

f) For income generation, KCC ECD should engage in the following activities:
a. Implement the preschool to local communities with a possibility of bussing the pupils because due to the Nairobi traffic jam, parents or guardians find driving pupils to KCC a serious delay to their places of work.
b. KCC ECD graduates should be considered for new preschool posts that will open up for this offer seeing that they will be relevant for the College culture.
c. Purchase a mini-bus when funds allow, to ferry ECD student teachers to sessions during the week, Saturdays and school holiday sessions.
d. To concentrate on the present ECD teacher education programme until positive roots are realized in enrolment, improved payment of tuition by students, and a fortified KCC ECD budget that will form groundwork for other interventions such as outpost training programmes.
e. Properly plan for the outpost ECD teacher education programme and eventually offer it as it has a potential of raising the KCC ECD enrolment while reaching out to the unqualified ECD or preschool teachers in the remote areas. This will boost the college budget while meeting the needs of women out there who cannot afford to leave their families to study in Nairobi.
f. The new building should be made to accommodate physically challenged student teachers and preschool children as it is built in the period when the PSC anticipates enrolling special needs pupils.

Comments from the organisation, if any:
As the evaluation took place in the very end of 2011, it is still early to adapt all the relevant recommendations. Several issues have been discussed between the project, Pym and the consultants, though, and some of the issues pointed out in the evaluation have been worked upon and are less of an issue per today, such as:
- Cooperation with the owner body FPFK has increased in order to strengthen a streamlined ownership to the way forward.
- External responsibilities and work load have been reduced among the leadership, in order to concentrate on the project.
- Different alternatives for a potential outpost training are being discussed with the owner body.
- Risk analysis and budgets have been reviewed.
- Alternative suggestions for cost reduction (teaching practice charges et.al.) and/or income increment (student fees et.al.) are being discussed and reviewed among staff and the steering committee, such as:
o Improvement of system for collection of student fees
o Marketing has been intensified even further, and per April 2012 the project has achieved to get even more students than the set goal
o Increased networking with other FPFK projects, national and regional early childhood networks and other relevant institutions