Partner Project final evaluation for UNICEF

1. Project Description and Background to Evaluation
Financial partners: SFWA, the Governments of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, Eriks hjelpen Foundation, Swiss Cooperation, Care-Mali, Villages Project of the Millenium of the Center for Milleinum Objectives. UNICEF sees the Speed School Strategy as a means to increase the schooling rate within its intervention areas and intended to use it  to protect vulnerable children against various forms of abuse, such as violence and child work in the the towns of Bamako and Kayes.
2. Purpose/objective
To analyze the implementation of the Speed School project financed by UNICEF in all its aspects and the partnership between UNICEF and SFWA in order to capitalize the learned lessons.

3. Methodology
A framing meeting was held in the conference room of SFWA to clear up the goals and the expectations on this evaluation and to provide all needed information on the TOR. 
A documentary transmission work was also performed by SFWA through its Officer in Charge of Monitoring and Evaluation. Then the Consultant produced tools for data collection through interviews within the benefiting communities. Through field visits conducted in Bamako and kayes all the stakeholders were visited. The first draft of the report was produced on the basis of the collected information. Feedbacks were provided to improve the quality of the report.

4. Key findings
Strengths:
• The implication of the communities in the implementation of the project mainly in the choice of the centre sites, the sensitization of parents, the selection of children fitting the criteria, the collection of funds to afford for the community contribution, the recruitment of teachers.
• The follow-ups where correctly done at all levels including implementing partners’ level, Government decentralized level, SFWA level and Financial partner level. All of them brought added values to the program and contributed to the achievement of results.
• A total amount of 969 children (558 girls) were enrolled out of which 833 (474 girls) were admitted to the final test and were thus transferred to fourth grade of primary schools in Bamako and Kayes for a success rate of 84,63%
• Focus on the securisation of the transferred children;  because 22% of them were apprentices before the Speed School and were not paid, 26% were practicing small trade in the streets and 10% were Coran learners, so beggards in the streets.
Weaknesses:
• Lack of visits from the Government decentralized Authority at regional level
• Municipalities were not involved in the implementation of the project 
• Too high drop out rate at SSA/P centers. In the second year of  the project, 17% of the learners in the District of Bamako (mainly girls) dropped out for diverse reasons
• Limited teaching capacity on the target group of girls
• Hosting schools were unprepared to welcome transferred learners

5. Recommendations:
• Reduce level of conflict between learners and teachers .To decreas the drop out rate for students the Speed School teachers should revice training on issues related to child rights and knowledge of vulnerable children.
• Involve government at regional level to smooth transfer of speed school students in terms pedagogic materials and invite government at regional level to the cneters to show them how thy work.
• Municipalities to include in their Developpement programs the implementation of Speed School programs.

6. Comments from the organisation, if any: (this section to be filled by the staff responsible in SF’s Regional Office)