Evaluation of the technical assistance component of DFID India’s Education Portfolio

Detailed description of project Back

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) has challenged DFID to better capture the full range of impacts from engagement in the social sectors in India. This study is intended to evaluate the Technical Assistance (TA) component of projects within DFID India’s Education portfolio. This is the first major study of its kind to look at a DFID portfolio relating to technical assistance.

The Theory of Change underpinning DFID’s interventions of standalone and/or combined TA and FA to the secondary education sector in India is as follows: if independently managed, TA will address: resource bottlenecks and its effect on access; capacity building and system strengthening; development of classroom based materials; improvement in school infrastructure; research and development; and learning assessments. As a result the quality of secondary education service delivery will improve and expand in India.

The purpose the independent evaluation is twofold i) capture through an evaluation framework that comprises of baseline interim finding report and final report with recommendations , the extent to which DFID TA and/or TA/FA is working effectively to transfer useful knowledge, skills and practices to key personnel in India’s secondary education school delivery system that ultimately improve teaching and learning outcomes ii) to provide accountability for the Official Development Assistance (ODA) spent to UK taxpayers.

The specific objectives of the evaluation are to: a) estimate the direct and indirect effect that TA delivers, and strengthen understanding of the paths by which effect is achieved; b) build the evidence base on how best to sequence and deliver TA; and c) understand what methods work well and what work less well so that DfID can address any weaknesses.

Focus will be on four main themes: better systems, better schools, better teachers and better learning assessment. The evaluation will examine the individual log-frame and theory of change (including the overarching ToC) of the five TA projects in question and measure changes in the outputs and outcome level indicators.

Type of services provided

ICF International is the Leading Partner and manages the assignment.

The assignment consists of three phases: an Inception Phase, a Base Line and an Evaluation.

The evaluators will use a range of evaluation methods including:

• Desk review;
• Secondary data analysis: analysis of information already available (SEMIS, project MIS …) information available at (sampled) school level;
• Stakeholder consultation through FGD, structured interviews and observations and;
• Review of systems and processes through predefined checklists to review and capture changes over time in systems and processes.

PROMAN sourced the Team leader and provides the services of an Education Economist.