Mid-term performance evaluation of the Cambodia integrated early childhood development (IECD) activity

IECD seeks to improve holistic developmental outcomes for young children by promoting nurturing care, preventing stunting, and increasing early identification and intervention for children living with disability and developmental delays (CLWD). The mid-term performance evaluation of IECD applied a mixed-methods approach, relying primarily on qualitative methods to collect data to answer two overarching evaluation questions: 1) How have caregivers learned from the IECD Activity? What have been the on-going, unresolved challenges the prime and the sub-partners faced, how to overcome those challenges; and 2) How have IECD’s beneficiaries benefitted from IECD’s interventions? There are also 14 subset questions. The Evaluation Team (ET) collected data from 144 women and 89 men through key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) and conducted observations, mini-surveys, and online surveys. Sampling targeted female and male caregivers, grandparents, caregivers of children living with disability, male and female village health support group (VHSG) members and child development leaders, commune committees for women and children, health centers, national and subnational government stakeholders, international organizations, and implementing partners. The ET analyzed data using Atlas.ti and ArcGIS. Major findings indicate that key interventions have contributed to improvements with caregiver learning and parenting. Mid-upper arm circumference and Cambodia Community-based Development Milestone Assessment Tool screenings have been accepted, while caregivers including men, women, and grandparents are actively working together to ensure optimal childcare practices in households. Caregivers of CLWD have increased access and knowledge of services and care. Translating nutrition and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) knowledge into practice has not always been consistent across the population, particularly in households with malnourished children and old WASH infrastructure and in areas prone to flooding or that lack water. Identifying mechanisms to leverage the learning and efforts from the VHSG engagement is important, while disseminating findings from the cohort evaluation will provide evidence that is missing, particularly for children living with disability.