Performance & Impact Evaluation (P&IE) Semi-Annual Report

The report covers the period from May 1, 2015, to October 31, 2015. The P&IE project aims to evaluate the impact of the School Health and Reading Program (SHRP) interventions on reading outcomes in Uganda. During this reporting period, the NORC/Panagora team made significant progress on the P&IE project. They submitted a final version of the Midterm Performance Evaluation Report to USAID in May 2015, which was approved on May 14, 2015. The team also presented the findings of the Midterm Performance Evaluation and the Second Annual Impact Analysis for Result 1 at a dissemination workshop held on June 17, 2015, in Kampala. The workshop was attended by officials from the Ministry of Education, USAID, implementing partners, and other stakeholders. The team conducted an initial data quality review of the EGRA Cluster 3 Round 1 dataset, which was collected by the IP in February 2015. The review revealed minimal problematic findings, which were easily rectified. However, the team noted several instances of internal data inconsistencies throughout the dataset, including contradictory data and instances where skip patterns should have been observed but weren't. After discussing with RTI, the team decided to drop these inconsistent observations. The team also conducted a review of the EGRA tool equating process and found that the methodology used by RTI was satisfactory. Additionally, they conducted a data quality review for the KAP survey Round 2 data collection, which revealed significant problems with the dataset. The team continued to observe RTI/SHRP implementation activities, including leadership and management trainings, school support supervision exercises, and EGRA Assessors trainings. They recorded information and observations on each activity using their observation tools and provided monthly performance feedback to RTI within the context of the CLA process. The team also conducted performance feedback meetings periodically with SHRP senior management based on observations from SHRP events and activities. Furthermore, the team submitted a case study on P&IE's CLA work to USAID's CLA Case Competition in August 2015, entitled "Continuous Evaluation with Real-Time Feedback Fosters Adaptive Program Management." In October, USAID notified the team that their case study was one of the next Top 25 Cases. The P&IE project has made significant progress in evaluating the impact of SHRP interventions on reading outcomes in Uganda. The team's efforts in data quality assessment, review of the EGRA tool equating process, and observation of RTI/SHRP implementation activities have contributed to the project's success. The team's continued engagement with RTI and SHRP senior management has also ensured that the project remains on track to meet its objectives. The P&IE project's focus on continuous evaluation and real-time feedback has fostered adaptive program management, enabling the project to make adjustments as needed to ensure its success. The project's progress and achievements have been recognized by USAID, which has acknowledged the team's efforts in the CLA Case Competition. The P&IE project's semi-annual report provides a comprehensive overview of the project's progress and achievements during the reporting period. The report highlights the team's efforts in data quality assessment, review of the EGRA tool equating process, and observation of RTI/SHRP implementation activities. The report also provides insights into the project's focus on continuous evaluation and real-time feedback, which has enabled the project to adapt to changing circumstances and ensure its success.