REX -- reaching the educationally excluded : Education Development Center (EDC) -- midterm evaluation

ALC combines attention to traditional educational inputs with attention to child-based factors such as health, nutritional, and psychosocial status. The project is being implemented by Education Development Center (EDC). The evaluation covers the period 10/94-9/98. Program staff have made significant accomplishments in reaching target beneficiaries and in working with partners on ALC programming. Most noteworthy are the institutional partnerships developed at the central level and in Bolivia, now being replicated in Ecuador and Nepal; the creation of qualitative reference materials on ALC and "Human Capacity Development" initiatives; and an unanticipated level of scale in the Bolivia program (at nearly 20 times its planned level), in turn providing increased educational access to many times the number of expected beneficiaries. New program initiatives in Nepal, Ecuador, and Honduras suggest an emerging focus and methodology that is likely to be cost-effective and of significant impact, with a high level of contextual support. This work should continue to be supported. Implementation limitations lie in the area of developed program and managerial systems and related structures. At this stage of implementation, the program has exceeded its objectives and would benefit from a redefined strategic plan that consolidates methodology, program foci, and commonality of goals throughout three parallel lines of implementation (direct assistance, partnership/institutional strengthening, and research and development). The basic ingredients exist to accomplish this, and EDC should dedicate time to molding the next steps. The program could have significant potential to demonstrate impact if resources were directed toward gathering reliable baseline data, defining indicators, and collecting standardized performance information. (Author abstract, modified)