CSCS was awarded a contract to assess the project's output of the Improving Primary School Access in Disadvantaged communes by the Primary Education Department of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. As its name indicates, the project aims at contributing to reduce poverty in a number of isolated Cambodian provinces through the spread and improvement of basic primary education (BE). The project represents an attempt to improve access to primary schools, especially girls’ access, in disadvantaged communes by transforming existing incomplete (grades 1 to 4) schools into complete schools (grades 1 to 6).

 

The study was conducted in the underserved provinces funded by ADB/JFPR namely Preah Vihear, Stung Treng and Kratie where there have been many poor and vulnerable children who could not complete even primary education.

The evaluation team assessed / evaluated the fulfillment (or non fulfillment and reasons) of the six objectives:

• Mobilize and empower targeted communities;
• Transform incomplete schools into complete schools;
• Sensitize parents about the potential benefits of school based learning;
• Contribute to decrease the repeater and dropout rates at primary schools;
• Assist School Community Committees (SCC) in acquiring relevant skills; 
• Contribute to strengthen the relationships school, parents and village council).

To do so, evaluators developed a series of measurable indicators that would provide concrete evidence about progress and achievements.

 

Project phases:

 1) Briefing, information gathering, planning & inception note; sampling, developing tools and preparing fieldwork.

 2) Field visits, observations & data collection.

 3) process, synthesise, analyse and interpret collected data.

 4) draft report elaboration & first dissemination; integrate feedback & disseminate final report.