STAGES

Supporting Transition of Adolescent Girls through Enhancing Systems External Evaluation

Implemented by Link Education International, the Supporting Transition of Adolescent Girls through Enhancing Systems (STAGES) project was funded by FDCO as part of the Girls’ Education Challenge-Transition (GEC-T) portfolio. STAGES implemented a holistic package of interventions to support girls’ education by improving their acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills, supporting their transition through educational stages, and establishing local systems to improve the quality of school and girl’s support long-term. The project worked with more than 100 primary schools and 16 secondary schools in the Wolaita Zone of the Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples’ Region.

School-to-School International (STS) served as the independent evaluator for the FCDO-funded Girls’ Education Challenge–Transition (GEC-T) STAGES project in Ethiopia. Over the life of the project, STS provided external monitoring and evaluation services to understand how well STAGES supported adolescent girls’ education. The evaluation examined whether the project improved girls’ literacy and numeracy skills, supported key education transitions, and strengthened local systems to sustain quality schooling for girls over the long term. STS led a gender-sensitive and inclusive evaluation approach—designed to reflect the experiences of girls, including girls with disabilities—and assessed the project’s delivery, effectiveness, value for money, and overall impact, sharing lessons learned throughout implementation.

STS conducted a baseline study in 2018, followed by two midline evaluations and a final endline evaluation, using a mix of surveys, learning assessments, and interviews. Across these phases, STS designed and tested data-collection tools, trained and supported data collectors, monitored data quality, and analyzed findings. The evaluation tracked multiple groups of girls over time and compared outcomes between girls participating in STAGES and those in comparison communities. By measuring changes in learning outcomes, school transitions, and educational experiences from baseline through endline, STS generated robust evidence to inform decision-making, accountability, and future investments in girls’ education in Ethiopia.

Dates: 2017 – 2024