MeREECE

The McGovern-Dole Promotion of Educational and Economic Performance in Educative Communities

The McGovern-Dole Promotion of Educational and Economic Performance in Educative Communities—also known as Melhoria do Rendimento Escolar e Economico das Comunidades Educativas na Guiné-Bissau (MeREECE)—aimed to strengthen the education system in Guinea-Bissau and improve the literacy of school-aged children in the regions of Oio, Cacheu, Quinara, Bafata, and Gabu. Over its four-year lifespan, the project worked in 350 schools across the country.

STS served as an external evaluator for the project, conducting mixed-methods performance evaluations of MeREECE at the project’s baseline, midline, and endline. Structured around research questions set forth by CRS, STS’s research assessed progress against and provided actionable knowledge to achieve MeREECE’s two strategic objectives:

1. Improved literacy of school-age children
2. Increased use of health, nutrition, and dietary practices

During the three assessment periods, STS used a mixed-methods study approach, sampling 90 schools with a target of 20 students per school via a two-stage cluster sampling approach. This mixed-methods study administered the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) to students and collected additional data through questionnaires, qualitative interviews, and observations to triangulate data and provide more in-depth information. At each sampled school, enumerators administered one survey to the school director, conducted one school observation, and observed a Grade 2 classroom. At baseline and midterm, the scope of data collection was streamlined in order to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission during data collection. Qualitative data were collected through remote KIIs and online questionnaires. At the endline, normal protocols resumed.

After each timepoint, STS authored detailed technical results report summarizing the findings and created a five-page executive summary including graphics highlighting key findings. These findings were shared via STS-facilitated remote results presentations for a variety of stakeholders from both CRS and the Ministry of Education in Guinea-Bissau. The baseline evaluation sought to assess and report on the situation in the five target regions prior to the start of MeREECE interventions. The midterm sought to examine and provide feedback on the implementation of the program, as well as determine the extent of the results achieved. Midterm findings also documented lessons learned and provided recommendations for continued management and operations. Finally, the endline addressed questions along five lines of inquiry: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact.

In partnership with Catholic Relief Services & USDA

Dates: 2020 – 2024