Evaluation of UNICEF Contribution to Education in Humanitarian Settings

2020
UNICEF, Global

A Mokoro team, led by Dr Muriel Visser, conducted this strategic evaluation of UNICEF’s contribution to education in humanitarian settings. The team, bringing together expertise in education in emergencies, humanitarian settings, evaluation and research, assessed whether UNICEF, as an organisation with a growing footprint in humanitarian programming, has made the necessary adjustments to increase its efficiency and effectiveness with regard to education in humanitarian settings.

The evaluation covered UNICEF work at global, regional and country levels, and all components of the education response in line with the Core Commitments for Children (CCCs), as well as upstream work between 2014 and 2018, spanning the UNICEF Strategic Plan 2014–2017, and the first year of the Strategic Plan for 2018–2021.

The evaluation used a mixed-method, theory-based approach. Data were collected through document review, key informant interviews, and nine case studies. Country visits were conducted to Nepal, Jordan and Somalia, while Bangladesh, the Central African Republic, Dominica and the Turks & Caicos Islands (as one study), Liberia, South Sudan, and Syria were desk-based. A survey of UNICEF staff at regional and country level explored selected emerging findings across a broader range of countries.

It is difficult to aggregate findings and to generalise across the very different humanitarian contexts in which UNICEF operates. The evaluation synthesis report therefore provides country-specific examples throughout; it acknowledges that each setting has different challenges, but where possible it highlights common points of achievement and weaknesses. Country-specific reports were written for Nepal, Jordan and Somalia. Findings were presented to the UNICEF reference group in New York.

Mokoro organised a seminar on education in emergencies, chaired by evaluation team leader Muriel Visser, and including as one of the presenters, evaluation team member and Education-in-Emergencies Specialist Allison Anderson. You can find more details and the recording here.

The people behind the project

Project leader: Muriel Visser

Principal Consultant

Principal Consultant

Principal Consultant and Director

Principal Consultant

Principal Consultant and Director

Allison Anderson, Liam Bluer (Associate), Arran Magee, Nick Maunder, Dina Batshon, Olad Farah and Pemba Tamang