eccd evaluation

Early Childhood Care for Development

Education of the Care giver

With Siblings in Balwadi !

13th – 24th Feb 2006

Implemented by Adithi / Plan Muzaffarpur Bihar

External Evaluation By Adithi / Plan team & Dr Satyendra Srivastava (Facilitation & documentation) Quick Links Executive Summary | Findings | ECCD Ranked | Recommendations | Roadmap

Abbreviations ANM Auxiliary Nurse Midwife AWC Anganwadi Center AWW Anganwadi worker BEP Bihar Education Project BKCK Balika Kishori Chetna Kendra (Center for adolescent girls.) CBO Community Based Organization CCCD Child centered community development CLR Center For Learning Resources, Pune ECCD Early Child Care and Development ICDS Integrated Child Development Scheme INGO International non-governmental organizations LRP Local resource person (Dular Strategy) NFE Non-Formal Education PO Project Outline PRI Panchayti Raj Institutions PU Program Unit SDW Sector Development Worker SHG Self Help Group VDC Village Development Committee VDW Village Development Worker

Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 5 Purpose of the Study 8 Methodology 9 Observations & Issues 11 Specific issues 15 ECCD intervention Ranked 19 Recommendations 20 Where Next : Five Year Roadmap 20 Gantt Chart : Five Year Roadmap 24 Case studies 25 Appendices 30 Acknowledgements 40 Evaluation Team 41

/ 41 Feb 2006 : ECCD Evaluation : Adithi /Plan : Five Yr Road map

Executive Summary Adithi/Plan has conducted a

comprehensive community based Early Child Care for Development (ECCD) initiative in six blocks (total 42 hamlets) near Muzaffarpur in north Bihar since 1999. Its learning domain intervention attempts to cover children from birth, right to adolescence, through crèche (0-3 yr), pre NFE center or Balwadi (3-6 yr), NFE (6-12 yr) and life skill centers for girls or Balika Kishori Chetana Kendra (BKCK) working with 12-18 yr age group. As more and more children move on to formal schools, their numbers have dwindled in NFE and therefore the latter two, NFE and BKCK have recently been merged.

This external evaluation at the end of the five years was conducted to acknowledge achievements, understand constraints and chart the future course; specifically- how to collaborate with ICDS and other stakeholders – to sustain the momentum of ECCD initiative in a long time frame.

The evidence is there to show that in the last five years, considerable skill and knowledge have been built at community and field functionary levels; Besides eight functioning Balwadis,- Village development committees, mother’s groups / SHGs have been mobilized to ensure that best ECCD practices are adopted at home as well as in the Balwadi, and are supported by the community. The constraints are more of a systemic nature- poor infrastructure, bad roads, floods etc. There is scope for more efficient supervision and better networking with ICDS, PHC, UNICEF and BEP (Bihar Education Project).

Other significant players in this field are UNICEF and BEP. Their approach is thematically very close to that of Adithi/Plan in the learning domain, and could be briefly described as follows:

Dular interfaces with existing ICDS Anganwadi centers (AWC) and relies on community mobilization through a local resource person. BEP, through its Mahila Samakhya component, runs Jagjagi, which takes women’s empowerment approach to girl education. Third and


biggest stakeholder- ICDS, which used to be a program under the Directorate of Social Welfare till 2003, but is a full fledged directorate since, is undergoing significant expansion, driven by population norms (one AWC per 1000 population), pressure from international NGOs and national commitment to child survival and primary education.

There is a clear possibility of taking advantage of these favorable trends. It is being proposed that Adithi/Plan should collaborate with ICDS and Dular to phase out of direct implementation of Balwadis and phase in to monitoring, training and community mobilization in its working area. This theme has been widely discussed during this evaluation and a clear road map is being proposed at page 20 (vide Gantt Chart at page 24). Nevertheless, this would demand intensive networking skills and mobilization of community towards this change.

As part of the main evaluation and a learning exercise for PU team, four POs were selected for rapid appraisal. Evaluation reports for these POs are also being attached herewith.


Introduction

Evaluation: what and why? Adithi is a voluntary agency working for social development in Bihar

since 1988. One of its core concern areas is women’s status. One of its units ‘Adithi/Plan’ -a collaboration between Adithi and Plan International, is operating in three districts of north Bihar since 1999. Its approach is child centered community development. It works in six developmental blocks and in a total of eight gram sabhas. Two of its sectors are in urban areas of which one is slum and the other is a Red light area; the remaining five are poorly connected rural villages, vulnerable to annual floods and other problems of poor infrastructure and under-development. Learning is one of its main domains. ECCD is a core area within this domain.

An external evaluation was planned at the end of the five years in 2006 as a launch pad for a road mapping exercise for the next five years. It will be important to understand ECCD- what it is and the international concern.

What is ECCD?1

Children do not just grow in size. They develop, evolve, and mature, mastering ever more complex understandings of the people, objects and challenges in their environment. There is a general pattern or sequence for development that is true of most children. However, the rate, character, and quality of development vary from child to child. Culture influences development in different ways, and the goals for children differ from culture to culture.

Early Childhood Care for Development (ECCD) refers not only to what is happening within the child, but also to the care that the child requires in order to thrive. For a child to develop and learn in a healthy and normal way, it is important not only to meet the basic needs for protection, food and health care, but also to meet the basic needs for interaction and stimulation, affection, security, and learning through exploration and discovery. (Right: An Adithi/Plan crèche in urban slums)

1 This and subsequent section on what ECCD is and ECCD interventions are excerpted from a web document by The Consultative group on Early childhood care and development (http://www.ecdgroup.com).


ECCD is a relatively new field and combines elements from the fields of child development, early childhood education, infant stimulation, health and nutrition, community development, parent education, women’s development, and economics. International ECCD arose from the recognition that these elements all interact within a young child’s life. If we want to support young children and help them to thrive, then we need to understand the many facets of their development, and also address the contexts in which they are living.

ECCD interventions ECCD activities are those that support young children appropriately and seek

to strengthen the environments in which they live. ECCD includes: 1. Working with parents to strengthen parenting skills, 2. Working with siblings and other family members to recognize the specific

developmental needs of younger children and what they can do to support them, 3. Working to provide or strengthen day care options, 4. Developing preschools and other early childhood education programs that address the

child’s needs in holistic ways, 5. Striving to bolster the community in its economic, physical, and moral support of

families and young children.

Before we move on to the lesson learnt in this evaluation, we need to share its context- the organization, its area and activities.

Adithi & Adithi /Plan (PU) Adithi was founded by the late Ms Viji Srinivasan, a noted social activist and

philanthropist. Since its inception in 1988, Adithi works towards empowerment of women in rural Bihar2. It works today in four states Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh- with a large network of NGOs. It focuses on social and economic development issues by using new technology and processes. The focus is on critical issues related to the lives of the children and women. It has specifically initiated campaigns for securing legal and social rights for the child and women3.

For the first time, in Bihar, ADITHI has given visibility to the invisible marginalized illegal women's livelihoods in large numbers by promoting alternatives in the following 2 It is the only state in India with a literacy level below 50% and ranking last among the 32 States according to Human Development Index and Gender Disparity Index. Source: GOI (2001), National Human Development Report, Planning Commission, New Delhi. 3 This section is quoted and adapted from a background document: “A brief profile of ADITHI and ADITHI/Plan Project” and some web documents on Adithi.


constituencies: the sharecroppers, traditional fisherwomen, traditional craftswomen, adolescent girls and girl children, including tribal (predominantly Santhali) girls, daughters of traditional dancers and singers, tribal women in a forestation and agriculture, women engaged in savings and credit and street vendors and home-based workers. Recently added groups are- Women in Panchayati Raj, Trafficked girl children, Women with reproductive health problems, Early married & Pregnant adolescent girls (14-15 years).

Since November 1999, it has worked in three districts of north Bihar: Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, and Vaishali: District Muzaffarpur Sitamarhi Vaishali Blocks Katra Bocch

aha kanti Musahari

(Urban & Rural)

Runni Saidpur

Patepur

villages Devgan Paranti Kaparpura, Sarmaspur

Badi Karbala, Gandhinagar, Aghoria bazar, Sikandarpur, Chaturbhujsthan

Athari Gannipur , Baligaon

Total Districts : 3, Blocks : 6, Total Hamlets – 42

Its field team consists of 92 VDWs and 6 SDWs. It has about 14 program and administrative staff. Its current caseload is 2500 sponsored children. It works in the seven program domains of:

1. Child Rights This is the core of all domains under Adithi / Plan Project. It is based on the United Nations convention on Rights of the Child. It means that programmatic decisions about children must always consider children’s interests and wishes, as well as the long-term implications of such decisions on children and their survival, development and protection.

2. Health Adithi/Plan’s focus is at strengthening government primary health care services, especially in the segment of Reproductive and child health with a gender perspective: ECCD, Immunization, safe delivery, service outreach (referral and ANM’s services).

3. Learning Early care & stimulation, home based care for the 0-3 age group, preschools for hard to access communities; non-formal education and life sfor school drop outs- Supporting the GovernSchools under SIP (School ImprovementProgramme) , Advocacy at district and state level are the main components under this domain. (Right: An Adithi/Plan Balwadi in sector 3)

kills ment

4. Habitat


Drinking water (water filter etc.), sanitation (toilets, drainage etc) are the main interventions under this head.

5. Livelihood Creation & mobilization of CBOs (thrift and self-governance), skill building, micro-enterprise development, diversified agriculture, food preservation etc are the main interventions.

6. Disaster is the new domain under which community preparedness will be undertaken, considering that this is a seismic zone and prone to sudden devastating annual floods. 7. Gender equity is a cross cutting concern. Child sponsorship is the underlying activity which sustains other domains.

Purpose of the Study This study was conceived as the health half of an overall impact

evaluation of ECCD intervention, the other half being the “learning” side of this intervention- soon to follow. The two core questions which this evaluation has tried to answer are:

1. What have been the achievements of the ECCD intervention in the last five years and

2. How can these (especially the crèche & Balwadis) be sustained over next five years. (a roadmap)

Specific questions, it looked into, were:

1. What have been the experiences to date in terms of a SWOT Analysis of the Education program, focusing on the ECCD component?

2. The study will also look at the inter-linkages with other domains for obtaining an understanding of the overall impact and changes in the lives of the children, within a CCCD perspective.

3. What will be the future direction of the program, in consonance with Plan CSP and CPO and the other major players in the operational area (Civil Society, State, Other INGOs, etc.)?

A set of findings on the extent of a possible merger of both Programs ICDS and PU’s initiative.

The extent to which these programs impacts development and achievement levels of girls and boys

Role of community, CBOs (including Youth Groups) and PRIs in these functions.

Mother’s perceptions and other stakeholders.

How the ECCD interventions of the NGO adding value to the existing government programs?


What methods and mechanism are adapted and set up to sustain these value additions.

How to encourage local community for forging partnership between government and local communities for sustaining the ECCD programs.

Methodology Following were the highlights of the evaluation methodology which

was largely participatory, reflective and forward looking. 1. External facilitator reviewed available relevant documents before visiting

the PU and subsequently. 2. A participatory planning session on day 1 at PU, helped the team to

develop a shared understanding of expectations from the evaluation, centers to be visited and respondents to be interviewed. A work plan was developed. (Vide on page 30 in appendices)

3. An observation checklist was developed by CPME PO and the external facilitator. They used it subsequently in the field while visiting Crèche/Balwadis. Observations were made in NFE and ICDS AW centers too.

4. Field visits to all the sectors (14-18th Feb): Discussions with mothers, adolescents, siblings, community members, VDC, AWW, VDW, SDW & other program staff.

5. SWOT analysis by ‘program’ heads at PU (vide summarized output) (Right : CPME PO interviews a VDW)

6. Email questionnaire for remote respondents (Response rate: 3 out of 10) 7. Final debriefing was done with the team, to receive their feedback and

inputs in the road mapping exercise. Debriefing was conducted with PD too. (see the text in appendix)

8. Four ECCD related Pos were evaluated as inputs to the overall ECCD evaluation. The report is being attached as a separate document. These were:

Project No.

Project Name Start date

End Date

Reason for selection Project Budget

Evaluation led by

Supported by

5221 Center Based ECCD (0 - 6 Years)

July 1, 2003

30 June, 2005

For Impact evaluation as well as the cost of the project Sample for period 03-05

980,495

Dr. Srivastava

Abhishek and Akhilesh

5201 Crèche July 1, 2002

30 June,

For Impact evaluation Sample for period

255,667

Akhilesh Dubey

Dr. Srivastava


2003 02-03 & Abhishek

5220 ECCD-Caregivers Education (0-3 years)

July 1, 2003

30 June, 2004

For Impact evaluation Sample for period 03-04

122,847

Abhishek Singh

Dr. Srivastava & Akhilesh

5247 Integrated Development of Children

20 Oct 2004

30 Jun 2005

For Impact evaluation Sample for period 04-05

199,500

Dr. Srivastava

Abhishek & Akhilesh

Deeper exploration: During Interviews and Focus group discussions we explored the following aspects of the program:

Recall of Training content and its utilization: VDWs (and SDWs to some extent) were requested to recall 2-3 messages from last training / workshop and discuss its utilization in work. (Right : Interviews with mothers with Picture cards)

Mothers and lactating women were shown Picture cards (Charcha Chitra)4 and requested to recall the message and discuss their current practices; are there any gaps? Food chart was also used on some occasions, for them to point out appropriate item for children according to age.

Community participation: What are the families contributing and why? Can they contribute more or in kind?

Discussion with VDWs and AWWs explored interactions among them.

Attitudes about working with ICDS (SDW, VDW)

Career plans of VDWs? Ready for change? How did they see a change in their role vis-a-vis AWWs?

Ethical issues: All interviews/ observations were conducted without disrupting or delaying the planned activities for the day. The children were not asked to do anything out of the routine, to facilitate observation. Informed consent was taken for interviews. Notes and pictures were taken with express permission. Names and identities of the respondents were not shared with their supervisors.

4 These have been developed by Center for Learning Resources, PUNE, as a part of an ECCD learning package. These pictures are to be used as graphic aid to discussion on child rearing practices.


Observations & Issues Considerable ground has been covered in the last five years in spite of

many difficulties. Let us briefly discuss these constraints and their effects: 1. Bad roads make travel to villages difficult and time consuming; this

can affect supervision. Out of 8 Balwadi centers, three are within a distance of 10 km and five range from 35 km to 50 km.

2. Sudden floods paralyze work in some of the sectors for a couple of months every year. These are low lying plains of north Bihar. This makes travel, communication and running crèche unsafe at such times.

3. Rural population is scattered in caste based hamlets (tolas) which makes coverage difficult.

4. There was a massive restructuring in Adithi/Plan in the year 2002 which affected program in the field for quite some months. A consortium of seven local NGOs was earlier implementing the program since 1999. This arrangement was found unsatisfactory and Adithi/Plan began to coordinate the program directly from Muzaffarpur in 2002. The program is still running in the constituencies of the seven NGOs, but through Adithi/Plan staff. Relationships with these NGO can still influence the work in the field.

5. Program staff turnover has been felt as a constraint over the years, since it is difficult to find suitable replacements in a region like this.

6. Systemic issues like corruption constrain programs and any collaboration with state services in many ways. There is a political change and observers are optimistic. But for any change, to percolate to district and block level, some years will be needed.

Strengths Here we list the strengths, the good practices identified during participatory evaluation: (Below: Mid day meal being served in an Adithi/Plan Balwadi in Gannipur) 1. Most VDWs are well trained

and skilled; They exhibited good recall of training inputs; understood what should be done with children under different circumstances (crying, fighting with another child for the same toy, repeatedly going out the door, a slow learner etc) and


according to age group (under 3 versus 3+) - and why. They were able to explain why weight should be monitored and were also able to give the details of malnourished children (fortunately just a few in all instances) in their centers. They were able to recall correct messages and responses for the ‘charcha chitra’ (talking pictures).

2. Centers are being conducted daily, as expected, between 10am to 4 pm, five days a week, Saturday being an off day5. Nutrition is being supplied and served regularly and according to age -very young getting milk and older ones are getting semi-solids and solids. Clean utensils, bowls etc are in use. In some centers VDW has made private arrangements with the mistress of the house to help her in cooking and other chores. Obviously there are differences from sector to sector. One center near the high end of standards exhibited a girl child with a below knee plaster, interacting spontaneously with other children and eating her bowl of porridge! (Picture above) (

3. On an average, more than 90% children were found to be active and healthy. Runny nose was seen as a common problem among the rest- which is not a serious health problem at this age.

4. Awareness regarding Personal hygiene has been generated among mothers and children. Towels, soap etc is being utilized in Balwadis. VDWs were seen observing hygiene to expected degree in most cases: wiping children’s nose, asking them to wash hands before eating, changing wet bottoms promptly, washing the towel and putting it out for drying etc.

5. Most VDWs are active and affectionate. Many are well organized and confident in their work. Many used the practice of depicting gender of the child with a different colored dot on the attendance register. Work space was organized well. Drinking water was kept in a covered pot. Compared with ICDS AWC, these centers offered more child friendly atmosphere.

6. Most VDWs are able to work both with children and with mothers in the community through home visits.

5 But the Sector In charge is free to open the center on Saturday. They usually organize community meetings and other activity in the field. On this particular day a street play on child rights was going on and VDW was assisting in it.


7. Crèche mother (VDW) has to attend to a limited number of families, about 40- this ensures that she is able to contact all families once a week at least.

8. Crèche/Pre NFE venue is provided by the community- as their contribution. It was found to be adequate in most cases. A small amount is spent on annual maintenance of the place. No rent is being paid.

9. At most places, families are contributing either in cash or kind (Rs 5 or Grains)

10. VDC is functioning in a transparent fashion. Many VDCs are doing the monitoring. They are being involved in training too.

11. SDWs are experienced, active, efficient and effective. They have good organizational and mobilization skills. They have received considerable training inputs.

12. Records (Attendance, stock, daily diary, weight, Immunization) are being maintained properly in most centers.

Areas for Improvement Monitoring

in only 2 centers. Some centers had

s;

continuity of our intervention with the same

ot

the

2. f eight) center did not have l

1. Inadequate Supervision &Working weighing machine was foundno towel or just one towel. It appears that such equipments are either not requisitioned or not supplied promptly. Supervisors have considerable workload. In addition, there is no comprehensive checklist for such visitTherefore during supervision some issues get addressed while others tend to get overlooked. Another gray zone is the child: very few VDWs had done a follow up of the children graduating from their crèche / Balwadi. How many kids had dropped out of the stream? What were they doing subsequently and why? Did they join aprimary school (government or private) or NFE? Such questions have nbeen asked often enough by supervisors (SDWs and Program persons). Some VDWs did not know how to maintain the stock register; and it appears that the supervisor has not been able to give this specific ‘onjob’ training input to the concerned VDW. Logistics of the crèche/ Balwadi: One (out oadequate space for children enrolled. Sitting arrangement like individuamats was not suitable for very young children; elsewhere it was old &


frayed, needing replacements. Plastic/ foam mats could be consideredview of durability and since it can be cleaned and washed easily. Learning material and Toys: Toys were made indigenously just on

in

3. ce as a

4. ution: VDWs are not very proactive about getting ve

d

5. have taken off and appear to be of

s

6. When children do something good, their

able. n

7. hildren is a prime concern in crèche

next

part of mother’s training; when these toys got used up, fresh initiative didnot take place. Many centers did not have toys; some centers had just 3-4 old broken toys. Every new initiative needs to be sustained till it becomes standard practice. Community contribcommunity participation. Example: In the city, some families could hagiven more than Rs 5 as contribution, but it was never tried. Elsewhere poor families, who refused to pay Rs 5, could have paid Rs 2, if it was actively negotiated. Either the VDWs are not authorized for such negotiations or they lack the initiative. In any case, if sustainability is a prime concern, such negotiations with community should have happenemore often in the last five years. Mother’s awareness: Home visits happening regularly. But more needs to be done since about 2 outthree mothers interviewed with the help of food chart and picture cardgave wrong or no answer. Teacher- child interaction: behavior should be actively acknowledged through praise etc. This probably is not happening to expected degree. When children do something questionable, of course they are told that it is unacceptThe reverse should also be practiced. Similarly, what should VDW do whethere is a conflict between children? There was scope for more skill building for VDWs on these issues. Safety consideration- Safety of the cand Balwadi. In one instance (sector 4) a simple 2 feet high bamboo barrier will ensure that no child can crawl towards the big depressionto it.


Specific issues 1. SWOT analysis of ECCD program This is based on the individual inputs from program person and SDWs. Enabling factors Constraints

Inte

rnal

env

ironm

ent

Strengths

Trained motivated program persons

Experienced local SDWs and VDWs

Staff has received many trainings (eg CLR)

Our program highlights family’s role in ECCD

Crèche-PreNFE-NFE covers an entire span of growing child’s needs

Other domains converge on the same child and its family in most cases

Adithi has earned a goodwill which helps liaison with GO & NGO players

Partner NGOs are rooted in the program area

We can work with the community on long term basis

Sufficient funds available for ECCD

Weaknesses The area is not being saturated (some children left out)

Some of our programs generate dependence

Too many initiatives distract VDW

VDWs capacity to absorb trainings is overwhelmed at times

ECCD module appears to be too generalized; we might forget our area and culture specific child rearing practices

Networking with other players (ICDS, UNICEF) not very vibrant yet

Exte

rnal

env

ironm

ent

Opportunity ICDS has requested us to support two of their centers. A wider collaboration may be possible. We will be able to influence ECCD in a wider area (a whole block?)

Major political change at the top: new government is in a hurry to prove that it is different: new AW centers will be sanctioned soon in the state

Grants are now available for non-sponsorship areas also

Resource organizations (eg CLR) available

UNICEF’s Dular strategy overlaps with some of our area- networking is a clear possibility

Education department has major plans to upgrade infrastructure (school rooms, toilets), hire teacher (50% women) etc.

Enrollment in primary education is being seen by GO / NGO as a major priority. Adithi/Plan work will be appreciated in such atmosphere

Threats

Community may not be ready to take over crèche/Balwadi yet.

Local resources not forthcoming (money, space etc) easily

VDC do not have constitutional status like Panchayat samitis.

Poor infrastructure (roads, electricity, communications) and natural disasters (floods) can still affect services

Urban Slum community can be disrupted by dis/re-location at short notice

Working with ICDS can create conflicts, esp. around resources.


2. Role of community, CBOs (including Youth Groups) and PRIs in these functions:

The community often helps by providing a rent free space for crèche and pre NFE to run. A small contribution (Rs 5 often) is made by the families whose children attend the centre. This contribution is deposited with Village development committee (VDC) and is used for a developmental cause within the village. So far, this has not been invested back in the centre, for example to buy / repair equipments, toys or learning aids. This physical space is maintained / repaired by an annual budget allocated in the learning Project Outline depending upon the need once a year.

If we consider the fact that hardly a hundred yards away, this very village may have a government ICDS center, which pays a monthly rent for AWC, this appears to be a big contribution from the community. But the fact is, in spite of much training and exposure few VDC display ability or desire to take over complete charge of the crèche/pre NFE center. They may need more accompaniment and probably merger with other more sustainable CBOs (Shiksha Samiti of Panchayat / Samooh of Mahila Samakhya-BEP/ LRG of Dular strategy).

Child and adolescents groups, which often have girls from BKCK (NFE) appeared well aware of the children’s issues and the valuable services these crèche/ pre NFE offered to their younger siblings. Home visits have addressed them too and they are playing their role in child stimulation and nurture.

Panchayati Raj functionaries currently play scant role in ECCD initiatives in their villages. They do play a superficial monitoring role in ICDS AWC, by issuing a monthly certificate as to its mandatory functioning during the month.

3. Mothers’ perceptions and other stakeholders. Mothers, whose children were attending the crèche/preNFE, were

obviously very appreciative of the Adithi Balwadi, its services and the mid-day meal served to the children. Most mothers who are landless labor or wage earner realise that they can go to work only because their children are in safe hands.

4. How are the ECCD interventions of the NGO adding value to the existing government programs?

The Adithi/Plan ECCD intervention enriches government programs in many ways; some of these are:

ICDS AWWs have attended training and workshops along with VDWs and SDWs.


Some of the centres have received material supply from Adithi/Plan. Besides, Adithi centres put a subtle moral pressure on the ICDS AWC in the village.

Existing AWC were planned on the basis of 1991 population. In many villages the population has gone up considerably (internal migration is another reason for this) and therefore Adithi Balwadi supplements what ICDS AWC tries to do. Still in some villages both together are not able to cater to all the 3-6 year group of children.

Many children migrate from Crèche /Pre NFE to nearby government primary school. These children certainly fare better and teachers in government schools appreciate this service.

4. The extent to which these programs impacts development and achievement levels of girls and boys

Even a cursory glance revealed that children in Adithi Balwadis appeared neater, cleaner, healthier and more active than their counterparts in ICDS AWC or in the streets. The two obvious reasons are: better training and motivation of VDWs and home visits, which have pressurised and motivated mothers (and other care takers) to pay attention to the child at home and send her/ him better prepared for the Balwadi. (Below: A street show on Child rights in sector 7, Runni Saidpur) (

Similarly scholastic achievements of these children appear better than their counterparts in ICDS AWC. In the NFE, many young girls are given practical life skills (numeracy, literacy, Income generation skills etc). Even those girls, who do not migrate from NFE to formal school, fare better than those who stay home. Some case studies to the end, illustrate these points.

5. A set of findings on the extent possible merger of both Programs ICDS and PU’s initiative.

Considering the present scenario, such a merger is not only possible but also desirable. Adithi/Plan has made considerable investment in capacity building at community level to a point, where it should be possible for it to take advantage of other favourable circumstances, some of which are:

Mahila Samakhya: Mahila Samakhya in Bihar was initiated as an integral component of the Bihar Education Project (BEP) in 1992. In 1993 it was extended to Muzaffarpur. Since Mahila Samakhya in Bihar has been an integral part of BEP and DPEP - girls' education has been its focal agenda. It tries to ensure that girls in Jagjagi Kendras


reach the competency of class 5 level in an accelerated learning mode. It mobilizes the community through formation of women’s groups (Samooh) whose members have been elected as the President, Secretary or members of Vidyalaya Shiksha Samiti (School Education Committee). These features are quite parallel to what Adithi/Plan has been striving for.

Dular Strategy : Dular is an integrated community based child care package using life cycle approach introduced within ICDS in four focus districts in Bihar and Jharkhand by UNICEF. The key elements of the strategy are:

Village networking using local volunteers. Empowering families to adopt appropriate care

practices for women and children. Community monitoring of key care practices i.e.

early initiation of breastfeeding, timely introduction of complementary feeding, caring for pregnant women and adolescent girls. (Right : Krishna Kumari, AWW displays her social map, made under Dular strategy)

Enhancing system capacity for nutrition surveillance and service delivery through better linkages with the community.

External Evaluation of Dular by Tufts University, a cross sectional survey of dular and non-dular ICDS areas was undertaken. The findings showed significant improvement (40-50%) in breastfeeding practices and about 8% reduction in malnutrition. Encouraged by this ICDS is extending it to other areas.

Both these programs intersect Adithi/Plan’s work area and thematically / approach-wise are very similar to its ECCD initiative. A VDW, for example could play the role of LRP (Local Resource Person in Dular) and help AWW, while Adithi/Plan’s VDCs could merge with Mahila Samakhya’s Samooh where these are strong and functional. This would help Adithi/Plan to phase out from direct implementation and move on to a facilitatory role. (Right : Children going to Anganwadi for mid day meal, sector 3 Paranti)

ICDS : ICDS in Bihar has recently drawn the attention of many INGOs (WB, UNICEF, CARE etc) and policy makers. In view of the recent political changes, better resourcing and recruitment drives are expected (-70% Supervisory positions vacant, for example). DPO, Muzaffarpur has sent proposals for new AW centers in almost all the blocks, based on population growth since 1991. Number


of new proposed centers are 194 for Muzaffarpur urban, 38 for Bachahan, 89 for Kanti block, for example. As soon as these centers are sanctioned, it would be an opportunity for Adithi/Plan to phase out and focus on quality, training, community mobilization.

ECCD intervention Ranked A collaborative ranking exercise was done to understand where does the ECCD program stand on the ten quality standards promoted by Plan Asia’s working group on ECCD (May 2005). Here are the results: (NB: To get a detailed understanding of these criteria, please refer to Appendix at page 35.)

Sr. No.

Criteria Rank (0-10)

Comments

1. Inclusive 7 There is little discrimination regarding sex, caste, ability, community, class, gender etc. Still, it seems that children from very poor backgrounds and those with disabilities may require extra effort to be included.

2. Accessible 8 Crèches are accessible to all children of the community. VDWs are skilled and competent. Crèche time suits the routine of families & community. VDWs provide information on child care orally and through pictures and other reference material during home visits – to siblings, family members. But on rare occasions caste can be a constraint.

3. Developmentally Appropriate

6 VDWs look after the children very actively. They provide them supplementary nutrition according to age. Children get a variety of learning material like softball, soft toys, clay pot etc. They promote the use of play as core learning modality. Regular weighing is done to monitor growth. They promote appropriate language skills. More innovative and creative ways could be used.

4. Integrated, Holistic

7 The focus is there on all the dimensions- physical, mental, spiritual/moral etc. Emphasis is on health, safe drinking water, proper hygiene habits and sanitation facilities. VDWs also try to break traditional but harmful notions; provide support for pregnant and lactating mothers through education; Use picture cards and other reference material; motivate them for immunization & better nutrition. There is scope for more training of VDWs and better monitoring.

5. Relevant 7 Due importance is given to local knowledge. Locally recruited VDWs and SDWs use local dialect and are sensitive to local cultural practices & needs. Local rhymes, songs, folklores and games are being used.

6. Cost Effective. 8 Locally available resources (soft ball, toys from old clothes, clay pot etc.) being used. Contribution is taken as Cash (Rs 5) or kind- quite affordable. The community provides space for free.

7 Culture & gender Sensitive.

6 The program and the staff are sensitive to gender and other axes of social inequity. But some time VDWs ignore the traditional practices or focus on women (mother) in ways which may promote gender stereotypes.

8. Safe and Protective

7 Location of the centers and services are away from hazards. Most of the centers are spacious, well lighted and well equipped, regularly maintained. Staff may need training inputs for emergency


situations.

9. Sustainable 7 There is a good system of reporting and documentation. Strong network with stakeholders like VDC, parents, community, ICDS and other organization. There is transparency in services. VDCs are empowered for monitoring the centers any time and offer suggestions and take action.

10. Promote Child Participation

7 Adults have good knowledge of child development. Many are sensitive towards children needs and interest. Reflected in their participation and various contributions.

Recommendations Most of these recommendations are being incorporated in the five

year roadmap, next section. For the sake of thematic continuity, we summarize the main themes here:

Closer, frequent, supportive supervision & monitoring in the field More scope for skill building for VDW, SDW and program personnel

through training & exposure : For VDW on interactions with children and for SDW on supervision, monitoring and rapid program appraisals

Supply & logistics (eg. Space, towels, weighing machines) to be frequently reviewed

More effort into Networking with relevant partners: ICDS, UNICEF, BEP; Reinvent a new role and step into it: monitoring, training, mobilization

and networking.

Where Next : Five Year Roadmap “Because the need is so great, Planners should give priority to programs that offer the best prospect of reaching the most children who are at risk. That means looking beyond demonstration and pilot projects to the possibility of expansion and replication of effective program approaches.”6

An in-depth multi-level discussion with field staff, supervisors, program persons and the project director on 22nd to 24th Feb 2006, helped the team to sort out its priorities, assess what was feasible and plan for the next five years.

The team first came up with this list of objectives it would like to achieve over next 5 years:

Liasioning with government to be strengthened at State, District, Block and Panchayat level; Also with PHC to get ANMs help; with INGO regarding training and BCC material and support; Liasioning with ICDS directorate to facilitate selection of our centers as AWC and our VDW as a AWW, as far as possible.

One AWC in all the blocks where we are working should be promoted as a Model center. One or two nearby ones should be promoted as training center also.

6 The consultative group on ECCD (http://www.ecdgroup.com/why_eccd.asp)


We should try to improve the quality of ICDS AWC in our program area and provide material and other inputs to that end.

We need to make a plan for implementing the stated objectives of ICDS including Child Rights

To design a supportive monitoring system with government, village development committee (VDC) and ADITHI/Plan staffs.

To build the transparency between implementer (GO/NGO and other stake holders)and community

Provide training/Refresher (For innovation /child behavior & rights)

To promote adequate infrastructure for AWC; it should have adequate space for play, and be accessible for all children including challenged ones.

To develop opportunity for those VDWs who were looking after Crèche/Pre NFE in case of merger with ICDS

This road map can be divided into three phases:

(A) Before sanction of new centers (expected to be 6 mo-1 yr) This phase is to prepare various stakeholders through discussion and counseling; this is also to formally let them know our intentions: phase out from implementation (running Balwadis) and phase in to monitoring, training and community mobilization.

a. Prepare a clear cut plan: as to what each VDW I and VDW III will be doing, after phase out. Restructure and redefine their roles, based on their ability and experience (by Learning Coordinator and others)

b. SDW (particularly Rambha, Chanda, Ketaki) should keep in constant touch with Panchayat, CDPO and DPO to find out when the sanction is about to come and also, whether the sanction is in their panchayat or not. This information will help Learning PC to fine tune the above plan.

c. Liaisoning with government and other stakeholders– esp. ICDS (Director, DPO, CDPO), share achievements under learning domain so far, this evaluation report and the tentative plan mentioned in (a) above. Find out if they plan to expand in our area, and how we can work with them: can our volunteers work as their LRP under Dular? Can our VDC double as LRG under Dular? Can our SDW participate in Village Contact Drive of Dular? Can Jagjagi samooh merge with our VDC? Etc.

d. Liasioning with and orientation of PRI- to the objective of i. getting our centers promoted as the new AWC and ii. to get our VDW selected, if from the same gramsabha, and willing,

as AWW; iii. Merger / representation of our VDC in Shiksha samiti of Panchayat iv. And share the Plan with them generally.

e. Hold early discussion with VDC about their new role (option 1: continue working with strong VDC and link them up with new ICDS AWC, by


promoting one of their members as LRP under Dular for example; option 2: where VDC is performing poorly, work with existing education committee of Panchayat)

f. Review VDW’s work and plan their new roles (arrange trainings if necessary and consider promotions; some possible roles: supervise and monitor and help the new AWC on need basis; she can be assistant to SDW- helps in BKCK, field supervision, documentation etc)

g. Prepare a brief concept note on model center in our area. What should a model AWC in our area look like, work like? This would decide our future inputs to ICDS.

(B) After sanction (0-6 months) Once the sanction for new AWCs come through, following steps should be considered: a. Brief meetings with PRI, VDC, concerned parents, SDW and VDW to ensure

that i. new AWC is set-up in a fixed infrastructure with adequate space

for play, center should be accessible for all children including challenged children

ii. wherever possible Adithi/Plan Balwadis are adopted as the new AWC

iii. wherever possible VDW (if from the same gram sabha and willing) is elected as AWW

b. Handover all the children, material supply, equipments, toys, sitting material etc to the new AWC. Ensure that no child drops out in this process. (VDW will ensure it as she would have been told this in the planning phase).

c. Supportive monitoring (by SDW / old VDW/ CDPO) of AWC. This input will have to be negotiated with ICDS (Directorate and District level) in a pragmatic way; If we are (and seen to be) contributing in significant and material ways, we may have a locus standi to monitor it as well. Nevertheless, this monitoring should ostensibly come from community- ie. Monitoring individual should represent community rather than Adithi/Plan. Initially it should be weekly for 2-3 months, then fortnightly and random.

d. Program person to visit a good Balwadi model to exchange ideas and develop a prototype (Mobile crèche; Search who else?)

e. Learning PP to meet CDPO to ensure that government funds for mid day meals are being utilized for that purpose; this again is based on the assumption that Adithi/Plan will be investing considerable material inputs


in the ICDS AWC, in an attempt to maintain quality and community participation. This will have to be done gently and wisely.

(C) Six month After sanction (Maintenance phase) This phase is to focus on monitoring, training and sustaining the process of collaboration with ICDS, UNICEF (Dular) and BEP. a. Promotion of Model centers through

i) material supply on need and priority basis- to be used as leverage for monitoring and collaboration

ii) Training cum workshop (for AWW, AWS aka LS, VDW, SDW, CDPO) (Resource: CLR, Mobile crèche etc)

iii) Review of human resource needs of the model AWC and necessary action (ex. VDW could be deputed for two hours every week to help weighing the children or the pregnant others or completing documentation- all this, so that AWW could fulfill her primary role in a high quality manner)

b. Internal six monthly rapid participatory reviews (Learning PC, CPME PO, Concerned SDW, VDW, AWW, CDPO, Gram sahayak)

c. Material supply review and appraisal d. Training cum workshop- for AWW, AWS, VDW; Skill oriented modules on

Supervision and monitoring for SDW and CDPOs; e. Exposure visit (2 AWW, 1 SDW, 1 CDPO, Learning PC) to some good

Balwadi program (consider south India?) f. End of 1st year: Evaluation (Unicef Rep, DPO, CPME PP) – sample of two

model (urban, rural) centers, randomly selected. Debriefing with staff of all model centers and a minimum 2 page report to Adithi/Plan, UNICEF, and ICDS director.

g. Based on above, prepare action plan for additional 20 AWC in the working community. The idea is: collaboration with ICDS in 7 model centers in 6 blocks should be replicated to a larger number of AWC in these blocks, after an appraisal.

h. Learning PC should attend policy workshops on Pre-primary education (state, country level) and prepare a paper on- convergence (and divergence) between Adithi/Plan learning domain and state policy on education.

i. The Skill trainer (Purnima) and One SDW to attend some TOT on training methods; they should increasingly be used for short skill based training sessions meant for AWWs and VDWs;

j. End of three year: Evaluation, documentation and dissemination of experience (“Lessons learnt: Transition from Implementation to collaboration with ICDS?”) through a state level workshop.


Gantt Chart : Five Year Roadmap : Crèche/Pre NFE program of Adithi / Plan Proposed activities Planning Phase

Before Sanction of New AWCs Implementation phase (After Sanction)

Maintenance Phase

About six months About six months Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Months/ Quarters 61 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6

1. Review / counsel VDWs ; Restructure/ redefine their roles; Prepare them for new roles (PC-L & others)

2. SDWs to keep in touch with Panchayat, DPO to find out about new AWCs at the earliest

3. Liaison with ICDS (DPO, Director), Unicef (meetings, sharing of reports etc) Panchayat, VDC (new role?), Parents (PU team)

4. Review VDW’s skill needs in new roles and arrange for training (Supervision, M & E, Facilitation, Collaboration, documentation) (CPME-PO, PC-L)

5. What should model center mean? Prepare a concept note. (PC-L) 6. Canvassing for Adithi centers to be adopted as new AWC- meet PRI, VDC,

Parents (SDW, VDW)

7. Handover to new AWC (supplies, children, records etc) (SDW, VDW) 8. Monitoring (by old VDW, SDW, Community, CDPO- joint monitoring if possible)

Initially weekly, later fortnightly, monthly

9. Exposure trip (PC, SDW, AWW, CDPO) to a good Balwadi program, to develop common ground & understanding

10. Coordination meetings with DPO (quarterly) 11. Networking meeting with ICDS director/ Dular i/c (six monthly, quarterly) 12. Promote model centers (supplies, training, help) 13. Six monthly rapid reviews (PC-L, CPME-PO, SDW, VDW, AWW, CDPO, Gram

sahayak) + Material supply review and appraisal

14. Brief Training cum workshops for AWW, SDW, AWS (LS), CDPO 15. Annual Participatory rapid appraisal (Adithi, ICDS, UNICEF) 16. Action plan for additional 20 AWC in the 6 blocks & take them up gradually

over next 3 months- for developing as model centers

17. Policy paper on Crèche & Balwadi (PC-L) 18. TOT for Skill Trainer & SDW

19. External Impact evaluation- Documentation – dissemination (state level workshop) on Lessons learnt..

NB: Please read the text in the preceding section for details. Some overlap is there in the Implementation and Maintenance phase. This is a tentative plan, which should be reviewed every few months to take advantage of opportunities.


Case studies Following six case studies offer a closer look at the program,

people, their perceptions and motivations.

1. Motivation of a field worker in rural Bihar VDWs are local married women – often a housewife with some education, experience and considerable family responsibilities. She is paid a salary of Rs 1700 (about 40 USD) per month. What is her motivation? This case study could be an exception but VDWs motivation in most cases goes beyond remuneration or just gainful employment.

Ms Punam Kumari, 35 yrs, is a crèche mother in Gannipur (sector 6) since year 2000. She and her husband are the residents of a nearby village. She was unable to conceive in the fifteen years of her marriage. The couple tried whatever was recommended – from modern treatment to faith healing. She received little sympathy from the family (in laws) or the community. Rather, she was the object of constant ridicule. Taking care of children in the crèche became her sustenance- here were little children who accepted her love and care without any discrimination. Infact, her work became the core of her life & concerns for her.

One day, she mentioned her problem to a colleague (Shakuntala and Sheela), who took her to a doctor. Ten months later she gave birth to a healthy baby. She is convinced that this happened because she gave her love to crèche children unstintingly. She continues taking care of crèche with renewed vigor. In her worldview, serving children is not a job- but punya ka kam (a privilege, a meritorious act).

2. Successful Transition from BKCK to a regular school The following two case studies document passing of two girls through BKCK to formal schools.

(A) Ms Afsaana, 13 yrs She attended BKCK for three years and t

enrolled in the nearby Urdu Girls High Schoohas been studying at this school for the last two years but has kept in touch with Rubiya madawho runs the BKCK. Madam helped her finanto get admitted to this private school. The monthly fee is Rs 105, which Afsaana collects through screen painting jobs offered to her by MDC (Adithi/Plan Partner NGO).

hen l. She

m, cially

Her family is not doing well since her father’s illness. He suffered from cancer and died recently in Jan 2006. Her father had stopped working even


before he fell ill. Her mother and brother do odd jobs to keep the family going. Sometime her uncle and maternal grandpa also help them. She has 5 sisters of whom the eldest got married and the other three attend BKCK. Of the two brothers, one died sometime back.

In retrospect, she thinks, she liked coming to BKCK because the madam in charge was regular, treated them with respect, offered them ‘copy’ and books, and still greets her with love whenever they meet now. Her decision to continue her education beyond BKCK is also due to her uncle (mama) - who is class ten pass and runs a tailoring shop. He always encouraged her to educate herself, no matter what the outcome.

She is now in class 7. She thinks her years in BKCK helped her later in the school. She dreams of becoming someday something like a teacher, doctor or may be a painter. She hasn’t heard of M F Hussain but wouldn’t mind becoming famous as a screen painter.

(B) Ms Neha Parveen 9 yrs She lives in Jora gali, a slum of Muzaffarpur.

She has just one sibling- a brother- Nihal, about 6 or 7 years. Her father is a tailor in Delhi. He visits them occasionally- like on Id. He sends them money regularly, but not much. She and Nihal study in local Oxford public school: she in class 3 and her brother in UKG. She attended BKCK regularly till one year ago, when she joined ‘Oxford’.

Looking back she thinks she had a lot of fun in BKCK. She still visits Meena madam, whenever there is a holiday. She wants to become “a big officer like collector, so that I can be good”. The interviewer asked: Can’t you become good if you happen to be a tailor, or a teacher or a nurse? She thinks for a while then nods in agreement and smiles.

3. Family influences Following cousin sisters- Shahina and Juhi joined BKCK about 3 years ago, but Shahina has dropped out, while Juni continues. Why?

1. Ms Shahina Khatun, 17 yrs She comes from a poor family

living on Zhora gali in Muzaffarpur. Her father paints furniture and does other odd jobs when he can get it. She has twelve siblings- 8 brothers and 5 sisters. Two brothers who got married have their own expenses


and have separated from the family. Two sisters also have been married. These two older sisters had had no schooling- like Shahina.

Shahina joined BKCK close to her home sometime in 2002. She feels benefited by these four years spent in BKCK but has stopped attending it for last 3 months. She is learning sewing and stitching at home and tries to contribute a little to the family income by these skills. None of the brothers are able to earn anything.

It is her mother who has stopped her coming to BKCK. Her logic is: what next? We will never have money to put you to any school. Another reason is: mother needs help with household chores and care of young siblings. Her youngest brother is 1.5 years old. Morning is the time when the pressure is highest, both on her and her mother; and that is the time when BKCK runs. Interviewer asks: would your mother let you attend BKCK if it was conducted in the evening?

She looks thoughtful –and doubtful. Perhaps at 17, her mother would prefer her to stay at home, living in a slum, as they do, in Muzaffarpur. Towards the end, she says: Well, I have learned reading Hindi, a little Urdu too- and I can do my sums- I can read the news paper and the sign on the bus... What more do I need from a school?

The interviewer has to agree with her; For someone in her situation, BKCK has given her sufficient skills!

2. Juhi Khatun, 17 yrs Juhi is cousin sister of Shahina, above. Their mothers are real sisters.

But unlike Shahina, she has continued attending BKCK for last 2 years. She has 5 brothers and 2 sisters. She is the youngest. She says that she has learned cross stitch, sewing, literacy and numeracy skills and many other things from Zayeda Madam in BKCK. One of her brothers goes to Madrasa (religious school) where monthly fee is Rs 200. He also attends a nearby government school for free, for secular education.

Her father sells grocery on a hand cart (Theli). Her older brothers too help him. Juhi also helps her mother with household chores and care of younger siblings. Still she loves attending BKCK because she likes Zayeda madam’s approach of treating them with love and respect and making learning fun. Her family seems to be economically slightly better than her cousin’s above.

Why have the two families dealt differently with the two girls? Juhi’s family appears to be more open to change and optimistic about life. Perhaps they have economic resources too- to send her brother to a paid facility. This makes them tolerant to Juhi’s request to let her attend BKCK.


Lesson learnt: It will be difficult to retain girls beyond 15-16 years of age in BKCK. Hence they should be caught as early as possible and taught life skills at the earliest and in the shortest possible time. This recruitment can be facilitated by the BKCK girls themselves in their neighborhood, by word of mouth.

Secondly, girls from very poor and large families will be the first to drop out from NFE. They will also not join any formal school. Therefore, teaching them economic skills can be of paramount importance.

4. Magic of early intervention Sonu is a little child of about four years. He

looks steadily at his hands, neatly folded in his lap. Speaks when spoken to. But he is quite articulate for his young age. He speaks clearly and in complete sentences- often with a clear logic. He has been attending preNFE (Balwadi) for last two years. In a little aside, his madam quietly tells the interviewer that he hails from a Dalit7 community and is miles ahead of his cohort.

His father, a rickshaw puller, works irregularly and returns home often drunk. He tends to be violent when he is drunk. This is what Sonu has told his madam. He has 2 older brothers and 2 sisters. Since he showed unusual intelligence, madam has tried to encourage his family to send him to Balwadi regularly, in spite of problems. Otherwise he too would have ended as a rag picker or a street urchin probably.

Towards the end of the interview, Sonu is telling the interviewer the names of his friends in Balwadi- Chhotu, Shakil, Nanhe, Chunna. He says that laddu (a sweetmeat) and other things are offered as meals at Balwadi regularly- he enjoys getting these!

He tells me, somewhat timidly, some of the songs he has learned at Balwadi- Bada tamatar, Gol gol pani, Machhli jal ki rani hai etc.

This is a child, who probably would not have gone to any school like his siblings and would have wandered the streets of this slum- but for the Adithi/Plan Balwadi in this area and Rubiya madam’s extra human interest and care in spotting the child.

He has been sponsored recently and – surprisingly, he is able to give me his SC number correctly!

7 Scavengers, sweepers. The term ‘Dalit’ has been preferred by the backward community as a political identity and literally means ‘the downtrodden’.


Lesson learnt: The qualities appreciated most in VDWs are: treating children with respect. Children also appreciate it when the relationship with VDW continues even after they have moved on in life. Last case study emphasizes what a little extra initiative from a VDW can mean to an exceptional child in unfavorable circumstances.


Appendices Tentative work plan: Adithi/Plan ECCD evaluation & Roadmap exercise

Date P. Persons Task Contact

Phone No. 13th Feb 2006

Abhishek Planning session; Presentation by the team; expectation form the evaluation (Abhishek, Rajesh, Akhilesh, Rambha, Purnima, Satyendra)

9431039031

14 Feb Akhilesh, Chanda

Sector 6- center visit, Discussion with lactating mothers, Center visit of Dular, Anganwadi visit, meeting with VDC member

9835465369

15th Feb Satyendra, Rajesh & Dolly

Sector 1 and 2: center visit, Discussion with lactating mothers, Anganwadi visit, meeting with VDC member

9835230934

16th Feb Devjani, Rambha

Sector 5: center visit, Discussion with lactating mothers, Center visit of Dular, Anganwadi visit, meeting with VDC member Interview with PD

9835064334

17th Feb Akhilesh, Ketaki

Sector 3 & 4: (Only general visit for Sector 4) center visit, Discussion with lactating mothers, Center visit of Dular, Anganwadi visit, meeting with VDC member

9835465369

18th Feb Satyendra, Pramilla

Sector 7: center visit, Discussion with lactating mothers, Anganwadi visit, meeting with VDC member

9835230934

19th Feb (Sunday)

Discussion with Akhilesh, Meeting with a pediatrician (doctor)

9835465369

20th Feb Devjani to organize with Govt staff by 17th

Early Debriefing with Program person (ADITHI) and Govt officers (DPO, CDPO)- (Modalities of collaboration with Govt)

9835064334

21st Feb Chanda ji (arrange)

Vaishali (DPO) 06227-256012, 9431856089

22nd Feb Abhishek TOR of Learning Impact assessment (help with)p; Interview with Mr Manish

9431439031

23rd Feb Debriefing with Program staff (PD, SDW, VDW); Single PO evaluations

24th Feb, 2006

Single PO evaluations; Wind up


Checklist This checklist was adapted form a document8 from Consultative Group on ECCD by external evaluator and CPME PO, and was used during visits to Creche / Pre NFE: # Items to check / observe Comment of evaluator

1 Available facilities Comment or YES / NO

1.1 Equipments

1.2 Toilet

1.3 Drinking water

1.4 Safety condition

1.5 Adequate space

1.6 Floor (Kacha / Pacca)

1.7 Kitchen utensils

1.8 Towel

2 Learning Materials 3 Status of children (% of children) 3.1 Without health problem

3.2 Personal hygiene adequate

3.3 Adequate Clothing

3.4 Adequate footwear (ignored in Crèche)

3.5 Physically active

4 Teachers / Status Yes / NO

4.1 Self confident

4.2 Skillful

4.3 Active

4.4 Well organized

4.5 Creative

5 Teachers child interaction Yes / no

5.1 Encourage self expression language skills

5.2 Ask questions / responds

5.3 Affectionate

5.4 Praise / acknowledge behavior

5.5 Conflict Management

5.6 Independent / cooperative play encouraged

6 Number of children registered / present (Give numbers of boys and girls)

6.1 Graduated children in last year (Give numbers of boys and girls)

6.2 Number of children 6.1 attending pre school / Jagjagi/ etc.

6.3 Stock register / daily dairy / Weight register / immunization register

Give status of the Registers

8 EVALUATION DESIGN: UNICEF/United Nations Development Programme—Socialist Republic of Vietnam- by Cassie Landers, Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development, June 1994


ECCD Evaluation & Road mapping (Text of slides shared during debriefing on 22nd Feb 2006 with Adithi/Plan PU team)

Thoughts Change is the only constant! Government is the biggest NGO! Some bees make the hive, others bring the

honey!

What we are going to do today... Adithi / Plan Crèche/Pre NFE & NFE : what

have we found 5 Y Road map: what should be done over

next 5 years with these crèche and pre NFE centers

Your Inputs are welcome since this last is aemerging vision, tentative plan

n

omponent? e future direction of the

What did we want to know? What have been the experiences to date in

terms of a SWOT Analysis of the Education program, focusing on the ECCD cWhat will be thprogram, in consonance with Plan CSP and CPO and the other major players in the operational area (Civil Society, State, Other INGOs, etc.)?

How we went about it... Review of relevant documents (PO etc) Planning session with team (13th Feb) Field visits to all the sectors (14-18th Feb) Discussions with mothers, adolescents, siblings, community members, VDC, AWW, VDW,

SDW & other program staff SWOT analysis by ‘program’ heads Observations in crèche/ pre NFE/ NFE & AW (ICDS) centers (participatory process with CPME

Coordinator; used a checklist which was developed together)

How we went about it... (2) Deeper exploration on

Recall of Training content, utilization (VDW) using picture cards Community participation (contribution?) Knowledge about / exchange with AW centers in the area Attitudes about working with ICDS (SDW, VDW) Career plans? Ready for change? (VDW)

Guiding principles • Inclusive? • Accessible? • Developmentally appropriate? • Integrated / holistic? • Relevant? • Cost effective? • Sensitivity (culture, gender etc)?


• Safe & protective? • Sustainable (role for stakeholders?) • Promotes child participation? (NB: These ten principles are derived from a document ‘Working towards achieving quality in ECCD by Dr. Hoa Phuong Tran. See appendix for details at page 35)

Observations: general Considerable achievements under all the ten heads In spite of Difficult terrain, poor roads, flood prone area, systemic problems CPME coordinator will share strengths and areas for improvement now

Strengths Most VDWs are trained and skilled (good recall of training inputs; understood what

should be done with children under different circumstances and according to age group - and why)

Centers are being conducted daily, as expected. On an average, more than 90% children were active and healthy. Nutrition is being supplied and served regularly and according to age (very young-

getting milk; older ones were getting semi-solids and solids)

Strengths-2 Awareness regarding Personal hygiene has been generated among mothers and children.

Towels, soap etc is being utilized in Balwadis. Most VDWs are active and affectionate. Many are well organized and confident in their

work. Most VDWs are able to work both with children and with mothers in the community

(home visits). Crèche mother (VDW) has to attend to a limited number of families (about 40) - this

ensures that she is able to contact all families once a week at least.

Strengths-3 Crèche/Pre NFE venue is provided by the community- as their contribution. Adequate in

most cases. At most places, families are contributing either in cash or kind (Rs 5 or Grains) VDC is functioning in a transparent fashion. Many VDCs are doing the monitoring. They

are being involved in training too. SDWs are active, efficient and effective. Records (Attendance, stock, daily diary, weight, Immunization) are being maintained

properly in most centers.

Areas for improvement Working weighing machine was found in only 2 centers. Some centers had no towels or just one towel. Some centers did not have adequate space for children enrolled. Sitting arrangement – lack of sitting mat (plastic mats can be cleaned and washed) Toys were made indigenously just once; when these toys got used up, fresh initiative did

not take place. Many centers did not have toys; some centers had just 3-4 old broken toys.

Areas for improvement-2 More monitoring and supervision inputs are needed: VDWs are not aware of issues like

follow up of children graduating from their centers; what they were doing subsequently- joining pre NFE, some school or dropping out. Weighing machine, towels etc have been requisitioned but not supplied for months. It appears that monitoring and supervision is not very systematic & responsive at present.


Some VDWs did not know how to maintain stock register; and it appears that supervisor has not been able to give this specific ‘on the job’ training input to concerned VDW.

Areas for improvement-3 VDWs are not very proactive about getting community participation. Example: In the city,

some families could have given more than Rs 5 as contribution, but it was never tried. Elsewhere (sector 4), poor families, who refused to pay Rs 5, could have paid Rs 2, if it was actively promoted and negotiated.

When children do something good, their behavior should be actively acknowledged through praise etc. This probably is not happening to expected degree. When children do something questionable, ofcourse they are told that it is unacceptable. The reverse should also be practiced.

Safety consideration- (sector 4) - scope for improvement is there.

Areas for improvement (Sum up) Every new initiative needs to be sustained till it becomes standard practice (eg. Indigenous

toy making) Closer, frequent, supportive supervision & monitoring More scope for skill building (training, exposure) Supply & logistics (eg. Space, towels) Better inter sectoral coordination

Acknowledgements Many thanks to-

Children Akhilesh (CPME Coordinator) and others Kailash (the driver) VDWs, SDWs, Community, AWWs & others Adithi / Plan staff


Quality Dimensions Ensuring Programme Substance Plan has herein identified ten (10) interrelated and interdependent dimensions of quality in ECCD which are deemed essential in achieving programme impact. Operational definitions for each element were likewise laid down to level-off the understanding of the meaning of each quality dimension and provide a common reference among stakeholders.

All the ten quality dimensions are equally important. Hence they must be collectively present and continuously worked at and achieved, in order to create the best possible environment where children thrive, have the best start in life and reach their fullest potentials.

While the herein quality parameters are minimum standards that must be consistently practiced by all countries, efforts must be exerted to adapt these to local contexts. When necessary, country-specific quality parameters can be added to better reflect specificities of diverse cultures and settings.

This set of Quality Standards has been put together by Plan Asia’s working group on ECCD, following the Regional Education Network Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2005.

Quality Dimensions

Operational Definitions

1. In

clus

ive

The ECCD Program reaches out to all children: Boys and girls With disabilities and special needs From indigenous tribes/groups Of all geographic locations (urban or rural, children internally displaced and are in refugee

camps or evacuation sites) Of all religious groups, castes, races & economic backgrounds From hard-to-reach areas At-risk children (children in single-parent households, severely malnourished,

neglected/abandoned, children with/affected by HIV/AIDS, families with unstable sources of income, with family members indulging in substance abuse, domestic violence, etc)

Orphans and children from all types of family arrangements (nuclear, extended, same sex & mixed marriages, etc)

Children born of common law marriage Children affected by disasters (flood, drought, tsunami, earthquake, famine, fire etc.) and

epidemic


2. A

cces

sibl

e ECCD services: Are geographically accessible; not far from a child’s residence Are readily available & functional Are managed by trained/competent persons Are scheduled according to parents’ routine, communities’ events and seasonal calendar Promote alternative delivery models (i.e. Home-based, use of various media forms for

parenting education) Parents/caregivers , service providers, relatives and members of the community have access to

a wide array of technology, information and reference materials Also reach out to older children/ siblings, all members of the family, relatives and all

adults/members of the community User fees can be in varied forms (cash, labour, in kind/ products) depending on family

circumstances

3. D

evel

opm

enta

lly-a

ppro

pria

te

Activities/interventions Are varied and appropriate to the developmental stages/ capacities, needs & interests of

children Promote use of interactive methodologies and manipulation of concrete objects Promote the use of play as core learning modality Treat every child as unique Indoor & outdoor activities are balanced and properly observed Focus on self-help and life skills of children as appropriate to their age & socio-cultural

context Promote the use of the child’s first language & bilingual medium of instruction (where

appropriate) Health interventions follow the standard health service package appropriate for pre-school age

groups Use appropriate methodologies to elicit young children’s participation in personal, domestic &

community affairs Children’s developmental skills are assessed regularly and these are used as basis in designing

and providing interventions Enable children to exhibit positive effects of the ECCD interventions: age appropriate growth,

improved nutritional status, school-readiness, improved developmental skills Parents, service providers & community manifest improvement in attitude toward the child and

in child care skills & practices (i.e. increased & meaningful interactions with children, healthy food preparation & feeding practices, increased knowledge of basic preventive health care & early child stimulation)


4. In

tegr

ated

, Hol

istic

ECCD interventions: Encompass all the dimensions (physical, mental, social, emotional, spiritual/moral) of child

development; view the child as a whole Promote multiple intelligences and learning styles as approaches in nurturing the potentials of

children Include supportive environment to families: livelihood opportunities, improved access to health

services, safe water, proper hygiene and sanitation, etc. Break traditional notions and views of children put equal weight on health, nutrition, psycho-social stimulation & early education Support the well-being of pregnant & lactating mothers, & the unborn Are integrated with the community’s programs of health, education, water and environmental

sanitation, livelihoods, birth registration, child protection & participation, and local governance Establish mechanisms for synergy of programmes service providers in the communities Make community part of the “learning environment” of the child Attempt to fuse local knowledge and global learning Are designed always in the context of the child’s family and community Service providers are multi-skilled (integrated competency on health, nutrition & psycho-social

stimulation) Have built-in regular monitoring of interventions and program evaluation and results are fully

utilized in planning, designing strategies and policy-making

5. R

elev

ant

ECCD curriculum and capability building interventions & related materials: Use or relate to the daily experiences of children & families Promote use of familiar objects and events, and maximizes use of local knowledge, folklores,

games, rhymes and songs Respond to the developmental needs, issues and interests of children and their families Enhance school-readiness of children and functional literacy among adults Provide smooth transition from pre-schools or home-based setting to a more

formal/structured learning setting Capability building activities for service providers (parents, health workers, day care workers

etc) respond to their identified competency gaps; are continuous, progressively built-up, comprehensive and with built-in field coaching

Make use of simple presentations of concepts, follow principles of adult & child learning, as well as draw from trainees’ experiences and contexts

Program indicators and tools are simple, user-friendly, easily managed, clearly defined and regularly reviewed

Promotes “culture of research/inquiry” and adopts evidence-based programming

6. C

ost-

effe

ctiv

e

ECCD Programmes Promote the use of locally available resources Require affordable and reasonable fees from users Encourage community contributions and cost-sharing schemes with partners Can be easily replicated and adopted Require minimal costs and meagre resources, but still provide effective materials and activities

and produce high-impact results Use proven cost-effective interventions based on empirical studies (e.g. Essential health

package for the survival & development of children 0-6 years old)


7. C

ultu

re &

Gen

der-

sens

itive

ECCD Programmes: Are gender sensitive and respectful of the diversity of cultural, historical and contextual

(socio-economic, languages, religion) backgrounds of children/families Maximize use of positive indigenous values, knowledge, skills and practices on health care &

parenting Build cultural identity and instill the feeling of cultural pride in children Challenge cultural & gender barriers to child education Encourage shared parenting tasks between male & female-parents/caregivers Promote a curriculum and adult-child interactions that do not reinforce gender stereotyping in

roles, expectations and responsibilities, and which uphold gender-equity

8. S

afe

and

prot

ectiv

e

Location of centres and services is away from hazards (e.g. roads, garbage dumping sites, wells

& other bodies of water, cliff etc), violence, vices and pornographic exposure Children are made aware of possible risks around them and are protected from abuses of all

forms (physical, emotional, sexual & neglect) Services are managed by friendly, sensitive and competent staff Centres are properly ventilated, well-lighted, spacious, regularly maintained, well–equipped Facilities are appropriate, adequate and ergonomically fit Centres have adequate supply of first aid kit and basic medicines and are regularly replenished House/ centre/location are child-proof ECCD programs promote proper nutrition and health, healthy life skills and lifestyles &

proper/safe food handling Centres observe ideal worker-children ratio; manageable class size as specified by national or

acceptable standards Centres have safe physical environment with potable and functional water and sanitation

facilities Learning environment promotes psycho-emotional security that encourages socialization and

learning Staff are properly trained and skilled in administering first aid, and responding to emergency

situations (accidents, fire and other calamities, abuse) Growth monitoring of children is conducted at least every quarter Early detection and referral of disabilities of any form Detection of early signs and referral of abuse of any form Centres have mechanisms for medical/emergency referral & quick responses Full immunization is provided to children 0-3 years Exclusive breastfeeding of babies for the first 6 months and appropriate complementary

feeding of infants is promoted Facilities are friendly to children with disabilities Service providers are healthy and undergo regular medical check ECCD centres/sites designated as “zones of peace” (in cases of war-ravaged communities) ECCD centres provide appropriate post-disaster interventions (i.e. psycho-social support/care

to displaced /separated/ orphaned/ traumatized children & protection measures for children in relief camps or evacuation centres)


9. S

usta

inab

le

ECCD Programmes: Highlight parents as partners Build a strong network of stakeholders (children, parents, community members, NGOs,

people’s organizations, International organizations, government and its agencies) with an established system of technology-sharing, participatory program implementation & management

Promote participatory processes and encourages the involvement of the whole community in pushing forward the ECCD agenda.

Build on what the community has (resources, expertise etc) Have good system of reporting and documentation, utilization and management of

information Have a defined and functional management structure at all levels Have mechanisms for sustained resource mobilization, continuous advocacy, effective

information management, technical assistance & policy review & development Seek to leverage/strengthen existing resources of all stakeholders on a cost-sharing scheme Are institutionalized; adopted as a priority program of the government and become a regular,

mandated service that enjoys regular budgetary/resource allocation and policy/technical support

Have sustained staying power and achievement of children in basic education Have in place mechanisms for scaling-up and mass adoption

10. P

rom

ote

Child

Par

ticip

atio

n

Adults have correct understanding of child development; their parenting skills and practices are

nurturing of children’s evolving capacity of self-expression, of making choices and decisions, assuming responsibilities and becoming independent persons.

Adults are sensitive to children’s needs & interests, are able to read children’s signals and provide appropriate responses in a timely manner.

Programmes promote the continuous challenging of and alternatives to traditional views of children that hampers their meaningful participation (i.e. “children are to be seen not to be heard”, children as empty slate, use of threats and downgrading actions and words, etc

Children participate in the designing of daily sessions and their views, issues and concerns are drawn out using appropriate methodologies

Adults do not treat children as miniature adults but as unique individuals who have minds of their own, who see the world differently and who must be listened to, respected and appreciated as they are.

Programmes encourage meaningful interactions between adults and children & guides healthy expression and control of emotions

Programmes encourage children to explore, discover, ask questions, make contributions and allows children BE


Acknowledgements Many thanks to children, community, ICDS and Dular functionaries, other respondents and Adithi/Plan team, particularly- Dr Rajesh Noah, Head of Program Evaluation, Plan International, for help

in design and valuable feedback Dr Sangita Jacob for sharing information on Dular/ Unicef Dr Nalini Abraham for sharing her insights Mr Manish, Program Coordinator, North India, for sharing historical

insights Mr M K Upadhyaya, Project Director, Adithi / Plan for facilitation Abhishek Singh, Programme Coordinator - Learning, for coordinating the

effort Akhilesh Dubey, CPME Coordinator, for participating on equal footing Satyendra Chauhan, Binay, Debjani for their valuable inputs All the SDW for their inputs. All the VDWs for sharing their work and insights.

Individuals Interviewed

Program coordinator, North India, Plan Project Director, Program heads, SDWs, VDWs Three AWW (ICDS), DPO (ICDS) Two Dular Trainers Dr Rajesh, a local pediatrician who helps with the medical camps Mothers of children attending Creche / Pre NFE / AWC Community / VDC members

External Documents consulted

The case of Dular: success and growth despite the odds : Tamara Dubowitz, 2004

A Note on Dular - F. James Levinson, March 2003. National Evaluation - Mahila Samakhya, Bihar, December 2004.


Evaluation Team Abhishek Singh joined Adithi/Plan one and a half years ago as Programme

Coordinator -Learning. He coordinated and refined the objectives of the evaluation and steered the consultations on five year road mapping exercise closely.

Akhilesh Dubey joined Adithi/Plan as CPME Program Officer, 3 months ago; he developed a checklist to review crèche and Balwadis; He participated closely in the field appraisals, consultations and documentation besides managing the logistics of field phase.

Dr Satyendra Srivastava facilitated and guided the process as the external evaluator. He undertook analysis & documentation, facilitated brain storming and charting of the road map. He comes from community health and program management background. He is a freelancer based in Uttaranchal.

Children Meet... ..They build their houses with sand and

they play with empty shells. With withered ey weave their boats and smilingly

them on the vast deep. Children have their play on the seashore of worlds.

worlds

leaves thfloat

..On the seashore of endlessc

p

child

in ‘G

hildren meet. Tempest roams in the athless sky, ships get wrecked in the trackless water, death is abroad and ren play. On the seashore of endless

worlds is the great meeting of children.

Tagore itanjali’


eccd evaluation

Documents

development education

development eccd initiative

eccd evaluation

eccd intervention

village development

pune eccd early child

community mobilization

momentum of eccd initiative