July 2017
This publication was produced at the request of the United States Agency for International Development. It was 
prepared independently by Social Impact under the Liberia Strategic Analysis activity.
Education Quality and Access in Liberia (EQUAL) 
Final Performance Evaluation:
Final Report

EDUCATION QUALITY AND 
ACCESS IN LIBERIA:
FINAL PERFORMANCE 
EVALUATION REPORT
JULY 2017 
Liberia Strategic Analysis Contract No: AID-669-C-16-00002
 
DISCLAIMER 
The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States 
Agency for International Development or the United States Government.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACRONYMS.......................................................................................................................3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..................................................................................................4
EVALUATION PURPOSE & EVALUATION QUESTIONS........................................9
EVALUATION PURPOSE....................................................................................................................................9
EVALUATION QUESTIONS...............................................................................................................................9
ACTIVITY BACKGROUND...........................................................................................10
EVALUATION METHODS AND LIMITATIONS.......................................................12
METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................................................... 12
LIMITATIONS AND BIAS........................................................................................................................ 15
DATA ANALYSIS ...................................................................................................................................... 15
RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................................................30
ANNEXES ........................................................................................................................32
ANNEX I: EVALUATION STATEMENT OF WORK........................................................................................ 32
ANNEX II: SCHOOL SAMPLE......................................................................................................................... 43
ANNEX III: GENDER AND SOCIAL ANALYSIS ............................................................................................. 44
ANNEX IV: DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS......................................................................................... 45
ANNEX V: PERSONS INTERVIEWED ............................................................................................................. 63
ANNEX VI: BIBLIOGRAPHY AND DATABASES............................................................................................. 64
ANNEX VII: DISCLOSURE OF ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.................................................................... 66
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1: SCHOOLS SAMPLED BY DISTRICT (N=22)...................................................................................... 12
TABLE 2: SCHOOLS SAMPLED BY DATE (N=22) ............................................................................................ 13
TABLE 3: KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS BY CATEGORY ............................................................................... 14
TABLE 4: FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS BY CATEGORY ................................................................................ 14
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ACRONYMS
CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy
CEO County Education Officer
COP Chief of Party
DCOP Deputy Chief of Party
DEO District Education Officer
DIP Detailed Implementation Plan
DO Development Objective
EDC Education Development Center
EQUAL Education Quality and Access in Liberia
EU European Union
FGD Focus Group Discussion
GOL Government of Liberia 
KAP Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices
KII Key Informant Interview
MIA Ministry of Internal Affairs
MOE Ministry of Education
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
PTA Parent-Teacher Association
SOW Statement of Work
SRGBV School Related Gender Based Violence
TCoC Teacher’s Code of Conduct 
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
USAID United States Agency for International Development
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EVALUATION PURPOSE AND EVALUATION QUESTIONS
The purpose of this final performance evaluation is to provide an independent, in-depth examination of
the overall progress of the Education Quality and Access in Liberia (EQUAL) activity. The evaluation
documents lessons learned in order to inform the design of future education programs that focus on
USAID’s Education Development Objective 4: Better Educated Liberians. The evaluation report
identifies achievements, performance issues, and constraints related to activity implementation and
effectiveness. The key audiences of the evaluation are USAID, the Ministry of Education (MOE) at the
national and county level in Grand Bassa, and Concern Worldwide.
The ten evaluation questions are divided into three groups – Outcomes, Effectiveness, and Sustainability:
Outcomes
1. To what extent did EQUAL meet its overall objectives and results?
2. Which strategies were most successful in meeting the two objectives of EQUAL?
3. How did these results contribute to CDCS DO 4?
Effectiveness
4. What were the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives?
5. Is the project reaching its target population, and were the activities delivered timely according
to the main target group(s)?
6. What value do beneficiaries, stakeholders and communities attach to the outcomes achieved?
7. To what extent are the findings from Concern’s Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice (KAP)
Assessment used to improve project implementation and adaptation?
Sustainability
8. To what extent did the program succeed in increasing stakeholder’s commitment at the micro,
meso, and macro (school, county, and national) levels?
9. To what extent are the benefits of the project likely to continue after donor funding cease?
10. What were the major factors which influenced the achievement or non-achievement of
sustainability of the project?
ACTIVITY BACKGROUND
The Liberian education sector is underperforming as a result of capacity and resource gaps including lack 
of qualified teachers and principals, unsafe learning environments, and significant resource constraints of
the MOE at the national, county, and district levels. To address these challenges, USAID/Liberia and 
Concern Worldwide entered into a cooperative agreement to create an education activity called
Education Quality and Access in Liberia (EQUAL). EQUAL is a $5.7 million activity implemented by 
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Concern Worldwide. The purpose of EQUAL is to improve school management and safety across 1001
schools in the five districts of Grand Bassa aiming to effect systemic and strategic change to increase 
sustainability and impact at county and national levels. The period of performance of EQUAL is from 
August 29, 2013 – October 30, 2017. 
The original scope of the EQUAL activity included three outcomes:
• Outcome 1: Improved learning outcomes in early grade reading and numeracy with an emphasis 
on mother tongue.
• Outcome 2: Increased commitment to ensure equitable access by stakeholders at school, 
district, county and national level. 
• Outcome 3: A safe and child friendly school environment in all target schools.
Outcome 1 was the major focus of EQUAL. However, the MOE showed reluctance towards the 
mother tongue literacy component and eventually refused to approve it. Discussions between Concern 
Worldwide and the MOE on this issue, along with the Ebola epidemic, severly curtailed implementation. 
The program underwent a major revision based on the amendment of the cooperative agreement on 
May 24, 2016. The main activity, Outcome 1, was removed, and the activities and indicators of 
Outcomes 2 and 3 were revised to be achieveable within the remaining time of the program. Due to the 
amendment, this evaluation only covers the period of implementation from May 2016 through June 
2017.2
It is important to note that the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) baseline study covering 
several important gender equity indicators for Outcome 3 was not conducted until October 2016. The 
removal of the early grade reading and numeracy components took away the major “quality of 
education” activities that informed the Results Framework. In other words, EQUAL had a major reset in 
May 2016. 
The remaining key components of EQUAL, as reflected in Outcomes 2 and 3, focused on increasing 
access to school and creating safer, more child-friendly schools. According to its 2016 Activity 
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan, EQUAL was designed to achieve the following key results:
Outcome 2
• Increase in student’s attendance from 57% to 69%
• Increase in teacher’s attendance from 53% to 70%
• 100 Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) structured
• 6,800 learners enrolled
Outcome 3
• 10% decrease in gender-based violence
• 105 principals and officials trained on Liberia Teacher’s Code of Conduct (TCoC)
 
1 The number of schools was reduced to 99 when one school was transferred to Bridge International Academies as 
part of the Partnership Program for Liberia.
2 This defined scope of the evaluation was approved by USAID/Liberia on June 7, 2017 via e-mail communication.
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EVALUATION DESIGN, METHODS AND LIMITATIONS
EVALUATION DESIGN
The evaluation utilized a mixed-method design including a desk review, focus group discussions (FGDs), 
and key informant interviews (KIIs) to ensure that the information generated was useful to USAID and 
the MOE. This method was selected to address the evaluation questions by eliciting rich information 
from multiple sources, creating an opportunity to triangulate trends and themes.
Primary data collection took place in Monrovia and Grand Bassa County in May and June 2017. The 
evaluation team identified a purposive sample of 20 schools with varying student populations across the 
five districts in Grand Bassa County. Thirteen schools were selected as alternate schools to be included 
in the sample if any of the primary sample schools were found to be inaccessible or closed. The number 
of schools selected for the sample per district was determined based on the total percentage of EQUAL 
schools located in each of five districts.
The size of enrollment at each school was used as an additional selection criteria to ensure that there 
was a representation of smaller and larger schools in the school sample. EQUAL’s district school maps 
were used to plan the site visits taking into account the distances from Buchanan to each school and 
accessibility given the road conditions.
KIIs were conducted with four representatives from the national MOE and the six district officers in 
Grand Bassa. In addition, five stakeholders including Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), 
European Union (EU), and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and ten Concern Worldwide staff
were interviewed. Field work consisted of KIIs or FGDs in the twenty schools including 20 principals, 36 
teachers, 40 change makers, 80 PTA members, and 202 students, usually in small sex-disaggregated 
groups.
Finally, a facility survey was conducted in each of the 20 schools to measure the level of safety at each 
EQUAL school visited. 
LIMITATIONS 
Limitations included the following:
• The remote nature of some of the schools and poor road and bridge conditions during the rainy 
season excluded some schools from the sample due to lack of accessibility. 
• The evaluation was impacted by inadequate communication between the District Education 
Officers (DEO) and the schools. Some of the schools included in the sample were not 
contacted by the DEO prior to the data collection visit. The purpose of the contact was to help 
ensure that each school would be open and members of the PTA and change makers would be 
present. Because of insufficient communication, a few schools were either closed or the PTA 
members and change makers were not available. This resulted in the need for a return visit to a 
few schools and the use of one alternative school for a FGD with change makers. In the end, 
however, the original 20 schools were visited and the lack of prior contact did not effect the 
quality of the findings.
DATA ANALYSIS
Quantitative data was extracted from the KIIs, FGDs, transcripts, and school facilities surveys and 
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inputed into Excel, where it was cleaned and analyzed for standard quantitative measurements, such as 
frequencies, mean, median, mode, and standard deviation. The quantitative data was then imported 
into Dedoose for mixed method data analysis. 
Dedoose is a web-based software that was used for analysis of qualitative and quantitative data 
gathered. All KII and FGD data, along with the school facilities surveys and Excel spreadsheets, were 
uploaded into Dedoose, totaling 169 sources. Excerpts by code were extracted from Dedoose and used 
as supporting evidence to shape the findings and conclusions in this report. Dedoose was later used to 
create data visualizations, which have been included in this evaluation report. 
KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS 
A major objective of EQUAL was to improve school management leading to increased enrollment and 
student attendance. Relevant findings and conclusions include the following:
1. EQUAL has been successful in creating functional PTAs in a relatively short period 
of time: Not only were the PTAs formed, they engaged with the school and communities giving 
special attention to student enrollment and attendance.
2. EQUAL trained principals on school management. One of the significant improvements 
was in school record keeping.
3. Student enrollment increased. The most recent figure from Q2 FY2017 from the 99 
schools shows a total enrollment of 6,875, exceeding the target of 6,800. The average 
enrollment for the previous school year was 6,606.
4. Student attendance increased, although it did not meet targets. Attendance increased 
from 57% to 62%, (Female 59%; Male 66%) but did not reach the target of 68%.
5. There was a modest increase in teacher attendance. Attendance increased from the 
baseline of 53% to 58% (Female 41%; Male 74%), but this fell short of the target of 70%.
6. EQUAL has created an innovative new role called change makers. The four change 
makers in each school worked successfully in the schools and communities to promote gender 
equity and address School Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV). 
7. There was a slight decrease in the percentage of children who reported being 
beaten or flogged from the baseline to the final KAP survey (24.0% to 22.2%). In 
addition, there was a significant reduction in the percentage of children who saw others being 
beaten, down from 27.0% to 16.5%. However, the FGDs with students show that this is still a 
significant problem with 22 of 33 focus groups sharing that beatings and floggings are still 
prevalent in their school. 
8. EQUAL worked well within the County, but had little engagement with the national 
MOE after the contract amendment in May 2016. As a result, Concern Worldwide has
not laid the foundation for national replication. 
9. EQUAL had only begun to develop a closeout and transition plan at the time of the 
evaluation. The late development of these plans may hinder the sustainability of EQUAL 
activities.
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KEY RECOMMENDATIONS 
1. EQUAL should immediately engage with the MOE at the national level. The aim of 
the meetings would be to share information and lessons learned about EQUAL and to seek 
possibilities for the replication of good practices to other counties.
2. EQUAL should continue to develop a closeout and transition plan that would lay 
the groundwork for sustainability. Activities should include supervisory training for DEOs 
and the County Education Officer (CEO) to carry out oversight, monitoring and evaluation of 
schools. Where possible, tools related to record keeping, training manuals, facilitator notes and 
other related materials should be turned over to district officials.
3. EQUAL should initiate a process that would formalize the role of change makers. 
The role of change makers was critical in achieving EQUAL’s aims regarding gender equity and 
should be expanded to other schools and counties. Potentially the MOE could seek 
collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in defining a role for 
change makers. 
4. EQUAL should create a policy brief on best practices and lessons learned from 
implementation. The brief could be shared with the Education NGO Forum, MOE, incoming 
administration, and other relevant stakeholders in order to seek understanding of EQUAL’s 
accomplishments and to encourage others to replicate effective practices.
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EVALUATION PURPOSE & EVALUATION 
QUESTIONS
Evaluation Purpose
The purpose of this final performance evaluation is to provide an independent, in-depth examination of
the overall progress of the Education Quality and Access in Liberia (EQUAL) activity. The evaluation
documents lessons learned in order to inform the design of future education programs that focus on
USAID’s Education Development Objective 4: Better Educated Liberians. The evaluation report
identifies achievements, performance issues, and constraints related to activity implementation and
effectiveness. The key audiences of the evaluation are USAID, the Ministry of Education (MOE) at the
national and county level in Grand Bassa, and Concern Worldwide.
The objectives of the EQUAL final evaluation are:
1. To make a comprehensive assessment of the activity’s status and accomplishments in terms of
attaining its objectives and results indicated in the Performance Monitoring Plan.
2. To draw conclusions about the activity mainly focusing on its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, 
impact and sustainability.
3. To identify key lessons learned and make practical recommendations that can guide USAID to
decide on the future course of action on this as well as similar activities. 
Evaluation Questions
The performance evaluation focused on the following specific questions in the design of instruments,
analysis tools, and in the overall findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the report:
Outcomes
1. To what extent did EQUAL meet its overall objectives and results? 
2. Which strategies were most successful in meeting the two objectives of EQUAL?
3. How did these results contribute to the Country Development Cooperative Strategy –
Development Objective (CDCS DO 4)?
Effectiveness
4. What were the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the 
objectives?
5. Is the project reaching its target population, and were the activities delivered timely 
according to the main target group(s)? 
6. What value do beneficiaries, stakeholders and communities attach to the outcomes 
achieved?
7. To what extent are the findings from Concern’s Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices
(KAP) Assessment used to improve project implementation and adaptation?
Sustainability
8. To what extent did the program succeed in increasing stakeholder’s commitment at the 
micro, meso, and macro (school, county, and national) levels?
9. To what extent are the benefits of the project likely to continue after donor funding 
cease?
10. What were the major factors which influenced the achievement or non-achievement of 
sustainability of the project?
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ACTIVITY BACKGROUND
Liberia is still recovering from almost two decades of conflict ending in 2003. The war was marked by 
destruction of life and property, massive population displacement, and a collapse of basic social services. 
An estimated 250,000 persons were killed and over half a million people were displaced during the 
conflict. As a result, the Liberian education sector is underperforming. Pupils lag behind their regional 
and international peers as evidenced by the results from the West African Examinations Council exams 
and from a literacy assessment conducted in 2014, which found that Liberian Grade 3 students’ oral 
reading fluency in English was below 20 correct words per minute. This is significantly lower than the 
MOE benchmark of 45 correct words.3 Poor performance can be contributed to low capacity of 
principals and teachers (only 62% are qualified), unfriendly and unsafe learning environments, and a lack 
of resources within the MOE at district, county, and national levels. This has hindered the 
implementation and enforcement of national policies related to equitable access to quality primary 
education. Problems at the school level, as reported by Concern Worldwide, included low teacher 
attendance (53%), low student attendance (57%), poor record keeping by principals, and non-functioning 
PTAs. Furthermore, schools were considered unsafe, especially for girls, because of gender inequality 
and School Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV).
USAID and the Government of Liberia identified the following three immediate causes contributing to 
poor learning outcomes4:
• Poor learning outcomes in early grade literacy and numeracy;
• Unfriendly and unsafe learning environment;
• Limited capacity of teachers, District Education Officers (DEOs) and County Education Officers
(CEOs) to implement policies on quality education. 
To address these challenges, USAID/Liberia and Concern Worldwide entered into a cooperative 
agreement to create EQUAL. EQUAL is a $5.7 million activity that aims to improve learning outcomes, 
school management and safety across 100 schools in the five districts of Grand Bassa County, while 
aiming to affect systemic and strategic change to increase sustainability and impact at the county and 
national levels. EQUAL’s period of implementation is from August 29, 2013 – October 30, 2017.
The EQUAL activity initially had three Outcomes, the first of which focused on early grade reading with 
an emphasis on mother tongue instruction. However, the MOE showed reluctance towards the mother 
tongue literacy component and eventually refused to approve it. At the same time, the upcoming revised 
USAID Global Education Strategy focused solely on mother-tongue instruction as the most efficient and 
effective means to teach children. As a result of the MOE’s position, USAID requested Concern 
Worldwide in January 2016 to submit a revised project description for EQUAL with the elimination of 
all activities under Outcome 1. This modification eliminated the early grade reading component in 
mother tongue and English as well as the numeracy component. The modified activity, which was 
approved by USAID on May 24, 2016, focused on the remaining two components, Outcomes 2 and 3:
• Outcome 2: Increased commitment to ensure equitable access by stakeholders at school, 
district, county and national level. 
• Outcome 3: A safe and child friendly school environment in all target schools.
 
3 Research Triangle Institutes 2008 Early Grade Reading Assessment (RTI/EGRA).
4 USAID Cooperative Agreement with Concern Worldwide, August 29, 2013.
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These two outcomes form the basis of the revised activity for the remaining seventeen months of 
implementation through October 2017. Additional delays in EQUAL can also be attributed to the Ebola 
epidemic, which resulted in school closures for several months from mid-2014 to early 2015. 
Strategic Goal: Extremely poor and marginalized children in Grand Bassa County realize their right to 
quality primary education. 
Purpose: Girls and boys in 100 primary schools in Grand Bassa County access safe, quality education.
• Outcome 2: Increased commitment to ensuring equitable access by stakeholders at school, 
district, county and national level. 
o Capacity development of PTAs
o Capacity development of school principals and MOE staff
o Advocacy
• Outcome 3: A safe and child friendly school environment in all target schools
o Implementation of the adapted “We are One” approach – Engaging men and women in 
gender equality 
o Training sessions on the Teacher’s Code of Conduct 
o Trainings for teachers on psychosocial support
EQUAL is designed to address the following IR, sub-IRs and key indicators from the USAID/Liberia 2011 
– 2017 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS):
• IR 4.1 Liberian Children and Youth have improved Opportunities to Learn
o SubIR 4.1.1 Increased equitable access to education
o SubIR 4.1.3 Improved governance of the education system
According to the 2016 EQUAL Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan, the activity was 
designed to achieve the following key indicators:
Outcome 2
• Increase in student’s attendance from 57% to 69%
• Increase in teacher’s attendance from 53% to 70%
• 100 Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) structured
• 6,800 learners enrolled
Outcome 3
• 10% decrease in gender-based violence
• 105 principals and officials trained on Liberia Teacher’s Code of Conduct (TCoC)
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EVALUATION METHODS AND LIMITATIONS
METHODOLOGY 
A mixed-method evaluation design was utilized, including a desk review, focus group discussions (FGDs), 
and key informant interviews (KIIs) to ensure that the information generated by the evaluation was 
useful to USAID and the MOE. These methods addressed the evaluation questions by eliciting 
information from multiple sources, creating an opportunity to triangulate trends and themes. 
Before fieldwork began, a series of planning meetings in Monrovia, Liberia were held in May 2017 to 
finalize the evaluation design, draft data collection instruments, develop the workplan, and clarify team 
member roles and responsibilities. The EQUAL Chief of Party (COP) and Deputy Chief of Party 
(DCOP) also participated in the planning meetings to discuss the performance evaluation’s 
goals, evaluation design, activity documents, and communication plan to be used. EQUAL provided a list 
of schools that were currently inaccessible due to road conditions or bridges that were not able to be 
safely crossed by vehicles. The list of inaccessible schools was also verified with local community 
members to confirm that the schools were currently unreachable. 
Planning and inbrief meetings were held with USAID/Liberia to confirm the evaluation’s goals and 
objectives, and the type of information and insights that would be most useful to USAID decision￾making. An inbrief meeting was then held with the implementer, Concern Worldwide, together with 
national ministry officials to discuss the evaluation plan and the potential use of the evaluation by 
the MOE. Based on EQUAL’s aforementioned implementation challenges and amendment, USAID 
approved for the evaluation to cover the implementation period from May 2016 to June 2017.
A thorough desk review of relevant documentation, including a broad range of background documents
provided by USAID/Liberia and Concern Worldwide, was conducted. See Annex VI for a list of the 
documents. Following the desk review, primary data collection in Monrovia and Grand Bassa County
took place in May and June 2017. A purposive sample of 20 schools and one pilot school with varying 
student populations across the five participating districts in Grand Bassa County was drawn. Thirteen
schools were selected as alternate schools to be included in the sample in case any primary 
sample schools were found to be inaccessible or closed, or that FGDs could not be conducted because 
PTA members or change makers were not present. The number of schools selected for the sample per 
district was determined based on the total percentage of EQUAL schools located in each of five
districts. District 2 is divided into two areas, 2A and 2B, and the number of schools selected for the 
sample in District 2 was based on the percentage of EQUAL schools located in each of the two areas.
Table 1: Schools Sampled by District (n=22)
Grand Bassa
District Number Total Schools Visited
1 4 (1 school change maker FGD only)
2A 3
2B 2
3 7
4 3
5 3 (Includes pilot school)
TOTAL 22
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Although 22 schools were visited, there were only 20 schools in the official sample. One additional 
school was used to pilot the instruments and one alternative school was used only for a FGD with 
change makers that couldn’t be held in an official school.
The data collection instruments were piloted at Four Houses School, and EQUAL school in Buchanan. 
This school was not included in the primary sample or alternate list of schools as it was used only as a 
pilot school. Following piloting of the instruments, it was determined that no modification of the 
instruments was necessary. The data from this school has not been included in the analysis.
The size of enrollment at each school was used as an additional selection criteria to ensure that there 
was a representation of smaller and large schools in the school sample. EQUAL’s district school maps 
were used to plan the site visits taking into account the distances from Buchanan to each school and 
accessibility given the road conditions.
School visits and KIIs with the CEO and DEOs were conducted in teams of two comprised of one 
international team member and one Liberian team member. KIIs with national MOE officials and non￾governmental organization NGO stakeholders were conducted by a single team member or teams of 
two. 
EQUAL staff was not informed as to which schools would be visited. However, DEOs were informed of 
the schools selected in their district only two to four days prior to the school visit in order to minimize 
the possibility of schools modifying their behavior for the evaluation. The role of DEOs was to notify 
each principal prior to the visit to ensure that the school would be open and that PTA members and 
change makers would be mobilized for the FGDs. DEOs in four of the five districts accompanied the 
evaluation team to a school in their district following a KII conducted with the DEO. 
Table 2: Schools Sampled by Date (n=22)
Date District Number of Schools
5/31/17 5 1 (pilot school)
6/1/17 1 3
6/2/17 4 2
6/5/17 3 3
6/6/17 3 4
6/7/17 2 3
6/8/17 2 2
6/9/17 5 1
6/14/17 4 1
6/14/17 5 1
6/15/17 1 1
The primary data collection methods in Liberia included: 
Interviews. KIIs were conducted with representatives from the MOE including the Assistant Minister 
for the Bureau of Basic and Secondary Education, the Deputy Minister for Planning and Research, and 
the Assistant Minister for Fiscal Affairs and Human Resources at the national level, and the five DEOs 
and the CEO in Grand Bassa County. The Deputy Minister for Instruction participated in the inbrief, but
she declined to be interviewed for the evaluation. The evaluation team also interviewed EQUAL staff 
included the Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, six Cluster Coordinators, the Gender Equity and 
14
Advocacy Officer, and an Education Manager. KIIs were also conducted with the school principals,
teachers, and NGO stakeholders including representatives from Street Child, UNICEF, Oxfam, IBIS, the 
European Union, and the Education Development Center (EDC).
KIIs with national Ministry officials and NGO stakeholders sought to understand their impressions of the 
EQUAL intervention and perceptions of its sustainability. KIIs with local Ministry officials, principals, and 
teachers focused on the activities EQUAL implemented in the schools and local communities related to 
Outcome 2 and 3, as well as their thoughts on sustainability. 
Table 3: Key Informant Interviews by Category
Key Informant Category Number of 
Persons 
Interviewed
Male Females
Ministry Officials 9 7 2
Principals 20 19 1
Teachers 36 19 7
Implementers 10 8 2
NGO Stakeholders 5 1 4
Focus Group Discussions. FGDs targeted PTA members, change makers, students, and the EQUAL 
M&E Team (which included the EQUAL Program Quality Coordinator). Additionally, 202 students were 
randomly selected for participation in student focus groups. Thirty-three groups were composed of 
students aged 11 to 18 years. Twenty three of the 33 focus groups were single gender to help mitigate 
the effect of gender on responses. Seventeen mixed-gender change maker FGDs were facilitated,
totaling 40 community-elected change makers. Eighteen mixed-gender PTA FGDs were facilitated with 
80 executive leadership or general members participating. One all-male FGD was conducted with 
Concern Worldwide’s M&E team and Program Quality Coordinator. 
Table 4: Focus Group Discussions by Category
Focus Groups Number 
of FGDs
Total Number 
of Participants
Males Females
PTA 18 80 50 30
Change Makers 17 40 24 16
Students 33 202 118 84
Implementers 1 4 4 0
School Facilities Survey. Facility surveys were conducted at all 20 schools to assess safety factors
at each of the EQUAL schools visited. The school facilities survey documented lack of/presence of 
hygiene facilities (single gender or gender neutral), access to clean water, child-friendly 
classrooms, supervision of students, and class size and seating. 
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LIMITATIONS AND BIAS
Limitation/Bias Mitigation Strategy
School Inaccessibility
The remote nature of some of the schools 
and road and bridge conditions during rainy 
season excluded some schools from the sample 
due to lack of accessibility. 
Schools were selected for the sample based on their 
ability to be accessed by vehicle. 
School Closures or Lack of Participants for 
FGDs
Some of the schools included in the sample had 
not been contacted by the DEO prior to the data 
collection visit and, as a result, a few schools 
were either closed or the PTA members and 
change makers were not available for 
participation in FGDs. 
All original 205 schools were visited and meetings 
were conducted with the principals, teachers, and 
students. However, in two schools PTA members 
were not available, and in four schools the change 
makers were not present. Subsequently, one change 
maker FGD was added at a school from the alternate 
school list.
DATA ANALYSIS
Quantitative Data Analysis
Quantitative data was extracted from the KII and FGDs transcripts and school facilities survey and 
inputted into Excel where it was cleaned and analyzed for standard quantitative measurements, such as
frequencies, mean, median, mode, and standard deviation. The quantitative data was then imported 
into Dedoose for mixed method data analysis with the qualitative data collected. 
Mixed Method Data Analysis
Dedoose is a web-based software designed for analysis of qualitative and quantitative data. All KII and 
FGD transcripts, along with school facilities surveys and Excel spreadsheets, were uploaded into 
Dedoose totaling 169 sources. A codebook of 161 codes was developed to code the KII and FGD 
transcripts. The quantitative data uploaded to Dedoose in Excel format served as descriptors, which 
described the source of data at a particular level of analysis. The quantitative data in the form of 
descriptors allowed for a deep analysis of the qualitative data gathered, as it was directly linked to the 
FGD and KII transcripts. Excerpts by code were extracted from Dedoose and used as supporting 
evidence to shape the findings and conclusions in the evaluation report. Dedoose was later used to 
create data visualizations, which have been included in this report.
 
5
In addition to the official 20 schools, there was one pilot school and one alternative school that was used only for 
a FGD with change makers.
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FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS 
The ten evaluation questions were divided into three groups – Outcomes, Effectiveness and 
Sustainability.
Outcomes
QUESTION 1: TO WHAT EXTENT DID EQUAL MEET ITS OVERALL OBJECTIVES 
AND RESULTS?
Increased equitable access to education - Outcome 2
EQUAL sought to increase equitable access to education through several activities including enrollment 
campaigns, ongoing communication with parents about the importance of sending children to school, 
and making schools a safer place. Two important related management activities included the 
development of functioning PTAs and the training of principals, especially on record keeping. In addition, 
EQUAL sought to increase access to education by increasing teacher attendance. 
Student enrollment has increased. The most recent figure from Q2 FY2017 from the 99 schools 
shows a total enrollment of 6,875 students, exceeding the target of 6,800. The total enrollment for the
previous school year was 6,606 students. EQUAL inititated back-to-school campaigns in 98 schools and 
had school staff, PTA members, and change makers visit the communities to encourage families to enroll 
their children in school.
Student attendance has increased, although it has not met targets. EQUAL reports state that 
student attendance has increased from 57% to 62% (Female 59%, Male 66%); however, this falls short of 
the target of 69%. Qualitative data collected supports EQUAL’s assertion that student enrollment and 
attendance have increased. Principals, PTA members and change makers suggest their “door to door, 
village to village awareness” activities have reinforced the importance of attending school regularly. 
While fluctuations in attendance remain, especially because of the rainy season, farming activities, and
the presence of traditional schools, all community members agreed that children were coming to school 
more regularly. Anecdotal evidence of coordination with village elders and traditional leaders emerged 
that there are efforts to ensure that the traditional school activities are to be held outside of the 
approved school calendar. In addition, although all students in FGDs reported feeling safe at schools, 
student beatings/floggings are still prevalent, which may have a negative impact on attendance. However, 
the students were able to identify a teacher, principal, change maker, or community member to engage 
in the event of an uncomfortable or traumatic incident. 
There has been a modest increase in teacher attendance. EQUAL aimed to increase teacher 
attendance from 53% to 70%. The EQUAL data indicates a current rate of 58% (Female 41%, Male 74%), 
an improvement, but below the target figure. Evidence to support the claim that teacher attendance is 
on the rise due to EQUAL activities included regular oversight at each school including the training of 
principals, teachers, PTA, and change makers on the TCoC, and training on psycho-social support to 
principals and teachers. Eighty-eight percent of teachers reported at least bi-monthly visits by EQUAL 
staff wherein both student and teacher attendance are regularly monitored. When teachers were asked 
about reasons for being absent, most responses included the need to travel to get their salary, illness, or 
family problems. Unpaid volunteer teachers were absent more than paid teachers. It appears that clear 
expectations for teacher attendance of EQUAL staff, principals and PTA members has been successful. 
17
The PTA widely supported teacher attendance in at least 13 of the 20 schools by raising money from 
the community to pay volunteer teachers. PTAs have also supported principals in their efforts to foster 
regular attendance by encouraging teachers and conducting personal visits when teachers are absent for 
several days. One PTA even constructed local accommodations for teachers and their families. 
Improved School Safety - Outcome 3
Not all teachers and principals have been trained on the Liberia Teacher’s Code of 
Conduct. One of the main objectives of Outcome 3 was to train all teachers and school administrators 
on the Liberia TCoC. Budget limitations precluded the ability of Concern Worldwide to train all 
teachers directly. The principals and teachers trained were expected to convey the key information to
other teachers, but this did not happen systematically. The Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP) stated 
the goal of having the training for all school personnel completed by the end of Q3 - June 2017. Out of 
20 principals interviewed, only seven principals stated that all the teachers at their school have been 
trained on the TCoC. Of the 36 teachers interviewed, 26 teachers had attended training on the TCoC, 
four had been given the TCoC manual but did not receive training, and six did not receive the TCoC
manual or training. Nineteen out of 20 principals interviewed have been trained on the Liberia TCoC. 
In the FGDs with students, it was reported that there is still widespread violence at schools 
involving teachers, students, and administrators.
Teacher/Principal on Student Violence 
According to Section 3.1.2 of the Liberian Teacher’s Code of Conduct:
All teachers and school administrators are to ensure that physically humiliating action (corporal 
punishment), mental or psychological measures are not administered to “discipline” a student. This 
includes, beating or using vulgar/offensive language intended to inflict physical pain or mental agony that 
violates the rights of the child.
While all principals and teachers asserted that there was no physical punishment occurring in the 
schools, students in 22 of 33 focus groups said that they or other students are being beaten by teachers 
and principals. Students cited being beaten on the hands, arms, head, and buttocks by school staff. 
Female students stated feeling especially humiliated when being beaten by male school staff on the 
buttocks. 
The evaluation team witnessed two separate incidences of teacher/principal on student violence at two 
separate schools. These incidences were formally documented by the evaluation team, and Concern 
Worldwide was informed so that the incidences could be addressed through the appropriate channels. 
4
6
26
CoC Manual Only
No CoC Manual or Training
CoC Training and Manual
Teacher Code of Conduct Training for Teachers n = 36
18
Student on Student Violence
Students in 10 of 33 focus groups reported that there is a significant amount of fighting among students 
in their school, and fighting is single gender and between students of opposite genders. Change makers 
acknowledge that student on student violence is still an issue, and during student cycles they “talk about 
how children should not fight one another. Bigger students should not beat on little students.” Teachers 
and principals acknowledge that violence among students is an issue in their schools, and they are 
working to decrease the level of violence with the help of the change makers. 
Beneficiaries display an understanding and importance 
of gender equity within school communities. Gender 
equality is taught in the school communities using the “We Are 
One” approach introduced by EQUAL. The “We Are One” 
approach is implemented at the school level in the form of age￾specific student cycles led by change makers with training 
provided for all beneficiaries. The mixed-gender student cycles 
are comprised of students ages 6-12, 13–17, and 18 and over. In 
the discussions, the students identify issues in their school 
community in relation to gender equality and, subsequently, develop action plans specific for their 
school. While the verbiage “We Are One” was only used in conversations with implementers, the 
concept of everyone being equal, regardless of gender, was understood and articulated by all 
beneficiaries.
When asked what their school does to promote gender equality, teachers and principals most often 
responded that the change makers and EQUAL representatives take the lead role and devote much of 
their time to promoting gender equality. 
Teachers shared that they “treat boys and girls the same,” involve both boys and girls in games 
outdoors, and call on boys and girls equally in the classroom. 
Principals shared that they make sure boys and girls have equal access to school materials. Students in 
22 of 33 FGDs indicated that boys and girls are treated equally at the school by teachers and school 
administrators, with the remaining 11 focus groups sharing that boys and girls are treated differently 
when it comes to discipline. Eleven of 15 schools with hygiene facilities had gender-specific hygiene 
facilities to promote safety in their school communities. 
Gender based violence is reported to be decreasing in the 
local communities. EQUAL had no formal way of measuring this 
despite having activities contributing to its reduction. One of the 
main responsibilities of the change makers was to create change in 
the schools and school communities, particularly in the areas of 
gender equality and gender-based violence. While the student 
cycles described in the previous finding are being held at the school to discuss gender equality and 
school-related gender based violence, in some communities, cycles are being held with adults to address 
gender equality and gender based violence that is taking place in the home. Change makers state that 
they are having conversations with husbands and wives, and they are encouraging the couples to do 
away with domestic violence in their relationships. Change makers state that the conversations are 
taking place in homes, at the market, and on the street, and that both males and females are receptive to 
listening to the change makers on guidance for eliminating gender-based violence. 
“The teachers have moved much 
forward to treating the boys and girls 
equally. The change makers continue 
to work with the school and the 
community on this topic. Project 
visitors help to reinforce equality 
during their regular visits.” – Male 
Teacher, District 1
“We are talking to parents and 
students so that we may reduce 
gender-based violence in our 
community.” – Female Change 
Maker, District 2
19
Change in SRGBV is difficult to measure due to lack of reporting and lack of referral pathway 
utilization. The indicator used by EQUAL to measure school-related gender-based violence is flogging 
and beating. While students overwhelmingly reported that flogging and beating is occurring on a regular 
basis, there was not a single instance of a teacher or principal stating in a KII that it was occurring in 
response to the question, “Have there been any cases of gender-based violence this school year at the 
school?”  Based on interviews with teachers and principals, flogging and beating is not being reported to 
the local ministry officials because it is not taking place. Accurately measuring school-related gender 
based violence in the form of flogging and beating or more serious incidents, such as rape and sex for 
grades, is incredibly difficult due the lack of acknowledgement that it is occurring and subsequent lack of 
utilization of the referral pathway to address the occurrences. The final KAP survey conducted by 
Concern Worldwide indicated that 341 out of 699, or 49% of students surveyed, were either personally 
flogged or beaten, witnessed another student being flogged or beaten, or heard about another student 
being flogged or beaten in the previous two weeks. Although there was some improvement in the
number of children reporting being flogged or seeing others being flogged, the sum of all the indicators 
showed that more students were directly or indirectly experiencing violence – 49%, up from 33% in the 
baseline survey. It is possible that because of EQUAL activities to raise awareness and reduce violence, 
more children were comfortable in reporting beatings/floggings.
Referral pathways and their implementation and interpretation differ from school to school. Included in 
the data collection tool for teachers, principals, local ministry officials, and PTA members are questions 
asking for a description of the referral pathways for breaches of the TCoC and incidents involving 
SRGBV. 
Descriptions given by interviewees of the referral pathways varied greatly from school to school and 
even among roles held in the same school. In some cases, it was shared that the referral pathway for 
breaches of the TCoC involved the principal, the PTA, and the DEO, while in other cases, the PTA was 
not involved. Others shared that the village chief is involved in breaches of the Teacher’s Code of 
Conduct and in cases of SRGBV. Due to the fact that none of the schools visited had used the referral 
pathway for either the TCoC or incidents of SRGBV, there is no documentation of the specific process 
used. In regard to incidences of SRGBV, there is a Ministry formal referral pathway established to 
address SRGBV that is printed on a large poster. However, the evaluation team did not see this hanging 
in any of the schools visited. 
Conclusions:
1. EQUAL has been successful in developing functional PTAs and in training principals, especially in 
record keeping, and has been successful in reaching out to the communities to foster enrollment 
and student attendance. Together, these initiatives have resulted in increased enrollment and 
improved student and teacher attendance, meeting the target for enrollment, but falling short of
the targets for student and teacher attendance.
2. All but one principal and a substantial number of the teachers have been trained on the TCoC. 
Based on the ongoing incidences of beatings of students, it is not clear what impact the training 
has had.
3. Although teachers and principals report that beatings do not occur, 22 of the 33 FGDs with 
students report that beatings are ongoing, raising questions about the effectiveness of EQUAL 
interventions in this area.
4. SRGBV is not formally measured, and there is a lack of adequate referral systems for beatings 
and SRGBV.
20
QUESTION 2. WHICH STRATEGIES WERE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN MEETING THE 
TWO OBJECTIVES OF EQUAL?
Increased equitable access to education - Outcome 2
PTAs were developed, and they promoted enrollment and student attendance. Through 
EQUAL’s training and ongoing support, the PTAs became functioning bodies that are playing an 
important management role in all schools including support for enrollment and attendance. All but one 
PTA have held both general meetings and leadership meetings since January 2017. Eighty-three percent 
of the PTAs created a School Improvement Plan, and 78% had records of their meetings. The top 
priority of the PTAs has been to encourage parents to enroll their children in schools and to ensure 
their regular attendance. These efforts contributed to EQUAL meeting its target enrollment figure.
EQUAL developed the skills of the principals to improve completion and maintenance of 
school records. This evaluation found that all the principals had greatly improved their record keeping 
of enrollment, student attendance, and teacher attendance data. This was a marked improvement since 
the beginning of the school year as reported in the EQUAL Q1 FY2017 Quarterly Report. The 
improvement of record keeping enabled the principals and PTAs to track student and teacher 
attendance and, thus, provide a basis for follow-up work when data indicated problems.
Back-to-school campaigns and community visits were conducted at the beginning of the 
school year in 98 schools. These campaigns and the community visits by school staff, PTA members 
and change makers contributed to school enrollment. The campaigns included sports activities and 
competitions such as spelling bees, motivational speeches, song recitations, dramas, parades, and football 
and kickball games. Prizes were given out to students, as well as basic school materials such as copy 
books and pencils. EQUAL points to the significant increase in enrollment in FY 2017 as validation of the 
value of the back-to-school campaigns and community visits. These enrollment initiatives resulted in an 
increase in enrollment from 6,606 to 6,875 students.
Once the school year began, PTA members, change makers and school staff regularly visited the 
communities to talk about the importance of attending school, both through community 
meetings and house-to-house visits. According to EQUAL records, student attendance increased from 
57% to 62%, but short of the target of 69%.
Principals reported that the following activities improved student attendance:
• Seventeen (85%) of the principals said that the most important activity was community outreach, 
especially by PTA members and the change makers.
• Six (30%) said that having the teachers talk directly to the students about regular attendance 
was important.
• Four (20%) said that the occasional presence of sports and games at the school was important. 
• Four (20%) said that a feeding program was important, and they lamented the fact that the 
World Food Programme ceased early in 2017. Only one school had a feeding program based on 
its own garden.
• Two (10%) said that a roll call as a part of morning meeting or “devotion” was important.
Improved School Safety - Outcome 3
The second objective was to strengthen school safety, which refers to gender equity and the prevention 
of SRGBV. All activities related to the “We are One” approach of EQUAL. This approach focuses on 
engaging stakeholders, especially through the change makers, to develop more gender equitable 
21
attitudes, to increase of the importance placed on non-violent communities, and to strengthen the 
knowledge and capacities for the prevention and response to SRGBV.
The change makers played a key role in promoting school safety, although change in 
violent practices has not been measurably successful. More time is likely needed to make 
progress on transforming deeply rooted behavior. Every school reported that the change makers were 
actively involved in promoting gender equity and messages to reduce SRGBV. Within the schools, they 
usually held weekly meetings with students, often dividing them into three age-level coeducational 
discussion groups. The topics included a range of gender equity issues with an emphasis on equal 
treatment between boys and girls. Many of the sessions focused on SRGBV including the importance of 
not fighting and not touching girls. Just as important as the school activities, the change makers reached 
out to the communities on a regular basis to hold meetings with parents on both gender equity and 
SRGBV. The most common term used throughout was “awareness” building on these issues. 
Conclusions:
1. The back-to-school campaigns and the community visits contributed the most to an increase in
enrollment, and the continuous efforts by all stakeholders with students and parents about the 
importance of school attendance had a positive effect on attendance.
2. The creation of the change maker role was a positive innovation, as they played an important 
role in working with the children and the parents on gender equity issues and the prevention of 
SRGBV. All teachers stated that they now treat boys and girls equally, and are clearly more 
sensitive to gender issues. Although attitudes about gender issues may have changed for the 
good, it is not clear to what extent schools are safer or girls are being more successful in 
schools. As stated in the previous section, beatings of students are still common.
QUESTION 3. HOW DID THE EQUAL RESULTS CONTRIBUTE TO CDCS DO 4?
The EQUAL results were developed based on the USAID/Liberia 2011 - 2017 Country Development 
Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). The EQUAL activity fits within the USAID/Liberia Results Framework by 
contributing to the achievement of two intermediate results within the DO 4 on basic education6 – Sub
IRs 4.1.1 and 4.1.3. 
• SubIR 4.1.1 Increased equitable access to education
• SubIR 4.1.3 Improved governance of the education system
EQUAL contributed directly to the CDCS DO4 - SubIR 4.1.1 Increased equitable access to 
education. EQUAL activities that supported enrollment and student attendance included the back-to￾school campaigns and regular community visits by school staff, change makers and PTA members. 
EQUAL contributed to SubIR 4.1.3 Improved governance of the education system. EQUAL 
provided training and ongoing support to the PTA in each school, which contributed to their 
development into functioning entities engaged with the schools and communities. Not only did EQUAL 
create the PTAs in schools formerly lacking these institutions, it provided the PTAs with sufficient 
training and support so that they became fully functional and contributed to the increase in student 
enrollment, teacher attendance, and student attendance and retention. Each school displayed evidence 
 
6
See Annex II of the EQUAL Evaluation SOW, p. 42.
22
of a well-structured PTA with a defined governance structure and clear roles and responsibilities. 
Schools surveyed boasted an average of five general PTA meetings since January 2017 and at least six 
meetings of the executive leadership. Seventy percent of PTAs indicated that they maintained records of 
their meetings and that their actions as PTA members directly encouraged teacher attendance. The PTA 
members identified their chief responsibilities as addressing the infrastructure needs of the school, 
maintaining the school grounds, collecting fees for the payment of volunteer teachers, and encouraging 
regular school attendance. 
EQUAL has not made progress on improving the gender equity index. This is an indicator 
representing a high-level, integrated contribution to DO4: Better Educated Liberian. It measures 
progress towards gender parity in education participation. The baseline index was 0.67 in 2014 showing 
a much greater number of boys than girls enrolled. The target is 0.71; however, the latest figure from 
Q1 FY 2017 report shows a slight decrease to 0.65.
Conclusions:
1. EQUAL made a significant contribution to increasing access in Grand Bassa County, especially 
for increasing enrollment and, to a lesser extent, increasing student attendance.
2. EQUAL helped to improve governance of the education system through the creation and 
support of PTAs and the training of principals, especially on record keeping, in Grand Bassa 
County. 
Effectiveness
QUESTION 4: WHAT WERE THE MAJOR FACTORS INFLUENCING THE 
ACHIEVEMENT OR NON-ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES?
This evaluation question addresses the extent to which the EQUAL’s objectives were influenced by 
major factors in the local and school communities.
Traditional schools adversely affect student attendance and enrollment. Traditional schools, 
also known as bush schools, are an integral part of the Sande and Poro societies. In 
Grand Bassa County, the percentage of families that are members of the societies cannot be determined 
with certainty, in part, due to the secretive nature of the societies. However, the commonly held belief 
is that the percentage is high in some areas. Traditional schools normally convene during the dry season 
when students go into the bush for weeks or sometimes months at a time. This directly conflicts with 
the public school calendar that runs from September to July. There is a cooperative agreement between 
the MOE and Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) stating that traditional schools are not to be held when 
the MOE schools are in session, but is not currently being enforced; thus, students continue to attend 
traditional schools during the school year missing a significant number of school days.
School and uniform fees adversely affect student enrollment and attendance. The majority of 
schools visited require students to wear uniforms to enroll and attend. The uniforms must be correctly 
sized, clean, and in good condition. Uniforms may be purchased directly from the schools, purchased in 
finished condition in local markets, or sewn from fabric purchased from the school or in local 
markets. The average cost of a uniform per student is approximately $15 USD. Families with multiple 
children in school are especially challenged because of the cost of outfitting each child with the 
appropriate uniform. Student respondents in FGDs cited lack of uniforms, dirty uniforms, or uniforms in 
poor condition as reasons for not enrolling in school, being absent from school, or being sent home 
from school by teachers or school administrators. PTA members in focus groups shared that their role 
23
was to ensure students attend school wearing uniforms that were clean and in good condition, which 
conflicts with their efforts to increase student enrollment and attendance. 
 
School attendance is adversely affected by weather, agricultural demands, and school 
accessibility. Rainy season has a significant effect on student school attendance, according to local 
ministry officials, principals, teachers, and Concern Worldwide representatives. Some schools are not 
easily accessible due to distance from a student’s home or topographical challenges that students must
overcome to reach the school. Students who must cross bridges or forge rivers during the rainy 
season are often prohibited from reaching school due to the high-water levels and danger in 
crossing. Students living in homes where rain leaks into the home during rainy season will often stay 
home from school to help with upkeep or due to lack of adequate sleep.
Students whose families depend on agriculture for their well-being are often required by their parents 
to assist with agricultural duties or to supervise younger siblings while parents are working in the fields 
during the school day. This prohibits the students from attending school, especially during times of the 
year when agricultural demands are high. One of the principals interviewed shared that the attendance 
rate begins dropping off in June because of farming when parents may take their children off to a more 
distant farm. On market days, students whose families depend on sales at markets for their livelihood
are often required by their parents to help sell at the market or to supervise younger siblings while their 
parents are at market. With market days in some areas taking place two or more days a week, this leads 
to a significant number of absences from school for students affected. 
Shortened period of performance due to the activity modification and the Ebola 
outbreak affected achievement of the objectives. Although EQUAL was launched in October 
2013, the actual period of performance was severely shortened due to factors outside Concern
Worldwide’s control. The two main factors affecting the period of performance included (a) the Ebola 
outbreak, which led to schools being closed from mid-2014 to early 2015, and (b) the lengthy process 
for modifying the EQUAL contract ending in May 2016. Therefore, with the EQUAL activity essentially 
reset as of May 2016, the major implementation period for the activity is from May 2016 through 
October 2017, and the performance evaluation covers the period from May 2016 through June 2017.
Community involvement in the design and execution of the activity facilitated successful 
achievement of objectives. Cluster Coordinators for EQUAL shared that local communities were 
involved in the design of EQUAL through feedback sessions facilitated by Concern Worldwide. Once 
the activity began, communities were involved in choosing the change makers. EQUAL’s efforts to 
develop the PTAs also drew heavily on community involvement and support.
EQUAL's commitment to successful activity execution contributed to activity
achievement. Through KIIs and FGDs with representatives of Concern Worldwide at the local and 
national level, as well as through feedback from beneficiaries, the 
EQUAL staff’s commitment to the activity’s success was very 
clear. The EQUAL staff acknowledged that the activity
faced challenges that were out of their control, yet they 
demonstrated a determination to utilize the time remaining in 
the period of performance to achieve as many of the objectives 
as possible. 
EQUAL community mobilizers/field assistants, supervised by the 
Cluster Coordinators, are assigned to each school and engage directly with school administrators, PTA 
members, change makers, and the local communities. There is a ratio of one field assistant to five 
“Dignity and respect are 
fundamental aspects of the work of 
Concern. We ask ourselves, how do 
we make an impact in the 
communities we work in?” 
– Concern Worldwide Local 
Employee
24
schools. The feedback from implementers and beneficiaries was that the structure employed by EQUAL 
worked very well. There was a constant presence of EQUAL staff in the schools and communities.
Beneficiaries shared overwhelmingly that the support and dedication of the EQUAL staff will be missed 
after the activity ends. 
Conclusions:
1. The major positive factors influencing the achievement of EQUAL include community 
participation in the design and execution of the activity, the successful structure that Concern 
Worldwide put in place, and the enthusiastic support of the staff.
2. The negative factors include the conflicting timing with traditional schools, the cost of school 
uniforms, weather, agricultural demands, and the inaccessibility of some schools.
QUESTION 5. IS THE PROJECT REACHING ITS TARGET POPULATION, AND WERE 
THE ACTIVITIES DELIVERED TIMELY ACCORDING TO THE MAIN TARGET 
GROUP(S)? 
The main target population is the girls and boys who are to access safe schools with quality education. 
Secondary targets include the stakeholders implementing the program.
EQUAL reached its target population of students. Through enrollment campaigns, activities to 
promote student attendance, and gender equity activities lead by change makers, EQUAL slightly 
exceeded its target population of 6,800, reaching 6,875 students in FY 2107 Q2. The total enrollment 
for the prior year was 6,606 students.
EQUAL reached most of the school stakeholders. The activity reached all twenty principals
interviewed through some type of training and follow-up mentoring. The training included all but one 
principal on the TCoC and psycho-social skills. Furthermore, EQUAL worked with all the PTA members
in the twenty schools. As mentioned previously, not all teachers benefitted from training on the TCoC.
EQUAL reached all communities of the schools targeted by this evaluation. Activities 
included back-to-school campaigns, extensive community involvement to support enrollment and 
student attendance, and many activities on gender equity through the change makers. 
EQUAL had mixed results reaching Ministry officials. Concern Worldwide worked closely with 
three of the five DEOs and the CEO. However, Concern Worldwide had little engagement with the 
national MOE since the modification of the contract agreement in 2016.
EQUAL did not deliver activities in a timely manner. There have been serious constraints on the 
timely delivery of activities out of Concern Worldwide’s control. These included the Ebola outbreak, 
which closed schools from mid-2014 to early 2015, and the negotiation of the contract modification in 
2015-2016. As described earlier, these events as well as the removal of Outcome 1 with its early grade 
reading program, resulted in a significantly reduced scope of work and a shortened effective timeline for 
EQUAL. However, since the modification was approved in May 2016, Concern Worldwide has rolled 
out activities in a timely fashion.
25
Conclusions:
1. The activity is reaching the target population of boys and girls in the EQUAL schools, as well as 
the other stakeholders including principals, teachers and community members.
2. Concern Worldwide did not deliver activities in a timely manner up to the activity modification 
in May 2016 for reasons outside its control, but has delivered activities in a timely fashion since 
then.
QUESTION 6: WHAT VALUE DO BENEFICIARIES, STAKEHOLDERS AND 
COMMUNITIES ATTACH TO THE OUTCOMES ACHIEVED?
This evaluation question addresses the value beneficiaries placed on the outcomes achieved 
through EQUAL interventions.
Direct beneficiaries place a high value on the outcomes achieved. Beneficiaries overwhelmingly
shared their support and gratitude for EQUAL’s activities. Ministry officials at the local level shared that 
EQUAL has been doing “very well” and the support they received from EQUAL has been described as 
“marvelous” and “high quality.” Ministry officials also expressed that they have seen clear improvements, 
especially with stakeholders, and that “the knowledge acquired will go a long way.”
Principals shared that EQUAL support has been positive and they would like to see it continue, 
especially in the area of training. Principals also shared that they are greatly appreciative to Concern 
Worldwide for all their assistance in the schools and they have “enjoyed working with the Concern 
staff.” Of all the activities conducted by EQUAL, principals placed the highest value on the training 
received by teachers, principals, PTA, and change makers in the areas of school management, psycho￾social support, school safety, classroom management, gender equity, and the TCoC.
PTA members highly value the training and support provided by EQUAL that enabled each school to 
formally structure a PTA and become functional. PTA members shared that EQUAL brought about 
significant change and that the school environment has become safer for the students.
Teachers were unanimous in their opinion that EQUAL provided very good support to teachers and to 
school communities. Teachers echoed the principals’ views that the training provided by EQUAL was
the most valuable aspect of the activity, especially in the area of psycho-social support. Teachers also 
shared that the materials provided by EQUAL such as stationary, copy books, and student enrollment 
and attendance books have been helpful. Finally, teachers at schools where WASH activities have been 
implemented (through another contract) expressed that the WASH activities together with EQUAL 
activities made a significant impact on the school and local communities. 
Although beneficiaries expressed support for the EQUAL activities on gender equity and 
SRGBV, they are not satisfied with the limited reduction of violence in schools. PTA 
members, and change makers shared that violence is still present in the schools. Students have 
expressed that there is too much violence, both from teachers directed at students and among 
students. A Concern Worldwide staff member shared that “children are being beat and many teachers 
are having a hard time changing their actions as they’ve been doing these things for many years.”
Detailed information regarding violence in schools can be found in the findings section of Question 1: To 
What Extent Did Equal Meet Its Overall Objectives and Results?
26
Conclusions:
1. All beneficiaries expressed strong appreciation of EQUAL.
QUESTION 7. TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THE FINDINGS FROM CONCERN’S KAP 
ASSESSMENT USED TO IMPROVE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND 
ADAPTATION?
The Knowledge Attitude and Practices (KAP) survey on gender equitable attitudes and school violence 
was conducted in September and October 2016 to provide baseline data on several indicators in the 
Performance Management Plan including the following:
• Number of PTA members and teachers who can state five or more breaches of the Teachers’ 
Code of Conduct; 
• Percentage of pupils (girls and boys) stating that they have been beaten/’flogged’ in school in the 
previous two weeks; 
• Percentage of stakeholders and pupils expressing gender equitable attitudes. 
The KAP baseline report stated that 76% of the PTA members identified at least five breaches of the 
Teachers’ Code of Conduct, 24% of the children spoken to have been victims of physical abuse, and 27% 
saw it happing to other students.
EQUAL did not make any changes to their fiscal year 2017 Implementation Plan based 
on results of KAP assessment. Concern Worldwide stated, “As reported in the baseline 
report, the [KAP] survey indicates that experiencing or witnessing physical abuse perpetrated by 
teachers or other school staff is normal for the interviewed students with more prevalence for 
boys… Therefore, it was decided to continue through 2017 with (activities that had already been 
planned) such as:
• Trainings on the Liberia TCoC and psycho-social support to improve the capacity of teachers 
and school administrators to create child friendly environments.
• Trainings and support of the change makers.
Conclusion:
1. EQUAL did not change its implementation plan based on the KAP survey results because they
had previously identified the challenges regarding gender equity and SRGBV. The results of the 
KAP survey confirmed their initial assumptions and findings; thus, there was no need to modify 
their plans for FY2017.
27
Sustainability
QUESTION 8. TO WHAT EXTENT DID THE PROGRAM SUCCEED IN INCREASING 
STAKEHOLDER’S COMMITMENT AT THE MICRO, MESO, AND MACRO (SCHOOL, 
COUNTY AND NATIONAL) LEVELS?
There is significant variability in the increase of stakeholder commitment at the micro 
(school), meso (district), and macro (national) levels.
At the school level, EQUAL was successful in increasing stakeholders’ commitment. The 
beneficiaries, including administrators, teachers, PTA members, change makers, and students, reported a 
commitment to improving school management, student and teacher attendance, and school safety. 
Commitment was increased by EQUAL through the involvement of beneficiaries in the day-to-day 
operations of the school, the training and mentoring activities, and the involvement of beneficiaries in 
decision-making related to the school community. 
At the district level, a majority of the six education officers expressed a commitment to 
EQUAL. The CEO and two of the five DEOs expressed a strong commitment to EQUAL; one DEO 
expressed indifference to the activity; one DEO, who was appointed five months ago, was not involved
with the activity. The DEOs who expressed a strong commitment to the activity did so through 
attending or co-facilitating EQUAL trainings, maintaining close contact with EQUAL representatives, 
conducting school visits alongside EQUAL representatives, and providing input and feedback to EQUAL
on activities taking place in their districts. 
The national MOE expressed no commitment to the EQUAL program. The lack of 
communication with the national MOE stems from the negotiations to modify the contract wherein
Concern Worldwide was instructed by USAID not to communicate with the MOE. In addition, Concern 
Worldwide did not take advantage of its active participation in the Education NGO Forum and the 
Education Sector Development Committee to share information or lessons learned with other 
stakeholders about EQUAL. In part, the lack of opportunity for Concern Worldwide to talk about 
EQUAL stemmed from the domination of these meetings over the past year on the Partnership Schools 
in Liberia program.
Conclusions:
1. With Concern Worldwide’s strong commitment to and support of their schools and 
communities, there is a strong commitment to EQUAL at the school level.
2. There is good support for EQUAL by the CEO and two of the five DEOs. This support will be 
critical in terms of sustaining EQUAL activities.
3. Concern Worldwide has not engaged with the national MOE and, as a result, there is not a 
commitment to EQUAL at that level.
QUESTION 9. TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT LIKELY TO 
CONTINUE AFTER DONOR FUNDING CEASE?
The assessment of the stakeholders ranged from, “All activities will stay,” to, “There is no hope of 
continuity after the departure of EQUAL.” In general, however, there was a positive consensus on 
continuing the major activities and reaping continued benefits. Sustainability will be determined, in part,
by the extent to which the beneficiaries continue to use and implement what they have learned, the 
28
continuation of the structural elements such as PTAs and change makers, and the ongoing guidance and 
support of the county education officials.
The stakeholders stated that the knowledge and skills learned under EQUAL would 
continue. These might include, for example, improved record keeping, greater gender awareness and 
sensitivity, and the use of psycho-social skills. The stakeholders stated that they “will maintain the 
knowledge acquired from EQUAL” or that they will “continue to apply many things that have been 
internalized from the training.”
All stakeholders claim that the PTAs will continue after EQUAL closes. The PTAs of the 
twenty schools made impressive gains in establishing themselves as functioning management structures, 
giving special attention to encouraging student attendance and, in some cases, developing a rudimentary 
School Implementation Plan. PTA members universally stated that the PTAs would be sustained. Some 
of the reasons include the training and ongoing support that they have received, their experience as a 
functioning body over the past year, the fact that PTAs are an established entity within the MOE system, 
and that there is a MOE handbook for PTAs that provides guidance.
All stakeholders said that the change makers will continue, including the change makers 
themselves. They have been trained, are highly committed to their work, and are perceived to play an 
important role, especially regarding gender equity and SRGBV. However, there are potential areas of 
concern including: (a) change makers do not have an established, recognized position within the MOE, 
(b) there are some associated costs such as flashlights, T-shirts, and raincoats; and (c) the change makers 
must work in the daytime, which means they might resign if they find employment. 
The CEO and DEOs are only moderately prepared to carry on the work of EQUAL. 
Concern Worldwide met monthly with the CEO, who is knowledgeable about and supportive of 
EQUAL, but has not received training under EQUAL nor conducted joint visits to schools. Information 
about EQUAL is mainly received through reports from DEOs.
In general, the DEOs participated in EQUAL training sessions but rarely practiced facilitation. They did 
not receive specialized trainings, for example, on how to conduct effective school visits. One DEO had 
been in his position for five months and had virtually no interaction with the activity. DEOs mentioned 
the difficulty of visiting schools, including bad roads during the rainy season and lack of funds to fuel their 
motorbikes. 
Conclusions:
1. It is likely that the current beneficiaries such as teachers and principals will continue to use the 
knowledge and skills that they have acquired from EQUAL.
2. It is likely that the PTAs will continue to function as a result of the training they have received 
and their commitment to supporting the schools and communities.
3. Although the change makers are committed to continue, this may be difficult in the longer term 
unless their role is formalized within the MOE and/or the Ministry of Gender, Children and 
Social Protection.
4. The CEO and DEOs have a range of experience with and commitment to EQUAL, yet their 
involvement and support to the sustainability of key EQUAL activities is unlikely without MOE 
support.
29
QUESTION 10. WHAT WERE THE MAJOR FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCED THE 
ACHIEVEMENT OR NON-ACHIEVEMENT OF SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROJECT?
EQUAL provided training and ongoing support. Training PTA members, change makers, 
principals and teachers resulted in new knowledge and skills that will positively influence the 
achievement of sustainability. Such training included the TCoC, school management, psycho-social skills,
and gender equity.
EQUAL has only engaged minimally at the national level with other potential stakeholders 
and the national MOE. This may be an important factor in the non-sustainability of EQUAL’s 
activities. 
EQUAL had a shortened effective time for implementation. As a result of the Ebola outbreak
and the time required for contract modification, the effective period of implementation was reduced to 
the final 1½ years of the activity. This will contribute to the non-achievement of sustainability of the 
EQUAL.
Conclusions:
1. EQUAL’s training and ongoing support at the school and community level has been critical in 
terms of commitment and sustainability of activities at that level.
2. EQUAL’s limited engagement at the national level may impede sustainability and the possible
replication of activities in other counties.
3. The fact that activities were interrupted and shortened may hinder sustainability.
30
RECOMMENDATIONS 
Outcomes
• Provide supervisory training for DEOs and the CEO. The regular presence of 
EQUAL staff at school sites was key to the success of school functionality and increased 
teacher and student attendance. Transition and closeout activities should include 
supervisory training for DEOs and the CEO to carry out oversight, monitoring 
and evaluation of schools under their purview. Where possible, tools related to record
keeping, training manuals, facilitator notes and other related materials should be turned over 
to district officials.
• Establish a community-based sustainable school feeding program. Based on
interviews with beneficiaries, one of the factors that increased student enrollment and 
attendance was the provision of food at the school. Many of the schools have begun to 
cultivate school gardens to grow and sell the crops to be used to fund the school. It is 
recommended that the PTA spearhead an initiative to establish new school gardens or 
expand existing school gardens so the crops can be used to support a school 
feeding program. The crops currently being sold should be used to purchase staples for the 
feeding program that are not being grown in the garden. This would be a longer-term
recommendation to be carried out by the CEO and DEOs.
• Continue with activities to increase enrollment and student attendance. Of 
importance are the back-to-school campaigns and the ongoing visits to communities by PTA 
members, change makers and school personnel.
• Provide ongoing support for gender activities and safe schools. The change makers 
should continue their work in schools and communities on gender equity and SRGBV, as 
well as their work with children and their cycles of training. There is also a need for 
refresher training on the TCoC and to ensure that all teachers receive training. Future 
interventions should clearly define a method for measuring SRGBV and enforce adequate 
referral systems for school related, domestic, and gender based violence.
Effectiveness
• The MOE should advocate to honor the cooperative agreement between the 
MIA and MOE to ensure that traditional schools meet during the vacations of 
public schools. Following the renewed commitment, a monitoring and accountability 
framework with terms and conditions formally agreed upon by the MIA and the MOE
should be established and executed.
• The MOE should give additional support to the CEO and DEOs. These district 
officials are key, not only to provide ongoing support to the EQUAL activities, but to ensure 
a quality education for all school-age children. Such support should include training on 
effective supervision and sufficient financial resources so that they can visit schools regularly
and provide occasional trainings.
31
Sustainability
• EQUAL should increase its involvement and cooperation with the MOE at the 
national level immediately. The purpose of such involvement would be to ensure that 
the national MOE is well informed about EQUAL and to seek to replicate the best practices 
nationally.
• EQUAL should collaborate immediately with the MOE, CEO, and DEOs to 
develop plans for activity closeout, transition, and sustainability. This plan would 
operationalize recommendations identified in this report and those identified by EQUAL and 
the MOE.
• EQUAL should create a policy brief on best practices and lessons learned from 
implementation. The brief could be shared with the Education NGO Forum, MOE, 
incoming administration, donors and other relevant stakeholders. The purpose of the brief 
would be to share information about EQUAL and to encourage others to consider 
replicating effective practices.
• EQUAL should initiate a process that would formalize the role of change 
makers. The change makers have proven to be an effective, low cost model for engaging 
students, PTA members, teachers and communities on issues of gender equity and SRGBV. 
EQUAL should initiate a process seeking to roll out this model to other schools in Grand 
Bassa County and to other counties through the national MOE. The MOE may need to 
explore options of collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social 
Protection to formalize a role for the change makers.
• MOE and donors should seek to replicate successful components of EQUAL 
nationwide. As the majority of the counties in Liberia face similar challenges within their 
schools and local communities, it is important that solutions be shared across county lines in 
order to improve the quality of education for all students. This process would begin by 
having Concern Worldwide work with other stakeholders through entities such as the 
Education NGO Forum and with the national MOE. Such initiatives would need to be 
followed-up by the MOE and the stakeholders once EQUAL closes. 
32
ANNEXES
Annex I: Evaluation Statement of Work
This Statement of Work (SOW) describes the conditions of work and terms of reference for an 
external final performance evaluation of USAID’s Education Quality and Access in Liberia (EQUAL) 
activity. EQUAL is a five-year, $5.1 million activity implemented by Concern Worldwide to improve 
school management and safety in Grand Bassa, while aiming to effect systemic and strategic change at 
county and national levels. The evaluation will measure results, examine the impact of support on 
education access, and investigate the effectiveness of specific technical assistance and capacity building 
approaches. The Mission will use findings from the evaluation to inform more strategic USAID 
investment in the sector.
1. Overview of EQUAL: 
Project Title: Education Quality and Access in Liberia 
Project number: AID-669-A-13-00002
Project dates: August 29, 2013 – October 30, 2017
Project funding: $5,153,285.49
Implementing partner: Concern Worldwide US, Inc
Cognizant Officer’s Technical Representative: Miriam D. White
Active Geographic Regions: Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5; Grand Bassa County
The goal of EQUAL is to improve school management and safety across 100 schools in the five districts 
of Grand Bassa, while aiming to effect systemic and strategic change to increase sustainability and impact 
at county and national level.
The project goal is supported by two outcomes. The section below on “Project Modification” explains 
the removal of the third, originally entitled “Outcome One”. Due to ongoing institutional practice 
associated with linking the outcome numbers to their content, the following outcomes have maintained 
their numbering: 
• Outcome Two: Increased commitment to ensuring equitable access by stakeholders at school, 
district, county and national level. 
o Capacity development of Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs)
o Capacity development of school principals and MoE staff
o Advocacy
• Outcome Three: A safe and child friendly school environment in all target schools
o Implementation of the adapted “We are One” approach – Engaging men and women in 
gender equality 
o Training sessions on the Liberian Teacher’s Code of Conduct
o Trainings for teachers on psychosocial support
Hypothesis of Change
Outcome Two: Improved Management Hypothesis of Change
If schools:
• are supported by PTAs that are competent in their responsibilities 
• are managed by principals that are performing their leadership and administration duties, 
including ensuring teachers and pupils attendance
33
• are monitored and supported by the district and county education officials and included 
in the county and district and national MoE plans
• are supported by management structures that are responsive to evidence related to 
initiatives that increase literacy, equitable access and safety
Then an education system, that is supportive of learning outcomes for all children, is in place.
Outcome Three: Improved Safety Hypothesis of Change
If schools:
• have teachers, community members and PTAs that understand and ensure adherence to 
the Teacher’s Code of Conduct and believe in gender equality
• have students, teachers, community members and PTAs aware and committed with 
prevention of school related gender based violence.
Then violence and abuse will reduce and the safety of children will increase.
The EQUAL logical framework is linked to the following plans:
1. USAID 2011-2017 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and Performance 
Management Plan (PMP)
o USAID Education Strategy - 2011 ‘Opportunity Through Learning’:
• Goal Three: Increased equitable access to education in crisis and conflict 
environments for 15 million learners by 2015.
The EQUAL program contributes to Goal Three of the USAID Education Strategy. 
Goal 3 supports learning opportunities for children and youth; strengthens crisis 
prevention efforts; and develops host country institutional capacity to provide 
education services.
• The EQUAL results framework was designed to contribute to the original Results 
Framework of the 2011 CDCS Results Framework and Intermediate Results. It was 
not updated to match revisions to the CDCS Results Framework since then. See 
Annex 2. 
2. Government of Liberia Policies and Strategic Plans
o Education Reform Act of 2011 
o Education Administrative and Management Policy, November 2011
• Mother Tongue Literacy- ‘A local language will be taught in each county as 
determined by the individual County School Board beginning at the basic level of 
education’ Page 49-50, 
• The Ministry of Education hereby adopts the policy of Zero Tolerance for abuse in 
schools – Page.76
o Liberian National Policy on Decentralization and Local Governance, November 2011
o Education sector plan of Liberia 2010-2020
• Ensure that 6 year olds enter grade one and not pre-primary, enforce grade1 policy 
pg. 71 and 79
• Establish Mother Tongue based- Bilingual Education programs in communities where 
children do not understand or speak English in the home or community.pg 72-74
• Develop and implement strategies that deal with sexual exploitation and violence in 
schools ensuring involvement of PTAs and communities –pg. 81
• Develop and disseminate a Teacher’s Code of Conduct
o Government of Liberia National Policy on Girls Education June, 2013
34
o Government of Liberia Children's Law 2011
EQUAL’s Results Framework explains how the project purpose focuses on girls and boys accessing safe, 
quality education. Concern Worldwide worked with DEOs and CEOs to provide training and 
mentoring for PTAs to help them understand their role in supporting students, teachers, and identifying 
opportunities to ensure equitable access and increase enrollment and attendance. PTAs were trained to 
identify and support children who are not attending school or are at risk of dropping out of school. 
Outcome Two focuses on increased commitment to ensuring equitable access by stakeholders at 
school, district, county and national level. The indicators measure teacher’s and pupil’s attendance rate 
and its output indicators focus on structured Parent Teacher Associations and the number of 
administrators and teachers successfully trained. Key activities under this Outcome include: awareness 
campaigns to sensitize parents; training of PTA members, teachers and administrator to effectively 
manage their schools; and roll out the Education Management and Information System (EMIS), and 
Government Support and Advocacy. 
Outcome Three focuses on ensuring a safe and child friendly school environment in all target schools. 
The indicator measures the number of teachers trained on how to support learners’ psycho-social well￾being. Key activities under this Outcome include training sessions for PTAs members, teachers, and 
school administrators on Liberia Teacher’s Code of Conduct and psychosocial support. 
USAID Intermediate Results: Increased Equitable Access to Education for 15 Million 
Learners in Crisis and Conflict
EQUAL Strategic Goal: Extremely poor and marginalized children in Grand Bassa 
County realize their right to quality primary education 
EQUAL Purpose: Girls and boys in 100 Primary Schools in Grand Bassa County 
Access safe and quality education
s 
Improved knowledge, attitudes and 
practice demonstrated by relevant 
stakeholders and pupils in relation to 
gender, equality and SRGBV
Increased commitment to ensuring 
equitable access and improving learning 
outcomes by education stakeholders at 
school, district, county and national 
levels
A safe and child-friendly school 
environment is experienced in all schools
Improved involvement of communities 
in school management
Enhanced quality of management and 
governance at school, district and county 
level
35
Concern Worldwide collaborated with the MOE and other partners/stakeholders to ensure that 
capacity is built under both Outcomes to achieve the project goal. By the end of the project, the project 
was designed to have achieved the following key results: 
• Increase in student’s attendance from 57% to 69%
• Increase in teacher’s attendance from 53% to 70%
• 10% decrease in gender-based violence
• 105 principals and officials trained on Liberia Teacher’s Code of Conduct
• 100 PTAs structured
• 6,800 learners enrolled 
Project Modification:
During July and August 2015 the restructured EQUAL Program was presented to the Ministry of 
Education (MoE) for endorsement; however the MOE showed reluctance towards the mother tongue 
literacy component and eventually refused to approve it. In response to the MOE’s position toward 
mother tongue literacy and the upcoming revised USAID Global Education Strategy which focuses solely 
on mother-tongue instruction as the most efficient and effective means to teach children. The program 
was revised in May 2016 with the elimination of all program activities under Outcome 1. Therefore, the 
program focuses on the following main components, which are Outcomes Two and Three:
- Capacity development of Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) 
- Capacity development of school principals and MOE staff
- Advocacy
- Prevention of School Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV)
2. Evaluation Purpose
USAID/Liberia is commissioning a final performance evaluation of EQUAL in order to document lessons 
learned and to inform the design of future education programs which focus on USAID’s Education 
Strategy - Goal 3 (access). It will focus on progress made against the objectives and the overall program 
impact within the determined period.
The objectives of the project final evaluation are:
a. To make a comprehensive assessment of the project’s status and accomplishment in terms of 
attaining its objectives and results indicated in the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP). 
b. To draw conclusions about the project mainly focusing on its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, 
impact and sustainability.
c. To identify key lessons learnt and make practical recommendations that can guide the 
management to decide on the future course of actions on this as well as similar projects. 
3. Evaluation Questions 
Outcomes
• To what extent did EQUAL meet its overall objectives and results? 
• Which strategies were most successful in meeting the two objectives of EQUAL?
• How did these results contribute to CDCS DO 4?
Effectiveness
• What were the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives?
36
• Is the project reaching its target population, and were the activities delivered timely according 
to the main target group(s)? 
• What value do beneficiaries, stakeholders and communities attach to the outcomes achieved?
• To what extent are the findings from Concern’s KAP Assessment used to improve project 
implementation and adaptation?
Sustainability
• To what extent did the program succeed in increasing stakeholder’s commitment at the micro, 
meso, and macro levels?
• To what extent are the benefits of the project likely to continue after donor funding cease?
• What were the major factors which influenced the achievement or non-achievement of 
sustainability of the project?
4. Design and Methodology
The evaluation is expected to apply both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection and 
analysis. The evaluation team will conduct a desk review of available literature including project 
documents, quarterly and annual reports. Site visits in the field will provide qualitative data for analysis 
through methods such as in-depth and key informant interviews, focus groups, and direct observation. 
Sampling should include the EQUAL schools in Grand Bassa. The evaluation team is expected to meet 
with central and county-level MOE staff, PTA leadership, school administrators, teachers, students, 
EQUAL staff, relevant donors and others in order to acquire the data needed to respond to the 
evaluation questions. Special attention should be paid attention to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups 
(women, people with disabilities, etc.).
Primary collection of quantitative data and large-scale structured surveys are beyond the scope of this 
evaluation. It is expected that the evaluation team will use data provided by the implementing partner in 
regular quarterly and annual reports, performance reporting, and special purpose publications for most 
of the quantitative data required. The team will draw on EMIS data from the MOE.
The evaluation team will develop a design/inception report which will include the evaluation 
methodology, work plan, analysis plan, and instruments for USAID’s review and approval. Concern will 
also be included in the review of the Inception Report.
Concern produced a number of documents which will help the evaluation team conduct the evaluation. 
USAID and Concern will provide the evaluation team with a package of briefing materials to review, as 
well as contact information for prospective interviewees. The evaluation team will be responsible for 
identifying and reviewing additional materials relevant to the evaluation, as well as additional contacts. 
Illustrative data sources include but are not limited to:
• USAID Education Strategy - 2011 ‘Opportunity Through Learning’
• Liberia Education Sector Plan’s (2010-2020)
• EQUAL Contract/Agreement and Modifications
• EQUAL School Census Baseline Report
• Annual implementation plan
• Work Plan
• Annual Reports
• PMP/Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan
37
• Performance Indicator Database System data
• Data quality assessment reports
• EQUAL studies and capacity assessment reports Success stories
• Related national data and reports
The evaluation team should also refer to the Knowledge Management Portal to identify additional 
reports and studies to support the evaluation.
5. Evaluation Team Composition
The evaluation team will be composed of four individuals: team leader, 2 senior technical experts, and a 
logistician. 
1. Team Leader/Senior Evaluation Specialist: S/he will be responsible for coordinating the activities 
of the evaluation team, and have the authority to make budgetary and programmatic decisions 
regarding the evaluation. S/he will serve as the main point of contact between USAID and the 
contractor’s headquarters. The Team Leader will approve the final evaluation design, oversee 
the development of evaluation instruments, integrate the findings of different team members and 
coordinate the preparation of the final reports. The Team Leader should have at least ten years 
of experience in the administration of multi-faceted education projects in developing countries -
preferably in West Africa. S/he should have experience in managing multi-disciplinary teams and 
developing and conducting qualitative evaluations, preferably of USAID projects. It is essential 
that the candidate has the ability to conceptualize and structure evaluation activities and 
produce high quality evaluation reports in English. An MA or PhD in education administration, 
planning, economics of education or similar field is required. Experience working in post conflict 
and transition settings is preferred. 
2. Education Specialist: The composition of the two subject matter specialists will depend on the 
final evaluation questions, but one should be a methodologist (evaluation specialist) and the 
other a gender specialist. S/he will have at least 8 years of experience working with educational 
projects in developing countries, preferably in post-conflict environments. S/he will provide 
expert technical advice on evaluation of school management and safety to the evaluation team. 
The Education Specialist will hold an advanced degree in Educational Research and/or Statistics 
and have extensive experience in evaluating educational programs.
3. Liberian Education Context Specialist(s): The local consultant shall have experience and 
knowledge about the education context in Liberia, particularly on enrollment, attendance school 
governance and school-related gender issues. Must have strong gender and social analytical 
skills, specifically in designing and evaluating education programs. The incumbent must be able to 
conduct interviews and focus group discussion and analyze the resulting data. Ability to conduct 
interviews and discussions in at least one local Liberian language. Strong American English 
language speaking and writing skills also essential.
4. Evaluation Specialist: The candidate should have at least five (5) years relevant experience in 
qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The consultant must have experience 
evaluating education programs, specifically analyzing quantitative data, and have demonstrated 
38
logistics and planning skills. S/he will serve as the main logistical coordinator for the performance 
evaluation, and work with local partners to plan travel, data collection, interviews and 
assessment activities as required. USAID expects this to be a Liberian.
The Team Leader is required to have demonstrated expertise in evaluation methodology. Collectively 
the team members must have experience in conducting both quantitative and qualitative data collection 
and analysis. Prior to their arrival in Liberia, all team members are required to familiarize themselves 
with USAID’s Evaluation Policy, with USAID’s publication outlining a good evaluation report, and with 
USAID’s checklist for assessing an evaluation report. Additionally, all team members should possess a 
strong familiarity with the political, economic, policy and educational context in Liberia.
6. Deliverables
Evaluation deliverables include: 
a. Evaluation Team Planning Meetings
b. Inbrief with USAID/Liberia, Government of Liberia (GOL) and Implementing Partners
c. Inception Report with work plan and data collection instruments
d. Debrief with USAID/Liberia, GOL and Implementing Partners 
e. Draft Evaluation Report - A draft report should be submitted to Liberia Strategic Analysis (LSA) 
for review, and LSA must submit the draft report to USAID/Liberia within three weeks after the 
in-country work is conducted. The written report should clearly describe findings, conclusions, 
and recommendations and conform to USAID requirements outlined below. USAID will provide 
comments on the draft report within five working days of submission. Then, LSA will submit the 
draft report to Concern and the GOL for another five working days to provide comments and 
disclose a statement of difference, if applicable.
f. Final Report - The Team will submit a final report that incorporates USAID’s, Concern’s, and 
GOL’s comments no later than ten days after final, written comments on the team’s draft report 
have been submitted by all parties.
g. Learning Event – Liberia Strategic Analysis will facilitate a learning event one to two months 
after the report has been finalized to engage USAID/Liberia and stakeholders in the utilization of 
recommendations. This will be combined with an After-Action Review, prescribed as good 
learning practice per ADS 201, to support USAID in the incorporation of recommendations into 
work plans, project or activity design, and the next Country Development Coordination 
Strategy.
The draft evaluation report should meet the following criteria: 
i. The report should be in line with USAID Evaluation Policy (see Appendix I – Criteria to Ensure 
the Quality of the Evaluation Report) and USAID Secretariat Style guide.
ii. The report should be no longer than 30 pages, excluding executive summary, table of contents, 
and annexes.
iii. The report should include a 3-5 page Executive Summary highlighting findings and 
recommendations.
iv. The report should represent a thoughtful and well organized effort to objectively respond to the 
evaluation questions. 
v. The report shall address all evaluation questions included in the SOW. 
vi. Evaluation methodology shall be explained in detail and all tools used in conducting the 
evaluation such as questionnaires, checklists and discussion guides shall be included in an Annex 
in the final report. 
39
vii. Limitations to the evaluation shall be disclosed in the report, with particular attention to the 
limitations associated with the evaluation methodology (selection bias, recall bias, etc.). 
viii. Evaluation findings should be specific, concise and supported by strong quantitative or qualitative 
evidence. 
ix. Recommendations should be action-oriented, practical, specific, and evidence-based. 
x. The final report should be edited and formatted.
xi. Liberia Strategic Analysis must submit the final evaluation to the Development Experience 
Clearinghouse.
The report will be submitted electronically. The final report will be edited/formatted by the contractor 
and provided to USAID/Liberia five working days after the Mission has reviewed the content and 
approved the final revised version of the report. The final evaluation report must be 508 compliant and 
comply with the USAID Evaluation Policy: http://www.usaid.gov/ 
sites/default/files/documents/1868/USAIDEvaluationPolicy.pdf
7. Timeline and Level of Effort
Work should be scheduled while school is in session, before EQUAL ends, and before the rainy season 
starts. The entire evaluation would be carried out over approximately 15 weeks, including preparatory 
time, field work, data analysis, report writing, review, and revisions. The evaluation should follow the 
timeline for producing deliverables outlined in the Gantt chart in Annex II.
Evaluation team members are authorized and expected to work a six-day week while in Liberia. Travel 
over weekends may be necessary. Work should commence as soon as practicable, but no later than May 
2017. For planning purposes, contractors should be aware of Liberian and US holidays during the 
evaluation time frame. 
The evaluation should follow the illustrative schedule and level of effort given below.
Task/Deliverable Estimated time 
(Days)
Review background documents & preparatory work (offshore): Draft 
work plan submitted to USAID/Liberia 
5 int’l / 3 nat’l
Travel to Liberia-expatriate team members 2
Team Planning Meetings in Monrovia with implementing partners and 
USAID
2
Inbrief with USAID/Liberia and prepare for field work 4
Field work: Data collection and On-Going Data Analysis 20 (including field 
travel)
Analysis and report drafting 10 int’l / 7 nat’l
Presentation and debrief with GOL, USAID/Liberia and IPs by Evaluation 
Team 
1
LSA performs quality assurance check and edits draft report 4
LSA submits draft report to USAID/Liberia and IP 1
USAID provides comments on draft report 5
Concern and MOE provide comments on draft report 5
Evaluation Team Leader revises draft report to incorporate comments 
and submit final report 
5 TL / 1 int’l team 
member
40
LSA performs quality assurance check and submits final report 5
LSA facilitates learning event 1 TL / 2 nat’l
Total time required 70
Working days Team Leader (including international travel) 50
Working days international team member (including international travel) 45
Working days local team members 39
41
SOW Annex I: USAID/Liberia CDCS Results Framework 2011-2017
42
SOW Annex II: Detailed Education Development Objective Results Framework – CDCS 
2011
Project Goal (DO4): Better educated Liberians
Purpose (IR 4.1): Liberian children and youth have improved 
opportunities to learn
Sub-purpose (Sub IR 4.1.1): 
Increased equitable access to 
education
Outputs
4.1.1.1: Increased at-age 
enrollment in primary school 
4.1.1.2: Strengthened, 
accessible alternative basic 
education programs
4.1.1.3: Strengthened school￾community partnerships
Sub-purpose (Sub IR 4.1.2): 
Improved quality of education
Outputs
4.1.2.1 Early grade reading 
program institutionalized at 
national level
4.1.2.2 Teacher professional 
development strengthened
4.1.2.3 Teacher and pupil 
absenteeism is reduced
4.1.2.4 Learning materials are 
available and used effectively
4.1.2.5 Parent/community 
advocacy and monitoring
Subpurpose (Sub IR 4.1.3): 
Improved governance of the 
education system
Outputs
4.1.3.1 Leadership and 
management strengthened at 
all levels
4.1.3.2 More effective 
resource allocation and 
execution
4.1.3.3 Community and civil 
society accountability 
mechanisms implemented
43
Annex II: School Sample
SCHOOL SAMPLE
District School 
Number
School Name Number of Students per 
Implementer
Pilot School
5 2 Four Houses Public School 191
Schools Selected for Sample
1 5 Little Bassa Public School 177
1 8 Zoe Town Public School 81
1 12 Vahn Town Public School 62
2A 9 Cecilia Bryant Public School 40
2A 17 Kpahyouah Town Public School 32
2A 18 Harrisville Memorial Public School 147
2B 20 D. Roosevelt Kangar Public School 27
2B 22 Senyah Public School 176
3 13 Gleozohn Public School 47
3 15 Gorblee Public School 394
3 16 A.M. Nyambo Public School 29
3 19 Feetuah Public School 118
3 20 J.D. Cassell 20
3 22 Lower Tubmanville Public School 18
3 35 Suablee Public School 45
4 5 Geo Town Public School 171
4 10 Buugboun Public School 40
4 12 Newcess Public School 115
5 3 Paynes Berry Public School 23
5 4 Logan Town Public School 71
Alternate Schools
1 7 Noryou Public School 98
1 11 Nyawein Public School 58
2 2 Major Fazle 35
2 3 St. John River Public School 73
2 5 BIA Public School 29
2 6 Gov’t Morning Public School 143
3 12 Tubmanville Public School 156
3 14 Wroahzohn Public School 156
3 21 Tobeydyukpee Public School 33
3 33 Dorzohn Public School 34
4 2 Walker Foundation School 49
4 3 Harris Memorial Public School 50
5 7 Rev. Gardiner Public School 88
44
Annex III: Gender and Social Analysis
GENDER ANALYSIS
Consistent with USAID’s evaluation policy and recognizing that the effects of the implementation and the 
success of the activity might vary across gender, the team applied a gender perspective to the entire 
evaluation process. Starting with the desk review, data related to gender-based variances in 
outcomes were examined, and documents were reviewed with a gender-sensitive lens to gain a better 
understanding of gender dynamics in the implementation environment. The 
evaluation team included both female and male researchers, and a gender balance among 
respondents was sought during the evaluation phase, especially among students, teachers, change 
makers, and PTA members. During the data collection process, the evaluation team organized gender￾segregated focus groups for students whenever possible to help ensure that the both female and male 
students would feel free to speak up and to limit the potential for one gender to dominate the 
conversation at the expense of another. The ET did not perceive data collection by a member of 
the opposite gender an impediment to productive conversations with stakeholders and beneficiaries. 
During the data analysis phase, all participant-level data (both qualitative and quantitative) collected from 
program beneficiaries was coded, disaggregated, and reported by gender, and performance data was 
analyzed with a gendered lens. Evaluators openly disclosed that both males and females could opt out of 
disclosing any personally identifiable information or opt out of responding to any of the posed 
questions.
As was seen in the findings, conclusions, and recommendations, similarities and differences along gender 
stratification emerged and were weaved throughout the report.
In cases where suspected breaches of the Teacher Code of Conduct (TCoC) were observed or 
documented by the evaluation team, the team gave written notice to Concern Worldwide so that 
appropriate action could be taken.
SOCIAL ANALYSIS
In addition to issues of gender, the evaluation team considered issues of social demographics in the 
sampling and data analysis processes, and how it affected the outcomes of the activity and/or the 
evaluation findings. This included data such as: age, formal education status, community 
status, employment status, and family makeup where appropriate. For the qualitative data, Key Informant 
Interview (KII) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) instruments collected and recorded this data, 
which was coded into the analysis tool and disaggregated in analyzing the qualitative findings. For the 
quantitative data, the evaluation team worked with the data produced by Concern Worldwide and data 
available from the Education Management Information System (EMIS) of the MOE, to disaggregate data 
on each demographic point for which data was available and relevant to the analysis process. Given the 
sensitive nature of some the data collected, especially the occurrences of SRGBV towards youth and 
children, all data collection instruments have been designed in accordance with Inter-Agency Network 
for Education in Emergencies (INEE) evaluation standards.
45
Annex IV: Data Collection Instruments
Interview Type – Teacher - KII
Interviewee:
Gender:   District:
School Name:   Community:  
Lead Interviewer: Date:  
Co-Interviewer:  
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Liberia Strategic Analysis-Social Impact has been engaged 
by USAID/Liberia to conduct an external performance evaluation of the Education Quality and Access in 
Liberia (EQUAL), which is being implemented by Concern Worldwide. The evaluation findings and 
lessons learned will be used by USAID help make future projects more effective. The Ministry of 
Education will use the Evaluation Report to consider issues regarding sustainability of the project.
Today I would like to ask you some questions regarding your views and experiences with the EQUAL 
project. Your answers will not have any impact on your involvement with the EQUAL. There are no 
right or wrong answers, and no personally identifiable information will be included in our report; we 
hope that you will feel free to share your information and opinions with our team. We can not offer any 
benefits from participating in this discussion and do not anticipate any risks. I would like to record the 
conversation so that I do not miss anything you have to say, however, if you do not wish to be 
recorded, please let me know and the conversation will not be recorded. If you have any questions or 
concerns you may contact the Concern Worldwide DCOP for the EQUAL project: Abu Sesay at 
+886498502 or the Social Impact IRB contact Richard Columbia at: +1 703.465.1884. Do you have any 
questions before I begin?
Background Questions
How many years have you been teaching?  
How long have you been teaching at this school?  
What is the highest level of education you have completed?
What grade(s) do you currently teach?  
How many students are in your class(es)?
  
Are you a ____volunteer _____ paid a supplement _____ paid as a regular teacher
Are you a certified teacher?
PTA
Are you a member of the PTA?  
What activities does your PTA conduct at your school?  
What activities have they done since January?
46
What PTA activities have been most helpful to the school?  
To you personally?   
Teacher Attendance
How many times have you been absent in the last 2 weeks?  
(Check this against the teacher attendance registrar)
What are some reasons why you might be absent?  
What has the school done this school year to encourage teacher attendance?
Has it made a difference?  
Student Attendance
What steps has the school taken to increase student enrollment? What has been most helpful?
What does your school do to encourage student attendance? What has been most helpful?
What EQUAL activities focused on increasing student enrollment and student attendance?
Which of these activities have been most helpful?  
Training Questions
Have you completed the Teacher Code of Conduct training?   
Do you know of any cases where teachers have been charged with a breach of the Code of 
Conduct?   
Is there a referral process and was it used?
Have you completed the Psycho-Social Support training?   
Have you had a chance to apply any of the psycho-social skills that you learned?
Can you give any examples?
What ere the benefits?  
Are there areas where you wish you had received training or feel you need additional training?  
EQUAL
How do you feel about the support you and your school have received from EQUAL?  
How often are EQUAL representatives at your school?
47
When is the last time someone from EQUAL was at your school?  
What have been the major benefits of the EQUAL activities?
What EQUAL activities have not been particularly helpful?
Do you think some of the activities that EQUAL has supported will continue after the 
program ends in October? Which activities? Why or why not?
SCHOOL SAFETY
What does your school do to promote gender equality?  
What have been the major EQUAL activities to promote gender equity at the school?
What has been most helpful?
What have been the major EQUAL activities to increase safety at the school?
Which strategies or activities have been most helpful?
What does your school do to address gender-based violence?  
Have there been any cases of gender-based violence thisschool year at the school?   
If yes, how was the case(s) handled? Was a referral process used?
What more can be done to address gender-based violence at your school?  
  
Final Question
Can you share with me some accomplishments you are proud of here at your school?  
48
Interview Type – Students - FGD
Number of Students:
Number of Students per gender:   District:
School Name:   Community:  
Lead Interviewer: Date:  
(Play a warm-up game with the students before beginning the questions)
Thank you for coming and talking to me today. Today I would like to ask you some questions regarding 
your views and experiences about school. We are here to study the current school conditions. There 
are no right or wrong answers, and no personal information will be included in our report; we hope that 
you will feel free to share openly and honestly with our team. Your answers will help us improve school 
programs in the future. We cannot offer any benefits from participating in this discussion and do not 
anticipate any risks.
We will talk together for one hour, and you can choose to remain quiet or leave if you no longer want 
to share information. The change maker will continue to be here if you have any questions after we 
leave. You may also contact the Concern Worldwide DCOP for the EQUAL project: Abu Sesay at 
+886498502 orthe Social Impact IRB contact Richard Columbia at: +1 703.465.1884. Do you have any 
questions before I begin?
Background Questions
How old are you and what grade are you in?  
______________________________   ______________________________
______________________________   ______________________________
______________________________   ______________________________
______________________________   ______________________________
______________________________   ______________________________
______________________________   ______________________________
What do you like about school?  
What do you dislike about school?  
Attendance
How many days have you been absent in the last 2 weeks?   
What are some reasons why you might be absent?  
What does your school do to encourage your attendance?  
School Safety/Gender Equality
Are boys and girls treated the same here at school? For example, are girls and boys treated 
equally by the teachers, other students, others both in the classroom and on the playground?).  
If not, how is it different for boys and girls?
Do you feel safe here at school?  
If not, why not?   
Have you witnessed violence here at school?  
If yes, can you explain more?  
If you have a problem, is there someone you can talk to at the school?
Final Question
Can you share with me some things you are proud of here at your school?
49
Interview Type – Stakeholders - KII
Interviewee: Organization:  
Gender:   District:
Lead Interviewer: Date:
Co-Interviewer:  
  
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Liberia Strategic Analysis-Social Impact has been engaged 
by USAID/Liberia to conduct an external performance evaluation of the Education Quality and Access in 
Liberia (EQUAL), which is being implemented by Concern Worldwide. The evaluation findings and 
lessons learned will be used by USAID help make future projects more effective. The Ministry of 
Education will use the Evaluation Report to consider issues regarding sustainability of the project.
Today I would like to ask you some questions regarding your views and experiences with the EQUAL 
project. Your answers will not have any impact on your involvement with the EQUAL. There are no 
right or wrong answers, and no personally identifiable information will be included in our report; we 
hope that you will feel free to share your information and opinions with our team. We can not offer any 
benefits from participating in this discussion and do not anticipate any risks. I would like to record the 
conversation so that I do not miss anything you have to say, however, if you do not wish to be 
recorded, please let me know and the conversation will not be recorded. If you have any questions or 
concerns you may contact the Concern Worldwide DCOP for the EQUAL project: Abu Sesay at 
+886498502 or the Social Impact IRB contact Richard Columbia at: +1 703.465.1884. Do you have any 
questions before I begin?
  
Tell me about Grand Bassa County…how does the county compare to others in terms of student 
performance - attendance, outcomes, access – and support from donors and NGOs?  
In Liberia what education work is your organization involved in?
What has been your involvement with EQUAL, if any?
How has EQUAL supported your own organization’s work in Grand Bassa or at the central Ministry?   
How has Concern tried to share its experiences and lessons learned with the Ministry and other 
organizations such as yours? Have these efforts been sufficient?
Do you know enough about the EQUAL activities to comment on achievements in areas such capacity 
building of principals, teachers, PTAs and CEO and DEOs?
Or making schools safer
Or their impact on student enrollment and teacher attendance?  
Is there anything else that you would like to tell us about the EQUAL program?
50
Interview Type – PTA – Focus Group
Interviewees: Gender and Age:
Lead Interviewer: School Name:
Co-Interviewer:   District:
Community:  
Total Number of Interviewees:
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Liberia Strategic Analysis-Social Impact has been engaged 
by USAID/Liberia to conduct an external performance evaluation of the Education Quality and Access in 
Liberia (EQUAL), which is being implemented by Concern Worldwide. The evaluation findings and 
lessons learned will be used by USAID help make future projects more effective. The Ministry of 
Education will use the Evaluation Report to consider issues regarding sustainability of the project.
Today I would like to ask you some questions regarding your views and experiences with the EQUAL 
project. Your answers will not have any impact on your involvement with the EQUAL. There are no 
right or wrong answers, and no personally identifiable information will be included in our report; we 
hope that you will feel free to share your information and opinions with our team. We can not offer any 
benefits from participating in this discussion and do not anticipate any risks. I would like to record the 
conversation so that I do not miss anything you have to say, however, if you do not wish to be 
recorded, please let me know and the conversation will not be recorded. If you have any questions or 
concerns you may contact the Concern Worldwide DCOP for the EQUAL project: Abu Sesay at 
+886498502 or the Social Impact IRB contact Richard Columbia at: +1 703.465.1884. Do you have any 
questions before I begin?
How many PTA members do you have in total?  
How many PTA members are active?  
How many people make up the PTA leadership?  
How many subcommittees do you have?  
What are they?
What are the roles and responsibilities of the PTA? How have the roles and responsibilities been 
influenced by EQUAL?
How important has been EQUAL in supporting the PTA and its activities?
Which activities have been most important?
What training and support have you received from the EQUAL project?  
Do you feel that this training has been adequate for your role as PTA members?   
How many times has the general membership of the PTA met since January?  
51
How many times has the leadership of the PTA met since January?  
Do you have records of your meetings (minutes)?  
If so, can you show me any records of your meetings? (Take picture)  
What major activities do you undertake as a PTA?  
Does your PTA have a School Improvement Plan?  
If yes, when was it developed?  
How was the PTA involved in the creation of the School Improvement Plan?  
How does the PTA work with the school on monitoring the activities in the Plan?   
How has the PTA encouraged families to send their children to school?  
What has been most effective?
Which EQUAL strategies/interventions have been most effective for enrolling and retaining students,
especially for enrolling children at the appropriate age (6-7 years)?
Have these worked equally well for both boy and girl children in your community?
Do you feel that EQUAL is an effective program for helping parents develop interest for their children’ 
education?   Why?
Has the PTA had any influence on improving teacher attendance? What has the PTA done to increase 
teacher attendance?
What has the PTA done to make the school a safer place for the pupils, especially for girls?
Have any of these actions been initiated or suggested by EQUAL?
Will the PTA and its ongoing activities continue after the project ends in October? Why or why not?  
Do you have recommendations for EQUAL going forward?  
Are there any additional comments that you would to share with us?
Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions. Do you have any questions for 
ourteam?   
52
Interview Type – Principal - KII
Interviewee:
Gender:   District:
School Name:   Community:  
Lead Interviewer: Date:  
Co-Interviewer:  
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Liberia Strategic Analysis-Social Impact has been engaged 
by USAID/Liberia to conduct an external performance evaluation of the Education Quality and Access in 
Liberia (EQUAL), which is being implemented by Concern Worldwide. The evaluation findings and 
lessons learned will be used by USAID help make future projects more effective. The Ministry of 
Education will use the Evaluation Report to consider issues regarding sustainability of the project.
Today I would like to ask you some questions regarding your views and experiences with the EQUAL 
project. Your answers will not have any impact on your involvement with the EQUAL. There are no 
right or wrong answers, and no personally identifiable information will be included in our report; we 
hope that you will feel free to share your information and opinions with our team. We can not offer any 
benefits from participating in this discussion and do not anticipate any risks. I would like to record the 
conversation so that I do not miss anything you have to say, however, if you do not wish to be 
recorded, please let me know and the conversation will not be recorded. If you have any questions or 
concerns you may contact the Concern Worldwide DCOP for the EQUAL project: Abu Sesay at 
+886498502 or the Social Impact IRB contact Richard Columbia at: +1 703.465.1884. Do you have any 
questions before I begin?
Background Questions
How long have you been the principal at this school?  
What is the highest level of education you have completed?  
How many students total are in your school in the primary school grades?  
Number of girls?        Number of boys?   
How many teachers are: ____volunteer _____ paid a supplement _____ paid as a regular 
teacher?
How many are certified?
Teacher Attendance
Do you have a teacher attendance roll?   
May I see it? (take a photo)
(Check to see - and record - how many teachers have been absent during the last 
week?   During the last month?)
What are some reasons why your teachers are absent?  
53
Has there been any change in the attendance rate of teachers since the beginning of the year?
`If the recent attendance of teachers is better, why is this the case?
Student Attendance
What is your average primary student attendance rate?  
Can I see your attendance rolls? (Take photo)  
Has student attendance increased or decreased over the last year?  
Why do you think there has been a change?
How do you report student attendance to the district?  
What does your school do to encourage student attendance? (For example, teacher 
actions?  Your actions? PTA actions? Other)
Which of these activities have been part of the EQUAL program?
Which activities have been most beneficial for encouraging student attendance?
How many days has your school been closed in the last 2 weeks?    
For what reasons?    
Training Questions
Have you completed the Teacher Code of Conduct training?  
If yes, when did the training take place?
Who conducted the training?   
Have all your teachers completed the Code of Conduct training?  
Do you know of any teachers at your school or other schools who have been charged with a 
breach of the Code of Conduct?
Does your school have a referral process? Was the case handled by the referral process or 
pathway?
If no cases have been reported, why not?
Have you completed Psycho-Social Support training?   
Have any of your teachers attended Psycho-Social Support training?  
If yes, how many and when?  
Do you know of any examples in your school where teachers have applied the skills that they 
learned in the psycho-social training?   
Examples?
54
Are there areas where you or yourstaff wish to receive additional training?  
Parent-Teacher Association
Are you a member of the PTA?  
How many members are in your school’s PTA?  
What activities has your PTA conducted?  
How many times have you met with the PTA since January?
Do you have a School Development Plan?   
When was it developed?
May I see it? (photo cover page)
What actions have you and the PTA taken since January to implement activities in the plan and 
to review progress?
School Safety
What does your school do to promote gender equality?  
What EQUAL activities have promoted gender equity?
What more can be done to promote gender equality at your school?  
What does your school do to address gender-based violence?    
What EQUAL activities have been most beneficial in promoting safety at your school, especially 
for girls.?
What more can be done to address gender-based violence at your school?  
Have here been any gender-based violence incidents at your school this school year and, if so, 
how has each one been handled?   
Is there a referral process at your school? Was it used?
                 Is there anything further that you would like to share with us in regards to gender equality and 
gender-based violence issues at your school?   
EQUAL
How do you feel about the support you and your school have received from EQUAL?  
                  What have been the most valuable EQUAL activities?   
Why?   
Have there been some inputs or activities that you think were not particularly valuable?   
How often are EQUAL representatives at your school?  
When is the last time someone from EQUAL was at your school?  
Are there any EQUAL activities that you think will continue after the project closes in 
October?  
Which ones? Why?
MOE
When was the last time you received a visit from the DEO or CEO?
In general, how many times a year does the CEO or DEO visit your school?
In what ways does they support you and your school?  
Final Question
Can you share with me some accomplishments you are proud of here at your school?  
55
Interview Type – National Ministry Officials - KII
Interviewee: Position:
Gender:   District:
Lead Interviewer: Date:
Co-Interviewer:  
  
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Liberia Strategic Analysis-Social Impact has been engaged 
by USAID/Liberia to conduct an external performance evaluation of the Education Quality and Access in 
Liberia (EQUAL), which is being implemented by Concern Worldwide. The evaluation findings and 
lessons learned will be used by USAID help make future projects more effective. The Ministry of 
Education will use the Evaluation Report to consider issues regarding sustainability of the project.
Today I would like to ask you some questions regarding your views and experiences with the EQUAL 
project. Your answers will not have any impact on your involvement with the EQUAL. There are no 
right or wrong answers, and no personally identifiable information will be included in our report; we 
hope that you will feel free to share your information and opinions with our team. We can not offer any 
benefits from participating in this discussion and do not anticipate any risks. I would like to record the 
conversation so that I do not miss anything you have to say, however, if you do not wish to be 
recorded, please let me know and the conversation will not be recorded. If you have any questions or 
concerns you may contact the Concern Worldwide DCOP for the EQUAL project: Abu Sesay at 
+886498502 or the Social Impact IRB contact Richard Columbia at: +1 703.465.1884. Do you have any 
questions before I begin?
  
Tell me about Grand Bassa County…how does the county compare to others in terms of  
student performance - attendance, outcomes, and access?  
and outside donor or NGO support?
What has been your involvement with EQUAL?  
Were you consulted about the design of EQUAL?
Are there regular meetings that you attend where you get an update on EQUAL activities?
When was the last such meeting?
How often have you had a separate meeting with the COP or other Concern staff member since 
January about the project?
Have you ever discussed with the COP or others about how the lessons learned from the project might 
be applied in other counties or to the national Ministry?   
Please explain.
Do you feel that you have a good understanding about the objectives of EQUAL, its activities, and its 
accomplishments or challenges?
Do you feel that your involvement has been too limited or about right?
What do you think has been the most important benefit of EQUAL?
56
To what extent have you valued EQUAL?  
Are there areas of their work that have been disappointing?
How might Concern been more effective in terms of embedding itself in the Ministry or in shaping 
Ministry policies or practices?
Does the Ministry know yet if it would like to sustain certain programs or accomplishments of 
EQUAL?   
If so, what components?   
What further information would the Ministry like to know before making a decision or plan?   
What support might the Ministry need to sustain these components?
Are any major EQUAL activities such as go-to-school campaigns, formation and training of PTAs, 
training on the Teacher Code of Conduct, SRGBV, etc. being carried out in other counties?   
If so, under what sponsorship, e.g., MOE, NGOs, etc.?   
Has EQUAL had any influence on these activities?
Do you think that any of the components of EQUAL should be applied in other counties?  
For example.
To what extent has EQUAL contributed to building capacity at the Central Ministry level?  
Concern has been a member of the education NGO Forum and the Education Sector Development 
Committee. Has their participation in these groups been effective for sharing objectives, 
accomplishments and challenges of EQUAL?   
Has their participation encouraged other counties or the national Ministry to implement 
EQUAL activities elsewhere?
Do you feel that the Government’s expectations and policy needs were met with EQUAL?  
What components of the EQUAL project do you feel will have the most lasting impact?  
Are there components of EQUAL that you would change to increase its effectiveness?
How would you compare the success of this project to other education projects in Grand Bassa or other 
counties?  
Do you have recommendations for EQUAL going forward or for potential USAID funded education 
projects?  
Are there any additional comments you would like to share with us?  
Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions. Do you have any questions for 
ourteam?  
57
Interview Type – Implementer  (Concern ) - KII
Interviewee:
Gender:   District:
Lead Interviewer: Date:
Co-Interviewer:  
  
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Liberia Strategic Analysis-Social Impact has been engaged 
by USAID/Liberia to conduct an external performance evaluation of the Education Quality and Access in 
Liberia (EQUAL) which as you know is being implemented by your organization Concern 
Worldwide. The evaluation will be used by USAID and implementing partners to learn lessons and help 
make future projects more effective. Today I would like to ask you some questions regarding your views 
and experiences with the EQUAL project. There are no right or wrong answers, and no personally 
identifiable information will be included in our report; we hope that you will feel free to share your 
information and opinions with our team. I would like to record the conversation so that I do not miss 
anything you have to say, however if you do not wish to be recorded, please let me know and the 
conversation will not be recorded. Do you have any questions before I begin?
Tell me about Grand Bassa County? Do you know how Grand Bassa comparesto other countiesin terms 
of challenges in education such as student performance - attendance, outcomes, access?  
Have there been any other primary school education projects in Grand Bassa County?
What has your role been with EQUAL?   
What were the school and local community expectations and needs?  Do you feel that the project has 
met those expectations and needs?
To what degree does the EQUAL project support the Ministry’s priorities?  
What has EQUAL identified as the main sustainability issues?   
What has the project done to increase the odds of sustainability?
What areas might need continuing support?   
What lessons did the project learn regarding sustainability based on the schools in District 2 that 
received support from Concern from 20019-2013?
How has the project strengthened the capacity of the CEO and DEOs to supervise and support the 
schools effectively?
Has Concern identified major capacity needs at the national Ministry?  
Has EQUAL tried to strengthen capacity at thislevel?  
If so, in what ways?
  
What has been the project strategy to ensure that other counties and the national Ministry can learn 
from EQUAL’s experiences in Grand Bassa?
What have been your major strategies for increasing student enrollment and daily attendance?
58
Which of those strategies do you think were most effective? Why?
What were your major strategies for improving teacher attendance? Which strategy(s) do you think 
was most effective? Why?
What were your major strategies for improving safety at schools? Which strategy(s) do you think is 
most effective? Why?
What components of the EQUAL project do you feel will have the most lasting impact?  
Are there components of the EQUAL project that you would change to increase its effectiveness?
What are the major factors that either promoted or hindered your work at the schools?
What factors have contributed to or hindered progress of EQUAL?
Are there any additional commentsthat you would like to share with us?  
Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions. Do you have any questions for 
ourteam?
59
Interview Type – Change Makers – Focus Group
Interviewees: Gender and Age:
Lead Interviewer: School Name:
Co-Interviewer:   District:
Community:  
Total Number of Interviewees:
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Liberia Strategic Analysis-Social Impact has been engaged 
by USAID/Liberia to conduct an external performance evaluation of the Education Quality and Access in 
Liberia (EQUAL), which is being implemented by Concern Worldwide. The evaluation findings and 
lessons learned will be used by USAID help make future projects more effective. The Ministry of
Education will use the Evaluation Report to consider issues regarding sustainability of the project.
Today I would like to ask you some questions regarding your views and experiences with the EQUAL 
project. Your answers will not have any impact on your involvement with the EQUAL. There are no 
right or wrong answers, and no personally identifiable information will be included in our report; we 
hope that you will feel free to share your information and opinions with our team. We can not offer any 
benefits from participating in this discussion and do not anticipate any risks. I would like to record the 
conversation so that I do not miss anything you have to say, however, if you do not wish to be 
recorded, please let me know and the conversation will not be recorded. If you have any questions or 
concerns you may contact the Concern Worldwide DCOP for the EQUAL project: Abu Sesay at 
+886498502 or the Social Impact IRB contact Richard Columbia at: +1 703.465.1884. Do you have any 
questions before I begin?
 
When did you become a Change Maker?  
Why did you want to be a Change Maker?  
  
Besides being a Change Maker, what other role do you have in this school and community?  
Have you attended any training conducted by Concern Worldwide?  
If yes, how long was the training and what was it about?  
What support (besides training) have you received from Concern?  
  
Do you feel that your training and follow-up support has adequately prepared you to be a Change 
Maker?  
If not, why not?  
How many times have the Change Makers met since January to discuss ideas/issues for the 
community?   
Did you meet more often last year? If so, why are you meeting less this year?
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Do you have records of your meetings (minutes)?
If so, can you show me any of the meeting notes? (Take picture)  
What types of services are you providing to this school and community?  
Have you had meetings this year with the school staff, the students, the PTAs, or community 
members?  
Can you describe those meetings and your activities?
  
Which of these activities have had a positive impact on the community/school?
Why?
What challenges do the Change Makers face in your school /community?
What do you do to overcome it?
Have you had to deal with any serious incidents in your school community?
If yes, can you describe?
Is there a referral pathway to handle the problem and to help minimize the reoccurrence of incidents?  
To what extent have the Change Makers had an impact on the following?
a. School enrolment:  
b. School safety for the pupils:  
c. Gender related issues:
d. Teacher attendance:
Would you like to continue your work as a Change Maker?  
Why or why not?  
Do you have anything else that you would like to share with us?  
Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions. Do you have any questions for 
ourteam?
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Interview Type – CEO/DEO - KII
Interviewee:
Gender:   District:
Lead Interviewer: Date:
Co-Interviewer:  
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Liberia Strategic Analysis-Social Impact has been engaged 
by USAID/Liberia to conduct an external performance evaluation of the Education Quality and Access in 
Liberia (EQUAL), which is being implemented by Concern Worldwide. The evaluation findings and 
lessons learned will be used by USAID help make future projects more effective. The Ministry of 
Education will use the Evaluation Report to consider issues regarding sustainability of the project.
Today I would like to ask you some questions regarding your views and experiences with the EQUAL 
project. Your answers will not have any impact on your involvement with the EQUAL. There are no 
right or wrong answers, and no personally identifiable information will be included in our report; we 
hope that you will feel free to share your information and opinions with our team. We can not offer any 
benefits from participating in this discussion and do not anticipate any risks. I would like to record the 
conversation so that I do not miss anything you have to say, however, if you do not wish to be 
recorded, please let me know and the conversation will not be recorded. If you have any questions or 
concerns you may contact the Concern Worldwide DCOP for the EQUAL project: Abu Sesay at 
+886498502 or the Social Impact IRB contact Richard Columbia at: +1 703.465.1884. Do you have any 
questions before I begin?
Tell me about Grand Bassa County...how does the county compare to others in terms of student 
performance - attendance, outcomes, and access?  
What has been your involvement with EQUAL?  
What training have you received from EQUAL?
         How many times have you met with the Concern in the last month?    
About what?   
How often do you accompany EQUAL staff to schools?   
Have you visited schools with them in the last month?  
What are the difficulties you face in trying to visit schools?  
Has EQUAL provided assistance to you on how to conduct effective school visits?   
What have they suggested?   
How useful has this been?   
To what degree does the EQUAL project support the Ministry’s priorities?   
Do you think that any of EQUAL activities will continue after the project closes in October?  
Which ones?
The teachers, PTAs and some Ministry staff have strengthened their abilities as a result of EQUAL.
How long will these benefits continue after the project ends in October?
What components of the EQUAL project do you feel will have the most lasting impact?  
Why?  
What components of the EQUAL project would you change to increase its effectiveness?  
Do you have recommendations to strengthen EQUAL?  
Are there any additional comments you would like to share with us?
Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions. Do you have any questions for 
ourteam?  
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School Facilities Survey
School Facilities Survey
School Name:  
District:    Number of Students:
Community:  
Survey Completed By:   Date:  
1. Are hygiene facilitates present? _______ YES   _______ NO
2. Are there separate facilitates for teachers and students?   
_______ YES   _______ NO
3. Are gender-specific hygiene facilities present?   
_______ YES   _______ NO
4. How many student hygiene facilities are there for each gender?     
_______ Male    _______ Female
*(INEE WFP standards: 1 toilet for every 25 girls, 1 toilet for every 100 boys and 1 urinal for 
every 40-60 boys)
5. Are sanitary supplies for girls made available? _______ YES   _______ NO
6. Is there access to clean drinking water? _______ YES   _______ NO
7. Are classrooms large enough to accommodate all learners?  
               _______ YES   _______ NO
8. Are there sufficient seats for all the children in the classrooms?
_______ YES   _______ NO
9. Are classrooms child-friendly?   _______ YES   _______ NO
           (e.g.,  inadequate lighting, leaks in roof, wires dangling, bare walls, …)
10. Is there a teacher present in each classroom? _______ YES   _______ NO
11. Are staff monitoring student interactions outside the classroom (on school
 grounds)? _______ YES   _______ NO
12. Describe any observed interactions that may violate the Code of Conduct: 
______________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________
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Annex V: Persons Interviewed
Category
Total 
number of 
persons
National and County Education Officials 9
EQUAL Full Time staff 13
School Teachers 36
School Principals 20
Parents Teacher Association Members 80
Change Makers 40
Students 202
Stakeholders/Donors 5
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Annex VI: Bibliography and Databases
Bibliography 
Below is the list of documents read by the evaluation team to gain a deeper understanding of the 
project’s operations to date, and guided the team to establish the evaluation design and data collection 
tools, and to inform the overall project assessment process, including conclusions and recommendations 
for future programming. 
1. Agenda for Transformation
2. Code of Conduct for Liberia Teacher_2014
3. Concern Education Program Input 2009-2017
4. Education for All 2015 Review
5. Education Program Inputs 2009-2013-2016
6. ENF Meeting Minutes-January 26, 2017
7. ENF Meeting Minutes-March 2017
8. ENF Meeting Minutes-April 2017
9. EQUAL Annex 2 Success Story FY 2015
10. EQUAL Annex 3 Success Story FY 2016
11. EQUAL Annex 3 Success Story FY 2017
12. EQUAL Award Signed Modification 5
13. EQUAL Baseline KAP Survey Report
14. EQUAL Closeout Activity Plan Narrative_2017
15. EQUAL DIP 2017
16. EQUAL DQA Report May-21-2015
17. EQUAL Draft DQA Report 2016
18. EQUAL FY 2016 DIP Revised and Approved May 2016
19. EQUAL FY 2014 Annual Report
20. EQUAL FY 2015 Annual Report
21. EQUAL FY 2016 Annual Report
22. EQUAL FY 2017 Quarter One Report
23. EQUAL FY 2017 Quarter Two Report
24. EQUAL Results Based Management System-LF PMP Final
25. EQUAL Revised PMP August 2016
26. EQUAL School Census Baseline Report
27. EQUAL Update One Report-September 2013
28. G2B-ESP Full Final
29. Liberia Education Data 20114
30. Liberia EMIS report (2015-2016)
31. Liberia Children’s Law 2011
32. Liberia Right to Education 2012 Fact Sheet
33. Local Education Group Minutes
34. Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Liberia
35. USAID Project Design Resource
36. 2010 Liberia Education Sector Plan
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Databases
Database Ownership
1. Education Management Information System (EMIS) National
2. Education Quality and Access in Liberia Internal Database 
system
EQUAL 
3. Performance Indicator Database System (PIDS) USAID 
4. Dedoose-Qualitative Analysis Software Evaluation 
Team
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Annex VII: Disclosure of any Conflicts of Interest 
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U.S. Agency for International Development - Liberia
502 Benson Street
Monrovia, Liberia