End-line Evaluation of USDA McGovern￾Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Programme FY17 [FY 17-22] [ b] WFP EVALUATION June 2022 Report number: Volume I WFP Country Office Nepal Decentralised Evaluation Report 1 June 2022 | Volume I WFP Country Office NEPAL Evaluation Manager: Stuti Amatya PREPARED BY: Sambodhi Research & Communications Pvt. Ltd. Dharmendra Chandurkar, Team Leader Ramanshu Ganguly, Project Coordinator Zenia Taluja, Research Manager 1 Elizabeth Lyn, Research Manager 2 1 June 2022 | Volume I Acknowledgements The Endline Evaluation for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supported McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Programme 2017-2020 (McGovern-Dole Programme) has been conducted by Sambodhi Research & Communications Pvt. Ltd., in partnership with NARMA Consulting Pvt. Ltd. We are grateful to World Food Programme (WFP) Country Office (CO), Nepal who provided us with the necessary funds and technical support to carry out the study successfully. This report has also benefitted greatly by the guidance provided by WFP’s Monitoring, Review, Evaluation, and Knowledge Management, and Programme unit. Their dedication and valuable guidance is highly appreciated. We are thankful to the USDA for institutionalising a grant that addresses pertinent issues related to early grade learning and nutrition access in Nepal. The grant has provided us with the opportunity of immersing into the issues of the country and conducting an evaluation that is critical, given the global COVID-19 related contexts. Special thanks to the Government of Nepal (GoN), implementing partners of WFP, and development partners who took the time to interact with us and provided valuable insights into the development context Nepal, especially in the sector of education and the current COVID-19 scenario. The study would not have been possible without the tremendous effort of our research team who did an excellent job in interviewing all key stakeholders, including different officials, collecting the required information, and meeting our deadlines. The evaluation team wishes to acknowledge the support, and cooperation received from all informants, including school children, school staff, and parents, who spoke with us despite their busy schedules. Disclaimer The opinions expressed in this report are those of the evaluation team and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Food Programme. Responsibility for the opinions expressed in this report rests solely with the authors. Publication of this document does not imply endorsement by WFP of the opinions expressed. The designation employed and the presentation of material in maps do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever, on the part of WFP, concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory, or sea area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers. 1 June 2022 | Volume I Contents Executive Summary ..........................................................................................................................................i 1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................6 1.1. EVALUATION FEATURES.............................................................................................................................6 1.2. CONTEXT......................................................................................................................................................7 1.3. SUBJECT BEING EVALUATED....................................................................................................................13 1.4. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................17 1.5. ASSESSMENT APPROACHES FOR KEY STUDY COMPONENTS .............................................................21 1.6. LIMITATIONS AND KEY CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................21 2. Evaluation Findings ............................................................................................................................... 24 2.1. TO WHAT EXTENT DOES THE PROGRAMME RESPOND TO BENEFICIARY NEEDS, AS WELL AS GLOBAL, COUNTRY, PARTNER NEEDS, POLICIES AND PRIORITIES?.................................................................24 2.2. DOES THE PROGRAMME COMPLEMENT THE EXISTING EFFORTS AND PROGRAMMES OF WFP, THE GOVERNMENT AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS WORKING IN NEPAL? ..............................................................28 2.3. TO WHAT EXTENT IS THE LEARNING AND NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN IN THE TARGETED PROVINCES MET BY THE PROGRAMME?..........................................................31 2.4. DID THE PROGRAMME CREATE A DIRECTION OF ACHIEVEMENT OF WIDER RESULTS AT THE BENEFICIARY, PROGRAMME OR POLICY LEVEL?.................................................................................................45 2.5. TO WHAT EXTENT HAS WFP USED ITS RESOURCES EFFICIENTLY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE COUNTRY STRATEGIC PLAN OUTPUTS AND STRATEGIC OUTCOMES?............................................................55 2.6. HAS THE PROGRAMME BEEN ABLE TO INFLUENCE POLICY OR SYSTEMS WITHIN THE SPACE OF LEARNING AND NUTRITION IN NEPAL OR FUTURE UPTAKE BY THE SYSTEM?...............................................61 3. Conclusions, Learnings and Recommendations ................................................................................ 67 3.1 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................................................67 3.2 KEY LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................................71 Annexure I: USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition programme Maps ................................................................................................................................................................75 Map 1: Updated Food based and Cash based School meals programme......................................................75 Map 2: Graduation plan FY17...............................................................................................................................76 Map 3: Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces McGovern Dole/WFP Education Support Programme.........76 Annexure II: Stakeholders and Involvement in the Evaluation................................................................ 77 Annexure III: Activity-wise Stakeholder Matrix ......................................................................................... 81 Annexure IV: Expected Users of the report................................................................................................. 82 Annexure V: Team Profile.............................................................................................................................. 84 Annexure VI: WFP Strategic outcomes and interventions ........................................................................ 86 Annexure VII: International Aids in Nepal .................................................................................................. 89 Annexure VIII: Planned and Actual Target Beneficiaries........................................................................... 91 Annexure IX: Results Framework................................................................................................................. 94 Annexure X: Performance Indicators for Evaluation of FY17.................................................................... 98 Annexure XI: Evaluation Matrix ................................................................................................................. 105 Annexure XII: Data Collection Tools........................................................................................................... 121 1 June 2022 | Volume I Annexure XIII: Data Cleaning and Quality Check..................................................................................... 285 Annexure XIV: Methodology Guidance, EGRA and Cost- Benefit Analysis............................................. 288 Annexure XV: Ethics and Risks ................................................................................................................... 292 Annexure XVI: Terms of Reference ............................................................................................................ 295 Annexure XVII: Timeline.............................................................................................................................. 313 Annexure XVIII: Fieldwork Agenda............................................................................................................. 315 Annexure XIX: Findings, Conclusions, Recommendations and Mapping............................................... 317 Annexure XX: List of People Interviewed.................................................................................................. 318 Annexure XXI: Bibliography........................................................................................................................ 318 Annexure XXII: Inclusion of GEWE in the Evaluation ............................................................................... 324 Annexure XXIII: Case Studies...................................................................................................................... 325 a. Digital Learning: Digital Learning Project (DL)..............................................................................325 b. School Infrastructure Development Project (SIDP)......................................................................328 c. Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSF) ............................................................................330 Annexure XXIV: Reconstructed Theory of Change ................................................................................... 332 Annexure XXV: Updated Internal Reference Group................................................................................. 333 Annexure XXVI: Communication and knowledge dissemination........................................................... 333 Annexure XXVII: Description of Programme Components...................................................................... 335 Annexure XXVIII: Action taken against FY14 ELE recommendations..................................................... 337 Annexure XXIX: McGovern Dole Funding in Nepal................................................................................... 339 Acronyms ......................................................................................................................................................340 1 June 2022 | Volume I List of figures Figure 1: Head-teachers reporting increase in student enrolment......................................................................32 Figure 2: Grade wise enrolment disaggregated across gender Grade I, Grade III, Grade V ..............................33 Figure 3: School Enrolment across transition/ non-transitioned districts…………………………………………………….33 Figure 4: Proportion of students attending school regularly ................................................................................34 Figure 5: Level of attendance across transitioned and non-transitioned districts .............................................34 Figure 6: Proportion of students regularly attending school (gender disaggregated).………………………………….35 Figure 7: Change in the level of attentiveness of students....................................................................................36 Figure 8: Teachers reporting on increase in attentiveness of students ...............................................................36 Figure 9: Head teachers reporting increase in interest levels ...............................................................................36 Figure 10: Teachers reporting increase in pass-rate of students..........................................................................37 Figure 11: Factors identified by parents leading to improved performance.......................................................37 Figure 12: Parents acknowledging receipt of meals ...............................................................................................40 Figure 13: Head teachers reporting satisfaction level with toilets in schools...Error! 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Figure 14: Schools with presence of handwashing facility ....................................................................................42 Figure 15: Performance on listening comprehension............................................................................................47 Figure 16: Performance on listening comprehension (across EGR intervention) ...............................................47 Figure 17: Performance on letter-sound recognition.............................................................................................48 Figure 18: Matra knowledge performance ..............................................................................................................48 Figure 19: Non-word reading performance.............................................................................................................49 Figure 20: Oral fluency performance........................................................................................................................50 Figure 21: Reading comprehension performance ..................................................................................................50 Figure 22: School committees ...................................................................................................................................54 Figure 23: Parent’s perception of the ideal education level of child disaggregated by gender.........................54 Figure 24: CBA of in-kind modality of SMP ..............................................................................................................60 Figure 25: CBA of cash-based modality of SMP.......................................................................................................60 List of tables Table 1: International Aids in Nepal .........................................................................................................................12 Table 2: McGovern-Dole Funding in Nepal ..............................................................................................................13 Table 3: Key and Intermediate Outcomes ...............................................................................................................14 Table 4: Key Changes in Programme Design and Implementation Partners ......................................................15 Table 5: Key Areas of Enquiry....................................................................................................................................17 Table 6: Sample Distribution .....................................................................................................................................19 Table 7: Total Sample Disaggregated for Different Research Tools .....................................................................19 Table 8: Qualitative Sample .......................................................................................................................................20 Table 9: Limitations and Mitigation Measures ........................................................................................................22 Table 10: Cost Summary (in-kind modality: 143301 students)..............................................................................56 Table 11: Cost Summary (cash modality: 75514 students)....................................................................................56 Table 12: Value Created through Supplied Food Basket........................................................................................57 Table 13: School Life Expectancy (in-kind modality)...............................................................................................58 Table 14: School Life Expectancy (cash-based modality) .......................................................................................58 Table 15: Net Benefits Accrued .................................................................................................................................59 Table 16: Sample Distribution .................................................................................................................................288 i 1 June 2022 | Volume I Executive Summary 1. Evaluation type and purpose: The End-line Evaluation (ELE) of the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition (FFECN) Programme for the Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) in Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Lumbini Provinces of Nepal, was carried out between November 2021 and May 2022. This study, commissioned by the World Food Programme (WFP) Country Office (CO) Nepal, aims to assess the change that has been created by the programme since its inception, and produce sufficient evidence to show how the programme has performed against its overall objective. It also aims at generating evidence-based lessons and actionable recommendations to strengthen the forward going strategies. The evaluation has been designed to provide insights on the programme’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, impact, and sustainability. Specifically, it is designed to: • Report performance indicator data for outcomes envisioned by the project. • Assess whether, and to what extent, the project has succeeded in achieving USDA’s two strategic objectives: Improve Literacy of School-Aged Children (SO1) and Increase Use of Health and Dietary Practices (SO2). • Identify the best practices and lessons learned that the Government of Nepal (GoN), WFP, USDA, and relevant stakeholders can apply to future programming. 2. Context: The Karnali, Sudurpaschim and Lumbini Provinces of Nepal have historically been afflicted by poverty and food insecurity. Due to their remoteness, the provinces have limited access to basic services and are disadvantaged in terms of increased vulnerability to natural disasters. Aligning with the GoN’s National School Meal Programme (NSMP), WFP provides in- kind support in the form of fortified food to selected municipalities of 11 districts across the three provinces. WFP also collaborates with national implementing partners to adopt a holistic development approach, complementary interventions on Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Digital Literacy (DL) and school infrastructure to further the strategic objectives of the Mc-Govern Dole grant of improving literacy of school-aged children (SO1) and increasing use of health and dietary practices (SO2). 3. Expected Users of the ELE: The programme has formed partnerships and collaborations with several stakeholders who have aided and shaped programme implementation, its vision for this operation, and engaged actively throughout the baseline and the mid-term evaluation. They form the primary users of the ELE. The programme is implemented in partnership with programme Center for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD), Education Review Office (ERO), Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) and Food for Education Project (FFEP), World Education (WE), Open Learning Exchange (OLE) Nepal, Integrated Development Society (IDS) and Partnership for Child Development (PCD), as well as USDA, WFP Head Quarters and Office of Evaluation. WFP’s commitment to accountability includes beneficiaries as the key stakeholder of their work. 4. Methodology: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) evaluation criteria of Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact and Sustainability has formed the guiding framework for the ELE. The findings are also presented along the same lines. The ELE employed Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) as an integral lens to evaluate the programme impact. 5. The ELE has been designed to provide evidence-based insights about the programme’s performance, and evaluate its success, while also documenting the best practices and lessons learned during programme implementation. It assesses whether, and to what extent, the programme has succeeded in achieving USDA’s two strategic objectives, reinforcing both accountability and learnings. The ELE also informs the design and strategy for the next phase of programme implementation. In addition, the ELE makes recommendations to sustain and strengthen the impact of programme. 6. The McGovern-Dole FFECN FY-17 cycle is the subject of the ELE. The programme has covered 2,003 schools across the 11 identified districts. The key subjects of evaluation include direct programme stakeholders involving students, head-teachers, teachers, parents, cooks, and storekeepers. In addition, strategic stakeholders such as representatives from MoEST, CEHRD, FFEP, Education Directorate (under the Ministry of Social Development), as well as implementation partners are also subjects of the evaluation. The four-year activity budget was 29.3 million USD, of which, approximately, 6 million USD was allotted for capacity strengthening, 8 million USD for food transfer, ii 1 June 2022 | Volume I 4 million USD for Internal Transport and Handling Support (ITHS), and 1.2 million USD for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities. 7. In accordance with the baseline, the ELE adopted a quasi-experimental design involving the panel of schools that were selected during the baseline. The study involved three arms: two programme arms and one comparison. The programme arms were created based on the nature of intervention carried out under the programme. One programme arm involved implementation of the school meal programme (SMP) and the water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) interventions. The other programme arm overlaid an early grade reading (EGR) intervention over the SMP and WASH interventions by the programme. The comparison schools involved previously empanelled non￾intervention schools from within the same district. The panel involved 75 schools from each of the three arms, i.e., SMP+WASH, SMP+WASH+EGR (intervention) and comparison. The required respondents were sampled from each empanelled school. The ELE conducted in-person data collection activities from February 2022 to March 2022. The mixed-methods approach adopted helped provide statistical estimates complemented by qualitative findings helped triangulate findings and build a richer narrative around the programme’s achievement. 8. Limitations: Due to universalisation of the SMP in 2021, there has been an absence of complete ‘non-intervention’ schools in programme districts, which limited the complete application of a quasi-experimental, leading to a possible underestimation of programme impact. Timing of the ELE (coinciding with school reopening post-COVID￾19 related closure) limited the availability of reliable school records. Moreover, the ELE is limited in comparison with mid-term results due to the difference in methodology used in both rounds. 9. Mitigation measures: The study has considered the contextual factors that have affected the programme. For instance, despite universalisation of the programme, schools had remained closed, hence, it is expected that contamination has been negligible. Other contextual factors such as COVID19 related restrictions and proximity with mid-term have been factored in while assessing results. For inadequate data, triangulation of available data was carried out with other sources and stakeholders to ensure quality and validity. Summary of Evaluation Findings Relevance and Coherence 10. The McGovern-Dole’s initiative towards providing regular and fortified school meals proved highly relevant towards addressing access related food insecurity in the targeted regions. Additionally, complementary interventions were designed around early grade learning to address enrolment and attendance related issues in government run schools. Health related absenteeism and inequity in basic sanitation are addressed through the WASH component. The programme’s focus on gender and social inclusion in implementation of each of the components address the entrenched gender inequality and social exclusion in Nepalese society. The key programme adaptation to the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent school closure included the introduction of Take-Home-Ration (THR) and scaling up of alternative learning mechanisms. These adaptations were highly relevant in the context of the food-insecure programme districts. 11. The programme interventions have been harmonious with the GoN’s commitment to ensure education for all children, and an overall equity in education. The programme complements the government's School Sector Development Plan (SSDP) focusing on improved quality, equity, and efficiency to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets for education. The key intervention on nutritious school meal supports the government’s National School Meal Programme (SMP) and the Multi-Sector Nutrition Plan (MSNP). The WASH component compliments the WASH Sector Development Plan (SDP) (2016–2030). 12. Echoing the GoN’s efforts towards an inclusive society, the programme has incorporated gender sensitive components such as inclusion of women in School Management Committees (SMCs), trainings on menstruation and ensuring a hygienic environment that encourage female students to attend school. Also, the government’s focus on teacher training programmes since the introduction of School Sector Reform Plan (SSRP) in 2009 was also supported by the programme’s efforts towards teacher training and performance. 13. The programme also upheld the WFP’s Nepal Country Strategic Plan (CSP) and aligned itself to the strategic objectives. The programme specifically addressed the nutrition and hunger needs of vulnerable communities from geographically disadvantaged locations. However, while the programme aimed at building capacities of the local government (LG) and school administration, the plan for the same required strengthening to also correspond to the fourth strategic objective of the CSP. iii 1 June 2022 | Volume I Effectiveness and Impact 14. The ELE reveals the setbacks faced by the programme due to COVID-19 related lockdowns. Enrolment and attendance in schools have witnessed a decline. However, the resilience created by the programme gets demonstrated through the lower decline in enrolment and attendance seen in the programme schools than in comparison schools. Despite reduced attendance, student attentiveness is seen to have increased over baseline. Parents attribute the change to the reinvigorated interest students demonstrate due to improved teaching mechanisms. 15. The programme’s ability to create sustainable changes gets reflected through the improved performance in the districts that have transitioned to the GoN led cash based SMP (transitioned districts) across most indicators. Students in transitioned districts were observed to demonstrate higher attentiveness and interest in classes. Most parents feel that over time, there has been a greater appreciation for the lessons that are being taught in school. Around 93% parents informed that their children show interest of studying at home. It is interesting to note that in the transitioned district, a higher proportion of parents identify improved teaching aids, as well as regular meals as a key factor aiding student performance in school. 16. Satisfaction from meals was reportedly higher in the transitioned districts. This has primarily been due to the the variety in diet. In non-transitioned districts, the students are provided a standardised ‘dal-bhaat’ meal. However, in the transitioned districts, the school decides on the menu. Hence, a variety gets noted there, which is of higher appeal to the children, as well as their parents. The impact of this variety also gets reflected through the improved dietary diversity condition for students from transition districts. However, THR provided by WFP in the non￾transitioned districts during school closure helped household level food security during the lockdown period. 17. The programme impact gets adequately reflected through the improved performance in Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) by beneficiary students over comparison areas. The EGRA results, which show that though learning outcomes have decreased across all schools from baseline to endline, the dip in the same for programme schools is lesser than that in the comparison schools. Also, the zero score i.e., the number of students who were not able to answer any question in a sub-task reduced from baseline to endline. What also stands out is the considerably higher scores of students for the reading comprehension sub-task in schools where EGR is implemented, as compared with scores of tasks which are evaluated based on the child’s pronunciation of words and matras. This reflects that while oral reading skills have reduced, they have not affected the children’s skill to understand texts. The engaged intervention on EGR by WE has played an important role in helping children gain conceptual clarity of the lessons taught. Efficiency 18. The Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) results of the SMP highlights a Net Present Value (NPV) of the programme in Nepal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), estimated to range between USD 665 and USD 317 for the in-kind and cash-based modality of SMP, respectively, over a beneficiary’s lifetime. For every USD 1 invested in the programme, an economic value of USD 5.22 gets generated over the lifetime of a beneficiary in the country’s economy, predominantly attributed to improved education and increased productivity, additional income to households under the in-kind modality. Under cash-based modality, USD 2.11 gets generated against every USD 1 invested. Sustainability 19. The GoN has recognised the positive impact of the SMP’s efforts towards increasing education and health outcomes of school going children. This is reflected in the support provided to the government by WFP in formulating policies around school meals and nutrition. While the continuation of SMP is cemented by policy and the GoN’s increased commitment towards improving student education and health outcomes, the implementation of the same is expected to be meet with some challenges. 20. The amount of 15 Nepalese Rupee (NPR) allotted per meal proves insufficient to cover food and other management costs. This has led to schools resorting to locally available packaged food as school meals. With efforts underway to increase LG, community ownership and accountability, district and school level stakeholders conveyed apprehension about the system’s readiness for transitioning to a cash based SMP modality. Budgetary and implementation challenges could hamper the sustainability of the impact created by the programme. 21. The WASH intervention has facilitated the process of improving sanitation behaviour and hygiene practices among students. This behavioural change among school going children is expected to have a long-term positive impact on the community. The foreseeable challenges in sustaining WASH behaviour are related to maintenance and iv 1 June 2022 | Volume I management of WASH infrastructure. Limited funds, shortage of non-teaching staff in schools, limited community support, coupled with scarcity of water in schools makes it difficult to maintain clean and usable toilets, as well as handwashing stations. At the policy level as well, there is lack of integration of the SMP guideline with a universalised WASH programme in the school framework. 22. The change in Nepal’s governance structure has created foreseeable challenges. LGs have been bestowed with an autonomy to distribute resources but are perceived to be limited in their capacity of prioritising issues where resources need to be directed. Moreover, the imbalances between functional authority and budgetary authority at the province and local level has little clarity around the specific functions and responsibilities among different levels of the government. These dynamics could adversely affect the institutionalisation of inter-governmental relations, thereby affecting the sustainability of development programmes that are under the ambit of the LGs. Conclusions 23. The ELE highlights the relevance and appropriateness of the McGovern-Dole Programme within the developing political context of Nepal. The programme is aptly located to address the food-insecurity, nutrition and education challenges faced the targeted districts in Nepal. The programme proved to be relevant in addressing the key challenges related to child education and health, while also supporting the government to meet the food and nutrition needs of the country. The programme has also been responsive to the COVID-19 induced changes to support the children’s nutrition intake and at-home learning. The objectives of WFP were also found to be consistent with the country’s goal towards zero hunger, as well as the constitutional right to food. 24. The programme implementation has been significantly impeded by the COVID-19 induced school closure. The ELE brings out the setbacks the programme has faced due to the school closures. At one end, there has been a drop in student attendance and enrolment. However, the programme’s contribution in creating a societal behavioural change towards encouraging female education was appreciated. Increased student interest leading to improved attentiveness was significantly observed. In the transitioned locations, key programme elements have been well sustained. This was corroborated by the dietary diversity results, according to which, a significantly higher proportion of students in transitioned schools reported meeting the Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) requirement. 25. Despite the obstacles posed by school closure and lockdowns, both transitioned and non-transitioned schools proved to be more resilient, as compared to the non-intervention schools. This is reflected in the EGRA results, which show that though learning outcomes have decreased across all schools from baseline to endline, the dip in the same for the programme schools is lesser than that in the comparison schools. Learnings 26. The programme emerges as an important example for the need to link the dynamic components of the SMP in a complementary manner to achieve significant impact and systemic changes across the interdependent areas of education, health, and nutrition. A similar convergence at the level of national programmes for education, nutrition and agriculture can prove to be useful for the effective sustainability of programme impact. 27. The gap in capacities of newly structured local governments, when compared to the list of functions they are supposed to perform, calls for increased focus on building local capacities and an enabling environment for programme continuity. 28. To create a robust mechanism at the local level for smooth functioning of the school meals programme, it may be useful to tweak the model, which currently focuses on involving mothers, and to borrow from other successful community driven interventions which focus on involving the children’s primary caregiver. Recommendations 29. The GoN values WFP as a partner to achieve the country’s SDG Goals, especially around health and nutrition. The continuation of SMP is cemented by policy and government’s increased commitment towards improving student education and health outcomes. While there are foreseeable challenges, the ELE presents recommendations to help address these challenges and strengthen execution mechanisms. v 1 June 2022 | Volume I S.No. Recommendation Type 1 WFP to strategically engage with different ministries for better convergence of department objectives and activities to ensure sustainability of impact. Strategic- Long-term 2 Focus WFP efforts on building capacities of local level actors, developing market linkages, and enhancing supply chain governance for the effective functioning of the SMP to ease management of food. Strategic- Medium term 3 WFP to advocate for streamlining of roles and responsibilities for monitoring and implementation between federal, provincial, and local level to establish clarity of roles between governance levels Strategic- Long term 4 Advocacy efforts towards increasing per student/per meal budget allocated to schools is needed as the programme transitions from in-kind to cash modality. Strategic- Medium term 5 Strengthen the approach, objectives, and goals of WFP to supporting the GoN’s strategy for taking over the school meals programme. Strategic- Medium term Thought points for Programme Consideration WFP reappraise project design for more effective engagement of SMC/FMCs in schools in a manner which speaks with the socio-cultural dynamics and migration pattern of the region considering low-income status and increased migration of one or both parents. 6 28 June 2022 | Volume I 1. Introduction 1. This report presents the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the End-Line Evaluation (ELE) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Programme (McGovern-Dole Programme), Financial Year 2017 (FY17) award cycle, implemented in the Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces of Nepal, commissioned by the World Food Programme (WFP), Country Office (CO) Nepal. The study was conducted between November 2021 and May 2022. The ELE report provides reliable evidence to assess whether the programme has achieved its overall objectives and delineated the progress made since baseline. It also provides recommendations for the current grant (FY20) period to ensure a smooth transition to government ownership in the coming years. 2. The ELE has been formulated in response to the terms of reference (ToR) shared by the World Food Programme￾Country Office (WFP-CO) for conducting an ELE for the McGovern-Dole FY17 grant. The ELE has based itself on the research design adopted for baseline and mid-term evaluation (MTE), carried out for the FY17 award cycle. While the MTE could not adopt an in-person data collection mechanism due to the corona virus pandemic (COVID-19), the ELE has focused on in-person data collection. Prior to the data collection, the ELE had an elaborate inception phase, wherein the evaluation team interacted with stakeholders from WFP-CO to define the ELE scope. An inception meeting was held in Kathmandu on 17th December 2021 to get inputs from government stakeholders, programme partners, as well as other WFP staff on the ELE approach and design. 1.1. EVALUATION FEATURES 3. The decentralised ELE was conducted for the McGovern-Dole Programme (FY17 cycle) implemented in the three provinces of Nepal. The ELE covers 11 districts - one (Rukum East) from Lumbini Province, three districts (Rukum West, Jajarkot, and Dailekh) from Karnali Province, and seven districts (Achham, Bajhang, Bajura, Baitadi, Doti, Dadheldhura, and Darchula) from Sudurpaschim Province (see map in Annexure I). The FY17 grant cycle drew on the learnings of the two previous grant cycles, i.e., the FY11 and FY14 grant cycles. It was implemented from October 2017 to June 2021 in food-insecure municipalities of 11 districts across Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces.1 4. The ELE is the third of a series of three linked evaluations for McGovern-Dole Programme FY17.2 The ELE was originally scheduled for mid-2021 but was delayed due to the unforeseen COVID-19 pandemic-related school closure. Schools reopened during February 2022, and data collection was conducted between the last week of February and mid-March 2022. Despite the delayed timelines due to the COVID-19 induced lockdowns and school closures, the findings from the evaluation will help identify lessons which can feed into and contribute to the FY20 implementation cycle. Rationale and Objectives of the Evaluation 5. As part of the contractual obligation between USDA and WFP, the ELE, commissioned by the WFP CO, Nepal, provides evidence-based insights about the performance of the project and evaluate the project’s success while also documenting the best practices and lessons learned during project implementation. Specifically, end-line evaluation: • Provides insights on the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, impact, and sustainability report performance indicator data for outcomes envisioned by the project. • Assesses whether, and to what extent, the project has succeeded in achieving USDA’s two strategic objectives, i.e., Improve Literacy of School-Aged Children (SO1) and to Increase Use of Health and Dietary Practices (SO2). • Identifies best practices and lessons learned that the GoN, WFP, USDA, and relevant stakeholders can apply to future programming. 1 Five out of the 11 districts have transitioned to a government led cash-based MDM provision. In the remaining six districts, the programme, since July 2020, has moved to a universal coverage of schools. 2 The evaluation series of FY17 cycle consists of a baseline (2018), midterm (2021) and endline (to be completed in 2022). 7 28 June 2022 | Volume I 6. The main objectives of the ELE are to reinforce: a. Accountability: The ELE assesses and reports on the performance and results of the USDA McGovern-Dole supported Food for Education and Child Nutrition FFECN Programme. Alongside performance assessment, the ELE provides recommendations that could strengthen the FY20 design and programme implementation. b. Learnings: The ELE determines the reasons for specific results, as well as derives good practices and pointers for learning. These will inform operational and strategic decision-making, help in future planning and implementation procedure of the next phase. Findings will be actively disseminated, and lessons will be incorporated into relevant lesson-sharing systems. The ELE further investigates the impact, both positive and negative, of COVID19 on achieving FFECN results. The ELE will equally reinforce accountability and learnings i.e., assess performance of the FY17 cycle and achievement of objectives to shape learnings which will inform the design and strategy for the next phase of programme implementation. 7. In addition to these goals, the ELE makes recommendations to sustain and strengthen the impact of programme implementation, including technical assistance components for strengthening National School Meals Plan (NSMP) policy framework, as well as other complementary interventions such as Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Digital Literacy (DL) and Early Grade Reading (EGR). The strategy and implementation approach for the upcoming McGovern-Dole award cycle (FY20) will be informed by these recommendations. 8. The evaluation uses the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) lens to comment on intended and unintended changes attributable to the intervention. It has attempted to place a sufficient emphasis on the gender dimension for each evaluation criteria by introducing gender enquiries and gender disaggregated analysis at all stages. Expected Users of ELE Report 9. As the programme takes a holistic approach to education programming, it has formed partnerships and collaborations with several stakeholders, who have shaped programme implementation and its vision for this operation, engaged actively throughout the evaluation, and are also the primary users for this report. The programme is implemented in partnership with the programme Center for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD), Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) and Food for Education Project (FFEP), World Education (WE), Open Learning Exchange (OLE) Nepal, Integrated Development Society (IDS) and Partnership for Child Development (PCD), as well as USDA, WFP Headquarters (HQ) and Office of Evaluation (OEV). WFP’s commitment to accountability includes beneficiaries as the key stakeholder of their work. The stakeholder matrix is provided in Annexure II. The expected internal users of this ELE Report include the WFP stakeholders including the CO, the Regional Bureau (RB) based in Bangkok, the WFP Headquarters (HQ), the Office of Evaluation (OEV), the WFP Executive Board (EB) and other WFP country offices. Externally, this report will find the interest of the GoN, the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), the USDA Food Assistance and Local Education Development Partner Group (LEDPG), amongst others. The detailed list of users is mentioned in Annexure IV. 10. For this evaluation, Sambodhi Research and Communications Pvt. Ltd. partnered with a reputed local development sector organization, NARMA Consulting Pvt Ltd. a highly relevant and effective team with an in￾depth contextual understanding and experience of evaluations in Nepal. Sambodhi and NARMA have worked closely during baseline as well as the Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) of the FY17 cycle, and the ELE of the FY14 cycle. Experts from relevant fields, including gender, nutrition, education and EGR were onboarded at the inception stage. They provided expertise and guidance at each stage of the research. Annexure V contains a detailed description of the members of the evaluation team. 1.2. CONTEXT 11. Over the years, various national and international organisations and the GoN have made sincere efforts to alleviate poverty and encourage economic growth in Nepal. The Human Development Index rating for Nepal in 2019 was 0.602, placing it 142 out of 189 countries and territories.3 According to the latest update from Nepal's National Planning Commission, multidimensional poverty in the country reduced from 30.1% to 17.4% in just 3 Baumann, F. (2021). The Next Frontier—Human Development and the Anthropocene: UNDP Human Development Report 2020. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 63(3), 34-40. 8 28 June 2022 | Volume I five years, resulting in a reduction in the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) from 0.133 to 0.074. Despite a significant reduction in the MPI index and improvement in social and development indicators, poverty and food insecurity are still widespread in Nepal.4 12. Geographical heterogeneity: The country is organised ecologically into three eco-regions: mountains, hills, and lowland (plains) Terai. Geographical disparities are a major impediment to Nepal's poverty reduction target. With half of Nepal's population living in rural areas, 28% of the rural population is multidimensionally poor vis-à-vis 12.3% in urban areas. Similar discrepancies exist at the provincial level as well. Karnali Province has the highest presence of multidimensionally poor individuals (MPI) (39.5%), followed by Sudurpaschim Province (25.3%), and Lumbini Province (24.2%). Children have a higher rate of multidimensional poverty than adults. About 21% of the children (< 18 years) are multidimensionally poor vis-a-vis 15.1% adults.5 Around 21% households are found to be food insecure in the targeted provinces in Nepal. The diets of Nepali children aged 6–23 months are largely suboptimal, with 36% receiving a minimum acceptable diet6. It is noted that the food insecurity in Nepal is largely governed by social, political, and geographical factors. This necessitates the development of additional child-centred food insecurity and poverty reduction programmes and policies. With higher levels of poverty in the Karnali, Sudurpaschim, and Lumbini Provinces, the region needs a well￾planned long-term development strategy. 13. Governance structure: The new Constitution of Nepal (2015) has envisaged federalisation and decentralisation of the state structure and comprehensive local government reform, i.e., transfer of political, administrative, and economic authority from national to sub-national level, with the latter having substantial autonomy.7 The country's recent shift to a federal administration gives sufficient opportunity for the government to decentralise development advantages and improve service delivery effectiveness and accountability. However, governmental reorganisation on this magnitude is uncharted terrain, therefore ensuring a seamless transition might come with its own set of challenges,8 especially the lack of capacity of newly structured LGs when compared to the list of functions they are supposed to perform.9 14. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nepal: Political transition, frequent natural catastrophes, migration, gender inequality, COVID-19, and geographical heterogeneity have all hampered Nepal's ability to achieve the SDGs. The reported rate of undernourishment was 6.1% during 2017 to 2019. The neonatal mortality rate was 20 per 1000 live births in 2019. In 2019, 83% females and 91% males participated in organised learning. In 2017, 27.2% of the population was using safely managed drinking water services. The country's unemployment rate was 4.4% in 2020.10 The creation of a new era, ushered in by the federal government, and allowing for progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The goal is to strengthen the coherence of relevant efforts in targeted areas by including SDG 2 targets in national policies, budgets, and subnational plans.11 In 2017-18, a zero-hunger strategic review identified substantial food insecurity and made recommendations to address it. At the policy level, the review identified that while Nepal fares well on their incorporation of nutrition, there is a need to focus on food systems in a manner which ensures that food systems and diets are more sustainable. Also, there is a need to invest in the vertical coordination between different tiers of the government, as well as a horizontal coordination of programmes with implementing partners in the immediate term in the context of the existing provisions like Constitution, the Zero Hunger 4 Nepal Multidimensional Poverty Index 2021. (2021). Retrieved 19 April 2022, from https://mppn.org/nepal￾multidimensional-poverty-index-2021/ 5 Nepal Multidimensional Poverty Index 2021: Report. (2022). Retrieved 16 April 2022, from https://www.unicef.org/nepal/reports/nepal-multidimensional-poverty-index-2021-report. 6 https://www.globalhungerindex.org/case-studies/2020-nepal.html 7 Nepal’s Constitution and Federalism: Vision and Implementation (2020). National Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, Nepal. Available at: chrome￾extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://asiafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Nepals￾Constitution-and-Federalism_Vision-and-Implementation_English.pdf 8 World Bank Group. (2020, September 30). Supporting Nepal's historic transition to federalism. World Bank. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2020/09/29/supporting-nepals-historic-transition-to￾federalism 9 Acharya, K. K., & Scott, J. (2022). A study of the capabilities and limitations of local governments in providing community services in Nepal. Public Administration and Policy. 10 Zhongming, Z., Linong, L., Xiaona, Y., Wangqiang, Z., & Wei, L. (2021). Basic Statistics 2021. 11 Nepal Country Strategic plan 2019-23, World Food Programme 9 28 June 2022 | Volume I Challenge (ZHC), the Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS), the Food and Nutrition Security Plan of Action (FNSPA), the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Plan (MSNP), and the 14th Plan.12 15. Gender inequality: Despite the government's efforts to address gender inequality, patriarchal traditions, and discriminatory practices such as Chaupadi,13 have a negative impact on Nepalese women's standing. Nepal ranks 115th out of 162 nations on the Gender Inequality Index, with a score of 0.476. Gender inequality and discrimination continue to be a problem in Nepal. 14 Past research has also observed that disadvantaged caste/ethnic groups have much higher gender gaps. UNESCOs study on Forms and Patterns of Social Discrimination15 in Nepal found that Dalit women suffer the most in both hilly and Terai regions of Nepal, as compared to other categories of women. While overall female literacy is lower in Nepal, the literacy rate of Dalit females in rural areas was reported to be the lowest among all sections of the population (10.7%), as they have the disadvantage of being both a Dalit and a woman. 16 While there was no significant difference in the status of women in rural and urban areas, the study observed disparities in matters of access to productive resources, educational attainment and the participation pattern in decision-making bodies and positions in the government. Furthermore, a low literacy rate was reported for Muslim women in Nepal. 17 16. While Nepal's already-existing contingencies have had a negative impact on women’s basic health and education parameters, the situation has worsened with the outbreak of the pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in an increase in overall home drudgery, along with increase in the incidence of intimate partner violence.18 Evidence suggests that when a household's access to food decreases, women's food consumption is particularly at danger. Furthermore, school closures have exacerbated the unpaid care burden placed on women and girls. These circumstances highlight the importance of programmes that push for greater gender equality and social inclusion of vulnerable groups. 17. Education: Over the years, Nepal has made significant progress in education, with the net enrolment rate (in elementary education) increasing from 66% in 1999 to 96% in 2019. Between 1973 and 2019, the gender parity index for school enrolments in elementary and secondary education jumped from 0.17 to 1.05, indicating that female enrolment in schools improved from being marginal to slightly higher than males.19 Despite the progress made, the school system remains plagued by high dropout rates, with girls still being more likely to leave school earlier than boys. According to the government's Economic Survey for 2021, more than two-thirds of students enrolled in the first grade drop out by the time they reach the final 12th grade.20 Also, the education of girls is still not seen as a priority in some rural households, and child marriage is still a relatively common practice in the region.21 18. Migration: A large section of the population migrate out of Nepal for improved livelihood choices (IOM, 2019). According to the Nepal Labour Migration Report 2020, the Lumbini region accounted for 16.8% of labour migration in 2018/2019, while Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces accounted for roughly 3% in the same year. While migration has a significant positive effect on Nepal’s economy, and remittance flow might lead to improvements in family well-being, the psychological repercussions of being left behind have clear and grave 12 Towards zero hunger in Nepal a strategic review of food security & nutrition. (2018). Government of Nepal, National Planning Commission. Available at: https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP￾0000102854/download/?_ga=2.154002928.950993176.1652687985-919122898.1650451140 13 Robinson H. (2015). Chaupadi: The affliction of menses in Nepal. International journal of women's dermatology, 1(4), 193– 194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijwd.2015.10.002 14 UNDP, H. (2019). Human Development Report 2019. Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today: Inequalities in human development in the 21st century. Oxford University Press, 23, 308-311. 15 Pandey, TR., Mishra, S., Chemjong, D. Pokhrel, S., Rawal, N. (2006). Forms and Patterns of Social Discrimination in Nepal. UNESCO Office in Kathmandu. Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000146086 16 Ibid 17 Musawah and Nepal Muslim Women Welfare Society. (2018). Joint report on Muslim Women’s Rights in Nepal. Available at:https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CEDAW/Shared%20Documents/NPL/INT_CEDAW_CSS_NPL_32673_E.pdf 18 UN Women. (2020). Gender Equality Update, Gender in COVID response, UN Women. 19 School enrolment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) - Nepal | Data. (2022). Retrieved 16 April 2022, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ENR.PRSC.FM.ZS?locations=NP 20 Ghimire, B. (2022, April 21). School Dropout Remains a Challenge, Survey Report Shows. Available at: kathmandupost.com. https://kathmandupost.com/national/2021/05/30/school-dropout-remains-a-challenge-survey￾report-shows#:~:text=The%20report%20shows%20that%20the,time%20they%20reach%20grade%201 21 World Education News and Reviews, 2018. Available at: https://wenr.wes.org/2018/04/education-in-nepal 10 28 June 2022 | Volume I consequences on the children of migrant labour.22 These include vulnerability to exploitation, child labour, abuse, trafficking, decreased performance in school, dropping out of school, and behavioural problems.23 According to the Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS) 2011 data, a quarter of the people aged between 6 and 24, who never attended school or college, were unable to do so because they had to help at home.24 19. Impact of COVID-19: Nepal has been affected by the prolonged COVID-19 crisis that created unprecedented challenges in the social and economic sectors, further exacerbating the pressure on food security and the livelihoods of the most vulnerable households. With the COVID-induced lockdowns and job losses, 14.1%of households had inadequate food consumption. The percentage of children, who do not meet the minimal dietary diversity recommendations, increased to 40.4% in October 2021 from 38.5% in June 2021 but decreased from 45.9% and 42.7% in April and December 2020, respectively.25 The pandemic has adversely impacted the service sector, tourism, the hospitality industry, revenue, remittances, and transportation. This will make it difficult for the country to make a smooth and sustainable graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category.26 Daily wage laborers have been under the brunt of the pandemic due to job losses and disruption in the food supply chain. This unique “income shock” has affected the household food insecurity issues. The MPI Report 2021 concluded that MPI population are more affected by COVID-19 related deprivations.27 20. Presence of WFP: WFP has been working closely with the GoN since 1963 to inform policy decisions and to provide support on developmental issues relating to food security, focusing on social safety nets in the areas of nutrition, education, and rural livelihoods in the remote mountainous regions, as well as responding to natural calamities which Nepal experiences frequently. With the completion of the Transitional Interim Country Strategic Plan in 2018, WFP officially commenced its Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2019-2023, in January 2019, which is guided by the zero-hunger strategic review. As part of the same, WFP continues to support vulnerable populations living in remote and hard to reach areas across Nepal by providing food assistance, designing a NSMP which provides a nutritious meal to over 2.9 million students, developing inclusive and coherent policy frameworks across national, provincial, and local levels of the government, and working closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs to strengthen emergency preparedness. WFP’s programme efforts resonate with the education initiatives in Nepal such as the School Sector Development Plan (SSDP) by focusing on improving the learning environment through a holistic set of interventions that include digital literacy, nutrition-sensitive learning, and construction and rehabilitation of kitchens and latrines, along with early grade reading and provision of food. In line with the SSDP, as well as with the earlier Education for All (EFA) policy (2002-2015), the McGovern-Dole Programme stresses reducing the gender gap in learning outcomes (Annexure VI). In line with SDG 17, which highlights the need to implement and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development, WFP works in close partnership with a wide range of national and international actors including governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies, non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), private sector companies, and academia. 21. One of the key development programmes implemented and funded by the GoN is the National School Meal Programme, under which children are provided with mid-day meals (MDMs) at school. The NSMP adopts a cash-based modality and is implemented by the CEHRD, which was formerly the Department of Education (DoE). The model runs in 71 out of 77 districts serving as a social safety net as a part of the education equity strategy. WFP-Nepal provides in-kind support (food-based model) to certain districts in the Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim Provinces. Under the current grant, in-kind support began with all 11 districts in the fiscal year 2017 with a gradual transition of the government cash support to five out of 11 districts in the subsequent fiscal years. 22. Due to school closures caused by COVID-19, the typical distribution mechanisms through which the NSMP operates have been disrupted, putting many children at risk of losing this critical source of nutrition. Worldwide, 22 Consolidated reply: Impact of labour migration on children that are left behind. Available at: http://www.migration4development.org/sites/default/files/children_left_behind_consolidated_reply.pdf 23 Migration in Nepal: A country profile (2019), IOM UN Migration. 24 Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children: Nepal Country Study (2016), UNICEF. 25 The Impact of Covid 19 on Households in Nepal, Fifth round of mVAM Household Livelihoods, Food security and Vulnerability Survey, October 2021, WFP and UKaid. 26 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Knowledge Platform: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/memberstates/nepal 27 Multidimensional Poverty Index Nepal: Analysis towards Action (2021), National Planning Commission, GoN. 11 28 June 2022 | Volume I an estimated 39 billion in-school meals have been missed due to school closures in 2020, with children in some countries missing nine out of ten in-school meals, resulting in denying children nutrition along with education.28 23. School Meals Programme (SMP), implemented by WFP since 1974, plays a significant role in bolstering the government strategy to strengthen the education system as well as reducing child malnutrition. The programme, moving beyond its initial approach of providing school meals, now encompasses diverse child development aspects while maintaining its flagship activity of school feeding. The SMP has adopted a holistic approach to education by introducing several non-food activities like Early Grade Reading Programme (EGRP), Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), digital literacy (DL), Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) and School Infrastructure Development Programme (SIDP). The programme works closely with the MoEST and development partners to complement and support the government education and school feeding objectives. As per the Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) report for the programme implemented in 2017-2018, for every 1 USD invested in the school meals, an economic value return of 5.2 USD is generated over the lifetime of a beneficiary in the country’s economy. 24. For the programme, which operated over four years (2018-2021) to reach 218,815 children of school going age across the 11 districts in the three provinces, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a key roadblock for implementation. To restrict the spread of the disease, Nepal institutionalised a nationwide lockdown. The lockdown led to the closure of schools since April 2020 with partial re-opening of schools around March 2021 with the endorsement of the School Reopening Framework by the MoEST. With children not attending schools, the programme implementation came to a standstill, with only school meals being provided as a THR in June/July 2020 (first round), October 2020 (second round), December 2020 (third round), and June 2021 (fourth round). To adapt to the school closure due to COVID-19 and ensure continued learning, an alternative learning mechanism, i.e., Tole Shiksha or ‘settlement-based education29’, was leveraged by the programme. While the lockdown was lifted and schools gradually reopened during March and April 2021, they shut down again following the second COVID-19 wave, which restricted the programme implementation significantly. 25. The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent school closure have significantly impacted students’ access to learning in Nepal. It has also nudged the government to expand its cash-based school feeding programme to all 77 districts in Nepal by 2024 and acknowledge that school meals are a strategic way to attract out-of-school children, especially as vulnerability increases. Further, to minimise the impact of COVID-19, WFP is supporting the GoN’s response to the pandemic in Nepal by focusing on strengthening and expanding the social protection programme to address poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition; sustaining food production, trade, distribution, and consumption; supporting national health systems through improved supply chains, data collection and targeted nutrition services for the most vulnerable; and providing alternatives to school feeding where educational activities have been suspended in the wake of the pandemic. WFP introduced take-home rations during school closure along with implementing alternative learning systems in programme districts. 26. Nepal has undergone an important political shift. The new federal, provincial, and municipal realms of administration were established by the country’s 2015 constitution. The change in governance structure, coupled with the long-awaited political stability, presents a significant chance for Nepal to achieve its SDGss. WFP provides technical assistance to the government to decentralise food security and nutrition policies and services within the federal system. WFP also assists the government in creating an environment that fosters policy commitment and coordination, as well as strong capacities, data monitoring mechanisms, and accountability.30 28Borkowski, A., Ortiz Correa, J. S., Bundy, D. A., Burbano, C., Hayashi, C., Lloyd-Evans, E., & Reuge, N. (2021). COVID-19: Missing More than a Classroom. The Impact of School Closures on Children's Nutrition. Innocenti Working Paper 2021- 01. UNICEF. 29 Tole Shiksha was introduced under the programme to ensure continuity of learnings for students during school closure period. With the help of reading motivators, hamlet or settlement-based classes were being organised by the RMs during prolonged school closure such as festivals. This was scaled up during COVID-19 induced lockdowns. 30 Nepal Country Strategic Plan (2019-2023) | World Food Programme. (2022). Retrieved 19 April 2022, from https://www.wfp.org/operations/np02-nepal-country-strategic-plan-2019-2023 12 28 June 2022 | Volume I 27. International Aids in Nepal: Assistance in these efforts have also come by other international bodies which have consistently supported Nepal in its initiatives. Table 1: International Aids in Nepal International body Programme Domains Geography United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nepal UNDP’s programmes for 2018-2022 will focus on areas related to inclusive economic growth, democratic governance, rule of law and human rights and resilience, disaster risk reduction and climate change.31 Primarily target 3 geographic areas with lowest Human Development Index (HDI) in Nepal Province 2,6 and 732 United States Agency for International Development (USAID Nepal) Agriculture and food security, Education, Democracy, human rights and governance, Earthquake reconstruction and disaster resilience, Economic growth, and trade, environment, and global climate change. 20 focus districts in the west, mid-west, and far￾west regions, as well as the 14 earthquake affected districts Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) Nepal Women’s Economic Empowerment and Climate Justice, Gender Justice & Health & Educational Rights, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Gender in Emergencies.33 Selected districts in Sudurpaschim, Lumbini, Gandaki, Bagmati, Province 1, Province 2 World Health Organization (WHO) Advancing universal health coverage in a federalised governance structure, effective delivery of priority public health programmes, enhance health security, disaster preparedness and response, multisectoral engagement and partnerships for improved health outcomes. Country level United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) UNICEF’s programmes for 2018-2022 will focus on areas related to health, nutrition, child protection, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, and social protection.34 Country level Plan International, Nepal Education and child protection in emergencies, WASH, shelter and non-food items, health, food security and livelihoods-Emergency Response.35 Education and early childhood development, health and hygiene, cash transfers, child protection-COVID-19 Response.36 Presence in 8 districts of Nepal and working through partners in 42 districts across the whole country Helen Keller International, Nepal Activities include essential nutrition actions, homestead food production, local multisector governance, and improved nutrition interpersonal communication. Also using ARCH research to advocate for improved Country Level 31 Our focus | UNDP in Nepal. (2022). Retrieved 24 April 2022, from https://www.np.undp.org/content/nepal/en/home/our-focus.html 32 Country Programme Document for Nepal (2018-2022) | UNDP in Nepal. (2022). Retrieved 24 April 2022, from https://www.np.undp.org/content/nepal/en/home/library/legal_framework/cpd-nepal-2018-to-2022.html 33 CARE Nepal. (2022). Retrieved 24 April 2022, from https://www.carenepal.org/ 34 Country Programme Action Plan 2019-2022, Available at: https://www.unicef.org/nepal/media/191/file/CPAP%202018- 2022.pdf 35 (2022). Retrieved 24 April 2022, from https://plan-international.org/nepal/what-we-do/emergency-response/ 36 (2022). Retrieved 24 April 2022, from https://plan-international.org/nepal/what-we-do/covid-19-response/ 13 28 June 2022 | Volume I International body Programme Domains Geography programmes for infant and young child nutrition, and COVID-19 response.37 28. Other organisations like World Bank, Save the Children-Nepal, Action Aid Nepal, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Water Aid have also been working in Nepal and contributing to various development efforts of the government and civil society organisations (CSOs). (Annexure VII) 1.3. SUBJECT BEING EVALUATED 29. The endline evaluation is a summative evaluation of the USDA McGovern-Dole International FFECN programme- FY17 grant which was approved in 2017, with implementation starting in 2018 and continuing into 2021. The ELE is directed towards reviewing the outcomes of different programme activities i.e., in-kind food transfer modality (SMP), EGR, SIDP and WASH, which was implemented in selected municipalities of eleven districts from Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim Province as shown in the map (Annexure I). To improve the literacy of school-aged children and improve the use of health and dietary practice, the key subjects of evaluation, include the direct stakeholders of the McGovern-Dole programme involving students, head￾teachers, teachers, parents of beneficiary students, cooks, and storekeepers. In addition to the direct stakeholders, strategic stakeholders such as representatives from MoEST, CEHRD, FFEP, Education Directorate (under the Ministry of Social Development), Education Development and Coordination Unit (EDCU) and implementation partners WE, OLE, PCD, and IDS are also subjects of the evaluation. Annexure III outlines the stakeholders of the ELE. 30. Programme background: In Nepal, the USDA McGovern-Dole International FFECN programme has been instrumental in mainstreaming the school meals programme by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST). Prior to mainstreaming the WFP CO Nepal received three different McGovern-Dole grants: 1) the FY12-14 award cycle 2) the FY14-FY16 award cycle (referred to as FY14), and 3) the FY17-FY21 award cycle (referred to as FY17). This report pertains to the ELE of the third grant of McGovern-Dole FFECN, under which the programme’s focus was on reducing hunger, improving literacy and primary education of children by providing school meals, teacher training and related support. Simultaneously, the programme focused on improving children’s health and learning capacity. Table 2: McGovern-Dole Funding in Nepal Partner Awarded Budget Duration Areas covered WFP FY 2021-24 25 million USD 4years Doti, Jajarkot, Bajhang, Darchula, Accham, Bajura WFP FY 2017-21 29 million USD 4 years Karnali (West Rukum, Dailekh, Jajarkot); Sudurpaschim (Accham, Baitadi, Bajhang, Bajura, Dadeldhura, Darchula, Doti) and Lumbini (East Rukum) Provinces 31. Geographical coverage and programme outreach: The grants were to provide MDMs to targeted pre￾primary, primary and lower secondary grade school students in moderately and highly food-insecure Village Development Committee (VDC), which following the change in governance structure, were merged into 460 Rural Municipalities (Gaonpalika) in 2017. A total of 2,003 schools are covered, serving 103,854 boys and 120,137 girl students across 11 districts in the Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim Provinces, i.e., Achham, Baitadi, Bajhang, Bajura, Dadeldhura, Darchula, Doti, West Rukum, Jajarkot, Dailekh and East Rukum,, as against the planned 218,815 students.38 Annexure VIII details the planned and actual beneficiary numbers. The programme has transitioned in a staggered fashion with the GoN’s NSMP taking over the SMP of the 37 Using ARCH research to advocate for improved programmes for infant and young child nutrition, Available at: https://archnutrition.org/where-we-work/nepal/ 38 Dadeldhura and Baitadi transitioned in July 2019; Rukum East and West in July 2020: Dailekh in July 2021. Though these districts have transitioned, the cash based mid-day meal (MDM) through government was implemented only in Baitadi and Dadeldhura for one year. Due to COVID-19 from March 2020, the programme in other transitioned districts including Baitadi and Dadeldhura are on hold due to school closure. 14 28 June 2022 | Volume I programme in five out of 11 districts. The transitioned districts include Baitadi, Dadeldhura, East and West Rukum and Dailekh. The remaining six districts are not transitioned with the WFP’s SMP still operational in these. The total food transfer amount has not been discussed here in the absence of available data. 32. Gender equality and empowerment of women/girls is an integral component of the programme. The FY 17 cycle has stressed interventions that could have an indirect impact on the gender dimension within the target group and society. For instance, the programme stressed on menstrual health and hygiene for adolescent girls. In addition, the programme worked towards increasing women participation in different school committees. A key requirement for the evaluation is to ensure that GEWE is integrated into the whole evaluation process, and that specific data on gender is collected during the survey (e.g., data collected on, and from male and female beneficiaries of different economic status of existing ethnicity/castes and disaggregated by age and gender). Technical assistance provided using private funds 33. Programme Result Framework: Following the logic of intervention and critical assumptions (Annexure VI), the programme has two strategic objectives, i.e., to Improve Literacy of School-Aged Children (SO1) and to Increase Use of Health and Dietary Practices (SO2). In the FY17 cycle, WFP has continued the holistic approach to programming with activities grouped into seven major interventions: a) Distribute Food: Provide School Meals; b) Improve Student Enrolment/Attendance: Parental Engagement; c) Promote Improved Health: WASH; d) Support Improved Literacy: EGRP; e) Promote Improved Nutrition: School Meals Menu Planner Package (SMMPP) and HGSF; f) Support Improved Safe Food Preparation and Storage and g) Build Capacity to strengthen the MoEST at the national and sub-national levels. Table 3: Key and Intermediate Outcomes Key Outcome Intermediate Outcomes Immediate Outcomes SO1. Improve literacy of school-aged children Improved quality of literacy instruction Consistent teacher attendance, improved literacy instructional material, improved knowledge, and skills of teachers and administration, better access to school supplies and materials Improved attentiveness Reduced short-term hunger, increased access to MDM Improved student attendance Increased economic and cultural incentives, reduced health-related absences, improved school infrastructure, increased student enrolment, and increased community understanding of benefits of education S02. Increased use of health and dietary services Increase in knowledge related to health Particularly - health and hygiene practices, safe food preparation and storage, nutrition Improved access Better access to preventive health intervention, requisite food preparation, and storage equipment, clean water, and sanitation services 34. The following are details for year-wise planned and actual transfers for the School Meal Programme. Year Planned distribution (metric tonnes) Actual distribution (metric tonnes) 2017 5500 5596 2018 4883 2736 2019 5578 4101 2020 3691 3741 2021 4187 3000 35. Analysis of results framework and planned activities to achieve outcomes: The key component of the programme implemented by WFP, in close coordination and support from CEHRD, is the SMP. The programme envisages that through the provision of school meals, children in food-insecure areas will have access to one whole meal that will meet the basic nutritional requirement of the child, resulting in reduction of short-term 15 28 June 2022 | Volume I hunger and, in turn, greater attentiveness in class. The provision of regular school meals is also expected to increase the child’s and the parents’ willingness for the child to both enrol in and attend school, thereby, contributing to improved student attendance. Student attendance is also targeted through complementary interventions to improve school infrastructure like rehabilitating institutional improved cooking stoves. For a sustained and wider community impact, WFP, in partnership with WE, believes that raising awareness on the importance of education and encouraging active and functional PTAs and SMCs will contribute to increasing the community’s understanding of the benefits of education, which will contribute to increasing student enrolment and attendance in the regions. Considering the recommendation of FY14 cycle, WFP focuses on encouraging women’s participation in the SMC and FMC with the goal of promoting gender equality in the region. Alongside SMP, WFP with implementing support from WE, is looking towards the EGR intervention to increase the quality of literacy instruction by training teachers and school administrators, distributing reading material, promoting teacher recognition and attendance to ensure consistent teacher attendance. In partnership with OLE, the distribution of DL content is expected to increase access to school supplies and reading material, thereby, contributing to improved quality of literacy instruction. Through implementation of these activities and subsequent achievement of improvement in student attendance, increased quality of literacy instruction and greater attentiveness in class, it is envisaged that literacy of children of school going age in intervention schools will improve. Annexure XXVIII highlights the actions taken by the programme on the FY14 recommendations. 36. The programme has also significantly invested in building community and school level capacities on nutrition and health parameters. The SMP component of the programme is oriented towards reducing anaemia in primary school -going children and adolescent girls. It has engaged with parents to form school management committees (SMCs), where awareness about the importance of hygiene, toilet facilities, and safe drinking water has been promoted. Schools have been provided handholding support by Integrated Development Society (IDS) to rehabilitate toilets and establish safe drinking water supply in a manner that addresses the unequal distribution of gender-segregated latrines. In addition, the programme focuses on supporting girls to continue their education through menstrual hygiene support i.e., creating awareness among adolescent girls about menstruation, and establishing a safe discussion space. Based on discussions with the implementation team, programme activities are directed towards increasing gender equality in the regions where it is being implemented. However, the same is not clearly laid out in the results framework for the FY17 cycle. 37. The strategies being employed, and the resultant primary outcomes have a set of assumptions, which are drawn from theory, as well as WFP’s implementing experiences (Annexure VI). However, the FY17 cycle was implemented at a time when Nepal was transitioning to federalism and was also experiencing significant socioeconomic setbacks owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The critical assumptions, accounted for during the design phase, had to be modified, which had a bearing on other assumptions. Adapting to the COVID-19 induced school closure, WFP introduced THR and alternative learning mechanisms in implementation districts to sustain nutrition and literacy outcomes. However, despite significant changes in critical assumptions and an ongoing pandemic, WFP was required to handover the programme to the government, based on the MoU with the GoN. While this was executed, elaborate handover mechanisms were needed for the programme to ensure sustainability of results during the transition process. 38. The programme has been implemented by WFP CO in collaboration with national implementation partners. A brief description of the programme components is attached in Annexure VI. Over time, there have been certain changes and plans from the original programme design, which has been updated as follows: Table 4: Key changes in programme design and implementation partners Component Implementation partner Key plan or change in implementation Food Distribution-providing school meals Food For Education Programme, GoN The SMP has witnessed significant changes. Five out of the 11 districts have transitioned to a government led cash￾based MDM provision. In addition, in the remaining seven districts, since July 2020, the programme has moved to a 16 28 June 2022 | Volume I Component Implementation partner Key plan or change in implementation universal coverage of schools within the WFP programme districts. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Integrated Development Society The three-star approach for WASH has been implemented in 9 programme districts in schools where SMP is functional. In the transitioned districts, the WASH programme has not been continued from WFP. Early Grade Reading Programme (EGRP) World Education Inc. Early Grade Reading Programme (EGRP) was implemented in 6 programme districts (Doti, Darchula, Bajhang, Jajarkot, Rukum East, and Rukum West). However, with the transition of Rukum East and Rukum West in July 2020, the EGR component was slowly phased out in the four districts of Doti, Jajarkot, Rukum East, and Rukum West by June 2021. The EGR activity was scaled up throughout the district in 2021 before the completion of the FY17 cycle, therefore, there is no comparison group in Jajarkot. EGR interventions after the COVID19 induced lock down were adopted into Tole Shiksha for learning continuity, which was intensified in Darchula and Bajhang Digital Learning (DL) Open Learning Exchange, Nepal DL is implemented in selected schools in the districts of Bajhang, Darchula, Jajarkot with support being expanded to 60 palikas of 7 districts, i.e., Jajarkot, Dailekh, Doti, Bajhang, Darchula, Bajura, and Achham, taking into consideration the Covid context and the associated need. School Infrastructure Development Programme (SIDP) Local contractors SIDP is implemented in 20 schools each, selected from 3 districts, i.e., Achham, Dailekh, and Jajarkot. School Meals Menu Planner Package (SMMPP) and Home￾Grown School feeding PCD, Nepal WFP is adapting the SMMPP to the Nepal context and implementing the approach in the existing cash-based SMP districts in consultation with CEHRD. It will later be expanded to other NSMP districts. PCD piloted HGSF in one municipality from Baitadi and Dadeldhura. Menu compliance and forward contract study will be conducted. 17 28 June 2022 | Volume I 39. Previous Evaluations: A baseline study for the FY17 programme cycle was carried out in 2018, which focused on measure indicator standings to assess the achievements. With COVID-19 inducing movement restrictions, the MTE adapted itself from an in-person interaction-based study to a remote interaction led study to inform about the progress of the programme, while also commenting on the impact of COVID-19. The MTE was completed in 2021. Both baseline and mid-term evaluations found the programme relevant to address beneficiary needs that were coherent with the national plans and policies. The baseline reported no significant differences between project and comparison group students across all the six EGRA sub-tasks but reported higher attendance of students in project areas. The MTE too provided evidence indicating an increase in the enrolment and the attendance levels of students post the McGovern-Dole programme, with stakeholders perceiving a greater increase in these metrices for girls. Both evaluations concluded that the programme schools had better infrastructural facilities as compared to the comparison schools though the handwashing stations remained limited in both. The MTE findings further highlight the complementary role played by the supporting interventions on WASH, as well as learning interventions which aided the effectiveness of the programme. The ELE bases itself on the learnings to ascertain any change attributable to the programme. 1.4. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY 40. To provide relevant feedback to the WFP on the key changes that FY 17 grant has been able to bring forth, the ELE based itself on the programme Theory of Change and Results Framework. It has reflected the key evaluation criteria of Relevance, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Sustainability, Coherence, and Impact.39 The evaluation has also addressed questions related to adequacy, transparency, and timeliness of programme intervention. Given that the programme has a gender-specific output as well, the evaluation has mainstreamed GEWE throughout these six criteria, wherever appropriate. The table below gives the broad evaluation questions against each criterion. These have been adapted from the ToR. Annexure XI details the evaluation criteria and corresponding questions, while also discussing the tools that were used to address the questions. Table 5: Key Areas of Enquiry Evaluation Criteria Key Evaluation Question Relevance The extent to which the intervention objectives and design respond to beneficiaries, global, country and partner/institution needs, policies, and priorities, and continue to do so, if circumstances change. Coherence The compatibility of the intervention with other interventions in the country, sector or institutions. Effectiveness The extent to which the intervention achieved, or is expected to achieve, its objectives and its results, including any differential results across groups in the three provinces of Lumbini, Sudurpaschim and Karnali. Efficiency The extent to which the intervention delivers, or is likely to deliver, results in an economic and timely way. Impact The extent to which the intervention has generated or is expected to generate significant, positive or negative, intended or unintended, higher-level effects. Sustainability The extent to which the net benefits of the intervention continue or are likely to continue. 41. The evaluation will also comment on the adequacy of the programme, i.e., whether the programme outreach is adequate, or improvements are needed to be brought about with respect to targeting? Transparency, i.e., to what extent have all stakeholders been involved in the programme’s activities? And timeliness, i.e., to what extent have the programme activities been implemented in a timely manner? 39 OECD-DAC Criteria for Evaluating Development Assistance https://www.oecd.org/dac/evaluation/revised-evaluation￾criteria-dec-2019.pdf 18 28 June 2022 | Volume I 42. The ELE has continued with the quasi-experimental design adopted during the baseline. Owing to the changes in the programme, transitioning of schools, universalisation of the SMP, the ELE while continuing with the same sample frame of schools under treatment and comparison, required respondents to be freshly sampled. Unlike the MTE wherein telephonic means of data collection were employed, the ELE conducted in-person data collection activities from February 2022 to March 2022. 43. Primary data collection: A mixed-methods approach involving qualitative and quantitative modes of research were employed, wherein the quantitative component will provide statistical estimates. The ELE uses a mix of quantitative survey tools for early grade students, teachers, head teachers, parents, cooks and storekeepers. To provide a holistic understanding of the programme’s achievement, as well as triangulate quantitative findings, the qualitative component was executed. Qualitative insights from focus group discussions (FGDs), in-depth interviews (IDIs), and observational data were proven to be useful to this effect. GEWE assessments were conducted using participatory techniques- mobility mapping exercise (Class VIII boys and girls), and field observations during FGDs. 44. Secondary literature review: A thorough desk review and analysis of secondary documents including programme documents, internal/external administrative records, collected data, monitoring plan/ reports, previous evaluation recommendations/action plan, and Project-Level Results Framework, was conducted to complement primary data, seek triangulation and complementarity across data points. 45. The study also reviewed monitoring data from the programme. While the outcome monitoring report was provided, there had been limited availability of cost and budget data. Similarly, data on transfer of commodity was not available. Data Collection Method 46. The evaluation employed a judicious mix of quantitative and qualitative techniques to measure and explain the programme effects. The research instruments used for the ELE respond to the key indicators and measurable study components. Annexure XII lists the tools that were used to collect the data to measure the programme effects and understand the intended and unintended impact of the programme implementation on the target population. The details of data cleaning and quality checks that were employed for this evaluation are listed in Annexure XIII. Quantitative sample calculation 47. The primary objective of the programme is to ensure change in the learning outcomes of early grade students. Hence, the sample has been determined for students who have recently graduated to Grade III. Using a two￾sample standard error formula40 to estimate a sample size for an 8% change over baseline prevalence of 22% on the key indicator, i.e., ‘the percentage of students who by the end of two grades of primary schooling, demonstrate that they can read and understand the meaning of the grade-level text’. The minimum sample required for such a case is 625. The sample was inflated by 20% at the level of representation to factor for non-response. Thus, the sample at each level of representation is 750 students. It was also ensured that the sample outreach reaches out proportionately to both female and male students. 48. The broad implementation arms of the study currently pose to be SMP (transitioned + non-transitioned) + WASH and SMP (transitioned + non-transitioned) + WASH + EGR. Hence, a three-armed quasi-experimental design involving a) SMP+WASH; b) SMP+WASH+EGR, and c) a comparison group was used. The sample, however, has been limited to only Grade III students and non-EGR students belonging to Grades IV and V. 49. While the schools in the comparison group have received MDMs through the government’s cash-based model since July 2020, due to COVID-19 related school closure, they have been exposed to MDMs for only about two months. Given the limited duration of exposure of the intervention received by these schools, the evaluation adopted the same sample frame of schools identified under treatment and comparison groups. From each of these groups, a sample of 75 schools was randomly selected. And from each school, 10 Grade III students (5 girl and 5 boy students) were sampled. The sampling distribution is depicted in Table 6. 40 A significance level of 0.05, power of 0.8; design effect of 1.3. 19 28 June 2022 | Volume I Table 6: Sample Distribution Study arms Total WASH+SMP WASH+SMP+EGR Comparison No. of schools 75 75 75 225 No. of students per school 10 10 10 10 Total 750 750 750 2250 50. A two-stage stratified sampling approach was adopted for the quantitative component. The stratified approach is detailed in Annexure XIV with the outline being: a) Stage I - Selection of schools b) Stage II - Selection of students. Table 7: Total sample disaggregated for different research tools Group Treatment Comparison Total Arm I Arm II Arm III Combination SMP+WASH WASH +SMP+EGR Non-programme No. of schools 75 75 75 225 EGR Assessment of Grade III students 750 750 750 2250 Parents’ interviews 300 300 300 900 Head teacher interview 75 75 75 225 Cook interview 75 75 75 225 Storekeeper interview41 27 - 27 Structured interviews of teachers teaching early grade 75 75 75 225 Classroom observation for teachers 75 75 75 225 Infrastructure observation 75 75 75 225 Student interview from grade 4-6 (Non￾EGRA) 750 750 750 2250 51. The results have been analysed across types of districts and gender of students. Within a specific gender, further disaggregation, based on age or ethnicity, has not been carried out. This is primarily to ensure 41 Storekeepers are located at the Municipal level and not at the school level, with none catering to transitioned schools currently. 20 28 June 2022 | Volume I statistical robustness of the sample that gets analysed. Moreover, the population in these three provinces is highly homogeneous. Hence, further disaggregation was also avoided. Classification between L1 and L2 students have been carried out for EGR results but not for a specific gender to ensure statistical power of results. Data Collection for Qualitative data 52. Qualitative assessments are critical to understanding the relevance and effect of the programme design and implementation mechanism. It helps comprehend whether the programme responds to the needs of the target community in an equitable manner. A mix of IDIs and FGDs were used for the qualitative deep dives across stakeholders selected purposively. 53. FGDs were conducted with male and female students separately of Grade VIII, as well as some of the community members to understand the effectiveness and overall impact of the different modalities of the programme, at the level of the school as well as the community. Two FGDs for students and one with community members in each of the 11 programme districts were conducted. The purpose of the FGD was to provide qualitative feedback and insights into programme implementation and overall gender and social inclusion dimensions of the programme amongst others. IDIs were conducted with supply-side stakeholders such as MoEST, CEHRD, implementing partners, local government, EDCU, WFP and FFECN officials. A key element of the IDIs were to assess whether the programme outreach has been equitably extended to all socio￾economic groups and genders. The qualitative interactions also attempted to decipher gender-based dynamics within each of the community level groups. 54. While the quantitative survey provides numbers, the qualitative discussions help delineate the change process or uptake process of the programme across the targeted beneficiaries. Thematic and content analysis of the qualitative data was used to comment on sustainability of the programme. Table 8: Qualitative Sample S. No. Respondents Total 1 WFP officials (/CO/Field Co-ordinators/Knowledge Management Officer/Programme official) – IDIs 8 2 MoEST, Nepal – IDIs 1 3 CEHRD-IDIs 1 4 FFEP (provincial and federal level)-IDIs 5 5 Ministry of Social Development (Provincial)-IDIs 3 6 EDCU, district officials– IDIs 11 7 Implementing partners – IDIs 4 8 Local government -IDIs 22 9 Focus Group Discussion - Grade VIII students 22 10 Focus Group Discussion - Community members 22 11 Focus Group Discussion - Food Management Committee and School Management Committee 22 12 Case Study on Light Touch Interventions 22 13 New Era Official (baseline evaluation partner for FY20) 1 21 28 June 2022 | Volume I 55. The data collection team, during the field visit, also collected data using observation of schools in the region; informal discussions with the school staff and community members; informal interviews with the implementing officials. Observational data and information gathered through informal conversations helped in building a holistic understanding of the context in which the programme is being implemented and the changes brought about by the same. 56. The study also looks at assessing efficiency through a CBA. An analysis of cost data made available to the evaluation team was conducted. In addition, benefits accrued to a beneficiary were modified using a tested methodology adopted in a previous CBA conducted for the programme. A ratio of the benefits and costs was calculated to measure programme efficiency. 1.5. ASSESSMENT APPROACHES FOR KEY STUDY COMPONENTS 57. Early Grade Reading Assessments (EGRA): One of the significant components of the evaluation is EGRA which helps to understand the progress made in student learning outcomes attributable to the programme. The national EGRA tool developed by Educational Review Office (ERO) under MoEST was administered with students who have recently moved to Grade III to measure oral reading fluency, reading comprehension, letter recognition, and phonemic awareness, among other skills predictive of future reading success. The EGRA also reached out to both male and female students in proportion to their actual presence in the classrooms. Interviews with schoolteachers of Grade II and classroom observations were conducted to triangulate findings. 58. School Meal Menu Planner (SMMP) and the Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programme: In 2019, Baitadi and Dadeldhura transitioned from WFP’s in-kind SMP programme to the government’s cash-based programme. In one municipality of both the districts, PCD was to implement the SMP programme while facilitating linkages with local producers of homegrown produce for school feeding. However, due to the obstacles posed by the COVID-19 restrictions, the programme was implemented in a limited capacity in the districts. Since the HGSF programme was much applauded by different stakeholders, the ELE found value in understanding how HGSF, despite limited implementation, worked in the districts and to document best practices and lessons. Thus, case studies were conducted in two schools each, in the districts of Baitadi and Dadeldhura. The case studies delved deeper into the logistics of food delivery through the approach, the satisfaction from the food provided, the willingness of the community to participate, and the challenges in the model. 59. School Infrastructure Development Programme (SIDP): For the SIDP intervention as well, a case-study approach was employed for getting insights on what changes have been observed in schools and behaviour of children due to improved infrastructure and how have these changes led to improved outcomes. Two schools with SIDP intervention were selected randomly from each of the two districts i.e., Jajarkot and Dailekh. Using a mix of observational and interactive queries, the case studies aimed to understand the change in WASH infrastructure, the community and student awareness on WASH practices, the actual adoption of practices and the challenges faced by schools to ensure adoption. 60. Digital Literacy (DL) initiative: Like the baseline, a case-study approach of assessment was opted for the DL initiative as well. Two schools with DL intervention were selected from each intervention district. A qualitative checklist was developed for enquiry, comprising key interest areas with a mix of the observatory and interactive approaches. Questions were asked to understand aspects relating to session delivery, student response and enthusiasm, as well as the state of infrastructure and equipment and the sustainability of the intervention. 1.6. LIMITATIONS AND KEY CONSIDERATIONS 61. The research design of the ELE, following a remote MTE of the FY17 cycle, posed certain limitations, which are as follows: 22 28 June 2022 | Volume I Table 9: Limitations and mitigation measures S. No. Limitation Mitigation 1. Limited gap between MTE and ELE, as well as the COVID19 crisis, resulted in insufficient time for the programme to integrate the MTE recommendations effectively in the implementation. The study has reviewed the programme, bearing in mind the contextual challenges faced by it. 2. Given substantial changes in the programme design over the course of implementation, comparison with baseline results, in case of certain indicators, lean more towards being inductive than conclusive. Significance testing of the results has been done to the extent possible to draw any conclusions as much as possible. 3. Absence of complete ‘non-intervention’ schools in the programme districts limits the execution of a quasi-experimental design in its truest form. Since the universalisation of programme took place in 2021, post which the schools have also mostly remained closed, we assume that the comparison schools are not very contaminated. However, difference-in-difference (DID) has been applied wherever possible to understand the treatment effect. 4. Already existing unequal representation of L1 (speak Nepali as the first language) and L2 (who speak Nepali as the second language) students in the different programme regions, as well as lack of data regarding the groups resulted in (i) limited sample coverage, (ii) difficulty in disaggregating the data for L1 and L2 learners. This resulted in the varying and inadequate selection of either of the two categories from region to region. The study tried to ensure equal representation as much as possible. Currently, the representation is in line with the proportion of L1 and L2 students in the population. 5. The EGR tool used during ELE is a modified version of the baseline tool with key differences in tool administration rather than the EGRA test itself. While both measure student achievement, comparability with baseline, while possible for most subtasks, is not conclusive. Although there is a difference in tool administration for subtask 6,42 consultations with EGR experts in Nepal affirmed the possibility of comparison of EGR results across both timeframes. 6. Limited availability of reliable school records due to COVID19 induced school closure proved to be a limitation during data collection. Data was triangulated from other sources and stakeholders to ensure quality and validity. 7. The available data, provided through outcome monitoring reports, did not suffice for a comprehensive analysis of the cost efficiency of WFP assistance. The analysis of interview data suggests that there are no substantive concerns over cost efficiency under the country strategic plan period. , 42 When EGRA was conducted during baseline, Subtask 6 i.e., oral reading comprehension, was not a timed task. However, for the ELE which followed the ERO guideline and tool, subtask 6 was a timed task where the child was given a total of 3 minutes to read the comprehension and answer questions based on the reading of the same. 23 28 June 2022 | Volume I 62. To promote the aims of the research and navigate the precarious climate, the following ethical considerations were accounted for during the ELE: a. The ethical code of conduct for field work is based on international good practice and draws on the United National Evaluation Group (UNEG) Ethical Guidelines which state that “all those engaged in designing, conducting, and managing evaluation activities should aspire to conduct high-quality work guided by professional standards and ethical and moral principles. The integrity of evaluation is especially dependent on the ethical conduct of key actors in the evaluation process”. b. Sambodhi Research and Communications’ ethical code of conduct is signed by all staff and associates. c. With the current COVID-19 pandemic, the planning, timing, and management of this evaluation took account of safety of team members and participants. The evaluation team did not request any team member or participant to travel or engage in any in-person activity which was in contravention of national/international guidance relating to COVID-19. Only in accordance with the national and international guidance did the evaluation progress with face-to-face data collection/interviewing. The team followed guidance and protocol to ensure the safety and security of participants being interviewed, as well as of the team members. d. Oral informed consent was obtained from interview participants while also ensuring data security and prevention of disclosure. e. Detailed risks and ethical considerations can be found in Annexure XV. 24 28 June 2022 | Volume I 2. Evaluation Findings 2.1. TO WHAT EXTENT DOES THE PROGRAMME RESPOND TO BENEFICIARY NEEDS, AS WELL AS GLOBAL, COUNTRY, PARTNER NEEDS, POLICIES AND PRIORITIES? Findings 1: The provision of regular and fortified school meals proved highly relevant towards addressing access related food-insecurity in the targeted regions. Complementary interventions around EGR, WASH address enrolment and attendance related issues, as well as health related absenteeism, respectively. High focus on gender inclusivity addresses the entrenched gender inequality in Nepalese society. Programme adaptation to introduce THR and scaling up of Tole Shiksha during COVID related school closure proved relevant to the local contexts. However, the programme’s outreach to only basic schools, while not acknowledging similar needs of secondary schools, highlights its relevance gap in this aspect. 63. The relevance of the FY17 programme has been examined by assessing whether programme objectives respond to the needs of beneficiaries, country priorities and global commitments. Relevance of the programme was also assessed in terms of its adaptation to the changing needs induced by the complex socio-political context of Nepal, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. 64. In the decade preceding COVID-19, Nepal has demonstrated significant reduction in the incidence of multi￾dimensional poverty from 39.1% in 2011 to 25.7% in 2016 and to 17.7% in 2019.43 The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a roadblock to this pro-poor reduction witnessed in the country. With lockdowns in neighbouring countries limiting business operations, remittance income inflow, which constitutes 26% of Nepal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), got severely constricted. In addition, wholesale and retail operations were affected due to limited imports from China. This essentially led to imports from other countries leading to price escalation of essentials, derailing the advancement Nepal had made towards reducing poverty incidences. 65. Nepal has demonstrated significant improvement on the Global Hunger Index with the scores declining steadily from 22.0 in 2017 to 19.1 in 2021, putting Nepal in the ‘moderate’ category of hunger levels. Over the years, Nepal has also revealed significant progress on reducing undernourishment, a declining, though still high rate of child stunting, modest improvement in child wasting, and a substantial decline in child mortality.44 Despite the encouraging developments in Nepal, the disparities between districts and provinces in Nepal affect the developmental indices. The three provinces under the McGovern-Dole grant (Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Lumbini) are also among the most chronically vulnerable provinces with high prevalence of food-insecurity.45 Moreover, these provinces are also found to be high on the MPI. Karnali Province reports the highest prevalence of MPI with 39.5% people MPI poor followed by Sudurpaschim (25.3% MPI poor).46 Children represent the poorest sub-group with almost 44% multi-dimensionally poor. The situation is exacerbated in Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Lumbini provinces with 60%, 48% and 29% children, respectively, categorised as multi-dimensionally poor.47 The remoteness of these provinces limit access to basic amenities such as water, sanitation, and electricity. This adversely affects related indicators such as dietary intake, medical care and access to basic sanitation and hygiene. All of these have a direct bearing on child health, social, emotional, and cognitive development, behaviour, and educational outcomes. 66. Consequentially, Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Lumbini Provinces are also plagued by significantly lower enrolment and attendance rates from the national averages, resulting in poor learning levels of students in these regions.48 The literacy rates of 5 years and above population in Sudurpaschim (63.4%) and Karnali (62.8%) were reported to 43UNDP; Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, 2021. Global Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index 2021: Unmasking disparities by ethnicity, caste and gender, s.l.: UNDP. 44Delgado, C. & Smith, D., 2021. Global Hunger Index: Hunger and Food Systems in Conflict Settings, s.l.: Welt Hunger Hilfe and Concern International. 45 The Impact of COVID-19 on Households in Nepal (2021) UK Aid and WFP Nepal. Available at: https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000135636/download/ 46Nepal Planning Commission, 2021. Nepal Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index: Analysis towards Action, s.l.: Government of Nepal. 47 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Baseline of Sudurpaschim Province (2020). Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning, Sudurpaschim Province, Government of Nepal. Available at: https://www.np.undp.org/content/nepal/en/home/library/SDG-Baseline-Report-Sudurpaschim-Province.html 48 Pal, K. B., Basnet, B. B., Pant, R. R., Bishwakarma, K., Kafle, K., Dhami, N., & Bhatta, Y. R. (2021). Education system of Nepal: impacts and future perspectives of the COVID-19 pandemic. Heliyon, 7(9), e08014. 25 28 June 2022 | Volume I be lower than the national average, i.e., 65%, with a significantly lower female literacy rate (51.3% and 53%, respectively). The enrolment rate, however, has increased in all provinces with the net enrolment rate of basic level (Grades I-V) being above 95% in all the provinces across Nepal. The net enrolment rate in Grades VI-VIII for Lumbini and Karnali Provinces was reported to be lower (84% and 88%, respectively) than in other regions.49 Additionally, the percentage of students who repeated Grade I, Grade II and Grade III for Lumbini and Karnali continue to remain higher than the national average, which is 12.8%.50 With the issues plaguing the provinces 5, 6 and 7, the region awaits a sustainable development approach with proper planning. 67. In this context, the McGovern-Dole Programme focused at addressing nutritional and educational needs of children across 11 districts in these provinces. The programme targeted an outreach of 2003 schools across these 11 districts. The core intervention of the programme is the SMP. The SMP component and complementary interventions were designed to address the low attendance rates and poor learning outcomes of students through providing requisite nutrition in the form of fortified meals in these highly food-insecure districts of Nepal. The SMP began with the provision of a daily MDM comprising of daily rations of 80g of fortified rice, 20g of lentils, 10g vitamin A fortified vegetable oil, and 2g iodised salt for 200 days per year per student. This is also supplemented by vegetables and fruits from school gardens and community support, thus, presenting a diverse food basket to students. The programme, since 2019, has gradually transitioned from an in-kind model to a cash￾based model. The transition has taken place across all schools in five districts with Baitadi and Dadeldhura having transitioned in 2019, East and West Rukum in 2020 and Dailekh in 2021. In the transitioned districts, the programme has stressed on capitalising on the local food basket by promoting procurement of food items based on a pre-designed school menu from the local farming community. 68. The GoN, since the transition to a federal structure, has established a strong vision for enhancing gender equity. Article 38 of the Nepalese constitution (2015) promotes women’s rights to property, lineage and safe maternity and reproduction. The GoN has also worked towards incorporating gender equality in all development policies and programmes, including developing a gender responsive budget system.51 However, the distance to equity is still large. Patriarchal traditions and discriminatory practices still impede GoN’s visions of reducing gender inequity in Nepal. The National Commission on Women Report52 indicates a gap between women’s access to education, health services, property, social security, and freedom, as well as decision-making processes vis-à-vis men. The onset of COVID-19 has further disadvantaged this gap. Women’s access to basic resources has been severely curtailed due to intra-household gender inequity. Moreover, gender-based violence has also seen an uptick since the lockdown in 2020.53 Evidence suggests that when a household's access to food decreases, women's food consumption is particularly at danger. Furthermore, school closures have exacerbated the unpaid care burden placed on women and girls. These circumstances highlight the importance of programmes that push for greater gender equality and social inclusion of vulnerable groups. 69. Given this context, the programme’s emphasis on participation of women and girls proves highly relevant. WFP encouraged girls and mothers to participate in literacy activities as part of its different programme components. The WFP School Feeding Policy (2013) and Gender Policy (2015-20) emphasised recognising and including specific needs of young girls, ethnic and religious minorities, and children with disabilities. To enhance the effectiveness of the McGovern-Dole initiatives, programme partner PCD in Baitadi and Dadeldhura introduced the concept of mother empowerment by involving mothers on a voluntary basis in the home-grown school feed supply chain. This initiative assumes that once well sensitised, mothers will show greater readiness to be actively involved in the overall SMP. Within the discourse of women empowerment, encouraging women’s involvement in school activities through SMCs and FMCs seems to be a positive move towards achieving gender parity in the patriarchal context of Nepal. The programme design appears relevant given the high gender inequity that exists within the community. 49 Education in Figures. (2017). MoEST, Government of Nepal. Available at: https://moe.gov.np/assets/uploads/files/Education_in_Figures_2017.pdf 50 Flash Report, 2018/2019. (2019). CEHRD, Government of Nepal. Available at: https://www.doe.gov.np/assets/uploads/files/cbe2b2b1ae68bb5bdaa93299343e5c28.pdf 51 https://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/long-road-gender-equality-nepal 52 https://www2.unwomen.org/- /media/field%20office%20eseasia/docs/publications/2014/7/socio%20economic%20status%20of%20women%20in%20ne pal%20nepali.ashx 53 https://thediplomat.com/2020/06/how-covid-19-worsens-gender-inequality-in-nepal/ 26 28 June 2022 | Volume I 70. The SSDP (2016/17-2021/22) elaborates on the GoN’s strategy of expanding school health and nutrition activities to tackle nutrition and food insecurity issues, especially in vulnerable provinces such as Karnali.54 The National School Health and Nutrition Strategy (Nepal) also elaborates on the need to integrate education and health services to improve learning outcomes.55 The NSMP by the GoN is identified by both these documents as a key strategy addressing the triad of education, nutrition, and health issues in children of school-going age in the country. The programme is considered to be one of the most effective interventions to simultaneously improve nutrition and education outcomes for school children in developing countries.56 The NSMP programme is implemented through cash transfers to schools. The WFP has been supporting this vision of the Nepalese government by providing food transfers to improve education and nutritional outcomes in Nepal in select remote districts of the chronically vulnerable provinces of Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Lumbini. The SSDP also identifies improvement in learning outcomes as one of their key objectives. WFP-Nepal has been working towards that end through provision of fortified school meals that aim to enhance learning outcomes by addressing short-term hunger needs of children of school going age. The school meal initiative, as expressed by government officials, has become a necessity to not only be a driver for school enrolment but a programme that is helping ensure better education outcomes, thus, highlighting the continuing relevance of the programme in the current education development context. 71. One of the major educational challenges that Nepal faces is early grade reading. Assessments show that more than one-third of Grade II students and nearly one fifth of Grade III students could not read a single word of connected text.57 Despite one to two years of schooling, most children are found wanting in basic literacy and numeracy capacities.58 The EGR component under the McGovern-Dole grant works towards addressing this contextual challenge. It is identified that a key factor for children not demonstrating sufficient literacy capacities is the limited social interaction beyond household members. Hence, to enhance the reading capacities of children in the targeted areas, household members also need to be brought under the aegis of the programme. In partnership with WE, the programme provides early grade reading materials and supplementary reading materials to schools, training for teachers and administrators on early grade teaching and training for parent teacher associations and school management committees to create an ecosystem that helps improve the literacy of children of school going age. The intervention approach adopted by WE stresses on building literacy understanding of students. The WE led approach allows the use of local dialect. This is particularly relevant in the programme target areas where the proportion of non-native Nepali speakers are higher (~72%). This, however, is not completely aligned with the ERO’s approach of strengthening Nepali language skills. 72. The COVID-19 pandemic derailed the programme’s momentum significantly. With schools being closed, the exposure of children to education was stalled significantly. However, this period highlighted the importance of digital means to ensure continuity of learning. Partnering with OLE, the DL component of the programme has worked towards introducing interactive digital content on computer devices, as well as training of teachers on use of digital teaching means. The DL component caters to increasing enrolment and retention of students in government schools and bringing these schools at par with the infrastructure and innovative teaching methods at private schools. 73. To reduce health-related absenteeism, WFP collaborated with IDS to improve access to water, rehabilitate toilets for boys and girls, and impart training on hygiene. This is in line with the country requirements for Nepal, which 54Ministry of Education, 2016. School Sector Development Plan, Kathmandu: Government of Nepal. 55Ministry of Education, 2006. National School Health and Nutrition Strategy, s.l.: Government of Nepal. 56 Shrestha, R. M., Schreinemachers, P., Nyangmi, M. G., Sah, M., Phuong, J., Manandhar, S., & Yang, R. Y. (2020). Home￾grown school feeding: assessment of a pilot programme in Nepal. BMC public health, 20(1), 1-15. 57 RTI International, 2020. Assistance to Basic Education-All Children Reading: USAID's Early Grade Reading Programme, s.l.: USAID. 58World Education Inc., 2015. Early Grade Reading in Nepal, Boston: World Education. “WFP, along with its partners, has been supporting us in implementing the EGR programme. It has given feedback to the government so that it can expand to all districts and not only to WFP districts. WFP has truly proved to be a supplementing actor for the government to implement government policy owned programme throughout the country. What is further required is closer collaboration with the ERO. We are the resource agency for implementing a programme like this” -Central level government official, Kathmandu 27 28 June 2022 | Volume I is a signatory of the 2010 United Nations Resolution on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation.59 Also, the programme complements the government’s’ 15th Periodic Plan (2019/2020–2024/2025)60. This includes WASH sector objectives focusing on improving public health by ensuring accessibility of reliable, affordable, and safe drinking-water and sanitation facilities for all in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. 74. The WFP’s strategic partnerships with WE, IDS and OLE for implementation were necessary for the implementation of a holistic programme consisting of different but interrelated intervention components. Also, WFP’s partnership with the government is relevant to the context of Nepal, as the same has helped them connect with the local government bodies - the tier of the government which is essential for the success of any development programme in the region, especially with the change in the governance structure from unitary to a federal form. 75. Given that the contextual difficulties exist not only for the basic school students but also for secondary school students, there is a need to address nutrition requirements of students in higher grades as well. While the McGovern-Dole programme, which is following the government policy, is covering students up to the primary level, the need to expand the same to include students at secondary school was expressed by stakeholders at the school and district level. The outreach then would be more equitable since the students of the same age group are currently not acquiring key development attributes such as food, education, and nutrition. 76. The programme’s approach during the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be relevant given Nepal’s economic and social plight. The programme’s adaptation and decision of providing THR in June, July and October 2020 and March 2021, for school-going children from Grades I to V in rural Nepal, was extremely relevant during the extended closure of school during the COVID-19 pandemic. The school closure meant that 2.4 million children, who used to benefit from the government’s school meals programme, were not getting supplementary nutritious food.61 The THR consisting of fortified rice, lentils, and vegetable oil and salt for the school-going children proved to be an important mitigation and coping strategy which helped in addressing the food and nutritional requirements of children even during the lockdown. 77. The programme’s adaptation of the learning mechanism also proved to be relevant during the extended school closure. To ensure continuity of learning, the programme has also initiated the concept of Tole Shiksha. Originally designed to create community learning points during school vacations, the Tole Shiksha proved to be useful during the long period of school closure during the COVID-19 induced lockdown. The programme took the decision to scale up Tole-Shiksha from an additional learning mechanism to an alternative learning mechanism during school closure. This was also relevant to the requirement of reducing learning losses of children and keeping them engaged with the school curricula. 78. Family and community participation is critical for education. There is a need for communities to engage widely and actively as both beneficiaries and contributors. Studies have demonstrated that community engagement at all levels of the school have been seen to have significant short- and long-term benefits.62 The McGovern-Dole Programme has laid significant stress on involving communities in forms of SMCs and FMCs to increase their accountability towards learning outcomes of their children. Location of school land, ensuring water availability and contribution to MDMs is a significant function of the community’s priority to education. The McGovern-Dole’s 59 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) (2010) UN GA RES – The Human Right to Water and Sanitation. UN Doc. A/64/L.63/Rev1. Available at: https://www.waterlex.org/resources/documents/UNGA_RES64_292.pdf. 60 Government of Nepal (2019). The 15th Periodic Plan (2019/2020 – 2024/2025). National Planning Commission. Available at: https://www.npc.gov.np/images/category/14th-plan-full-document.pdf. 61 WFP data 62 Parent, Family, Community Involvement in Education.” National Education Association. “THR was provided by WFP during the Covid lockdown and school closure. Children used to take the rations home and it was distributed smoothly. Almost 5-10 people used to come at one time to collect it, while maintaining safe distance. Men had come back due to lockdowns in other places so there were more people to help with the delivery and collection of the ration.” -District level government official, Jajarkot 28 28 June 2022 | Volume I approach to institutionalising SMCs/FMCs proves to be relevant given that the sustainability of educational outcomes depends on community involvement. 79. Nepal is making a political transition from a unitary to a federal state. This has resulted in three main tiers of government, i.e., federal, provincial, and local. Through this process, many government functions related to children are to be devolved to local and provincial levels of government including health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, and child and social protection.63 This transition of the government overlapped with the FY17 cycle. The programme had to alter its handover plan to increase focus on systemic capacity building of LGs. Operationally, the programme has witnessed gaps in managing the transitioning government, its visions, and the in-kind modality of school meals. The programme has instead worked towards engaging with the government in developing policies to streamline school meals, while ensuring the nutritional integrity of the meals. Although, this approach does not add significant relevance to the current grant cycle, it prepares the programme to be better prepared for the upcoming FY 20 cycle. 2.2. DOES THE PROGRAMME COMPLEMENT THE EXISTING EFFORTS AND PROGRAMMES OF WFP, THE GOVERNMENT AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS WORKING IN NEPAL? Findings 2: The programme has been harmonious with the GoN’s commitment to universal and equitable education complementing the SSDP. The WASH component compliments the WASH Sector Development Plan (2016–2030). In line with the GoN’s vision of an inclusive society, the programme has worked towards including women in SMCs and making schools a safe and hygienic place for adolescent girls. The programme also upheld the WFP CSP-Nepal by aligning to the strategic objectives. The programme specifically addressed the nutrition and hunger needs of vulnerable communities from geographically disadvantaged locations. However, while the programme aimed at building capacities of local government and school administration, the plan for the same requires strengthening to also correspond to the fourth strategic objective of the CSP. Coherence with Government Policies 80. Education continues to be a priority sector for the GoN. Historically, Nepal has allocated more than 12% of the total government budget to education, which has doubled since 2012/13. Provisions under the new constitution guarantee the right to free education up to the secondary level for all, along with focus on gender and social inclusion in education access, emphasised in the Right to Free and Compulsory Basic Education Act 2018 and National Education Policy 2019. The McGovern-Dole Programme complements the vision of the government by taking a holistic approach to education programming through four interventions: school meals, WASH, EGR, and DL. These efforts are also aligned with the government's SSDP64 implemented by MoEST, which focuses on improving quality, equity, and efficiency in the school sector. The SSDP (2016-2021) addresses the holistic well￾being of students and is expected to contribute to the SDG targets for education. 63 Nepal Case Study: Situation Analysis on the Effects of and Responses to COVID-19 on the Education Sector in Asia (2021). UNESCO. 64 School Sector Development Plan (2016/2017-2022/23). (2016). Government of Nepal, Ministry of Education. Available at: https://www.globalpartnership.org/content/nepal-school-sector-development-plan-2016-2023 “Karnali is not very well equipped to take up the new modality. It should have been more gradual. We have started graduating but it will take time. We will have to invest more time in technical support and follow up, rigorous monitoring too. We need to link up with the market, with cooperatives, and make sure that SMP is run/ implemented as per the guidelines. Earlier, WFP was providing everything, we now need to sensitise people. Our efforts need to be more now.” -WFP field Official, 29 28 June 2022 | Volume I 81. Complementing the SSDP (2016-2021), the NSMP and the Multi Sector Nutrition Plan II (2018-2022) by the GoN, WFP, through the McGovern-Dole Programme, provides in-kind support to districts in the Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces. Under the current grant, in-kind support is continued with six districts with the remaining five having transitioned to the government NSMP. These efforts also compliment the Education Sector Plan (2021-2030), which covers the MDM programme as one of the key components, with the aim to improve children’s enrolment at state-funded schools. In addition, collaborating with the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC), the programme aimed at strengthening the capacity of school cooks by providing them with training for better understanding of hygienic food preparation. Together with the bi-annual deworming medication and Iron/Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation that the government provides to school children and the nutrition intake they get from school meals, it is expected that the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia in school children will be gradually reduced; this is a shared objective with the government’s anaemia control programme. 82. The programme, moving beyond its initial approach of providing school meals, now encompasses diverse child development aspects while maintaining its flagship activity of school feeding under the McGovern-Dole-FY17 cycle. The SMP has adopted a holistic approach to education by introducing several non-food activities like DL, EGR, nutrition-sensitive learning and rehabilitation of kitchens and latrines. Following the three-star approach65, the WASH component of the programme targeted rehabilitation of toilets, installation of child friendly group handwashing stations, mobilisation of Child WASH clubs and orientation on sanitation and hygiene which incorporated menstrual hygiene management components. This is aligned with the WASH programme in school (WinS) procedure under the Nepal Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Sector Development Plan (2016–2030).66 Along with this, the GoN aims at improving quality education of public schools. They have tried the same through the Education Amendment Act in 2016 and Education Regulations, which cover both the state and the private sector. These regulations stipulate the curriculum, textbooks, teachers’ pay and conditions, and general norms and standards.67 The DL component of the FY17 cycle aims at closing Nepal’s digital divide, while also supporting the government’s focus on closing the gap between private and public schools. 83. While Nepal has experienced significant success in access to schools during the period leading up to 2016, the government identified disparities that continue to limit the ability of some children to access quality education. In response, Nepal created the Consolidated Equity Strategy for the School Education Sector in Nepal adopted in 2014, which now underpins its policies and interventions. Aligning with the government objectives, McGovern￾Dole also promotes gender and social equality by giving equal opportunity to engage in the SMP. As part of the programme, interactions were carried out with adolescent girls on menstrual health and hygiene, and female community members were encouraged to be a part of SMCs and FMCs. Coherence with WFP’s Country Programme 84. The WFP Nepal Country Strategic Plan (2019-2023) reflects the zero hunger strategic review recommendations to achieve zero hunger by 2030.68 The plan is designed to align with the new federal structure and the constitutional 65 The Three Star Approach for WASH in schools is designed to improve the effectiveness of hygiene behaviour change programmes. The approach ensures that healthy habits are taught, practised and integrated into daily school routines. The approach helps schools meet the essential criteria for a healthy and protective learning environment for children as part of the broader child-friendly schools initiative. 66 Nepal Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Sector Development Plan (2016 – 2030). Available at: https://www.fsmtoolbox.com/assets/pdf/25._SDP_-_Final-_Eng.pdf 67 The debate over private and public provisions of Education, March 2019, Capacity4Dev, European Union. Available at: https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/articles/debate-over-private-and-public-provisions-education 68 Nepal Country Strategic Plan (2019-2023). (2018). Available at: https://www.wfp.org/operations/np02-nepal-country￾strategic-plan-2019-2023 “The School Meals Programme is being implemented for more than 50 years now. It has been more than a 50- year journey between the Government of Nepal and WFP. We first made selective choices based on the remoteness of the geography, where poverty was high, and we launched the programme. Definitely, we have seen that this programme is like oxygen for children. It helped in enrolment, retention, achievement- these three ways we see the results.” -Central level government official,kathmandu 30 28 June 2022 | Volume I right to food. The CSP provides support for the Government to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The CSP outlines five strategic objectives to address the SDG goals: 1) timely access to adequate food and nutrition during and in the aftermath of natural disasters, 2) food-insecure people in targeted areas to have improved nutrition throughout the key stages of their lives, 3) vulnerable communities in remote food-insecure areas have improved food security and resilience to climate and other shocks, 4) strengthened capacities of the government to provide essential food security and nutrition services and respond to crises, 5) government efforts towards achieving zero hunger by 2030 are supported by inclusive and coherent policy frameworks across all spheres of the government. 85. The McGovern-Dole FY17 is in alignment with the strategic objectives of the CSP. The McGovern-Dole programme extends in-kind support by providing MDMs with necessary nutritional fortification in the districts of Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Lumbini Provinces, which are some of the poorest, the most food-insecure regions of the country and are high on the vulnerability index in terms of exposure to natural disasters. The programme also proved to be instrumental during the period of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Although schools had been shut during the period, WFP initiated the provision of THR for the programme schools, thereby ensuring supply of meals to school students. The McGovern-Dole Programme, thus, plays a critical role in addressing and adapting to the needs arising due to food insecurity in the regions, even during times of crisis which corresponds to the first and second strategic objective. 86. The importance of building capacities of the different tiers of the government for making it responsive to community needs is critical for the success of a social safety programme, especially as Nepal transforms to a federal system of governance. As part of the transition plan for the intervention districts, the programme aims at building capacities of the government, as well as school administration. However, given the ambiguousness of roles and responsibilities of the tiers of the government, the plan is not clearly laid out. The capacity building component therein requires strengthening going ahead to also correspond to the fourth strategic objective of the CSP. WFP, over the years of collaborating with the GoN, has also taken on the role to provide consultation, expertise, and support to the GoN in formulating inclusive and coherent national policies directed towards better education and nutrition of children. This is aligned with the last objective of the CSP (2019-2023). 87. In practice, the programme has been found to respond to the CSP which is highly coherent in the context of Nepal. Especially during the COVID19 induced lockdown, the programme proved instrumental in ensuring access to nutritious food through their THR delivery mechanism. Additionally, the programme has been instrumental in aiding the GoN’s vision of ensuring basic and compulsory education in the country through the SMP, as well as other complementary interventions such as EGR and DL. The programme is also currently engaged with government systems at both local and central levels to not only build local delivery capacities but also strategic capacities in the formulation of policies around school meals. Coherence with other development programmes 88. With the development of SDG in 2015, the SMP is now aligned to the SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 4: Quality education, and SDG 5: Gender equality. WFP’s school feeding activity targets school-aged children in food insecure and remote areas. Working closely with USDA, UNICEF, the Asian Bank and the World Bank, WFP provides technical support to the government for the SSDP (2016-2022). In 2020, World Bank signed an additional grant to the SSDP to maintain access to basic education and continued learning for children amid the COVID-19 crisis.69 Also, building on the lessons learnt from MSNP (2013-2017), WFP, along with European Union (EU)/UNICEF, USAID, SUAAHARA, World Bank, WHO, WFP, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Civil 69 US$10.85 million additional grant to support learning and build resilient education sector in Nepal amid COVID-19 crisis. (2020). Retrieved 26 February 2021, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/09/04/us1085-million-additional-grant￾to-support-learning-and-build-resilient-education-sector-in-nepal-amid-covid-19-crisis “The programme is useful. Earlier we did not have a school feeding programme with government support. The only programme was from WFP. Then government allocated money, i.e., cash was given to the children and the coverage of that has gradually increased. It is a universal programme now. The support provided by WFP, especially in the form of a balanced nutrition has been very helpful…especially for the retention of girls in schools.” -Central level government official, kathmandu 31 28 June 2022 | Volume I Society Organisations (CSOs), provided technical support to the GoN to formulate and develop Multi Sector Nutrition Plan II (2018-2022). 89. Going beyond the provision of school meals, the McGovern-Dole Programme, through complementary interventions like WASH, is also aligned with SDG 6: Clean water and Sanitation, which indirectly also extends to gender equality and social inclusion. The intervention is also in line with the support that UNICEF is extending towards the WinS programme through the regular development programme. This will ensure access and maintain WASH facilities in schools with focus on child, gender and disability-friendly WASH facilities, including menstrual hygiene management to reduce absenteeism and promote better learning opportunities. Similarly, Plan International has implemented programmes to support the building of girl-friendly toilets and other WASH facilities to inspire girls to continue their education, while also encouraging and helping women to take up more leadership roles in community-based WASH committees.70 The programmes supported and implemented by these international organisations complement the various activities of the programme. 90. Further, the EGR component of the FY17 cycle complements USAID'S EGRP I (2015-2020) and EGRP II (2020-2022). EGRP II builds on EGRP I which supported the MoEST to improve the foundational reading skills of Nepali primary school students in Grade I to Grade III. EGRP II’s support to the GoN is provided in the context of the shift towards the recently developed Integrated Curriculum (IC), ongoing decentralisation in Nepal’s governance system, and prolonged disruptions to teaching and learning due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. EGRP II aims to improve early grade literacy for students in Grades I to III in Nepal’s public schools, by supporting IC development and rollout, strengthening local capacity for EGR service delivery, improving teacher professional support, and assisting with the COVID-19 response in the education sector.71 91. The programme’s approach of including parents in children’s education resonates with similar efforts being undertaken in other districts of Nepal. The International Child Development Programme (ICDP) implemented by Save the Children in Dolakha, Kavre and Mahottari districts during 2018, linked a government scheme (the Child Grant) to the parenting programme. It aimed at improving parents’ sensitivity towards the child´s development needs, which has been proven by research in other geographies to have a positive impact on the child´s socio￾emotional development. 2.3. TO WHAT EXTENT IS THE LEARNING AND NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN IN THE TARGETED PROVINCES MET BY THE PROGRAMME? 92. This section delves into the key results that have been observed through the ELE survey. The section speaks about the effectiveness of the programme interventions in creating an enabling ecosystem for SMP to achieve its strategic objectives. Component: Improve Student Enrolment and Attendance Findings 3: Enrolment and attendance in schools witnessed a decline, primarily due to COVID19 induced lockdowns. However, the resilience created by the programme gets demonstrated through the reduced decline seen in the programme areas. The programme’s ability to create sustainable changes gets reflected through the improved performance of the transition districts across most indicators. 70 Plan International Nepal Annual Highlights 2019. (2019). 71 USAID’s Early Grade Reading Programme II (EGRP II) in Nepal Quarterly Progress Report: January 1 – March 31, 2021. Available at: https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00XGKB.pdf 32 28 June 2022 | Volume I 93. The McGovern-Dole FFECN Programme identifies improved learning outcomes as one of its strategic objectives. Enrolment is the first step to improved learning. With the advent of the new constitution,72 access to education has been made a fundamental right.73 This, resultantly, has led to an increase in school enrolment with primary enrolment in schools crossing 96% in 2019.74 Within the programme ambit, the gross enrolment rate was found to be 190% as compared to 156% in the comparison areas.75 94. Aligning with the SSDP76 objectives, the programme has focused on increasing community awareness about the importance of education by instituting SMCs which act as platforms to increase community awareness. Interactions with head teachers indicate an increase in the enrolment of students within the programme areas vis-à-vis the comparison areas. The increase is perceived to be higher for male students, as compared to female students across both programme and comparison areas [Refer Figure 1]. Within the programme areas, the difference in levels of enrolments between transitioned and non-transitioned districts is negligible, with 88% head teachers across both geographies reporting an increase in enrolment. 95. Studies77 78from low income and lower-middle income countries indicate significant sociocultural factors affecting enrolment. While primary school enrolment data indicates gender parity, disparity is witnessed in terms of the extent of expenditure that is made on the education of girl children and the quality of education that is made available to them. Participation of boys in private and higher education is higher vis-a-vis that of girls.79 The socio-cultural expectations on boys to shoulder financial responsibilities in future is identified as one of the factors for the higher investment in male child education.80 72Charles, H. (2015). Why is Nepal's new constitution controversial? Retrieved 17 January 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34280015 73 Constitution of Nepal – Nepal Law Commission. Retrieved 10 February 2021, from http://www.lawcommission.gov.np/en/archives/category/documents/prevailing-law/constitution/constitution-of-nepal 74 School enrolment, primary (% net) - Nepal | Data. (2020). Retrieved 5 February 2021, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.PRM.NENR?locations=NP 75 https://huebler.blogspot.com/2005/04/primary-school-gross-and-net.html 76Ministry of Education, 2016. School Sector Development Plan, Kathmandu: Government of Nepal. 77 Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) (ASER) 2019. 78 Ghimire, B. (2019), More daughters are enroled in public schools while sons are sent to private ones, The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 10 March 2021 from https://kathmandupost.com/national/2019/03/22/more-daughters-are-enrolled-in-public-schools￾while-sons-are-sent-to-private-oneshttps://kathmandupost.com/national/2019/03/22/more-daughters-are-enrolled-in-public￾schools-while-sons-are-sent-to-private-ones 79Khanal, S. (2018). Gender Discrimination in Education Expenditure in Nepal: Evidence from Living Standard Surveys. Asian Development Review, 155-174. 80LeVine, S. (2006). Getting in, Dropping out, and Staying on: Determinants of Girls’ School Attendance in Nepal. In H. Ullrich, The Impact of Education in South Asia (pp. 11-36). (N = 159) (N = 76) Figure 1: Head-teachers reporting increase in student enrolment 88% 86% 80% 78% Male Female % head teachers reporting Programme Comparison “Now the number of girls in govt. schools is good. In some schools, you will see more girls than boys. But parents also tend to send the boys to private school since they believe they will get better education there which will help them get a good job later,”- Head teacher, Jajarkot district 33 28 June 2022 | Volume I 96. This premise about higher investment in male child education gets further validated with the declining average number of male students enrolled in public schools as grades advance. There is a strong and prevalent perception that the quality of education is better in private schools. Hence, the propensity of male children dropping out of the public schools increases as the student graduates to a higher grade. It is also seen that the net attributable male enrolment has remained constant for Grade I and V since baseline. As the figure (2) below highlights, female enrolment, has increased by at least three additional students joining in Grade I, and one additional student in Grade V. This DID estimate81 is also indicative of the overall change in community perception, within programme areas about the importance of education. The programme has been able to create a more effective shift in enrolment within its intervention areas vis-à-vis comparison schools, where the GoN led programme has been operational. 97. While a decline in enrolment rates is observed for both genders as grades advance across both programme and comparison schools, the drop is steeper for male students. On-ground discussions revealed that parents tend to send male children to private schools, which are very often residential. However, there are both financial and safety apprehensions in sending female children to residential schools.82 98. School enrolment does not appear to vary with any demographic factor. In line with the low gender disparity, minimal divide was reported between students from various ethnic backgrounds. Discussions with FFEP officials bring out that one of the key results from receiving school meals is that parents are more eager to send their children to school, often ignoring ethnic distinctions.83 81 Significant at 95% CI, p-value 0.04. 82 Source: IDI with programme partners. 83 Source: IDI with FFEP officials. Figure 21: Grade wise enrolment disaggregated across gender Grade I, Grade III, Grade V 11 6 9 7 8 7 13 8 8 7 7 6 Programme Comparison Programme Comparison Programme Comparison Grade 1 Grade 3 Grade 5 Avg. no of students Male Baseline Endline 9 8 10 8 9 8 13 9 9 7 10 8 Programme Comparison Programme Comparison Programme Comparison Grade 1 Grade 3 Grade 5 Avg. no of students Female Baseline Endline Figure 3: School Enrolment across transition/ non￾transitioned districts 10 7 7 10 8 8 15 10 8 15 10 10 Grade 1 Grade 3 Grade 5 Grade 1 Grade 3 Grade 5 Male Female Average no. of students Transitioned Non-Transitioned 34 28 June 2022 | Volume I 99. Enrolment is also a function of how mobilised a community is regarding education. In districts where WFP is still engaged in SMP, enrolment rates were found to be higher. In non-transitioned districts, the presence of WFP personnel aids sustains the level of encouragement around enrolment. 100. Studies identify school attendance as one of the key drivers for improved learning outcomes, especially in the context of developing nations.84 Since March 2020, schools had undergone an extended closure owing to the COVID-19 induced lockdown. This prolonged school closure is expected to affect children’s development in multiple ways. As schools resume and streamline their operations, ensuring attendance poses a critical challenge. Head teachers, however, are optimistic about attendance levels increasing. Around 92% head-teachers across both programme and comparison schools expect an improvement in attendance with normalisation of activities post COVID-19. Student attendance records show that across both programme and comparison areas, the attendance level is more than 78%. Comparison schools in these districts report a lower attendance level (75%). While there has been a decline since the baseline in attendance levels, the decline does not show statistical significance. 101. Learning outcome does not only affect only individuals, but it has a lasting imprint on generational development. Hence, it is critical to also look at the proportion of students attending schools regularly (>80%). Since baseline, there has been a drop in the proportion of students attending schools regularly. This drop can be attributed to the prolonged school closure. While head teachers are optimistic of attendance getting normalised85, it is critical for the programme to ascertain ‘return-to￾school’ for students. 102. It is interesting to note that in the transitioned districts, the average attendance levels are higher at 82%, vis-à-vis the non-transitioned districts (77%).86 Moreover, the proportion of students attending regularly (attendance level more than 80%) is also higher in the transitioned districts.87 This is indicative of the sustainable systems created by the programme in the transitioned districts. While across both areas, the average attendance is above 75%, the programme has developed systemic capacities in a manner that it is not only able to sustain results but also enhance them. This becomes crucial given that schools have reopened 84 Sekiwu, Denis; Ssempala, Frederick; Frances, Naluwemba. Investigating the relationship between school attendance and academic performance in universal primary education: The Case of Uganda. African Educational Research Journal. April 2020. 85 Source: IDI with Head teacher. 86 Significant at 95% Confidence Interval (CI); p value: 0.00; t-stat: -9.68 87 Significant at 95% CI; p value: 0.00; chi square: 58.92. Figure 46: Level of attendance across transitioned and non-transitioned districts 82% 65% 77% 49% Attendance level Proportion of students attending regularly % students reporting Transitioned districts Non transitioned districts (N = 760) (N = 883) 67% 61% 57% 52% Programme Comparison % students reporting Baseline Endline Figure 29: Proportion of students attending school regularly “The schools have just opened in February 2022 properly. While students are coming to classes, it will take some time to normalise everything. You can’t expect that a habit that has formed over two years to change immediately. Most children would have forgotten what school used to be like,”-Head teacher, Achham district (N = 1643) (N = 704) 35 28 June 2022 | Volume I after a prolonged gap, and it is critical that students attend school to ensure continuity of learning. 103. Educational attainment is multi-dimensional and a function of enrolment, attendance, and achievement.88 In Nepal, although the issue of enrolment has been addressed to a large extent by the constitutional provisions, the problem of attendance continues to persist.89 This problem is more pronounced for girl students than for boys. Sociocultural norms have been found to be a key reason for limiting girl child attendance, especially in the higher grades. While the constitutional arrangements have incentivised households to ensure access of schools to the girl child, household dynamics often lead to reduction in school attendance as the girl child advances to higher grades.90 Gender considerations come into play when the expected benefits and costs of schooling differ due to cultural norms surrounding female versus male work, and permanency in the household. With female children often viewed as ‘temporary’ household members, household efforts towards ensuring adequate education for them is often limited. The ELE survey corroborates this premise. It is seen that the proportion of female students attending school regularly declines at a rate that is higher than that for male students. Student attentiveness and interest Findings 4: Students in transitioned districts were observed to demonstrate higher attentiveness in class and take more interest in their lessons. Most parents feel, that over time, there has been a greater appreciation for the lessons that are being taught in school. Interestingly, a higher proportion of parents in the transitioned districts, identify improved teaching aids, as well as regular meals as a key factor aiding student performance in school. 104. The McGovern-Dole FFECN Programme goes beyond increasing enrolment and attendance and focuses on strengthening attentiveness and interest of the students in school to ultimately influence performance. Studies identify attentiveness as a key mechanism to initiate learning.91 92As thinking is based on attentiveness, students, who cannot pay attention have difficulties in following the instructions of the teacher, lose interest in the lesson quickly and discontinue their learning tasks. Attentiveness, therefore, becomes a prerequisite for the cognitive, social, and emotional development, especially during the formative years of children.93 88Bhattarai, N., Bernasek, A., & Pena, A. A. (2020). Factors Affecting School Attendance and Implications for Student Achievement by Gender in Nepal. Review of Political Economy, 1-25. 89Dalas, D.B., & Cui, J. (2018). Education in Nepal - WENR. Retrieved 8 February 2021, from https://wenr.wes.org/2018/04/education￾in-nepal 90 World Health Organization. (2017). Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Programme to Address Equity, Social Determinants, Gender and Human Rights in Nepal, Report of the Pilot Project. 91 Chen, C. M., & Huang, S. H. (2014). Web-based reading annotation system with an attention-based self-regulated learning mechanism for promoting reading performance. British Journal of Educational Technology, 45(5), 959–980. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12119 92 Ainley, J., & Luntley, E. M. (2007). The role of attention in expert classroom practice. J Math Teacher Education, 10, 3–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-007-9026-z 93Cicekci, M. A., & Sadik, F. (2019). Teachers’ and Students’ Opinions About Students’ Attention Problems During the Lesson. Journal of Education and Learning, 15-30. 56 56 53 51 Male Female % students having regular attendance Grade 4 Grade 6 8.9% 5.3% Figure 6: Proportion of Students regularly attending Schools 36 28 June 2022 | Volume I 105. The ELE assessed attentiveness of students through a classroom observation tool. These findings have further been triangulated through interactions with teachers and head teachers. The classroom observations indicate that around 60% students in programme schools, and 56% students in comparison schools show high attentiveness during classes (Figure 7). The proportion of students who are attentive in class has increased significantly from baseline in programme area, while it has dropped in the comparison areas. The DiD estimate indicates that an additional 18% students in the programme areas have been attentive in class over comparison schools.94These observations get further ratified with the teachers and head￾teachers reporting an increase in student attentiveness over time. 106. Disaggregated across transitioned and non-transitioned districts, it is noted that the transitioned districts demonstrate better results. Almost 84% students in the transitioned districts were observed to demonstrate high attentiveness during classroom sessions vis-à-vis 72% in non-transitioned districts.95 107. Interactions with teachers and head teachers also highlight a higher increase in attentiveness in the transitioned districts vis-à-vis the non-transitioned districts. Girl students seem to outperform boys at an overall level, although the difference is not statistically significant (Figure 8). 108. A factor reported to have strengthened student attentiveness is their interest in the lessons being taught. Improved teaching mechanisms and learning methods are reported to be key factors increasing interest. This increase is similarly reported across the programme and comparison schools with a slightly higher proportion of head teachers from programme schools reporting increase in interest. 109. Interestingly, head teachers from transitioned districts report a higher increase in interest levels over non-transitioned schools. This trend is seen for both male and female students, as is reflected in Figure 9. Population level estimates reveal that, the odds of a student showing more interest in lessons increases by 1.6 times for female students 94 Significant at 95% CI; P-value: 0.00. 95 Significant at 95% CI; Chi2 square value: 9.19; P-value: 0.02. 93% 94% 89% 91% 2% 2% 2% 2% 5% 4% 9% 7% Male Female Male Female Transitioned district Non-transitioned district % teachers reporting Significantly increased Slightly increased No change (N = 73) (N = 82) Figure 8: Teachers reporting on increase in attentiveness of students 91%95% 92%96% Male Female % head teachers reporting Non transitioned districts Transitioned districts Figure 9: Head teachers reporting increase in interest levels of students 46% 60% 60% 56% Programme Comparison % students observed Baseline Endline (N = 1643) (N = 704) Figure 7: Change in the level of attentiveness of students. (N = 75) (N = 84) 37 28 June 2022 | Volume I and 1.7 times for male students in the transitioned districts as compared to non-transitioned districts.96 110. Increased interest and attentiveness are critical contributors to student performance. In the programme schools, around 76% teachers report an increased pass rate for male students, vis-à-vis 55% in the comparison schools.97 The difference is more pronounced for female students with 78% teachers in programme schools reporting an increase in the pass-rate vis-à-vis 56% in the comparison schools. 111. While the net increase in the pass-rate for both female and male students is higher in the programme areas, there lies a significant difference between the transitioned and non-transitioned districts. Consistent with indicators reported earlier, transitioned districts demonstrate better performance over non-transitioned districts.98 99 While girls are reported to demonstrate higher pass-rates as compared to boys, the difference is not statistically significant (Figure 10). 112. Parents attribute this change in the performance to a change in the overall approach of the students towards education in general. Most parents feel that over time, there has been a greater appreciation for the lessons that are being taught in school. Around 93% parents informed that their children show interest in studying at home. In the programme areas, children were found to study close to two hours at home vis-à-vis around 90 minutes in the comparison areas.100 Parents feel the change in teaching methods has made studying more interesting for children. Moreover, there has been a cyclical effect of improved learning environment enhancing student performance. Parents also feel that with improved and more interesting learning mechanisms, students have started scoring better. 16% parents in project school attributed improved performance of the child to use of new teaching materials vis-a-vis 10% in comparison school. Better scores have in turn, encouraged students to further invest in learning. While the COVID-19 lockdown has slowed down the progress, the results indicate the sustainable changes that the programme can create. 113. It is interesting to note that in the transitioned districts, a higher proportion of parents identify improved teaching aids and improved health of the child (Figure 11) as the key factors that aid a student’s performance in school. It is heartening to note that in areas where the programme has also already transitioned, key elements such as improved teaching aids and improved nutrition and hygiene practices have been better sustained. This suggests that McGovern-Dole FFECN Programme has been able to develop systems that can sustain the programme’s objectives without WFP support in future. What is also important to note here is that there is no significant difference between transitioned and non-transitioned schools when it comes to higher interest of children in studies reported by parents. In both transitioned and non-transitioned schools, more than 85% parents reported increase of interests in studies. 96 Significant at 95% CI; P-value: 0.001; logistic regression has been used to generalize the odds ratio between the specified variables 97 Significant at 95% CI; T-stat value: 3.26; P-value: 0.001. 98 For girls: Significant at 95% CI; T-stat value: 4.84; P-value: 0.00. 99 For boys: Significant at 95% CI; T-stat value: 5.03; P-value: 0.00. 100 Significant at 95% CI; T-stat value: 5.15; P-value: 0.00. 89% 21% 24% 6% 7% 86% 24% 32% 16% 11% Higher interest in studies Improved school infrastructure Improved teaching quality Improved teaching aids Better child health % parents reporting Non transitioned districts Transitioned districts Figure 11: Factors identified by parents leading to improved performance 61% 65% 93% 95% Male Female % teachers reporting Non transitioned districts Transitioned districts Figure 10: Teachers reporting increase in pass-rate of students (N = 84) (N = 335) (N = 279) (N = 75) 38 28 June 2022 | Volume I Programme initiatives to enhance attendance and learning outcomes. EGRP by WE 114. To strengthen the effectiveness of the SMP, the WFP has partnered with the WE to improve reading outcomes of Grades I to III students in six far and mid-western districts.101 The WE worked towards mobilisation of teachers, parents, and communities to enhance the reading skills of students both at home and school. As the ELE data also corroborates, engaging parents and the community in the learning process is important both for reinforcing student-learning outside the classroom and for helping parents understand the importance of their child’s education and how they can support reading at home. Details of their intervention is mentioned in the Annexure XXVII 115. Over the implementation cycle of the FY 17, the programme has trained teachers and school administrators, as well as PTAs and SMCs to enhance the effectiveness of student learning interventions. The intervention focused on enhancing the effective use of learning materials during classroom sessions. The WE stressed on building capacities of not only teachers through Reading Motivators (RMs)102, but also the RMs themselves. The intervention also laid stress on the re-orientation of school administrators, such as the head teachers and school management committees (SMCs) on engagement with parents and communities.103 116. In addition, WE has played a significant role in creating an exchange platform for teachers through mobile meetings. These meetings have necessarily facilitated sharing of experiences on using EGR teaching methodologies and materials. The mobile meetings acted as training grounds for teachers to get acquainted with information and communication technology (ICT) as well as a platform for sharing and exchanging challenges and mitigation approaches. 117. To adapt to the school closure due to COVID-19 and ensure continued learning, children were engaged in an alternative learning modality, Tole Shiksha. The objective of Tole Shiksha is to ensure continuity of learnings during school closure periods such as vacations. This approach proved very effective during the COVID -19 school closure. Tole Shiksha was expanded in July 2020, across programme areas, as an alternative strategy for education continuity. Most parents (96%) from programme schools were aware of Tole Shiksha as an alternative teaching mechanism during school closure. 118. Tole Shiksha has been a useful introduction as an emergency education intervention, especially during times of complete school closure. It allowed children a degree of access to learning in the absence of other means. Also, RMs who were engaged in delivering Tole Shiksha lessons helped in responding to the COVID-19 emergency and mitigate challenges posed by the same. However, because Tole Shiksha is driven by RMs, the success and effectiveness of it as an alternative education mechanism to ensure continued learning is dependent on the quality and capability of RMs who themselves are only entry level staff working on minimum wage. With the limited capacities and qualification of RM, effectively implementing Tole Shiksha as an alternative learning mechanism was a challenge. This was only aggravated by limited wage allocation which in turn makes it difficult to recruit well-qualified individuals to take up the role. About 41% headteachers from programme schools reported the use of Tole Shiksha as an alternative teaching arrangement during school closure. DL intervention by OLE 119. Complementing the literacy initiatives and nudging the exposure further into the technology space has been the DL initiative by OLE. Operating in a subset of the entire programme catchment area, the DL intervention has been building capacities of teachers in digital instruction and facilitation techniques. Beyond building the teachers’ capacities, the programme also focused on exposing children to technology-based learning. 120. The DL initiative worked towards enhancing the availability of digital content and tools to enable students access a wide range of learning materials through a learner-centred approach. Subject and grade specific learning 101 Baitadi, Bajhang, Dadeldhura, Dailekh, Darchula, Jajarkot. 102 WE provided orientations to Reading Motivators i.e., older students or parents from the community, and school administrators. Reading Motivators have been supporting teachers inside the classroom as well as working in the community to make parents more aware of the reading activities within the schools in coordination with FFEP, WASH partners, and other stakeholders. 103 Source: IDI with WE. 39 28 June 2022 | Volume I materials that are based on Nepal's national curricula were loaded on computers which were made available at schools by OLE in close coordination with MoEST. 121. To enhance the effectiveness of the intervention, OLE adopted measures to improve community engagement and accountability in the DL programme. Since operations, maintenance and use are key attributes of the initiative that needed to be monitored, the OLE facilitated the establishment of a maintenance fund (~25,000 NPR per annum). The idea behind instituting this fund was to ensure that the intervention was carried out with greater effectiveness, and maintenance of devices could be taken care of. School representatives were engaged by OLE for capacity development on the maintenance and use of DL platforms. To ensure adequate connectivity, there are instances where schools with DL infrastructure have been supported by the local government through solar lighting systems for uninterrupted electricity connection.104 122. Digital libraries and classrooms have also been developed in specific locations to gain access to digital resources developed by MoEST. The programme also worked towards building local government capacities on the use of a digital library. While this model demonstrated uptake of DL in some schools, it showed low uptake in others. Qualitative interactions with stakeholders reveal the uptake of DL is a highly individual level capacity rather than community level appreciation. In cases where the DL uptake has been favourable, it has largely been because of individual acumen and capacities. The DL intervention proved to be more successful in locations where the average age of the trained teacher was less than 30 years. Maintenance of the DL infrastructure has been the most critical challenge faced by the intervention. With no locally available service centre, addressing technical problems of the devices led to a long turnaround time. Provision and distribution of food Findings 5: Satisfaction from meals was reportedly higher in the transition districts. This has primarily been due to the the variety in diet. In non-transitioned districts, the students are provided a standardised ‘dal-bhaat’ meal. In transitioned districts, where the school plans the menu, the improved variety of diet has a higher appeal for the children, as well as parents. The impact of this variety also gets reflected through the improved dietary diversity condition for students from transitioned districts. The THR provided by WFP in the non-transitioned districts during school closure also helped household level food security during the lockdown period. 123. The link between nutritional deficiencies and the adverse impact on a child’s cognitive ability and development concentration and activity levels has been established multiple times.105 Basing on this outcome pathway, the McGovern-Dole FFECN has identified provision and distribution of food to ensure adequate food and nutritional security as the programme’s core component. 124. In the non-transitioned districts, the programme relies on an efficient value chain involving storehouses for appropriate storage of food supplied to schools by the USDA. In the transitioned geographies, the SMP has been taken over by the GoN’s CEHRD under the MoEST. In these geographies, the schools are provided a fund of 15 NPR per student for 180 school days through the local government. The cash assistance to schools is expected to be utilised to locally source nutrition rich food materials to provide cooked MDMs to students. 125. Almost all beneficiary school head teachers said that they received school meal support under the SMP. In 95% schools in the non-transitioned schools, support was received in the form of cooked meals, while the remaining 5% reported receipt of dry rations. Around 87% transitioned schools reported to have received support in the form of cooked meals, while the remaining schools had to resort to local procurement of packaged food. Interactions with head teachers and local government representatives brings out a critical policy provision gap. The allotment of 15 NPR, although sufficient to ensure calorie adequacy, does not ensure provision of adequate quantity of meals. With most schools located at a distance, the supply cost of food items is expensive. Moreover, most schools have a low number of students. Hence, supply of food items for such a low number of students 104 Source: IDI with OLE. 105 Sorhaindo, A., & Feinstein, L. (2006). What is the relationship between child nutrition and school outcomes? [Wider Benefits of Learning Research Report No. 18]. Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning, Institute of Education, University of London. “We are allotted only 15 NPR per student per meal, irrespective of the number of students in the school. We have few students in our school. However, the transportation rates are the same. This increases the per student cost incurred by the school. Hence, I had to engage a local grocery supplier to provide chow-chow to the school.” - Head teacher, Baitadi 40 28 June 2022 | Volume I does not prove economically feasible. As a result, 13% schools have tried to forge agreements with local suppliers of packaged food items such as biscuits and chow chow (ready-to-eat) noodles. 126. Provision of food is a key driving factor for parents agreeing to send their children to school. The ELE indicates a higher increase in receipt of school meals in comparison schools vis-à-vis the programme (Figure 12). Although statistically significant, this change is a commentary on the GoN’s universalisation of the NSMP initiative. With all schools getting covered under the NSMP, the coverage in comparison schools have increased. It must also be noted that despite universalisation of NSMP, programme schools demonstrate a higher receipt of school meals.106 127. While the availability of the MDM is of significance, the quality of the same is equally important. Around 39% parents in the programme areas, and 30% parents in the comparison areas were highly satisfied with the quality of meals provided. In line with the results above, the level of satisfaction was higher in the transitioned districts (46%) over the non-transitioned areas (35%).107 The primary reason for this was the variety in diet. In the non￾transitioned districts, the students are provided a standardised ‘dal-bhaat’ meal. However, in the transitioned districts, the school decides on the menu. Hence, the variety that is made available there is of higher appeal to the children, as well as parents. 128. While the transitioned districts reflect better satisfaction in terms of satisfaction from the MDMs, students in the non-transitioned districts were provided THR during the prolonged school closure. The WFP arranged THR delivery to all students in the schools in four instalments, spanning from October 2020 to June 2021. While this did not have any influence on school attendance and performance, it aided the household level food security during the lockdown period. Schools in the transitioned districts, on the other hand, did not receive any such support during the school closure period. WASH- Access to water and sanitation services 129. Sustainable WASH facilities in schools, households, and communities in general are fundamental for the overall well-being and development of children. It is seen that poor water and sanitation facilities, which lead to regular bouts of diarrhoea, worm infestations, and dehydration, have severe repercussions on child growth, including impaired cognitive learning and learning performance.108 In this evaluation cycle, 4% parents in project schools and 25% parents in comparison schools attributed reduced attendance of the child to his/her poor health. 106 Significant at 95% CI, T-test value: 2.6; P value: 0.03. 107 Significant at 95% CI, Chi2 value: 24.3; P value: 0.00. 108 M. A. Gottfried, “Evaluating the relationship between student attendance and achievement in urban elementary and middle schools: an instrumental variables approach,” The American Educational Research Journal, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 434–465, 2010 73% 27% 98% 90% Programme Comparison % parents reporting Baseline Endline (N = 614) (N = 283) Figure 12: Parents acknowledging receipt of meals “THR was provided by the programme during school closure due to COVID-19. Children used to take ration home and this was very helpful for them and their families also who did not have to worry about the child’s meal.”-Head Teacher, Jajarkot “THR as very beneficial for the students and the programme also. The students’ meal and nutrition were taken care of even when schools were closed but also, the food quality would have reduced, and it (food) would have gone bad if it was just kept in the warehouses. It was a good decision to go ahead with THR” – Provincial level government official, Kailali 41 28 June 2022 | Volume I 130. Water security is a critical issue in Nepal. The Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Management in Nepal points out that around 89% of Nepal’s population has access to basic level drinking water facilities. However, the quality of water is mostly rendered unsafe due to several anthropogenic and natural causes.109 The GoN recognises the multi-dimensional impact of sanitation and clean drinking water on human lives, with the federal government identifying access to these services as constitutional rights.110 However, there are multiple logistic, anthropogenic, and behavioural challenges before WASH services can be ensured. 131. A critical challenge to ensuring adoption of WASH practices is the lack of awareness and acknowledgement about the importance of these practices. To bridge the awareness gap and sensitise students further on WASH, as well as strengthen school infrastructure on WASH services, the programme has partnered with the IDS. The IDS collaborates at a national level focusing on local governments and schools to build their capacities on WASH and implement WASH practices in the school (WinS) framework, adopted by the CEHRD.111 The prime issue with the WinS framework is the gap between policy and practice. While the CEHRD focuses on infrastructure, stakeholders identify gaps in guidance regarding operationalisation of WinS policies.112 The FFECN programme, in partnership with IDS, can help demonstrate how to integrate CEHRD mandates with the community level behaviour change at large to create a shift in WASH behaviour and practices. The IDS has devised mechanisms to influence this behaviour change by introducing innovative communication materials such as comic books, games, and flipcharts in consultation with and approval from CEHRD. 132. To create a more sustainable shift in behaviour, the IDS targets their Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) package at school levels. This approach has been endorsed by the CEHRD. The IDS has been instrumental in promoting handwashing practices in schools and communities which is an important introduction, given the COVID-19 externalities. Global handwashing day has also been promoted by IDS at school, household, and community levels. 133. Evaluation of the FY-14 grant highlighted the specific need to move beyond handwashing as part of WASH efforts. The FY-17 grant witnessed integration of knowledge of health and hygienic practices as part of their implementation approach. The programme also stressed on installation and maintenance of WASH infrastructure in schools as well. Since installation is largely a function of the local government’s priorities, the programme has been working on influencing LGs to include WASH infrastructure in schools as a prioritised mandate. Schools are usually located in non-arable lands within a village which are faced with poor access to water. This has historically stemmed from the lack of perceived need for clean water in schools. With Nepal’s water availability severely affected by climate change, the situation has become exacerbated. The IDS, thus, has been engaging with LGs to shift schools to downstream locations within villages to ensure better water access. 134. Beyond the availability of toilets, functionality of toilets is a critical determinant of programme effectiveness. The ELE observed that 85% of both programme and comparison schools have access to functional toilets. In comparison, baseline reported 74% programme and 62% comparison schools have access to functional toilets. 135. To encourage regular use, it is important for the toilets to be accessible and clean with adequate water supply. It is noted during the ELE, that there has been a high level of satisfaction regarding the adequacy (71%) and safety (69%) of the toilets being constructed. In the comparison schools, a lower proportion of head teachers (56%) feel toilets are adequate. More than 55% head teachers demonstrate satisfaction with the cleanliness, availability, and accessibility of the toilets in schools (Figure 13). 109 https://thewaterproject.org/water-crisis/water-in-crisis-nepal 110 https://npc.gov.np/images/category/15th_plan_English_Version.pdf 111 Source: IDI with IDS. 112https://washmatters.wateraid.org/sites/g/files/jkxoof256/files/WaterAid%20school%20WASH%20research%20report%2 0Nepal.pdf 42 28 June 2022 | Volume I 136. The satisfaction of parents from toilet and hygiene facilities are higher in the programme areas vis-à-vis comparison areas. In line with other indicators, satisfaction levels are noted to be higher in the transitioned districts as compared to non-transitioned districts. For instance, 64% headteachers in the transitioned districts are satisfied with the cleanliness of the toilets vis-à-vis 56% in the non-transitioned districts.113 137. Sanitation and the well-being of females are strongly interconnected. WASH interventions, hence, can be viewed as instruments to reduce gender inequity. Absence of basic water and sanitation facilities affect females disproportionately. Girls miss school because of the distances they have to carry water for household use. Also, the lack of adequate sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools does not allow them to manage menstruation. Furthermore, inadequate WASH facilities are also associated with increased cases of sexual assault and gender￾based violence where toilets are unavailable or unsafe.114 138. The programme’s interventions on menstrual hygiene demonstrated adequate effectiveness. It was reported in 72% programme schools (basic) that menstrual hygiene trainings were conducted, while only 46% comparison schools (basic) reported about similar trainings being conducted. Around 90% of the programme schools (basic) reported adequate availability of menstrual pads or sanitary napkins vis-à-vis 85% of the comparison schools (basic). Similarly, 90% programme schools acknowledged the presence of a focal teacher with whom girls could interact on sanitary issues, as compared to 87% comparison schools. One of the key changes that has been visible is the adequate use of sanitary pads and facilities provided for their disposal. Around 15% head teachers from the programme schools (basic) highlight this change vis-à-vis an insignificant 3% in comparison schools. 139. Safety becomes a critical driver for female attendance in schools. Safety, in the context of the ELE, has been defined as the toilet having adequate lighting, and the user being able to latch the toilet door from the inside. Around 71% head teachers in the transitioned districts and 68% in the non-transitioned districts were satisfied with the safety conditions of the toilets. Over the MTE, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of head teachers satisfied with toilet conditions in schools. 140. Handwashing is also a critical component of the McGovern￾Dole FFECN Programme. An enabling environment is important to foster hygiene behaviour change, with evidence pointing to the importance of the availability of soap and water, and the presence of a designated and established handwashing space to encourage sustained handwashing practices. A DiD model run for ELE indicates that an additional 19% schools in the programme areas have installed handwashing facilities vis-à-vis the comparison areas.115 (Figure 14) 113 Source: FGD with SMC. 114 WaterAid (2013). Making Connections: Women, Sanitation, and Health. 115 Significant at 95% CI, T-stat: 4.34, P value: 0.00. 46% 36% 56% 27% Programme Comparison % schools Baseline Endline (N = 159) (N = 76) Figure 14: Schools with presence of handwashing facility Figure 13: Head teachers reporting satisfaction level with toilets in schools 71% 69% 56% 60% 56% 55% 68% 37% 49% 54% Adequacy Safety Cleanliness Availability Accessibility % head teachers reporting Programme Comparison (N = 76) (N = 159) 43 28 June 2022 | Volume I 141. Around 62% schools in the transitioned areas demonstrate the presence of handwashing taps, while 51% schools in the non-transitioned areas demonstrate the availability of handwashing facilities. This critical information should be noted for the programme since WFP’s support for the WASH components is not continued in the transitioned districts. Lack of focus on WASH services in schools make them vulnerable to poor hygiene. While the handover mechanism in the five transitioned districts has been executed by WFP and IDS, integration of WASH in SMP needs to be strengthened to have a stronger institutional acceptance. This aspect could be further worked upon in the remaining six non-transitioned districts. Indicator: Infrastructure, food preparation and storage 142. The ELE assessed the availability and functionality of school infrastructure comprising of a kitchen, handwashing station, toilet as well as the condition of the warehouses for food storage through observational studies. As per the annual plan, WFP, in coordination with CEHRD and the McGovern-Dole Programme, implemented construction/rehabilitation of kitchens and improved cooking stoves, with basic furniture for improved storage facilities and water systems with child-friendly handwashing stations. It was seen that around 74% schools in the programme areas and 69% in the comparison areas had a dedicated kitchen. A higher proportion of schools (81%) in the transitioned districts report the presence of a dedicated kitchen over non-transitioned schools (64%). It was observed that in 75% of the programme schools, the kitchen was located within the school premises, while nearly 40% of schools in the comparison areas had kitchens located outside the school premises. Cooks reported that in case kitchens were not available in the school premises, food was generally prepared within the school premises. Around 45% cooks in the programme schools and 55% in the comparison schools reported that food is prepared in the open air in situations where the kitchen is not functional in the schools. 143. Qualitative interactions with cooks116 identified the most common problems were not having adequate supply of food materials, drinking water, storage issues and utensils. Because of the inadequacy of water, they sometimes had to walk long distances to fetch the same. Around 21% cooks in the programme areas, mentioned having faced inadequate supply of food materials. Around 10% cooks expressed concern over the low remuneration and delay in receiving payments. 144. All storekeepers reported the availability of a separate Final Delivery Point (FDP) and External Delivery Point (EDP) warehouses with basic infrastructure and safety measures like warehouses having windows and adequate ventilation, and all warehouses being lockable storage spaces. The same was observed on warehouse visits. The adequacy of hygienic conditions under which food is stored in the warehouses was also reported by the storekeepers and observed by the field team. Around 81% storekeepers denied the presence of rodents, while all denied the presence of insects in the past working month. Presence of mould and excessive humidity was reported by only 6% storekeepers. Capacity Building 145. The WFP CO Nepal has been strengthening the capacities of the GoN representatives to carry out various monitoring activities (input/output and process) to enable evidence-based decision-making practices. Trainings have been organised for representatives from district offices in the McGovern-Dole Programme intervention zone, WFP Sub-offices and FFEP staff to improve their capacity to collect SMP process monitoring data and strengthen the use of information gathered from process monitoring to improve programme performance. Routine remote coaching and refresher trainings have also been provided to the McGovern-Dole Programme district staff about the process and input-output monitoring. The effectiveness of the trainings can be witnessed by FFEP having transitioned to paperless monitoring and institutionalised the routine process monitoring.117 146. Increased decentralisation, especially under federal systems, demands synthesis between the central and local government bodies. Hence, capacity building of LGs becomes a key requisite for effective and sustainable service delivery. The operations of the WFP have included capacity development of LGs and contributed to developing the capacities of partners and beneficiaries. Teacher Training 116 Source: IDI with cooks. 117 Source: IDI with WFP CO staff, GoN officials. 44 28 June 2022 | Volume I 147. Teachers are of critical importance in influencing teaching and learning processes in schools. Various studies reveal how teacher effectiveness is the most influential school-level factor in generating positive student outcomes.118 119 This makes it extremely important to focus on strengthening instructional and leadership capacities of teachers. The past end-term evaluation of the McGovern-Dole FY14 grant suggested the need for trainings to enhance service delivery. Recognising this need, WFP aimed at training teachers on the new methodologies of teaching-learning and providing regular support to teachers through hands-on training and classroom observations. 148. Since 2018, 31% of teachers had received training in programme schools. In schools which had only WASH and SMP programmes, around 16% teachers had received at least one training. These trainings range from training on EGR methods, phonetics, vocabulary etc. In almost 50% of schools, head teachers report that early grade teachers have received at least one EGR training vis-à-vis 19% in the schools where EGR has not been administered.120 Schools in the transitioned districts report a higher proportion of teachers (48%) having been trained on EGR, as compared to schools in the non-transitioned districts (22%).121 Within transitioned districts, higher proportion of teachers reported being trained in EGR schools (46%) as compared to non-EGR schools (16%). 149. As highlighted in the outcome and monitoring report,122 under the utilisation of EGR tools and techniques, there were some teachers who demonstrated exceptional standards; around 94% of the teachers were competent (i.e., scored 80% or above in the 10 standards assessed) of using the new Techniques and Tools. Even in schools with the DL intervention, technical support provided by OLE and the trainings to teachers on digital infrastructure have strengthened systems that contribute to learning outcomes. The ELE points out that while DL interventions have been established and is also a strong focus point for the GoN, the teachers’ exposure to DL needs to be strengthened. Training of Cooks 150. The WFP focuses on training cooks to build on their existing knowledge and skills on food preparation, handling, and storage, as well as the importance of the proper use of water, sanitation, and hygiene practices. Around 37% cooks in the programme schools have received trainings on safe food preparation, while only 7% of the cooks in the comparison schools have been trained in the last one year.123 151. As highlighted in the outcome monitoring report, 97% of the cooks demonstrated the use of new safe food preparation and storage practices.124 The effectiveness of the trainings gets reflected through the practices that are followed by the cooks. Almost all cooks were found to be clean and well-groomed. Among them, 35% in the programme areas wear an apron while cooking, as compared to 7% of the cooks in the comparison areas.125 Almost all cooks reported that they cleaned the kitchen, with almost 82% preferring to clean it before cooking the meal. Around 65% also clean the kitchen after cooking the meal. These practices are better adhered to in the transitioned districts, with almost 82% cooks cleaning the kitchen prior to cooking, as compared to 76% in the non-transitioned districts. It must be noted that almost 72% cooks in the transitioned districts also clean the kitchen after cooking, while only 59% in the non-transitioned districts were found to adopt this practice. The concern of the cooks around hygiene and safety also gets reflected by the fact that 85% of them check for the presence of pests, while 44% are also mindful of the expiry dates of packaged food items. In the transitioned districts, around 95% cooks were found to check for the presence of pests. 152. All cooks reported that they wash hands before and after cooking meals, with 99% of them washing hands with water and soap. It is interesting to note that while 82% cooks clean their kitchen prior to cooking, only 62% clean 118 Marzano, Robert J. (2007). The art and science of teaching. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 119 Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement: A review of state policy evidence. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 8(1) 120 Significant at 95% CI, t stat: 6.05, p-value: 0.00. 121 Significant at 95% CI, t stat: 6.37, p-value: 0.00. 122 Scott Wilson Nepal (2020). Outcome Monitoring of United States Department of Agriculture McGovern Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Programme Nepal, 2018-2021. 123 Significant at 95% CI, t stat: 4.87, p-value: 0.00. 124 Scott Wilson Nepal (2020). Outcome Monitoring of United States Department of Agriculture McGovern Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Programme Nepal, 2018-2021. 125 Significant at 95% CI, Chi2 value: 24.75, p-value: 0.00. 45 28 June 2022 | Volume I the utensils prior to cooking. Instead, 88% cooks clean the utensils after the meals are cooked. Most cooks (92%) were found to always clean vegetables prior to cooking. 153. The programme’s effectiveness in this space also gets reflected through the involvement of the cooks in the manner children are being provided the food. All cooks are mindful of students washing their hands. It was found that 63% of the cooks provide food equally to children of all genders. The equal distribution is seen to be more prevalent in the non-transitioned districts. Around 21% cooks in the transitioned districts differentiate in the quantity of food being provided to children based on their gender.126 154. The intensive training that cooks have been exposed to has played a significant role in this. Around 85% cooks report that they have been trained on health and hygiene, while 61% report to have received training on commodity management. Record keeping appears as a weaker domain with only 19% cooks having been trained on the topic. Most cooks found the training useful as they added to their knowledge of health and hygiene and enhanced their appreciation of hygienic conditions during food preparation. Many were appreciative about the management acumen the trainings had helped them to gather on safe storage and managing commodities effectively and efficiently. Storekeeper Training 155. With knowledge of food preparation practices being one of the key quality assurance aspects for the SMP, WFP provides trainings not only to the school staff (teacher and head teacher, cooks) but also to the storekeepers on the same. Amongst the storekeepers, 96% reported that they were trained in safe food preparation and storage practices. All storekeepers reported that they maintain a record of food items and do not face any major challenges maintaining the same. 156. The effectiveness of the trainings with storekeepers gets demonstrated through the practices adopted by them. The storekeepers were found to check waybills for every consignment they received. They also kept records in the form of stacks cards. Almost 89% of the storekeepers inspected the warehouse before storing food. Around 37% of the storekeepers also ensured that the food items are kept in a cool and dry place, while being protected from any natural forces, and 92% stored food commodities in a manner that is safe from any damage. Apart from this, other common practices were to ensure that the warehouse is ventilated, and food commodities are checked from time to time. 2.4. DID THE PROGRAMME CREATE A DIRECTION OF ACHIEVEMENT OF WIDER RESULTS AT THE BENEFICIARY, PROGRAMME OR POLICY LEVEL? Early Grade Reading Programme Findings 6: The programme impact gets adequately reflected through the improved performance in EGRA by beneficiary students over students in comparison areas. The EGRA results, which show that though learning outcomes have decreased across all schools from baseline to endline, the dip in the same for the programme schools is lesser than in the comparison schools. The considerably higher scores of students for the reading comprehension sub-task in schools where EGR is implemented, as compared to the scores in the tasks, which are evaluated based on the child’s pronunciation of words and matras, reflects that while oral reading skills have reduced, they have not affected the children’s skill to understand texts. The engaged intervention on EGR by WE has played an important role in helping children gain conceptual clarity of the lessons taught. 157. Improved literacy outcomes and the increased use of improved dietary and health services outline the programme’s strategic objectives. The vision of WFP aligns with the GoN’s vision of reducing inequity in education access and outcomes. Identifying short term hunger as one of the biggest deterrents of educational understanding, and hence, outcomes, the WFP has worked towards strengthening school meal mechanism in Nepal, such that nutrition rich food is provided to every basic school going child for at least 200 days annually. Beyond meal provision, the programme also worked towards making school surroundings more hospitable through construction or rehabilitation of kitchens, toilets and water taps. In addition, the programme has worked towards enhancing learning outcomes through training teachers on early grade teaching, interactive learning methods, as well as digital mechanisms. 158. This section discusses the extent to which the programme has been able to achieve these objectives. The FY17 grant had been exposed to a plethora of unforeseen challenges. The transition of governance structure coincided 126 Significant at 95% CI, Chi2 value: 15.08, p-value: 0.00. 46 28 June 2022 | Volume I with the programme’s timelines. This essentially led to the programme restructuring its outreach mechanisms. School activities were no longer coordinated at the central level, but local government bodies were made primarily responsible under the new governance structure. Significant time and efforts have been invested by the programme to mobilise and train the LG bodies on the McGovern-Dole approach and mechanism. However, the effectiveness of programme execution heavily relied on LG priorities. 159. While the engagement was streamlined overtime, the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a significant roadblock to the programme’s delivery of results. Over the final two years of the programme period, the schools faced a closure period of around 18 months. School closure essentially denied access to improved learning methods, sanitation trainings and regular meals. While the WFP ensured THR in the non-transitioned districts, students had no access to regular classes. This prolonged distancing from regular classes is expected to have learning losses, and hence, overall development. 160. Studies indicate that for almost 77% of the students’ school textbooks have been the major form of remote learning during school closures. Only 31% of students had teacher interaction during this time. More than 25% of the parents did not spend any time helping the children learn.127 The situation gets particularly exacerbated for economically disadvantaged households that had to engage children in economic activities at the cost of their learning. 161. This distancing from education puts the children at risk of moving off track on development. The Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) survey conducted in August 2021 showed that children from lower income families, living in rural areas, with caregivers with no or low levels of education, and not attending ECE programmes, were at a higher risk of being developmentally off track. Early stimulation activities with caregivers like reading books, telling stories, singing songs, going outside, naming objects, counting, or drawing things were found to be important for young children’s development and learning. Further, research shows that learning is a dynamic process that builds on prior learning and so stagnation leads to growing deficits.128 Closure of schools not only means no new knowledge is being imparted but it also means loss of skills already acquired, on which further learning could be built.129 While the details of closures require further investigation, early estimates of global studies show substantial learning losses in most countries.130 162. Given this context, the ELE has assessed learning outcomes. While it has been understood that there has been a country-wide learning loss, the ELE has attempted to look at the difference in the decline in learning levels over baseline (conducted in 2018). Using EGRA as the assessment tool, the ELE has reached out to students who had recently graduated to Grade III (i.e., those who have completed Grade II) to understand the current learning levels. This has been compared with the baseline report to identify the change. The ELE has also tried to assess the resilience that the McGovern-Dole Programme has been able to develop for their beneficiaries, as compared to the non-beneficiary students. 163. The EGRA tool is a globally standardised tool that helps provide reliable and valid estimates of skills needed to build reading abilities. The tool deconstructs learning outcomes into smaller sub-tasks, which help delineate the pathway to improved reading skills. The EGRA assesses early grade students on six-subtasks: a) Listening comprehension; b) Letter sound knowledge; c) Matra knowledge; d) non-word reading fluency; e) Oral reading fluency; f) Reading comprehension.131 132 Five of these sub-tasks are timed with children being assessed on their responses within a stipulated time. Listening comprehension is the only non-timed sub-task within the EGRA. 164. In Nepal, the ERO, GoN has contextualised the standard EGRA tool, and it is being administered under the larger NEGRP. The ELE has drawn reference from the ERO administered tool and has sought their guidance for 127 Radhakrishan et al., Learning in the time of COVID-19: insights from Nepal. World Bank. 2021. 128 OECD/Global Education Innovation Initiative, Harvard University (2020), Global Education Innovation Initiative at Harvard and OECD Rapid Assessment of COVID-19 Education Response. 129 Oreopoulos, Philip., Kjell G. Salvanes (2011), “Priceless: The Nonpecuniary Benefits of Schooling”, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 25/1, pp. 159-184. 130 Kuhfeld, Megan., James Soland., Beth Tarasawa., Angela Johnson., Erik Ruzek., and Jing Liu (2020), “Projecting the Potential Impacts of Covid-19 School Closures on Academic Achievement”, EdWorking Papers No. 20-226, Annenberg (May), Brown University. 131 Dubeck, Margaret M., and Amber Gove. The early grade reading assessment (EGRA): Its theoretical foundation, purpose, and limitations. RTI International. International Journal of Educational Development. 2015. 132 August, D., Shanahan, T. (Eds.), 2006. Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ. 47 28 June 2022 | Volume I appropriate administration of the EGRA within the McGovern-Dole Programme areas. The ERO encourages administration of the EGRA in the Nepali language. 165. This section discusses the performance of students on all the six sub-tasks. The performance is compared at two levels: a) Intervention level with non-programme schools; b) Temporal level with baseline performance. a. Sub-task 1: Listening comprehension 166. The listening comprehension ability of a student gets assessed through the number of answers that gets correctly answered by the student from a short passage (30 words) that is read out aloud by the assessor. The assessor presents three questions based on the content of the passage. The ELE indicates that there has been a decline in the level of students’ performance on this sub￾task for students both in the programme and in the comparison areas. However, it must be noted that the decline in performance in the programme schools (0.4 answers)133 has been less than that in the comparison schools (0.5 answers).134 The statistical significance of this difference indicates its relevance at the population level. This result indicates the positive impact that the programme has had on learning outcomes. A DID model suggests that students in programme areas can correctly provide additional 0.1 answers as compared to students in the comparison schools.135 It was seen that students who are native Nepali speakers (0.6 answers) performed better than non-native speakers (0.5 answers) in the programme schools. In the comparison schools as well, native Nepali speaking students performed better (0.4 answers) than non-native speakers (0.3 answers). Interestingly, although this difference was not statistically significant across both groups, no difference was noted between male and female students on this sub-task. 167. The decrease in listening comprehension skills could be linked to the prolonged COVID-19 induced school closure. Empirical evidence on the impact of COVID-19-related school closures on academic achievement is only just emerging but studies indicate a negative effect of school closures on student achievement, specifically in younger students and students from families with low socioeconomic status.136 Such challenges only get amplified for lower income countries like Nepal. 168. However, the comparatively lesser decline in the programme areas on the listening comprehension scores are indicative of the McGovern-Dole Programme’s ability to build better resilience to learning losses. This argument gets further strengthened with students from schools, where the EGRP has been implemented by WE, performing better than students from non-EGR intervention schools (within the programme geography). The difference being statistically significant supports the effectiveness of EGR initiatives on sustaining learning outcomes. This sub-task is indicative of the understanding the intervention can generate among students who have been exposed to the EGR intervention by WE. While there has been a universal 133 Significant at 95% CI, p value: 0.00. 134 Significant at 95% CI, p value: 0.00. 135 Significant at 95% CI, p value: 0.03. 136 Hammerstein, S., König, C., Dreisörner, T., & Frey, A. (2021). Effects of COVID-19-Related School Closures on Student Achievement - A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 4020. 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.3 Programme Comparison Avg correct answers Baseline Endline -0.4 -0.5 Figure 15: Performance on listening comprehension Figure 16: Performance on listening comprehension (across EGR intervention) 0.9 0.9 0.6 0.4 EGR schools Non-EGR schools Avg. correct answers Baseline Endline -0.3 -0.5 (N = 1560) (N = 710) (N = 797) (N = 763) 48 28 June 2022 | Volume I decline, students exposed to the EGR intervention recognise 0.2 additional words.137 b. Sub-task 2: Letter sound knowledge 169. This timed sub-task gets assessed by recording the number of letters recognised by students from a list of 100 letters within the stipulated time of 60 seconds. Across both programme and comparison areas, there have been close to a 78% drop in the number of letters being correctly recognised by students. The statistical significance of the decline indicates the level of knowledge loss that has resulted over the COVID-19 induced school closure. Unlike in the first sub-task, the level of loss has been similar for both programme and comparison areas. 170. This sub-task essentially assesses a student's ability to recognise and correctly pronounce letters. With schools being closed over a significant part since March 2020, the exposure to learning materials and teaching support had reduced significantly. Unlike in urban areas, schools in the programme areas received no online classes. This further explains the learning loss children from economically disadvantaged households suffered, and more so because the parents were not able to provide time to their children as teaching support. Studies show that during the lockdown, the average teaching support received by an early grade child was 9.3 hours per week, as compared to 16-20 hours prior to lockdown.138 This lack of learning and teaching exposure has led to a significant decline in the extent to which students are able to identify and correctly pronounce letters in the Nepali language. This situation is heightened in the 11 districts where McGovern-Dole Programme has been rolled out. Nepali is not the first language that is used by around 72% of the students. Hence, even though the students might be able to identify the letters, lack of regular refresher courses on correct pronunciation has led to the sharp decline. 171. Students from the EGR intervention schools were, however, seen to show slightly lower results with EGR exposed students recognising on an average 8.5 correct words vis-à-vis the 9.1 words for students not exposed to the intervention. However, this difference is not statistically significant, and it is not indicative of the situation at the population level. 172. Students, who are native Nepali speakers, were able to recognise a higher number of words (9.4 words), as compared to non-native Nepali speakers (7.7 words). This difference was found to be statistically significant.139 In the comparison areas, while there was difference noted at the sample level, the difference was not found to be significant. In this sub-task as well, no difference was observed across male and female students for both programme and comparison schools. c. Sub-task 3: Matra knowledge 173. This time sub-task assesses the students’ acumen on identification of matras or syllables. From a list of 100 matras, students are assessed on the number of correct matras within the stipulated time of 60 seconds. Like the previous sub-tasks, a decline in student performance was also observed for this sub￾task. The average of correct matras pronounced correctly by students has declined by 66% at the time of endline. 174. Unlike the previous sub-tasks, the decline has been similar for all sub-groups. Both programme and comparison areas have shown a similar drop in the number of matras recognised. Between students who have received the EGR intervention and students from 137 Significant at 95% CI, p value: 0.00 138 Radhakrishan et al., Learning in the time of COVID-19: insights from Nepal. World Bank. 2021. 139 Significant at 95% CI, p value: 0.04. (N = 1560) (N = 710) 42 41 9 8 Programme Comparison Words recognised Baseline Endline (N = 1560) (N = 710) Figure 17: Performance on letter-sound recognition 10 10 12 11 Programme Comparison Number of matras recognised Male Female Figure 18: Matra knowledge performance 49 28 June 2022 | Volume I the non-EGR schools, there was no statistically significant difference. This indicates a similar performance across both these sub-groups. However, it is interesting to note that the female students recognised a higher number of matras as compared to the male students. 175. Between native and non-native Nepali, native Nepali speaking students performed better (11.6 matras) than non￾native speakers (9.5 matras)140 in the programme areas. In the comparison areas as well, a significant difference was found between the two groups (L1=10.6; L2=9.2 matras).141 d. Sub-task 4: Non-word reading 176. This timed sub-task assesses the students’ understanding on the relationships between sounds and symbols rather than reading words from memory. From a list of 50 pronounceable non-words that followed spelling patterns in Nepali but had no meaning in the language, students are asked to correctly pronounce non-words within the stipulated 60 minutes. 177. Since baseline, there has been a statistically significant decline in the number of non-words identified by students across both programme and comparison areas.142 This indicates the loss in reading and decoding skills that early grade children have encountered due to COVID-19 induced school closures. As seen for the third sub-task, the decline has been similar for all sub-groups with no statistically significant difference between programme and comparison areas. However, it is interesting to note that the students, who have received the EGR intervention by WE, are able to recognise more non-words than non￾EGR students. A DID model indicates that EGR students can identify at least one additional non-word as compared to their non-EGR counterpart.143 No difference was found between male and female students across both programme and comparison areas. 178. The result above is consistent with the premise that for sub-tasks which revolve around understanding of reading parameters, EGR exposed students have demonstrated a stronger resilience to losses. However, for parameters which involve identification and pronunciation in Nepali language, EGR exposure has not demonstrated statistically significant differences. This can be attributed to the fact that the population in the geography is largely non-native speakers of Nepali. The EGR assessments of students show that while there is some difference at the sample level, it is not statistically significant across both programme and comparison areas.144 Hence, the teaching support received by children from household members have also been affected by their non-native Nepali speaking attributes, which largely get reflected through pronunciations. The ELE, however, indicates that students from EGR intervention schools have not only been able to cement conceptual underpinnings of reading better but they have also been able to control their losses better than those in non-EGR schools. e. Sub-task 5: Oral reading fluency 140 Statistically significant at 95% CI, p-value=0.04. 141 Statistically significant at 95% CI, p-value=0.04. 142Statistically significant at 95% CI, p-value=0.04. 143 Statistically significant at 95% CI, p-value=0.03. 144 Programme school: (L1= 8.1; L2=7.3 words); Comparison schools (L1=8.1; L2=7.7 words) 10.3 10.2 8.3 7.1 EGR schools Non-EGR schools Non-words recognised Baseline Endline -2 -3.1 (N = 797) (N = 763) Figure 19: Non-word reading performance 50 28 June 2022 | Volume I 179. The oral reading fluency sub-task maps a student’s ability to read and comprehend grade-level text. This is a critical indicator with respect to learning outcomes. This timed sub-task involves a student reading a short passage of 60 words. The performance of the student is calculated based on the number of words the student can pronounce correctly within the stipulated time of 60 seconds. A total of 18 students (0.79%) out of the total sample were able to correctly read at least 45 words in the assigned time of 60 seconds. 180. The performance in this sub-task during endline, has dropped to almost half of the baseline benchmark. While a similar observation is noted for the comparison areas, the programme areas reveal a lesser decline. The DID estimate indicates programme students being able to read at least two additional words within the stipulated time. The statistical significance of the estimate indicates the impact created by the programme. 181. Within the programme schools, female and male students were found to be similarly fluent with both being able read around 11 words correctly. This is indicative of the equitable outreach of the teaching activities under the programme. It was found that in the programme schools, native Nepali speaking students outperformed (12.8 correct words) non-native Nepali speaking students (10.5 correct words).145 This is similar to the results of USAID’s EGRP programme146 which reported a higher positive impact of intervention on Nepali speaking students (+13.7 word per minute) as compared to non-native Nepali/ mother tongue speaking students (+7.1 word per minute. Similarly, in the comparison schools, native Nepali speaking students were seen to correctly identify 12.4 words, as compared to 11.1 correct words by non-native Nepali speakers.147 f. Sub-task 6: Oral reading comprehension 182. This sub-task assesses students’ comprehension of information. In a timed sub-task of three minutes, students re asked questions based on a passage read by them. The questions are limited to the extent to which the student would have read the passage in the three minutes allotted for reading. This task is a critical indicator of learning outcomes since it assesses a student’s ability to read, understand and respond within a limited window of time. 183. The comparison with baseline for this sub-task might be inaccurate since during baseline, the sub-task was not considered as a timed task. While the students’ comprehension was assessed based on the passage read by them, there had been no time stipulation. It is, however, interesting to note that the average number of correct answers provided by students during baseline (without time stipulation) and during endline (with time stipulation) are comparable. Students could answer 1.9 questions correctly across both timeframes. 184. Given that the sub-task during endline was conducted under a more controlled environment, similar results between baseline and endline indicate the programme’s positive impact. This shows that despite the extended school closure, lack of regular lessons and a limited learning environment at home, the programme was able to maintain the learning outcomes which were otherwise expected to fall during these unprecedented times. This is apparent in the changing proportion of students scoring above competency (>80% correct answers) in sub￾task 6 during the period of programme implementation. From 7% during baseline, the proportion of programme school students scoring above competency in reading 145Statistically significant at 95% CI, p value: 0.00. 146 Nepal Early Grade Reading Programme (EGRP), 2020. Endline Study: Intervention Impact, Early Grade Reading Barometer, U.S. Agency for International Development, last modified January 5, 2022. Available at: https://earlygradereadingbarometer.org/results/Nepal/EGRP-2020/intervention. 147 Statistically significant at 95% CI, p value: 0.00. 24.5 25.5 12.5 11.2 Programme Comparison Avg. word pronounced correctly per min Baseline Endline -12 -14.3 (N = 1560) (N = 710) Figure 20: Oral fluency performance 7% 8% 6% 5% Programme Comparison % students above competency Baseline Endline (N = 1560) (N = 710) Figure 21: Reading comprehension performance 51 28 June 2022 | Volume I comprehension was noted to be 6% during endline. While there is a decrease in the proportion of students scoring above competency from baseline to endline, this dip is smaller than the decline reported in case of comparison schools.148 This shows a relatively lesser decrease in the reading comprehension ability of students in programme schools as compared to comparison schools. Also, in the endline, 29% of students from programme schools were unable to answer any question correctly vis-à-vis 31% in the baseline. 185. Within the programme schools, there was no statistically significant difference between native (2.1 correct answers) and non-native Nepali speakers (1.9 correct answers). In the comparison schools too, there were no statistically significant difference observed (L1=2.0; L2=1.9). There were no differences observed between female and male students across both areas. Overall assessment 186. Two parameters, as specified in the ERO guidelines, were considered to ascertain the programme’s progress towards increasing the percentage of students, who by the end of two grades of primary schooling, demonstrate that they can read and understand the meaning of grade-level text. The parameters used were: (a) Children answering 80% of questions or more were considered as proficient in reading and comprehension and (b) Children scoring equal to or more than 45 correct words per minute. 187. The ELE EGRA results indicate that no student across both programme and comparison schools, demonstrates the capacity to read and understand grade-level text. The result is starkly different when compared with baseline results in which 6.6% students from programme schools and 8% of students from comparison schools demonstrated adequate competencies. The difference in baseline and endline results validate the apprehension of substantial learning losses, which can be attributed to the repeated and extended school-closure owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. 188. For many children globally, no lessons were held in schools for a portion of the first half of 2020 and a significant part of 2021. Thus, what students learnt throughout the last academic session would be much less than what they were learning during pre-covid times. It is important to note that the EGR test was conducted with Grade III students, who did not attend classroom lessons nor were regularly taught by EGR trained teachers for most part of their academic year as Grade II students. 189. While ELE results indicate learning losses, the programme’s activities to strengthen the learning ecosystem needs to be acknowledged. The engaged intervention on EGR by WE have trained teachers on modern and interactive training techniques that aid better understanding and learning. Interactions with head teachers indicate the uptake of these aids by teachers. Around 65% head teachers have highlighted an improvement in the performance of early grade teachers. Around 60% head teachers report the use of improved teaching techniques by EGR teachers. This was corroborated during the classroom observation where 56% teachers in project schools were observed to be using teaching and learning materials properly vis-a-vis 38% teachers in comparison schools. The impact of this uptake gets reflected through the improved performance of students, who received the EGR intervention on tasks that revolve around understanding and comprehension. This is indicative of the intervention’s potential to develop stronger learning systems. 190. Gaps were observed in the case of children who had to identify specific letters or syllables. As discussed earlier, the lack of access to regular reading and learning materials have led to children not being able to recollect. It is crucial for the programme to address these learning losses as they advance into the new McGovern-Dole grant cycle. In the absence of adequate and engaged handholding support, these learning losses can prove to be detrimental to the learning continuum. The loss of cognitive skills that emanate from the lack of exposure to learning platforms during the two years of COVID-19 restrictions, might have larger ramifications on generational social and economic development. Strategic objective 2: Increased use of health and dietary practices 148 Statistically significant at 95% CI, p value: 0.00. 52 28 June 2022 | Volume I 191. A well-nourished and educated population is the foundation for growth and economic development. Thus, investing in children’s nutrition, health, and education during middle childhood, and sustaining this into adolescence helps children reach their full potential, become productive adults, and break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. Developing strategies based on this principle, the SMP is seen as an integral part of the efforts to reduce child hunger and malnutrition in low-income countries, while also contributing to improving educational outcomes. The programme supplies 30% of a student's daily nutrient intake through fortified MDMs. Interactions with government officials and community level beneficiaries emphasised both the necessity, and the positive impact of the SMP on children’s health across gender and caste groups. The programme, as stated by beneficiaries, as well as implementing partners, has increased both inclusiveness of previously excluded vulnerable population, as well as their nutrition and health status. 192. Dietary diversity is recognised as a key component of healthy diet and measure of the same is an important indicator of diet quality for supporting nutrition and health.149 Data on students' food diversity was collected from parents using a 24-hour recall to assess the present dietary diversity status. Seven food groups were determined using the WHO minimum acceptable diet (MAD) matrix as a reference for the students' nutritional intake.150 Dietary diversity was defined as optimal if children received food from at least four of seven food groups i.e., (1) grains, roots, and tubers; (2) legumes and nuts; (3) dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese); (4) flesh foods (meat, fish, poultry, and liver/organ meat); (5) eggs; (6) vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables; and (7) other fruits and vegetables. The minimum dietary diversity (MDD) score gets calculated which identifies the proportion of students who have consumed at least four food groups the previous day.151 193. It shows that at endline, 71% students from both programme and comparison schools met the recommended MDD of at least four food groups the previous day. The proportion was found to be higher for both programme and comparison schools during endline, as compared to the 69% students who were at par with dietary diversity during baseline. The similar performance of both programme and comparison schools on student MDD can be attributed to the universalisation of the GoN’s NSMP. There is an increase in the proportion of students meeting the MDD requirement from the start of the intervention. 194. The programme’s positive impact towards increasing nutrition KAP among children and the parents was observed in the transitioned districts. Around 78% students, in the transitioned districts, were reported to be consuming at least four of the seven food groups vis-à-vis 65% in the non-transitioned districts.152 The primary factor that drives the difference in MDD is the limited food groups that is covered by the SMP provided meal. Although, the food is fortified with Vitamin A, it essentially covers two food groups (grains and legumes). In comparison, the transitioned schools adopt a diverse menu. Not only does the diversity in menu attract more students but is also able to cover more food groups. 195. As part of the government school health and nutrition programme, both programme and comparison schools ensured an increase in students’ access to deworming medication, with 98% students from both programme and comparison schools reported having received deworming medication. WFP’s partnership with IDS for coordinating the distribution of IFA tablet supplementation has led to a slightly higher proportion of adolescent girls receiving IFA supplementation in the last six months in programme schools (41%), as compared to comparison schools (39%). Regular school-based deworming and IFA programme reduces the prevalence of 149 Arimond, M., & Ruel, M. T. (2004). Dietary diversity is associated with child nutritional status: evidence from 11 demographic and health surveys. The Journal of Nutrition, 134(10), 2579-2585. 150 WHO, (2008). "Indicators for assessing infant and young child feeding practices (Part 1 Definitions)". WHO, (2010). "Indicators for assessing infant and young child feeding practices (Part 2 Measurement)". 151 Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance III project (Fanta). (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.fantaproject.org/node/1199 152 Significant at 95% CI, Chi 2=11.38, p-value=0. “The SMP has had a very positive impact on both students’ health and learning outcomes, as well as the community… Earlier social discrimination was a major challenge which led to inequality in education and health status of children…caste and gender-based discrimination. I feel that has also reduced with the implementation of a programme like SMP. All children sit and eat together, get the same nutrition at school, more girls are now enrolled in public schools…a lot of things have changed because of the meals programme” -District level government official, Surkhet 53 28 June 2022 | Volume I nutritional anaemia among adolescents, especially girls, thereby contributing to reduction of anaemia in the community. The ELE also highlights students’ perception about nutritious diet. Around 92% of students from programme schools were aware of the importance of a good and balanced diet. Amongst these, around 54% said that good and balanced diet gives energy, while round 33% said that it contributes to children’s growth. In comparison schools, 88% students were found to be aware of the same, with 60% of the aware students identifying balanced diet as an energy contributor, while 34% identify balanced diet to contribute to children’s growth. 196. The programme’s effort towards mitigating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food and nutrition of schoolchildren was well recognised by various stakeholders. Given that the SMP catered to the vulnerable section of the population, the delivery of supplementary nutrition during the COVID-19 lockdowns became more critical. The THR provided by WFP ensured students received the required calories. Around 66% parents in programme areas confirmed having received THR during the COVID-19 lockdowns vis-à-vis 7% in comparison schools. The provision of THR is expected to have helped maintain children’s health and nutrition status, while also reducing the financial burden of the family to provide an otherwise school supplemented meal. 197. According to parents, around 98% of the children’s health and hygiene behaviours have improved during the intervention period, with most students practising hand hygiene behaviours, i.e., washing their hands with water and soap. Both girls and boys reported to be equally aware of the importance of WASH. The top reported hygiene behaviours practised by students were regular and proper latrine use at both home and school, as well as handwashing with soap and water after using the latrine/before preparing food and eating. 198. Having clean toilets for both boys and girls, along with access to clean water and handwashing facilities at schools, not only prevents transmission of communicable diseases, but it also contributes to more children attending school and learning. The existence of separate toilets, menstrual hygiene management facilities can help girls stay in school and reduce dropouts. Working along these lines, WFP’s WASH intervention targeted rehabilitation of toilets for boys and girls. However, the proportion of schools with separate toilets was reported to have reduced from 70% during baseline to 58% at the end of intervention. A steeper decline (around 30%) was also reported by comparison schools, with only 49% of them having separate toilets for boys and girls. The decline in separate toilets indicates the maintenance gaps that took place during the COVID-19 lockdowns. With most schools having been used as quarantine centres, the toilets had not been adequately maintained. Hence, post resumption of schools, the facility had been compromised. A DID estimate, however, indicates that an additional 18% schools in the programme areas have been able to ensure that their toilet facilities remain useful even after the COVID-19 related closure.153 Overall impact on community through parents’ engagement in the programme 199. Research on community and family involvement with schools has consistently shown that when schools, parents, families, and communities work together to support learning, students demonstrate higher learning, attend school more regularly, and enrol children in higher level programmes.154 The FY14 ELE recommended increasing community engagement as a strategy to improve the programme uptake. Over the period of four years, WFP in 153 Significant at 95% CI, p value: 0.00. 154 Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement. Annual Synthesis, 2002. “Because of awareness about menstruation and ways to manage it, girls during their menstrual cycle don’t leave school now. There is also more focus on cleanliness, as well in the form of daily use of soap, and a growing habit of washing hands daily.” -SMC/FMC, Baitadi “Though schools were closed, students got to eat nutritious food at home. This was a big relief for the children, as well as the parents during the time of pandemic.” -SMC/FMC, Dailekh 54 28 June 2022 | Volume I its implementation of the SMP, has focused on increasing awareness of education among community members as well as the community’s involvement in school level activities. 200. Parent Teacher Association (PTA), SMCs and FMCs are considered to play a pivotal role in effective and continued implementation of the programme. Over the period of programme implementation, there has been an increase in the proportion of schools that have reported having one of the three groups i.e., PTA, SMC, or FMC. 201. Besides this, in programme schools, 61% parents reported visiting school in the last one year vis-à-vis 56% in comparison schools. This has declined since baseline where 72% parents in programme areas and 64% parents in comparison areas visited school. It is interesting to note that 75% parents in the transitioned areas had visited schools, as compared to 49% in the non￾transitioned areas. A key factor for this decline is the continued school closure due to COVID-19. 202. While parent involvement can improve students' overall performance in school, it can also help them in understanding the importance of education and increase their educational aspirations for their child. Most parents (>55%) do not identify a specific educational qualification as necessary. However, they feel education should be continued as long as it does not affect the household’s economic needs. Around a fifth of parents feel that a college graduation and beyond level of education is critical. A slightly higher proportion of parents feel that boys should attain a graduation level of education vis-à-vis girls. 203. The FY17 intervention has stressed on interventions that could have an indirect impact on gender dimension within the target group and society. Programme components have gender-sensitive indicators, such as ensuring participation and involvement of women members in the SMC and FMC. ELE findings revealed that on an average, females comprise about 40% of SMC members in both programme and comparison schools. The data shows gender inequality in leadership positions, wherein a higher proportion of male members (around 68%) were reported to be leading these committees, as compared to female members. 204. As stated by different stakeholders, especially the implementation partners, the programme’s engagement with the gender component has had a positive effect on the overall gender dynamic within the community. The low participation of women in FMC/SMC has indirectly impacted the enrolment and retention of girl students in the school. It is seen that the odds of girl children enrolling in schools increases by 3.16 times with increase in the participation of women in SMC/FMC activities. The programme has shown to be effective to promote the participation of women in SMCs, which in turn has encouraged parents to enrol their girl children in schools. 13%1% 2% 3% 7% 14% 10% 12% 32% 30% 16% 14% 1% 1% 6% 6% 53% 53% 65% 61% Male Female Male Female Transitioned district Non-transitioned district % parents reporting Upto grade 10 Upto grade 12 Graduation & above Vocational As desired (N = 335) (N = 279) Figure 23: Parent’s perception of the ideal education level of child disaggregated by gender 45% 31% 64% 100% 86% 96% SMC FMC PTA % schools Baseline Endline (N = 225) Figure 22: School committees 55 28 June 2022 | Volume I Participating in school level activities has also encouraged women to be actively involved in overall community development, as well as stand for electoral body elections. 205. To receive feedback and suggestions about programme delivery as well as information about teachers’ performance and attendance at school and promote accountability of school representatives, WFP introduced “Namaste WFP”—a toll free beneficiary feedback system. While Namaste WFP was set up to strengthen beneficiary communication, almost none of the parents who were surveyed reported to have used the toll￾free helpline and around 14% reported not being aware about the same. Rather, around 23% parents approached the SMC and 19% parents approached FMC in case of any problems, complaints, or suggestions regarding the school meal programme. Few (3.8%) informed FFEP Official / head in case of any redressal and less than 1% used Namaste WFP for the same. Similarly, only around 6% of headteachers had used the toll￾free helpline number. Policy 206. Given the positive impact of the FY17 cycle and the implementation of different programme components, the GoN’s financial and policy commitment to expanding and strengthening SMP has only increased. The support of WFP in implementing the SMP across remote and food insecure regions of Nepal has been applauded by the government that now views the programme as a key strategy to abate malnutrition. This is reflected in the Education Sector Plan 2021-2030 and the SSDP which are better aligned with the country’s SDG commitments. The programme implementation efforts of WFP, including their advocacy activities, have resulted in the government considering them as important partners in achieving zero hunger and improved nutritional status of children. This is reflected in the WFP’s support to the MoEST for developing the School Health and Nutrition Strategy. Also, based on the learnings of the HGSF programme, the regional menu, based on ecological zones and availability of local ingredients were formulated by WFP and have recently been included in the government’s School Day meal management booklet, which will be used by schools under the cash-based modality. 207. While the government views WFP as important partners in implementing and providing support for food and nutrition programmes, WFP’s support in education planning is not as well acknowledged. As stated by a WFP official, ‘The government sees WFP as food providers, so in a way they have not properly demonstrated the link between nutrition and education. But they are slowly making progress with that. 2.5. TO WHAT EXTENT HAS WFP USED ITS RESOURCES EFFICIENTLY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE COUNTRY STRATEGIC PLAN OUTPUTS AND STRATEGIC OUTCOMES? Finding 7: The CBA results highlight that school meals have positive impacts on a beneficiaries’ lifetime. The NPV in Nepal’s GDP is estimated to range between 665 USD and 317 USD for the in-kind and cash-based modality of SMP, respectively. For every 1 USD invested in the programme, an economic value of 5.22 USD gets generated over the lifetime of a beneficiary in the country’s economy, predominantly attributed to improved education and increased productivity, additional income to households under the in-kind modality. Under the cash-based modality, 2.11 USD gets generated against every 1 USD invested. 208. The SMP within the programme ambit follows two mechanisms: a) In-kind modality, wherein the raw materials are provided by the WFP; b) Cash-based modality where the LG, funded by the MoEST, provides a daily allowance of 15 NPR per student for school meals. In this section, we look at the value that gets generated from WFP’s investment in the SMP across both modalities. Using a CBA approach (Annexure XIV), the ELE measures the net benefit created (in USD) against every dollar invested by WFP for the FY17 grant. 209. The CBA uses programme cost data provided by WFP CO Nepal and a compiled cost data for the programme duration since the year-wise segregation of cost information was not available. The CBA distributes the cost across the cash and in-kind modalities in proportion to the number of districts under each modality at the end of “Direct impact can be seen in gender matters; female participation is ensured in SMC and Day-meal management committee. Women have gained more confidence by being part of such committees, so much so, that they also stand for local government body elections. I know someone who won it too.”- Provincial level government official, Surkhet 56 28 June 2022 | Volume I programme duration. The cost per student has been computed based on the number of students under each modality at the end of programme duration. 210. In addition to the CBA, the section also discusses the efficiency of the programme’s activities in terms of timeliness of deliveries and capacity building of stakeholders. Efficiency of the School Meal Programme A. Costs incurred by WFP under SMP 211. The cost heads analysed for the SMP across both modalities include: a) Commodity costs: The cost that has been borne by the programme to provide food materials to the locations where the in-kind modality has been adopted. Under the FY17 grant, the programme opted for a change in the food basket from corn-soya blend and vegetable oil (haluwa) to fortified rice, lentils, vegetable oil and salt (dal-bhaat) has been introduced in all the programme districts. Students are currently provided with a daily MDM comprised of a daily ration of 80g of fortified rice, 20g of lentils, 10g vitamin A fortified vegetable oil, and 2g iodised salt for 200 days per year per student. The cash-based modality within the programme has been transitioned from the in-kind modality gradually across the five districts. The total commodity costs have been distributed between both modalities factoring the transition plan. b) Administrative costs: Staff salary, expenditure on capacity building and other personnel costs constitute the administrative costs. This cost head is applicable for both in-kind and cash modality geographies. c) Transport costs: This involves costs incurred to transport food items to the schools. Since the cash-based modality has been a gradual transition, the total transport costs have been distributed between both modalities factoring the transition plan. d) Support costs: These costs include both direct and indirect costs incurred by WFP to ensure programme operations. 212. The SMP has reached out to 218815 students over its implementation period. Out of this, 143301 students had been reached through the in-kind modality (as of June 2021) and 75514 students through the cash modality. The total programme cost has been recalibrated for both modalities. The tables below summarise the cost incurred by the programme per child for the SMP. It is noted that the programme has invested 127.41 USD per student over the programme period under the in-kind modality, while 150.37 USD per student has been invested through the cash modality. Table 10: Cost summary (in-kind modality: 143301 students) Cost head Total cost (USD) Cost per child per year (USD) Cost per child over programme duration (USD) Commodity 5,541,947.73 7.73 38.67 Administrative 3,098,711.79 4.32 21.62 Transport 4,984,503.55 6.96 34.78 Support (direct) 1,582,830.52 2.21 11.05 Support (indirect) 1,993,031.59 2.78 13.91 Total 18,257,726.62 25.48 127.41 Source: WFP CO data Table 11: Cost summary (cash modality: 75514 students) Cost head Total cost (USD) Cost per child per year (USD) Cost per child over programme duration (USD) Commodity 2,586,242.27 6.85 34.25 57 28 June 2022 | Volume I Cost head Total cost (USD) Cost per child per year (USD) Cost per child over programme duration (USD) Administrative 2,582,259.82 6.84 34.20 Transport 2,326,101.65 6.16 30.80 Support (direct) 1,319,025.44 3.49 17.47 Support (indirect) 1,660,859.66 4.40 21.99 Total 11,355,073.38 30.07 150.37 Source: WFP CO data B. Benefits created by WFP through the SMP 213. Value transfer for in-kind modality: This indicates the cost a household would need to bear to provide the closest market substitute to the ‘daal-bhaat’ food basket in terms of nutritional value at the household level. The in-kind modality offers fortified rice and lentils with salt and fortified vegetable oil which is valuated at 216.66 USD over the SMP period of five years. To ensure a comparable meal option, households would incur a higher cost and, hence, a higher value transfer. The value is calculated based on the following inputs: • Daily ration size: 80g of fortified rice, 20g of lentils, 10g vitamin A fortified vegetable oil, and 2g iodised salt • Functional school days: 200 days • Five years of SMP per student, wherein the mentioned ration was provided on school days (or an equivalent amount during the COVID-19 related school closure) Table 12: Value created through supplied food basket Diet item Ration size/ student/day (g) Local market price/kg (USD)155 Annual transfer value (USD) Total transfer value (USD) Rice 80 2.18 34.82 174.11 Lentil 20 1.06 4.24 21.19 Salt 2 0.08 0.03 0.16 Vegetable oil 10 2.12 4.24 21.19 Total 43.33 216.66 Source: WFP ELE analysis 214. Value transfer for cash-based modality: In the cash-based modality, MDMs worth 15 NPR is provided per student. This amounts to an annual value transfer of 24.46 USD. Schools in Nepal faced around 18 months of closure in the last two years of the programme. While students from schools covered by the in-kind modality of the SMP received an equivalent amount of THR, the schools which operated under the cash-based modality were denied any meal support. Hence, although the annual value transfer under this modality is 24.46 USD, the total value transferred during the programme period gets recalibrated at 85.60 USD. This difference in net value transferred between the two modalities indicates the impact potential of the in-kind modality. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the SMP could ensure access to nutrition rich diet with no additional cost being incurred by households during the economic crises of COVID-19. 155https://www.selinawamucii.com/insights/prices/nepal/rice/#:~:text=Nepal%20rice%20wholesale%20price&text=The%2 0price%20in%20Nepalese%20Rupee,was%20US%240.38%20per%20kg. 58 28 June 2022 | Volume I 215. The SMP leads to additional savings for households, of which around 85% gets expended while 15% gets invested into productive assets.156 The model accounts for these micro-investments having an investment effect for a duration of 10 years, and with a rate of return on investment of 54%.157 158 The return on investment thus gets calculated based on the following inputs: • Value transfer leading to an annual savings of 43.33 USD (in-kind modality) and 24.463 USD (cash￾based modality). • Average cost saved from averted private healthcare expenditures because of receiving a nutritious school meal of 2.50 USD per year (in-kind modality) and 1.16 USD per year (cash-based modality).159 • 15% savings on total income • 54% median rate of return on investment160 • 10 years lifetime 216. The net return on investment is thus calculated to 92.81 USD under in-kind modality geographies and 51.86 USD in the cash-based geographies. Interactions with parents of children indicated investment of the savings in poultry or farm implements. 217. Interactions with teachers and head-teachers indicate that afternoon absenteeism has reduced and student attendance has increased In addition, the SMP has also encouraged students who had dropped out to re-enrol, thus reducing dropouts. Increased enrolment and reduced dropout increase school life expectancy.161 The tables below compare the additionality created by the SMP for both modalities of the programme against the comparison geographies. Table 13: School Life Expectancy (in-kind modality) Parameters Programme Comparison Change Gross Enrolment Rate162 190% 156% 34% Drop-out rate 2% 2% 0% Attendance 77% 75% 2% School Life Expectancy 7.25 5.77 1.45 Source: WFP ELE analysis Table 14: School Life Expectancy (cash-based modality) Parameters Programme Comparison Change Gross Enrolment Rate163 178% 150% 28% Drop-out rate 2% 2% 0% Attendance 82% 81% 1% School Life Expectancy 7.18 5.97 1.11 156 Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo (2005), “Growth Theory through the Lens of Development Economics”, in Philippe Aghion and Steven Durlauf (2005), Handbook of Economic Growth, Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 473-552. 157 Alabi., Reuben Adeolu & ARUNA., M.B. (2006). TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF FAMILY POULTRY PRODUCTION IN NIGER￾DELTA, NIGERIA. Journal of Central European Agriculture (jcea@agr.hr); Vol.6 No.4. 6. 158 Ibid 159 World Food Programme; Mastercard; Government of Nepal. Cost Benefit Analysis- National School Meal Programme, 2018 160 Alabi Reuben Adeolu & ARUNA, M.B. (2006). TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF FAMILY POULTRY PRODUCTION IN NIGER￾DELTA, NIGERIA. Journal of Central European Agriculture (jcea@agr.hr); Vol.6 No.4. 6. 161 http://uis.unesco.org/en/glossary-term/school-life-expectancy 162 https://huebler.blogspot.com/2005/04/primary-school-gross-and-net.html 163 Ibid 59 28 June 2022 | Volume I Source: WFP ELE analysis [GER has been calculated using methodology from reference 162 with data from ELE] 218. School meals enable students to stay longer in school, which has a significant impact on their school performance and end of year results. This leads to better education in terms of quantity and quality by improving a student’s cognitive capacities and test scores.164 The economics of education considers schooling as an investment in human capital, which in turn increases a worker’s productivity.165 219. The Rate of Return of Education is equal to 7% in Nepal (increase in wage associated with one additional year of schooling in the given country).166 220. The CBA results indicate school meals contribute to additional time spent in schooling by 1.45 years in in-kind modality districts and 1.11 years in cash-based modality geographies, as compared to non-programme areas. The actual rate applied to the base wage to assess the expected increase of time spent in schools due to school meals is calculated on a pro rata basis and is equal to 10.3% in food-based districts and 8.4% in cash-based districts.167 The net value is created from improved education, and hence, productivity is 829.65 USD and 653.58 USD for in-kind and cash-based modalities, respectively. In the comparison areas, a productivity value of 336.79 USD gets generated. 221. The net benefits accrued over the comparison areas are: Table 15: Net benefits accrued Benefits Comparison In-kind Net benefit Cash-based168 Net benefit Value transfer from meals (USD) 85.59 216.66 131.07 85.59 0 Return on investment (ROI) from savings (USD) 51.86 92.81 40.95 51.86 0 Productivity (USD) 336.79 829.65 492.86 653.58 316.79 Total benefit (USD) 474.24 1139.12 664.88 791.03 316.79 Source: WFP ELE analysis 222. The overall results of the CBA of the SMP concludes that school meals have positive impacts on a beneficiaries’ lifetime in the short and longer term, as well as having broader social and national outcomes. The Net Present Value (NPV) in Nepal’s GDP is estimated to range between 665 USD and 317 USD for the in-kind and cash-based modality, respectively. A positive Cost-Benefit Ratio is generated when comparing these values against the total cost of the programme, which ranged between 127 USD and 150 USD for the in-kind and cash-based modality, respectively. For every 1 USD invested in the programme, an economic value of 5.22 USD gets generated over the lifetime of a beneficiary in the country’s economy. This is predominantly attributed to improved education and increased productivity, additional income to households under the in-kind modality. Under the cash-based modality, 2.11 USD gets generated against every 1 USD invested. 164 Drake, L. et al., (2017). “School Feeding” In Disease Control Priorities (third edition): Volume 8, Child and Adolescent Health and Development, edited by D.A.P. Bundy et al. 165 Gary Becker (1964, 1993), Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, with Special Reference to Education, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 166 Dunusinghe, Priya. Returns to Education: The Case of Nepal; Journal of Economics and Development Studies. March 2021. 167 Base wage is 240.32 USD per year per capita which grows by an annual rate 2.63% as mapped by the OECD long term GDP forecast (2016-2060). 168 This column represents schools that have been handed over to the government 60 28 June 2022 | Volume I 223. It is noted that in the case of cash-based modality, the additional value and returns that the programme has been able to generate is in terms of productivity. Both the comparison arms and the cash-based modality geographies adopt the same food distribution mechanism. Hence, the values generated for the household due to additional savings and the resultant investment remain the same. The additional enrolment and attendance metrices in the cash-based geographies over comparison areas creates an additional value for the programme region. 224. The FY17 grant demonstrates moderate cost-effectiveness when compared to the CBA carried out in 2018 by MoEST, WFP and Mastercard. The CBA study showed comparable returns for the in-kind modality with a return of 5.2 USD per 1 USD invested by the programme. However, the cash-based modality during the FY17 showed lesser returns. This can be attributed to the shift in the GoN’s focus to universalise the NSMP, which has led to an increase in the benefits getting accrued at the comparison school levels as well. 131 41 493 493 39 22 35 11 14 7 USD Commodity Admin Logistic Implementation Dir. supp Indir. supp Total Total Productivity ROI Value transfer 665 127 5.22X Costs Benefits Figure 24: CBA of in-kind modality of SMP 34 34 31 17 22 12 USD 317 Dir. supp Indir. supp Implementatio Logistic Admin Commodity Total Total Productivity ROI Value transfer Costs Benefits 150 317 2.11X 0 0 Figure 25: CBA of cash-based modality of SMP 61 28 June 2022 | Volume I 225. The CBA conducted by Mastercard for the McGovern-Dole Programme in Laos PDR in 2018 demonstrated higher returns. According to the study, for every 1 USD invested in school meals, an economic value return of 6.1 USD (for the food-based programme) or 5 USD (for cash-based programmes) is generated over the lifetime of a beneficiary in the country’s economy. This is predominantly attributed to improved education leading to increased productivity and additional income, and better health outcomes due to the school meals programmes. The study noted that it is important to interpret the differences in the cost-benefit ratios for food- and cash-based programmes by looking at the total costs and net benefits created by each programme. Timeliness: Supply of commodities for SMP 226. The remoteness of the schools poses to be a challenge for both modalities of the programme. This leads to delay in delivery of food commodities in the in-kind modality locations. For areas which have transitioned to a cash￾based modality, high transportation costs due to remoteness of the location and difficult terrain make it difficult for schools to sustain at the stipulated allocation of 15 NPR per student per meal. Many head teachers hence resort to local procurement level agreements with storekeepers for supply of packaged food materials. 227. As a COVID -19 impact mitigation measure, the WFP ensured supply of THR to its 156,000 students from July 2020. Till May 2021, supply of THR took place in four phases. The programme provided rice, lentils, vegetable oil and salt per student. The WFP ensured adequate safety protocols for the distribution by mandating only one household member for the collection within a specific timeslot. Acting on the recommendations of the first phase of THR distribution, almost all respondents reported that food was distributed on a planned schedule during the second phase of distribution. As the THRs were introduced to cater to beneficiaries during school closure, 47% of the storekeepers’ faced problems while managing the same. The most common problem was the transportation of commodities in bulk, as well as timely distribution. Without sufficient tools for measuring quantities of commodities, storekeepers found the process of distribution to be difficult, especially when it came to distributing oil. It was also difficult to distribute the food uniformly. Storekeepers also expressed their concern regarding not being given adequate safety material like masks and sanitisers during the time they were required to manage food distribution. Role of governance structure in influencing efficiency of the McGovern-Dole Programme FY17 228. The shift in the governance system has affected the efficiency of the interventions. While it has decentralised the activities and made decision-making easier, the EGR intervention has been adversely affected by the change. The transition to federalism in Nepal has led to the change from district education offices to education focal person at the local government (gaonpalika or nagarpalika) level. Education offices were replaced by local governance units which focus on activities beyond education as well. During the first year of the project (2018), most of these positions remained vacant since the districts where the EGR programme is implemented are remote. The education focal persons at the local level were left with little time to focus on teachers’ training for the EGR programme. Moreover, trainings were also conducted by roster teachers who get paid to conduct trainings at various schools because of the lack of capacity to train everyone at the provincial level. 2.6. HAS THE PROGRAMME BEEN ABLE TO INFLUENCE POLICY OR SYSTEMS WITHIN THE SPACE OF LEARNING AND NUTRITION IN NEPAL OR FUTURE UPTAKE BY THE SYSTEM? School Meal Programme Findings 8: The GoN acknowledges the positive impact of the SMP towards education and health outcomes in Nepal. While the continuation of SMP is cemented by policy and GoN’s increased commitment towards improving student education and health outcomes, it is expected that the implementation of the same will meet with some challenges. The stipulated amount of 15 NPR per meal proves insufficient to cover food and other management costs. This has led to schools resorting to locally available packaged food as school meals. With efforts underway to increase local government capacities, community ownership and accountability, district and school level stakeholders conveyed apprehension about the system’s readiness for transitioning to a cash based SMP modality. Budgetary and implementation challenges could hamper the sustainability of the impact created by the programme. “There were no visible problems in the in-kind based SMP but the cash model schools are facing a problem to manage the school meal and meeting the minimum calorie requirement with just NPR 15/-, per day per student, in the hills and NPR 20/- in the mountains.” Central level government official, kathmandu 62 28 June 2022 | Volume I 229. The GoN has recognised the positive impact of the SMP which is reflected in the inclusion of school meals and nutrition as key components of the School Health and Nutrition Strategy in the recently developed Education Sector Plan 2021-2030 and the National School Health and Nutrition Strategy. 169 170 This is considered a crucial strategy to both increase access and equity to education, as well as sustain impact of WFP efforts. The willingness of the government in continuing, expanding and taking over the SMP fully is also echoed in the SSDP (2016-2022) which calls for “MDMs in schools to reduce short term hunger among schoolchildren, and address micronutrient deficiencies through multi-fortified foods, and by diversifying the food basket, and including fresh and locally produced foods”. Like other low-income countries, Nepal has made great strides in policy and funding for school feeding and WFP’s strategic role is seen as being significant, even by government officials, in supporting government-led efforts. The Nepal government has shown its increased financial commitment to school feeding. From 2017 to 2020, the annual programme’s budget for school meals almost quadrupled (from 25 million USD to nearly 72 million USD). Given the positive impact of the SMP, as well as Nepal’s international commitments, the government’s MDM programme has expanded over the years to cover 71 of 77 districts, with WFP being scheduled to hand over operations in the remaining districts by 2024. However, WFP will continue to provide technical support to the local government as the districts transition gradually. 230. Under the decentralised cash based SMP modality, which will also be applicable to WFP transitioned schools, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology disburses funds to the LG. The LG then transfers cash resources to the schools to outsource food items to provide MDMs for the children. Under this model, schools located in the Terai region receive 15 NPR per child per meal (~ 0.13 US$), and schools in the mountainous regions receive 20 NPR (~ 0.18 US$) per child to serve a MDM for children from pre-primary to Grade V. The cash based SMP is implemented via three mechanisms; a) SMC which uses cash to procure and prepare food, b) Catering modality, where the caterer procures and prepares food on or off-site school and distributes the MDM to students, and c) Tiffin modality, where parents are given cash to send a tiffin (packed lunch) from home. Based on qualitative findings from the field, each of these modalities face challenges which are as follows: i. Community engagement is an important aspect of the SMP. The FMC and the SMC play a critical role in facilitating the effectiveness of the SMP, especially with the programme transitioning from kind to cash￾based modality. While the participation of women in SMCs has increased, their active involvement is hampered by the increasing male migration in the region, which results in increased burden of work for women. This, as stated by different officials including head teachers, results in food delays and mismanagement of meals - challenges which are anticipated to increase as more responsibility is handed over to the committee with the transitioning of schools from a kind-based to a cash-based model. ii. The amount allotted per day per child, while considered sufficient to provide a nutritious meal and cover the recommended dietary allowance (RDA), does not cover other management costs like transportation, cook’s salary, and expenditure on non-food items which may vary from region to region depending on the remoteness of the districts and schools, as well as the local production capacity of the region. This was also noted in a 2018 study conducted by the World Vegetable Centre to assess a Cash-based Pilot School Meal Programme Combined with Complementary Nutrition-sensitive Literacy Education in Nepal.171 While the 169 Education Sector Plan (2021-2030), (2021). Nepal. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Available at: https://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/en/2021/education-sector-plan-2021-2030-draft￾v-1-nepali-7154 170 Assessment of Implementation of Policies for Ensuring the Right to Education (2021). National Campaign for Education Nepal. Available at: https://ncenepal.org.np/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Assessment-of-Implementation-of-Policies￾draft-6.pdf 171 Assessment of a Cash-based Pilot School Meal Programme Combined with Complementary Nutrition sensitive Literacy Education in Nepal (2018). World Vegetable Centre. Available at: http://avrdc.org/download/workshops/course￾flyers/WorldVeg_WFP_Nepal-school-meal-programme-assessment.pdf “Nepal has a new constitution, and it also highlights the right to food. There are things in which WFP helped us continue (this vision), which is great, and we appreciate it, but the government has its own perceptions, legal obligations, policies, and international commitment. Therefore, we are fully convinced that food is a requirement for children. We will now be covering districts all over the country (under the school feeding programme).” - Central level government official, Kathmandu 63 28 June 2022 | Volume I costs for meals have been revised for mountainous regions, it remains to be insufficient. The costs of food management, especially transportation, are higher in the remote and mountainous regions, which also suffer from limited locally available food and supply systems. iii. As part of the HGSF pilot and to enable an effective functioning of the SMP programme, school meal menus have been developed by the government and WFP to match the availability of food in different parts of the country in a manner that each MDM delivers 30% of a child’s daily nutrition needs. Based on the menu selected by the school, the ingredients required are to be procured locally from local farmers or cooperatives. This is to ensure that the money remains in the community itself. However, because of limited local production basket, gaps in the supply systems and lack of overall inter-departmental convergence between education and the agriculture departments effective implementation of the HGSF module is challenging. iv. Assessment of the HGSF pilot programme also concluded that to implement the plan successfully, a 20%-33% increase i.e., in the 15 NPR allocation, 3-5 NPR per meal is required to pay for non-food costs like fuel, transport and a cook, in addition to the cost of capacity building.172 In the absence of an adequate budget to cover the management costs, schools take recourse to hiring catering services which supply chow chow (instant noodles) or junk food as school meals. In some cases, schools were found to compromise on the quality of food to meet management expenditure. v. Since efforts are still underway to increase LG capacities, community ownership and accountability, district and school level stakeholders conveyed apprehension about the transitioning of the schools from kind to cash￾based modality. With cash being directly provided to the schools, various stakeholders, including teachers foresee increased incidences of corruption and school meal fund manipulation. Infrastructure- WASH and DL Findings 9: The WASH intervention has facilitated the process of improving sanitation behaviour and hygiene practices among students. This behavioural change among school going children is expected to have a long-term positive impact on the community. The foreseeable challenges in sustaining WASH behaviour are related to maintenance and management of WASH infrastructure. Limited funds, shortage of non-teaching staff in schools, limited community support, coupled with scarcity of water in schools makes it difficult to maintain clean and usable toilets, as well as handwashing stations. At the policy level as well, there is lack of integration of the SMP guideline with a universalised WASH infrastructure in the school framework. 231. WFP, in partnership with IDS, constructed group handwashing stations and rehabilitated toilets, thereby, increasing access and usability of WASH facilities. This has also led to improved sanitation and hygiene practices, with children practising these hygiene behaviours at home and encouraging parents to follow the same. The practices were even reported to have increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which handwashing behaviour became of utmost importance. While some schools have the necessary facilities including functional kitchens, water and toilets, proper maintenance of these is a challenge, especially with limited funds and shortage of non-teaching staff in schools. Coupled with lack of regular maintenance, the scarcity of water in schools located 172 Shrestha, R. M., Schreinemachers, P., Nyangmi, M. G., Sah, M., Phuong, J., Manandhar, S., & Yang, R. Y. (2020). Home￾grown school feeding: assessment of a pilot programme in Nepal. BMC public health, 20(1), 1-15. “In very remote areas, there is no means of transportation…NPR 20 is not sufficient for the SMP. Another challenge is how to procure materials as per government procurement guidelines. The SMP guideline said promote home grown products. The procurement guideline says you need VAT above NPR 5000 but in the local context, there is no VAT registered supplier so there is a gap there...and it is difficult to procure material for the school meal. Also, to cook the school meal, you need support staff. There is no provision of this in the schools. To distribute food, you need cooking pots and utensils. In some districts it is there but not in all schools. To overcome these challenges, we assisted the local government and advocated that they top up the meal amount.” -WFP Implementing partner official 64 28 June 2022 | Volume I on non-arable lands far from the community, makes it difficult to maintain clean and usable toilets, functional handwashing stations, practice other WASH practices, as well as hygienic methods of food preparation. 232. Also, the continued usability of infrastructure requires community ownership of the WASH programme. However, based on field findings, as well as the IDS Programme closing report, lack of community ownership was reported as a challenge to sustain the necessary infrastructure. While efforts have been made to close the gaps between the perception of WASH and practice of the same, it is a slow-moving endeavour. The challenges get heightened given the different priorities of the LGs who might be more inclined to direct fiscal resources towards large scale infrastructure development projects like roads, rather than WASH infrastructure. The same has been noted in a policy brief submitted by International Water Management Institute on ‘State restructuring and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in Nepal: Lessons learned.’173 233. The DL component was reported to be an effective way to enhance student enrolment and motivation to participate in the lessons and learn. However, maintaining the DL infrastructure was cited as a major challenge in the continuation of the DL programme in schools. Given that DL was implemented only in select intervention schools in different districts, the programme coverage is very low with no common service centre point that is approachable by schools, in case of wear and tear of laptops or other devices. The financial and logistical challenges in ensuring maintenance of the digital literacy material is a hindrance in ensuring sustainability of the component and the positive impact that the same has had on children’s motivation participation in classrooms. Early Grade Reading 234. Over the years, Nepal’s investment in education has only increased. Evolving alongside a global shift in emphasis through the SDGs, the GoN is focused on achieving equitable, high-quality basic education as measured through reading and math outcomes in Grade II or III of primary schools. Since the Incheon Declaration in 2015,174 the government has taken important steps to revise its education sector strategies and indicators in ways that are better aligned with the country’s global SDG commitments. The GoN’s National Early Grade Reading Programme (NEGRP) supported by USAIDs EGRP I (2015-2020) and EGRP II (2020-2022) is a key investment, with the objective of increasing the reading skills of public primary school students in Grades I - III. 173 Pradhan, R. (2021). State restructuring and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in Nepal: Lessons learned. International Water Management Institute. Available at: https://cgspace.cgiar.org/rest/rest/bitstreams/4e799fd9-7131- 4e67-907b-f226b54d2d9a/retrieve 174 Assistance to Basic Education: All Children Reading (ABE-ACR) USAID’s Early Grade Reading Programme (EGRP) in Nepal Final Progress Report, Years 1–5: March 2015–October 2020. (2020). USAID and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Government of Nepal. Available at: https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00X61V.pdf “There is a huge impact of climate change in some districts like Jajarkot. Water scarcity is a huge challenge…the water table levels are also reducing drastically. Draughts, effect on food production, landslides are some challenges, and some districts are worst affected by these.” -WFP implementing partner officials on regional challenges “There is no water scarcity in some districts but in schools, but there isn’t enough water for drinking purpose and sanitation as there is lack of proper management of the school infrastructure. WFP supported school infrastructures (drinking water and sanitation facility, kitchen etc.) should be maintained well, but there is less possibility to continue these activities by the government in transitional districts.”- Ex-government Official, Lumbini Province “There are geographical difficulties too. For schools, government provides land, which is far from the community. It is generally located in a remote place where land is not arable- a useless land where there are limited water sources. Due to climate change and global warming this (problem of water) is becoming more challenging. Also, communities’ perception is ‘why do you need water in schools, water is needed at home and for irrigation purposes. There is reservation to supply water in schools…” -WFP Implementing partner 65 28 June 2022 | Volume I 235. Under the FY17 cycle, the EGR programme was implemented by WFP in partnership with WE. While the same has contributed to increasing an EGR trained cohort of teachers, the challenge related to high teacher attrition remains unaddressed. High teacher turnover negatively affects student achievement, diminishes teacher effectiveness and quality, while it also consumes economic resources that could be better deployed elsewhere. Teacher attrition is accounted to lower salaries and contractual hiring, overburdening due to a skewed class￾teacher ratio and low teacher motivation, factors which do not allow for a sustainable education workforce which is necessary to ensure instructional continuity, which is an important requirement for the sustained education of children. 236. To improve efficiency at the primary level, the GoN introduced the twin policies of continuous assessment (CAS) and liberal promotion, starting with the Basic and Primary Education Project (BPEP) in 1999. CAS was revamped in the on-going SSDP (2016-2023), so that assessment of the intervention strategy focuses on both formative and summative assessments to be more skills- and learner-centred.175 While the CAS is a suitable model to ensure need-based learning, there are challenges with effectively integrating it with a liberal promotion policy. As reported by Head Teachers and teachers, learners with learning difficulties were also promoted to higher classes, when for achieving basic competencies, repetition was the actual solution. Promoting low performing students and ensuring that they received learning support was thus challenging for teachers, including EGR trained teachers. A study reported that for students, CAS was understood as ‘passing exam without taking test’- a conception that reduces the student’s motivation to learn and the teacher’s motivation to teach.176 Programme Sustainability in the Federal Structure Findings 10: The change in Nepal’s governance structure has created foreseeable challenges, with LGs having the power to distribute resources arbitrarily without factoring their capacities. Moreover, there are imbalances between the functional authority and the budgetary authority at the province and local level, with little clarity regarding the functions and responsibilities among different levels of government. These dynamics could lead to a disparate effect in the quality of autonomy across different LGs, as well as the institutionalization of inter-governmental relations, thereby, affecting the sustainability of development programmes that are under the ambit of the LGs. 237. As a result of Nepal’s political transition from a unitary to a federal state, many government functions related to children are to be devolved to local and provincial levels of the government including health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, and child and social protection. From 2016-2017, the GoN commenced allocating the budget directly to LGs under four schemes, viz., equalisation, conditional grants, special grants, and a matching fund, based on the provisions for revenue-sharing outlined in the 2015 Constitution.177 Under the new system, the LG will be responsible for the smooth implementation and monitoring of the programmes like SMP, WASH and DL in the WFP transition districts. As stated by FFEP and EDCU officials, as well as the administrative staff in schools, there are foreseeable challenges in LGs having the mandate to autonomously choose their priorities and spend the resources at their disposal. One of them is that, given the difficult topography of regions, difficult connectivity and need for better infrastructure, the LGs might prioritise the construction of roads and development of infrastructure more than investing in education and schools. Secondly, the power and functions which distribute resources arbitrarily to the LGs do not match with the capacities of all the LGs. The WFP’s handover plan is not clearly laid out to address the gaps in Knowledge Attitude and Practices (KAP) of LGs and the communities at large. Also, there are imbalances between functional authority and budgetary authority at the province and local level, with little clarity around the functions and responsibilities among different levels of the government. Finally, as highlighted by EDCU and FFEP officials, as well as research 175 Final report of a study on exploring effective measures for strengthening continuous student assessment and its implementation strategies at school level. (2017). Foundation for Educational Change (FEDUC). 176 ibid 177 Dhungana, R. K., & Acharya, K. K. (2021). Local Government’s Tax Practices from A Cooperative Federalism Perspective. Nepal Public Policy Review, 1, 157-178. “During Covid-19 pandemic, the school remained closed for 13 months, there was no examination and students were promoted through class tests…some students in Grade II have not learnt the syllabus of Grade I. It becomes difficult to teach them. Moreover, because of the CAS, we pass the student internally even if we show that they have failed one exam. Internally we pass all students. This affects the student’s motivation to perform well because they will pass anyway” -Head Teacher, Doti. 66 28 June 2022 | Volume I from the region, the bureaucracy was corrupt and dominant at the local level in recent years in Nepal (Adhikari, 2015).178, 179 These dynamics adversely affected the quality of autonomy, institutionalisation of inter￾governmental relations and thus the sustainability of programmes, like the SMP and complementary intervention, which are handed over to the LGs. 238. Apart from resource availability, stakeholder capacity, increased ownership and accountability, sustainability of a programme is driven by the close coordination among stakeholders where the communities and governments, at the local and national level, must work in tandem and have a shared understanding to sustain and improve the outcomes. This becomes more important in case of the federal structure in Nepal, where LGs hold significant power to effectively implement the development programme. Given that the transition to federalism is still underway and the process of transition of powers was also impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns were raised by the different stakeholders regarding the coordination between different departments, different tiers of the government, as well as clarity of their roles for effectively implementing the programme and sustaining its impact. 178 Adhikari, B. (2015), “Salient features of the Constitution of Nepal 2015”, Nepali Constitutional Law, Governance and Public Policy Issues, available at: https://bipinadhikari.com.np/quick-comments/ salient-features-of-the-constitution-of￾nepal-2015-2072/ 179 Adhikari, D. (2020). Nepal's Road to Federalism: From the Perspective of Grassroots Democracy. Research Triangle Institute. “It seems like everyone is working alone, when everyone should be working together- the education department should work with the agriculture department. In the end, SMP affects everything- health, education, WASH. But there is no coordination among the different departments for this. SMP is everybody’s programme. Until and unless it is treated as the responsibility of all departments, this programme will not work properly. The provincial government has no power over the LG and that is a gap. The channel between the provincial, local and central government is lacking.” -WFP Official, Kailali 67 28 June 2022 | Volume I 3. Conclusions, Learnings and Recommendations 3.1 CONCLUSION The pertinence and role of McGovern-Dole FY17 programme cycle in Nepal Conclusion 1: The FY17 programme cycle was designed and has remained relevant to supporting the government to meet the food and nutrition needs of school going children in food insecure and remote regions of Nepal. The holistic approach of the programme is also coherent with the GoN’s focus on equity in education. 239. The FY17 strategic plan and constituent strategic outcomes were relevant and appropriate for the economically disadvantaged and food insecure regions of Karnali, Sudurpaschim and Lumbini Provinces, while also being aligned with the vision and direction of the GoN. The McGovern-Dole Programme objectives and efforts towards providing regular and fortified school meals proved highly relevant towards addressing access related food insecurity, which also affects children’s nutrient requirement, as well as their regularity in schools. The inclusion of other programme components like EGR were appropriate for improving the quality of lessons, children’s attention and participation in classrooms and their willingness to study. The WASH component, coupled with efforts to rehabilitate the existing infrastructure, found significance in these regions which fall under the category of ‘very low’ adaptive capacity. This is because these regions have poor access to drinking water and sanitation,180 and are also sensitive to climate change impacts. The McGovern-Dole programme concurs with the vision of reducing gender inequity and has emphasised on increasing enrolment, attendance, and retention for girls in schools. The WFP School Feeding Policy (2013) and Gender Policy (2015-20) emphasise the recognition and inclusion of the specific needs of young girls, and of ethnic and religious minorities. These approaches are highly relevant, given the socio-cultural fabric of the regions. 240. Under the FY17 cycle, WFP has focused on policy engagement to ensure a smoother handover and continuation of plan. The McGovern-Dole Programme has remained relevant in addressing the key challenges related to child education and health, while also supporting the government to meet the food and nutrition needs of the country. The design also adapted to the changing circumstances induced by the COVID-19 pandemic to support children’s nutrition intake and at-home learning. With this, the programme, even during unprecedented times, has remained relevant. However, while the evidence points towards a need for initiatives such as SMP, the programme was limited in terms of its coverage of schools, as well as the classes it was covering. This has led to the schools and the community perceiving that programme efforts, while beneficial, are leading to an unequitable distribution of food. 241. The objectives of WFP were also found to be consistent with the country’s goal towards zero hunger, as well as the constitutional right to food. The efforts and objectives are also aligned with government policies and programmes on health and nutrition, WASH and education. The programme has attempted to create an enabling ecosystem for girl students, who otherwise are hesitant in attending schools due to the absence of a hygienic infrastructure, especially during their menstrual cycles. The partnership with IDS focuses specifically on the rehabilitation of school toilets and ensured provision of water taps. These initiatives by the programme also find coherence with the existing government policies in Nepal and complements the GoN’s Consolidated Equity Strategy for the School Education Sector and supports the education equity discourse. Over the programme period, WFP has strengthened its partnership with the government at all levels. The current cycle also furthered the WFP CSP and its objective of timely access to adequate food and nutrition to vulnerable communities even during a crisis, as well as supporting the formulation of coherent policy frameworks. The efforts of WFP are also aligned with those of other development actors in Nepal. The wide geographical coverage of the programme, and experience with delivery of SMPs, strong logistical capabilities and partnerships have made WFP a desirable partner for many development actors in the region. The extent to which outcomes have been achieved and contributions made towards systemic shifts 180 https://www.mofe.gov.np/downloadfile/WASH_VRA%202021_1633913262.pdf 68 28 June 2022 | Volume I Conclusion 2: The programme’s efforts towards increasing attendance and enrolment have suffered a setback, largely due to the extended school closure owing to the pandemic. 242. A significant part of the McGovern-Dole programme implementation coincided with the COVID-19 induced school closure, which resulted in setbacks for most development plans across the world. A similar trend was observed for the McGovern-Dole programme from both quantitative results and qualitative insights. Since baseline, there has been a drop in the proportion of students attending schools regularly. Head teachers attributed the drop in attendance to the extended school closure, with most expecting the attendance to get normalised as schools gradually resume and streamline their operations. While head teachers are optimistic of the attendance getting normalised, it is critical for the programme to monitor the ‘return-to-school’ for students. Conclusion 3: Through a holistic approach to education and focus on equity, the programme has created an intended societal behavioral change towards encouraging female education and unintended movement towards gender equality in other areas of the socio-cultural settings, like women’s participation in local bodies. However, the model of increasing mother’s involvement in school activities has an unintended negative consequence of disproportionate pressure and women’s time spent in unpaid care work i.e., increased time poverty181, and hence inadequate participation in children’s learning. 243. A decline in enrolment rates is observed for both genders with the drop being steeper for male students. This may be attributed to the sociocultural context of Nepalese society, wherein parents tend to send male children to private schools, which are believed to hold the prospect of better education, and hence, better job opportunities. However, the programme has been appreciated by various stakeholders for its contribution towards bringing about a societal behavioural change, which now encourages girls to enrol in schools and continue their education. A strong factor that has contributed to this behavioural change is the programme’s focus on the greater involvement of women in SMC/FMC. Women’s participation in such decision making and management bodies is reported to have a positive ripple effect in society, encouraging young girls and their parents to invest in girls’ education. However, even within the SMC/FMC bodies, fewer women were observed to occupy leadership positions in comparison with their male counterparts. Also, while the participation of women in SMCs has increased, their active involvement is hampered by increasing male migration in the region which results in increased burden of work for women, leaving them with little to no time to invest in children’s school activities. This is especially relevant for women who are acting household heads in the absence of their migrant male counterparts. This shows the need to focus not only on mothers’ involvement in these committees but also (a) target caregivers, apart from mothers and (b) encourage gender parity in leadership roles in ways that also resonate with the sociocultural context of the region. Conclusion 4: The programme, through creation of a more resilient ecosystem in which schools are located, has helped reduce the magnitude of nutrition and learning losses experienced due to school closure owing to the pandemic. It has also developed systems that can sustain the programme objective without WFP support. 244. With children’s increased interest in lessons due to the use of improved teaching mechanisms and learning methods, the proportion of attentive students in classrooms has increased significantly from baseline for programme schools, while it has dropped in the comparison areas. Consistent with these results, the net increase in the pass-rate for both female and male students is noted to be higher in the programme areas. The programme’s sustained impact is also felt in transitioned districts, where teachers reported a higher increase in the interest levels of both boys and girls, over non-transitioned schools. Similarly, where the programme has also already transitioned, key elements such as improved teaching aids and improved nutrition and health standards have been well sustained alongside the active participation of parents in school activities. This was corroborated by the dietary diversity results, according to which, a significantly higher proportion of students in transitioned schools reported meeting the MDD requirement of at least four of the seven recommended food groups to maintain the nutrient requirement and diet quality. This suggests that the programme has been able to increase parents’ and children’s awareness, influence behavioural change and develop systems that can sustain the programme’s objectives without WFP support in future. 181 Women’s economic empowerment: Are we doing it right (2019) International Centre for Research on Women. Available at: https://www.icrw.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Womens-Economic-Empowerment-Are-we-doing-it-right￾Unintended-Consequences.pdf 69 28 June 2022 | Volume I 245. Despite the obstacles posed by school closure and lockdowns which limited programme implementation as planned, schools, both transitioned and non-transitioned, proved to be more resilient, as compared to non￾intervention schools. This is especially evident in the EGRA results, which show that though learning outcomes have decreased across all schools from baseline to endline, the dip in the same for programme schools is lesser than in comparison schools. Also, the zero score, i.e., the number of students, who were not able to answer any question in a sub-task, reduced from the baseline to endline. What also stands out is the considerably higher scores of students for the reading comprehension sub-task in schools where EGR is implemented, as compared with scores of tasks which are evaluated based on a child’s pronunciation of words and matras. This reflects that while oral reading skills have reduced, they have not affected the children’s skill to understand texts. The engaged intervention on EGR by WE has played an important role in helping children gain conceptual clarity of the lessons taught. As results show, it has also trained teachers on modern and interactive training techniques that aid better understanding and learning. 246. WFP’s nimble approach and adaptation to the COVID-19 crisis has also played an important role is maintaining the children’s health and nutrition status, through introducing THR, and engaging them cognitively, through Tole￾Shiksha. While the former was very effective in the delivery of supplementary nutrition, Tole-Shiksha was difficult to be properly implemented in the absence of motivated RMs. Conclusion 5: During the programme cycle, WFP has become an important partner to the GoN in formulation of school nutrition programmes. However, the engagement at national levels in formulation of education specific programmes can be strengthened. WFP has demonstrated significant potential towards policy contribution over years which can further be incorporated within education policies. 247. WFP is considered an important partner by government stakeholders to achieve the country’s SDGs, especially in the field of health and nutrition. The programme has involved federal, provincial and district departments in implementation activities, as well as providing capacity strengthening and technical assistance for policy development. The shift to increased focus on technical assistance, especially in the transitioned districts, has strengthened government partnerships and positioned WFP for greater engagement in strategic national legislation and policy development for health and nutrition programmes. However, it is still not considered a key player around literacy and education. This reflects the limited realisation of the comprehensive approach of WFP and its constituent strategic outcomes of not only increasing health and nutrition status, but also learning outcomes. Foreseeable continuity of the programme impact post project cycle Conclusion 6: Based on the positive impact of the programme, the federal government’s commitment, and readiness to take over the SMP, in form of policy, has increased over the period of implementation. 248. The continuation of SMP, post project handover, is cemented by policy and the government’s increased commitment towards improving student education and health outcomes. Also, the positive performance of transitioned districts reveals both the readiness to keep-up the impact of the programme, as well as effectively continue to work with the systems built by the same. Conclusion 7: Owing to the consequential changes in the governance structure, differing priorities and limited capacities of local government, budgetary limitations, and lack of necessary coordination between different ministries, the sustainability of the programme implementation is challenging and uncertain. 249. Given the current ecosystem and change in governance structure, certain foreseeable challenges were flagged by the government stakeholders, and the key beneficiaries of the programme regarding the continuity of programme impact. One of the key obstacles in effectively implementing the cash based SMP across all regions is the insufficiency of budget allocated per child per meal. The current budget cannot cover food management and additional costs related to non-food items, especially in food insecure and remote regions. To address some of the budgetary challenges, local food procurement and models associated with the same, like HGSF, are viewed as promising solutions. However, because of a limited local production basket, gaps in supply systems and lack of overall inter-departmental convergence between education and the agriculture departments and other ministries, effective implementation of models like HGSF, the success of which requires coordination between ministries, market linkages and enhancing supply chain governance for effective functioning. Financial and logistical challenges, which are only exacerbated in remote regions, also jeopardise the sustainability of WASH and DL infrastructure, which necessitates regular maintenance and upkeep. The continuity of the positive impact of WASH on sanitation 70 28 June 2022 | Volume I behaviour and that of DL on children’s interest in classroom lessons also requires increased focus towards integrating these components in education and nutrition programmes and policies at the national level. 250. Apart from resource availability, sustainability of a programme is driven by the close coordination among stakeholders, where the communities and governments, at the local and the national level, must work in tandem, and have a shared understanding to sustain and improve the outcomes. This becomes more important in the case of the federal structure in Nepal, where LGs hold significant power and responsibility for the implementation of various child development programmes, including nutrition, education and WASH. Concerns were raised by different stakeholders regarding the various priorities of LGs, which may not allow education or WASH to receive the necessary attention. Moreover, the capacities of local level functionaries to handle the increased work and responsibility are limited in view of the absence of proper skill set, experience, and training. Also, the lack of coordination between different tiers of the government and clarity of their roles is expected to be a hurdle in effectively implementing the programme and sustaining its impact. 71 28 June 2022 | Volume I 3.2 KEY LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 251. This section presents recommendations in the form of the ‘Way Forward’ based on results and learnings from the FY17 cycle. The recommendations were also prepared using information obtained from the field observations, stakeholder interviews, beneficiary interactions, as well as policy, programme, and literature review. This section presents high-level recommendations related to policy, programme, and institutional arrangements, and enabling environments to ensure preparedness towards the sustainability of the programme post the complete handover of the same to the government. The key lessons drawn from the ELE are discussed below. 252. WFP’s holistic approach to increase the education outcome and the nutrition of children capitalises on the complementary interventions of WASH, EGR, SIDP and DL to create a significant impact. The holistic education approach that supports school meals is well aligned with the emphasis of the GoN’s integration of quality education with access and equity in the new phase of the SSDP, 2016-2022. The programme emerges as an important example for the need to link these dynamic components in a complementary manner to achieve significant impact and systemic changes across the interdependent areas of education, health, and nutrition. A similar convergence at the level of national programmes for education, nutrition and agriculture can prove to be useful for the effective sustainability of programme impact. 253. With the transitioning of districts from in-kind to cash-based modality and the slow phase out of the programme, the LG is expected to continue the efforts towards education, nutrition and health of school going children. While capacity building of local level functionaries has been an integral part of the FY17 implementation, the pandemic derailed the plans of a smooth handover. The lack of capacity of newly structured LGs, when compared to the list of functions they are supposed to perform, calls for increased focus on building local capacities and an enabling environment for programme continuity. 254. The programme design gives sufficient weight to involving the community in the effective implementation and sustainability of impact. This is coupled with the programme’s vision of reducing gender inequity through the creation of FMC/ SMC and encouraging a greater participation of women members, especially mothers, in these local bodies. This has positively impacted gender relations in the communities and resulted in greater participation of women in the management committees, enabling an environment for gender empowerment. While this model has been impactful with the support of WFP, its effectiveness is questioned because of increased male migration and a high burden of work on women of female-headed households. To create a robust mechanism at the local level for smooth functioning of the meals programme, it may be useful to tweak the model, which currently focuses on involving mothers, and to borrow from other successful community driven interventions, which focus on involving the primary caregiver of children. 72 1 May 2022 | Volume I S. No. Recommendation Recommendation type Responsibility Other contributing entities Priority: High/medium By when 1 WFP to strategically engage with different ministries for better convergence of department objectives and activities to ensure sustainability of impact. Actions: 1.1 Development of long-term Memorandum of Understanding with health, education, agriculture, and other ministries that facilitate progress towards strategic objectives. 1.2 Coordinating an annual meeting of key nodal officers from the departments/ministries for cross learning and collaboration. Strategic- Long￾term WFP CO with support from WFP RB Government Stakeholders (MoEST, Ministry of Health and Population of Nepal, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock development, High Mid of FY20 Cycle 2 Focus WFP efforts on building capacities of local level actors, developing market linkages, and enhancing supply chain governance for the effective functioning of the SMP to ease management of food. Actions: 2.1. Incorporate a robust capacity building plan for local level functionaries in the programme design, alongside regular monitoring mechanisms. 2.2. Direct efforts towards increased awareness and sensitization programmes for the local governments whose priorities may not be aligned with the national goals and WFP objectives. 2.3. Identify, sensitize, and mobilize farmer groups and cooperatives. Strategic- Medium term WFP CO with support from WFP RB Partners like PCD and Mercy Corps and government stakeholders like Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, High End of FY20 cycle. 73 28 June 2022 | Volume I 3 WFP to advocate for streamlining of roles and responsibilities for monitoring and implementation between federal, provincial, and local level to establish clarity of roles between governance levels Actions: 3.1 Mapping potential role of provincial and local level government in supporting the functioning of SMP and complementary interventions to enhance literacy and health outcomes. 3.2 Incorporate a robust capacity building plan for provincial and local level functionaries in the programme design, alongside regular monitoring mechanisms. Strategic- Long term WFP CO with support from WFP RB High Mid of FY20 Cycle 4 Advocacy efforts towards increasing per student/per meal budget allocated to schools is needed as the programme transitions from in-kind to cash modality. Actions to achieve this include: 4.1. Conduct agro-ecological zone-specific study to provide updated data on cost of food, non-food, food management and transportation to determine cost of both- nutrient rich and sufficient quantity meal per child. 4.2. Use evidence-based advocacy to influence top tier of the government for expanding per capita budget for school feeding 4.3. Use evidence-based advocacy and communication to sensitize and influence local governments to adopt cost sharing mechanism on school feeding activities. Strategic- Medium term WFP CO with support from WFP RB Partners like PCD, Mercy Corps and Government stakeholders (MoEST/MoALD) High End of FY20 cycle. 5 Strengthen the approach, objectives, and goals of WFP to supporting the GoN’s strategy for taking over the school meals programme. 5.1. Conduct a structured and systematic series of participatory lessons with the federal, provincial, and local government to Strategic- Medium term Country Office with support from regional bureau. Government stakeholders (MoEST, CEHRD, Local Government nodal officers) High End of FY20 cycle. 74 28 June 2022 | Volume I facilitate the identification of solutions to the challenges that they may have faced in the successful transition of the school meals programme to the Government. 5.2. Develop a long-term transition plan with the GoN to ensure the sustainability of SMP. The plan should include required short term and long term strategic intervention with source of funding. And it should clearly define the technical assistance required, cost sharing, and role of WFP and partners in providing the same. Thought Points for Programme Consideration: The larger socio-cultural specificities i.e., high male migration and low economic status of households of the programme implementation regions, affects the participation of mothers in the successful functioning of the SMP (Finding 9 and Conclusion 3), As community and parent involvement is considered a key to the success of SMP, it becomes important to look beyond traditional models for improving children’s health and learning outcomes, which are limited to parents, especially mothers participation in school activities. It also is important to look at the unintended outcome of interventions aimed at women empowerment. Considering all the above, we suggest that WFP reappraise project design for more effective engagement of SMC/FMCs in schools in a manner which speaks with the socio-cultural dynamics and migration pattern of the region considering low-income status and increased migration of one or both parents. Actions: 4.1. Understanding parents’ capacities to be actively involved in management of food and other school activities. 4.2. Identifying factors that enhance or inhibit parent’s involvement in school activities of the child. 4.3. Most policies and programmes on child nutrition focus narrowly on mother–child relation. There is limited consideration of the wider household in which other actors, hierarchical patterns of authority and informal communication networks operate and influence such practices. It could be valuable for the programme to expand the focus beyond the parent-child relationship to include caregivers. 75 28 June 2022 | Volume I Annexure I: USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition programme Maps Map 1: Updated Food based and Cash based School meals programme 76 28 June 2022 | Volume I Map 2: Graduation plan FY17 Map 3: Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces McGovern Dole/WFP Education Support Programme 77 28 June 2022 | Volume I Annexure II: Stakeholders and Involvement in the Evaluation Stakeholder Interest in the Evaluation Involvement in Evaluation Key stakeholder Internal (WFP) stakeholders WFP Country Office (CO) Nepal Responsible for the planning and implementation of WP interventions at country level. It has a direct stake in the evaluation and an interest in learning from experience to inform decision-making. It is also called upon to account internally as well as to its beneficiaries and partners for performance and results of its programme. Focal point for operation Direct stake in the evaluation-decision making on the next steps of the project -SMP programme unit of WFP CO -Monitoring and Evaluation unit (Key￾Informant) WFP Regional Bureau for Asia based in Bangkok (RB) Responsible for both oversight of COs and technical guidance and support, the RB management has an interest in an independent/impartial account of the operational performance as well as in learning from the evaluation findings to apply this learning to other country offices. The Regional Evaluation Officers supports CO/RB management to ensure quality, credible and useful decentralized evaluations Responsible for both oversight of COs and technical guidance and support -RB representatives (not engaged in data collection process) - Engaged in quality assurance and feedback on ToR, reports WFP Head Quarters (HQ) WFP HQ technical units are responsible for issuing and overseeing the rollout of normative guidance on corporate programme themes, activities and modalities, as well as of overarching corporate policies and strategies. They also have an interest in the lessons that emerge from evaluations, as many may have relevance beyond the geographical area of focus. Responsible for both oversight of COs and technical guidance and support -WFP HQ representative (not engaged in data collection process) - Engaged in quality assurance and feedback on ToR, reports WFP Office of Evaluation (OEV) OEV has a stake in ensuring that decentralized evaluations deliver quality, credible and useful evaluations respecting provisions for impartiality as well as roles and OEV has a stake in ensuring that decentralized evaluations deliver quality, useful and credible evaluations. -OEV Management representative (not engaged in data collection process) 78 28 June 2022 | Volume I accountabilities of various decentralised evaluation stakeholders as identified in the evaluation policy. -provide technical guidance to CO, M&E and evaluation manager WFP Executive Board (EB) The WFP governing body has an interest in being informed about the effectiveness of WFP programme. This evaluation will not be presented to the Board, but its findings may feed into thematic and/or regional syntheses and corporate learning processes. Findings from the evaluation may feed into annual syntheses and into corporate learning processes -WFP GB representatives (not engaged in data collection process) Other WFP Countries Other WFP Country Offices may also benefit from the findings, which can contribute to corporate learning on implementation of capacity development interventions. Findings from the evaluation may feed into technical assistance and support of other country Programmes -WFP COs representatives (not engaged in data collection process) External stakeholders Beneficiaries As the ultimate recipients of food assistance, beneficiaries have a stake in WFP determining whether its assistance is appropriate and effective. As such, the level of participation of schoolboys and girls, and their parents, teachers and community members from different groups disaggregated by male and female, will be determined and their respective perspectives will be sought in the evaluation. Primary respondents of quantitative and qualitative data collection Their perspectives will form the basis of the study and provide the necessary lens and direction on Programme receptivity (Engaged in data collection process) -Students -School Teachers, Staff and Administration, Cooks and storekeepers -Community Members Government of Nepal The Government has a direct interest in knowing whether WFP activities in the country are aligned with its priorities, harmonised with the action of other partners and meet the expected results. The Ministry of Education Science and Technology will have particular interest in issues related to capacity development as the direct institutional beneficiary. The Food for Education Project (FFEP) and Department of Education are the main implementing partners. The Ministry of Health and Population’s Family Welfare Division and the The Food for Education Project (FFEP), Department of Education/ministry of Education are the main implementing partners. (Engaged in data collection process) -FFEP representative -MoEST/CEHRD representative -MoHP, Child Health Division, MoESTP ,MoWCSW, MoALD, NPC 79 28 June 2022 | Volume I Ministry of Forests and Environment, the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, and the National Planning Commission (NPC) are WFP’s collaborative partners. Local Government Bodies The local government bodies will have an interest to know whether the programme is on track even after change in governance structure Nodal point in extending the programme Central Level • Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST) • Center for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD) • Food for Education Project (FFEP) Provincial Level • Education Development Directorate under Ministry of Social Development District Level • Education Development and Coordination Unit (EDCU) • FFEP District Unit under District level Municipality Level • Education Section 80 28 June 2022 | Volume I United Nations Country Team (UNCT) The UNCT’s harmonized action should contribute to the realisation of the government developmental objectives. It has therefore an interest in ensuring that WFP programme is effective in contributing to the UN concerted efforts. Various agencies are also direct partners of WFP at policy and activity level. Findings from the evaluation may feed into their developmental agenda (Not Engaged in data collection process) -UNCT representative Non-governmental organisations (WFP Nepal’s cooperating partners) WFP’s cooperating partners – World Education Inc., Open Learning Exchange Nepal and Partnership for Child Development –collectively implement different activities (early grade reading, digital literacy, and school nutrition (digital menu planner) respectively for the McGovern-Dole FY17 grant cycle, at the same time, having their own interventions. They will be keen to know the findings of the evaluation; the results directly reflecting the efficacy of their work and through that, opening opportunities for continued collaboration. The results of the evaluation might therefore affect future implementation modalities, strategic orientations, and partnerships. WFP’s cooperating partners collectively implement different activities (early grade reading, digital literacy, and school nutrition (digital menu planner) respectively) for the McGovern-Dole FY17 grant cycles, at the same time, having their own interventions (Engaged in data collection process) -World Education -Open Learning Exchange -Partnership for Child Development -IDS - USDA International Food Assistance Division (FAD) USDA has specific interest in ensuring that operational performance reflects USDA standards and accountability requirements, as well as an interest in learning to inform changes in project strategy, results framework, and critical assumptions. Findings from the evaluation may feed into annual syntheses and into corporate learning processes (Not Engaged in data collection process) -USDA representative UNDAF WASH group UNDAF WASH group interested in evaluation to inform changes in project strategy, results framework, and critical assumptions. Findings from the evaluation may feed into annual syntheses and into corporate learning processes (Not Engaged in data collection process) -UNDAF WASH group representative Local Education Development Partner Group (LEDPG) LEDPG including United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Civil Society and others under the School Sector Development Plan (SSDP) supporting the government of Nepal’s education sector plan and programme. Findings from the evaluation may feed into their developmental agenda -LEDPG representative 81 28 June 2022 | Volume I Annexure III: Activity-wise Stakeholder Matrix Component Activity type Stakeholder List School Mid-Day Meal Programme Provide School meals to primary grade and basic grade students Provide training on food preparation and storage to cook and school staff Provide training on Commodity Management to storekeeper/school administration Provide training on nutrition and hygiene to school staff including teachers MoEST, USAID, STC, SSRP/SSDPs, MOHPP, UNICEF (WASH), NCE, UNICEF (Education), WASH District Committees, RDEOs, NECD, Food for Education Project, UNICEF (Nutrition) Literacy Support Distribution of school Supplies (computers and teaching materials) Training of teachers/school administrators on use of digital and printed material Targeted events to increase community awareness and engagement on the importance of education Establish library corners and e-libraries MoEST, OLE, WE, USAID, STC, SSRP DPs, UNICEF (Education), NCE WASH Support District WASH committees Establish school level WASH coordination committees Establish Child Clubs Capacity building and awareness generation of students and parents through trainings to school management committee members/schools staff/district level stakeholders Awareness generation campaigns on WASH IDS, UNICEF (WASH), NRCS, NCE, SSRP DPs, District WASH Committees Construction and rehabilitation Distribution of school furniture and equipment Provide kitchen and cooking utensils NRCS, MoEST, UNICEF (WASH), NRCS, NCE, SSRP DPs, District WASH Committees School Infrastructure Building latrines, kitchens, water stations Providing energy saving kitchen stoves GoN/AEPC, SSRP DPs, WASH District Committees, CEHRD, NRCS Capacity development Strengthening of the MoEST’s ability to use the electronic Standard Report System (eSPR) Develop implementation guidelines for Nepal’s national school feeding strategy UNICEF (Education), WE, WFP 82 28 June 2022 | Volume I Component Activity type Stakeholder List Assist the MoEST and MoF in developing annual funding strategies for the NSFP including public-private partnerships and innovative government partnerships (These are dependent on the successful completion and full adoption of Govt school feeding strategy pending under the new federal structure) Capacitate the government to run home-grown school feeding programme. Organize study visits for key education officials as tool for learning Annexure IV: Expected Users of the report S.No. Expected Users Internal 1. WFP Country Office (CO) Nepal 2. WFP Regional Bureau for Asia based in Bangkok (RB) 3. WFP Head Quarters (HQ) 4. WFP Office of Evaluation (OEV) 5. WFP Executive Board (EB) 6. Other WFP Countries External 7. Beneficiaries 8. Government of Nepal 9. Local Government Bodies 83 28 June 2022 | Volume I S.No. Expected Users Internal 10. United Nations Country Team (UNCT) 11. Non-governmental organisations (WFP Nepal’s cooperating partners) 12. USDA Food Assistance 13. Division (FAD) 14. UNDAF WASH group 15. Local Education Development Partner Group (LEDPG) 84 28 June 2022 | Volume I Annexure V: Team Profile Dharmendra Chandurkar (Team Leader and Evaluation Specialist): A leading development sector expert in the South Asia region, Dharmendra has worked extensively for the past 16 years across a wide range of sectors such as education, health, nutrition, food security, agriculture, livelihoods and WASH. He has pioneered innovative Monitoring Learning and Evaluations (MLE) techniques, Results Based Frameworks and contemporary lean data analytics based MLE and in doing so, he has championed the cause of MLE and impact assessments for informed policy development and decision making. He is known for spearheading complex evaluations and impactful research with a focus on robust designs allowing for real-time learning loops for programme implementation and for providing critical and evidence-based insights on socio￾economic, psychological, environmental stress and its causal linkages and resilience mechanism. His experiences encompass leading multidisciplinary teams in designing and implementing evaluations using both experimental and quasi-experimental techniques and mixed methods. With this unparalleled experience and unique expertise, Dharmendra has come to be regarded as a thought leader in the space and as a founding member of the Community of Evaluators, is involved in plotting the disciplines current and future discourse. His roster of clients cut across the development sector value chain to include government agencies, UN agencies, multi-lateral and bi-lateral organizations, international foundations and NGOs and grass root NGOs and civil society entities. Dharmendra currently serves as the Chief Knowledge Officer at Sambodhi. He is a Postgraduate in Management Studies and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University. Dr. Birendra Bir Basnyat (Deputy Team Leader and Project Coordinator): Dr. Basnyat holds a Ph.D. in Agriculture and Environmental Science and Master’s degree in Extension Education and Rural Development. Dr Basnyat obtained his Ph.D. from the Department of Communication and Innovation Studies at Wageningen Agricultural University. With more than 40 years of experience in Agriculture and Rural Development in Nepal, Dr Basnyat has undertaken over 60 major consulting and technical assistance assignments on the planning formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of international and nationally funded agricultural and rural development programmes/projects in Nepal. He has extensive experience Monitoring and Evaluation, research studies on Food and Nutrition Security, education, and climate change. He has also good experience in climate change issues in the agriculture and natural resource management sectors including strategic review of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2) in Nepal for the GoN/National Planning Commission and the WFP. He has a proven track record in providing leadership, strategic direction, and high-level management support for complex projects with focus on agriculture and rural development, fertilizer sector management, agricultural mechanization, seed sector improvement, climate change adaptation, and gender equality, involving multidisciplinary teams, donors, governments, private sector, and cooperatives. Govind Prasad Koirala (Institutional Capacity Assessment Expert and Agri-Economist): Dr. Govind Prasad Koirala has over 43 years of experience in monitoring & evaluation, food security, rural development and agriculture economics, has worked as an institutional capacity and value chain expert for a vast number of projects. He has worked in the capacities of Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist to Asian Development Bank; Team Leader to National Planning Commission, Kathmandu, Nepal; Board Member and Consultant at NARMA, Kathmandu, Nepal and as a consultant/team lead in various monitoring and evaluation assignments where he was involved in economic analysis of value chains, assessment and design of local level value chain development strategies, preparing the monitoring frameworks and tools, survey methodology, participatory impact evaluations, identification and assessment of institutional models, infrastructure assessment, marketing linkages, sustainability and impacts on peoples’ livelihoods. He has also worked with various national and international organisations on projects in Nepal focussed on evaluation of food security and nutrition, micro-enterprise development, livelihood development and capacity building. Govind holds a Ph.D. (Ag. Economic) from University of Minnesota, USA and M.A. (Economics) from University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon city, Philippines. 85 28 June 2022 | Volume I Sabeena Mathayas (Education Expert): Sabeena is an education researcher and specialist with over 12 years of experience working across education levels and systems, literacy assessment, TVET/Skill development, and alternative learning solutions – designing, implementing, and evaluating education and skill development products, policies and programs. She has previously worked as a governance and capacity development specialist on education, skill development, and livelihoods. Her research focuses on the future of learning, gender progressive policy, socio-economic histories of education and learning, and lifelong learning societies. She is currently leading a capacity building mandate on M&E for the DMEO, Niti Aayog for Sambodhi. Prior to this she was a senior education specialist with NSDC. Sabeena’s dissertation for her doctorate in education was on India’s agenda on women’s education. Sabeena holds a Doctoral Degree in Education from University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, MN. Dr. Meenakshi Jain (Nutrition Expert): Meenakshi is a Health and Development Specialist with 20 years’ experience in various leadership positions with donors and international NGOs. She is proficient in programme design and management, government liaising and partner coordination. She has subject matter expertise in maternal and child health, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health and family planning. She has experience of working with cross cutting themes such as health worker training, health systems strengthening, urban health, e-learning and digital health. She has led multi-disciplinary teams to directly implement projects in large provincial geographies in India. She has worked with bilateral donors, governments and national and international NGOs including USAID, BMGF, FHI360, PATH, Mamta and IntraHealth International. She is a trained medical doctor with a Master’s degree in Community Medicine from Delhi University. She will participate in developing research design, methodology and framework, overall coordination of the project, Quality Assurance, Risk Management, analysis and Inputs in report writing. Meenakshi currently serves as Vice President – Public Health Practice at Sambodhi. Dr.Laxman Acharya (EGRA Expert): Dr Acharya has over 30 years of experience in teaching, research, coordination, and project evaluation. Working as a Managing Director at National Institute for Research and Training (NIRT) since its establishment in 2011, he played a lead role in coordinating and managing all NIRT projects. He worked as a Project Coordinator for NIRT while providing technical and logistics support to Ministry of Education during the preparation of Nepal’s ongoing School Sector Development Plan (SSDP 2016- 2022). He also played a lead role in USAID-led dissemination programme of the National Early Grade Reading Program for all Districts Education Officers (DEOs). In addition, he worked as a team leader to design conduct EGRA and EGMA in various districts for multiple non-governmental organisations. Dr Acharya holds a Doctoral Degree in Education from Kathmandu University School of Education, Nepal, and Master’s degree in Economics and Public Administration from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Mahendra Laxmi Sharma (Gender Expert): Mahendera Laxmi Sharma has over 25 years of experience working on various projects on gender and skill development. She has been associated with a plethora of national and international agencies like UN Women Nepal, CARE Nepal, Oxfam GB in Nepal, Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI), Canada Nepal Gender in Organization (CNGO). An expert on Rights Based Approach to Food and Nutrition Security, Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Gender, Equality and Empowerment of Women she has experience of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) assignments and in providing technical assistance for mainstreaming of gender equality and empowerment. Mahendra holds a master’s degree in Sociology from Sagarmatha Multiple College, Purbanchal University, Nepal and Post Graduate Diploma in Women's Studies from Tribhuban University, Nepal. She is currently an expert consultant with NARMA. Ramanshu Ganguly (Research Manager - Quantitative): Ramanshu, Assistant Vice President-Research, has 7 years of rich experience in driving evaluation studies in the domains of livelihoods, agriculture and climate change, renewable energy and natural resource management. He has worked in large scale livelihood projects for Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). He has also provided consultancy support to evaluation studies under NABARD and PRADAN. Apart 86 28 June 2022 | Volume I from these, he has also been engaged in socio-economic assessments of renewable energy projects such as Smart Power for Rural Development (SPRD) for the Rockefeller Foundation, Renewable Energy Supply in Rural Areas (RESRA) for GIZ and Rural Electrification Programme (REP) for the MLINDA Foundation. He has been extensively involved in conceptualizing various socio-economic welfare measurement tools and has successfully ensured their application on the ground. Ramanshu also brings on table the proficiency of handling different statistical analysis software such as SPSS, STATA and R. He is a Postgraduate in Management studies from IIFM, Bhopal. Zenia Taluja (Research Manager - Qualitative): With over 5 years of experience as a researcher and evaluation practioner, Zenia is experienced in utilizing mixed methods across themes such as gender, education, public health, and advocacy. Most recently she has been involved, as a core team member and evaluator, with the mid-term evaluation of USDA’s McGovern-Dole Food for Education programme in Nepal for the UN WFP and the evaluation of BMGF’s Policy, Advocacy and Communication Initiative (PAC) Investment to understand and assess the effectiveness of their advocacy investments in India. Zenia holds a master’s degree in Anthropology of Development and Social Transformation from University of Sussex. Elizabeth Lyn (Deputy Research Manager): Elizabeth has over 2 years of experience on evaluation of project studies on Education, Health, International Trade. She has previously worked as Research Associate at National Council for Applied economic Research, Delhi and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi. She holds a master’s degree in Economics from University of Madras. Annexure VI: WFP Strategic outcomes and interventions Strategic Outcome WFP’s intervention/ support Strategic Outcome 01- Affected populations in Nepal have timely access to adequate food and nutrition during and in the aftermath of natural disasters and/or other shocks • Organized general food assistance using both food and cash modalities, followed by emergency nutrition assistance through the distribution of specialized nutritious food. • Supported the Government to implement a blanket supplementary feeding programme in the five most affected districts for a period of three months. • Integrated social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) sessions into the overall emergency nutrition assistance for PLW and other caretakers of the children affected by floods. Strategic Outcome 02- Food-insecure people in targeted areas have improved nutrition throughout the key stages of the • WFP’s mother and child health and nutrition programme provided nutritious food to prevent malnutrition for PLW and children aged 6-23 months in districts of the Karnali where high stunting rates are most prevalent. • Supported nutrition education to health post staff in the Karnali, as part of the delivery of infant and young child feeding messages. • Strengthened the capacity of female community health volunteers to deliver these messages through health mothers’ group meetings. 87 28 June 2022 | Volume I Strategic Outcome WFP’s intervention/ support life cycle by 2025. • Renewed field level agreements with two cooperating partners – Manahari Development Institute (MDI) and Support Activities for Poor Producers of Nepal (SAPPROS) – which supported the distribution of WFP’s nutritious food. • Continued to provide meals of fortified rice, lentils and oil for children between pre-primary and eighth grade for over 200 school days in 11 food-insecure and remote districts. Also placed field coordinators in all implementing districts, increasing its oversight and technical assistance to schools receiving food. • Supported the Government to develop its first integrated national school meals implementation guideline, which sets up nutritional standards and management modalities for school meals in Nepal. • Expanded an evidence-based menu planner for nutritious school meals and continued receiving support on menu design, programme budgeting, food and nutrition education, and resource mobilization to scale-up Nepal’s national home-grown school feeding programme. Strategic Outcome 03- Vulnerable communities in remote, food￾insecure areas of Nepal have improved food security and resilience to climate and other shocks by 2030. • Worked with the Ministry of Forests and Environment, United Nations (UN) agencies and cooperating partners to assist vulnerable communities in shock￾prone areas to adapt to climate change and build long term resilience against these shocks through technical assistance, capacity strengthening and creation of assets. • Applied the food assistance-for-assets and food assistance-for-training modalities under the CAFS-Karnali and joint UN RWEE programmes to address the immediate needs of the target population through short-term employment, while also improving their long-term food security, access and resilience through productive assets. • Supported targeted community members in establishing innovative micro agri￾businesses, such as food processing methods, production-based enterprises and forest-based enterprises. • Carried out orientations to local governments and communities to further support their understanding of climate change, how it impacts them and measures to mitigate related shocks. • Under the Purnima and Build Back Better projects, WFP supported the rehabilitation of trails, roads and trail bridges in six districts of Province 3, helping to improve livelihoods, road access and connecting food-insecure communities to local markets. Strategic Outcome 04- The Government of Nepal has strengthened capabilities to provide essential food security and nutrition services and respond to crises by 2023. • In 2019, WFP completed construction for two of seven planned provincial Humanitarian Staging Areas (HSAs) in Dhanghadhi and Nepalgunj airports. • Supported the setup of Food Security Information Centres in three provinces and 12 municipalities as part of its support to the federalization of the Nepal Food Security Monitoring System, also known as NeKSAP and worked to strengthen household food security monitoring. • Supported the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development in crop yield forecasting and related capacity strengthening and cooperation. • WFP implemented Forecast-based Financing (FbF) activities in collaboration with GoN and other partners. • WFP supported the organization of disaster preparedness exercises (including simulations) and the installation of non-food item warehouses in four highly flood-prone communities. Strategic Outcome 05- Government efforts towards achieving Zero • Supports the Government’s formulation of rules and regulations for the Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act 2018. 88 28 June 2022 | Volume I Strategic Outcome WFP’s intervention/ support Hunger by 2030 are supported by inclusive and coherent policy frameworks across all spheres of government by 2023. • Contributed to finalizing the National 15th Five-year Plan Approach Paper (2019/20—2023/24), providing substantive inputs on the sections on food security and nutrition, agriculture, cooperatives and poverty alleviation. • Provided inputs for the Food Bill (Karnali Province) to promote the production and conservation of food as well as to ensure the right to food for its population. • Providing Technical support to the Karnali and Sudurpaschim provincial governments in several ways like preparing sectoral profiles, conducting food security and nutrition stakeholder mapping, contributing to the formulation of Disaster Risk Reduction Management Regulations, etc. • Supported the National Planning Commission to strengthen its National Nutrition and Food Security Secretariat in organizing food security-related policy and international, multisectoral meetings and events. 89 28 June 2022 | Volume I Annexure VII: International Aids in Nepal International body Programme Domains Geography United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nepal UNDP’s programmes for 2018-2022 will focus on areas related to inclusive economic growth, democratic governance, rule of law and human rights and resilience, disaster risk reduction and climate change182 Primarily target 3 geographic areas with lowest HDI in Nepal Province 2,6 and 7183 United States Agency for International Development (USAID Nepal) Agriculture and food security, Education, Democracy, human rights and governance, Earthquake reconstruction and disaster resilience, Economic growth, and trade, Environment, and global climate change 20 focus districts in the West, Mid￾West, and Far￾West regions as well as the 14 earthquake affected districts. Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) Nepal Women’s Economic Empowerment and Climate Justice, Gender Justice & Health & Educational Rights, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Gender in Emergencies184 Selected districts in Sudurpaschim, Lumbini, Gandaki, Bagmati, Province 1, Province 2 World Health Organisation (WHO) Advancing universal health coverage in a federalized governance structure, effective delivery of priority public health programmes, enhance health security, disaster preparedness and response, multisectoral engagement and partnerships for improved health outcomes Country level United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) UNICEF’s programmes for 2018-2022 will focus on areas related to health, nutrition, child protection, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, and social protection.185 Country level Plan International, Nepal Education and child protection in emergencies, WASH, shelter and non-food items, health, food security and livelihoods-Emergency Response186 Education and early childhood development, health and hygiene, cash transfers, child protection-COVID￾19 Response187 Presence in 8 districts of Nepal and working through partners in 42 districts across the whole country 182 Our focus | UNDP in Nepal. (2022). Retrieved 24 April 2022, from https://www.np.undp.org/content/nepal/en/home/our-focus.html 183 Country Programme Document for Nepal (2018-2022) | UNDP in Nepal. (2022). Retrieved 24 April 2022, from https://www.np.undp.org/content/nepal/en/home/library/legal_framework/cpd-nepal-2018-to-2022.html 184 CARE Nepal. (2022). Retrieved 24 April 2022, from https://www.carenepal.org/ 185 Country Programme Action Plan 2019-2022, Available at: https://www.unicef.org/nepal/media/191/file/CPAP%202018- 2022.pdf 186 (2022). Retrieved 24 April 2022, from https://plan-international.org/nepal/what-we-do/emergency-response/ 187 (2022). Retrieved 24 April 2022, from https://plan-international.org/nepal/what-we-do/covid-19-response/ 90 28 June 2022 | Volume I International body Programme Domains Geography Helen Keller International Nepal Activities include essential nutrition actions, homestead food production, local multisector governance, and improved nutrition interpersonal communication. Also using ARCH research to advocate for improved programmes for infant and young child nutrition, and COVID-19 response188. Country Level 188 Using ARCH research to advocate for improved programmes for infant and young child nutrition, Available at: https://archnutrition.org/where-we-work/nepal/ 91 28 June 2022 | Volume I Annexure VIII: Planned and Actual Target Beneficiaries Components Districts Remarks Achham Bajhan g Bajura Baitadi Doti Dadeldhur a Darchul a Rukum East Rukum West Jajarko t Dailekh SM P Actual Benefic aries 33727 31240 16768 25952 22000 11999 13566 7218 10045 26000 20300 Planne d Benefic aries 33727 31240 16768 25952 22000 11999 13566 7218 10045 26000 20300 Figure includes number of school children of grade ECD to VIII Male 15826 14601 7917 12208 10321 5643 6385 3422 5158 12606 9767 Female 17901 16639 8851 13744 11697 6356 7181 3796 10045 13394 10533 Age (Range) (2-17)yrs (2- 17)yrs (2- 17)yrs (2- 17)yrs (2- 17)yrs (2-17)yrs (2- 17)yrs (2- 17)yrs (2-17)yrs (2- 17)yrs (2-17)yrs WA SH Actual Benefic aries 39,787 39,152 19,792 31,925 25,507 14,692 17,649 8,487 11,558 31,965 26,096 Planne d Benefic aries 39,466 38,694 19,556 31,517 25,174 14,566 17,425 8,328 11,370 31,573 25,568 Figure includes school children and school teachers who were trained Male 19,582 19.435 9,800 15,957 12,584 7,390 8,959 4,311 5,929 16,375 13,243 Female 20,205 19.717 9,992 15,968 12,923 7,302 8,690 4,176 5,629 15,590 12,853 92 28 June 2022 | Volume I Age (Range) (5-60) yrs (5-60) yrs (5-60) yrs (5-60) yrs (5-60) yrs (5-60) yrs (5-60) yrs (5-60) yrs (5-60) yrs (5-60) yrs (5-60) yrs EGR Actual Benefic aries 69976 37266 29158 10113 11975 41986 Planne d Benefic aries 70182 37398 29298 10179 11970 42253 Figure includes Students, School Teahers and School Administrators who were trained Male 31333 15544 13566 5194 5924 17906 Female 38643 21722 15592 4919 6051 24080 Age (Range) (5-70) yrs (5-70) yrs (5-70) yrs (5-70) yrs (5-70) yrs (5-70) yrs DL Actual Benefic aries 182 3494 140 999 1595 524 955 0 0 1089 87 Planne d Benefic aries 70 5384 49 1800 2163 600 1503 0 0 1049 35 Male 163 1707 123 469 827 289 495 0 0 550 77 Female 19 1787 17 530 768 235 460 0 0 539 10 Age (Range) (20-60 yrs) (6-60) yrs (6-60) yrs (6-60) yrs (6-60) yrs (6-60) yrs (6-60) yrs (6-60) yrs (6-60) yrs (6-60) yrs (20-60) yrs SID P Actual Benefic aries 3844 (3684 St 4044 (3811 St. +233 Wkr) 93 28 June 2022 | Volume I + 160 wkr) Planne d Benefic aries 3951(36 96 st + 255 Wkr) 3809 (3684 St +125 wkr) 4000(3800 St + 200Wkr) Male 2026 (1826 St + 200 Wkr) 1883 (1778 St + 105 wkr) 2105 (1895 St + 210 Wkr) Female 1925 (1870 St + 55 Wkr) 1926 (1906 St + 20 wkr) 1939 (1916 St. + 23 Wkr) Age (Range) 5- 50years 5- 50years 5-50years Wkr means construction workers who benifitted 94 28 June 2022 | Volume I Annexure IX: Results Framework 95 28 June 2022 | Volume I WFP Nepal FY2017-2021 McGovern-Dole Proposal: Results Framework #2 96 28 June 2022 | Volume I 97 28 June 2022 | Volume I 98 1 May 2022 | Volume I Annexure X: Performance Indicators for Evaluation of FY17 Standard Indicator Number Result Number and Type Activities Indicators Targets Standard Indicator Number Activity Number Indicator Type Performance Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 1 1 Outcome Number of students regularly (80%) attending USDA supported classrooms/schools 120,000 130,000 116,900 115,200 2 4 Output Number of textbooks and other teaching and learning materials provided as a result of USDA assistance 63,066 63,066 63,066 53,544 3 4 Outcome Number of school administrators and officials in target schools who demonstrate the use of new techniques or tools as a result of USDA assistance 2,709 2,935 3,164 3,080 4 4 Output Number of school administrators and officials trained as a result of USDA assistance 4,515 4,515 4,520 4,106 5 4 Outcome Number of teachers and teaching assistants in target schools who demonstrate the use of new and quality teaching techniques or tools as a result of USDA assistance 2,054 1,785 1,931 1,739 6 4 Output Number of teachers and teaching assistants trained or certified as a result of USDA assistance 3,020 2,445 2,475 2,095 7 7 Output Number of educational facilities (school kitchens and institutionally improved cooking stoves) rehabilitated or constructed as a result of USDA assistance 0 70 70 70 8 2, 1 Outcome Number of students enrolled in school receiving USDA assistance 200,000 200,000 167,000 144,000 99 28 June 2022 | Volume I Standard Indicator Number Result Number and Type Activities Indicators Targets Standard Indicator Number Activity Number Indicator Type Performance Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 9 1,4 Output Number of Parent￾Teacher Associations (PTA) or School Management Committees (SMC)/ Food Management Committees supported as a result of USDA assistance 1,500 1,500 1,000 1,000 15 1 Output Number of daily school meals (lunch) provided to school-age children as a result of USDA assistance 40,000,000 40,000,00 0 33,400,000 28,800,00 0 16 1 Output Number of school-age children receiving daily school meals (lunch) as a result of USDA assistance 200,000 200,000 167,000 144,000 17 3,6 Output Number of social assistance beneficiaries participating in productive safety nets as a result of USDA assistance 200,000 209,115 176,115 153,115 18 3 Output Number of individuals trained in child health and nutrition as a result of USDA assistance 1,500 1,500 0 2,000 19 3 Outcome Number of individuals who demonstrate the use of new child health and nutrition practices as a result of USDA assistance 750 900 0 1600 20 6, 5 Output Number of individuals trained in safe food preparation and storage as a result of USDA assistance 4,000 4,060 2,000 4,000 21 6, 5 Outcome Number of individuals who demonstrate use of new safe food preparation and storage practices as a result of USDA assistance 2,400 2,639 1,400 3,200 22 3 Output Number of schools using an improved water source 0 20 40 60 24 3 Output Number of students receiving deworming medication(s) 200,000 200,000 167,000 144,000 25 7 Number of child health and nutrition strategies and guidelines in each of the following stages of development as a result of USDA assistance: 100 28 June 2022 | Volume I Standard Indicator Number Result Number and Type Activities Indicators Targets Standard Indicator Number Activity Number Indicator Type Performance Indicator Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 25 7 Output - Stage 1: Analyzed 0 2 0 0 25 7 Output - Stage 2: Drafted and presented for public/stakeholder consultation 0 0 2 0 25 7 Outcome - Stage 4: Passed/Approved 0 0 1 1 25 7 Outcome - Stage 5: Passed for which implementation has begun 0 0 0 2 26 4 Outcome Percent of students who, by the end of two grades of primary schooling, demonstrate that they can read and understand the meaning of grade level text 20 25 30 35 27 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 Output Number of individuals benefiting directly from USDA-funded interventions 214,535 223,135 186,110 166,316 28 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 Output Number of individuals benefiting indirectly from USDA-funded interventions 858,140 892,540 744,440 665,264 Programme level Endline Results: Standard Indicator Number Result Number and Type Activities Indicators Achievement Standard Indicator Number Activity Number Indicator Type Performance Indicator Project Comparis on Transition Non￾Transition WASH + SMP WASH + SMP + EGR 26 4 Outcome Percent of students who, by the end of two grades of primary schooling, demonstrate that they can read and understand the meaning of grade level text 0 (N =1560) (n= 0) 0 (N =710) (n= 0) 0 (N= 559) (n= 0) 0 (N=1001) (n = 0) 0 (N =763) (n= 0) 0 (N =797) (n = 0) 101 28 June 2022 | Volume I Standard Indicator Number Result Number and Type Activities Indicators Achievement Standard Indicator Number Activity Number Indicator Type Performance Indicator Project Comparis on Transition Non￾Transition WASH + SMP WASH + SMP + EGR 1 1 Outcome Percent of students regularly (80%) attending USDA supported classrooms/schools 57.3 (N = 1643) (n = 941) 53.0 (N = 704) (n = 373) 64.1 (N= 760) (n = 487) 51.4 (N = 883) (n = 454) 61.2 (N = 1032) (n = 632) 50.6 (N = 611) (n = 309) 2 4 Output Percent of schools receiving textbooks and other teaching and learning materials provided as a result of USDA assistance 18.4 (N = 147) (n = 27) 5.6 (N = 71) (n = 4) 27.4 (N = 73) (n = 20) 9.5 (N = 74) (n = 7) 11.84 (N = 76) (n = 9) 25.4 (N = 71) (n = 18) 3 4 Outcome Percent of school administrators and officials in target schools who demonstrate the use of new techniques or tools as a result of USDA assistance 22.5 (N =40) (n = 9) 10.0 (N =10) (n = 1) 5.6 (N =18) (n = 1) 36.4 (N =22) (n = 8) 33.3 (N =21) (n = 7) 10.5 (N =19) (n = 2) 4 4 Output Percentage of school administrators and officials trained as a result of USDA assistance 32.1 (N =159) (n = 51) 9.2 (N =76) (n = 7) 28.0 (N =75) (n = 21) 35.7 (N =84) (n = 30) 36.7 (N =79) (n = 29) 27.5 (N = 80) (n = 22) 5 4 Outcome Percentage of teachers and teaching assistants in target schools who demonstrate the use of new and quality teaching techniques or tools as a result of USDA assistance 4.17 (N= 48) (n = 2) 25.0 (N= 8) (n = 2) 3.3 (N= 30) (n = 1) 5.6 (N= 18) (n = 1) 8.3 (N= 12) (n = 1) 2.86 (N= 35) (n = 1) 102 28 June 2022 | Volume I Standard Indicator Number Result Number and Type Activities Indicators Achievement Standard Indicator Number Activity Number Indicator Type Performance Indicator Project Comparis on Transition Non￾Transition WASH + SMP WASH + SMP + EGR 6 4 Output Percentage of teachers and teaching assistants trained or certified as a result of USDA assistance 30.1 (N= 155) (n = 48) 31.7 (N= 79) (n = 25) 41.1 (N= 73) (n = 30) 22.0 (N= 82) (n = 18) 15.6 (N= 77) (n = 12) 45.5 (N = 77) (n =35) 7 7 Output Percentage of educational facilities (school kitchens and institutionally improved cooking stoves) rehabilitated or constructed as a result of USDA assistance 24.7 (N = 158) (n = 39) 3.9 (N = 77) (n = 3) 24.3 (N = 75) (n = 18) 25.3 (N = 83) (n = 21) 25.6 (N = 78) (n = 20) 24.1 (N = 79) (n = 19) 8 2, 1 Outcome Average number of students enrolled in school receiving USDA assistance 67.21795 (N = 156) 52.63291 (N = 79) 59.71622 (N = 74) 73.9878 (N = 82) 67.94872 (N = 78) 66.48718 (N = 78) 9 1,4 Output Percentage of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) or School Management Committees (SMC)/ Food Management Committees supported as a result of USDA assistance 100.0 (N= 159) (n= 159) 98.7 (N= 76) (n= 75) 100.0 (N= 75) (n= 75) 100.0 (N= 84) (n= 84) 100.0 (N= 79) (n= 79) 100.0 (N= 80) (n= 80) 15 1 Output Percentage school￾age children provided daily school meals (lunch) as a result of USDA assistance 91.2 (N= 147) (n= 134) 73.2 (N = 71) (n = 52) 87.7 (N= 64) (n= 73) 94.6 (N = 70) (n = 74) 89.7 (N= 97) (n= 87) 94.0 (N = 47) (n = 50) 16 1 Output Percentage school￾age children 92.4 90.1 90.2 95.0 90.9 93.9 103 28 June 2022 | Volume I Standard Indicator Number Result Number and Type Activities Indicators Achievement Standard Indicator Number Activity Number Indicator Type Performance Indicator Project Comparis on Transition Non￾Transition WASH + SMP WASH + SMP + EGR receiving daily school meals (lunch) as a result of USDA assistance (N = 614) (n = 567) (N= 283) (n= 255) (N= 335) (n= 302) (N= 279) (n= 265) (N = 307) (n = 279) (N = 307) (n = 288) 18 3 Output Percentage of individuals trained in child health and nutrition as a result of USDA assistance Head teacher 37.3 (N = 51) (n = 19) 42.8 (N =7) (N=3) 19.5 (N=21) (n=4) 50.0 (N=30) (n=15) 44.9 (N=29) (n=13) 27.3 (N= 22) (n = 6) Cooks 85.7 (N = 56) (n = 48) 66.6 (N = 6) (n = 4) 89.3 (N = 28) (n = 25) 82.1 (N = 28) (n = 21) 80.1 (N = 21) (n = 17) 88.1 (N = 35) (n = 31) Storekeepers 69.2 (N = 27) (n = 18) 70.1 (N = 17) (n =12) 66.7 (N=10) (n =6) 19 3 Outcome Percentage of individuals who demonstrate the use of new child health and nutrition practices as a result of USDA assistance Cooks 95.5 (N=154) (n=147) 96.2 (N= 78) (n = 75) 98.6 (N= 73) (n = 72) 92.6 (N= 81) (n = 75) 92.0 (N= 75) (n = 69) 98.7 (N= 79) (n = 78) 20 6, 5 Output Percentage of individuals trained in safe food preparation and storage as a result of USDA assistance Cooks 36.3 (N = 154) (n = 56) 7.7 (N = 78) (n = 6) 38.4 (N = 73) (n = 28) 34.6 (N = 81) (n = 28) 78.0 (N = 75) (n = 21) 44.3 (N = 79) (n = 35) Storekeepers 94.3 (N = 24) (n = 27) 66.7 (N = 6) (n = 10) 70.1 (N = 17) (n = 12) 104 28 June 2022 | Volume I Standard Indicator Number Result Number and Type Activities Indicators Achievement Standard Indicator Number Activity Number Indicator Type Performance Indicator Project Comparis on Transition Non￾Transition WASH + SMP WASH + SMP + EGR 21 6, 5 Outcome Percentage of individuals who demonstrate use of new safe food preparation and storage practices as a result of USDA assistance Cooks 99.35 (N = 153) (n = 154) 97.4 (N = 76) (n = 88) 98.6 (N = 73) (n = 72) 100.0 (N = 81) (n = 81) 100.0 (N = 75) (n = 75) 98.7 (N = 78) (n = 79) Storekeepers 29.6 (N = 27) (n = 8) 40.0 (N = 10) (n = 4) 23.5 (N = 17) (n = 4) 22 3 Output Percentage of schools using an improved water source 82.3 (N = 158) (n = 130) 77.1 (N = 60) (n = 77) 80.0 (N = 75) (n = 59) 84.3 (N = 83) (n = 70) 84.6 (N = 78) (n = 66) 79.8 (N = 79) (n = 63) 24 3 Output Percentage of students receiving deworming medication(s) 98.5 (N = 93) 98.3 (N = 40) 99.1 (N= 41) 98.1 (N=52) 99.1 (N=40) 98.1 (N =53) 105 1 May 2022 | Volume I Annexure XI: Evaluation Matrix Evaluation criteria Importance of the evaluation Areas of enquiry Corresponding evaluation questions Data Collection Sources Data Analysis Data Availability/ reliability Relevance Questions around the relevance of the programme will ascertain the extent to which the intervention, its objectives, and design continue to respond to beneficiary needs as well as global, country, partner needs, policies, and priorities. • Alignment of programme activities and objectives with Nepal’s education and school feeding policies and strategies. • Change in the Programme design and activities over the Programme duration • How well/ to what extent was the programme aligned with Nepal government’s education and school feeding policies and strategies? • Secondary Review: o Programme documents o Annual Plans o Programme monitoring reports • Qualitative Survey o Key Informant Interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, Officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN o FGD with Community members • Narrative review of secondary data • Data triangulation: secondary data and qualitative findings. Strong • Assess the extent to which programme design has a gender and other social indicators to address the GEWE issues in the Nepalese context • How well the programme was designed to address the GEWE issues in the Nepalese context? • Assess the coverage of programme activities in terms of: 1. Gender equity 2. Socio-economic characteristics 3. Demographic and topographic characteristics • To what extent have the programme’s interventions reached the right beneficiaries (boys, girls, women), with the right type of assistance? 106 28 June 2022 | Volume I Effectiveness Effectiveness will help understand the extent to which learning and nutrition requirements of the school -going children in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces of Nepal have been addressed. • Assess improved literacy of school -age children 1. Improved quality of literacy instruction 2. Improved attentiveness 3. Improved student attendance • Assess increased use of dietary health practices 1. Improved knowledge of health and hygiene 2. Increase knowledge of Safe Food Preparation and Storage Practices 3. Increased knowledge of nutrition 4. Increase access to clean water and sanitation services 5. Increased access to requisite food preparation and storage tools and equipment • To what extent are the programme achievements in accordance with the envisaged change? How effective was the school meal operation (all components) with regards to results (output, outcome, and impact) achieved by the project at this stage? • Have the activities been performed adequately to reach the intended outputs and outcomes? To what extent were the set targets met by the project? What were the best practices that contribute to meeting targets? What were the challenges and lessons learned? • To what extent have the outputs and outcomes for • Quantitative survey: • Structured interviews with parents (PS412, PS431, PS432, PS433, PS434, PS435, PS437, PS445, PS446, PS4412, PS4413, PS452) • Structured interviews with teachers/ head teacher (HT49, HT410, HT413, HT51, HT52, HT53, HT54, HT517, HT527 - 530, HT531, HT61 -628, HT71 - 711, Ht81 -89, TS419, TS420, TS423 -4216, TS431, TS441) • Structured interviews with cooks/storekeepers (CS4211, CS4213, CS4312 -4319, CS441, SK331, SK332, SK336, SK341, SK343, SK345) • Qualitative survey: • Key informant Interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, Officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN • Focus Group Discussions with community members and students (Grade VIII) • Case studies • EGRA analysis • Gender disaggregated analysis • Thematic analysis • Data triangulation: Qualitative and quantitative findings Strong 107 28 June 2022 | Volume I men, women, boys and girls, and other relevant socioeconomic categories achieved (likely to be achieved)? • To what extent have all stakeholders been involved in the programme’s activities? (Including different community members) • Review the programme implementation and programme monitoring activity • To what extent have the processes, systems, analysis, and tools been put in place to support the project design and implementation? How do the systems support monitoring & evaluation and reporting, including the specific arrangements (e.g., third -party monitoring to • Secondary review: to ensure reliability of findings • Programme Documents • Programme monitoring reports • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, Officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN • Case studies 108 28 June 2022 | Volume I complement WFP Nepal field monitoring)? • Assess whether WFP Programme objectives are in line with the revised education policy and programmes of other organizations such as GoN (MoEST MoHP, MoESTP, MoWCSW, MoALD, NPC), Development Partners (UN, INGOs, NGO) • In the context of the changing structure of governance in Nepal (federal system), the current modalities and administrative structure would be affected? What has been the effect of these changes on each component of the school meals programme? • To what degree has the project resulted in the expected overall results? How have the internal and external factors affected the programme’s ability to create changes during the FY17 cycle? • Secondary review: to ensure reliability of findings • National policy documents, • EMIS • FLASH reports • Reports and documents of relevant Programmes • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, Officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN 109 28 June 2022 | Volume I • Assess if the programme has facilitated female leadership amongst teaching groups and has the same increased since the implementation of the programme/ baseline assessment. • Assess gender -sensitive programme design and implementation particularly in complementary activities • To what effect does the programme influence the performance of girls? • What is the extent to which there is equal participation by women in running the School Feeding programme? • To what extent are gender - specific effects created by the project? • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, Officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN • Case studies • Focus Group Discussions with Grade VIII students • Quantitative survey: • Structured interviews with parents (PS442, PS446, PS482) • Structured interviews with teachers/ head teacher (HT58, HT519, HT618, HT622, HT81 - 85, TS441, TS447) • Structured interviews with cooks (CS4317) • Assess the impact of COVID 19 in the programme areas and communities • To what extent has COVID 19 impacted the programme communities and beneficiaries of the programme, i.e., schools, students, parents, and teachers? How has the programme execution been affected by the pandemic? • Secondary review: to ensure reliability of findings • National policy documents • Reports and documents of relevant Programmes • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, Officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN • Quantitative survey: 110 28 June 2022 | Volume I • Structured interviews with parents (PS433C, PS471, PS472, PS473) • Structured interviews with teachers/head teacher (HT91- 910, TS442-447) Structured interviews with cooks (CS4410-4412) Efficiency Questions around efficiency will help us understand if the return from the programme, vis-a-vis investments was at par with other WFP initiatives in other countries as well as in Nepal. • Review transfer cost, cost per beneficiary, and the timelines of delivery • What was the efficiency of the programme, in terms of transfer cost, cost per beneficiary, logistics, timeliness of delivery? • At ELE, has the programme achieved the planned outputs? • Have the beneficiaries and other stakeholders received their benefits within the expected timeframe? • Secondary review: to ensure reliability of findings o Programme Documents o Reports and documents of relevant Programme ● Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN • FGD with Community members • Data triangulation: qualitative findings and findings from secondary review. Fair 111 28 June 2022 | Volume I • Assess the coordination and collaboration mechanisms between activities as well as their link to larger WFP operations. • Analyse the success of other similar development Programme in the region. • Review the extent of monitoring activity of the programme. • Assess the participation of Schools and communities in driving the programme • How are the different activities of the McGovern -Dole programme synergetic with other WFP operations? • What are the other actors doing to contribute to WFP’s overriding educational objectives in Nepal? • How were resources invested to address gender issues? Was the resource allocation sufficient to meet program targets? • What was the efficiency of the WFP Nepal’s accountability mechanism “Namaste WFP”? ● Secondary review: o Programme Documents o Reports and documents of relevant Programmes ● Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN • Influence of COVID -19 on resource allocation of FFECN • How did the COVID -19 pandemic impact the fund flow of the programme? Did ● Secondary review: o Review of periodic budget charts ● Qualitative survey: 112 28 June 2022 | Volume I the funding priorities change, considering the pandemic? • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN Impact Impact questions will help us understand if the programme has been able to ensure or create a direction of the achievement of wider results at the beneficiary, programme or the policy level? Is it, intentionally or unintentionally, creating a systemic shift, or has been situated at a micro (beneficiary) level? • Assess the intended and unintended long -term effects on beneficiaries and institutional arrangement and capacities • What are the intended and unintended long - term impacts on beneficiaries, institutional arrangements, and capacities? • To what degree has the McGovern -Dole programme made progress towards the outcomes in the project -level framework? • What were the internal and external factors affecting the project’s ability to deliver impact? How WFP Nepal work out to mitigate these challenges? • How was the impact of the project on direct beneficiaries (students, • Secondary review : • National policy documents • Reports and documents of relevant Programme • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN • FGDs with community members and students • Quantitative survey: • Structured interviews with teachers/parents (PS453, PS455, HT55 -527,TS441) • Gender disaggregated analysis • Thematic analysis • Data triangulation: qualitative and quantitative findings • Strong 113 28 June 2022 | Volume I teachers, cook) and indirect beneficiaries (parents, community) of the project? Are local committees (parent -teachers associations (PTA), School Management Committee (SMC), Food Management Committee (FMC), Child Clubs, farmers groups, etc.) fully involved in and contributing towards school feeding? • How effective were the project interventions in changing cultural taboos in the community related to girl’s education, menstruation and hygiene and caste discrimination? What were the effects of the intervention on different marginalized groups? 114 28 June 2022 | Volume I • Influence of COVID -19 on the programme? • Are there any foreseeable influences of COVID -19 on the long -term impacts of the programme? • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews • Case Studies • Semi-structured interviews Sustainability This is crucial to understand whether the programme has been able to influence the policy or systems within the space of learning and nutrition in Nepal or other ways, the extent to which the benefits generated by the project will or are likely to continue post the project cycle. • Assess the challenges and lessons learnt during 1. Programme Design 2. Implementation • Assess challenges and lessons learnt while working around 1. Institutional structures 2. Funding sources 3. Beneficiaries 4. Policy level implications • To what extent the programme is sustainable in the following areas: a strategy for sustainability; sound policy alignment; stable funding and budgeting; quality programme design; institutional arrangements; local production and sourcing; partnership and coordination; community participation, equity, and ownership? • Secondary review: • National policy documents • Reports and documents of relevant Programme • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews • Semi-structured interviews • Case studies • Narrative review of secondary data • Analysis of qualitative data • Data Triangulation: Qualitative findings from stakeholder interviews and secondary data Fair • Assess the stakeholder’s views/needs on Programme take over in terms of 1. Funding 2. The interest of the DPs 3. Political environment • How has the Nepal government progressed towards developing a nationally owned school feeding programme? • Secondary review : • National policy documents • Reports and documents of relevant Programme • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews • Case studies • Semi structured interviews 115 28 June 2022 | Volume I 4. Social/cultural context Collaborations and partnerships • Assess the community settings and dynamics, the socio -cultural landscape of the areas where the programme is implemented • Assess if the Programme design is sensitive to these community dynamics and if they have the potential to pose challenges or support the programme • Assess if such conditions can affect the sustainability of the Programme and its acceptability • To what degree the local communities (PTAs, farmers groups, etc.) of Nepal are involved in and contributing towards the school feeding? • What is the level of readiness of GoN to take full handover and implement a nationally owned school feeding programme? • What are community -level systems of governance and management required for the successful implementation and sustainability of school meal programmes? • How did the operational and maintenance mechanisms develop for the sustainability of this programme? • Secondary review : • National policy documents • Reports and documents of relevant Programme • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews • Case studies • Semi structured interviews • FDG with Community members 116 28 June 2022 | Volume I • Do policy shifts incorporate any gender-specific amendments? Have the participating schools ensured that no gender is discriminated against in any extension of the programme component? • Influence of COVID-19 on the sustainability of FFECN in Nepal? • To what extent will GoN still prioritise institutional setup necessary for the programme after the COVID-19 aftermath? • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN 117 28 June 2022 | Volume I Coherence Coherence will enable us to comment on whether the intervention aided or undermined other interventions by WFP or the government and other development partners? • Assess the additionality of the intervention to existing initiatives by WFP or the government • How has the McGovern-Dole project and its specific components complemented the already existing efforts and programmes of the GoN and/or other organisations working in the region? • To what extent is the intervention adding value without duplicating the efforts of other projects in the education sector in Nepal? • How is the project synergetic with other WFP operations and with what other actors are doing to contribute to WFP’s overriding educational objectives in Nepal? • To what extent was the intervention design and delivery in line with human rights principles • Secondary review: • National policy documents • Reports and documents of relevant Programme • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN • Semi-structured interviews • Narrative review of secondary data • Data triangulation: secondary data and qualitative findings. Strong 118 28 June 2022 | Volume I and standards, including gender equality and women empowerment, and wider equity issues? Adequacy Questions around adequacy will help understand the programme outreach. • Assess the extent to which the Programme targets (outcomes and Impact) have been met • Have the activities been performed adequately to reach the intended outputs and outcomes? • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN o Case studies. o FGD with community members and students • Quantitative survey: • Structured interviews with parents (PS431, PS432, PS435, PS436, PS4413, PS461, PS471) • Structured interviews with teachers/ head teacher (TS419-427, TS421-423, TS4212, HT49, HT410, HT51- 54, HT517, HT530, HT531, HT612, HT184, HT88) • Thematic analysis • Gender disaggregated analysis • Data Triangulation: Quantitative and qualitative findings, as well as secondary data Fair 119 28 June 2022 | Volume I • Structured interviews with cooks/storekeepers (CS421, CS441, SK341) • Assess the reach of the activities in terms of 1. Geographic coverage 2. Demographic coverage • Have their scope and reach been adequate? • Secondary review: • Programme Documents Transparency It will help in understanding if relevant stakeholders were involved. • Assess the engagement/participation of beneficiaries/stakeholders during 1. Design phase 2. Implementation 3. Programme monitoring • To what extent have all stakeholders been involved in the programme’s activities? • Qualitative survey: • FGDs with community members • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN • Case studies • Thematic analysis of qualitative data Fair Timeliness Assessment of timeliness will provide information on the planned and actual execution. • Assess the planned and actual timeline for implementation of each component • To what extent have the programme’s activities been implemented in a timely manner? • Have the beneficiaries, and other stakeholders received their benefits within the expected timeframe? • What measures were taken to • Secondary review: to ensure reliability of findings • Programme implementation reports • Programme Monitoring reports/database • School database • Qualitative survey: • Key informant interviews of District Officials, Project Implementors, Local government representatives, officials from MoEST, CEHRD, FFECN • Thematic analysis • Data Triangulation: Quantitative and qualitative findings, as well as secondary data Weak 120 28 June 2022 | Volume I avoid delays, given the COVID context? • Case studies • Quantitative survey: • Structured interviews with parents/teachers (PS437, PS471, HT49, HT413, HT52, HT91-97, TS443, TS444) 121 1 May 2022 | Volume I Annexure XII: Data Collection Tools Structured Interview Tool for Cooks USDA McGovern-Dole Food for Education Programme in Nepal- Evaluation General Instruction: The present tool consists of 3 sections; Introduction and consent form, semi￾structured interview with cook, food preparation and storage Section 1: Interviewer Information (for creation of a file) Q. No Question Response Skip CS11 Code of the Interviewer CS12 Name of the Interviewer CS13 Start Time HH MM Auto generated CS14 End Time HH MM Auto generated Section 2: Identification of the School Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip CS21 Code of the school (Government) CS21A School EMIS Code CS22 Name of the school CS23 Name of the Gaunpalika/ Municipality CS23A Ward Number CS23B Name of village CS24 Code of the Gaunpalika/ Municipality 122 28 June 2022 | Volume I CS25 Code of the District CS25A Name of the District CS25B Type of school 1=Project 2=Comparison If coded 2, skip to CS28 CS26 ASK ONLY IF, CODED 1 IN CS25A Type of Implementation? 1=WASH + SMP 2=WASH +SMP+EGR CS27 UID of the Cook It is Auto-filled, will not show in the tab CS28 Contact Number: Section 3: Introduction and Consent 1. Consent Form for cooks Hello, my name is ________________________________________. We represent a group of researchers studying the Food for Education programme in your region in collaboration with World Food Programme, Nepal. Our study aims to assess the nutritional, dietary and hygiene habits among students in grade 3, 5, 6 and 8. The study will be carried out across 225 primary schools in Nepal, and the primary school in your area has been selected for this purpose. In this regard, we want to interview you to understand the how you prepare food for mid-day meal programme. Your participation in this research will be kept confidential and is entirely voluntary. You and other participants in the study will only be identified by a study number, not by name. Withdrawal with no adverse consequences is possible at any time without having to give a reason. All the answers that you provide will be kept private — only researchers will have access to this information. You may choose not to participate in the interview and can stop the interview at any time or ask me to clarify any question. There is no financial reimbursement for taking part in the study. Once again, any information provided by you shall be kept confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We request you to provide your consent to conduct the interview. Do we have your permission to do so? 1 = Yes (Thank you and proceed for the interview) 0= No (Thank you and end interview) Do you have any questions for me now? 123 28 June 2022 | Volume I Note: ANSWER QUESTIONS AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE AND PROCEED Sl. No. Item Check 1 Do you confirm that you have understood the information for the above study and have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily? 1= YES 0=NO 2 Do you confirm that you understand that your participation in this study is voluntary and that you can stop the interview at any time without giving a reason? 1= YES 0=NO 3 Do you confirm that you understand that if you decide to stop the interview all data collected will be destroyed? 1= YES 0=NO 4 Do you confirm that you agree to take part in the study? 1= YES 0=NO 5 Do you confirm that you understand that any information used in writing up the study findings will be used anonymously, and that you give your consent to this? 1= YES 0=NO 6 Do we have permission to continue? 1= YES 0=NO Section 4: Cook Interview Schedule Module 1: Cook Characteristics Q. No Question Response Skip CS411 Name of the cook CS412 Sex of the cook 1= Male 2= Female 3= Transgender 4=Prefer not to answer CS413 Age of the cook In completed years CS414 What is your caste? (Only ask if caste cannot be clearly determined from surname) 1=Brahmin, Chhettri, Thakuri, Sanyasi Caste 2=Dalit 3=Newar 4=Ethnic group (other than Newar) 124 28 June 2022 | Volume I 5=Madhesi 6=Muslim 7=Don’t want to specify 88=Others (Specify) CS415 How long have you been working as a cook in this school? (if more than 2 years please specify) 1= 6 months to 1 year 2= 1 year to 2 years 3= more than 2 years (please specify) Module 2: Kitchen safety and availability of equipment/resources Q. No Question Response Skip CS421 Does your school have a dedicated kitchen? 1 = Yes 2= No If yes, go to CS423 CS422 If no separate kitchen, where do you prepare food? 1= Inside school premise (open air) 2= Inside school premise (roofed shed) 3= Outside school premise (open air) 4= Outside school premise (roofed shed) 5= At village 6=At own home 88=Others (specify) Skip to CS427 CS423 Is the kitchen lockable? ASK QUESTION +OBSERVATION 1 = Yes 2= No CS424 Is the kitchen properly ventilated and hygienic? Look for windows, ventilation, chimney ASK QUESTION +OBSERVATION 1 = Yes 2= No CS425 Is there any evidence of water spillage or leakage from roof in the kitchen? ASK QUESTION +OBSERVATION 1 = Yes 2= No CS426 Is there any evidence of presence of insects over the last month in the kitchen? ASK QUESTION +OBSERVATION 1 = Yes 2= No 125 28 June 2022 | Volume I CS427 Do you use improved cooking stoves? ASK QUESTION +OBSERVATION 1 = Yes 2= No If yes skip to CS428 CS427A If no, what do you use? CS428 Do you have adequate cooking utensils? ASK QUESTION +OBSERVATION 1 = Yes 2= No CS429 What is the main source of drinking water? 1=Piped water into dwelling, plot, or yard 2= Public tap/standpipe 3= Tube well/borehole 4= Protected dug well 5= Protected spring 6= Rainwater collection 7= Unprotected spring 8= Cart with small tank/drum 9= Tanker truck 10= Surface water (river, dam, lake, pond, stream, canal, or irrigation channel) 11= Bottled water 12= Children carry water from home 88=Others (specify) CS4210 What is the main source of water for cooking? 1=Piped water into dwelling, plot, or yard 2= Public tap/standpipe 3= Tube well/borehole 4= Protected dug well 5= Protected spring 6= Rainwater collection 7= Unprotected spring 8= Cart with small tank/drum 9= Tanker truck 10= Surface water (river, dam, lake, pond, stream, canal, or irrigation channel) 11= Bottled water 12= Children carry water from home 126 28 June 2022 | Volume I 88=Others (specify) CS4211 Are the cooks clean and well-groomed? (Clean hands and clothes) DIRECT OBSERVATION 1 = Yes 2= No CS4212 Do you have a uniform or apron for use in the kitchen? (SQ) ASK QUESTION +OBSERVATION 1 = Yes 2= No CS4212A Do you use cooking gloves in the kitchen? 1=Yes 2=No CS4213 How often to do you clean the kitchen? Multiple response possible 1 =Before food preparation 2 =Often during the day and after use 3 = After food preparation 4 = At the end of the week 88 = Others (specify) CS4214 Have you ever fallen short of food materials? 1 = Yes 2= No If no, Go to CS 431 CS4215 What do you fall short of the most? 1 = Rice/Lentils 2 = Oil 3 = Salt 4 = Vegetables 88 = Others (Specify) CS4216 Why do you fall short of food materials? Multiple response possible 1= Inadequate supply 2= Lack of funds 3= Erratic supply 88= Others (specify) Module 3: Food Preparation Q. No Question Response Skip CS431 What is the most important thing to check in food before cooking? Multiple response possible 1= Expiry date 2= Packaging 3= Color of the food 4= Presence of pests 127 28 June 2022 | Volume I 5= Source of food 6= Color of the package 88=Others (specify) CS432 How do you ensure that food is safe and clean before cooking? (SQ) Multiple response possible 1=Rinse it in water and cook 2=Remove unwanted food matters then cook 3= Use clean containers to collect it from the store 4=remove foreign matters and then wash it with clean water thoroughly before cooking 88= Others (specify) CS433 How do you store cooked food prior to serving the pupils? (SQ) Multiple response possible 1=Store cooked food in covered cooking pots in a clean, safe place before serving the pupils 2=Store cooked food in open containers 3=Store cooked food outside the kitchen without covers CS434 Are there measures in place to prevent food from contamination from pests and rodents? (SQ) Name them: 1= Response 1_______ 2= Response 2_______ 3= Response 3______ 99= Do not know CS435 What are the occasions you have to wash your hand while cooking? Multiple response possible 1=Before handling food and often during food preparation 2=After using the latrine 3= After finishing food preparation 4= Never 88=Others (specify) CS436 How should you wash your hands? 1= Only with Water 2= Water with Soap 3=Water with Mud 4=Water with Ash 88= Others (Specify) 128 28 June 2022 | Volume I CS437 How often do you wash your cooking utensils (cooking pots, lids, scoops, knives, plates etc.) with clean water and soap? Multiple response possible 1= After use 2=Prior to using them 3= Prior to, after using them and drying them in a rack before storage CS438 Do students wash their hands before the meal? 1=Yes 2= No CS439 How do you get the number of students present on the day? 1= doing a manual headcount of students during school 2= checking the attendance register for the day 3= confirming with the Head teacher or the teacher in charge 4=Do not count 88= others (please specify) CS4310 How do you measure the quantity of various food items (rice, lentil, oil, spices) on the basis of student and staff head count? 1= using pre-defined units of measurements. 2= use roughly estimated measurements. 88= Others (specify) CS4311 What do you check for, in the food item, to determine if it is fit for cooking or not? Multiple response possible 1= Expiry date 2= Packaging 3= Color of the food 4= Presence of pests 5= Color of the package 6= Do not check 88=Others (specify) CS4312 How often do you clean the food items before cooking? 1= Always. 2= Clean depending on the food item. 3= Occasionally 4= Do not clean CS4313 Do you check the food after cooking? 1= yes 2= No If coded 2, Skip to CS4315 129 28 June 2022 | Volume I CS4314 How do you check the food after cooking? Multiple response possible 1= Taste the food 2= Look for the presence of foreign particles. 3= Smell the food 4= Touching the food 88= Others (please specify) CS4315 On what basis do you serve the cooked food to the students? 1= Equal distribution of food for all students. 2= Different quantities according to grade/age of the students. 3= Different quantities according to Gender of the students. 4= Different quantities according to the need of the students. 5= Based on experience (please specify) 88= Others (specify) CS4316 Do you ensure prevention of nutrient loss of fortified food? 1=Yes 2=No If coded 2, skip to CS4318 CS4317 How do you ensure the nutrient loss of fortified food? Rice: Salt: CS4318 Is there any wastage of food in your school? 1 = Yes 2= No 99= Do not know Module 4: Trainings and incentives Q. No Question Response Skip CS441 Did you receive any training on safe food preparation and storage practices in the last 12 months? 1=Yes 2= No If no, go to CS446 CS441A If yes, how many times have you received training in last one year? __ __ no. of times 130 28 June 2022 | Volume I CS442 What all topics were discussed during the training? Multiple response possible 1= Commodity management 2= Record keeping 3=Storage type and utilization 4= Health and hygiene 5=Food preparation and items required 6= Checking food items before cooking 7= Measuring food before cooking 8= ensuring personal health and hygiene 9= Ensuring cleanliness of food commodities before cooking. 10= Checking of cooked food 11= Prevention of nutrient loss 12= Storage equipment 88=Others (specify)) CS443 Who provided the training? Multiple response possible 1= Non-government organization officials 2= Government officials 3=WFP officials 88=Others (specify) CS444 Where was the training held? Multiple Response Possible 1=At school 2=At district headquarter 3= Muncipality 88=Others (specify) CS445 During the period between January 2021 and December 2021, in which all months did you attend training? Multiple response possible 1= January 2021 2= February 2021 3= March 2021 4= April 2021 5= May 2021 6= June 2021 7= July 2021 8= August 2021 9= September 2021 131 28 June 2022 | Volume I 10= October 2021 11= November 2021 12= December 2021 CS446 Do you get your salary on time every month? 1=Yes 2= No If 1 skip to CS448, if 2 skip to CS447 CS447 During the period between January 2021 and December 2021, in which all months did you receive your salary? Multiple response possible 1= January 2021 2= February 2021 3= March 2021 4= April 2021 5= May 2021 6= June 2021 7= July 2021 8= August 2021 9= September 2021 10= October 2021 11= November 2021 12= December 2021 CS448 Who pays for your salary? 1= School Management Committee 2= School Administration 3= Government/ Muncipality 4= Community members 88= Others (Specify) CS449 Are you still receiving salary since the closure of schools due to COVID-19? 1= Yes 2= No 3= Partially 99= Do not know CS4410 How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your income source? CS4411 How has the COVID pandemic impacted your motivation to return to school and work? Head Teacher Structured Interview Tool 132 28 June 2022 | Volume I USDA McGovern-Dole and WFP supported Food for Education Programme in Nepal General Instruction: The present tool consists of 4 sections; Introduction and consent form for respondents; Interview information, School information, and Structured interviews for head teachers. Please request the respondent to keep records and registers ready for the interview - for convenience. In case of multiple responses, do not accept other options if coded don’t know or refuse to answer. Section 1: Interviewer Information (for creation of a file) Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip HT11 School Code HT12 Code of the Interviewer HT13 Name of the Interviewer HT14 Start Time HH MM Auto generated Auto generated HT15 End time HH MM Section 2: Identification of the School Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip HT21 Name of the school HT21A School EMIS Code 133 28 June 2022 | Volume I HT22 Name of the Village HT23 Code of the Municipality/ Gaunpalika HT23A Name of the municipality/Gaunpaliks HT24 Code of the District HT24A Name of the District HT25 Type of school 1=Project 2=Comparison If coded 2, skip to HT28 HT26 ASK ONLY IF CODED 1 IN HT25 Type of Implementation? 1=WASH + SMP 2=WASH + SMP+EGR HT27 ASK ONLY IF CODED 1 IN HT25 Is the school benefitting from any other light-touch intervention? 1= SIDP 2= Digital learning (DL) 3= HGSF 4= None of the above HT28 What is the school type? 1= Government pre-primary/lower basic (ECD to Grade III) 2= Government lower basic primary (ECD to Grade V) 3= Government basic (ECD to Grade VIII) 4= Government secondary (ECD to Grade X) 5= Government higher secondary (ECD to Grade XII) 88= Others (Specify) HT29 Number of teachers in the school Total: Female: Male: HT210 How many special needs teacher in the school? HT211 UID of the Headteacher It is Auto-filled, will not show in the tab 134 28 June 2022 | Volume I HT212 Phone Number of the head teacher Section 3: Introduction and Consent 1. Consent Form for Respondents Hello, my name is _____________________ We represent a group of researchers studying the Food for Education programme in your region in collaboration with World Food Programme, Nepal. Our study aims to assess the nutritional, dietary and hygiene habits among students and their communities. The study will be carried out across 11 districts in Nepal, and around 200 primary school. You have been selected for this purpose. In this regard, we want to interview you to understand details about the school such as; teacher’s attendance, total school enrolment, details about present school committees and so on. Your participation in this research will be kept confidential and is entirely voluntary. You and other participants in the study will only be identified by a study number, not by name. Withdrawal with no adverse consequences is possible at any time without having to give a reason. All the answers that you provide will be kept private — only researchers will have access to this information. You may choose not to participate in the interview and can stop the interview at any time or ask me to clarify any question. There is no financial reimbursement for taking part in the study. Once again, any information provided by you shall be kept confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We request you to provide your consent to conduct the interview. Do we have your permission to do so? 1 = Yes (Thank you and end interview) 0= No (Thank you and end interview) Do you have any questions for me now? Note: ANSWER QUESTIONS AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE AND PROCEED Sl. No. Item Yes No 1 Do you confirm that you have understood the information for the above study and have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily? 1 0 2 Do you confirm that you understand that your participation in this study is voluntary and that you can stop the interview at any time without giving a reason? 1 0 3 Do you confirm that you understand that if you decide to stop the interview all data collected will be destroyed? 1 0 4 Do you confirm that you agree to take part in the study? 1 0 5 Do you confirm that you understand that any information used in writing up the study findings will be used anonymously, and that you give your consent to this? 1 0 135 28 June 2022 | Volume I 6 Do we have permission to continue? 1 0 Section 4: Respondent Characteristics Q. No Question Response Skip HT41 What is your name? HT42 Gender of the respondent? Male 1 Female 2 Transgender 3 Prefer not to respond 4 HT43 Which caste /ethnicity do you belong to? (only ask if caste cannot be clearly determined from surname) 1: Brahmin, Chhettri, Thakuri, Sanyasi 2: Dalit 3: Newar 4: . Ethnic Group (Other than Newar) 5: Madhesi 6: Muslim 7: Prefer not to respond 88: Others (specify) HT44 What is your age?(in completed years) HT45 What is the head-teachers’ disability status (through observation) 1: Physically disabled 2: Physically not disabled HT46 Years of experience as headmaster Overall In this school HT47 As a head teacher, what are your job responsibilities? Multiple Response Possible Monitor the performance of teachers and other staffs 1 Monitor the performance of Students 2 Keep attendance records of teacher 3 Keep records of student’s enrolment/dropout/transfer 4 Facilitate SMC meetings 5 136 28 June 2022 | Volume I Facilitate PTA Meetings 6 Facilitate FMC Meetings 7 Keep stock of food supplies 8 Others (specify) 88 HT48 Do you teach any grade in this school? Yes 1 If No, skip to No 2 HT413 HT49 Which grade do you teach? Multiple Response Possible Grade 1 1 Grade 2 2 Grade 3 3 Grade 4 4 Grade 5 5 Grade 6 6 Grade 7 7 Grade 8 8 HT410 How long have you been teaching in total? Less than 1 year 1 1 – 5 years 2 6 – 10 years 3 More than 10 years 4 HT411 How long have you been teaching at this school? Less than 1 year 1 1 – 5 years 2 6 – 10 years 3 More than 10 years 4 HT412 How long have you been in this current position at this school? Less than 1 year 1 1 – 5 years 2 6 – 10 years 3 More than 10 years 4 HT413 Yes 1 137 28 June 2022 | Volume I Have you received any training or orientation related to school meals and other complementary activities over the last academic year? No 2 If no, Skip to HT416 HT414 What type of training have you received? Multiple Response Possible Safe food preparation and storage practices 1 Commodity Management 2 Supervisors, mentors, or coaches 3 Teaching methods 4 Digital learning techniques 5 Health hygiene and nutrition 6 Home grown school feeding programme 7 EGRA training 8 Others (Specify) 88 HT415 Who organized the training? Multiple Response Possible Non-government organization other than WFP cooperating partner 1 Government 2 WFP 3 IDS) 4 World Education, OLE, PCD 5 Others (Specify) 88 HT416 How do you monitor the school infrastructure and readiness? Multiple Response Possible Physical observation of school infrastructure without checklist 1 Physical observation of school infrastructure with checklist 2 Following up on complaints from students/teachers, FMC, SMC, PTA, LG, community 3 Discussion with WASH committees 4 Discussion with Food Management,committees, SMC, PTA, LG, Community 5 Others (Specify) 88 138 28 June 2022 | Volume I Section 5: SMP Features Q. No Question Response Skip HT51 Is the school receiving support from the School Feeding Programme (WFP/Government)? 1= Yes 2=No If no, skip to HT53 HT52 What type of support did your school receive (or currently receiving) from the School Feeding Programme / School Meal programme? Multiple Response possible 1=Cooked meal for students 2=Take Home Ration for students 3=Digital learning materials 4=Textbooks 5=Other print materials (supplementary books for students) 6=Kitchen gardens 7=Infrastructure support (kitchen/toilet/handwashing station/ storeroom etc.) 8=Training for teachers 9=Training for School administrators/parents/support staff 10=Training for students 11=Teaching materials / guidelines 12=Training for cooks, FMCs 13=Technical support visit by WFP and cooperating partners 14=Support for educational fair (reading mela), teachers mobile meeting 15=Support for child club 16=Support for creating SMC/FMC 88= Others (Specify) HT53 What are the avenues or communication channels through which parents and students get information about School Meal Programme? Multiple response possible 1=Regular meetings with school management committee / Food management committee 2=Regular meetings with School Administrators 3=Suggestion Box 4= Namaste WFP Helpline 5=Informal communication (verbal) with teachers / SMC / FMC members 6= Posters/ Media advertisement 139 28 June 2022 | Volume I 7=None 99=Do not know 88= Others (Specify) HT54 What are the channels that are followed by parents to raise complaints about the SMP? Multiple response possible 1=Regular meetings with school management committee / Food management committee 2=Regular meetings with School Administrators 3=Suggestion Box 4=Namaste WFP Helpline 5=Informal communication (verbal) with teachers / SMC / FMC members 6= Posters/ Media advertisement 7=None 88= Others (Specify) 99=Do not know HT55 Does your school organize meetings with parents regularly? 1=Yes 2=No If no, skip to HT58 HT56 What are the discussion points in parents meeting? Multiple response possible 1=Students’ performance 2= Attendance of students 3= Student participation in classes 4=Role of SMC/FMC in helping the programme 5= Parents’ support to children at home 88=Others (specify) HT57 What is the frequency of meeting with parents? 1=Fortnightly 2=Monthly 3=Quarterly 4=Semi-annually 5=Annually 88=Others (specify) HT58 Does the school have a Parent Teacher Association (PTA), or similar governance structure? 1= Yes 2=No HT59 Does the school have a School Management Committee (SMC)? 1= Yes 2=No If No,SKIP 140 28 June 2022 | Volume I TO HT518 HT510 How many members does the School Management committee (SMC) have? __ __ no. of members HT511 How many female members does the School Management Committee have? __ __ no. of members HT512 Who is the head of the committee? 1=Male 2=Female HT513 Does the SMC have plans for regular meetings? 1= Yes 2=No SKIP TO HT515 IF NO HT514 What is frequency of planned meeting per academic year? (Check records) ___ ___ No. of Times HT515 How many times the committee has actually met in last two academic years? (Check records) ___ ___ No. of Times HT516 In the last SMC meeting, how many members have attended? __ __ no. of members HT517 In the last SMC meeting, how many FEMALE members have attended? __ __ no. of members HT518 Does the school have a Food Management Committee (FMC)? 1= Yes 2=No SKIP TO HT527 IF NO HT519 How many members does the Food Management Committee (FMC) have? __ __ no. of members HT520 How many female members does the Food Management Committee have? __ __ no. of members HT521 Who is the head of the committee? 1=Male 2=Female HT522 Does the FMC have plans for regular meetings? 1= Yes 2=No SKIP TO HT524 IF NO 141 28 June 2022 | Volume I HT523 What is frequency of planned meeting per academic year? (Check records) ___ ___ No. of Times HT524 How many times the committee has actually met in last two academic years? (Check records) ___ ___ No. of Times HT525 In the last FMC meeting, how many members have attended? ___ ___ No. of members HT526 In the last FMC meeting, how many FEMALE members have attended? ___ ___ No. of members HT527 What are the complaint and feedback mechanism in practice for communicating issues related to School meals programme? Multiple response possible 1=Regular meetings with School Administrators 2=Suggestion Box 3=Toll-free Helpline/ Namaste WFP 4= Interactions with FFECN programme partners (WE/OLE/IDS/PCD/ FFEP/WFP Co, SO, Field staff 97=None 99=Do not know HT528 Have you used Namaste WFP helpline? 1=Yes 2=No 98= Not Applicable If no and 98,skip to HT530 HT529 On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied are you with the redressal process of "Namaste WFP” (the toll-free helpline number of FFECN programme)? 1 being least satisfied while 5 being most satisfied Ease of use of Namaste WFP 1 2 3 4 5 Timeliness of the redressal/response 1 2 3 4 5 Quality of the redressal/response. 1 2 3 4 5 SMP Outcomes HT530 Do you think SMP influenced (positively or negatively) the learning outcomes of student? 1= Yes 2= No If no skip to HT61 HT531 What has been the impact of SMP on the school students for each of the following Access INDICATORS BOYS GIRLS Enrolment Attendance 142 28 June 2022 | Volume I components, in the last two academic sessions? (Award number using the following scale) 1= Significantly increased 2= Slightly increased 3= Slightly decreased 4= Significantly decreased 5= No Change Dropouts Participation Attentiveness Interest Learning Average learning achievement for Nepali subject (grade 3) Section 6: School Infrastructure HT61 What is the average number of students per classroom? HT62 Do you feel this number is adequate? 1=Adequate 2=No, there are more students per classroom 3= No, there are less students per classroom 99= Do not know HT63 Does the school have a Library? 1= Yes 2=No If no skip to HT64A HT64 The number of books the library has (approximate) ___ ___ No. of Books HT64A Does the school have a book corner? 1=Yes 2=No If no skip to HT65 HT64A1 The number of books the book corner has (approximate) __ No. of Books HT65 Does the school have an e￾Library? 1= Yes 2=No HT66 Does your school have a storage room/facility to store food items? 1= Yes 2=No If yes skip to HT68 143 28 June 2022 | Volume I HT67 If not, where is the food stored? 1=In a classroom 2= Open space 88= Others (Specify) If yes skip to HT610 HT68 Does your school have a kitchen? 1= Yes 2=No HT69 If not, where is the food normally prepared? 1=In a classroom 2= Open space 88= Others (specify) HT610 Does your school use Improved cooking stoves? 1= Yes 2=No HT611 For what has the school received WFP/USDA support for rehabilitation/construction after 2015? 1=Classrooms 2= Water stations/systems 3= Toilets 88= Others (specify) If 2 skip to HT613, 3 skip to HT614. If 88 skip to HT615 HT612 How many classrooms have been rehabilitated/constructed with WFP/USDA support after 2015? ___ ___ No. of Classrooms HT613 How many water stations/systems have been rehabilitated/constructed with WFP/USDA support after 2015? ___ ___ No. of water stations/systems HT614 How many toilets have been rehabilitated/constructed with WFP/USDA support after 2015? ___ ___ No. of Toilets HT615 During school hours, where do children typically go for relieving themselves? 1=Toilet in school only 2= Toilet at home 3=Open space/ fields 4=Both school toilet and fields 2 HT616 On a scale of 1-5, where 1 is least satisfied and 5 is most satisfied, what is your perception of the school toilets in terms of: Availability 1 2 3 4 5 6 Accessibility 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cleanliness 1 2 3 4 5 6 Adequacy of water 1 2 3 4 5 6 144 28 June 2022 | Volume I -Availability: can use when necessary, without having to wait. -Accessibility: easy to reach, easy to use, including for. -Cleanliness: facility is kept clean -Adequacy of water: there is adequate water in the toilet. -Safety: door can be latched, adequate lighting. 1= least satisfied 2= satisfied 3= Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 4= dissatisfied 5= Highly dissatisfied 6= Not applicable/ No toilets Safety 1 2 3 4 5 6 HT617 Do school staff and students use the dustbins to dispose waste? School staff and teachers 1=Yes 2=No Students 1=Yes 2=No Module 7: School Staff Structure Q. No Question Response Skip HT71 How many teachers engaged in teaching early grade students (up to grade 3) are there in the school? ___ ___Total number HT72 What is the total number of teachers engaged in teaching early grade students (up to grade 3)? ___ ___ No. of male teachers ___ ___ No. of female teachers HT73 How many of the total number of Nepali subject teachers have received EGR and/or DL training since 2018? ___ ___ EGR ___ ___ DL HT73 A How many of the trained teachers have left the school since 2018? __ ___ Number of teachers HT73 B How many of the trained teachers have been transferred since 2018? __ ___ Number of teachers 145 28 June 2022 | Volume I HT74 How many of the trained EGR teachers are currently teaching Nepali subject from grade 1 to 3.? ___ ___ No. of Teachers If 0, skip to HT76. HT75 How many of these trainings were organized by the WFP or its cooperating partner WE or OLE (FFE Programme)? ___ ___ No. of Training HT76 Do you observe the Nepali subject class from grade 1 to 3? 1=Yes 2=No If No skip to HT78 HT77 As per your observation, how many of the teachers engaged in teaching early grade students (up to grade 3) have demonstrated improved teaching Nepali subject after the trainings? ___ ___ No. of Teachers HT78 What is the practice of preparing lessons plan by teachers in your school? 1=Teachers prepare draft and submit 2= Headteacher prepare draft and provide it to teacher 3= Old lesson plans are followed 4= Project partner helps build lesson plan 5= Do not prepare lesson plan 88=Others (specify) If code d 5 skip to HT71 0 HT79 Do you review the lesson plan prepared by the teachers? 1= Yes Always 2=Yes, sometimes 3=Do not review HT71 0 What are some ways in which you help teachers teach better? Note– Do not prompt the answer. Let the respondent provide the answer. Multiple Response Possible 1=Regular Communication with teachers to discuss about the status and challenges 2 = Regular Communication with students and parents to get feedback 3 = Encouraging teamwork among teachers 4 = Sharing knowledge with teachers 5 = Observe and give feedback to teachers 6 = Ensure teachers receive training 7 = Facilitate trainings/ workshops for teachers 8 = Provide teaching materials 9 = Provide job aids/ teaching aids 146 28 June 2022 | Volume I 10 = Stay aware of current innovations in pedagogy and share it with teachers Demonstrate teaching to teachers 11=Bring external teacher to teach and demonstrate 88 = Others (Specify) 99= Do not know HT71 1 How often do you meet teachers to discuss their performance? 1 = Once or more than once a month 2 = Once every two or three months 3 = Once every four to six months 4 = Once per year 5 = Never HT71 2 What strategy do you use to improve a teacher’s performance if he/she is not performing adequately? Multiple response possible 1 = Inform district authorities 2 = Give strict instruction discipline teacher 3 = Give low performance review 4 = Mentor and give constructive feedback 5 = Pair with a good performing teacher 6 = Develop teacher improvement plan 7 = Organize training 8 = Provide teaching materials 9 = Ask teacher college/ District Education Officer for assistance 10=Do nothing 88 = Others (Specify) 99= Do not know Module 8: WASH & EGRA OUTCOMES (Only applicable to intervention schools) WASH (Only for schools where WASH is being implemented) Q. No Question Response Skip HT81 Have there been any trainings on menstrual hygiene for girls conducted in your school? (only for basic schools) 1= Yes 2= No 98=Not applicable If coded 2 skip to HT83, 147 28 June 2022 | Volume I If coded 3 skip to HT84 HT82 In what ways did these trainings benefit the girls? Multiple response possible 1=Fewer girl absenteeism 2=Lesser reported health problems 3=Increased practise of using sanitary pads 4=Observed changes in community behaviour 88=Others(specify) HT83 Are menstrual pads/sanitary napkins adequately available at school? 1= Yes 2= No 99=Do not know HT84 Is there a focal teacher with whom girls can interact regarding menstruation issues? 1=Yes 2=No HT85 According to you, what are the changes you have observed in the hygiene knowledge and practices of the students since the implementation of WASH? Multiple response possible 1=Regular use of latrine at home. 2= Regular use of latrine at school. 3= Hand washing with soap after using latrine, before eating food. 4= Clean drinking water from a safe source (e.g. tube well, or treated water collected from river/lake) 5= Maintain a waste disposal system (Water drainage, garbage pits, waste basket/dust bins) 6= Keep the School building and compounds clean 7= Maintaining hygienic environment while eating food 8=Use and disposal of sanitary pads by adolescent girls during menstruation 98= Not Applicable 88=Other (Specify) 99=Do not know HT86 What changes have you observed in school dropouts and absenteeism since the implementation of WASH programme? Multiple response possible 1= Less male student dropouts 2= Less male student absenteeism due to sickness 3= Less girl student absenteeism due to sickness 4= Less girl student dropouts 5= No change 148 28 June 2022 | Volume I 98= Not applicable EGRA HT87 ASK only for EGRA Schools In what ways have the teachers demonstrated improved skills after the training? Multiple response possible 1=Enhanced teaching methods 2=Increase in knowledge on lesson planning and management 3= explaining new material to students 4= use of reading resources 5= monitoring student performance 6= assisting students in class 7=Better coordination/engagement with students 8=Better record keeping and follow-up on lessons 9= Better record keeping and follow-up on student assessment 10=Effective use of teaching materials 11=Better understanding of lesson planning 12=Better classroom management 13=Better class delivery 14=Better use of reading materials 15= Better feedback to students 16=No improvement 98= Not Applicable 88=Others (specify) HT88 What, according to you, are the difficulties children face in learning? Multiple response possible 1=children speak different mother tongue 2=Willingness to learn 3=Class environment 4=Limited amenities (school infrastructure and stationery) 5=Manner of teaching/ limited capacity of teachers 6= Other household necessities 7= Absence of disabled child friendly teaching facility 8= None 9=Not sure 88= Others 149 28 June 2022 | Volume I Module 9: Assessing impact of COVID-19 Q. No Question Response Skip HT91 Is the school using any alternate teaching method during the extended closure due to COVID-19? Multiple response possible 1= radio 2= television 3= online resources 4= self-learning material 5= tole Shiksha 6= no alternate teaching method used 88= others (specify) If CODED 6, skip to HT95 HT92 Who has initiated the alternate teaching methods in your school? 1= Local government body 2= School itself/ personal motivation 3= WFP and project partners (WE/OLE etc.) 88= others (specify) HT93 How many students have access to these alternate teaching methods? 1= Few (0-25%) 2= Little less than half (25-50%) 3= Little more than half (50-75%) 4= Almost all (75-100%) HT94 Is the school mobilizing teachers to support student learning, during school closure? If yes, specify how? 1=Yes 2=No If yes, specify how HT95 Has the school contacted the students/parents post closure of the school due to COVID? 1= Yes 2= No 99=Do not know If coded other than 1, skip to HT98 HT96 How regularly has the school contacted the students/parents post closure of the school due to COVID? 1= Weekly. 2= Monthly 3= Fortnightly 4=Quarterly HT97 What were the reasons for the communication/contact between you and Students/parents? HT98 How do you think COVID-19 will affect student enrolment once school reopens? 1= Total student enrolment will decrease. 2= Only girl student enrolment will decrease If CODED 4, skip to HT910 150 28 June 2022 | Volume I 3= Only boy student enrolment will decrease 4= No effect. 5= Total student enrolment will increase. 6= Only girl student enrolment will increase. 7= Only boy student enrolment will increase. 8= Not sure 88= Other( specify) HT99 Why do you think there may be a decline in enrolment due to COVID? HT91 0 What do you think will be the effect of COVID-19 on student literacy outcomes (reading/writing capability)? 1=reading/writing capability will decrease significantly due to lack of school exposure. 2=reading/writing capability will remain the same 3=reading/writing capability will increase 4= Not sure 88=Others(specify) Module 10 : Stakeholder Mapping Q. No Question Response Skip HT10 1 Is the school receiving support from any other organization (other than WFP) in providing better infrastructure, improving learning outcomes and ensuring holistic development of child ? 1=Yes 2=No If no, end the interview HT10 2 If yes, which is/are the organization/organizations? HT10 3 What kind of support are you receiving? Multiple response possible 1=WASH 2= EGRA 3=SIDP 4=DL 5=HGSF 88= Other (specify) 151 28 June 2022 | Volume I HT10 4 How long have you been partnering with them? ___ no: of years Parent Structured Survey Tool USDA McGovern-Dole and WFP supported Food for Education Programme in Nepal In case of multiple responses, do not accept other options if coded don’t know or refuse to answer. Section 1: Interviewer Information (for creation of a file) Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip PS11 School Code PS12 Code of the Interviewer PS13 Name of the Interviewer PS14 Start Time HH MM Auto generated PS15 End Time HH MM Auto generated Section 2: Identification of the Household Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip PS21 EMIS Code of the school PS22 Name of the school PS23 Name of the Village PS24 Code of the Municipality/ Gaunpalika PS24A Name of the Muncipality PS25 Code of the District PS25A Name of the District PS26 Type of school 1=Project 2=Comparison If coded 2, skip to PS29 152 28 June 2022 | Volume I PS27 ASK ONLY IF CODED 1 IN PS26 Type of Implementation? 1=WASH + SMP 2=WASH +SMP+EGR PS28 UID of the Parents It is Auto-filled, will not show in the tab PS29 Parents name PS210 Contact number PS211 Name of respondent PS212 Contact number Section 3: Introduction and Consent 1. Consent Form for Parents Hello, my name is ________________________________________. We represent a group of researchers studying the Food for Education programme in your region in collaboration with World Food Programme, Nepal. Our study aims to assess the nutritional, dietary and hygiene habits among students in grade 3, 5, 6 and 8. The study will be carried out in around 200 primary schools in Nepal, and the primary school in your area has been selected for this purpose. In this regard, we want to interview you to understand the supply and storage of food supply for mid-day meal programme. Your participation in this research will be kept confidential and is entirely voluntary. You and other participants in the study will only be identified by a study number, not by name. Withdrawal with no adverse consequences is possible at any time without having to give a reason. All the answers that you provide will be kept private — only researchers will have access to this information. You may choose not to participate in the interview and can stop the interview at any time or ask me to clarify any question. There is no financial reimbursement for taking part in the study. Once again, any information provided by you shall be kept confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We request you to provide your consent to interview. Do we have your permission to do so? 1 = Yes (Thank you and end interview) 2= No (Thank you and end interview) Do you have any questions for me now? Note: ANSWER QUESTIONS AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE AND PROCEED Sl. No. Item Yes No 153 28 June 2022 | Volume I 1 Do you confirm that you have understood the information for the above study and have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily? 1 2 2 Do you confirm that you understand that your participation in this study is voluntary and that you can stop the interview at any time without giving a reason? 1 2 3 Do you confirm that you understand that if you decide to stop the interview all data collected will be destroyed? 1 2 4 Do you confirm that you agree to take part in the study? 1 2 5 Do you confirm that you understand that any information used in writing up the study findings will be used anonymously, and that you give your consent to this? 1 2 6 Do we have permission to continue? 1 2 Section 3: Household Characteristics Q. No Question Response Skip PS31 Gender of the respondent? Male 1 Female 2 Transgender 3 Prefer not to respond 4 PS31A How are you related to the child? Mother 1 Father 2 Elder brother 3 Elder sister 4 Uncle 5 Aunt 6 Grandmother 7 Grandfather 8 Others(specify) 88 PS32 What is your caste? Brahmin, Chhettri, Sanyasi, Thakuri 1 Dalit 2 154 28 June 2022 | Volume I Newar 3 Ethnic group (other than Newar) 4 Madhesi 5 Muslim 6 Do not want to specify 7 Others(specify) 88 PS33 What is your educational qualification? No schooling 0 Signature Only 1 Upto Grade 5 2 Grade 6 to Grade 8 3 Grade 9 to Grade 10 4 Grade 11 to Grade 12 5 Graduate 6 Master or equivalent or even more 7 Do not know 99 PS34 What is the main source of your household income? Agriculture labour 1 Daily wage labour 2 Skilled labour (and specify) 3 Own agriculture 4 Fishing/aquaculture 5 Livestock/poultry 6 Migrant labour 7 Own business 8 Service 9 Others(specify) 88 Do not know 99 PS34B Nepali 1 155 28 June 2022 | Volume I Which language is mostly spoken at home? Tharu 2 Doteli 3 Acchami. 4 Baitedeli 5 Bajhangi 6 Kham 7 Other (specify)___________ 88 PS35 Number of family member in your household? __ __ No. of People PS36 How many school age (5-18 yrs.) children are there in your households? Male: Female PS37 How many of these children went to school? (Before COVID school closure) Male: Female PS37A1 How many of these children are going to school now? Male: Female PS37A Child selected for the purpose of the interview: Grade: Gender: Male=1 Female=2 PS37B Has the school reopened (Post COVID19 lockdown)? Yes 1 No 2 PS38 Is there a member of the household that needs help due to long term illness/ disabilities? Yes 1 If no skip to PS411 No 2 PS38A If yes, please specify the type of disability Vision impairment 1 Hard of hearing 2 Mental health conditions 3 Intellectual disability (understanding, basic communication, etc.) 4 Physical disability 5 156 28 June 2022 | Volume I Others (specify)____________ 88 Section 4: Parents Interview Schedule Module 1: School Going Children Characteristics (Please choose one school going child randomly from the roster). Q. No Question Response Skip PS411 On an average, how many days in a week does the child eat breakfast or morning meal? ___________days PS412 On an average, how many school days in a week does the child eat mid-day meal at school? ___________days PS413 On an average, how many school days in a week does the child eat tiffin/snacks (after returning from school)? ___________days PS414 On an average, how many school days in a week does the child eat dinner? ___________days PS415 On school days, when school meals are provided, do you reduce the portion of food provided to the child compared to the weekend? Yes 1 If no skip to No 2 PS416A PS416 If yes, on average how much do you reduce the portion compared to the weekend? Few (0-25%) 1 Little less than half (25-50%) 2 Little more than half (50-75%) 3 Almost all (75- 100%) 4 PS416A In your opinion, what are the advantages of the School Meal Programme? Multiple responses possible Motivates children to go to school 1 Motivates children to stay longer at school/ attend the complete school day 2 Promotes girl child enrolment 3 Improves children’s ability to learn or 4 157 28 June 2022 | Volume I concentrate once they are in class Improves awareness about nutrition among school aged children 5 Provides nutritional benefits 6 Economically beneficial for the household 7 No advantages 8 Others________ 88 Do not know 99 PS417 Did/does your child show interest to study at home? Yes 1 No 2 Do not know 99 PS418 On an average, how many days does the child study at home (in a week)? ___________days PS419 On an average, how long did/does the child study at home in a day? ___________hours Module 2: Food Schedule and Dietary Diversity These questions are applicable for household-based feeding. PS421 PS422 PS423 Sl No. Food Items In the last 24 hours (during the day and night), did (CHILD NAME) eat any of these food items? 1=Yes; 2=No; 99 = Don’t know 1 Food made from grains, such as bread, rice, noodles, porridge, or [other local grain food] 158 28 June 2022 | Volume I 2 White potatoes, white yams, manioc, cassava, [other local root crops] or any other foods made from roots 3 Any foods made from beans, peas, or lentils, such as [add any local legume names] 4 Any foods made from nuts or seeds such as [add any local nut/seed names] 5 Milk 6 Cheese, yogurt, or other milk products 7 Eggs 8 Any liver, kidney, heart, or other organ meats from domesticated animals, such as cattle, swine, goat, chicken, or duck 9 Any liver, kidney, heart, or other organ meats from wild animals, such as [names of local commonly consumed wildlife] 10 Any meat, such as beef, pork, lamb, goat, chicken, or duck 11 Any flesh from wild animals, such as [names of local commonly consumed wildlife] 12 Fresh or dried fish, shellfish, or seafood 13 Grubs, snails or insects such as [add any local insect names] 14 Any dark green leafy vegetables such as [local dark green leafy vegetables] 15 Pumpkin, carrots, squash, or sweet potatoes that are yellow or orange inside or [other local yellow/orange foods] 16 Ripe mangoes, ripe papayas or [other local vitamin A-rich fruits] 17 Foods made with red palm oil, red palm nut, or red palm nut pulp sauce (Vitamin A rich oil) 18 Any other vegetables 19 Any other fruits Additional Food Items 20 Any oil, fats, or butter, ghee, or foods made with any of these 159 28 June 2022 | Volume I 21 Sweets: sugar, honey, sweetened soda or sweetened juice drinks, sugary foods such as chocolates, candies, cookies and cakes 22 Condiments for flavour, such as chilies, spices, herbs, fish powder or [add any local condiment names] Module 3: School Attendance Q. No Question Response Skip PS431 Have you observed any change in your child’s attendance level in school since 2018? Yes, more regular now 1 Yes, reduced attendance 2 Skip to PS432A No change 3 Skip to PS433 Do not know 99 Skip to PS433 PS432 Why do you feel the child’s attendance has increased? Multiple Response possible Child is more interested in studies 1 If any response Skip to PS433 School infrastructure has improved 2 Teaching quality has improved 3 Better teaching aids being used which sustains interest of the child 4 Better health of child/ reduced illness episodes 5 Other (specify) 88 PS432A Why do you feel the child’s attendance has reduced? Multiple Response possible Child is less interested in studies 1 School infrastructure has deteriorated 2 Teaching quality has become poor 3 No teaching aids are used to sustains interest of the child 4 Family’s financial trouble 5 Child has to take care of younger siblings 6 Poor health of the child 7 Other (specify) 88 160 28 June 2022 | Volume I PS433 During the past 30 days except the school holidays, did (NAME of the CHILD) miss any school days? Yes 1 If No, Skip to No 2 PS433F PS433A What are the reasons for missing the school days? Multiple response possible Transportation issue 1 Child work on farm or livestock tending 2 Child involved in taking care of family members and domestic work 3 Child engaged in work after COVID 4 Lack of food at home 5 Because of insecurity, fear of going to school 6 COVID related illness 7 Other illness except COVID 8 Health problem of family members 9 Ceremonies/festivals and family events 10 School Punishment 11 No specific reason, the child just skipped the school 12 Other (specify) 88 PS433B How many days did he/she miss due to lack of food at home / hunger? (Ask if coded 5 in PS433A) __ __ No. of Days PS433C How many days did he/she miss due to COVID related illness? (Ask if coded 7 in PS433A) __ __ No. of Days PS433C1 How many days did he/she miss due to non-COVID related illness? (Ask if coded 8 in PS433A) __ __ No. of Days PS433D How many days did he/she miss for income generating activities? (Ask if coded 2 in PS433A) __ __ No. of Days 161 28 June 2022 | Volume I PS433E How many days did h/she miss for domestic work? (Ask if coded 3 in PS433A) __ __ No. of Days PS433F Is there anyone at your home who guides/helps child to study or do homework? Yes 1 If no skip to PS433H If 99 skip to PS434 No 2 Do not know 99 If yes, who helps the child to study or do homework at home (options￾Father/mother, sister/brother, relatives, neighbors, tuition, Multiple response possible Father 1 If any response Skip to PS434 Mother 2 brother 3 PS433G Sister 4 relatives 5 neighbours 6 Tuition 7 Others_____________ 88 If no, why? Multiple response possible Lack of family members’ capacity to support the child 1 PS433H Too busy to help 2 No relatives/neighbours are available to help 3 Child does quite well in studies (does not require help) 4 Not interested 5 It is not our responsibility 6 Others (specify)________________________ 88 PS434 How Satisfied were you with the quality of education provided at the school, when it was operational? (Rate on a scale of 1-5) 1= Highly dissatisfied INDICATORS SCALE Regularity of class 1 2 3 4 5 Regularity of teachers/ teachers’ attendance 1 2 3 4 5 Need based support to student 1 2 3 4 5 162 28 June 2022 | Volume I 2=Moderately dissatisfied 3= Moderately satisfied 4= Highly satisfied 5= Can’t say Teacher’s behaviour towards children 1 2 3 4 5 Homework with follow-up 1 2 3 4 5 Availability of supplementary reading materials for the child 1 2 3 4 5 Engagement of children in extra-curricular activities 1 2 3 4 5 Use of teaching materials 1 2 3 4 5 PS435 How satisfied were you with the amenities at school that are provided to students, when it was operational? (Rate on a scale of 1-5) 1= Highly dissatisfied 2=Moderately dissatisfied 3= Moderately satisfied 4= Highly satisfied 5= Can’t say INDICATORS SCALE Mid-day meals 1 2 3 4 5 Textbooks and reading materials 1 2 3 4 5 School toilets and sanitation facilities 1 2 3 4 5 Deworming 1 2 3 4 5 Handwashing station 1 2 3 4 5 Iron folic acid 1 2 3 4 5 First aid tool kit 1 2 3 4 5 Library corner 1 2 3 4 5 PS436 Did the school have grade level assessments of the student’s academic performance? Yes 1 No 2 Do not know 99 PS437 How has your child’s performance changed in the last two years? Grades have improved 1 No change 2 Skip to PSS441 Grades have reduced 3 Skip to PS437B PS437A What is the reason for the change in performance? (if grades have improved) Multiple response possible Children more interested in studies now 1 If any response Skip to Teaching quality has improved 2 441 Improved learning material being provided 3 163 28 June 2022 | Volume I Children attendance has increased 4 Other (specify) 88 PS437B What is the reason for the change in performance? (if grades have reduced) Multiple response possible Children are less interested in studies 1 Teaching quality has deteriorated 2 Poor quality learning material is provided 3 Children attendance has reduced 4 Poor health of the child 5 Trouble in the family 6 Others (specify)_____________ 88 Module 4: Knowledge and Awareness on Education/Diet/Health/Hygiene Q. No Question Response Skip PS441 What do you think are the main benefits from ensuring that your child goes to school? Multiple Response Possible Note– Do not prompt the answer. Let the respondent provide the answer. Improves literacy rate 1 Social Skill Development 2 Increases ability to learn new skills (adoption of technology) 3 Girls remain more in school and early marriages are delayed 4 Improves cohesion in the community 5 Helps break the cycle of poverty 6 Increases the chances of the pupils' future economic self￾reliance 7 Through girls' education, improves the general wellbeing of households (economic, nutrition, health etc.) 8 Other (specify) 88 PS442 What according to you is the ideal education level for girls in your community? Upto class 5 (Primary school) 1 Upto class 8 (basic school) 2 164 28 June 2022 | Volume I Upto class 10 (Secondary school) 3 Upto class 12(Higher secondary school) 4 Graduation and above (Higher education) 5 Vocational or technical field 6 Till they want to study 7 Others (specify) 88 Do not know 99 PS443 What according to you is the ideal education level for boys in your community? Upto class 5 (Primary school) 1 Upto class 8 (basic school) 2 Upto class 10 (Secondary school) 3 Upto class 12(Higher secondary school) 4 Graduation and above (Higher education) 5 Vocational or technical field 6 Till they want to study 7 Others (specify) 88 Do not know 99 PS445 Why is it important to have a good and balanced diet? (Multiple Response Possible) Note– Do not prompt the answer. Boost Immunity 1 Protect against diseases 2 Contribute to adequate body weight 3 Promote growth and development 4 Other (specify) 88 PS446 Are you aware about the importance of personal hygiene? Yes 1 If No, go to PS447 No 2 PS446A Keeps us healthy 1 165 28 June 2022 | Volume I Why is personal hygiene important? (Multiple Response Possible) Note– Do not prompt the answer. Let the respondent provide the answer. Prevents Diseases 2 Less Absenteeism from school 3 Other (specify) 88 PS446B Can you name good practices on personal hygiene? (Multiple Response Possible) Note– Do not prompt the answer. Let the child provide the answer. Regular and proper use of latrine at home and school 1 Hand washing with soap after using latrine, before eating / preparing food / feeding a child 2 Personal hygiene like Brushing teeth, bathing, combing hair, wearing clean clothes 3 Drinking clean water from a safe source (e.g. tube well, or treated water collected from river/lake) 4 Maintain a waste disposal system (Water drainage, garbage pits, waste basket/dust bins) 5 Keep the School building and compounds clean 6 Maintaining hygienic environment during food preparation, handling and distribution 7 Using clean and hygienic utensils during food preparation, handling and distribution 8 Use and disposal of sanitary napkins during menstruation 9 Other (specify) 88 Do not know 99 PS447 What are the crucial times of hand washing? Before cooking 1 After handling food 2 166 28 June 2022 | Volume I Multiple Response Possible Before eating 3 Before feeding the child 4 After cleaning infant faeces 5 After using the toilet 6 After returning home (from work/ outside) 7 After touching an animal/ animal feed/ animal waste 8 After touching garbage 9 After helping someone use the toilet 10 After sneezing, coughing, blowing one’s nose 11 Other (specify) 88 Do not know 99 PS448 What do you use to wash your hands? Only Water 1 Water and Soap 2 Mud and water 3 Ash and water 4 Do not use anything 5 Other (specify) 88 PS449 What does your child generally use to wash their hands? Only Water 1 Water and Soap 2 Mud and water 3 Ash and water 4 Do not use anything 5 Other (specify) 88 Do not know 99 PS4410 Before cooking 1 167 28 June 2022 | Volume I When does your child wash their hands? Multiple response possible After handling food 2 Before eating 3 Before feeding the child 4 After cleaning infant faeces 5 After using the toilet 6 After returning home (from work/ outside) 7 After touching an animal/ animal feed/ animal waste 8 After touching garbage 9 After helping someone use the toilet 10 After sneezing, coughing, blowing one’s nose 11 Other (specify) 88 Do not know 99 PS4411 Do any of your household members practice open defecation? Yes 1 No 2 PS4412 Do you know about school feeding programme? Yes 1 If no and 99, skip to No 2 PS4415 Do not know 99 PS4413A On an average, how many school days in a week does the child eat mid-day meal at school? Everyday 1 Once/twice in a week 2 More than twice a week 3 Never 4 PS4413B If Yes, what are the benefits of the school feeding programme to the following stakeholders? Children Family Response 1: Response 2: Response 3: 168 28 June 2022 | Volume I PS4414 What do you do when you have any problems, complaints, or suggestions regarding the School Meals Programme? Multiple response possible Inform SMC (School management Committee) 1 Inform FMC (Food management committee) 2 Inform RP 3 Inform FFEP 4 Inform EDCU 5 Inform distribution centre staff 6 Call Namaste WFP/ Toll-free helpline 7 Contact WFP Field Coordinator Complain to local government officials 8 9 Inform teacher/head teacher 10 Do Nothing 11 Other (specify) 88 Do not know 99 PS4415 Have you ever used Namaste WFP/ Toll-free helpline, to register any complaint or feedback with WFP and other programme partners? Yes 1 If 2 and 99 skip to No 2 PS451 Do not know 99 PS4415A On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied are you with the redressal process of "Namaste WFP” (the toll-free helpline number of FFECN programme)? 1 being least satisfied while 5 being most satisfied Ease of use of Namaste WFP 1 2 3 4 5 Timeliness of the redressal/response 1 2 3 4 5 Quality of the redressal/response. 1 2 3 4 5 Module 5: Social participation of parents Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip PS451 Have you or any other adult member of your household visited the school during this academic year? Yes 1 If No, Skip to PS451B No 2 169 28 June 2022 | Volume I PS451A For what purpose have you (or that person) visited the school? Multiple Response Possible Talk to the teacher about the child’s school performance/ attendance 1 If any response Skip to PS452 Attend a parent’s teacher’s meeting/school committee meeting 2 Attend a food management committee meeting 3 Attend a FFE sensitization meeting (Specify) 4 Attend another school event (Specify) 5 To receive the child’s result 6 To attend reading mela (education fair) 7 To provide support for mid-day meal (eg providing firewood, cooking in absence of cook, providing vegetables, carrying food from FDP to school) 8 Other (specify) 88 Do not know 99 PS451B If no, why did you not visit the school? Schools were closed due to COVID 1 Too busy with work 2 Never visited the school before 3 Others (specify)_____ 88 PS452 What steps do you take to check the performance of your child in school? Multiple Response Possible Regularly check the dairy/notebook for task given in school 1 Meet the teachers in school regularly 2 Sit with the child before the exam 3 Ensure that he/she has a fixed time for study at home 4 Don’t take any step 5 170 28 June 2022 | Volume I Other (specify) 88 PS452A Did you/ any other adult from the family, participate in reading mela (education fair)? Yes 1 If 2 skip to PS452C If 99 skip to PS453 No 2 Do not know 99 PS452B If yes, why did you participate in the mela? Skip to P453 PS452C If no, why did you not participate in the mela? PS453 Does the school have Parent Teacher meeting on a regular basis?? Yes 1 If No or Don’t Know, skip to No 2 PS461 Do not know 99 PS453A Did you attend PTA meeting on a regular basis? Yes No If no skip to PS461 PS454 During the period between January 2021 and December 2021, in which all months did you attend the PTA meeting? Multiple response possible 1= January 2021 2= February 2021 3= March 2021 4= April 2021 5= May 2021 6= June 2021 7= July 2021 8= August 2021 9= September 2021 10= October 2021 11= November 2021 12= December 2021 PS456 What is discussed during Parent teachers meeting? Multiple response possible 1=Students’ performance 2= Attendance of students 3= Student participation in classes 4=Role of SMC/FMC in helping the programme 5= Parents’ support to children at home 88=Others (specify) 171 28 June 2022 | Volume I PS457 Do you find it useful? Yes 1 If no skip to PS457B No 2 PS457A If yes, why? PS457B If no, why? Module 6: Training and Outreach Events Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip PS461 Have you or any other adult member of your household attended training sessions on child health and nutrition? Yes 1 If No, Skip to PS462 No 2 PS461A What topics were discussed during the training? (Multiple response possible) Dietary diversity 1 Iron and calcium supplements 2 Supplementary food (school meal) 3 Maintaining sanitation and hygiene 4 Using a toilet is beneficial for me and my family’s health 5 Open defecation is harmful to me and my family’s health 6 Other (specify) 88 Do not know 99 PS462 Are you aware of any of the outreach programme on health and hygiene that happened in your village? Yes 1 If No, skip to PS471 No 2 PS462A What all topics were discussed during the outreach programme (Multiple response possible) Dietary diversity 1 Iron and calcium supplements 2 Supplementary food (school meal) 3 Maintaining sanitation and hygiene 4 Using a toilet is beneficial for me and my family’s health 5 172 28 June 2022 | Volume I Open defecation is harmful to me and my family’s health 6 Other (specify) 88 Do not know 99 Module 7: Effect of COVID-19 (during-pandemic) Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip PS471 Were you informed about the alternative school teaching arrangements (like community learning (Tole Shiksha), on-line teaching, radio based teaching, television based teaching, or community teaching) after the closure of schools because of COVID-19? Yes 1 If response is other than 1, No 2 go to PS472 Do not know 99 PS471A If yes, is the child engaged in alternative school arrangements? Yes 1 If 1, go to PS471B and No 2 if 2, PS471C PS471B If yes, what alternative school arrangement is the child engaged in? Tole Shiksha 1 If any response Skip to PS472 Television classes 2 Radio classes 3 Other_______ 88 PS471C If not, why is the child not engaged in an alternative arrangement? No access to devices (TV, internet, Radio) 1 Shortage of electricity 2 Not aware of the alternative education 3 Others______ 88 PS472 Will the child be attending the school once it reopens? Yes 1 If coded 2, go to PS473. If coded 1 or 99 go to PS474 No 2 Do not know 99 173 28 June 2022 | Volume I PS473 Why will child not attend the school after it reopens? PS474 Did your child receive take home ration distributed by WFP/ School since Baisakh 2077? (during the pandemic) Yes 1 If coded 2 or 99, go to No 2 PS481 Do not know 99 PS474A If ‘Yes’, how many times did your child receive take home ration distributed by WFP/ School since Baishakh 2077? _________times Module 8: Parents perception on child education (gender disaggregated) (Both intervention and non-intervention) Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip PS481 What are the activities that your male child has been engaging in since the extended closure of schools? Multiple response possible Income- generating activity (paid labour) 1 Skip if no male child Helping the family in income-generating activity 2 Household work 3 Studying 4 Playing 5 Take care of younger siblings 6 No male child 7 Others (specify) 88 PS482 What are the activities that your female child has been engaging in since the extended closure of schools? Multiple response possible Income- generating activity (paid labour) 1 Skip if no female child Helping the family in income-generating activity 2 Household work 3 Studying 4 Playing 5 Take care of younger siblings 6 174 28 June 2022 | Volume I No female child 7 Others (please specify) 88 PS483 What are your suggestions to improve the quality of education? Record Review Tool USDA McGovern-Dole and WFP supported Food for Education Programme in Nepal General Instruction: The present tool consists of 4 sections. Please request the respondent to keep records and registers ready for the interview - for convenience. In case of multiple responses, do not accept other options if coded don’t know or refuse to answer. Section 1: Interviewer Information (for creation of a file) Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip RR11 School Code RR12 Code of the Interviewer RR13 Name of the Interviewer RR14 Start Time HH MM Auto generated Auto generated RR15 End time HH MM Section 2: Identification of the School 175 28 June 2022 | Volume I Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip RR21 Name of the school RR22 Name of the Village RR23 Code of the Municipality/ Gaunpalika RR23A Name of the Muncipality RR24 Code of the District RR24A Name of the District RR25 School EMIS Code RR26 Type of school 1=Project 2=Comparison If coded 2, skip to RR29 RR27 ASK ONLY IF CODED 1 IN RR25 Type of Implementation? 1=WASH + SMP 2=WASH + SMP+EGR RR28 ASK ONLY IF CODED 1 IN RR25 Is the school benefitting from any other light-touch intervention? 1= SIDP 2= Digital learning (DL) 3= HGSF 4= None of the above RR29 What is the school type? 1= Government pre-primary/lower basic (ECD to Grade III) 2= Government lower basic primary (ECD to Grade V) 3= Government basic (ECD to Grade VIII) 4= Government secondary (ECD to Grade X) 5= Government higher secondary (ECD to Grade XII) 88= Others (please specify) RR210 Number of teachers in the school Total: Female: 176 28 June 2022 | Volume I Male: RR211 How many special needs teacher in the school? RR212 UID of the Headteacher It is Auto-filled, will not show in the tab RR213 Phone Number of the head teacher Section 3: Introduction and Consent 2. Consent Form for Respondents Hello, my name is _____________________ We represent a group of researchers studying the Food for Education programme in your region in collaboration with World Food Programme, Nepal. Our study aims to assess the nutritional, dietary and hygiene habits among students and their communities. The study will be carried out across 11 districts in Nepal, and around 200 primary school. You have been selected for this purpose. In this regard, we want to interview you to understand details about the school such as; teacher’s attendance, total school enrolment, details about present school committees and so on. Your participation in this research will be kept confidential and is entirely voluntary. You and other participants in the study will only be identified by a study number, not by name. Withdrawal with no adverse consequences is possible at any time without having to give a reason. All the answers that you provide will be kept private — only researchers will have access to this information. You may choose not to participate in the interview and can stop the interview at any time or ask me to clarify any question. There is no financial reimbursement for taking part in the study. Once again, any information provided by you shall be kept confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We request you to provide your consent to conduct the interview. Do we have your permission to do so? 1 = Yes (Thank you and end interview) 0= No (Thank you and end interview) Do you have any questions for me now? Note: ANSWER QUESTIONS AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE AND PROCEED Sl. No. Item Yes No 1 Do you confirm that you have understood the information for the above study and have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily? 1 0 177 28 June 2022 | Volume I 2 Do you confirm that you understand that your participation in this study is voluntary and that you can stop the interview at any time without giving a reason? 1 0 3 Do you confirm that you understand that if you decide to stop the interview all data collected will be destroyed? 1 0 4 Do you confirm that you agree to take part in the study? 1 0 5 Do you confirm that you understand that any information used in writing up the study findings will be used anonymously, and that you give your consent to this? 1 0 6 Do we have permission to continue? 1 0 Section4: Record Review Module 1: School attendance records Q. No Question Response Skip RR411 Do you have a teacher attendance register? 1= Yes 0=No If Yes, skip to RR413 RR412 If No, why don’t you have the teacher attendance register? ____________________________ RR413 Was the attendance record book physically verified? 1= Yes 0=No If yes, skip to RR415 RR414 If No, why was the attendance record book not physically verified? _______________________ RR415 Who do you report to? Can you please see the register and tell me the number of days early grade (Grade 1-3) teachers were present during the following months? (Put the number of days he/she attended school. Put 99 if not applicable, i.e. if he / she was not working in that certain month) RR416 RR41 7 RR41 8 RR41 9 RR41 10 RR41 11 RR4112 RR4113 RR4114 RR4115 Sl. N o Name of the Teacher (Optiona l) Baishakh (Apr May) Jestha (May Jun) Asar (Jul Aug) Shrawan (aug Sep) Bhadau (sep Oct) Aswin (Oct-Nov) Kartik (nov-Dec) Mansir (Dec-Jan) Poush (Jan-Feb) Nepali teachers only 178 28 June 2022 | Volume I 1 2 3 4 Other subject teachers RR416A1 RR41 7A1 RR41 8A1 RR41 9A1 RR41 10A1 RR41 11A1 RR4112 A1 RR4113 A1 RR4114A1 RR4115A1 1 2 3 4 5 Module 2: School Student Enrolment Information (Put 00 for cases where data is unavailable) Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip Can you please see the register and tell me the number of students in respective grades? RR421 RR422 RR423 RR424 RR425 RR426 Grade I (Use 00 if data is not available) Academic Year Total number of students enrolled: Male Total number of students enrolled: Female Total number of students transferred out: Male Total number of students transferre d out: Female Total number of students Dropout: Male Total numbe r of studen ts Dropou t: Female 2077 2078 Grade III (Use 00 if data is not available) RR427 RR428 RR429 RR4210 RR4211 RR4212 Academic Year Total number of students enrolled: Male Total number of students enrolled: Female Total number of students transferred out: Male Total number of students transferre Total number of students Total numbe r of studen ts 179 28 June 2022 | Volume I d out: Female Dropout: Male Dropou t: Female 2077 2078 Grade V (Use 00 if data is not available) RR4216 RR4217 RR4218 RR4219 RR4220 RR4221 Academic Year Total number of students enrolled: Male Total number of students enrolled: Female Total number of students transferred out: Male Total number of students transferre d out: Female Total number of students Dropout: Male Total numbe r of studen ts Dropou t: Female 2077 2078 Grade VIII (Use 00 if data is not available) RR4222 RR4223 RR4224 RR4225 RR4226 RR4227 Academic Year Total number of students enrolled: Male Total number of students enrolled: Female Total number of students transferred out: Male Total number of students transferre d out: Female Total number of students Dropout: Male Total numbe r of studen ts Dropou t: Female 2077 2078 Q. N O Gra de Module 3: Record of Attendance Bhadhra Mangshir Poush Bo ys Enr oll ed Girl s Enr oll ed To tal Sc ho ol da ys B o y s G ir ls T ot al Bo ys Enr oll ed Girl s Enr oll ed To tal Sc ho ol da ys B o y s G ir ls T ot al Bo ys Enr oll ed Girl s Enr oll ed To tal Sc ho ol da ys B o y s G ir ls T ot al 180 28 June 2022 | Volume I RR 43 1 ECD (Bal Bika s) RR 43 1A Gra de 1 RR 43 2 Gra de 3 RR 43 3 Gra de 5 RR 43 4 Sch ool day s RR 43 5 Nu mbe r of clas s day s Module 4: Health and nutrition records Q. No Question Response Skip RR441 Does the school maintain School Health and Nutrition Register (SHN)? 1= Yes 0=No If Yes, skip to RR442A RR442 If No, why don’t you have the School Health and Nutrition Register? ____________________________ RR442 A Is the record on students’ absenteeism due to sickness updated? 1=Yes 0=No If No skip to RR444 RR443 Please refer to school records to check the number of students from class I, III, V, VIII who were absent due to sickness in the last two years Grade Year Boys Girls Total Grade I 2077 181 28 June 2022 | Volume I 2078 Grade III 2077 2078 Grade V 2077 2078 Grade VIII 2077 2078 Students receiving deworming medication RR444 Is there a record/information about deworming medication distribution for the year 2078? 1= Yes 0=No If YES, skip to RR446 and review the record RR445 If no, why is there no record? RR446 Did students receive deworming medication in 2078? 1= Yes 0= No If No, skip to RR449 RR446A Number of students enrolled in the year 2078(for the deworming initiative) ________No: of boys ________No: of girls 99= Don’t know RR447 How many students received deworming medication in 2078? ______ No: of boys ______ No: of girls 99=Don’t Know RR448 How are deworming tablets typically distributed? 1= Weekly 2= Biweekly 3= Monthly 4= Quarterly 5= Biannually 6= Never 88= Other (specify)____________ 99= Don’t know 182 28 June 2022 | Volume I RR449 If No, why didn’t the students receive deworming tablets? 1= school closure 2= stocks out 3= provided through the health facility 4=refused the supplementation 88= Others (specify) 98= Not Applicable Thank the Head teacher for her time and cooperation. School Infrastructure Observation – Schedule USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Programme Note– Observe the school premises and respond to the questions in the CAPI tool in your tablet. Fill the answer by observing and asking wherever required Module 1: School identification Q. No. Questions Responses Instructions IO11 Name of the Observer/Enumerator IO11A Code of the Interviwer IO12 Name of the School IO12A School Code IO13 Unique Identification number of the Auto generated by IO13A School EMIS Code IO14 Code of the village IO15 Code of the Municipality IO15A Name of the Muncipality IO16 Code of the district IO16A Name of the District IO17 Type of school 1=Project 2=Comparison If coded 2 go to IO21 1017A Type of implementation 1= WASH +SMP 2= WASH +SMP +EGR 3= Non-intervention school IO18 Is the school benefitting from any light touch intervention 1=SIDP 2=Digital Literacy 183 28 June 2022 | Volume I Q01 Do we have permission to continue? 3=HGSF 4= None of the above Module 2: School Infrastructure Observation Q. No. Questions Responses IO21 Is there a library/reading room in the school? 1 = Yes If no skip to IO29 2 = No IO22 What is the kind of library observed in the school 1 = Standard Library 2 = Reading Corner 3 = Mobile Library 88 = Others (Specify) IO23 Number of books for early grades (grade 1-5) present in the library) 1 = Less than- 50 2 = 51-150 3 = 151-250 4 = 251-350 5 = More than 351 IO24 Is there a book ledger in the library? 1 = Yes If No skip to IO26 2 = No IO25 Was the ledger updated till the last working day? 1 = Yes 2 = No IO26 Is there a borrowing ledger in the library? 1 = Yes If No skip to IO28 2 = No IO27 Was the ledger updated till the last working day? 1 = Yes 2 = No IO28 Are students allowed to borrow books from the library (take them out of the library)? 1 = Yes 2 = No IO29 1 = Yes 184 28 June 2022 | Volume I Is there a kitchen within the school premises? 2 = No IO210 Does the kitchen have an energy-saving/improved cooking stove? 1 = Yes If no skip to IO211A 2 = No IO211 Is the stove functional? 1 = Yes 2 = No IO211A Does the School have dish￾washing soap? 1= Yes 2= No IO212 Is there stock of food items meant for preparing the school meals? 1 = Yes 2 = No IO213 The food items are stored off the ground? 1 = Yes 2 = No IO214 Are there signs of leakage/pilferage of the food items? 1 = Yes 2 = No IO215 Is there a record book for keeping records of the food items? 1 = Yes If no skip to IO217 2 = No IO216 Record the date when the record was last updated __DD/ /__MM/____YYYY(Record the date) IO217 Is there a record book to track the contribution of food items by the community? 1 = Yes If no skip to IO219 2 = No IO218 Record the date when the record was last updated __DD/ __MM/ /____YYYY/\(Record the date) IO219 Does the school have a functional toilet/latrine facility meant for use by the students and teachers/staff? Functional Toilet: Toilet with availability of water and facility for outlet of waste 1 = Yes If No skip to IO225 2 = No IO220 Is there a separate toilet facility for boys,girls and teachers/ staff? 1 = Yes If No skip to IO224 2 = No 185 28 June 2022 | Volume I IO221 Details of its functionality Functional Toilet: Toilet with availability of water and facility for outlet of waste Is the boys toilet functional? 1= Yes 2= No IO221A Is the girls toilet functional? Functional Toilet: Toilet with availability of water and facility for outlet of waste 1= Yes 2=No IO221B Is the teachers/ staff toilet functional? Functional Toilet: Toilet with availability of water and facility for outlet of waste 1=Yes 2=No IO222 What kind of toilet facility is available for the boys? 1 = Flush/pour flush to piped sewer system 2 = Flush/pour flush to piped septic tank 3 = Flush/pour flush to pit latrine 4 = Flush/pour flush to elsewhere 5 = Ventilated improved pit latrine 6 = Pit latrine with slab 7 = Pit latrine without slab 8 = Pit latrine without slab/open put/ 9 = Composting toilet 10 = Bucket 11 = No facility/bush/field 88 = Others (Specify) IO223 What kind of toilet facility is available for the girls? 1 = Flush/pour flush to piped sewer system 186 28 June 2022 | Volume I 2 = Flush/pour flush to piped septic tank 3 = Flush/pour flush to pit latrine 4 = Flush/pour flush to elsewhere 5 = Ventilated improved pit latrine 6 = Pit latrine with slab 7 = Pit latrine without slab 8 = Pit latrine without slab/open put 9 = Composting toilet 10 = Bucket 11 = No facility/bush/field 88 = Others (Specify) IO223A What kind of toilet facility is available for the teachers/staff? 1 = Flush/pour flush to piped sewer system 2 = Flush/pour flush to piped septic tank 3 = Flush/pour flush to pit latrine 4 = Flush/pour flush to elsewhere 5 = Ventilated improved pit latrine 6 = Pit latrine with slab 7 = Pit latrine without slab 8 = Pit latrine without slab/open put 9 = Composting toilet 10 = Bucket 11 = No facility/bush/field 88 = Others (Specify) IO224 What is the kind of toilet facility for boys, girls and 1 = Flush/pour flush to piped sewer system 187 28 June 2022 | Volume I teachers/staff? (in case there is a common toilet for boys,girls and teachers/staff) 2 = Flush/pour flush to piped septic tank 3 = Flush/pour flush to pit latrine 4 = Flush/pour flush to elsewhere 5 = Ventilated improved pit latrine 6 = Pit latrine with slab 7 = Pit latrine without slab 8 = Pit latrine without slab/open put 9 = Composting toilet/Ecosan 10 = Bucket 11 = No facility/bush/field 88 = Others (Specify) IO225 Does the school have hand washing station/ “tippy taps”? 1 = Yes If 2 skip to IO228 2 = No IO226 Do the hand‐washing station/ “tippy taps” have water for washing? 1 = Yes 2 = No IO227 Do the hand-washing station/ “tippy taps” have a soap? 1 = Yes 2 = No IO228 What is the main source of drinking water in the school? 1 = Piped water into school 2 = Piped water into yard/plot 3 = Public Tap/Standpipe 4 = Open well in school/ 5 = Open well in yard/plot/ 6 = Open public well/ 7 = Protected well in school/ 8 = Protected well in yard/plot/ 9 = Protected public well 10 = Spring 11 = River/stream 12 = Pond/lake 13 = Dam 188 28 June 2022 | Volume I End of Observation Storekeeper Structured Interview Tool USDA McGovern-Dole Food for Education Programme in Nepal- Evaluation General Instruction: The present tool consists of 3 sections: Introduction and consent form, structured interview with the storekeeper, supply, and storage mechanism. In case of multiple responses, do not accept other options if coded don’t know or refuse to answer. Section 1: Interviewer Information (for creation of a file) Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip Version SK00 Serial Number SK11 Warehouse Code SK12 Code of the Interviewer SK13 Name of the Interviewer SK14 Start Time HH MM Auto generated SK15 End Time HH MM Auto generated Section 2: Identification of the FDP/EDP/Warehouse Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip 14 = Rainwater 15 = Tanker truck 16 = Water vendor 17 = Bottled water 88 = Other (Specify) 189 28 June 2022 | Volume I SK21 Code of the FDP/EDP/Warehouse SK21A Name of the FDP/EDP/Warehouse SK22 Name of the Village SK23 Code of the Municipality/ Gaunpalika SK23A Name of the Muncipality SK24 Code of the District SK24A Name of the District SK25 UID of the Storekeeper Auto-fill SK26 Contact Number: Section 3: Introduction and Consent 2. Consent Form for Storekeepers Hello, my name is ________________________________________. We represent a group of researchers studying the Food for Education programme in your region in collaboration with World Food Programme, Nepal. Our study aims to assess the nutritional, dietary, and hygiene habits among students in grades 3, 5, 6, and 8. The study will be carried out in around 200 primary schools in Nepal, and the primary school in your area has been selected for this purpose. In this regard, we want to interview you to understand the supply and storage of food supply for the mid￾day meal programme. Your participation in this research will be kept confidential and is entirely voluntary. You and other participants in the study will only be identified by a study number, not by name. Withdrawal with no adverse consequences is possible at any time without having to give a reason. All the answers that you provide will be kept private — only researchers will have access to this information. You may choose not to participate in the interview and can stop the interview at any time or ask me to clarify any question. There is no financial reimbursement for taking part in the study. Once again, any information provided by you shall be kept confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We request you to provide your consent to interview. Do we have your permission to do so? 1 = Yes (Thank you and end interview) 0= No (Thank you and end interview) Do you have any questions for me now? Note: ANSWER QUESTIONS AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE AND PROCEED 190 28 June 2022 | Volume I Sl. No. Item Check 1 Do you confirm that you have understood the information for the above study and have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions, and have had these answered satisfactorily? 1= YES 0=NO 2 Do you confirm that you understand that your participation in this study is voluntary and that you can stop the interview at any time without giving a reason? 1= YES 0=NO 3 Do you confirm that you understand that if you decide to stop the interview all data collected will be destroyed? 1= YES 0=NO 4 Do you confirm that you agree to take part in the study? 1= YES 0=NO 6 Do you confirm that you understand that any information used in writing up the study findings will be used anonymously and that you give your consent to this? 1= YES 0=NO 7 Do we have permission to continue? 1=Yes 0=No Section 4: Storekeeper Interview Schedule Module 1: Storekeeper Characteristics Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip SK411 Name of the storekeeper SK412 Sex of the storekeeper 1=Male 2=Female 3=Transgender 4= prefer not to respond SK413 How many years have you been working as a storekeeper? 1= 6 months to 1 year 2= 1 year to 2 years 3= more than 2 years (please specify) SK414 What is your caste? (Not to be asked to the respondent- determined from surname) 1=Brahmin, Chhettri, Thakuri, Sanyasi Caste 2=Dalit 3=Newar 191 28 June 2022 | Volume I 4=Ethnic Group (Other than Newar) 5=Madhesi 6=Muslim 7= Don’t want to specify 88=Others (please specify) Module 2: FDP/EDP Storekeeping- (observation) Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip SK421 Does the FDP/EDP have a separate storeroom or warehouse? 1 = Yes 2= No If no, go to SK428 SK422 Is the food storeroom/warehouse lockable? 1 = Yes 2= No SK423 Does the storeroom have windows and ventilators for ventilation? 1 = Yes 2= No SK424 Was there any evidence of the presence of rodents in the store during the last working month? 1 = Yes 2= No SK425 Was there any evidence of the presence of insects (weevil and others), during the last working month? 1 = Yes 2= No SK426 Is there any evidence of mold and excess humidity? 1 = Yes 2= No SK427 Is there any evidence of spillage or leakage? 1 = Yes 2= No SK428 Is the food stored off the ground? 1 = Yes 2= No If no skip to SK4210 SK429 If yes, does the FDP/EDP use pallets for commodities' storage? 1 = Yes 2= No SK4210 Does the FDP/EDP have a pest/insects management plan? 1 = Yes 2= No SK4211 Does the FDP/EDP carry out pest/insects control measures? 1 = Yes 2= No 192 28 June 2022 | Volume I Module 3 : Training on storekeeping Q. No Question Response Skip SK431 Are you trained in safe food preparation and storage practices? 1 = Yes 2= No If no skip to SK436 SK432 If Yes, how many times have you received training in last year? __ __ no. of times SK433 Who provided the training? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= Non-government organization officials 2= Government officials 3=WFP officials 88=Others (please specify) SK434 What were the topics discussed during the training? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= Commodity management 2= Record keeping 3=Storage type and utilization 4= Health and hygiene 5=Food preparation and items required 6= Storage equipment 88=Others (please specify) SK435 Where was the training held? Multiple Response Possible 1=At school 2=At district headquarter 3= Muncipality 88=Others (please specify) SK436 Do you maintain a proper record of the food items? 1 = Yes 2= No If no skip to SK441 SK437 What are the challenges faced during record keeping?? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= Inadequate training 2= Insufficient details regarding inventories 3= Irregular supplies 4= No challenges 88= Others (please specify) Module 4: Warehouse Management Q. No Question Response Skip 193 28 June 2022 | Volume I SK441 What are the steps taken by you as soon as the food commodities arrive at the FDP/EDP? (Do Not Prompt) MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= Check Waybills 2= Unload the Food commodities 3= Carry to the warehouse 4= Stack food commodities correctly 5= Record stack card 88= Others (please specify) 99= Do not know SK442 What precautions do you take while carrying food and storing it in the warehouse? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= Check the warehouse before storing food bags. 2= Protect food commodities from rain 3= Not using hooks to pull/move food bags. 4= Handling food bags with care (Avoid stepping, throwing) 5= Store in a cool and dry place 6 = No specific actions taken 88= Others (please specify) 99= Do not know SK443 What are the steps taken by you to ensure that the food items are of good quality and fit for storing in the warehouse? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= Check for lumps/damp/mold 2= Check for pests 3= Check for smell 4= check for damaged food packets 5 = No specific actions taken 88= Others (please specify) 99= Do not know SK444 What steps do you take before storing the food in the warehouse? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= Clean the warehouse 2= Check for pests 3= Check for smell 4= Check for lumps/damp/mold 5= Remove weevils 6= Store according to LIFO/FIFO/FEFO as applicable 7 = No specific actions taken 88= Others (please specify) 99= Do not know SK445 Once the food is stored in the warehouse, what precautionary steps 1= Check for holes and leakages in the food bags/packets 2= Check for holes and leakages in the warehouse roof and walls 3= Use pallets to keep food stacks. 194 28 June 2022 | Volume I do you take to ensure its safety? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 4= Use tarpaulins to cover the food stacks 5= Protect from condensation drips 6= Allow ventilation in the warehouse 7= Inspect the stacks from time to time 8= No specific actions taken 88= Others (please specify) 99= Do not know SK446 What steps do you take before dispatching the food items? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= Inspect the truck 2= Check for lumps/damp/mold 3= Check for pests 4= Check for smell 5= Check for damaged food packets 6 = No specific actions taken 88= Others (please specify) 99= Do not know SK447 What precautionary steps do you take to ensure food items are loaded safely in the transportation vehicle? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= Protect food commodities from rain 2= Not using hooks to pull/move food bags. 3= Handling food bags with care (Avoid stepping, throwing) 4= stack and load the food items correctly 5 = No specific actions taken 88= Others (please specify) 99= Do not know SK448 How do you keep a record of the food items dispatched? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= issue waybills 2= record stack cards 3= maintain manual records 4= maintain digital records 5 = No specific actions taken 88= Others (please specify) 99= Do not know Module 5: Perception on FMC/SMC and Food Delivery Q. No Question Response Skip SK45 1 Are you satisfied with the way food is 1= Very satisfactory 2= Satisfactory If 1,2,99 go to 195 28 June 2022 | Volume I stored by the school? 3=Not satisfied 99= Do not know SK45 3 SK45 2 If not satisfied, why are you not satisfied with the way food is stored at school? 1= Food is stored on the floor 2= Lack of ventilation in the kitchen or wherever food is stored 3= Unhygienic conditions of storage (signs of pests, rodents, water leakage) 88= Others (please specify) SK45 3 Do you provide feedback to the school for proper food storage? 1=Yes 2=No If no skip to SK45 6 SK45 4 Does the school follow the feedback provided by you? 1=Yes 2=No 3=sometimes 99= Do not know SK45 5 What kind of feedback do you usually provide? SK45 6 What are the common problems encountere d by you while fulfilling your role? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= Absence of public transportation/ Fewer roads connecting schools 2= Delay in food collection 3= Communication gap with school authorities 4=Lack of network connectivity in areas 5=Insufficient tools for measuring quantities of commodities 6= Restrictions due to COVId-19 88= Others (please specify) SK45 7 Did you face any problems 1=Yes 2=No If 2 go to 196 28 June 2022 | Volume I while managing THR? SK47 1 SK45 8 What were the challenges that you faced? MULTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE 1= Absence of public transportation/ Fewer roads connecting schools 2= Delay in food collection 3= Communication gap with school authorities 4=Lack of network connectivity in areas 5=Insufficient tools for measuring quantities of commodities 6= Restrictions due to COVId-19 88= Others (please specify) Module 7: Community Feedback Mechanism Q. No Question Response Ski p SK47 1 When you face any problem or have any feedback, what channels do you approach/us e to communicat e the same? Multiple response possible 1=SMC/FMC 2=School Principal 3=Namaste WFP toll-free numbers 4=WFP/ CP staff 5=Viber/ Facebook Messenger 6=Suggestion box 7=Email 8=SMS 88=Others (please specify) SK47 2 How would you like to receive information on WFP related activities? 1= Through WFP staff 2=Through WFP partner staff (NGO) 3=Through Government leader (Ward Chair, Gaupalika/ Nagarpalika member) 4=Viber/ Facebook messenger 5=Radio 6=Printed materials 7=Through SMC/FMC 88=Others (please specify) 197 28 June 2022 | Volume I Module 8 Impact of COVID-19 Q. No Question Response Skip SK481 How has the pandemic impacted your work? Student Structured Survey Tool USDA McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition in Nepal- Endline Evaluation General Instruction: The present tool consists of 4 sections; Introduction and consent form for parents and students; Interview information, School information and student Interviews. The first 3 sections be done using hard copy of the tool. Section 4 of the tool, structured interview schedule for students, should be done using the digital copy of the tool available in your tablets. Section 1: Introduction and Consent 1. Consent Form for Parents Hello, my name is ________________________________________. I am a representative of NARMA-Sambodhi consortium. We represent a group of researchers studying the Food for Education and Child Nutrition programme in your region in collaboration with World Food Programme, Nepal. Our study aims to assess the nutritional, dietary and hygiene habits among students in grade 3, 5, 6 and 8. The study will be carried out in 225 primary schools in Nepal, and the primary school in your area has been selected for this purpose. In this regard, we want to interview your child in his/her respective school to understand his/her literacy level and reading ability. Your child will be interviewed during the school hours and we will also request for prior permission from the head teachers before the interview. Your child’s participation in this research will be kept confidential and is entirely voluntary. Your child and other participants in the study will only be identified by a study number, not by name. Withdrawal with no adverse consequences is possible at any time without having to give a reason. All the answers that your child provides will be kept private — only researchers will have access to this information. Your child may choose not to participate in the interview and can stop the interview at any time or ask me to clarify any question. There is no financial reimbursement for taking part in the study. Once again, any information provided by your child shall be kept confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We request you to provide your consent to interview your child during the school hours. Do we have your permission to do so? 1 = Yes (Thank you and end interview) 0= No (Thank you and end interview) Do you have any questions for me now? 198 28 June 2022 | Volume I Note: ANSWER QUESTIONS AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE AND PROCEED Sl. No. Item Check 1 I confirm that I have read and understood the information sheet dated______________ for the above study. I have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily 1=Yes 0=No 2 I understand that my child’s participation in this study is voluntary and that my child can stop the interview at any time without giving a reason 1=Yes 0=No 3 I understand that if my child decides to stop the interview all data collected will be destroyed 1=Yes 0=No 4 I agree to allow my child to take part in the study 1=Yes 0=No 5 I understand that any information used in writing up the study findings will be used anonymously, and I give my consent to this 1=Yes 0=No Name of Participant: Signature Date: Q. No Question Response Remarks EGS11 Name of the parent? EGS12 Sex of the parent 1= Male 2= Female 3= Transgender 4= Prefer not to say EGS13 What is your educational qualification? 0=No schooling 1= Only signature 2= Upto class 5 3= Class 6 to 8 4= Class 9 to 10 5=Class 11 to 12 6=Bachelors degree 7= Masters degree and above 99=Don’t know EGS14 What is your caste? 1= Brahmin, Chhettri, Sanyasi, Thakuri 2=Dalit 199 28 June 2022 | Volume I 3=Newar 4=Janajati (Except Newar) 5=Madhesi 6=Muslim 7= Do not want to specify 88=Others (Specify) EGS15 Parents UID 2. Consent from Students Hello, my name is ________________________________________. I am a representative of NARMA-Sambodhi consortium. We represent a group of researchers studying the FFECN FY17 programme in your region in collaboration with World Food Programme, Nepal. Our study aims to assess the nutritional, dietary and hygiene habits among students in grade 3, 5, 6 and 8. The study will be carried out across 225 primary schools in Nepal, and the primary school in your area has been selected for this purpose. In this regard, we want to interview you to understand his/her literacy level and reading ability. We have requested the head teachers for permission before the interview. Your participation in this research will be kept confidential and is entirely voluntary. You and other participants in the study will only be identified by a study number, not by name. Withdrawal with no adverse consequences is possible at any time without having to give a reason. All the answers that you provide will be kept private — only researchers will have access to this information. You may choose not to participate in the interview and can stop the interview at any time or ask me to clarify any question. There is no financial reimbursement for taking part in the study. Once again, any information provided by you shall be kept confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We request you to provide your consent to interview. Do we have your permission to do so? 1 = Yes (Thank you and end interview) 0= No (Thank you and end interview) Do you have any questions for me now? Note: ANSWER QUESTIONS AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE AND PROCEED 1 I confirm that I have read and understood the information sheet dated______________ for the above study. I have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily 1=Yes 0=No 2 I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I can stop the 1=Yes 200 28 June 2022 | Volume I interview at any time without giving a reason 0=No 3 I understand that if I decide to stop the interview all data collected will be destroyed 1=Yes 0=No 4 I understand that recording the interview is optional. By ticking this box, I agree to have this interview recorded 1=Yes 0=No 5 I understand that any quotations used in writing up the study findings will be used anonymously, and I consent to this 1=Yes 0=No Name of Participant: Signature Date: Section 2: Interviewer Information Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip SS21 Date of Interview DD/MM/YY SS22 Name of the Interviewer SS23 Code of the Interviewer Section 3: Identification of the School Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip SS31 Name of the school SS32 Code of the school SS33 Name of the Village SS34 Code of the Village SS35 Name of the District SS36 Code of the District SS38 Type of School 1=Project 2=Comparison Section 4: Students Interview Schedule Module 1: Student Characteristics 201 28 June 2022 | Volume I Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip SS411 Grade of the student SS412 Name of the student SS413 Unique Identification Number of the student SS414 Sex of the student 1=Male 2=Female 3=Transgender 4=Do not want to specify SS415 Age of the student …………..years SS419 How long does it take for you to get to school? ………mm SS4110 Do you have anyone at home to help you with reading? 1=Yes 0=No SS4113 Do you take extra lessons after school? 1=Yes 0=No If No skip to SS4115 SS4114 How many days per week do you take extra lessons after school? __ __ No. of Days SS4115 Do you have to work at home before going to school? 1=Yes 0=No If No skip to SS4117 SS4116 How many hours in a day do you work at home before going to school? __ __ No. of hours SS4117 Do you have to work at home after coming home from school? 1=Yes 0=No If No skip to SS4119 SS4118 How many hours in a day do you work at home after coming home from school? __ __ No. of hours SS4119 What language do you use at home? 1= Nepali Language 2= Tharu 3= Doteli 4=Achhami 5=Baitedeli 6=Bajhangi 7=Kham 88=Others (Specify) 202 28 June 2022 | Volume I SS4120 What language do you use at school? 1= Nepali Language 2= Tharu 3= Doteli 4=Achaami 5=Baitedeli 6=Bajhangi 7=Kham 88=Others(Specify) Module 2: School Attendance Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip SS421 In the past 6 school days, how many days did you eat breakfast before going to school? __ __ No. of Days SS422 In the past 6 school days, how many days did you eat a meal after going to school (and before going to bed)? __ __ No. of Days SS423 Do you like coming to school because food is provided? 1=Yes 0=No 98=Not applicable SS424 If no meal is provided do you return home before the end of the school day? 1= I will return 0= I will not return 98=Not applicable SS425 Normally, if you become aware that the school food is finished, do you go to school the next day? 1= I will go to school 0=I will not go to school 98=Not applicable SS426 In the last 30 days have you missed any school days due to illness? 1=Yes 0=No If No, go to SS431 SS427 How many school days have you missed? __ __ No. of Days Module 3: Knowledge and Awareness on Diet/Health/Hygiene Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip 203 28 June 2022 | Volume I SS431 Why is it important to have a good and balanced diet? (Multiple Response Possible) Note– Do not prompt the answer. Let the child provide the answer. 1 = Gives us energy 2 = Helps us grow 99=Don’t Know 98=Other (Specify) SS432 Can you name 3 items that one should eat every day? (Multiple Response Possible) Note– Do not prompt the answer. Let the child provide the answer. Record Answer 1: Record Answer 2: Record Answer 3: 99= Don’t Know SS433 Why is personal hygiene important? (Multiple Response Possible) Note– Do not prompt the answer. Let the child provide the answer. 1 = Keeps us healthy 2 = Prevents Diseases 3 = Less Absenteeism from school 98=Other (Specify) SS434 Can you name 3 good practices on personal hygiene? (Multiple Response Possible) Note– Do not prompt the answer. Let the child provide the answer. 1=Regular and proper use of latrine at home and school 2=Hand washing with soap after using latrine, before eating / preparing food / feeding a child 3=Use and maintain tippy tap for hand washing 4=Drinking clean water from a safe source (e.g. tube well, or treated water collected from river/lake) 5=Maintain a waste disposal system (Water drainage, garbage pits, waste basket/dust bins) 6=Keep the School building and compounds clean 7=Maintaining hygienic environment during food preparation, handling and distribution 8=Using clean and hygienic utensils during food preparation, handling and distribution 9=Use and disposal of sanitary napkins during menstruation 98=Other (Specify) 99=Don’t Know 204 28 June 2022 | Volume I SS437 Can you name a few local sources from where you can get information good health practices? (Multiple Response Possible) Note– Do not prompt the answer. Let the child provide the answer. 1= Local health clinic / hospital 2= School Health and hygiene Brochures 3= NGO/GoN Community health workers 4= Poster and Pamphlet 5= Notice board/ wall magazine / Wall paintings/hording board 6= Local Radio 7= Video/Documentary Street Drama Show 8= Food Fair/Food making competition 98=Other (specify) 99=Don’t Know SS437A Have you received iron folic acid supplementation over the last 6 months? 1=Yes 2=No 98=Not applicable If no skip to module 4 SS437B How often do you receive iron folic acid supplementation? 1= weekly 2=monthly 3=bi-monthly 99= Do not know Module 4: Perception Based Questions on Diet/Health/Hygiene Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip Now I will read some information and you will tell me if you think it is true or not true (Read each information to the student and put mark according to his/her answer) SS441 Sickness can be caused by eating healthy food 1=True 0=Not True 99=Don’t Know SS442 You can prevent some of diseases by wearing shoes 1=True 0=Not True 99=Don’t Know SS443 There is no way to prevent children from getting diarrhoea or dying from diarrhoea diseases 1=True 0=Not True 99=Don’t Know 205 28 June 2022 | Volume I SS444 Food gives us energy, immunity and helps us to grow 1=True 0=Not True 99=Don’t Know SS445 We shouldn’t wash our hands with water and soap 1=True 0=Not True 99=Don’t Know SS446 We should wash our hands with water and soap before cooking 1=True 0=Not True 99=Don’t Know SS447 We shouldn’t wash our hands with water and soap before eating 1=True 0=Not True 99=Don’t Know SS448 We should wash our hands with water and soap after using toilet 1=True 0=Not True 99=Don’t Know SS449 We, students, can keep our school clean, safer and healthy 1=True 0=Not True 99=Don’t Know Module 5: Teacher Verification Note to the investigator– Answers to the following questions shall be procured by assessing the class register. Please thank the child for his/her participation and then request the class teacher to assist you with the following questions. SS451 To be observed and noted from the class attendance record/register For how many days from 1st July 2021 and 31st December 2021 was the school open? ___ ___ No. of days 99 = Do not know 999= Record/register not available Record numeric response (2 characters and no decimal places) SS452 To be observed and noted from the class attendance record/register During the period of 1st July 2021 and 31st December 2021, how many days has the child attended school? ___ ___ No. of days 99 = Do not know 999= Record/register not available Record numeric response (2 characters and no decimal places) 206 28 June 2022 | Volume I SS453 To be observed and noted from the class attendance record/register For how many days from 1st July 2021 and 31st December 2021, was the child absent from school? ___ ___ No. of days 99 = Do not know 999= Record/register not available Record numeric response (2 characters and no decimal places) SS454 To be observed and noted from the class attendance record/register How many numbers of days, between 1st July 2021 and 31st December 2021 was the child not able to attend school because of illness? ___ ___ No. of days 99 = Do not know 999= Record/register not available Record numeric response (2 characters and no decimal places) SS455 Did the child fall sick the same number of days as last year (2076)? 1 = Less this year than last year 2 = Same number of days 3 = More this year than last year 99 = Don’t know/Don’t have an answer SS456 Do you think the child is inattentive in the class? If so, how? SS456A Was iron-folic acid supplementation distributed over the last 6 months? 1= Yes 2= No End of Interview End Time: __ __: __ __ 207 28 June 2022 | Volume I Teacher Structured Survey Tool (Only for teachers teaching Nepali language to early grade (standard 1-3)) USDA McGovern-Dole Food for Education Programme in Nepal- Evaluation General Instruction: The present tool consists of 4 sections; Introduction and consent form for respondents; Interview information, School information and Semi-Structured interviews for teachers. Please request the respondent to keep records and registers ready, if possible, for the interview for convenience. Section 1: Interviewer Information (for creation of a file) Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip TS11 School Code TS12 Code of the Interviewer TS13 Name of the Interviewer TS14 Start Time HH MM Auto generated TS15 End time HH MM Auto generated Section 2: Identification of the School Q. No Question Response Remarks/Skip TS21 School EMIS Code TS22 Name of the school TS23 Name of the Village TS24 Code of the Municipality/ Gaunpalika TS24A Name of the Muncipality/Gaunpalika TS25 Code of the District TS25A Name of the District TS26 Type of school 1=Project 2=Comparison If coded 2, skip to TS29 TS27 ASK ONLY IF CODED 1 IN TS26 1=WASH + SMP 208 28 June 2022 | Volume I Type of Implementation? 2=WASH + SMP+EGR 98= Not Applicable (NA) TS27A Is the school benefitting from any other light touch intervention? 1= SIDP 2= Digital learning (DL) 3= HGSF 98= Not Applicable (NA) TS28 UID of the teacher It is Auto-filled, will not show in the tab TS29 Phone Number of the Teacher Section 3: Introduction and Consent 1. Consent Form for Respondents Hello, my name is _____________________ We represent a group of researchers studying the Food for Education programme in your region in collaboration with World Food Programme, Nepal. Our study aims to assess the nutrition al, dietary and hygiene habits among students and their communities. The study will be carried out across 10 districts in Nepal, and around 200 primary school. You have been selected for this purpose. In this regard, we want to interview you to understand details about the school such as; teacher’s attendance, total school enrolment, details about present school committees and so on. Your participation in this research will be kept confidential and is entirely voluntary. You and other participants in the study will only be identified by a study number, not by name. Withdrawal with no adverse consequences is possible at any time without having to give a reason. All the answers that you provide will be kept private — only researchers will have access to this information. You may choose not to participate in the interview and can stop the interview at any time or ask me to clarify any question. The interview will take 20-25 mins approximately.There is no financial reimbursement for taking part in the study. Once again, any information provided by you shall be kept confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We request you to provide your consent to conduct the interview. Do we have your permission to do so? 1 = Yes (Thank you and end interview) 2= No (Thank you and end interview) Do you have any questions for me now? Note: ANSWER QUESTIONS AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE AND PROCEE Sl. No. Item Yes No 209 28 June 2022 | Volume I 1 Do you confirm that you have understood the information for the above study and have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily? 1 2 2 Do you confirm that you understand that your participation in this study is voluntary and that you can stop the interview at any time without giving a reason? 1 2 3 Do you confirm that you understand that if you decide to stop the interview all data collected will be destroyed? 1 2 4 Do you confirm that you agree to take part in the study? 1 2 6 Do you confirm that you understand that any information used in writing up the study findings will be used anonymously, and that you give your consent to this? 1 2 7 Do we have permission to continue? 1 2 Section 4: Structured Interviews Module 1: Respondent Characteristics Q. No Question Response Skip TS411 What is your name? TS412 Gender of the respondent? Male 1 Female 2 Transgender 3 Choose not to respond 4 TS412A Which caste /ethnicity to you belong to? Brahmin, Chhettri, Thakuri, Sanyasi 1 Dalit 2 Newar 3 Ethnic group (Except Newar) 4 Madhesi 5 Muslim 6 Do not want to specify 7 Others (specify) 88 TS412B What is your age? __(in completed years) TS413 What is your job title? Teacher (permanent/ regular) 1 210 28 June 2022 | Volume I Teacher (fixed source, Niji shrowt)) 2 Teacher (volunteer) 3 Other (specify) 88 TS414 What is your educational qualification?