IKHWELO PILOT PROJECTS I m p a c t E v a l u a t i o n R e s e a r c h R e p o r t - - N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 1 - M a r c h 2 0 0 2 - - Final Report Impact Evaluation done & report prepared by: Ikhwelonet Consortium, 109, 1st Avenue, Melville 2092, JOHANNESBURG, Ph: 011.7267135, Fx: 011.7267049, E-mail: minniev@iafrica.com The Ikhwelo Projects are funded by USAID and this Evaluation Report was made possible through their support, under the terms of Award No 674-A-00- 99-00027-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors, based on survey results obtained during the Impact Evaluation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the US Agency for International Development. I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 1 Table of Contents CO-OPERATIVE AGREEMENT KEY COMPONENTS ..................................................6 TOR RESEARCH QUESTIONS .......................................................................................7 AGREEMENT PROCESS................................................................................................14 IMPLEMENTATION CONSTRAINTS ...........................................................................15 DOCUMENT CONSTRUCTION....................................................................................18 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................21 INTERVIEWS VERSUS INTERVIEW BENCHMARKS...............................................................23 Impact Evaluation Contract Benchmarks and Targets Reached...............................................................23 Reasons for the Change in Numbers: .....................................................................................................................23 ADDITIONAL RESEARCH DONE.......................................................................................24 INTERVIEW RATIOS ........................................................................................................24 INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................27 CONSTRAINTS TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT........................................................................28 Service Delivery Challenges.........................................................................................................................................28 Institutional Challenges..................................................................................................................................................29 Infrastructure Challenges...............................................................................................................................................29 Transport Challenges.......................................................................................................................................................30 Market Challenges.............................................................................................................................................................30 Funding Challenges..........................................................................................................................................................30 Integrating and Co-operation Challenges..............................................................................................................31 Education and Training Challenges .........................................................................................................................31 Integrated Learning Programmes as a Challenge ..............................................................................................32 The Training and Accreditation Challenge...........................................................................................................32 ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES:.....................................................................................32 Integrating Efforts ............................................................................................................................................................33 Funding Opportunities...................................................................................................................................................33 Optimising Community Mobilisation.....................................................................................................................33 Infrastructure Provision.................................................................................................................................................34 Upliftment through Agriculture.................................................................................................................................34 Upliftment through SMMEs........................................................................................................................................34 Effective Planning.............................................................................................................................................................35 Training and Recognition of Prior Learning .......................................................................................................36 INFLUENCING IMPACT..............................................................................................39 I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 2 NATIONAL POLICY IMPLEMENTERS ................................................................................39 PROVINCIAL POLICY IMPLEMENTERS..............................................................................42 PROVINCIAL POLICY IMPLEMENTERS – STATISTICS ..........................................................48 DISTRICT CO-ORDINATORS -- STATISTICS..........................................................................51 CENTRE STAFF – IMPACT SUMMARIES..............................................................................54 CENTRE STAFF -- STATISTICS..........................................................................................64 MONITORING & EVALUATION & ACTION........................................................................66 LEARNING MATERIALS ...................................................................................................67 Unit Standards....................................................................................................................................................................67 Assessment exemplars for ABET.............................................................................................................................69 A Qualification & Assessment System for ABET............................................................................................69 Integrated Outcomes-based Learning Programmes ........................................................................................69 A User-friendly Learner Placement Assessment Package............................................................................70 Succeed in Business..........................................................................................................................................................70 Start-up...................................................................................................................................................................................71 Agriculture: A practical course (1 & 2) ...................................................................................................................71 Fields of Learning .............................................................................................................................................................72 Seeds of Learning ..............................................................................................................................................................72 A Simple Guide to Managing Village Poultry.....................................................................................................72 BUSINESS PLANS.............................................................................................................72 Procedure for Business Plan Approval...................................................................................................................73 Business Plan Approval..................................................................................................................................................73 Comments on the Business Plans.............................................................................................................................74 INFRASTRUCTURE AND VENTURES..................................................................................74 Ventures Implemented ...................................................................................................................................................75 Ventures in School Yards..............................................................................................................................................76 Water Supply........................................................................................................................................................................77 Fencing ...................................................................................................................................................................................78 Area Planted.........................................................................................................................................................................79 FINANCIAL BREAKDOWN................................................................................................79 COST BENEFIT STUDY ....................................................................................................83 Price Adjustments ............................................................................................................................................................85 Fuel Price...............................................................................................................................................................................85 Commodity Prices.............................................................................................................................................................85 Wage Rates for Workers................................................................................................................................................85 Project Life..........................................................................................................................................................................85 Results of the Economic Analyses ...........................................................................................................................87 Conclusion............................................................................................................................................................................87 EXPERIENCING IMPACT ............................................................................................88 I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 3 LEARNERS AS INDIVIDUALS.............................................................................................88 LEARNERS -- STATISTICS .................................................................................................93 COMMUNITY IMPACT – SUMMARY OUTPUTS ....................................................................97 CENTRE GOVERNING BODIES -- STATISTICS ...................................................................105 LESSONS LEARNT.......................................................................................................109 RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................111 SCENARIO SKETCHES ................................................................................................119 CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE......................................................................................126 ANNEXES.....................................................................................................................135 ANNEX 1: CENTRE CASE STUDIES – LIMPOPO .......................................................135 Madikanono Centre.......................................................................................................................................................135 Dithothwaneng Centre ................................................................................................................................................138 Mmadisei Centre.............................................................................................................................................................141 Rakopi Centre ..................................................................................................................................................................144 Matangari Centre ............................................................................................................................................................148 Makahlule Centre............................................................................................................................................................151 Khomisani Centre ..........................................................................................................................................................154 Hosana Mavele Centre.................................................................................................................................................157 Mvhuyazi Centre.............................................................................................................................................................159 Soniye Centre ...................................................................................................................................................................162 ANNEX 2: CENTRE CASE STUDIES – EASTERN CAPE.............................................165 Molly Blackburn Centre..............................................................................................................................................165 John Walton Centre......................................................................................................................................................167 Khanyisa Centre..............................................................................................................................................................170 Makukhanye Centre......................................................................................................................................................172 EL Correctional Services ............................................................................................................................................174 Zimele Centre...................................................................................................................................................................176 Nolitha Centre.................................................................................................................................................................177 Qoqodala Centre.............................................................................................................................................................179 Lupapasi Centre ..............................................................................................................................................................181 Port St Johns Centre.....................................................................................................................................................184 Kambi Centre...................................................................................................................................................................185 ANNEX 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...................................................................188 ANNEX 4: VERIFYING IMPACT..................................................................................193 PROVINCIAL & NATIONAL .............................................................................................193 FACE to FACE & Guided Interviews: National Policy Level................................................................193 Non-formalised Telephone Interview: National Policy Level .................................................................193 FACE to FACE & Guided Interviews: Regional Implementers............................................................193 I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 4 Focus Groups and Guided Interviews: Village Level ..................................................................................195 FACE to FACE Interviews: District & Village Levels................................................................................195 Focus Groups and Guided Interviews: Village Level ..................................................................................196 FACE to FACE Interviews: District & Village Levels................................................................................197 ANNEX 5: FINANCIAL BREAKDOWNS SUPPORT TABLES ......................................198 ANNEX 6: INFRASTRUCTURE & RESOURCES SUPPORT INFORMATION ............201 ANNEX 6: COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS SUPPORT TABLES ........................................204 TERMS OF REFERENCE.............................................................................................207 EXAMPLES OF INSTRUM ENTS..................................................................................216 I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The way is certainly both short and steep, However gradual it looks from here; Look if you like, but you will have to leap. (W.H. Auden) he Ikhwelo Project was conceptualised as a pilot project and emanated from the dire need that exists in South Africa for a fully productive, literate and numerate rural and urban population. The programme is located in two poorest of the nine provinces, namely Limpopo and the Eastern Cape. Each of these provinces has a special flavour and special needs regarding the selection of centres for the Ikhwelo replication and for the identified spin-offs, namely SMME development and agriculture, to be successful. This report presents the findings of a longitudinal assessment of the outcomes and impact of the management, funding and training components of the Ikhwelo Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Project Literacy and the National Department of Education. The pilot projects have come to the near-end of their planned life span and the question remains whether and how the principles and methodology can be replicated in other provinces. The partners appointed a team of researchers (the Ikhwelonet Consortium) to ascertain what has been achieved during the implementation of the project, the conditions and attributes of the programme that led to the achievements, the reasons for not achieving the goals, where such non-achievement has been identified and whether the pilots were efficient and effective and what the impact of this project has been on the lives of individuals, communities and on national ABET policy. The Impact Evaluation Implementation methodology initially included a.) the execution of tasks as per the Terms of Reference, b.) a Planning Meeting to addresses issues such as sampling, questionnaires, centre background information, c.) doing the research through field visits, d.) analysis of the research outcomes, and e.) writing the first draft for presentation. At this point, the process was extended to include a broad-based consultation process, whereby the research team presented drafts of the document to the different role-players for comment. All the role-players received copies of the first draft and many made valuable comments. The research team endeavoured to include all the comments into the Fnal Report, either as additional sections, new developments (e.g. the ‘Centres of Excellence’ in Chapter 4) or explanations and justifications. During the consultation process it was made clear to the role-players that all the information in the document was obtained from the different stakeholder strata. The research team had neither the jurisdiction nor licence to change what was in the questionnaire outputs. The only two chapters where the team used their analytical licence was in Chapter 2, which describes the background to South Africa’s rural development, and Chapter 4, which outlines the recommendations as well as the new developments. All information in this document was derived from the role-players themselves, which the research team used as a basis for their extrapolations. The research team came to one overall conclusion: the projects are successful, and all the negative issues raised by the different levels of persons inverviewed – from learners to national policy makers – can all be rectified. No fundamental flaws could be detected in the overall project and the design and T I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 6 perception issues that impacted negatively on the pilot projects are all of such a nature that the lessons learnt can all be applied. Co-operative Agreement Key Compon ents According to the ‘Co-operative Agreement Number 674-A-00-99-00027-00, the primary purpose of the programme is to support the National Department of Education and the respective Provincial Departments of Education to successfully implement affective Adult Basic Education and Training learning programmes in two new elective firlds, namely agriculture and SMME at the General Education and Training Certificate (GETC) level’. The results outlined in the original proposal document have been combined into the following five objectives in the Project Action and Implementation Monitoring Plans: 1. Implement integrated learning programmes with adult learners 2. Provide support for adult learners to participate in the project 3. Provide opportunities for practical implementation 4. Create mechanisms for aftercare and support for adult learners 1. Provide in-service training for adult educators in agriculture and SMMEs. 2. Support adult educators to facilitate learning programmes in agriculture and SMMEs. 1. Provide management training for the effective and efficient running of the centres. 2. Provide support to provincial and regional management structures for the effective and efficient running of the centres. 1. Develop and provide learner and educator support material. 2. Establish portable resource units for each pilot site. 3. Leverage appropriate physical resources for the implementation of the pilot project. Enhance the skills of adult learners in SMME and agriculture through 4 core activities: Enhance the skills of educators to deliver learning programmes in SMME and agriculture through 2 core activities: Enhance the capacity of government structures to effectively and efficiently manage the pilot project through 2 activities: Develop and provide appropriate resources to facilitate learning and teaching within the project through 3 activities: I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 7 1. Set up national and provincial offices for the project. 2. Monitor the implementation of the project. 3. Conduct formative evaluation of the project. 4. Conduct summative evaluation of the project. 5. Make recommendations for replication. 6. Launch a publicity campaign for the project. To R Resea rch Questions Did the project succeed in what it set out to do? According to the Terms of Reference, the main aims are to ascertain if the project met the set objectives in line with the negotiated expectations and state policy, if the project impacted positively on learners, were the materials and equipment sufficient, was there enough money, did the project reach the intended target audience, do learners want certificates, or knowledge and skills, or both, are the centres working together with other stakeholders, for instance the agricultural fraternity, has everything possible been done to make the centres sustainable and ultimately, are the learners learning skills and acquiring knowledge that will help propel them out of their poverty trap? This Impact Evaluation sought to observe, document and answer questions posed in the Terms of Reference. The following summaries of the answers are not sequenced in terms of positive or negative impact, but as they are reflected in the Terms of Reference. The answers are all expanded upon in Chapter 3 of the document and in the Provincial Case Studies in the Annexes. What was achieved during the implementation of the Pilot Project? What is the impact of the Ikhwelo Project? Establish mechanisms to ensure sustainability and replication of the pilot project through 6 activities: 44 centres were established, offering SMME and agricultural electives to learners between ABET levels 1 and 4. The learners acquired skills and research has shown that they can apply these skills. In terms of poverty relief, job creation and personal empowerment, the learners benefited and the project is a success. Considering an average annual intake of more than 2 000 learners, this project can be seen as successful. A limited number of learners sat for ABET level 4 summative assessment at the end of 2001. The assessment was conducted by the Department of Education. These learners, if successful, will be awarded credits for the unit standards (SMME and Agriculture) on which they were assessed. These credits (together with credits received for the unit standards of other learning areas) will contribute towards the attainment of a GETC. The overall impact of the project is very positive. This relates primarily to the improved livelihoods of the recipients of the learning and training interventions. All the negative factors listed in the report pertains to problems that can be resolved to optimally improve the impact. I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 8 What are the conditions and attributes of the programme that led to the achievements? What are the reasons for not achieving these goals, where such non￾achievement has been identified? Is the Ikhwelo Project effective? A number of reasons can be noted as having negatively impacted on the stated goals: insufficient adherence to learner admission criteria, unsuitable centre locations, long disbursement delays and concomitant implementation delays, unsatisfactory educator training and qualifications impacting severely on the delivery of ILPs. This question has both a ‘yes’ and a ‘no’ answer. The ‘yes’ answer pertains to the following issues impacting positively on the effectiveness of the project as noted in the research: educators have been trained in agriculture and SMMEs, ventures have been established, CGBs received some training, learners and communities have felt the difference in their own lives as positive, poverty has definitely been relieved in many communities, a decline in poverty-related illnesses was noted, learners are very positive about the fact that they can now read and write and produce commodities to sustain their lives. The ‘no’ answer pertains to the following issues impacting on the effectiveness of the project as noted in the research: under- and unqualified educators, unsuitable centre locations, lack of resources (financial and natural), insufficient learning support materials, inability of the educators to implement ILP, long disbursement delays, administrative and implementation delays from the IA, untrained centre governing bodies, unsatisfactory payment policy to educators and centre managers, and unkept promises of equipment and funding. This point also pertains to the inability of the Ikhwelo Project to form sustained or contractual links with a multi-sectoral stakeholder base and to share in the provision of infrastructure, funding, etc. In both provinces some collaboration has taken place between the project and other government departments and NGOs, but nothing of a permanent or sustained nature. Abject poverty and a critical need for an Ikhwelo-type project prevail throughout South Africa. The programme components are in line with the needs and demands of adult learners. Also, it is in line with the government’s Integrated Rural Development Plan, its Local Economic Development Plan and its poverty alleviation and job creation foci. It may not be the perfect mix of electives for all the learners in all the centres, but those learners who have persevered in the programme has reaped enormous benefits, personally and for their communities. Similarly, the centre selection may not have been the most suitable, but it appears from the research that most of the role-players are making the best of it. I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 9 Prolit spent R16 million of Co-operative Agreement funds and R5.5 million of its counterpart funds, both cash and in-kind contributions on the project from April 1999 through September 2001. According to the National Department of Education Finance Division, the 2001 – 2002 provincial Ikhwelo Project budgets for the two provinces were: Limpopo R3.925 million and the Eastern Cape R4.625 million. The provincial budgets for 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 do not specify Ikhwelo as a separate budget item. How efficient is the Ikhwelo Project? What funds did the Department of Education, USAID and Project Literacy spent? On w hat were the funds spent? What has been achieved in terms of resource mobilisation at all levels of the Project? Are the centres engaging in effective resource mobilisation, financial planning processes, to ensure the sustainability of the Business Ventures? The Prolit expenditure constitutes the following: R4.1 million (26%) on training; R3.04 million (19%) on salaries, R2.2 million for administration, R1.9 million (12%) for the sub-agreement with AED and R4.8 million on other expenses. The DoE expenditure includes salaries of centre staff, proportions of departmental staff salaries, transport and training. Very little additional resources had been mobilised by the project and most centres are having difficulty to mobilise resources from outside its ambit, with the one impedement the low level of involvement of local businesses. A few centres managed to get additional outside funding from the Department of Health and the British High Commission. In Limpopo other government departments, such as the the Departments of Agriculture, Labour and Trade and Industry were involved. Sustainability of most of the centres in their present form is questionable and the cost-benefit analysis describes the economic aspect in detail. The areas where the project was efficient include: good relations between local role-players as a result of good communication, regular field visits by the field workers, continuous and consistent training interventions for centre staff by the DoE in conjunction with Project Literacy and the specialist training agencies, updated monitoring & evaluation system in place, regular PPMC, and NAG meetings. Generally, the governance and management of the project was sorely lacking. The following examples can be noted: a very long start-up delay was due to ‘implementation bottlenecks’ (the project started in April 1999 and the 1st business plans were approved in April/May 2001), late disbursements for the acquisition of equipment, delays in supplying learner support materials, inappropriate learner support materials, delayed payment to centre staff, communication deficiencies, very low % time allocation by provincial DoE staff and an ineffective monitoring and evaluation system. Issues that impinged on the project are discussed later in the Executive Summary. I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 10 In terms of the set benchmarks, w ere 3 000 learners enrolled into the Learning Programmes for Agriculture and SMME? In terms of the set benchmarks, w ere educator training completed for not less than 300 practitioners? In terms of the set benchmarks, did 345 educators successfully complete the entrance assessment test and enrol to be trained as educators? In terms of the set benchmarks, did 2 members from each Centre Governing Body successfully complete 3-day training? In terms of the set benchmarks, did 40 management staff per province successfully complete a 5-day training course? A total number of 3,178 learners have registered with the project since inception, with an annual average of 2 253 learners in the centres. The fluidity in learner attendance and the number of drop-out learners explain the fluctuation. The fluctuations can also be ascribed to the reduction of the number of centres. 441 educators in total attended training since inception of the project, with the average of 232 per annum. The fluctuation can be ascribed to the fact that educators who received training had left their jobs and new educators were trained. The benchmark of 2 members from each CGB (44 centres x 2 members = 88) having successfully completed 3-day training was reached and the CGBs in all the centres have received training. The training interventions summary in this section notes the numbers. The benchmark was reached as all centre management staff received training and the training summary in this section describes the exact numbers. This particular question seems contentious as the researchers undestood that firstly, the provincial DoEs never undertook to do entrance assessments, secondly, all educators entered the programme with a certain qualification level, and thirdly that educators have all received additional and suplementary training since the inception of the Ikhwelo Project. I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 11 Do centres have access to all necessary equipment and teaching aids of an appropriate technology level? Will learners registered for the 2 Electives at NQF Level 1 gain accreditation w ith credits going tow ards obtaining the GETC? Can the programme be replicated in all provinces? Are the set objectives of the Project achievable within the context of the target group’s expectations and government’s ABET policy and multi-year plan? The benchmark that all centres should have the necessary equipment and teaching aids was not reached according to the centre staff, CGBs and learner research outputs. The question remains whether all role￾players should receive all equipment or whether equipment can feasibly be shared. The issue of ‘serious shortages’ as noted in the case studies should be viewed with circumspection. What is ‘sufficient access’? If learners have achieved the outcomes of the agriculture and SMME unit standards they will receive credits which will count towards obtaining the GETC. Some learners wrote examinations at the end of 2001 and will receive credits. According to all the research results, the objectives are achievable within the context of the target group’s expectations and the government’s ABET policy, on condition that their unique circumstances are taken into account regarding the learner needs, educator training and resource allocation. Also, if the governance and management, resource allocation and training design and implementation strategies can be refined, remedied and speeded up – this includes the rethinking of the Integrated Learning Programme. The governance scenario studies in the document outlines alternative structures for effective management. Planning for the replication of another 60 Ikhwelo Poverty Relief projects are currently in progress. The plan is that the project would be replicated all 9 provinces. The lessons learnt from the two provinces served as the staring point for the DoE planning process for replication. It would serve the DoE well to look at the lessons learnt and the recommendations from this evaluation, so that the ‘new’ projects can avoid the same pitfalls. What is also important, are the chapters of this report directly linked to the survey outputs and the case study summaries which are transcripts of the questionnaires. If the recommendations, directly based on the outputs from the research questionnaires and thus the voices of the persons interviewed, are heeded, the Ikhwelo Project could play a major part in broad￾based and massified poverty relief in South Africa. I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 12 What evidence is there that the knowledge & skills training meets the needs of diverse groups for local development, e.g. unemployed and under-employed people, dismissed farm workers, adults and others w ishing to change careers, youths seeking employment for the first time, and bodies such as village associations and farmers’ groups. What is the evidence that the needs are being met for (a) certification for participants expecting post-training employment and (b) knowledge and skills for participants expecting self-employment? Have effective relationships between agricultural education institutions, the agricultural extension system, the farming community and the Ikhw elo Centres been established and maintained in order to enhance the sustainability of Ikhw elo Business Ventures set up by both individuals and groups? This part of the project has not greatly succeeded, as few relationships have been formalised, formed and sustained. Although there is evidence that both provinces have made attempts to include other sector role-players, it remains an area that needs collaboration and effort. This is a major issue to be considered if this project is to be replicated and massified. Chapter 2 refers extensively to the collaboration efforts of different development role-players. There is evidence that most aspects of the project reached the learners. Although what appears to be a problematic ‘one-size-fits-all’ project design, the provinces believe that the original design was never intended as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ and the sample learning programmes were supposed to have been customised in accordance with centre and learner needs. It is evident that this was never done. While the DoE’s main mandate is to offer qualifications, the learner placement problems regarding ABET levels 3 and 4, hampered the goal of large numbers of learners attaining accreditation towards the GETC. The goal of registering and obtaining accreditation for the GETC is not always attainable and learners should have more choices.The relatively low learner numbers, coupled with a relatively high learner dropout rate is evidence of the systemic flaws. The research has shown that while certification and skills are both desired by the current learners, it also shows that learner numbers and the learner dropout rate is related to learner dissatisfaction with the elective combination – particularly in areas where learners are older and the setting is more rural. The fact that the accreditation for the GETC is not happening in any significant numbers is further proof that the learner needs in relation to the programme design are not being met. Further evidence is the deviation of both provinces from the entry-level admissions of learners and the lack of educator training in the specific electives. This problem seems to have been remedied to an extent during the 3rd implementation year. I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 13 In terms of the influence that the three national policy-making organisations and their leaders have had on the project and ultimately how their leadership impacted on the beneficiaries of the training intervention, namely the learners, the following two questions were posed to form the basis of the investigation: Has the Co-operative Agreement model between the National Department of Education, USAID and Prolit been a successful partnership for the project? How has the partnership between the National Department of Education, the Provincial Departments of Education in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, USAID and Project Literacy contributed to the outcome of the Ikhwelo Project? Notwithstanding the relationship difficulties, it is very clear from the research findings that the project is by-and-large successful because the recipients (particularly the learners) are making the most of it. The general feeling is that this project is worthwhile and should continue. Some of the role-players expressed reservations about the relationship, except the donor, who is satisfied. The model seems sound, but the interpretation of roles and responsibilities as well as the adherence to these roles and responsibilities have been skewed. Some role-players felt that the current governance and management structure hinders optimal performance of the Ikhwelo Project. The Scenarios in Chapter 4 address alternatives. On local level, the relationships seem fine, but on provincial and national levels, the tensions have hampered progress. It is a unique model with much potential for replication. The difficulties need to be resolved if this project is to reach its potential. I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 14 Agreement Pro cess National Department of Education commissioned Project ABEL & AED to research NP & EC learner needs RFA: draw n up by National DoE & USAID Competitive Tender Process (according to USAID guidelines) BAFO Process: (Best & Final Offer of 3 best Tenders) Tender awarded to Project Literacy Memoranda of Understanding (between all role-players before provincial work could commence) Bi-lateral Agreement: USA & SA Governments Research findings presented to National Dept of Education & accepted by NDoE Terms of Reference draw up betw een USAID & NDoE to construct RFA Co-operative Agreement drawn up between USAID, NDoE & Prolit I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 15 Implementation Constrain ts Getting the Ikhwelo pilot projects off the ground and commencing implementation, was no easy task, as the researchers found throughout all the surveys. As there are valid reasons for most of the issues – sometimes called ‘bottlenecks’ in the document – some are extracted and the researchers endeavoured to give an overview of the main delays. Also, it became clear that the interpretation of the Ikhwelo Project focus differs on national level as well as between some national perspectives and local level. On the one hand some role-players sees the focus as GETC oriented and on the other hand poverty-relief is viewed as the most important factor in the programme. This led to different expectations, friction and concomitant extended discussions which impacted on time frames and delays. In addition to the implementation constraints, the researchres found that all three partners had different expectations of the project, what it was supposed to do, who was supposed to do what, and how the ‘spoils’ would be divided. The different expectations indirectly caused many of the ‘bottlenecks’. It would be sensible to read the report against the constraints and challenges outlined in the following chapters, as it opens new understandings of the difficulties that projects of this nature face. The three-prong partnership between USAID, Project Literacy and the National Department of Education in itself was experimental and a polit approach. This brought with it the interpretation of rules and procedures inherent to each partner: as Project Literacy as an NGO that has been in the business of teaching adults for 25 years have their implementation methodology, rules and procedures, so has USAID as an American government agency. Although the USAID rules and procedures were made clear at the onset of the tender process in their RFA and Standard Procedures, it did not prevent difficulties from emerging from them. For instance, the Standard Procedures describes seven categories of ‘Restricted Goods’, such as fertiliser, pesticides, agricultural commodities’, etc, which makes implementation of an agricultural elective against such definite restrictions difficult. Another issue noted as having contributed to the implementation delays is cost sharing and the requirement for partners to provide a matching share in the project. According to the Standard Procedures this can be in cash or in kind. Prolit needed to share in the cost to the tune of R5.5 million and this delayed the start-up. In South Africa, it is unusual for an NGO to share costs as a partner in a grant agreement, be it in cash or in kind. Staff selection and appointments was another issue that delayed the start-up of the project. The process to approve staff and the long time span between the issuing of the RFA, the submission of the proposal noting the preferred staff and the actual awarding of the contract spans a number of months. As the Co￾operative Agreement implies a ‘substantial involvement’ by the donor, this included ‘designation of key positions and approval of key personnel’. The repurcussion was simply that prospective staff (approved by all the partners) could not hang around for the process to play itself out and they took up other employment. Every time this happened, the process had to start again and further delayed implementation. The ripple effect could be felt throughout the start-up phase. The issue of centre selection emerged as a contentious component of the study and clarification was sought because it was interpreted as having contributed to the implementation delays. Although the Request for Application (RFA) No 674-99-A-004 clearly states that the implementer ,‘in collaboration with the two provincial education departments, should identify and select participating centres at which the two electives will be piloted’, it emerged that this condition was not adhered to. How were the centres selected? What criteria were used? Were the criteria adhered to? Was it indeed possible for the criteria to be adhered to in the light of the general development and infrastructural difficulties (particularly in rural areas)? Co-operative Agreement issues: Centre selection & infrastructure: I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 16 The Ikhwelo centres for the pilot project were selected by the provincial Departments of Education after the completion of a process funded by USAID, through Project ABEL. According to the National DoE a broad-based consultation process was entered into including potential communities and other stakeholders. Documentation received from the Provincial DoEs reflect that some of the Specialist Training Agencies attended relevant meetings. However, problems still surround this issue: Prolit believe that too many centres were selected for a pilot and they were geographically too far apart to effectively form a cluster. Furthermore, as the Limpopo centre selection criteria, noted fully later in the document stipulates, it is clear that although the demand for existing infrastructure was high on the agenda, the realities proved quite the opposite. Prolit as the IA, realised too long after the fact that very few of the centres had sufficient infrastructure and natural resources to implement the agriculture elective. As the Co-operative Agreement stipulated and tied them into the role of Implementing Agent to implement the project (unlike other programmes of similar flavour such as the Rivoningo Projects funded by the European Union), they were not legally responsible for the provision of infrastructure where the shortages existed. This issue created conflict and misunderstandings between what the provincial DoEs had to fund and what Prolit had to fund. To ease the conflict Prolit managed to secure money from corporate donors to provide infrastructure in some of the centres. Linking to the above issue of infrastructure provision, further conflict arose between Prolit and the provincial DoEs who were of the impression that the full grant amount of R26 million would be transferred to each of the provincial offices which would disburse R13 million each within the province. When the allocaion of R10 000 per centre emerged, the conflict increased because questions were asked as to what the money was being spent on and perceptions arose that too large a proportion of the funds were allocated to the operations at the IA’s Pretoria office. Compounding the money and disbursement problem, it emerged that the provincial DoEs questioned issues of accountability, considering that the centre management reported to the DoE, but that the IA corresponded directly with centre management about finances. Once it was resolved that the funds would go to the centres, the DoE still wanted to retain signing powers on all disbursements. Not only did the DoE have difficulty with this, but written permission had to be obtained from USAID to disburse funds to a third party, being the centres. The issue took months to resolve and was only concluded when the ABET Act was interpreted to support this modus operandi and a community-based fnancial management system. Prolit believed that each centre needed to do a business plan, outlining its prospective activities before monies could be allocated and disbursed. This belief was based on the fact that centres needed to take responsibility for forward planning, in line with normal sustainable business, and SMME educational and development practices. The provincial DoEs, on the other hand, believed that as Prolit had received the grant funding, it was unnecessary for centres to do business plans as the disbursements should happen automatically and in line with the grant agreement. This delayed the start-up process and it took six months to be resolved through the PPMC. In the Eastern Cape, for instance, the DoE believed that the IA should have taken care of the business plan process, and that specialist agency trainers were unnecessary. However, a tender process to recruit suitable specialist training agents commenced. Tender processes are by nature lengthy, and further delayed the start of the pilot projects. Appointing the training agents was a breakthrough in a very long process, as they could then start training provincial staff on the meaning of business plans, assist centres with writing and submitting the plans and respond to comments to remedy and refine the plans so that they would reflect a working solution for the centre. There was a very long delay in the approval of the first business plans. Considering the 36-month lifespan of the Ikhwelo Project, this delay caused major problems for the centres themselves. However, Roles, Responsibilities and Money Business Plan Processes and Approvals I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 17 reading the positive impact outcomes from the learners, balanced against the challenges outlined in Chapter 2, makes the progress over the past year even more remarkable. A discordant relationship prevails between Prolit and the provincial DoEs. This touched on nearly every aspect of the ‘ownership’ of the pilot projects. There was a general lack of confidence between two of the partners. This lack of confidence could in some instances be justified from the DoE perspective as Prolit was inexperienced in this type of partnership and their administration during the start-up was inefficient. Even though Prolit has 25 years experience in ABET delivery and was awarded the Education Africa Presidential Award for Excellence in ABET, the provinces believed that they lacked the experience, particularly in training agriculture and SMME electives, to effectively implement the project. Linking to this, is Prolit’s adherence to community-based management, which is different to the way government plans and implements programmes. Like in all government departments where rules and regulations have to be adhered to to the last letter in order to function in an orderly manner, the provincial DoEs found it difficult to prioritise a community-based management system. The learning curve for both partners seemed to be equally steep at the start of the Ikhwelo Project. A few other issues can be isolated as having contributed to the delays in this important project. These will not be discussed in detail, but suffice to say that they all added up to making the Ikhwelo Project a difficult one to get off the ground. One other issue concerns the leaning materials, ordered from a reputable publisher, which were not delivered and caused a major delay. It prompted Prolit to commission new materials which then led to the question of who owned the copyright to the materials. After much toing and froing, it was resolved that as Prolit paid for the material, they would retain copyright. USAID’s Standard Provisions make it clear that the ‘author is free to copyright any publication’. The issue of training provided by Project Literacy in conjunction with the DoE and the provincial specialist agencies in terms of the Co-operative Agreement emerged as an issue that needed clarification because it was consistently noted as being insufficient or contributing to implementation delays. When the question emerges as to ‘why the project took so long to get off the ground’, it needs to be balanced against 1,119 training interventions that were on-going since the start of the project. The following summary is self-explanatory. 1. Agriculture Specialist Training: 207 educators 2. Assessment Training: 74 people, includng DoE, Prolit staff and educators 3. Capacity Building: 268 people, including educators, DoE and Prolit staff. 4. Centre Governance Training: 92 CGB members 5. Centre Management Training: 33 Centre Managers and DoE and Prolit staff 6. Mock Exam Training: 30 educators 7. Project Management Training: 40 PPMC members 8. SMME Training: 321 educators 9. Treasurer Training: 54 CGB members The last issue that can be isolated as having contributed to the implementation delays is the fact the the Memorandi of Understanding between the provincial DoEs and Prolit took months to be resolved. Discussions and documentation on reaching agreements and signing them commenced in May 1999 and 3 months later nothing had been done. The MoUs were eventually signed but the researchers found that the roles and functions, and terms and conditions were not adhered to by the role-players. Ownership Delivery and Expectations Training Received Memorandum of Understanding I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 18 The original programme design was never meant to be a one-size-fits-all and the original intention was that Ikhwelo Centres would follow an integrated learning approach in which 5 educators would teach a range of subjects in an integrated manner with the focus on the teaching of agriculture and SMME electives. Learner Support Materials were provided for AAAT & SMME only, covering the ABET level 4 Unit Standards (US) for these learning areas. Only a limited number of USs for the other learning areas could be taught through AAAT & SMME. It was originally anticipated that learners could attain credits towards a GETC based on the Integrated Learning Programme where the sssessment of electives would comprise 60% formative assessment and 40% summative assessment. However, when SAFCERT were appointed as the accrediting body for ABET level 4 (NQF1), they stated that they could not accredit ILPs and that assessment needed be done on a subject-specific basic. The ABET level 4 (GETC exam) would be a national examination set by a National Examination Generating Team under the direction of the National DoE Examinations Department and accredited by SAFCERT. When setting the Summative examinations for both AAAT & SMME, the team tried to take into account the outcomes based approach (OBE) and the practical nature of these elective subjects and the questions were structured to give learners an opportunity to include their own personal experiences in their answers. With this in mind, when drawing up the memorandum, in addition to giving specific answers the phrase ‘any reasonable relevant answer’. However, this was deemed unacceptable by SAFCERT as they felt that broad answers would allow too much freedom in the marking process and would work against the attainment of a National Standard – the objective of setting up the NQF structures. If the summative examination had only accounted for 40% of the final mark as was originally intended, and the balance had been achieved via formative assessment of the learner’s portfolio, then there would still have been scope for learning programmes to have been customised in accordance with centre and learner needs. All Ikhwelo educators were extensively trained to conduct formative assessment and Field Support Workers, Specialist Agencies and Ikhwelo National Staff monitored the learner’s portfolios during Centre Visits. However it was decided by SAFCERT and the DoE that until formative assessment in 12 fields of learning was feasible, no formative assessment would take place. The problem that has arisen out of this approach is that formative assessment is based on an outcomes based approach in which learners are judged as competent or not yet competent in terms of individual Unit Standards. Summative exams work on a % basis within 40% being the pass mark, any learners attaining less than 40% received no credit at all for the marks gained. Furthermore, the lack of resources (texts and photocopying facilities) limited a role out of customised learning programmes to centre and learner needs and different perceptions with regard to implementation of Integrated Learning Programmes led to conflict between Implementing Agency and the DoE. Doc ume nt Constr uction Chapter 1 encompasses an introduction to the Impact Evaluation by describing the background to the project, justification for the focus on the Ikhwelo Projects and the research methodology and sampling that the researchers applied to extract their recommendations and lessons learnt. The Terms of Reference questions were not repeated in this section, as it was Programme Design This Impact Evaluation Report includes the following: I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 19 decided to put it upfront in the Executive Summary. Chapter 2 deals with the challenges that the rural development sector faces. This chapter tries to plot a simple set of challenges and remedies in order to understand the climate prevailing in the rural development sphere. It is not an easy task. Chapter 3 deals firstly with the factors that impact on the learners and the project as a whole. In this section the following were deemed to influence the impact: national policy implementers, retgional policy implementers, provincial role-players, centre staff, the M&E processes, practices and applications, the learning materials and their applicability, business plans, its processes, shortcomings and remedies, infrastructure availability or non-availability, and finally a cost-benefit analysis of how the money is spent and what the money actually bought. It also looks at what centres need to do and to what extent they would have to be massified in order to be viable. The financial aspects of the project is looked at in terms of their existing budgets. The second section in this chapter deals with those who experience the impact most, namely the learners and the communities in which they live. This section includes the Centre Governing Bodies as their involvement is seen as representative of the broader community. Although the CGBs actually straddle the section of influencing impact as well, it can be read to impact on both levels. This chapter includes extracts from the statistical data obtained through the surveys. The graphs are balanced against the interpretive narrative of the researchers’ impressions, as well as the open questions posed to recipients of the training interventions. It should be noted that the graphs often contradict the interpretive narrative. Explanations are given in these cases. The graphs are sometimes collapsed for the two provinces and are sometimes given separately. Where patterns emerged between the two provinces and their outputs are in line, the data was collapsed. Where no pattern could be observed, the provinces were left separate. Chapter 4 looks at the lessons learnt from the impact evaluations described in the case studies and the factors influencing impact as described for the national and provincial role-players. It furthermore summarises the recommendations on all levels and of all the points noted in the impact extractions. Finally, it looks at three different governance scenarios and describes the causes, effects and remedies for problems that emerged. This chapter also looks at the ‘ideal’ Centre of Excellence. It looks at the benchmarks and wish-lists, the assessments that need to be undertaken to get to a situation of ‘excellence’ and at a massification strategy to achieve the 10-fold productivity increase calculated in the cost-benefit analysis. The issue of establishing Centres of Excellence emerged from the round of consultation discussions after the First Draft of the report was presented to role-players. Chapter 5 includes the annexes and descriptions of the individual centre case studies, based on the subjective impressions of the researchers and the open questions posed to interviewees. It furthermore provides the background financial summaries, and the cost-benefit calculations. Chapter 6 includes the appendices, such as the Terms of Reference, and samples of the questionnaires. I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 20 INTRODUCTION his report presents the findings of an internal assessment of the outcomes and impact of the management, funding and training components of the Ikhwelo Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Project Literacy and the National Department of Education. The evaluation looks at establishing the efficiency, effectiveness, impact and partnership agreement between the three partners. The Ikhwelo Project was initiated in response to South Africa’s dire need for an expanded and integrated ABET programme, encompassing agriculture and the development of small, micro and medium enterprises. The Ikhwelo Project is a pilot, being tested in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo in 44 locations - 24 in Limpopo and 20 in the Eastern Cape in both rural and urban settings. The purpose of the Ikhwelo Project is to support the Eastern Cape and Limpopo’s Departments of Education in the implementation of a pilot project in the two elective sub-fields, applied agriculture and agricultural technology (AAAT) and small, micro and medium enterprise (SMME) over a period of 36 months. USAID provides primary funding through a grant to Project Literacy. Adult Basic Education and Training is a very important pillar across the 8 levels and 3 bands of the National Qualifications Framework. ABET falls within Band 1 of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and is further divided into four sub-levels (ABET Level 1 - Level 4). Outcomes-based education (OBE) ensures that learners develop life-skills through learning programmes that are relevant to their needs. The challenge to adult educators is to design and implement learning programmes that transform people’s lives. The goal of the Ikhwelo Project is to implement a pilot project that will provide access to the General Education and Training Certificate for adult learners to enhance their social and economic capacity. To achieve this goal the Ikhwelo Project has to accomplish the following core objectives: ~ To enhance the skills of adult learners in AAAT and SMME. ~ To enhance the skills of adult education practitioners to deliver learning programmes in AAAT and SMME. ~ To enhance the capacity of governance structures to effectively and efficiently manage various aspects of the pilot project. ~ To develop and provide relevant/appropriate resources to facilitate learning and Chapter 1 T I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 21 teaching within the pilot project. ~ To establish mechanisms to ensure sustainability and replication of the pilot project. The Ikhwelo Project commenced operations in April 1999 and should complete its work during 2002. A no-cost extention will extend the programme for another 12 months. Res earch Metho dolog y The Research Team The research team consisted of two Impact Evaluation Specialists who acted as Team Leader (Minnie Venter-Hildebrand) and External Facilitator (Douglas Passanisi), two ABET Specialists (Beulah Thumbadoo and Fakazani Mgwaba), an Agricultural Economist (Junior Ferreira), and a Research and Curriculum Expert (Alrika Moore). The methodology that the Ikhwelonet Consortium followed in the execution of the Impact Evaluation1 is described in Annex 3. This Impact Evaluation summarises the data obtained during a longitudinal study of changes in individuals and institutions that can be attributed to the Ikhwelo training interventions. Impact Impact in this study means the change in individual or institutional capacity or performance that can be attributed to a training intervention. This believes that training itself is not impact. Impact is what trainees do with their training. Training is simply one intervention type open to recipients. Furthermore, training is not necessarily the overall purpose of the project but can contribute towards the achievement of national development objectives. In other words, training is a pre-condition for impact or change to occur. This Impact Evaluation has numerous audiences and applications: it is of interest to the Department of Education, USAID, Project Literacy, the learners, educators, centre managers, and programme managers who have programme or project-specific desires to maximise the impact of project-funded training. The implementing agent, Project Literacy would be well served to ascertain what alternative interventions, changes in approach, or implementation strategies would be more applicable, effective and efficient. 1 The Team Leader and External Facilitator from the Creative Associates Int. Inc Impact Evaluations base this methodology on acquired knowledge. I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 22 The training targets are depicted as follows: Components of the Impact Evaluation The implementation plan for this Impact Evaluation includes an analysis of the project as designed, measures the project achievements and outcomes against the requirements as set out in the Co￾operative Agreement, assesses the impact of training interventions on individuals who benefited from training and on the employing institutions, evaluates the effectiveness of the project design and management and makes recommendations for future training interventions to support national development goals. To achieve the above, the following components are included in the implementation plan: IND IV ID UA L: Newly-acquired skills OR GA NISA TION : Increased capacity CO MMU NITY: New initiatives NA TION AL DEVELOPMENT: Sustainable community development and poverty relief Project Management: Team Co-ordination and Quality Control PHASE 1: Planning & Defining the Issues PHASE 2: Data Collection PHASE 3: Data Analysis & Interpretation PHASE 4: Final Report: Conclusions & Recommendations I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 23 Sampling In order to obtain the data needed to assess training impact, the following sampling criteria were used: ~ 48% (21 out of 44) of all projects in the two provinces were selected. ~ Subjective decision by the Provincial Managers as to which projects were successful and less successful. ~ 50% of the projects sampled were thus deemed ‘successful’ and 50% deemed ‘unsuccessful’. ~ The number of projects was identified within a geographical area to accommodate travel, time and budget constraints. ~ The maps on the following pages depict all the Ikhwelo centres and those that were sampled. Interviews versus Interview Benchmarks The following summary depicts the interviews conducted: Impact Evaluation Contract B enchmarks and Targets Reached Target Achieved Learners 600 330 Project Leaders 10 52 Educators 50 84 Centre Governing Bodies 0 62 Centre Managers 0 14 Drop-out Learners 0 1 TOTAL INTERVIEWS 660 543 R easons for the Change in Numbers: a. All the centres had closed for the holidays by the time the research was conducted – the research team believed that it was a bad decision to do the research in November/December. The result was that many learners had already left the villages. b. Most of the centres are in rural areas with concomitant inaccessible roads: it was the rainy season and many learners did not pitch for the interviews. c. The team made a decision to broaden the interview base to include more face-to-face interviews with CGBs, Centre Managers and educators. This left less time to go I MP AC T E V AL U A T I O N F I N A L DR AF T : MA RC H 20 02 24 searching for learners to interview as a face-to-face interview takes twice as long for one person as a focus group of a few people. d. The team made a decision at the planning meeting that a literary review as well as a cost-benefit analysis would enrich the evaluation. e. The research believes that the variance in numbers is amply compensated for by the additional research components included. f. In terms of time spent, the weighting of the additional research exceeds the interview time of the learner shortfall. Additional Research Done ~ Literary Review of all Learning Materials ~ Financial Cost-benefit Analysis of Prolit/USAID Expenditure ~ Centre Business Plan procedure and impact ~ Overview of Monitoring & Evaluation Processes and Outcomes Interview Ratios ~ 100% of national and provincial management was surveyed ~ One provincial MEC submitted a guided interview ~ 66% (10 out of 15) Ikhwelo staff (total number) was interviewed ~ 45% (84 out of 188) educators (total number) were interviewed ~ 38% (62 out of 165) CGB members (total number) were interviewed ~ 67% (14 out of 21) Centre Managers were interviewed ~ 31% (330 out of 1 075) learners (in sample centres) were interviewed The two maps on the following pages clearly demarcates the centres visited, the relative distances of the centres to the Ikhwelo offices and main towns and the centres that were not sampled. The legends at the bottom of the pages indicate the sample. Verification of Research Numbers is noted as Annex 4. 25 Non-Sample Ikhwelo Centres Centre Sample Towns Eastern Cape Itekeng Balasi Port Elizabeth East London Graaf-Reinet Queenstown Aliwal North Umtata Lukhanyiso Komkhulu Port St Johns Lupapasi Mendu Dubula Middle Xolobe Nolita Zimele Qoqodala Igqili Abet Centre Makukhanye East London Prison Port Alfred Kanana Khanyisa Molly Blackburn John Walton Eastern Cape 26 Non-Sample Ikhwelo Centres Centre Sample Towns Limpopo Makahlule Matangari Fhatuwani Mbaleni Mutangwa Nwaxinyamani Khomisani Maand amahulu Ravele -Phi tela Sinopelwa PhulaniBhiyola Greenvalley Mvuyazi Hosanamavele Marumofasi Madikanong Dithothwaneng Ga- Phahla Rakopi T ompi Seleka Madise i Ditlotswane Phomelelo Manpye Louis Trichard t Polekwane Tzaneen (Pietersburg) Potgietersrus Warmbad Acornhoek Limpopo I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 27 PLAY TOGETHER & FACE THE CHALLENGES This chapter is included in the Ikhwelo Evaluation to paint the broader development picture against which these 44 pilot projects have been established and are currently operating. It is by no means meant as a full picture and it certainly does not pretend to emerge with answers to the problems. What it sets out to achieve is to illustrate the obstacles and challenges against which all development projects have to battle. This battle includes the ones consistently being fought on government level as well as that it is accepted that there are constant vested departmental interests in the negotiations for a bigger slice of the budget cake. The only real plea that underpins this chapter is to stimulate an interest among role-players to ‘play together’ in a co-ordinated and systematic way to eradicate poverty and improve rural livelihoods. Introduct ion overty, like wealth, is not distributed evenly. It ranges from the destitute – rural people who do not have land, resources or any visible income and who could account for as much as 10% of South Africa’s rural population – to farm workers and rural households who are dependent on remittances and petty commodity production. As the majority of the rural poor, they hover on the edge of destitution’2. Approximately 46% of South Africa’s population live in rural areas and it is estimated that 50% live in abject poverty. The challenge is therefore to introduce sustainable development in order to combat the depressing effects of poverty. In order to face these challenges, it is critical that we continuously search 2 Tessa Marcus, Prospects for Progress, Critical Choices for Southern Africa, (Minnie Venter (ed)), Maskew Miller￾Longman, Cape Town, 1994. Chapter 2 ‘P I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 28 for ways in which development can translate into the practicing of concepts of a people-centred society and of people-driven development processes3. Rural development is identified as one of the South African government’s major development challenges that have not received adequately attention at all. Many plans have been laid on the table, and much has been talked about this, but very little has happened on any significant scale. For instance, if one compares the budget allocations in the Department of Education to the different education budget sectors, the ABET allocation is a very clear example of someone counting the money not being serious about uplifting adult learners effectively, efficiently and sustainably. Generally, investment, training and technical assistance are the three most crucial challenges to South Africa’s under-funded, under-capacitated, poor, rural areas. Only if these components are thoroughly addressed and remedied, can the country begin to address issues of sustainable development with direct impact on poverty alleviation and improved livelihoods. The challenge is to invest in programmes that directly impact on poor, rural people residing in these under-privileged areas where they experience severe economic constraints, limited access to finances and little hope of breaking out of the poverty trap. A number of mechanisms exist to assist this sector of society to attain at least a modicum of expertise and improved livelihoods, including cross-subsidisation between ‘rich’ urban areas and poor rural areas for infrastructure improvements, grant funding for projects directly linking training and technical assistance such as the Ikhwelo Projects, and large-scale technical interventions in the broader entrepreneurial sphere (including SMMEs and agriculture and the obvious link between the two.) Institutional capacity and human resources on the one hand and infrastructure and market constraints on the other are also major constraints to delivery of services and economic growth. Throwing money at the rural development problem will not solve it. It needs a broad-based intervention strategy. This chapter identifies a few of the challenges, and endeavours to come up with some explanations and suggestions to work towards a solution. Constraints to Rural Development Uplifting the livelihoods of members residing in poor, rural areas to an acceptable level of entrepreneurial or mainstream participation in South Africa’s economy, means overcoming the endemic constraints that exist. We all know that most rural people are poor, that they have no jobs, that production capacities are low, that the distances are vast, that there are little or no infrastructure, transport, etc. However, all this has to be balanced against the institutional and capacity constraints found in the governance and management environment in rural areas. Service Delivery Challenges The rural local economic development function (LED) has been transferred to municipalities. However, it is not certain whether the new municipalities will be in a position to deliver. Some of the reasons for this doubt include the fact that municipal boundaries have been extended to include rural areas but the tax base has remained, in most cases, constant with the result that there is severe pressure on municipal 3 Regional Economic Review: Southern Africa Economic Summit 2000, World Economic Forum & SADC, 2000, I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 29 finance, The municipalities have also been given a ‘developmental’ mandate but has limited experience and capacity, compounded by insufficient financial resources and expertise to act on it. Furthermore, the mandate for the provision of economic infrastructure is problematic as the provision of roads is a national, provincial and local authority competency, but it is doubtful whether District Municipalities are or will be able to finance rural roads. Similarly, local authorities have little input into the prioritisation of communications infrastructure, which is biased towards metropolitan and urban centres4. Even taking the above constraints into account, the fact remains that rural development and investments obligations in rural areas are the responsibility of the state. However, it will surely solve some of the problems if development and local economic priorities and the concomitant budget allocations are taken under review in a more cohesive manner. Thus, irrespective of the initiatives on national and provincial levels (the Department of Education in the case of the Ikhwelo Project), the involvement of all initiatives needs to be aligned with those of the relevant District Municipalities because it can only be advantageous if all development projects become fully co-ordinated and integrated with other development initiatives in the area. Institutional C hallenges Some of the challenges imbedded in the local government sector include the deep-rooted poverty, which prevents municipalities from raising enough taxes and service levies to deliver appropriate services; the diminished institutional capacity to deliver services to poor, remote areas; the limited economic infrastructure such as roads and communication thus increasing transaction costs in rural economic sectors such as agriculture, agri-business, tourism and geographically bound enterprises; the remote locations with low population densities which do not allow for provision of affordable intermediate or full service levels; the limited profit incentive to attract private sector operators; ‘dead assets’ in the form of land where usufruct and communal rights prevent the land being used as an economic asset, and family savings which are kept in the form of cattle and other alternatives to the more expensive and less accessible urban banking options; money leakage from these areas to urban centres and migration to urban areas in pursuit of opportunities and the loss of local skills due to a lack of economic and local employment opportunities. Infrastructure Challenges Infrastructural services such as communications, power, transportation, provision of water and sanitation are central to the activities of households, poverty relief and economic production. In order to ensure that growth is consistent with poverty alleviation, infrastructural developoment needs to be extended to all sectors of the population: access to at least minimum infrastructural services is one of the essential criteria for defining welfare. Links between poverty and infrastructural services are not easy to pinpoint because the lack of access to one utility does not necessarily mean a lack of access to the others. Also different infrastructure sectors have different effects on improving quality of life and reducing poverty: access to reliable energy, clean water and sanitation, helps reduce mortality and morbidity and saves time for productive tasks: transport enhances access to goods, services and employment; communications allows access to services and information on economic activities, etc. 4 Some concepts in this chapter was derived from a DBSA Position Paper on Rural Development, Midrand, 2001 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 30 Redress of current imbalances in infrastructural services requires considerable investment in the short￾and medium-term, despite fiscal constraints. Resolving this dilemma is essential in order to secure the growth and poverty reduction linkages of infrastructure investments.5 Transport C hallenges Transport, or the lack of, is also a significant factor in the poverty cycle and is essential in stimulating and maintaining SMME and agricultural activities. In addition, accessibility of transport services for the poor is limited in the extent and location of services provided and poorer groups are often required to use more than one mode of transport to reach their destination. One mechanism for improving both the rural road network and rural livelihoods is an extensive and comprehensive community-based public works programme. Although the Department of Public Works has a rural-oriented development programme, the issue of roads have not yet been addressed in a co￾ordinated manner. Rural households generally do not possess motorcars and have very little access to public transport, as the government’s public transport system also does not cater for rural areas. Since the taxi industry is the most widely-used mode of ‘public’ transport, without road access and without state subsidies they also do not reach the poorest of the poor in the rural areas. It stands to reason that without adequate transport, agriculture and SMME activities, such as the case in the rural areas, people living there have very little chance to get their produce and manufactured items to the larger towns. This forces them into a limited market environment, mainly their own community and other villages in relatively close proximity. Market C hallenges Linking to transport, funding, roads, communication deficiencies, is the issue of inaccessibility of markets. On the one hand, production can happen at a successful and sustained rate, but if there are limited access or potential to access markets for products, the actual production has no alternative but to remain on a subsistence level. Communication, for instance, is crucial in this chain. Not a single link in the market chain can afford to be weak as their interlinking functions determine the success of the venture. This interdependence more-or-less sums up the trap that rural entrepreneurial ventures will find themselves in unless the infrastructure is improved drastically and speedily. Funding Challenges Investment in service infrastructure and the facilitation of community input into the IDP, WSDP and economic development processes which will enable rural communities to access finance, should be seen as another major rural development challenge. 5 Poverty and Inequality in South Africa, report prepared for the office of the Executive Deputy President and the Inter￾Ministerial Committee for Poverty and Inequality, Pretoria, 1998 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 31 Efforts are being made to present an integrated funding face to the challenges, but very little evidence exists as yet of much success. Infrastructure and capital intensive obligations in the rural areas are still not being addressed. Similarly, grand-scale use of indigenous savings habits, such as stokvels, has not yet been fully explored as development funding opportunities in poor areas. International standards have been set for the mobilisation of community savings and in many countries this has proven to be of the most successful undertakings. Rotating savings schemes, requiring a very small capital base is hugely successful in many parts of Africa and the rest of the world. A very big potential has not been tapped into by South African development agencies. The challenge is how to integrate all development interventions with the finance capacity of the rural poor. It is one thing for an NGO such as Project Literacy, in partnership with the state and USAID, to try and tackle a huge task such as the Ikhwelo Project, but it will make a real difference if this task is co￾ordinated with other initiatives, particularly in terms of filling the infrastructure gaps that exist in the rural villages which hamper economic growth and improved livelihoods. Integrating and C o-operation Challenges The Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy (ISRDS)6, promoted by the Office of the President (OP), plus the Constitutional obligations of the Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG), the Integrated Development (IDPs) and Water Services Development Plans (WSDPs) offer government departments the ideal opportunity to begin to develop and implement sustainable inter-linking development programmes. The biggest challenge seems to be to align all the role-players and bring them to the same party on the same theme. The rural development sector is plagued by rifts, conflicts and squabbles over resources and ‘turf’. The systemically flawed division of national ‘guardianship’ roles of government departments and their provincial and local roles as implementers creates bottlenecks, delays and implementation paralyses. Education and Training Challenges There is a very strong correlation between the level of education and people’s standard of living: the poverty rate among people with no education is 69%, compared with 54% among people with primary education, 24% among those with secondary education and 3% among those with tertiary education. There is also a correlation between poverty, lack of education and ill-health. Furthermore, South Africa has one of the poorest human resource indices in the world, in terms of both the skills levels of workers and the resources spent on training. Training and retraining to build up human capital and marketable skills, such as basic literacy and basic entrepreneurial skills and training in non-traditional occupations for vulnerable groups are critical to the integration of the poor into the economy.7 Approximately one quarter of the government budget is allocated to education (through the Department of Education), while state financial support for training is primarily within the budget of the 6 Its foundation emanates from three national policy thrusts; namely the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), the macro-economic Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) framework, the Rural Development Framework (RDF), the Consolidated Municipal Infrastructure Programme; Municipal Structures Act and resulting IDP policy. 7 ibid I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 32 Department of Labour. This concentration of resources, although focused on an area important in terms of poverty alleviation, leaves little scope for expansion in other under-funded areas such as ABET. Integrated Learning Programmes as a C hallenge Given the above dismal education and training scenario, the applications of the limited funds that are available are spent on learning and teaching programmes that seem to exacerbate the problems. For instance, educators have been encouraged to develop integrated learning programmes and this has created major problems in the ABET field. The reasons for this are as follows: ~ The educators are not properly trained to develop such programmes (confusion exists at various levels of the system of what an integrated learning programme constitutes) ~ The ABET sector has a history of not having enough educators to teach the learners. When integrated learning programmes are offered, team teaching of various educators is necessary. The practicality of this poses a problem. SAFCERT clearly indicated that they would not assess learners on Integrated Learning Programmes. Learners will be assessed on individual learning areas. The question then has to be raised: What is the purpose of the Integrated Learning Programme? The Training and A ccreditation Challenge Learners who are enrolled for agriculture and SMME learning programmes might have different intentions for taking part in these learning areas. It might be that they enrolled for the purpose of either acquiring the skills necessary to sustain a livelihood or that they want to embark upon a path of lifelong learning to further their education and training. Learners who have enrolled for the purpose of obtaining the GETC should be clear about the requirements for a GETC. The way in which the assessments are carried out should be investigated. The issue of the portfolio, continuous assessment and practical work (agriculture and SMME ventures) should receive attention and SAFCERT should provide clear guidelines on what percentage of these marks will count towards the GETC. Educators need to receive on-going training and support on how to conduct assessment in the classroom (different ways of assessment, development of assessment instruments, etc.). Addressing the Challenges: The following few examples constitute some of the pivotal issues that are imbedded in the Ikhwelo Project, but which are the lynchpin of sustainable rural development in South Africa: I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 33 Integrating Efforts It is clear that some mechanisms and strategies exist to address rural poverty and all its concomitant problems. As mentioned in the ‘challenges’ above, the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy, the Integrated Development (IDPs) and Water Services Development Plans (WSDPs) are all strategies devised and developed by the government to address these problems. However, a much bigger effort should be made to collaborate on programmes. A band of multi-sectoral role-players all need to be brought to the table because their collective strengths constitute the backbone of any rural development implementation programme. Without them on board as a multi-sectoral stakeholder group working actively together and sharing strategies, programmes, resources and expertise, no strategy, how impressive on paper, can work. Who then need to be involved? The following sector types constitute the main partners, namely Government departments and agencies; local government (District Municipalities); civil society; national development finance institutions; the private sector; NGOs; CBOs; and traditional leaders. Funding Opportunities Over and above the departmental allocations and donor grant funding, other existing finance mechanisms such as the Poverty Relief Fund (through government departments), the Equitable Share (through local government) and the Development Fund (through the DBSA), should be mobilised and responded to, to help empower communities to attain access to infrastructure, capital expenditure and services. In terms of funding opportunities outside of the infrastructure and capital expenditure ambit, rural funding opportunities exist if community-based finances are mobilised. In South Africa some innovative programmes exist8 where communities have mobilised, managed and expanded on their capital base to apply to development programmes. Some of the characteristics of these types of programmes include: ~ Community members all use savings and credit as penetration points for mobilisation of communities for broader development issues. ~ They all involve collective or group loans, thereby strengthening community-based organisations, improving credit performance and reaching the poorest households in the community. ~ They place the loan component within a more substantive and subsidised programme of support to secure the development of other programmes. Optimising Community Mobilisation At rural household and community levels there are a distinct need to facilitate participatory planning and action, build leadership and create cohesive local structures. Community participation in training, planning and implementation interventions and technical assistance are paramount. This community￾based approach holds enormous benefits, but it is time consuming and thus expensive. However, it has been proven that participatory methodology works in rural and poor areas. The same applies to 8 The Homeless People’s Federation has a very successful savings and loans programme in place. Others use ‘stokvels’ in different shapes to mobilise savings and extend loans, or as rotating credit schemes. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 34 monitoring, evaluating and remedying implementation, training and technical intervention mistakes. Unless this component of planning and implementation is rooted inside the community, monitoring and evaluation will consistently fall short of its ability to remedy mistakes in time. Similar to all other interventions, teaching, technical or infrastructural, M&E should be rooted and negotiated with the actual recipients of the services. This has proven to be a very big stumbling block for both provincial and local governments and the Ikhwelo Project is an example of this development dichotomy. Infrastructure Provision South Africa’s rural environment has enormous development potential. But, without sufficient infrastructure, it will remain like a car stuck in the mud! Support should be mustered for the rollout of water, roads, telecommunication and energy infrastructure. Where utilities, District Municipalities and provincial governments have the capacity, grant, loan funding and using government earmarked funding, should be employed. Also, the formation of partnerships, private-public, public-public and public-NGO partnerships should be promoted, particularly in the provision of infrastructure. Good examples exist: if the Ikhwelo Projects planned together with, for instance, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry supported Mvula Trust for water and sanitation provision, or if the Ikhwelo Projects planned together with the Department of Agriculture’s Landcare or Agricultural Research Council programmes, it would have enhanced the capacity of the PALCs instantaneously. Each partnership brings with it expertise, funding, human and institutional capacity and the same end goal. Infrastructure is crucial to economic upliftment and no single agency can provide it all. Upliftment through Agriculture Agriculture has been the backbone of poor rural areas for centuries. Traditional fiscal beliefs are centred on agricultural practices, brides are paid for from the yields of agriculture and families have survived starvation in the face of abject poverty as a result of their subsistence farming activities. Agriculture has reduced poverty and hunger. However, these activities need to be formalised in order for production to increase. But, encouragement of rural agricultural development and smallholder agricultural economies in particular should receive a lot more attention and support. Subsistence farming should be turned into small-scale farming and then into commercial farming. One way to achieve this is by encouraging rural development in general as a vehicle to help rural dwellers become more productive and improve their livelihoods. Agricultural productivity can be the driving force for sustainable economic growth and the Ikhwelo Projects are making a valued effort to remove constraints and to create opportunities to unlock the entrepreneurial-agricultural potential within the rural communities where they are active. Upliftment through SMMEs The potential of the informal and small business sectors to alleviate poverty and unemployment and contribute indirectly to the growth of the economies lies in the following features: I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 35 ~ The SMME sector is labour intensive and by increasing the number of informal and small enterprises the national aggregate ratios of labour to capital and labour to output will increase. ~ SMMEs are concentrated in the lower half of the income distribution spectrum and the expansion opportunities impacts directly on the livelihoods of the participants. ~ The SMME sector is fairly easy to enter and require limited capital and managerial resources and this means that they can increase the community’s entrepreneurial opportunities directly and competitiveness in the broader economy indirectly. ~ The SMME sector employs low-income persons and sells products and services mainly within their communities. This means that expenditure multipliers are captured and redistribution towards lower income groups is reinforced.9 While the value of the SMME sector cannot be disputed, major challenges face this sector of society generally, and even more so in rural South Africa; the major one being access to start-up money, operating capital and the inhabitants' inability to gain access to credit. In the past years much has been done to give poor rural entrepreneurs access to small-scale loans, such as the government’s Khuhla loan scheme, the Land Bank’s Get-up scheme, Village Banking, micro￾credit schemes and numerous others, even through initiatives from some of the previously-inaccessible commercial banks. However, finance still remains the major obstacle to the establishment of SMMEs in rural areas. Another major challenge identified by the experts10 is training and management skills and it has been identified as one of the major reasons why SMMEs fail. Although the Ikhwelo Project addresses this issue as a pivotal part of its implementation mandate, it is imperative that this component is intensified as part of the massification of projects to foster increased productivity. Effective Planning A wide variety of development programmes operate in the developing world today. Governments and international donor agencies have spent considerable amounts of money on them and are concerned about the viability and performance of many of them. Increasingly, it is being said that their planning and implementation leave much to be desired. Even those with the right technologies and enough funds seem to perform poorly. It is not surprising; therefore, that planning and management have been identified as neglected factors11. It would be fair to say that in this regard, two challenges for successful implementation and operation of poverty alleviation projects are thus effective planning and the general management of these projects. According to economists, many of the problems associated with project implementation can be traced to poor project preparation.12 This statement was repeated by other experts who stated that ‘… by far 9 Marie Kirsten and Makgosi Sindane, Prospects for Progress, Critical Choices for Southern Africa, (Minnie Venter (ed)), Maskew Miller-Longman, Cape Town, 1994. 10 ibid 11 Paul, Samuel Strategic Management of Development Programmes 12 Gittinger J P, World Bank 1980 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 36 the greatest number of failures to carry out public sector projects and programmes at reasonable cost in reasonable periods of time are traceable to inadequate project selection and preparation’13. Project preparation or planning phase entails only one phase of the project cycle, which consists of identification, project preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. During the preparation phase, the project team has to determine all the technical, institutional, economic, environment, and financial conditions required for the project to succeed. All aspects impacting on the implementation and operation of a project must be quantified during this phase so that the project can be implemented and operated smoothly. The strategic management of the overall programme as well as the operational management of projects are equally important and should be attended to. Training and R ecognition of Prior Learning The issue of training across the rural needs spectrum has been identified as a challenge in the preceding summaries but can be expanded upon to include the specific issues of recognition of the knowledge that people have and how this knowledge can be recognised and integrated into additional training programmes. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an ideal opportunity to remedy information and knowledge shortfalls, particularly in older people wanting to enter the learning or training environment because it affords them the opportunity to put into practice their ‘learning through life’ experiences. RPL also recognises and acknowledges the importance of this non-formal knowledge and seeks to match these to the formal requirements of the education system. RPL is a process, which recognises that there are different ways of learning and that knowledge and skills can be gained in different ways. It values past learning and skills gained through life and work experience, as well as through formal education and training. The process gives equal credit to the knowledge and skills gained through experience and those gained through formal education and training, by assessing people against the same standards and recognising that different kinds of knowledge can be used for the same purpose. Recognising prior knowledge and learning is located in the movement towards equity, social and economic justice; it relates to national training agendas and concerns about skill levels in the population; it responds to debates about access and pathways to learning, particularly for groups of people who have previously been excluded and is concerned with valuing learning, no matter where or how it has occurred. It recognises that there is not just one way to acquire knowledge. A national approach to Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition is one way to promote the development of a lifelong learning culture and will entail the formal recognition that learning takes place in a variety of settings. Since education increasingly becomes a lifelong activity, flexible and open learning systems become essential means of responding to the tremendous learning needs of the adult population. The main purpose of adult education should be not to compensate for an inadequate legacy of initial education but to sustain the capacity of adults of all ages to learning. The education of adults must not be 13 ibid I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 37 considered as an entity in itself, it is a sub-division and an integral part of a global scheme for lifelong education and learning. The belief exists that all adults can learn, that all persons need education periodically throughout life, that it is their right, and that it is the duty of society to make lifelong education possible for everyone. The provision of Adult Basic Education liberates individuals and communities to become active participants in the running of their own lives and in endeavours, which ensure economic empowerment. ABE is the first building block in any development programme. Adult Basic Education is meant to help to improve the role, status and capacity of adults in the South African society. This means that ABE should help to equip people for full participation in their social, economic and political lives. Due to the fact that the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) in South Africa is an outcomes￾based assessment framework, it offers learners the opportunity to gain recognition for the skills and knowledge they already have through RPL assessment processes against the new standards registered on the NQF. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 38 LEVELS OF PROJECT IMPACT mpact was measured across the different sectors of society, including the learners, centre staff, governing bodies, provincial and national policy makers and implementers. The strata across which the impact is measured constitutes the flip side of the coin, while the other side is made up of the systems in place, such as Monitoring and Evaluation policies and procedures, business plans (writing, submitting and getting approval), training materials, the funding, the training opportunities, infrastructure provision, natural resources and equipment available to the individuals in the strata noted above. In this regard, the researchers reviewed the training literature, the M&E system, the infrastructure potential and current situation and the financial aspects of the centres. This chapter reflects the outcomes of the survey questionnaires and not the opinions of the researchers. The questionnaires were transcribed and the impact levels were extracted from each individual questionnaire. In some instances additional documentation was taken into consideration for inclusion as a result of a consultation process to discuss the findings as depicted in the First Draft document. The research team used no creative licence in this chapter and is thus not responsible for any negative or positive reflections portrayed. This chapter is structured as follows: ~ Influencing Impact v National Policy Implementers v Regional Policy Implementers v Provincial Role-players v Centre Role-players v Monitoring & Evaluation Policies and Practices v Learning Materials v Business Plans Construction, Submission and Approval v Infrastructure Availability and Provision v Finances – Budgets and cost Benefits ~ Experiencing Impact v Learners as Individuals v Communities incl. Centre Governing Bodies as Representatives Chapter 3 I I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 39 Influencing Impact National Policy Implementers General Observations 1. Interviewees felt that although the project design is good, the implementation was hampered. A number of issues were mentioned that negatively influenced the partnership: o Prolit officials were led to believe that the educators would be better trained than what the realities showed. This has had a ripple effect throughout the entire project and the different levels of impact are addressed throughout this report. They vary from a lack of understanding of ILP, insufficient preparation time, unsatisfactory working and remuneration conditions, etc. o Interviewees noted that the project design looked good on paper but in terms of the GETC requirements, it fell critically short of meeting the objectives. The reasons have been explained throughout the document, but suffice to say that the electives are not entirely suited to a narrow-banded certification approach. The issue of certification is linked to the urban/rural divide, the age of learners and the socio-economic status of the community. This in turn, is linked to the urban/rural divide. It is clear that the older, more rural, poor learners wanted more skills than the younger, urban learners. Furthermore, the concept of Outcomes-based Education (OBE) is relatively new and many educators are not au fait with the tenets of this approach. The realities of learner entry levels are also of concern; as the project started off admitting learners on ABET level 1. This certainly retarded the dream of a GETC endresult within three years. ‘One size’ does not fit all and the GETC demand is not feasible. o The interviewees noted that the operations between national DoE and the provincial offices are not without problems and that policies are not filtering through for provincial implementation. The wheels within wheels are causing too many bottlenecks. o Some interviewees claimed that provincial DoE officials made promises that were not kept. This often put the IA staff in a difficult position and created mistrust between them and the centre staff. 2. A memorandum received from one of the provinces reflects that where educators lacked experience and content knowledge, this was positively overcome by the appointment of specialist agencies. 3. The advertisement for the appointment of educators clearly stipulates the following criteria: o A minimum academic qualification of Standard 10 o A professional qualification coupled with teaching experience I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 40 o An academic qualification in agriculture and commercial subjects o Specialised training in SMME and agriculture o Proficiency in English and the local language o Commitment to transformation, community development and maturity to dfeal with learners from diverse backgrounds o Computer literacy knowledge of current teaching and learning strategies and experience in ABET will be added advantages o Willingness to be contracted for a minimum of one year. 4. In the light of the above criteria, the survey outcomes clearly underscores the fact that these criteria were not all adhered to in the appointment of educators, e.g. no contracts were entered into, lacking SMME and agricultural expertise, computer literacy, etc.. 5. Interviewees felt that a decentralised, community-based management model should be looked at, particularly if the CGBs are empowered and given more jurisdiction in terms of the functions as stipulated in the ABET Act. 6. Although the broad priorities regarding project outputs are similar to all the national role-players, it was not surprising that the NGO Implementing Agent, saw community development, educator training, learner skills training and CGB development as paramount and most important. 7. There is not enough clarity about the roles and responsibilities of all the role-players and where the differences had been cleared up, there is not enough adherence to agreements regarding the roles and responsibilities. An upshot of this is that there is not enough transparency and trust among the role-players. 8. The power of the national DoE over the provincial departments creates weaknesses in the relationships. It appears that they have the responsibility without having the jurisdiction. This can lead to immense powerlessness. Achievements The pilot project was the first start in aligning ABET with new government policies. The management design is unique in the way the three-pronged partnership is structured. According to the interviewees, this model demonstrates that well-managed NGOs can be successful government partners and execute projects on their behalf. According to USAID, progress is regularly reported through activity reports and they see it as an achievement that implementation delays and problems are picked up through the M&E system for rectification. Interviewees felt that the project is achieving all its objectives, as they are all achievable, relevant and well targeted. Principals viewed the lessons extracted from the project thus far as immensely positive. Notwithstanding stumbling blocks in the start-up of the pilots, the belief that the pilot projects can be replicated on a larger scale is a major achievement. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 41 Positive Impact 1. As most of the national interviewees felt similarly about the broad priorities of the project, namely rating learners skills training, educator training, centre manager training, staff capacity building, CGB development and income generation, job creation and poverty relief as both critical and important, it signifies alignment in their approach to the project and contributes to the positive impact that can be extracted from the field surveys. One principal roleplayer rated poverty relief, income generation, job creation, community development and learner skills training as the most important, with poverty relief the highest priority. 2. The information and findings from the existing M&E system and diagnostic reports took some time to filter through to the policy makers, but taken into account how much impact the project has already had on the recipients, and the changes in strategy by some role-players, the system is partially successful. One example is the move in the Eastern Cape to formalise the employment of educators and Centre Managers. 3. The positive impact of Ikhwelo can be noted in the influence that the project has had on ABET in general. It has put a practical face to learning to read and write. 4. The SMME focus of the project has had a positive impact on recipients as ‘SMME activity can be implemented in almost any setting depending on the type chosen’. 5. According to the funder the training needs and desires of learners were taken into account when the project was designed. This fact is conditionally supported by the learner survey outputs. Learners often interpret the deficiencies in the training with resource shortages. 6. The capacity of provincial DoE staff is limited. This can be ascribed to a few factors, among other the fact that they don’t have transport and much support from the Department. It has come to light in the surveys that the Prolit Ikhwelo staff provides transport for field visits. This has had a good impact on their working relationships. Particularly in the Eastern Cape, this issue – which was noted as a problem and obstacle – was seen as having been resolved by sharing the transport. Another example is the interpretation and execution of the Integrated Learning Programme. In this case, this programme is either not being implemented, or badly implemented. Educators are in the forefront of this programme and the DoE has the responsibility to make it happen. Negative Impact 1 Less then 1% of the education budget is allocated to ABET generally, and much less to the Ikhwelo component. Resources are not enough to make the project run smoothly. All kinds of problems arise, typical of a ‘scarcity war’ situation where everyone is fighting for every last crumb and blame is apportioned to the one with seemingly the most resources. This situation has enormously negative repercussions. 2 Not all the national policy makers were involved in the selection of the centres. The funder had no direct input into the centre selection processes. It is important to note that although the centre selection process was based on a USAID-funded process undertaken by the DoE in conjunction with Project ABEL, Project Literacy did not have any input. It makes structuring projects and interventions around the available resources difficult. 3 The IA performance and defining the project impact were rated as mediocre in terms of a rating I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 42 scale, except for overall effectiveness, which was rated as good. This is in line with the outputs from the field surveys where most of the negative impact was as a result of implementing delays, and cause and effect scenario. 4 Contrary to the field surveys, the national policy implementers are of the opinion that past evaluation and diagnostic reports have been taken into account and corrected project design errors. While changes are taking place as a result of the M&E system, the pace is too slow and retards implementation. 5 Most of the centres chosen were not suitable for agricultural ventures. This impacted negatively on the growth and sustainability prospects of the centres and also on recipients as individuals and as members of the broader community. 6 Although the relationships between the centre role-players and the DoE seem amicable, there is a definite need for the capacity of provincial DoE staff to be increased. There are feelings among the interviewees that the provincial DoEs fear that the scarce financial resources will all go to the IA and the centres would not get sufficient resources, while the IA is of the opinion that donor funding is better controlled and spent if it is done outside of the constraints of a government bureaucracy. 7 Linking to this negative aspect is the fact that there are communication problems, leading to disagreements between the role-players, especially over resources, the training programme design (particularly ILPs), and the responsibility and ownership of the project. The last point has had a very negative impact on the project as a whole. 8 The capacity of provincial DoE staff is perceived as limited by some of the national policy implementers. An example is the interpretation and execution of the Integrated Learning Programme. In most centres this programme is either not being implemented, or badly implemented. Educators are in the forefront of this programme and the DoE has the responsibility to make it happen. Learners are confused and educators are demotivated. It must be noted, that centre staff received ILP training and that the ILP implementation shortcomings are taken seriously by the provincial DoEs who have made efforts to influence the smooth implementation of ILPs. But this process appears to be complex and is interlinked with rigid unit standards, SAFCERT restrictions and educators finding the concepts difficult to grasp. 9 Non-enforcement of the basic admission criteria by both the Eastern Cape and Limpopo is seen as a major stumbling block to learners reaching optimal performance. The issue of English as the language of instruction will be addressed if ABET 4 entry as a primary requirement is adhered to. 10 Sustaining the centres beyond the funding period will be difficult. Most learners, educators and other centre role-players envisaged the centre continuing, but little hope was expressed as to the way in which this can happen as only a few of the centres in the sample could prove their independence from donor funding. Provincial Policy Implementers Governance and Management The time spent by regional role-players is very telling and responses, negative impact and the recommendations should be read keeping the low percentages spent by the DoE staff in mind. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 43 Regional Policy Implementers Time Spent on Project NP EC ABET Head 40% 10% DoE Regional Project Co-ordinator 30% 15% District Co-ordinator 20% 25% Centre Manager 80% 60% Prolit staff 100% 100% The regional staff of both provinces were split on the issues of which component of the partnership would be the best to run the Ikhwelo Project. In Limpopo, it ranged from the DoE linking with other government departments and local NGOs to Prolit, the Department of Labour and the Department of Agriculture. In the Eastern Cape, some interviewees felt that the DoE would be most suitable; some said that the status quo should be retained exactly as is and others were of the opinion that Prolit should run with the project. In terms of managing the different roles in the province and centres, some interviewees felt that the DoE is lacking in direction, particularly regarding the oft-confusing roles of CGBs and Centre Principals. They feel that although the management structure is good, the implementation is seriously lacking. Part of the poor implementation can be ascribed to the lack of empowerment programmes for educators and other centre staff. Nothing in this regard is forthcoming from the DoE and the quality of experience and qualifications of centre staff is sorely lacking. Prolit interviewees noted that this aspect is being dealt with to a certain extent. An issue that emerged consistently is that everyone seems to forget that Centre Managers should manage and be trained to manage, that educators are there to teach the different electives and that they are not finance or business people, but teachers. In terms of the roles and the execution of the roles of the CGBs, most of the interviewees felt this was one area where serious and formal intervention was needed. Achievements The interviewees felt that the objectives of the Ikhwelo Project have been achieved (some better than other) due to the following: 1 The training of educators and centre managers was conducted as planned; 2 Some capacity of Centre Governing Bodies has been built through training programmes, with room for improvement; 3 Learning support materials were piloted and mechanisms for implementation of the pilot project were put in place; 4 Learners established SMME and agriculture ventures and many learners could now take care of their families. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 44 The general view of the interviewees was that the project had a positive impact on the lives of the learners who enrolled for this programme as well as their communities. Learners could take care of their families due to fact that many of them had income-generating ventures. The following issues mentioned below (positive and negative) were comments by the regional staff (Prolit and DoE). Positive Impact The Ikhwelo Project had a positive effect on ABET due to the fact that 1 It helped learners to improve their self-esteem and felt proud and motivated about their achievements. 2 Centres viewed themselves as centres that would influence the community due to the impact that they had on their learners. 3 This project brought people back to the formal school system to improve other skills (ie the training component of ABET) as well. 4 The Adult Basic Education and Training sector has better trained educators due to all the training interventions educators (at the Ikhwelo centres) had to undergo. 5 The introduction of skills in agriculture and SMME made ABET meaningful; learners could look after their families through the pay-offs of their ventures. 6 The following training was done by Prolit and has had a positive impact on the overall project.: Prolit Training Interventions Training Intervention Who attended No of people Capacity Bldg Centre Manager Trng NP Centre Managers 29 SMME Workshop Ikhwelo Educators 37 Assessment Training Ikhwelo Educators 42 Centre Governance Training 3 members of each CGC 92 Agriculture Specialist Training Ikhwelo Educators 207 SMME Specialist Training Ikhwelo Educators 284 Project Management Training Prov project Man Com 40 Treasurer Training CGC Treasurers 54 Centre Managers Workshop District Co-ordinators, CPs, and Ikhwelo staff 33 2nd Capacity Building Workshop Educators, DCs, DoE, and Ikhwelo staff 162 Educator Capacity Building Workshop Educators, DoE, and Ikhwelo staff 40 Marking of Mock Exams Workshop Educators 30 Assessment Workshop Educators, DoE, and Ikhwelo staff 32 Capacity Building Workshop Educators and DoE 37 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 45 Centre Selection Criteria The issue of centre selection emerged as a contentious component of the study and clarification was sought. Although the Request for Application (RFA) No 674-99-A-004 clearly states that the implementer ,‘in collaboration with the two provincial education departments, should identify and select participating centres at which the two electives will be piloted, it emerged that this was not adhered to. How were the centres selected? What criteria were used? Were the criteria adhered to? Was it indeed possible for the criteria to be adhered to in the light of the general development and infrastructural difficulties (particularly in rural areas)? The Ikhwelo centres for the pilot project were selected by the provincial Departments of Education after the completion of a process funded by USAID, through Project ABEL. According to the National DoE a broad-based consultation process was entered into including potential communities and other stakeholders. Documentation received from the Provincial DoEs reflect that some of the Specialist Training Agencies attended relevant meetings. However, problems still surround this issue: Prolit believe that too many centres were selected for a pilot and they were geographically too far apart to effectively form a cluster. In Limpopo, the following criteria were used to select the pilot centres for the Ikhwelo Project14: 1. The community must have a strong commitment to ABET or at least show an interest; 2. The community must have a clearly defined accountability chain, be it traditional or conventional; 3. There should be potential learners at ABET levels 2, 3, and 4 to sustain the project for at least 3 years; 4. If possible, there should be a link with other development initiatives; 5. In the case of agriculture, it should be in an area where land can be accessed for practical purposes and there should be water available; 6. Rationalised colleges, which are accessible to adult learners and which have an ABET component could be used as pilot sites and serve as a control. These colleges could also provide support for pilot sites; 7. Rural areas should be targeted and 8. Wherever possible, there should be infrastructure, such as electricity, telephones, roads and water. As the Limpopo centre selection criteriaabove stipulates, it is clear that although the demand for existing infrastructure was high on the agenda, the realities proved quite the opposite. Prolit as the IA, realised too long after the fact that very few of the centres had sufficient infrastructure and natural resources to implement the agriculture elective. As the Co-operative Agreement stipulated and tied them into the role of Implementing Agent to implement the project (unlike other programmes of similar flavour such as the Rivoningo Projects funded by the European Union), they were not legally responsible for the provision of infrastructure where the shortages existed. This issue created conflict and misunderstandings between what the provincial DoEs had to fund and what Prolit had to fund. To ease the conflict Prolit managed to secure money from corporate donors to provide infrastructure in some of the centres. The report, particularly the case studies in the Annexes, and the Cost Benefit Study will show other criteria that were not fully adhered to. This contributed to difficulties experienced. It is, however, clear 14 These criteria were obtained from Limpopo Department of Education. It is assumed that the Eastern Cape criteria would be broadly the same. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 46 from the documentation reviewed that the issue of centre site selection was thoroughly investigated by the provinces and it can be assumed that the sites were selected fulfiling some of the criteria. The difficulties against which all projects of this nature have to operate are summarised as Chapter 2. Negative Impact The issues mentioned below had a negative impact on the Ikhwelo Project. Explanations in this regard are provided. Learners The majority of the interviewees felt that learners’ needs were not taken into consideration in the development, offering and presentation of training interventions. Numerous learners were ‘inherited’ from the Department of Education and these learners were promised various things, such as fully functional economic programmes, the allocation of land, etc. Individual needs were not addressed. Although some needs were taken care of, the training was based on ‘one size fits all’ which did not respond to the needs of learners. Many learners dropped out as a result of promises that were not kept. Some learners even demanded salaries. Learning support materials (LSMs) The focus of the project was on the two electives (ie SMME and agriculture), however the other learning areas had to be incorporated in the teaching and learning for purposes of obtaining a GETC. Limited or no LSMs were available for the other learning areas. This constraint had a negative impact on the learners who wanted to do the GETC. They struggled with the other learning areas where they experienced a shortage of learning support materials and they became demotivated as a result of this problem. The learner support materials are used as handbooks, rather than support materials. Integrated Learning Programme (ILP) 1 Interviewees further felt that problems with the ILPs arose in terms of the SAFCERT’s indication that no external summative integrated assessments would be provided and that learners would be assessed on specific learning areas. 2 Some ILPs for the Ikhwelo Project do not include assessment parts, or the purpose and scope of the learning programme. The centres were supposed to have developed their own programmes, but this has not happened in all the centers. 3 Educators are not planning together, because they only get paid for tuition time. 4 Educators are not clear about the difference between ‘activity’ and ‘content’. 5 There is no adult learner methodology in the ILPs and this hampers the implementation. 6 Educators do not have similar time, space and/or practical examples in order to develop their learner portfolios. Educators 1 Educators experienced major difficulties with the implementation of the Integrated Learning Programmes. The majority of them never implemented the ILPs. Learners were not taught how learning areas and the electives are ‘connected’. (The interpretation of close questions notes further details in this regard.) 2 Educators were not motivated due to the fact that many of them were not paid on a regular basis - they did not have contracts. Their attendance at many centres was irregular and learners had to cope I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 47 without educators. (This aspect was somewhat debunked in the closed question analysis as the question of employment conditions was noted as a lower priority than some other factors.) 3 Career pathing for the educators seems non-existent as they all have a very tenuous working environment. The result has been a high educator turnover which leads to tremendous disruptions of the teaching and learning programme. C entre Governing B ody The majority of interviewees in Limpopo felt that the CGBs were quite effective in some centres. At these centres learners were motivated and had agriculture and SMME ventures going. In centres where the CGB was not as active, relationships were affected and the overall performance of the centre, learners and relationships with the community was low. Most of the interviewees in the Eastern Cape felt that the CGBs in this province lacked the skills to give meaningful input into the centres and that serious training interventions were needed to bring them on board. It is important for them to understand their roles and responsibilities, and to have the legislative knowledge to back this up and to assist them in executing their tasks effectively. In centres where the involvement from the business sector was low, the execution of the financial activities was not effective, particularly in terms of financial contributions, sales outlets, advertising, etc. Interviewees felt that the fact that learners were included in the CGB, had made it quite awkward. C entres The interviewees were of the opinion that many of the selected centres were not suitable for the implementation of training ventures in SMME and agriculture due to the following problems: 1 Too many centres were identified for the pilot. This created problems with location of and distances between the centres. Centres were too thinly spread and this resulted in an impact that is not meaningful (resources had to be allocated to all the centres – very costly). The majority of the centres are under-resourced. 2 When centres were chosen, no ‘environ scan’ was done. Although some centres could sell to the local community, learners were limited to certain agriculture ventures only, due to the lack of resources, such as water, location of centres, availability of land, late arrival of equipment, etc. The agriculture potential of these centres was not considered at all. 3 The distances between the centres and the local market created problems. Some ventures can provide items to the local community. However, articles such as pottery, beadwork clothing, etc require the tourist market, which cannot be accessed due to the vast distances of these centres to the market. Learners could therefore not sell all their items as intended. 4 Difficulties were experienced at some centres due to the fact a potential market could not be identified and learners could not sell their products. This point is in sharp contrast to the close question outputs where most of the interviewees indicated that they were satisfied with the centre selection. The analysis of the close questions notes this anomaly. C ommunication At regional level it was felt that although meetings were held on a regular basis, reporting from both sides (Prolit and DoE) was not adequately done during these meetings. This entailed that people at this level were not always aware of what was happening at the centres. At district level the district education officials in Limpopo undertook almost no visits to centres, due to the fact that they did not have cars to visit the centres. The situation is somewhat different in the Eastern Cape, as DCs often travel with the Ikhwelo field workers. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 48 At centre level the communication structure completely broke down, as these centres do not have fax machines or telephones. This communication problem had serious implications regarding the support to the centres with the implementation of the project. No monitoring and evaluation was carried out by the district officials. The centres only received support from the fieldworkers who visited the centres. However, not enough fieldworkers were appointed to support all the centres on a daily/regular basis. Notwithstanding the above, the centre staff was satisfied with the communication between themselves and the regional policy implementers. Across the board, the closed questions made this clear. The issue of monitoring and evaluating the communication outputs is discussed in a separate section of the report. G overnance The majority of interviewees were not satisfied with the current governance and management structures. They felt that it was a matter of ‘over management’ and work had to be done at the provincial level. The hierarchy through which the processes have to go, namely from the province to national, takes too long and creates bottlenecks and problems. Every province should have had the management structure similar to the national structure in the provinces in order to make it work more effectively. It was suggested that a more ‘hands-on’ approach should be followed. The current governance structure is having a negative impact on both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the centres. Provincial Policy Implementers – Statistics The statistical outputs gleaned from the questions posed to regional policy makers in the two provinces could not be compared or collapsed as they differed substantially in terms of their information. Some of Limpopo outputs are suspect, as neither the centre staff nor the DC outputs corroborate them. The above outputs clearly depict the low priority that was given to serious issues such as the availability of water, markets, roads, fences and land. For replication purposes it is important to rethink the original Criteria in se lection of ce ntres (NP) 0% 20% 40% 60% Water avail abili ty Electri city Fenced i n Domi nent of people Advanced skil ls Urban centr e near i nformal settlement Land avai labil ity Adequit e cl assrooms Road avai lable Centre Enr ol lment Cl ose to market Wi ll ingness of com munity Crite ria in selection of centres (EC) 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% Water avai labil ity Electri city Fenced in Domi nent of people Dont Know Rural Ar ea Land availabi lit y Adequite classroom s Road avail abl e Centr e Enroll ment Close to m ar ket Wi ll ingness of comm uni ty I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 49 criteria. The availability of natural resources or land is not necessarily the primary consideration if the centres are selected in line with development plans of other departments, such as the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, etc. It does, however become a primary concern if the provision of, for instance water, is not on the agenda and is not planned for in the near future. The same applies to land availability, facilities and markets. This output links to the comments above, and serves to illustrate the misjudging of the centre selection. It is clear from the centre staff, learner and DC outputs that the centre resources have a huge impact on the success or failure of the projects. In the opinion of the regional policy implementers, all the centres are perfectly suitable. This may be wishful thinking. The outputs regarding the implementation of the Integrated Learning Programme also differs substantially. Whereby the outputs from Limpopo show a large variance between not being implemented and being implemented, the Eastern Cape outputs is more worrying because for them it seems that everything happens on a very low level, from ILP not being implemented to ILP being implemented. The issue of ILP implementation is obviously unresolved and not consistently interpreted. The two provinces interpret the role of the Department of Education quite differently. This can only lead to the conclusion that the national policy makers are not getting their message across, or that the provincial and regional offices do not communicate the message effectively. This output is important for the future replication of Ikhwelo because it impacts on the policy framework, roles and responsibility and governance mechanisms that need to be put in place in order to effectively manage the process on Centre suitability (NP) Y es 10 0% Dont know 0% No 0% Centre suitability (EC) Y es 80% D o nt know 2 0% No 0% Extent of ILP implem entation (NP) 0% 50% 100% No t ta larg e ext ent Succesful ly ILP i mpl imented fro m level 1 t o 4 In some centres o nly Not all educato rs ab le t o imp lement M any learning areas are slo w Extent of ILP implem entation (EC) 0% 10% 20% No t ta larg e extent Succesfully ILP i mpl imented fro m level 1 to 4 In so me centres onl y Not all educato rs ab le t o imp lement M any learni ng areas are sl ow I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 50 national and provincial levels. There are less inconsistency regarding the roles and responsibilities of Prolit. Both provinces seem to have the same broad outputs, with differing priorities in terms of percentages. This is less worrying than the previous graph depicting the role of the DoE. Whether this output is influenced by the ‘on-the￾ground’ presence of the Ikhwelo field staff as balanced by the sporadic visits from the DCs, is not known. It is, however clear that the communication between the centres, the provinces and the national DoE / Prolit needs to be streamlined. Roles of DoE (NP) 0% 20% 40% 60% Training Payment of educat ors M oni tor acti viti ews Dont know To li ase with ProLi t A ppoi nt educators To support and monitor Ikwelo Roles of DoE (EC) 0% 10% 20% 30% Training Payment of educat or s Moni tor acti viti ews Dont know To li ase with ProLit Appoi nt educators To support and monitor Ikwelo Roles of Prolit (NP) 0% 50% 100% 150% Pr ovide equ ipment Giv e mora l support Moni tori ng acti vit ies Traini ng of educat ors Guid ence Empowerin g l earner s a nd e ducat ors Run Ikwelo Proj ects Roles of Prolit (EC) 0% 10% 20% 30% Planning programm es Arrange tr ai ning courses Monitoring activi ties Training of educators Buy LASM Si te vi sits Run Ikwel o Projects I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 51 Both provinces have the same statistical outputs regarding the budget insufficiency, which leads one to believe that the previous outputs that were viewed with suspicion is probably a true reflection. What is patently clear from this set of statistics is that the budgets are insufficient in all respects. District Co-ordinators -- Statistics The following graphics depict the attitudes and interpretations of the centres from the perspective of the District Co-ordinators. While the interpretive narrative comments from the individual role-players do not enlighten these statistics much, it must be noted that by far the majority of the Centre Managers, educators, and Centre Governing Bodies interviewed corroborated the views of the DCs with regard to the nature of their relationships. This is contrary to the impression was created at the Planning Meeting where the researchers had been given the impression that the relationships between the Provincial Department staff and the centres were less than amicable. The statistics of the two provinces were collapsed as a pattern was noted between the outputs from both. The differences were negligible and thus disregarded. Relationships with the Centres Reasonable 20% Good 8 0% It is clear that the relationships with the DCs are viewed as good. This is important as the DCs are the centre’s link to the Department and if relationships are sour, the outputs and impact on learners will be influenced negatively. Sufficient budget 0% 20% 40% 60% Yes No Dont kn ow I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 52 Role of DC Coordinate learning and teaching Hire educators Supervise classroom activities Supply Learner Materials Implimentation ABET policy Monitor centres Motivation The DCs view their role in the Ikhwelo Projects in the same light as the role-players who were interviewed. They see their co-ordination and supportive role in a serious light and if this statistic is linked to the relationship with the centres, the conclusion that can be drawn is that they are effective in executing their tasks. Positive impact Wo rkin g as a team Selfrelian ce d Commu nity and learne rs became un ited Manage d to visit p ro jects withou t a car Learners are incre asing Learners en ro lled Wa s supported by C GB an d edu ca tors The DCs view their impact on the centres, the recipients of learning and the educators as multi-focused and believe that they have influenced them positively. The statistics indicate that they are satisfied with the role that they play in the positive impact that the learner outputs have demonstrated. Negative impact Did not reach target dates Did not fulfill promises Lowered moral Few learners were upset and dropped out Learners felt that ABET were for creation of jobs Lack of transport Community expected delivery soon The DCs indicated the same set of indicators as having a negative impact on the centres and role-players as those identified by the centre management, the learners and educators. The synergy between the understanding of the DCs and the centre role-players are demonstrated by the previous two sets of close question outputs. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 53 Reasons for performance Educators are motivated Used own re so urces Re su lts of exams Lea rn ers re turn ed to centres Learne r numbers a re increasing Only little drop￾outs Educators imp limented pla n according to DC proposals This output differs slightly from those extracted from the centre management, learners and educators in that the DCs have failed to pick up on the fact that educators are demotivated by the slack payment procedures in the department, the increasing number of dropouts at certain centres and the centre’s ability to generate and use their own resources. It appears as if this output is ‘wishful thinking’ on the part of the DCs. Differences that can be made En co urage self reliance See ABET as Develop ment Cornerstone Greater participatio n Learners became involved in community Eve ry centre sh ould have projects L earners must start own businesses Continue to stud y To provid e all with busine ss skills This DC output is in line with both the learner close question outputs and interpretive narrative in the sense that they see the impact of the projects on the livelihood of learners and the broader community in the same light as what the other outputs showed. It is obvious that the DCs have a good grasp of what the project sets out to do and that they support this. Impact on community In terest in ABET Classes Inte rest in Co m Dev Pro jects Succesfull gardening Succesfull SMME TLC encourag e people to atten d classes Succesfull ventures led to increased le arner numbers Food is produced close to co mmunity Commu nity no w un derstan d the project This output links to the previous one in that it demonstrates the work ethos and accent of the DCs and their broad understanding of the issues that lead to a positive impact on recipients. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 54 Skills/Resources needed to make impact Sufficient Learner Materials Sufficient promotinal materials Greater involvemen t from Dep Agric Greater involvemen t from Dep Health Skills to implement ventures Finance Further training Need transport Fund raising skills Computers Computer skills This output demonstrates that the DCs are not oblivious of the resource shortfalls that impacts on the successful running and growth of the centres. They have identified the same set of indicators as the centre management and other role-players have consistently made in the close-question outputs as well as in the interpretive narrative. Centre Staff – Impact Summaries This section reflects summaries of the results of the open questions posed to Centre Managers about their roles, responsibilities, impressions and impact of the Ikhwelo Project. The two provinces are deliberately separated to show commonalities and differences. Centre Managers' Interpretations Centre Managers' R oles & Responsibilities EC NP The centre managers felt that their roles and responsibilities were to co-ordinate the learning process, co-ordinate all those involved in the centre, manage, lead, control, and facilitating the wellbeing of the centre. With regard to the roles and responsibilities of the centre managers of the Ikhwelo Project, the centre managers felt that they had to attend to the smooth running of the centre and monitor the learning process, co-ordinate all those involved in the centre, manage, lead and control and facilitate the wellbeing of the centre. Centre Managers' jobs entailed EC NP The majority of the centre managers said their job entailed motivating learners, ensuring smooth running at the centre, supervision of educators and learners, monitoring & evaluation, solving problems, co-ordination and education. The managers replied that their job entailed teaching management, co-ordinate and educate, smooth running, supervision of educators and learners, M&E and to solve problems. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 55 Qualifications EC NP The centre managers listed their qualifications as BA Higher Education Diploma, ABET practitioner certificate, National Diploma in Public Management, Industrial Relations Diploma, Computer Certificate, and Diploma in Education. In Limpopo most of the centre managers had Senior Teachers Diplomas, ABET Certificates and ABET Diplomas (UNISA). Other qualifications included BAs, UEDs and HEDs. A gricultural Experience EC NP The agriculture experience that the centre managers had was only from workshops, plant production and from doing Ikhwelo practicals. Two centre managers said their agricultural experience started when they joined the centre. The agriculture experience of the centre managers included farming, attending workshops, plant production and gardening at home. SMME Experience EC NP The centre managers said their SMME experience was mainly from training by Ikhwelo, workshops, own businesses, economics at high school. One centre manager noted that his parents were business people. The SMME experience that the centre managers had included own business and attending workshops. AB ET Experience EC NP The ABET experience of centre managers ranged from having three or more years' practical; ABET certification, OBE, and being ABET educators. The ABET experience of centre managers, included attending workshops and teaching experience. M anagement Experience EC NP The management experience was noted as centre management, workshops, record keeping and financial management, committee membership and attempting a business plan. The centre managers had management experience in that they attended centre management, record keeping and financial management workshops and some had been community leaders. Financial Experience EC NP I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 56 The centre managers said their financial management experience was mainly from training workshops, record keeping, own businesses, and banking money. Two centre managers stated that they had no financial management experience. The centre managers had financial experience in workshop training, centre management, record keeping and banking their own money. Differences that the Centre Managers thought they could make EC NP The differences that the centre managers thought they could make to the centres was by mobilising more resources, introducing new skills, making progress with learners, adding more ventures, training, changing attitudes of community to get jobs, and by innovation. The differences the centre managers felt they could make to the centre included adding more ventures and innovation, progress with learners, recruit more learners, sustain centre, create computer training, equip centre with photocopy machines and computers, and by introducing more skills. Impact of C entre M anagers The centre managers believed the centre has had an impact on the community through their leadership. Community members did not want outsiders; They got fresh bread from the centre SMME; Community members participates in projects; Community members are empowered through agricultural ventures; Learners uplift the community by initiating projects; Community members join the project in order to alleviate their state of poverty; They acquired management skills, eg they do the books for the centre; The community participates in agriculture and SMME ventures; Learners acquire skills which they can apply in the community; and The community supports the centre. Skills and R esources that w ere needed EC NP The skills and resources that were needed to make a positive difference to the centres are: sewing machines, further leadership training, agricultural skills, sewing skills, financial management, dedicated facilities, equipment for skills training, and building skills. The skills/resources that the centre managers felt needed to make a positive difference to the centre included conflict management skills, surgical boots, hose pipes, sewing machines, further leadership training, financial resources, fund￾raising skills, marketing management, advertising management, agricultural, literacy, sewing, and computer skills. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 57 M ain A chievements of Centre Managers EC NP The centre managers said their main achievements were: teaching learners, having good educators, land acquisition and reducing unemployment. The educators listed the following as their main achievements: pottery, implementing a bakery, establishing a vegetable venture, creating community leaders, reducing unemployment, chicken marketing, establishment of a co-op, fencing of the agricultural site, and starting popcorn production. Major challenges faced by Centre M anagers EC NP Inadequate attendance of learners New projects arise luring people away Community did not want to do agriculture Not enough financial resources Learner drop-outs Vandalism. To obtain peanut butter machine Late payment of teachers Application of funds to establish project Insufficient water for irrigation Lack of electricity Acquiring land for centre To alleviate poverty Irregular attendance of learners Rectify incorrect information given to community members by providers High drop-out figures To fence in vegetable plot To obtain pottery machine The centre managers dealt with the challenges in the following manner EC NP Stressed need for sewing specialist Projects will lead to self-employment. Convincing learners to come back to class Hiring an agricultural expert Getting orders for the produce To convince dropout learners to return to class Vandalism and getting the police to patrol the centre. Motivate construction of borehole at the centre Follow-up queries for late payment Plans to draw water from river Fetching water with buckets Involvement of the CGB Motivating the community to start their own projects Visit learners to motivate them Attending community meetings to rectify wrong information given to them by the suppliers and the DoE Motivating learners Ordering materials I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 58 The positive impact that these challenges had on operations were EC NP New learners are enrolling and the numbers are increasing Selling jerseys to the community and others. Learners are starting their own gardens The community is contributing money to start ventures In spite of problems production continues Educators are being paid. Bakery was constructed Fresh vegetable production with river water Educators and learners are working harder than before The Department of Agriculture is becoming involved Poverty is reduced Educators still deliver their best to learners Community attitudes changed from negative to positive The negative impact that these challenges had on the operations EC NP Community doing garden work want income for themselves, not for the school. The electives had an impact on learner numbers because it was not what they wanted. Vandalism and criminality scared older learners (outsiders smoking dagga) Not much progress with the borehole and drawing water from river is a time-consuming process One educator resigned and others were looking for other jobs – this demoralised the centre staff Do not have sewing machines and computers due to electricity shortage Educators and learners felt they did not receive enough support from Prolit and the DoE Delayed delivery of equipment and finance made learners negative Difficult to give them credits due to irregular attendance Community members were not buying commodities from centre and at some stage the learners boycotted the centre Learners were demotivated Goats destroyed the vegetable garden. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 59 Educators' Interpretation Roles and responsibilities of educators All but one educator thought that the roles and responsibilities of the educators were to manage the progress of learners and their performance. Differences that educators could make EC NP The majority of the educators thought the differences that they could make to the centre included improving the standard of learning, improving knowledge and skills, teaching learners to do things for themselves, to attend to social aspects of learners, and to introduce more and new projects. The educators thought they could make a difference to the centre by influencing learners to establish their own businesses, by introducing new projects, and by improving the standard of educators. N eeded skills EC NP The skills that the educators thought was needed to make positive differences were textbooks and exercise books, pencils, computers, sewing, handwork, fabric crafting skills, land for agriculture projects, audiovisual machines, video tapes for education, and candle-making skills. The educators felt that skills/resources were needed to make a positive difference to the centre. The majority listed the following skills and resources: sewing, handiwork, fabric crafting, managerial, computer, and financial management skills. Main achievements by educators EC NP The majority of the educators listed the main achievements as creating jobs, having the best centre with growing numbers, running a small business at the centre, learners' improvement and performance, and despite high drop-out rate, some learners wrote exams. The main achievements of the educators were running a small business, and learner’s improvement and performance. R oles of the C GB The role of the CGB was seen by the educators as ensuring the smooth running of the centre, attending to problems, controlling the centre and expenditure, and assisting with the recruitment of learners and staff. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 60 Functioning of CG B EC NP The majority of the educators replied that the CGBs at the centres did function, and the reasons were that the CGBs attended meetings, they were involved in problem solving, and they controlled the centres' activities, and also actively participated in the centres activities. Some of the educators felt the CGB was not functioning at the centres, and their reasons were that they did not interact with them, and that members were scattered. However, the majority of the educators felt that the CGB was functioning at the centres and listed reasons such as that they attended meetings, they were involved in problem solving, they worked well together, and they actively participated in activities. Roles played in selection of learners The educators' responses regarding the roles they played in the selection of learners were as follows: marking of placement tests for agriculture, SMME, and placement of interviews for ABET. R easons for learners that left Most of the educators noted that the reasons for the learners leaving the centre were to find jobs and to attend to family problems Resolving problem of dropout learners EC NP To resolve the problem of learners leaving the centre, it was suggested that resources, equipment, and stationery should be delivered in advance, and that promises of projects should be adhered to. The solutions could include rendering income for learners, and by helping them to solve family problems. Improving learning results EC NP The educators stated that the learning would improve if practical work were implemented, if the materials were delivered, materials for LLC2 delivered, and if learners were taught in both English and mother tongue. The educators stated that both English and mother tongue should be used, sufficient learning material should be provided, more time should be allocated, and that more practical work should be introduced. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 61 English as the language of instruction EC NP The majority of the educators stated that the English as the medium of instruction did not affect teaching. However, many educators stated that it took a long time to for them to explain concepts and for learners to understand. The majority of the educators felt the medium of instruction should be in both English ands mother tongue. The medium of English only, was also accepted. The majority of the educators said that English as instruction medium hampered teaching, as it was difficult to understand by some learners and educators. Some educators stated that the medium (English) for teaching did not hamper the teaching. Most of the educators stated that only English should be used as medium for instruction. Some educators said both English and mother tongue should be used. Resource constraints EC NP The resource constraints that the educators listed with regard to the effective implementation of the project were equipment shortage, no water and a shortage of capital. The resource constraints that affected the implementation of the project were listed as a need for water, equipment shortages, a capital shortage, and not enough learning materials. Some of the educators were pleased to say that equipment had been delivered, and they thought that the problems had mostly been resolved. Support given by educators Support to the CGBs included implementing what the CGBs instruct to do, giving information, handling of meetings, sharing ideas, and assisting them in solving problems. Support to the learners was to provide them with skills, encourage, motivate, support and inspire learners to attend schools. Support to the centre manager included assisting them where needed, supporting them, and encouraging them. Support to the community included encouraging the community to attend Ikhwelo, advising them, by upgrading learning skills and giving them information. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 62 Time spent on project EC NP The majority of the educators replied that the time spent on the activities was not sufficient due to practicals and demonstrations that required a lot of time. An overwhelmingly majority said the time spent on the activities was insufficient due to practicals that required more time, and previous lessons that should be repeated. Overcoming time shortages Educators believed that to overcome the problem of time shortages, was to have longer practicals, and that the DoE should allow and pay for more hours. Some educators use their own time with no remuneration, to overcome time constraints. Record keeping The centres keep track of income and expenditure by using a subsidiary book, receipts, cashbook and record book. However, most of the educators said no records were kept. M onitoring theoretical w ork The learning programmes for theoretical work was monitored by the educators for agriculture by formative assessments, class works, and tests. The learning programmes for theoretical work was monitored by the educators for SMME by class work, homework, tests and formative assessments. The learning programmes for theoretical work was monitored by the educators for ABET by assessments, tests, class works, and homework. Monitoring practical work The learning programmes for practical work was monitored by the educators for agriculture by working with them practically, formative assessments, and by tests and class works. The learning programmes for practical work was monitored by the educators for SMME by being with learners while they operate businesses, and by formative assessments and grid charts. The learning programmes for practical work was monitored by the educators for ABET by working together in groups, formative assessment, and observations. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 63 Teaching and learning resource shortages EC NP The teaching and learning materials in agriculture and SMME was affected by a shortage or inadequacy of resources such as shortage of water, slow progress, and learners being reluctant to come to the centre. The shortage/inadequacy of resource has affected teaching and learning in agriculture and ABET in that vegetables die as result of water shortages, practical work could not be done properly due to first phase of AAAT that failed, and slow progress. Financial procedures EC NP The majority of the educators said no financial policies and procedures were followed. The financial policies and procedures that are followed are listed as recording everything, by saving all income, educators and learners determine policy, and the constitution of the centre is determined by the CGB. Learners can now do the following that they were unable to do before The learners at the centres can now cultivate land, plant and market vegetables, compile business plans, operate a business, and have the ability to read and write. Impact of project EC NP Many educators felt that the learners experienced limited impact. Other educators stated that learners gained skills and knowledge. The majority of the educators felt there would be no impact on the learners in the workplace; the same was noted for the community, personally, and for the families. Educators felt that the project helped learners by gaining skills and knowledge, producing vegetables and alleviating poverty. They felt that the project impacted on the workplace through good relations that were built, communication in English, and skills transfer. They felt that the project impacted on the community through food production, poverty reduction, and reduced unemployment. They felt that the project impacted on the educators through more agriculture and SMME knowledge, the business plan process, and entrepreneurial skills. They felt that the project impacted on the educators’ family through their employment and remuneration and their ability to look after the family needs, by practising agriculture and SMMEs at home, and through families becoming involved. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 64 Centre Staff -- Statistics The close-question outputs of the centre staff in both provinces yielded approximately the same results and these outputs were thus collapsed into one graph. Where differences occurred in terms of provincial specific issues, the line descriptions were put in for both provinces. Learners Drop-out Reasons 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Other Job Lost Interest Family Problems Own business Live with husband in city They thougt they will be remunerated monthly Delays The reasons for learners leaving the projects in both provinces seem the same. The solutions mooted by the learners also correlate. The reasons for dropping out of the project as well as the possible solutions that the centre staff and learners gave, need urgent attention. These include the difficulties that adults experience sharing facilities, the odd times that they attend classes, the domestic difficulties that stem directly from their attendance at school, and the expectation by some learners that they would make money out of the projects, or that the projects would pay them for attending school. Agriculture - Reasons for leaving project 0% 20% 40% 60% Othe r Jobs Temporary Post Starte d o wn ga rd en La te Paymen t Not Applicable Closely coupled to the learner performance is the rate and reasons for educators to leave the centres. The interpretive narrative skews this output because it focused mostly on the issue of delayed payments and missed promises by the Department. This graph, combined with the one below, sketches a slightly different picture. The statistics show us that an equal number of agriculture and SMME educators leave and that their main reason is to pursue other jobs or that they did not have a very good reason. The issue of payment is low on their priority list in both the agriculture and SMME sectors. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 65 SMME - Reasons for leaving project 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Other Job s Late Payment Not Applicable Results: Shortage of resources 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Seedlings die Le arner progress restricted Not Affe cted Discouraged See k other jobs The above graph depicts the impact that the resource inadequacies have on the learners. This output is in line with those described in the individual interpretive narrative case studies. This output contradicts some of the learner statistics. However, it needs to be read in the context of the question, which was posed very specifically and narrowly, to look for the impact of the resource shortage. Bearing this in mind, the output is reflected in the description of negative impacts. Success rate of Ikwelo 0% 20% 40% 60% Good Average Poor According to the centre staff, the Ikhwelo programme is a success. This output is in line with the overwhelming positive impact depicted by the learner statistics. As previously noted, the interpretive narrative may differ because it is most likely tainted by biases where the learners believe the interviewer has the power to give more resources if they complain. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 66 Monitoring & Evaluation & Action The Ikhwelo head office in Pretoria manages the Monitoring and Evaluation component of all the projects. Four M&E instruments are used to report possible change or interventions, namely Learner Daily Attendance Registers, Learner Questionnaires to monitor the educator performance, Quarterly Progress Monitoring Questionnaires and Socio-economic Profile Questionnaires to collect information on the socio-economic status of the learners when they enter the centre. These reports are regularly received from the centres, which are then interpreted by the M&E specialist. Theoretically, the positives and negatives are fed back to the provinces and centres for rectification and/or implementation. Practically, this process takes place, but the rectification and implementation of change only happened sporadically. This is evident from the continuous tension that exists between the national and provincial role-players, particularly between the Eastern Cape DoE and Ikhwelo. Regular PPMC meetings are held, and issues are addressed. This process certainly has positive results and according to the research outputs, the majority of interviewees were satisfied with the PPMC functions and roles. The research team did, however, establish that, despite these regular PPMC meetings, communication between the different individuals attending these meetings is seriously lacking, which contributes to the misinterpretation of roles and responsibilities. This effectively renders the M&E process invaluable and that led the research team to conclude that because the M&E process appears sound, the main stumbling block –communication between individuals – needs to be remedied. Interviewees on regional level said the M&E process was not effective due to the fact that there were too few field workers to do the job. They felt that although instruments had been compiled, the administration of these instruments created problems: some educators could not keep attendance registers and others do not want to expose themselves by making negative information available. There is also no integration between the education focus and the M&E focus. These indicators should be identified upfront. In addition to the regular M&E processes between the centres and the Ikhwelo offices, the following additional reviews, documents and diagnostic reports were produced: ~ The Memorandi of Understanding from both provinces were reviewed and the interviews with both provincial policy makers revealed that the components of the MoUs were not adhered to. ~ A substantial report was produced in 2000 with a review of the lessons learnt, and recommendations for effective planning and management. The report notes the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between the role-players. (National Vision-sharing Workshop Report, Phil Christensen). The research team established that the MoUs were not implemented or referred to. For instance, the Eastern Cape Department of Education believes that if the role-players had all adhered to this MoU many obstacles could have been avoided. ~ Diagnostic studies were conducted in both Limpopo and the Eastern Cape during the last quarter of 2001. In both these studies the authors made recommendations, specifically pertaining to the Integrated Learning Programme (ILP) and its applicability to the Ikhwelo learning and training processes. The research team established that the ILP principles and the commitment of educators to the ILP philosophy is still lacking in the two Provincial Education Departments, despite the fact that these I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 67 principles emanated from the National Department of Education. The two graphs below depict the outcomes in both provinces pertaining to the effectiveness of the current M&E system. It tells us how the centre staff conducted and implemented the system. It is obvious from these two outputs that the system is not successful and not applied according to the M&E guidelines. The low percentages indicate that the communication problems that exist can be explained. This is one area where Ikhwelo needs to structure a process whereby their expectations need to be realigned with the realities. It is possible that the field staff assume more than what the centre staff actually do. If the statistical outputs are taken seriously, the M&E process needs to be streamlined. Learning Materials Good learning depends upon several components addressed by the project design. These are appropriate methodology, adequate contact hours, sufficient learner support, effective learner materials and assessment strategies. Support Materials Unit Standards A pplied A griculture and A griculture Technology (A AAT) & Small, M edium and Micro Enterprises (SMM E) Unit Standards Monitoring - SMME 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% Tests Checking Assi gnment s Cl assworks Comparing pract ice with theory Cl ass Vi sits Inspect Workbooks Di fficult to Monitor. Classesat same ti me M onthl y Reports Learners Questionaires Conti ni ous Assessm ent Monitoring - Agriculture 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% Tests Checking Assi gnments Classwo rks Co mp aring p racti ce wi th t heo ry Cl ass Visit s D iffi cul t to M onit or. Cl assesat same ti me M o nthl y Rep ort s Learners Questio naires Co ntini ous Assessment I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 68 Both these sets of unit standards are pitched at ABET level 4 (NQF 1). A fundamental principle, which underpinned the development of the unit standards, was the emphasis on application as relative theory. During the development of the unit standards, consideration was given to the fact that both the theory and practice needed to be realistically integrated in order to result in learning outcomes. This would empower the learners who achieved this goal. The sub-fields of Applied Agriculture and Agriculture Technology were combined at ABET level 4. This was done due to the fact that the two fields are integrated. Separation of the two sub-fields would have resulted in unnecessary duplication and Agricultural Technology cannot be seen in isolation from its application and therefore must be dealt with in this context. The unit standards for AAAT were developed to enable adults involved in agriculture to optimise the sustainable use of natural resources for the production of food, fibre and fuel. The philosophy of optimal, sustainable and harmonious use of the earth’s natural resources underpins the entire sub-field. The unit standards for SMME were developed in order to accommodate, as far as possible, the needs of the learners. The skills and knowledge acquired in this elective, together with the skills acquired in the other electives, could lead to business ventures, which are sustainable, and therefore to economic independence. The SMME unit standards were developed to equip learners with the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for the development of entrepreneurship. The development of business ideas and business plans, as well as the maintenance and growth of business enterprises, are seen as important features that will have a significant impact on the standard of living, productivity, and will create opportunities for all citizens to realise their full potential. The debate regarding the learners’ numeracy and literacy competency levels for entrance to these learning programmes was initiated during the development of the unit standards. The unit standards clearly emphasise that cognisance must be taken of the fact that not all learners in these electives will necessarily aspire to a GETC. It was recommended that the learners participating in the pilot programme should be divided into groups: i.e. illiterate learners, literate learners and mixed literate and illiterate learners. However, resulting from the reports and discussions with the educators and policy implementers, it appears that this recommendation was not taken into account. In order to facilitate the development of integrated learning programmes, linkages with other learning areas are noted in special notes following each unit standard. Educators who were part of the Ikhwelo Project and did not receive sufficient training regarding the application of unit standards (in general) would have experienced serious problems with the teaching of these two electives. Unit standards cannot be taught. Learning Programmes, focusing on a specific context, must be developed to enable learners to achieve the specific outcomes of the unit standards. This is a sophisticated way of teaching, especially if integrated learning programmes are to be developed. In order to develop integrated learning programmes, educators must be able to draw linkages to other learning areas. This implies the following: ~ Educators must have to be familiar with the unit standards of other learning areas, and be able to integrate the relevant unit standards. ~ Educators need to be trained regarding the development of learning programmes, especially integrated learning programmes, ~ Educators teaching ABET classes should be qualified to teach adults. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 69 The unit standards require learning support materials that should be activity based, i.e. encouraging experiential learning which enables the learner to discover new facts, knowledge, etc. in relation to a concept. The issue of the recognition of prior learning (RPL) is not addressed by any of the sets of unit standards. This is a serious problem, due to the fact that many of the learners who enter into one of these two learning programmes would qualify for the recognition and accreditation of their prior knowledge and skills. A ssessment exemplars for ABET Exemplars are ‘examples of a learner’s performance’ and are utilised to illustrate the application of assessment criteria. Subject specialists, as well as educationists, developed exemplars for Applied Agriculture and Agriculture Technology (AAAT) and Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME). Although exemplars were developed for all the AAAT and SMME unit standards, these exemplars should be regarded as a checklist against which assessment takes place, rather than as a guide to a teaching programme. The document clearly states that both the activities and assessment tools are intended as guidelines, and therefore ~ May not be complete ~ May not necessarily assess all the specific outcomes of a unit standard ~ Are not intended as a ‘recipe’ as to how learners’ learning can be assessed for the various unit standards and specific outcomes. The document is extremely useful, however; it will only be utilised effectively by educators who received training on outcomes-based assessment and who are qualified in agriculture and SMME. A Qualification & A ssessment System for ABET This document outlines features of public policy and gives strategies to implement public policy on ABET assessment. Part 1 draws together the recent policy developments that provide the context for an ABET qualification and assessment system. This part will assist users of this document to put their practice into a wider context. Part 2 is a practical guide to implementing good assessment practices in the contest of the NQF, giving guidelines on various aspects of assessment. This file should be regarded as a resource, which contains useful information and practical guidelines. It is a user-friendly document and educators who received OBE training will find it extremely useful with regard to planning the assessment activities. However, through the document it is mentioned that certain SAQA processes were not completed when the document was put together. Since 1999 until now, numerous of these processes have been completed, ETQA criteria have been developed and the GENFETQA has been established. For this document to remain effective, it needs to be updated to reflect the latest developments. Integrated Outcomes-based Learning Programmes To develop integrated learning programmes, educators need to be skilled facilitators in order to structure learning activities and information to extend learners’ understanding of the world around I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 70 them. An example of unit standards from different learning areas that are integrated, is included. However, it needs to be emphasised that educators need to know how to deal with unit standards in order to integrate them meaningfully. This also implies that educators need to receive training on OBE assessment and how to assess learners in an integrated manner. This document deals with too many issues, without adequately explaining how these components link up with the integrated learning programmes. The language in this document is extremely technical and clearly the assumption is that educators who will utilise this document are familiar with SAQA language. A User-friendly Learner Placement Assessment Package The placement assessment procedures allow learners who are not yet ready for ABET 3 or 4 studies to be placed in a pre- or post-Ikhwelo Learning Programme. It needs to be ascertained if these programmes in fact exist. In the learner interview questionnaire (at the end), it has been noted that the learner must be counselled on RPL. However, there is no explanation of the concept ‘RPL’, the purpose of ‘RPL’, how to counsel learners regarding ‘RPL’, etc. The effectiveness of the learner placement assessment tool, as well as whether the placement results were actually taken into consideration when the learners were selected, needs to be ascertained. Research regarding the success rate of learners in the SMME and AAAT programmes which achieved the required scores during the placement assessment, should be undertaken. SMME Learning Support Materials Succeed in Business This series comprises an educator’s guide, a course book and a workbook. ♦ Educator’s guide Requirements for entry to the SMME programme are stated upfront in the educator’s guide. These requirements are that learners who have ~ Demonstrated competency or received credits at ABET level 3 in Language, Literacy and Communication and ABET level 2 in Mathematics and Numeracy; or ~ Passed the ‘Succeed in Business’ Placement Test, ~ Are allowed entry into the programme. It needs to be established whether learners currently in the SMME programme, have actually complied with the above mentioned requirements. Prolit has developed its own placement tests, and it is not clear whether the placement test in the Educator’s guide was utilised at any stage. The SMME learning materials are based on the SMME unit standards. This should facilitate the teaching process. There is not much evidence of integration with other learning areas. Although the I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 71 communication skills and numeracy skills that will be covered in the course are identified, educators still need to develop their own integrated learning programmes. In this guide educators are given guidance in lesson planning, how to assist learners in the SMME programme as well as how to assess their progress. The guidelines on the assessment of learners will be effective if the educators utilise this in conjunction with ‘a qualification and assessment system for ABET’. Educators are also introduced to the National Qualification Framework (NQF), the unit standards as well as the allocation of credits. If it appears that educators have previously not been introduced to the NQF and unit standards, the section in this guide should be expanded. As indicated in previous documents, the language especially in this chapter, is extremely technical. ♦ Course Book and Workbook These two books are extremely user-friendly. Both books guide the learner through the teaching and learning process. The language used is easy to understand, assuming that the learners have attained Language, Literacy and Communication ABET level 3. The Course book allows for ample practical work. The Workbook is also a record of the learners’ work and it should be ascertained whether the educators actually study these records. The prescribed SMME materials will assist learners to achieve the desired outcomes. This result will be achieved if the educators and learners utilise the books by following the guidelines provided in the Course book and Educators guide. Start-up This book is a step-by-step guide to starting and growing small businesses. It tells the story of how a business was started. The book is user-friendly - the language is at the appropriate level of the learner. Although it has not been written on the basis of the SMME unit standards, it addresses all the relevant outcomes. If this book is used with all the other relevant learning materials, the learners will be in a position to achieve the desired outcomes and acquire the necessary SMME skills. Agriculture Learning Support Materials A griculture: A practical course (1 & 2) Although these books cover the agriculture unit standards, the books have been developed for conditions in Botswana. The content focuses purely on agriculture and issues such as integrated learning programmes and linkages with other learning areas are not addressed. Scientific language is used throughout the books and therefore learners need to have acquired at least an ABET level 3 Language, Literacy and Communication competency to achieve a basic understanding of the contents. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 72 Fields of Learning This series comprises a Course book and a Workbook (the same as the learning support materials for SMME). However, the series does not include the educator’s guide. The ‘Fields of Learning’ series are also based on the unit standards. The language used in these two books is far more accessible if compared to the language used in ‘agriculture: A practical course (1 & 2)’. Seeds of Learning This book is based on a basic agriculture course. It introduces the different kinds of agriculture, such as how to prepare a small garden, how to grow vegetables, plant fruit trees and keep chickens to the learners. There is also a section which introduces the learner to the SMME component, i.e. how to generate a small income from agriculture. This book has a hands-on approach and it also aims at improving the communication skills of the learners by giving them reading passages, writing activities as well as opportunities to improve their listening and speaking skills. The book is extremely user-friendly and the language is at the level of an ABET level 3 learners. A Simple Guide to Managing Village Poultry This is a simple guide to help rural families who have only a few chickens and who are unable to get advice easily, to increase production of meat and eggs from their chickens. The book has been translated into the local languages and passing a judgement regarding the contents of the book is not possible. Business Plans Projects are the ‘cutting edge’ of development and are perhaps the most difficult single problem confronting agricultural administrators in developing countries is implementing development programmes. Much of this can be traced to poor project preparation.15 Project preparation is not the only aspect of agricultural development or planning. Identifying national agricultural development or planning objectives, selecting priority areas for investment, designing effective price policies and mobilising resources are all critical. But for most agricultural development activities, careful project planning in advance of expenditure is, if not absolutely essential, at least the best available means to ensure efficient, economic use of capital funds and to increase the changes of on-schedule implementation. Unless projects are carefully prepared, inefficient or even wasteful expenditure is almost sure to result. Yet, in many countries the capacity to prepare and analyse projects lags. Administrators continually underestimate the time and effort needed to prepare suitable projects. Development cannot proceed unless there are specific projects on which to spend available money. The importance of proper planning cannot be over-emphasised. The drafting of a business plan is a complex process. Specific skills and knowledge of agriculture and SMME are required to draft a 15 Gittenger, J. P. World Bank, 1980. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 73 business plan. A business plan forms the basis for the successful implementation and operation of a project. Procedure for Business Plan Approval Business plans are compiled by the centres and submitted to the Regional Ikhwelo Office who presents it to Prolit Head Office in Pretoria. A technical team at head office deliver comments to the Financial Controller who approves or rejects the business plan on the basis of comments made by the Technical Team. On approval of the business plans, the Regional Offices and eventually the centres are informed. The Regional Office is responsible for the purchasing of equipment and the payment thereof. Three quotations for equipment are obtained by the Regional Offices and submitted to the Financial Controller for approval. Prolit Head Office transfers the funds to the successful tenderer who delivers the equipment to the centre. The balance of the amount approved according to the business plan is then paid into the accounts of the centres. B usiness Plan A pproval D ate of B usiness Plan Approval – All Ventures Month and year Limpopo Eastern Cape TOTAL 04.2001 1 0 1 05.2001 7 17 24 06.2001 15 3 18 07.2001 17 1 18 08.2001 12 5 17 09.2001 1 5 6 10.2001 0 1 1 TOTAL 53 32 85 The percentage of business plans approved according to date is shown in the following table. Percentage of Business Plans A pproved According to Dates – All V entures Month and year Limpopo Eastern Cape TOTAL 04.2001 2% 0% 1% 05.2001 13% 53% 28% I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 74 06.2001 28% 9% 21% 07.2001 32% 3% 21% 08.2001 23% 16% 20% 09.2001 2% 16% 7% 10.2001 0% 3% 1% TOTAL 100% 100% 100% Business plans have been approved during the period of April 2001 to October 2001. C omments on the B usiness Plans Business plans for the different Ikhwelo Centres have been submitted to the researchers for review. It is obvious that, considering the complexity to draft a business plan, the Ikhwelo management team made a valuable effort with the preparation of these plans. If it is further considered that the plans were drafted by people who did not know anything about a business plan with the commencing of the project, the effort to do so is substantial. However, some major shortcomings are noted regarding the existing business plans. Furthermore, considering the commencement date of the Ikhwelo Programme, being April 1999, and the date of the first business plan approval, being April 2001 through to October 2001, the main question that arises concerns the time lapse of 24 months between these two dates. According to discussions between the researchers and the training agents, this delay formed part of a pattern of delays caused mainly by the Prolit management structures and disbursement policies. Infrastructure and Ventures During the survey, it became clear that some problems exist at some of the centres. Complaints such as shortage of water to irrigate, vegetable gardens not fenced in and resultant problems with animals, and the fact that centres are operating from school premises, was raised frequently. It was not possible to quantify all these problems and additional information was then obtained for all the centres within the Ikhwelo programme. Additional information was collected from field officers and technical agencies in order to quantify certain aspects and to put them in perspective. This section of the report deals with major statistical information on all the centres. The original data collected from 43 centres is attached as annexes. This information were classified and arranged to reach certain conclusions. The total number of ventures planned and implemented is shown in the following table: Ventures Planned I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 75 Total N umber of Ventures Planned and Implemented Item Limpopo Eastern Cape TOTAL Ventures planned 53 34 87 Implemented 35 32 67 Implemented as percentage of planned 66% 94% 77% The centres planned to establish different kinds of ventures. Of these ventures, 66% has been implemented in Limpopo and 94% in the Eastern Cape and 77% for the two provinces have been implemented. The total number of ventures planned and implemented according to type of venture is shown in the following table: N umber of V entures Planned and Implemented A ccording to Type Limpopo Eastern Cape TOTAL Venture Planned Implemented Planned Implemented Planned Implemented Vegetables 24 21 16 16 40 37 Broilers 13 5 0 0 13 5 SMME 16 9 18 16 34 25 TOTAL 53 35 34 32 87 67 V entures Implemented The percentage ventures implemented according to type are shown in the following table: Percentage Ventures Implemented as Percentage of Total Venture Limpopo Eastern Cape TOTAL Vegetables 60% 50% 56% Broilers 14% 0% 7% SMME 26% 50% 37% TOTAL 100% 100% 100% I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 76 Vegetables are the most popular venture representing 60% of the total ventures implemented in Limpopo followed by SMMEs with 26% and broilers with 14%. SMMEs and vegetable ventures in the Eastern Cape are evenly represented with 50% each. V entures in School Yards Ventures established in the schoolyard is shown in the following table V entures Established in School Y ard Item Limpopo Eastern Cape TOTAL In school yard 17 23 40 Not in school yard 18 9 27 TOTAL 35 32 67 Percentage established in school yard 49% 72% 60% Of all the ventures established in Limpopo, 49% is established on the school premises. While 72% in the Eastern Cape is on the school premises. Some of the ventures are land-bound as fixed improvements such as land preparation; fencing and irrigation systems cannot be removed. All ventures have been classified as land-bound or not land￾bound. The total number of land-bound ventures as percentage of total established is shown in the following table. Land-bound Ventures Established on School Premises Item Limpopo Eastern Cape TOTAL On School Premises 12 8 20 Not on School Premises 16 7 23 TOTAL 28 15 43 Percentage on School premises 43% 53% 46% I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 77 The establishment of ventures on the school premises, which are not land-bound, does not pose a major problem as it can be moved to an alternative site. The fixed improvements involved with land￾bound ventures cannot easily be removed. It can be expected that conflicting interests may in future materialise between the school and Ikhwelo with respect to ventures operated on the school premises. Land-bound ventures in schoolyards represent 43% in Limpopo, 53% in Eastern Cape and 46% for the two provinces. It is therefore recommended that land-bound ventures should not be established on school premises and that alternative sites be found. The Department of Agriculture should become involved with the selection of agricultural sites. Water Supply Water supply according to source is shown in the following table: Water Source for Vegetable Production According to Source (Number) Item Limpopo Eastern Cape TOTAL Boreholes 5 2 7 Buckets 3 0 3 Dam 2 4 6 Primary 4 6 10 River 4 4 8 Irrigation scheme 3 0 3 TOTAL 21 16 37 The majority water source for the irrigation of vegetables in Limpopo is boreholes followed by primary water (taps) and river pumps. The majority of vegetable ventures in the Eastern Cape are irrigated with primary water (taps) followed by dams and river pumps. Three garden plots are irrigated with buckets, which means that learners carry water from a water source to the vegetable garden in buckets. Irrigation from primary water sources is not recommended; as it is relatively expensive and crops also do not require purified water. It is also doubtful if the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry will support this. However, most rural villages do not have piped water and normally makes use of borehole water. In this case, it is irrelevant whether the same water is used for domestic and irrigation purposes. It is simply not cost effective to supply two ‘kinds’ of water. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 78 The respondents were requested to indicate if water sources are sufficient. The results are shown in the following table: Water Sufficiency (C ases) Item Limpopo Eastern Cape TOTAL Water sufficient 13 13 26 Water not sufficient 8 1 9 TOTAL 21 14 35 Not sufficient as percentage of total 38% 7% 26% A general complaint during the survey was that water sources are insufficient in terms of quantity. According to the survey 38% of all vegetable projects in Limpopo were experiencing a shortage of water while 7% in the Eastern Cape were experiencing shortages. Shortages should, however, not occur, as the reliability of the water source should have been established in the planning phase of the centre. Where proper planning has been done, no project should have experienced water shortages. The Departments of Agriculture should become involved with the planning of centres in order to make sure that the natural resources are suitable. Fencing A general complaint was also that agricultural ventures are not fenced in. The results of the survey are shown in the following table: V egetables Fenced in Item Limpopo Eastern Cape TOTAL Fenced in 15 13 28 Not fenced in 6 1 7 TOTAL 21 14 35 Not fenced in as percentage of total 29% 7% 20% Only 29% of the ventures in Limpopo is not fenced in and 7% in the Eastern Cape. It appears if this problem was over-exaggerated in the interpretive narrative component of the surveys. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 79 A rea Planted The area planted with vegetables or crops is shown in the following table. A rea Planted to C rops (Ha) Limpopo Eastern Cape Interval (ha) Number Average (ha) Number Average (ha) 0 to 0,5 7 0,32 2 0,02 0,5+ to 1,0 12 0,87 9 0,17 1,0+ to 3,0 2 2,58 1 0,20 TOTAL/AVERAGE 21 0,84 12 0,30 The average area planted to vegetables or crops is 0,84 ha for Limpopo and 0,30 ha for the Eastern Cape. Financial Breakdown The Ikhwelo budget and expenditure for the period April 1999 to March 2002 amounts to R26 million for the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and the Project Literacy administration. Only one national budget is available and separate budgets do not exist for the two provinces. Actual expenditure for the period April 1999 to September 2001 amounts to R16,006,953 with further anticipated expenditure from October 2001 to March 2002 estimated at R6,617,886. The total actual and expected expenditure for the period April 1999 to March 2002 is expected to be R22,624,839, being R3,776,909 less than the overall, approved budget. B udgeted & Actual Expenditure (R) Item Budget -- 04/99 to 03/02 Actual Expenses -- 04/99 to 09/01 Further expected expenditure -- 10/01 to 03/02 Total expenditure actual plus expected 04/99 to 3/02 Variance Salaries 3,310,758 2,511,343 730,487 3,241,830 68,928 Benefits 734,769 530,197 154,212 684,409 50,360 Consultants 2,307,875 1,121,537 1,076,319 2,197,856 110,019 Travel 4,062,634 1,647,539 1,055,000 2,702,539 1,360,095 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 80 Expendables 1,781,062 1,006,913 430,000 1,436,913 344,149 Vehicles Capex etc 908,934 907,680 1,254 908,934 0 Training 5,171,764 4,119,598 1,119,217 5,238,815 (67,051) Sub-agreement 3,926,760 1,919,881 705,731 2,625,612 1,301,148 Evaluation 125,974 125,974 125,974 0 Audits 165,375 93,778 71,597 165,375 0 Admin costs 3,905,843 2,148,487 1,148,095 3,296,582 609,261 TOTAL 26,401,748 16,006,953 6,617,886 22,624,839 3,776,909 Salaries represent amounts paid to staff at Ikhwelo Head Office and provincial offices. Benefits include items such as medical, not included in salaries. Consultants represent expenditure on agencies rendering technical and other services as well as class observations to Ikhwelo and in particular the Service Centres. Consultancy agencies have been appointed in each province for this purpose. Northern Training Trust is responsible for these services in Limpopo and Umnga is appointed in the Eastern Cape and is responsible for technical support on centres with agricultural activities. The University of Port Elizabeth’s Small Business Unit is responsible for training and class observations on SMME ventures. They also train centre managers to write business plans for agriculture and SMME ventures. Travel costs include expenditure on travelling costs such as own vehicles, hired transport, air tickets, and accommodation with respect to staff working on the project. Expendables include items such as communication, stationery, computers, office rental, motor￾vehicle expenses and advertising. Non-expendables represent purchasing of motor-vehicles, furniture and office equipment. Training represents costs to train educators, Ikhwelo trainers, centre managers, centre governance, workshops. Learning materials, equipment, SMME and agricultural ventures, etc. Sub-agreement: This cost item represents expenditure for the Academy for Educational Development (AED), which is a sub contractor to Prolit in the Award Agreement with USAID. AED is an independent non-profit service organisation that addresses development needs in the United States and throughout the world. The purpose of the Prolit/AED agreement with the USAID is to provide support for the Eastern Cape and Limpopo Departments of Education in the area of Adult Basic Education and Training. AED is responsible for three staff members under the present Co-operative Agreement. One of these staffmembers was involved in the development phase of the project. Evaluation: This represents expenditure on evaluation of the project by external specialists. Audits: this represents expenditure for the financial auditing of the project. Administration Cost: is the overhead fee negotiated to implement the project. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 81 Centre Related Activities represents costs to train educators, Ikhwelo trainers, centre managers, centre governance, workshops. Learning materials, equipment, SMME and agricultural ventures etc. Funds spent by Prolit on training, workshops, learning materials, center operation and other related costs are shown below. These figures however represent the period to August 2001 while the corresponding figure in the Table above represents the period to September 2001. PRO LIT FUN DS SPEN T ON CENTRE RELATED-ACTIVITIES, APRIL 1999 TO AU GU ST 2001 Item Eastern Cape Limpopo TOTAL Training and Assessments 669 387 241 508 910 895 Assessment 155 314 103 802 259 116 Educator training 282 149 26 046 308 195 Centre manager 80 161 76 957 157 118 Project management workshops 12 777 12 777 25 554 Centre governance 138 986 21 926 160 912 Workshops 477 155 162 941 640 096 Agric specialist workshops 246 810 123 527 370 337 SMME specialist workshops 220 130 38 355 258 485 Learner registration 10 215 1 059 11 274 Learning Materials 614 066 731 006 1 345 072 Learner/educator material 554 772 681 965 1 236 737 Learner stationary 48 054 40 887 88 941 Material and transport (resource unit) 11 240 8 154 19 394 Centre Operation 190 426 226 689 417 115 Petty cash to centers 9 500 13 000 22 500 SMME/agricultural ventures 112 241 171 254 283 495 Equipment 68 685 42 435 111 120 Other 130 601 187 378 317 979 Open day 62 764 102 290 165 054 Transport 53 469 67 508 120 977 Other 14 368 17 580 31 948 TOTAL 2 081 635 1 549 522 3 631 157 A total of R2 081 635 has been spent by Prolit on training, workshops, learning materials, center operation and other related costs in the Eastern Cape while R1 549 522 has been spent on these items for Limpopo. The total for these two provinces amounts to R3 631 157 for the period April 1999 to August 2001. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 82 B udgeted Items as a percentage of Total Budget Item % Salaries 13 Benefits 3 Consultants 9 Travel 15 Expendables 7 Vehicles Capex etc 3 Training 20 Sub-agreement 15 Evaluation - Audits 1 Admin costs 15 TOTAL 100 The bulk of the budget viz 20% is allocated for training followed by sub-agreement, administration and travelling cost with 15% each. Salaries and benefits represent 16% of total budget. Although budgets are not available for each province, the expenditure per province is recorded. Expenditure for the Eastern Cape Province is approximately R350,000 higher than for Limpopo. Total budget and actual expenditure according to centre for the two provinces are shown in the annexes. A budgeted amount of R10,000 is allocated to each centre. This is, however, a provision only and should centres submit viable business plans exceeding the budgeted amount, it will be considered, providing that sufficient funds are available in the national budget. Expenditure on on-farm infrastructure such as pumps and fencing is not regarded as part of the R10,000 allocation and centres are allowed to use the R10,000 for approved line items only. Fencing and equipment such as pumps are bought from suppliers after Prolit has approved the spending and when a centre has made an application to Prolit. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 83 Cost Benefit Study The South African Department of Education, USAID and Project Literacy as main role-players in the Ikhwelo Project need to know if sufficient economic justification exists for the continuation of the Ikhwelo Project to support it financially. An economic analysis of the project is therefore required to determine economic viability. An economic analysis is mainly concerned with the costs and benefits of the project to the society as a whole, measured on the real economic values of project resources. Economic analyses convert financial costs and benefits, by adjusting price distortions of project inputs and outputs through shadow pricing and opportunity costs. Shadow prices are the opportunity costs of products and services when the market price, for whatever reason, does not reflect these costs. Some benefits and costs can be quantified and is expressed in a cash flow analysis after distorted prices have been adjusted. Some benefits and costs are intangible and cannot be quantified in real terms. In this report, tangible and intangible costs and benefits are addressed. The economic analyses are based on the cash flow for the overall project. The cash flow is adjusted to make provision for economic prices and costs. The real Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is calculated to measure economic viability. Attempts were made to obtain actual financial results from the centres with respect to income and costs associated with the different ventures. A questionnaire was drafted and distributed to Ikhwelo Provincial Managers in Limpopo and Eastern Cape. Ikhwelo Field Officers, Technical Agencies and Centre Managers were requested in turn to provide the information. It soon became clear that the information required to compile a cash flow could not be furnished. One reason is that the centres are not in operation for a long time and that they did not build up a database. An alternative route was then followed and a very simplified questionnaire was drafted to obtain absolute basic information. Field Officers and Technical Agencies completed these questionnaire. Areas planted to vegetables were obtained as well as the sizes of broiler ventures. Realistic norms were then applied to determine income and costs. The income and cost for SMMEs were obtained from business plans. As some of these plans are very unrealistic, a standard model was applied for all the SMMEs. Not all the planned ventures are established yet. It was assumed for the purpose of this exercise that all the planned ventures would become operational. It was assumed that all the ventures would be established in 2002/003. Based on abovementioned technique income and cost was calculated for each centre and venture. The results of this calculation are shown in the Annexes. Assumptions to determine income and costs for ventures are shown in the following table: G ross Margin Per Hectare V egetables Gross Income R31,500 Direct Production Cost R20,780 Gross Margin R10,720 Overheads R2,500 NET R8,220 Cash Flow of Centres I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 84 The net income after direct and overhead costs per ha vegetables is R 8,220. These norms have been applied to each centre with vegetables. The area vegetables per venture have been applied to calculate net results for each venture. The key assumptions applied to calculate financial results for broiler production are shown in the following table: K ey Assumptions, B roiler Production Stocking density (chicks per sq m) 5 Price per broiler R18 Cycles per house per annum 9 Fixed cost per annum R1,800 The net financial results per broiler produced are shown in the following table: G ross Margin Per Chicken B roilers Item Per chicken per cycle Per chicken per annum Gross Income 16.20 R94 Direct Cost 9.75 R56 Gross Margin 6.45 R37 Fixed Costs 3.12 R18 NET FLOW 3.34 R19 Due to poor financial feedback of SMMEs a general norm per SMME has been suggested as shown in the following table: Standard Norm Per SMME Ventures Per Annum Gross Income R12,000 Direct Costs R4,800 Overhead Costs R1,860 Net flow per SM ME per annum R5,340 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 85 The cash flow for the centres as well as cash outflows of Prolit and Department of Education with respect to the Ikhwelo Project is shown in tables following. These cash flows were used as the basis to calculate the IRRs for both regions. The cash flows for each province consists of income, direct costs and overhead costs for the existing and planned ventures. Prolit actual outflows for the Ikhwelo Projects as well as their budgeted expenditure until December 2002 is included. It is also assumed that the Ikhwelo Field Officers will be operational until March 2005. A provision has been made for their costs. Direct costs of the Department of Education with respect to Centre Managers and educators are included. It is assumed that their function will be phased out by 2003/04. Price Adjustments The prices of applicable items are adjusted in the overall cash flow for the project in order to calculate economic parameters. Price adjustments and the motivation for these adjustments are discussed. Fuel Price The retail price of fuel in South Africa is determined by taking into account various cost elements. Various taxes, duties and levies are incorporated in the fuel price, which could be excluded to represent a shadow price. Fuel costs play a very insignificant role in the total cost structure and shadow pricing was thus ignored. C ommodity Prices The price for all the commodities produced on the project is determined under free market conditions. As there is no interference with market forces the market prices of these products, reflect the economic value of the products. Wage Rates for Workers Factors exist in the labour market, which result in the labour wage not reflecting relative scarcity. Where unemployment does not exist, the current market price of labour is used for all labourers as it is regarded as a true market price determined by supply and demand. Where unemployment does exist, shadow wages are estimated for workers. The unemployment rate are so high in the regions where the centres are situated that the shadow price for labour inputs are regarded as zero. Project Life As agricultural projects normally involve long-term investments, a project life of 20 years is accepted as appropriate under these conditions. Cash flows for 15 years are shown in the relevant tables but calculations for parameters are based on 20 years. Cash Flow for Regions IM PA CT E VA LU AT I ON FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 86 Overall Annual Cash Flow Limpopo Year 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Centres Gross Income 634 833 841 042 841 042 841 042 841 042 841 042 841 042 841 042 841 042 841 042 841 042 841 042 841 042 Direct Cost 387 871 497 755 497 755 497 755 497 755 497 755 497 755 497 755 497 755 497 755 497 755 497 755 497 755 Overheads 64 155 95 331 95 331 95 331 95 331 95 331 95 331 95 331 95 331 95 331 95 331 95 331 95 331 NET FLOW 182 807 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 Prolit Actual Budget 1 206 035 2 779 239 13 495 573 300 000 300 000 300 000 ABET Outflow (est) 3 925 000 3 925 000 3 925 000 NET FLOW (5 131 035) (6 704 239) (17 237 766) (52 045) (52 045) (52 045) 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 247 955 Overall Annual Cash Flow Eastern Cape Year 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Centres Gross Income 294 743 336 743 336 743 336 743 336 743 336 743 336 743 336 743 336 743 336 743 336 743 336 743 336 743 Direct Cost 144 577 161 377 161 377 161 377 161 377 161 377 161 377 161 377 161 377 161 377 161 377 161 377 161 377 Overheads 37 914 44 444 44 444 44 444 44 444 44 444 44 444 44 444 44 444 44 444 44 444 44 444 44 444 NET FLOW 112 251 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 Prolit Actual Budget 1 306 537 3 010 843 14 620 204 300 000 300 000 300 000 ABET Outflow (est) 4 625 000 4 625 000 4 625 000 NET FLOW (5 931 537) (7 635 843) (19 132 953) (169 079) (169 079) (169 079) 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 130 921 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 87 R esults of the Economic A nalyses The results of the financial and economic analyses are presented in the following table: The IRR calculations for current ventures are based on the cash flow for the existing and planned operations. The parameters have also been calculated if the current operations will increase 5-fold, 10- fold etc. The current ventures are negative. IRR Based on Economic C ash Flow (%) Item Limpopo Eastern Cape Limpopo & Eastern cape Current Ventures Negative Negative Negative 5 Times Current Ventures (3,8) Negative Negative 10 Times Current operations 4,1 (3,5) 0,5 15 Times Current Operations 7,8 (0,6) 3,8 20 Times Current Operations 11,6 2,3 7,2 The financial and economic results are favourable and the project could be classified as socio￾economically sound. An economic IRR of approximately 1% is realistic for development projects of this kind. The ‘Massification Strategy’ outlined in Chapter 4 as part of the Recommendations outline one possible option to reach operations 10-15 times the current operations. C onclusion The areas where Ikhwelo Projects are implemented are characterised by high unemployment levels and resultant poverty. The implementation of Ikhwelo Project will increase food security and supplement current incomes and it will under the specific circumstances increase the quality of life of the communities involved. The Ikhwelo Projects‘ main objective is to train learners in different skills so that after completion of the training courses they should be in a position to implement own ventures. Provision was therefore made in the economic analyses that the activities will increase above current levels when the learners left the training centres. It is a prerequisite that the planned ventures should be implemented and that activities should increase after the learners left the centres. Considering the tangible and intangible benefits, it is concluded that the project is viable with a 10-to 15 fold increase of current activities. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 88 Exp eriencing Impact Learners as Individuals General Observations Expectations The learners expected the Ikhwelo Project to teach them how to run projects that will reduce poverty through job creation and income generation. This way they would, among other, start to eradicate the high incidence of, for instance kwashiorkor. However, the majority felt that these expectations had not fully been met yet since poverty still prevailed in the communities. Many did, however feel that their own lives were better and the livelihood of their immediate family had improved. The learners expected that Ikhwelo would assist with funding to start job creating and income generating ventures and to enable them to plant and produce and market their products as groups. They point out that in terms of theory, they have met their expectations because they have acquired sufficient knowledge to start a viable business and to produce food for household consumption and for sale. Their expectations were not met in terms of putting theory into practice because they have no money to start their own businesses and they have not yet reached a stage where they can start collective activities. The learners' expectations of Ikhwelo were that through the programme, they would be able to: ~ Improve their business skills ~ Improve their ability to communicate in English ~ Increase their income ~ Improve the nutritional status of the family They indicated that their expectations were met because they were now equipped with appropriate skills to improve their existing businesses and to communicate in English. Factors retarding progress The learners indicated that the two main factors retarding progress were ~ Insufficient equipment for production ~ Lack of water on site. The learners were very happy about the project generally, but were concerned about the insufficiency of equipment and time. They indicated that equipment for agriculture was not complete and as a result, some have not started with agriculture production. Agriculture projects yield better profits than the SMME because transport costs are eating up the SMME profits. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 89 Ikhwelo is not delivering learning materials and equipment on time. This situation is causing retardation of progress and also lack of trust in the entire programme. Learners need: ~ Sufficient material and equipment for production and business development ~ Certificates on completion of the course ~ Opportunities for local economic development Their crops are not fenced in and the domestic animals destroy the gardens. This is very discouraging. The learners also noted that a lack of ownership and commitment affected their performance and led to negativity. This lack of commitment includes Ikhwelo who makes promises and fail to fulfil them. Their main complaint was that because they shared the facility with a day school, they could only start classes after school. Domestic ramifications also curtails the teaching time for these learners. One issue concerned money: learners expected to retain all the profit of whatever they grew or made and not put back into the centre the requisite 50%. For the one Centre Manager this was an unexpected problem but he worked with the District Co-ordinator to explain the benefits of re-investment. In some centres vandalism and criminality is very prevalent and every window in the classroom where the interviews took place was broken. This is not a conducive learning environment as it makes it very uncomfortable in winter and during the rainy season. The teaching & learning environment Another issue raised was the question of English as the teaching medium. This did not substantially bother the learners, particularly those who entered the programme at the stipulated ABET 4 level. However, most of them believed that mother tongue instruction would improve their performance. They felt that the time they spent on theory was too short because they had to share educational facilities with school children. They proposed that a separate facility be provided for adult learners so that they could start in the morning at 09:00. The learners also recommended that the Centre should be open on weekends in order to give them more time to attend classes and to complete the work. The learners felt that more focus on income-generating projects would be substantially more appealing as the poverty levels were exceptionally high and they found it difficult to feed and care for their families. In centres where activities have gone off to a slow start, learners feel that unless the practical SMME activities start soon, their theory will be lost because they would forget what they had been taught. In terms of the course content, the interviewees also felt that what they were taught in class, was not what was set for examinations and they made an appeal that the examinations board should liaise with educators when setting examination papers. They also feel that a better balance between theory and practice at the centre would enhance their level of learning. If the programme does not start early in the year and if they still have to share facilities with day scholars, they will still not be able to attain their objectives. They strongly emphasised the need for a separate educational facility for ABET learners. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 90 Those who are working miss many important lessons since they only attend two days a week as compared to the 4 days of those who are unemployed. The agricultural expertise of the Training Agents is utilised to the maximum by the centres and learners felt that the fact that they could produce products and read and write was a major achievement for them. Although the equipment was delayed, the fact that these were received after the submission of a business plan, encouraged learners and educators alike. Fertilisers and insecticides Learners at this centre have started some agricultural activities and have planted maize but they did not have sufficient implements and their productive capacity is affected. A factor that influenced their low maize crops is because they did not receive fertilisers. In the light of the fact that they did not receive fertiliser, learners felt that if they were allowed to put into practice their traditional knowledge, they would succeed better. They felt that they had to put agricultural theory into practice and they were forced to plant maize at the wrong time as traditionally they followed rainfall patterns to plant a variety of crops. They know of some traditional insecticides but could not apply their own knowledge because they thought that modern technology supersedes their own traditional technologies and knowledge. Positive Impact 1 The educators are confident that the learners were on track and that their interventions have had a positive impact on the learners and the community as a whole. 2 The learners are now able to use their knowledge that they acquired at the centre in their everyday life. 3 Some projects, eg the pottery project, breadmaking, peanut butter, sewing, vegetable production, etc have had a very positive impact on the lives of learners and the educators view this as having a substantial impact on themselves, the learners and their communities. 4 Some learners approved 100% of the balance between theory and practice and believe that this balance is giving them everything that they need in terms of training. 5 Most ABET level 4 learners were happy with the English medium of instruction. Although they believed they were benefiting from this in some ways, they felt that mother tongue instruction would help some to achieve better results. Older learners and those below ABET level 4, felt that they were learning English and it benefited them, although they were struggling with the content of the theoretical courses. 6 The learners believe their new-found skills have given them the potential to start their own businesses. Across the board, all the learners believed their new skills and knowledge gave them a higher esteem and self-confidence. 7 They believe that the community sees life at Ikhwelo in a favourable light because they have become their service providers of jams, juice, uniforms and morogo. 8 In terms of their families, the project has helped them gain the respect from other family members and as women, they have transcended from being housewives to businesswomen. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 91 9 Where centres have planted vegetable they have all noted a very positive impact on the lives and on the lives of the broader community because it has positively affected their health, their standing in the community and their self-esteem. 10 They feel that the project has positively impacted because they now have the knowledge to explore better and alternative opportunities. They feel they now have choices that they never had before. The courses have enhanced the employability of learners, either in the formal or informal sectors or in self-employment. 11 Some learners believed that the sewing and telephone skills that they now had, had been beneficial. 12 The learners view the good relations and positive interaction between all the role-players at the centre as having had a positive impact, particularly on the learning environment and on themselves. 13 Learners can now use fertiliser, they know the soil types, how to price and market their products and to read, write and speak English. All these things have enhanced their status, self-esteem and marketability of the learners. 14 The fact that some community members lent the centre land for agricultura purposes can be interpreted in terms of the positive impact that the centre has had on the broader community; also, the learners were offered land by the local council to extend the project once they (the councillors) saw that it was successful. 15 Learners can now plant according to modern standards and they are reaping the benefits. This has made them confident and has helped to improve relationships. 16 The learners said they were satisfied that they had learnt new skills such as budgeting, a business plan development and the practicalities of their SMME elective. They have become wiser and have leant how to run a business, which has taught them self-confidence and self-sufficiency. 17 In one community the centre is now able to produce products that it sells to the community to earn an income, including school uniforms. Negative Impact D ropout Learners Dropout learners have had a negative impact on the centres. However, the reasons can be linked to the project design, shortages, misinterpretations of the initial project leading to misunderstanding of the processes. The following represent some reasons for the high dropout rate and is seen as having had a negative impact on the project: 1. Learners dropped out because they got frustrated with the slow process, the project did not meet their expectations such as business opportunities and job creation, they went to look for permanent jobs, and the project did not address poverty alleviation. 2. However, according to some educators, learners left because they did not want to attend the theory classes and only wanted to do practicals. 3. Many dropouts were affected by self-parenting and with no help to look after their children when they attended lessons. They also believe that if they would have a separate facility with a crèche attached to it, the problem with childcare, insufficient time, and lack of productivity and self-parenting problems would be resolved. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 92 4. Learners noted that learners dropped out, due to the distances people had to walk to get to the centre and also the fact that projects implemented did not offer them immediate jobs and income. They proposed that other centres be established to make it more accessible. 5. Language and English as the medium of instruction was cited as a problem causing learners to drop out. The following list of issues further affect the impact this project had. These negative impact statements were taken into account in the Recommendation section. The list includes: 1 Without having container or their own secure facility to store their equipment, the burden of safekeeping often falls on elderly learners. In areas where the centres are housed in substandard buildings or shacks, the rooms in which they store equipment are affected by the weather and they often have to move the equipment among various caretakers. While the overall introduction of the project is no doubt positive, it brings certain new responsibilities which if not adequately catered for by Ikhwelo - such as safety and security - can then become a challenge or have a negative impact on the very lives we are trying to ease. 2 Although the learners stated that they received sufficient learning materials for the theory part of the electives, they believe that the lack of equipment for practical use impact very negatively on their performance. They have to share equipment among themselves. 3 The project delays seem to have a major negative impact in centres as is affected the functionality, motivation and enthusiasm of the project. It has led to dissatisfaction and could be contributing to the impaired relationships at some of the centres. 4 Sharing facilities has not been conducive to good learning and teaching. It has had domestic ramifications (in terms of time available for the learners to use the facilities) and impacts negatively on teaching because of time and space constraints. 5 The learners felt their expectations of Ikhwelo was not met because the theory that they had learnt could not be put into full and profitable practice since they did not have access to capital. 6 They were not fully equipped yet to start viable group activities such as co-operatives. This had a negative impact on their motivation levels and made them feel inadequate. 7 Women learners felt that the sacrifices they made at home in order to attend class, had a negative effect on their productivity and learning. Some of the sacrifices include: a. Not being able to plough at the same time as others b. Not attending to their children as they go to class when their children go home from school. c. Getting home late and still having to fetch wood and water. d. Suspending women church association meetings. 8 Learners and educators felt that learning materials and equipment was insufficient and that this shortage impacted negatively on their performance. 9 The learners believe their poor crops were the result of them having had to plant the maize at the wrong time. Traditionally, they would follow rainfall patterns for planting, but modern technology dictated otherwise. 10 The learners noted the distances that they had to walk to get to the centre as having a negative impact on their learning. They were often unable to attend classes as a result of this. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 93 11 Older learners do not feel that English as the medium of instruction adds anything to their lives. On the contrary, they feel this has a negative impact on their learning and they would like mother tongue tuition. 12 The following issues were noted by the learners as negatively impacting on their learning, the growth of the centre and their abilities to reduce poverty: a. Their inability to start their own businesses, due to a lack of resources. b. The lack of water at the centre c. The fact that they had to walk long distances to the centre which impacts on their performance and their ability to attend classes. d. The fact that they have not had the opportunity to put into practice the SMME theory that they have learnt. e. The lack of electricity impairs growth and the types of projects that the centre can embark on. f. Members of the CGB felt that learners did not receive the specific skills that they wanted and thus felt discouraged. 13 The delays in approving business plans and disbursing the money are having serious repercussions on the project. 14 Learners complained that Ikhwelo had a tendency of making empty promises and raising their hopes unnecessarily. They have indicated that they were promised computers, which were never delivered. The lack of confidence in Ikhwelo’s ability to deliver has led to substantial mistrust of the whole system. For instance, they also now do not believe that they would eventually get certificates on completion of the course. 15 The educators noted the introduction of OBE as difficult and viewed this as a challenge. With the introduction of OBE, some learners dropped out of the project. 16 Learning in prison-located PALCs is hampered by the fact that some learners who are serving long-term sentences are not allowed to do practical agriculture due to their prison terms. None of them does SMME practicals, as this will violate their prison terms. These learners are only allowed to do theory. This surely limits learning. According to the learners, learning materials such as calculators, textbooks and pens are very few. This has led to frustrations and demotivation of learners caused by delays. Learners -- Statistics In order to extract the most out of the large samples, the researchers posed both interpretive open questions for the qualitative data required, and closed questions for quantitative results. The information gleaned from the ‘number crunching’ closed questions are reflected in the following section. The summaries of the interpretive open questions are described at the end of the section. A more detailed extraction of all interpretive information can be seen in the individual case studies in Chapter 5 Annexes where researchers describes all the outputs from the open questions under the individual centres. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 94 It is clear from the statistics drawn from the closed questions to learners in both the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, that they entered and registered as Ikhwelo learners because they desired the skills to enhance their educational level, their SMME and agricultural abilities and to use these to earn an income through a business venture. As between 20% and 30% of learners wanted to enter the business world, it is then assumed that the other 60% to 70% would use the acquired knowledge and skills for other purposes, such as seeking formal employment, intending to study further, using it for domestic application and food production. Linking the reasons for learners entering the project to their future plans, coupled with the debate on Provincial and National levels centred on the questions regarding the applicability of learner certificates, it is clear that between 30% and 35% of learners have further education as a goal while between 40% and 55% want to start a business and a relatively small percentage will seek employment. A contradiction arose between the closed question statistics and the interpretive narrative from the learners. The interpretive narrative answers focused heavily on criticising the theoretical and certificate component of the programme. This was cited as the main reason for learner dropouts. One conclusion that can be drawn is that those learners that did not want certificates and theory are no longer present in the project and those who are still there are relatively satisfied with the theory/practical balance. Plans for the Future (EC) Empl oy me nt 14% Sar t a B us ines s 52 % Fur t he r educ 34% Plans for the Future (NP) E mploy ment 28 % F ur t he r Ed 31 % S tart B us . 4 1% Reasons for registering w ith Ikhwelo (EC) SM M E s kills 26 % S tart busi ne s s 20% Qua lif ic at ions 27 % Agric s kills 27 % Reasons for registering as an Ikhwelo Learner (NP) Ag r ic Skil ls 2 5% SMME Skil ls 22% St ar t B usi ne s s 28% Qua lif ic a ti on 25 % Practive vs Theory (EC) Pr ac t Skills 75% Both 7% C e rt if ic at e 18% Practice vs. Theory (NP) Both 6% C e rt if ic at e 3 6% Pr a ct . Skills 58% I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 95 The closed, direct question in both provinces shows that although practical skills are by far higher on the learner priority list, certification and both certification and practical experience feature. For replication purposes, this is an important aspect. The same contradiction is present regarding the interpretive narrative findings that learners complain about the theoretical aspects of the project. This, however, needs to be read in conjunction with the reasons given, namely having to share facilities, educational materials problems, language issues, etc. The closed question to learner interviewees regarding the entry-level processes was posed specifically to build on as a lesson for application in future programmes. It is clear that Limpopo adhered to the regulation to a larger extent than the Eastern Cape. It is important to note that in terms of the ABET levels, the Eastern Cape did not adhere to the stipulated ABET 4 level, as 50% of learners only have ABET 3. This may explain the interpretive narratives consistently noting that English was not the preferred language of instruction. If the Centres adhered to the entry level (ABET 4), the language issue would most probably not have arisen to the same extent. However, the reasons for the Eastern Cape not adhering to all the regulations are unknown and it would be irresponsible to speculate. It is, however important to take this phenomenon into account in the project design for future replications. Applied knowledge & skills (EC) S ta r t a b usin ess 1 6% P r od u ce Fo od 39 % D id no t p r od . F oo d 2 0% Did n ot st a r t bu s. 25 % Applied their knowledge & skills (NP) Did not pro d foo d 5% D id no t st ar t bus 13% Pr o duc e Foo d 45 % St a r t a busines s 3 7% Too little theory (NP) Yes 24% No 7 6% Too little theory (EC) Y es 16% No 84 % Entry Level (NP) ABET3 38 % AB ET 4 54% A BET 2 4% ABET 1 2% N ONE 2% Entry Level (EC) ABET 2 0% AB ET 4 5 1% ABET 3 3 2% N ONE 1 7% I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 96 Concomitant with the interpretive narrative information regarding the impact that the training interventions are having on the lives of individuals, the statistics prove that learners indeed apply their knowledge and skills. The high incidence of food production and entrepreneurship indicates that there is an overwhelmingly positive thrust towards poverty relief. The fact that this was not as clearly displayed in the interpretive narrative and was mainly noted as an observation is most likely as a result of biases prevalent when interviewees assume that they would get more resources if they complain. It would appear that the time for practical and theoretical work is sufficient, although the open questions raised a number of negative factors that impacted on the learners in this regard. It is obvious that the programme design is adequate, but with reservation. This particular statistic should be read in close conjunction with the interpretive narrative, as the factors influencing the close question are equally important The learners are satisfied with the electives and grand-scale change is thus unnecessary. The case studies focus heavily on the complaints around the support materials and equipment that learners perceived as adding value to their learning processes. Because they complain about resource inadequacies it does not signify any level of dissatisfaction with the electives per se. Too little practical (NP) Y es 3 9% No 6 1% Too little practical (EC) No 84% Yes 16% Courses offered the right ones (NP) Y es 83 % No 17% Courses offered the right ones (EC) No 1% Y es 99% Personal Expectations met (NP) Yes 49% No 51% Personal Expectations met (EC) Y es 79 % No 2 1% I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 97 Although this set of statistics does not point to disastrous dissatisfaction, it is obvious that there is room for improvement in Limpopo. If this statistic is read in conjunction with the courses offered, the balance between theory and practical and the application of skills, then the only conclusion that can be drawn is that the learners make the best of their opportunities, notwithstanding the fact that they suffer resource inadequacies. It is important to consistently keep in mind that the Ikhwelo Programme’s main aim is the empowerment of the learners and poverty relief. It the majority of the learners feel that their expectations are being met in the programme and their lives are improving, then the complaints should only be read as recommendations for improvement and not as an indication of programme failure. Community Impact – Summary Outputs CGB Interpretations Objectives of Ikhwelo The CGBs of Limpopo and the Eastern Cape understood and adhered to their perception of the objectives of Ikhwelo, being: To eradicate illiteracy, to teach adults life-skills, to encourage self￾employment, and to promote teamwork. The noted reasons were that learners were able to execute projects on their own, and that they have the ability to work in a team. A few of the interviewees either did not perceive the objectives as having been achieved, or chose not to answer the question, because they felt there were more learners needed to succeed. CGB involvement in PALC The majority of the interviewees stated that they were involved in PALC, reasons being: Solving problems of learners, giving guidance to learners, Solving problems of facilitators, Encourage educators to improve skills, Advising centre managers, attending all CGB meetings, and planning together with educators and community managers. Of those that were not involved, the reasons were stated as follows: The interviewees disagreed that the objective had been achieved. Consultation in selection of Centres The CGB’s of Limpopo and the Eastern Cape were of mixed opinions as to whether the CGBs should be consulted in the selection of centres. No reasons were stated. Centre suitability for training SMME The majority of the CGBs in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape stated that, yes; their centres were suitable for SMME training. There were, however, some CGBs that were no convinced. No reasons were stated. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 98 Involvement in selection of learners EC NP The majority of the CGBs in the Eastern Cape were involved in the selection of learners, however a small percent of them were not. No reasons were stated in this question. The CGBs of Soniye, Khomisani and Hosana Mavele were involved in the selection of learners. The noted reasons were: to avoid complaints from community & by means of placement tests. The CGBs of Matangari, Makahlule, Dithothwaneng, Mvhuyazi, Rakopi and Mmadisei stated that they were not involved in the selection. Reasons noted for this were: that the centre manager handles it. Involvement in selection of Centres EC NP The CGB’s of John Walton, Khanyisa and Makukhanye were involved in the selection of centres. John Walton, Khanyisa, Zimele and Qoqodala were not consulted in centre selection. The CGBs of Makahlule, Khomisani, Mvhuyazi and Hosana Mavele stated that the CGB had been consulted in centre selection. The CGBs of Matangari, Rakopi and Dithothwaneng had mixed yes/no answers, while the CGBs of Mmadisei and Soniye said that no, the CGB had not been consulted in the selection of the centre. Centre suitability for training agriculture Most of the CGBs agreed that the centres were suitable for training of agriculture. East London Prison said they had land, and that it was a quick way of getting something in return. Some felt that the centres were not suitable for training in agriculture. They said there was not enough space for practicals. Availability of resources for theoretical needs & practical needs The CGBs in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape were not in agreement as to whether their centres were receiving enough materials for theoretical & practical use. Those with a negative response stated that their tools were not sufficient for the number of learners. Relationships between CGBs and involved parties All CGBs rated their relationships with the involved parties as good /fair, with the exception of 1 interviewee who stated their relationship with the DC as being formal. Recruitment of learners All of the centres' CGBs helped with the recruitment of learners for the centres. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 99 Resolutions to resource shortcomings Combined, the CGBs of the centres listed the following resolutions for resource shortcomings. Active involvement of the DoE Providing resources for other learning areas Budget for photocopying from the DoE Use your own stuff and get into partnerships Monthly visit to the centre Requesting funding from donors Fundraising Centre to have its own budget Textbooks to come in time Educators numbers to be increased Upgrading of irrigation schemes Provision of good quality implements Training of ALL level 4 educators by Ikhwelo Awareness of laws governing CGBs All the CGBs were aware of the laws governing the role and responsibility of the CGBs because they had attended a 2-week workshop on this particular subject. Responses included: Training on workshops provided members of CGB with knowledge on specific positions. Critical meetings are done by governing body. 2 weeks workshop on governance & have documents on the roles and responsibilities of CGBs. Efficiency as governing body All the CGBs felt they were efficient as governing bodies. They stated the following reasons: they are efficient in their work, they attend all meetings, problems are solved, necessary people are on committees, included in all activities at centre, controlling and managing funds properly, activities involve the whole community, assisting educators to recruit learners. Resources and skills needed by CGBs The following skills were needed by the CGBs to make a difference. Farming, business and managerial skills, computer skills, flower arrangement skills, communication skills, conflict resolution skills, financial management skills and training for catering. The following resources were needed by the CGBs to make a difference. Water reticulation, tractors, transport for practicals, sewing machines, dictionaries, own building funds, bore holes, telephones for job creation, equipment for carpentry and chicken feed vaccines. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 100 Roles & Reasons for the need of CGBs Combined, the CGBs listed the following as the roles and reasons for the need of the CGB in the centres. To work hand in hand with educators See to the needs of the learners. Watch out for vandalism Ensure that learners are actively involved Ensure that educators are present at centres all the time Centre organisation and management Conflict resolution at the centre Finance management Recruitment of learners Act as co-ordinator between centre and office For decision making and disciplinary hearings Stakeholders must be involved Constitution done by governing body Ensure that interests of different sectors are catered for. For development of centre Proper channels of communication Administer and control movable property Execution of roles and responsibilities in terms of ABET Act EC NP All the CGBs, but Qoqodala, were executing the roles and responsibilities in accordance to the ABET Act. They stated the following: They comply with the roles and responsibilities set out by ABET. ABET provides learners with skills and teaches them to read and write. “I know everything in ABET and what to do.” “I have the book but I am not going to read it.” “If I need something I will go and check.” “If I have a problem I must report to the DoE - DC.” Qoqodala said they were still using the interim document for guiding centres. The CGBs of Matangari, Khomisani, Mvhuyazi, Rakopi, Mmadisei, and Hosana Mavele all felt they executed the roles and responsibility according to the ABET Act. Makahlule, Soniye, and Dithothwaneng said they did not execute the roles and responsibilities according to the ABET Act. Entry-level requirements The majority of CGBs understood the entry-level requirements for learners, although some said that they were not in full understanding of the entry-level requirements. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 101 Achievements of CGBs EC NP The CGBs achievements include effective running of centre, solving problems, monthly meetings and report-backs, usage of money in centre, opening school every year, an advertised place in town, employed a sewing specialist, going around community to tell them about ABET, speak to church, recruitment encouragement, when Ikhwelo hadn’t paid – collected from community and also borrowed machines and tractors. When more machines were needed they applied to the DoE, also organised training from DoE. Secured donations from Billy Brother & Boxer. Approached Crank show to make a sign for the road. The achievements of the CGBs were as follows: managed to sustain centre to date, learners keen to pursue their lessons, establishment of a bakery project, managed to acquire agricultural land, and, established a poultry project. Challenges faced by CGBs EC NP The challenges that the CGBs had to face, include learning the ABET system, learners having had to learn the ABET system, people unenthusiastic about starting anything, learners who are unable to work with money, the previous well-liked and competent head left, classes were not always ready and keys were not always available, equipment was late, petty cash deposited later than agreed, convincing learners of importance of land, keeping learners in classroom until practical occurs. The challenges of the CGBs to date are: lack of attendance of learners, low community support, lack of resources, planting crops without irrigation, learners’ personal problems, high drop-out rate, and a shortage of educators and problems of their remuneration. Challenges resolved EC NP The CGBs resolved the challenges by finding replacements, talking to them and showing them how important it is by making examples, called all political organisations and addressed them, tried to discuss the problem with day school principal, community was asked to put in a written report, and showed them rates of retrenchments. The CGBs planned on resolving the challenges through communication, co￾ordination with others, a requisition of resources, encourage learners to attend programmes, and the initiation of projects I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 102 Differences made by CGBs EC NP The CGBs made differences to the community by being represented by community members who play roles in upliftment of community, being involved in the community, working together by establishing communication between CGBs and community, differences are made by asking community learners about their needs and addressing a variety of business ideas, without CGB there would be no centre, and training for educators on computers. A difference can be made by the CGBs by the introduction of more projects, marketing the capability of the centre, proper reporting to the community, and building a centre where facilitation shall take place for the whole day. Management training The respondents replied that they had received training and said that it had been effective in that it had taught them roles and responsibilities, supplied them with manuals for reference, acquired different skills in financial control and administration, as well as having leadership skills. Those who did not receive training could thus not list the effectiveness of it. Support received by CGBs The support received by the CGB members included, workshops, financial support, moral support from the USA, having training, and the community itself. The support that the CGBs received originated from Ikhwelo, USAID, DoE, the community, and colleagues. The support received by the CGBs was seen as helpful by all. Communication within CGBs Communication took place through meetings (which are well attended by CGB members), talking about problems and finding ways to solve them, writing letters and verbal communication. All the CGBs stated that the communication was effective. Improvement of communication One of the CGBs at John Walton, and one CGB at Khanyisa said the communication couldn’t be improved. All the other CGBs felt that communication could be improved. Means of improving communication The communication could be improved by regular visits and written communication, input of every member should be respected, speedy delivery of information, district co-ordinators should send information in circulars, workshops, using the media to advertise the centre and communicate with the community, and by installing telephones at all the centres. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 103 Interaction & communication of CGBs and involved parties CGB interaction with: a) District co-ordinators The CGBs stated that they interacted with the district co-ordinators at meetings, formal and informal, once a quarter (unless an emergency). Communication between the CGBs and the district co-ordinator took place in writing, telecommunication and personal visits. b) Centre Manager The CGBs stated that they interacted with the centre managers at weekly meetings. Communication between the CGBs & centre management took place at these meetings. c) Educators The CGBs stated that they interacted with the educators in meetings every two months. Communication between the CGBs & educators took place during meetings. d) Ikwhelo The CGBs stated that they interacted with Ikwhelo during functions, during workshops, when they visit or alternatively once a month. The CGBs communicate with Ikhwelo in writing, telecommunication, and personal visits and during functions and workshops. e) The community The CGBs stated that they interacted with the community after 3 months or at meetings. Communication between the CGBs & the community took place during meetings. f) The learners The CGBs stated that they interacted with the learners every Friday, during supervision and general meetings or twice a month. Communication between the CGBs & learners took place during meetings. Monitoring by CGBs Of the CGBs that were involved in monitoring, they stated that they monitored the centre manager, the educators and the learners. Funding of Project When asked who funded the Ikhwelo Project the CGBs stated that it was a mixture of USAID, Prolit and the Government. Use of funds The CGBs stated that the funds were used for:: Poultry and gardening, to buy equipment for SMME, to buy agricultural tools, implementation of SMME and agriculture projects, to buy stationery for learners, seeds and computers, payment of facilitators, skills training for learners, practical training resources, copies of learning material, transport and telephone and fax. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 104 Sufficient funds While some of the CGBs felt that the funds were sufficient to run the project, most of them felt that the funds were insufficient. Reasons being: needs are exceeding available funds, irrigation implements need more funds, late payments for educators, need compensation for CGB, shortage of agricultural resources, not able to achieve objectives due to shortage of funds, and funds are not allocated according to the business plan – 30% shortfall. Training for fund management The majority said they had received training to manage funds. The others did not receive financial training to manage funds. Half of the CGBs who received training to manage funds felt that the training was effective. The reasons for the training being effective are the ability to draw up a budget, according use of funds and ability to report from financial statements. The reasons for the training being ineffective were that the training was for too short a period Training – Resource mobilisation Half of the CGBs received training on resource mobilisation. All the CGBs which received training on resource mobilisation said it was an effective training programme. Resource mobilisation Most of the CGBs (64%) managed to mobilise funds for their centres. They managed this by requesting and receiving donations from the community and business people, submitted applications for donations, fundraising, and mobilised funds from the Dept of Health and Welfare through their business plan. Financial reporting systems Some of the CGBs said they did not have a financial reporting system. All the other CGBs said that they indeed did have a financial reporting system. Continuation of project The majority of the CGBs said the project would continue after the Ikhwelo Co-operative Agreement ended. The reasons for the continuation of the project were that they had the skills, knowledge and a start, continued selling chickens and ploughing the land and continued with small business projects. Those who gave a negative response stated the reasons for the project ending as shortage of funding, and not yet fully organised and empowered. Obstacles in way of success The CGBs felt that obstacles stood in their way of success. Only a few CGBs said there were no obstacles that stood in their way of success. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 105 Reporting procedures Reporting within the CGB took place in both writing and verbally. It was considered to be effective, reasons being that it is the best due to evidence of the discussion, they do not forget if the discussion is documented, discussions done in verbal are also put in writing, verbal discussion enables every person to give his/her view, and there are always referred to written records. Improving reporting procedures All the CGBs felt that reporting took place on an effective basis, and did not think that the procedures should be altered.. Regularity of meetings Most CGBs felt they had met regularly. They met according to the scheduled meetings but also met when the situation demanded it. They also met to give reports or to solve problems, and to find out about the shortcomings of the centre and how to resolve them. The remaining CGBs felt they had not met regularly. They gave reasons such as: only meet when there is a burning issue to discuss, and because some members are involved in their own personal things. Centre Governing Bodies -- Statistics It is clear that the CGBs understood the objectives of the project. This is in line with their perceptions of their own performance noted in the interpretive narrative as well as the esteem with which they are held in the centres. This is particularly true in cases where the CGB is active. Where their inactivity was noted, it is also clear that they think the objectives are not being met. In terms of their functions (as gleaned from the ABET Act), much still needs to be done. Objectives of Ikhwelo (NP) y es 97% no 3% Objectives of Ikhwelo (EC) ye s 94 % no 6% Involvem ent in PALC (NP) no 19 % yes 81% Involvem ent in PALC (EC) no 0% yes 1 00 % I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 106 Most of the CGBs are involved in the centre one way or the other. If their involvement is to be optimised, they will need to be thoroughly trained in all aspects of governance including adopting a CGB constitution. These graphs tell us that the CGBs are of the opinion that they know and understand the ABET Act. From the rest of the information, it is clear that the Act had not been workshopped with the members, and that their understanding is still very limited. An omission from the research perspective was that they were not asked if they were formally constituted. Most CGB members were involved in the selection of learners. The learner entry level as an issue has been identified as a problem and this is another factor pointing to the understanding or lack thereof of the CGB to fully apply the processes. This should be one issue addressed in their training to be fully functional. Recruitment for the sake of getting more learners is not good enough if the GETC adherence is paramount. These two graphs underpin the point made above. The CGB was involved in the selection but not in CGB Consulted in selection criteria (NP) yes 64 % no 3 6% CGB Consulted in selection criteria (EC) ye s 31 % no 69 % Centre suitability for training (NP) no 3% y es 97% Centre suitability for training (EC) y es 94% no 6% Awareness - Laws for roles of CGB (NP) no 33% ye s 6 7% Awareness - Laws for roles of CGB (EC) y es 100 % no 0% Involvement in selection of learners (NP) y es no 39% 61% Involvement in selection of learners (EC) no 24 % y es 76% I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 107 the selection criteria. This needs to be addressed. Although the biggest problems arose as a result of the resource scarcity, particularly facilities, water and land, the CGB still felt that they were suitable. These graphs have to be read in conjunction with the ‘wish list’ of centres in terms of getting more resources and overcoming their current shortages. CGB members claim to understand the learner entry levels. This is obvously not in line with the learner outputs and the failure to attract ABET 4 candidates. One possible answer is that the CGB was not made aware of the entry level requirements from the outset. In 1999-2000 learners of all persuasions were admitted. The entry levels were only really looked at in 2001. Most CGB members received some level of training. This is ot sufficient yet, and a formalised training needs to be developed in line with the functions as spelt out in the ABET Act. Understood entry-level requirements (NP) ye s 7 8% no 22 % Understood entry-level requirem ents (EC) ye s 88 % no 12 % Rece ived management training (NP) no 25% yes 75% Received management training (EC) no 17% yes 8 3% Sufficient funds (NP) no 83% y es 17 % Suffucient funds (EC) y es 22% no 78% I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 108 CGB members in both provinces mobilised some funds for the centres. This is not enough as the following graphs will show. Mobilisation of funds and other resources is crucial for the centres. The CGBs are tasked with this in terms of the Act. Across the board, this issue has emerged as a problem. It appears that much more business involvement is required, particularly in terms of resources in cash or in kind from them. If scenario 2 is considered the multi-sectoral partners could be of great help in this regard. These graphs links closely with the issue of continued sustainability. Received resource m obilisation training (NP) ye s 5 0% no 50% Received resource m obilisation training (EC) ye s 7 2% no 2 8% Managed to mobilis e funds for centre (NP) no 3 6% yes 6 4% Managed to mobilise funds for centre (EC) yes 73 % no 2 7% I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 109 ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS his chapter addresses the findings of all the interviews, the extracted lessons from these findings, recommendations, three scenario sketches and a cause-and-effect analysis. This chapter also includes benchmarking for the establishment of Centres of Excellence and the Assessments needed in order to overcome the gaps identified throughout the research. Some parts of this chapter emanated from the consultation process after the First Draft was reviewed and commented on – specifically the Centres of Excellence. The research team hopes that the project will seriously consider these findings in their future planning. Le ssons Learn t Management Learner entry level ~ Entry level needs to be adhered to. or ~ Learnership programme must be at a learner level. Certification / Practical skills ~ Proper need surveys need to be done to determine learner requirements. or ~ Learning programme must be designed to meet learner requirements. Partnership constitution and governance ~ Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for partners. ~ Other government departments must be involved - for resources and long-term sustainability. Chapter 4 T I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 110 Project Implementation ~ Project delays caused by lack of proper planning, co-ordination and proper management structures. ~ Limited employments and shortage of resources delayed project implementation. Centre Management ~ Commitment and dedication for centre management through fulltime employment. ~ Training for centre managers to deal with increased responsibility. ~ Management training for centre management. Training ICP ~ Because it is a new concept and more support must be given to the educators. Learning methods ~ Must be made available at the beginning of the procedure. ~ More training for educators. CGBs ~ Governance training will increase participation in centre-related issues. ~ CGBs must receive more fund training skills. ~ CGBs training will enhance monitoring and evaluation at local level. Educators ~ Training for educators will improve quality of teaching. ~ Training for educators on ‘adult education concept’. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 111 Monitoring and Evaluation M&E ~ Community-based M&E through empowering CGBs to conduct local M&E. ~ Implement strict M&E procedures. ~ Train all participants on M&E procedures and their application. Business Planning Business planning process ~ It is possible to teach illiterate and inexperienced learners to write up own business plans. ~ Current business plans not according to acceptable standards. ~ Trainers need further training on Business Plan development. ~ CGB training on BP is needed in order for them to write up centre-BP. Rec ommend ations Recommendations – National Priority R ecommendations 1. The first and most important recommendation is to extend the Ikhwelo pilot projects to at least the end of 2002 or mid 2003. This will give the project a chance to remedy mistakes, to monitor, evaluate and remedy errors timeously and catch up on backlogs and bottlenecks that have developed. This evaluation, read in conjunction with the diagnostic reports, should give a very clear picture of the status of the project. 2. The second priority recommendation is that the role-players should get together and agree to improve their working relationship so that more trust and accountability is built up. A good place to start will be to adhere to agreements and Memorandums of Understanding signed during the first three years. 3. The third priority recommendation is that the Ikhwelo Project be linked to other government and NGO programmes so that sensible linkages between theory and practice can I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 112 be developed in a real integrated and holistic manner. In this regard, the programme failed because no formal links exist with other poverty relief, land reform, agricultural, water and sanitation, entrepreneurial skills development programmes, etc. 4. The fourth priority recommendation is that other government departments be involved in the implementation of projects as these departments all have specific skills and expertise in SMME and agriculture which the Department of Education does not have. A broader multi￾interest stakeholder base should be involved. This will lead to more available resources to accommodate more learners. Concomitantly, learners will be able to expand their ventures with more and better resources. Ultimately, the development of learners through existing learnerships in these departments, will enhance the chances that the centres have for long-term sustainability. Departments which could be approached to formalise this multi-sectoral base would be: a. Department of Trade and Industry: This department will bring in expertise in advocacy and market identification and development (Ntsika) and SMME funding (Khula). b. Department of Labour: Funding through the Skills Development Levy and the Job Creation Programme. c. Department of Agriculture: Through their LandCare project, which gets R80 million for rural poverty relief through agricultural projects. d. Public Works: Through their Poverty Alleviation and Job Creation Programmes. e. District Municipalities: Through their Equitable Share allocations for centres in their demarcated ambit. f. Land Bank: Through their Get-up finance scheme, learners that embark on agricultural ventures can obtain cheap loans. g. Department of Water Affairs & Forestry: Through the Masibambane programme, rural communities can have access for water and sanitation infrastructure development. h. Agricultural Research Council: Through which most of the learning materials can be accesses, as well as well qualified trainers, training aids, and expertise in all components of agriculture. Partnerships 5. Linking with the above priority, the Ikhwelo Project should form part of the government’s economic clustering of initiatives and interventions. The project should lobby support for this multi-sectoral collaboration be through Minmac, a ministerial collaborative structure on Director-General level that looks specifically at minimising duplications and encouraging collaboration. It is recommended that Ikhwelo strongly lobbies that this collaboration is brought closer to the ‘people on the ground’ and include representatives from Provincial Government. 6. For replication purposes it is important that a broader stakeholder base gives input into the selection of centres, including the funder and Implementing Agent. Balancing the fact that multi-sector stakeholders were not involved in the centre selection and the current problems that centres are experiencing in terms of available resources and infrastructure, this component is crucial. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 113 R oles & R esponsibilities 7. One possible solution to the problem of roles, responsibilities and jurisdiction could be that the centre staff become the responsibility of the Implementing Agent, including their recruitment, remuneration, training, etc. 8. Another possible solution could be to simplify and flatten the reporting structures, with more equality within the DoE itself and within the DoE and the Implementing Agent. It will mean more financial resources to the DoE and more autonomy to the Implementing Agent. Infrastructure & Centre Sites 9. Because the selection of centres were by-and-large not suitable for agricultural activities – lack of infrastructure, water, etc – this aspect and criteria needs a thorough investigation. It is recommended that a process be put in place in conjunction with other agricultural agencies, such as the Agricultural Research Council and the Department of Agriculture, to a. Streamline the current centre selection criteria in order to tailor-make the activities in line with the available or potential infrastructure and resources; b. Revamp the criteria altogether so that agriculture as an elective is presented only in centres where a reasonable chance exists for these ventures to be sustainable and successful. c. Critically look at the existing centres, do a thorough audit of needs and possibilities and then allocate the equipment and resources to those where agricultural ventures are failing as a result of the resource and equipment shortages. d. Liaise with the relevant government departments, e.g. the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, to urgently intervene and assist with the provision of infrastructure, for instance water reticulation or boreholes in the instances where this had been identified as the problem. The same applies to the issue of land, buildings, roads, etc. Electives, C ertification & Entry Levels 10. A ‘one-stop-shop’ of training electives seems to be too ambitious. In the light of the failure of some of the agricultural ventures, and the reasons for learners dropping out of the programme, it seems sensible that the existing centres are critically appraised and their specific needs are considered in order to adjust the electives on offer. 11. Similarly, the issue of skills and certification seems to be less important than originally thought and the split between these two focus areas can be addressed by giving learners a choice. As the issue of a GETC is written into the project design, but has not really been adhered to, it is thus recommended that learners be given a choice. Particularly older recipients who have indicated on the learner and dropout learner surveys that they are less inclined towards certification than the younger learners. 12. As the admission criteria, particularly the ABET 3 and 4 levels were not strictly adhered to, it is important that the admission criteria – linked to the GETC – should be revised as a matter of urgency. Integrated Learning Programme 13. The educators, being the ultimate responsibility of the DoE, execute the Integrated Learning Programme. The problems can shortly be described as follows: I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 114 a. Deficiencies in the criteria for selection of educators, with no focus on the learning area qualifications. This will obviously make it extremely difficult for educators to implement an integrated programme. From the educator surveys, it appears that the level of educator education is higher in the Eastern Cape than in Limpopo. In this regard, it is recommended that specific ILP training programmes for educators should form part of their appointments, particularly where they are under-qualified. b. The ILP principles and Unit Standards are complex and inflexible, resulting in exacerbating the problems educators have in understanding them. It is thus recommended that the DoE should relook the programme in its totality in order to make it more accessible, to refine, broaden and simplify the Unit Standards and to construct a training and presentation model of the ILP that educators can easily assimilate and that will assist them to transfer their knowledge. Language 14. English as a medium of instruction is a problem with older learners and learners with less than ABET 4 entry. It is recommended that this issue be addressed by a. Both lowering the entry level and adjusting the language of instruction to mother tongue. This will include the learning support materials, or b. Strictly adhering to the entry level of ABET 4 and retaining the current language of instruction as English. C ontinuation & R eplication 15. The continuation of the centres in their current form, beyond the funding phase, seems problematic. It is thus recommended that the centres are critically assessed and those issues hampering sustainability, identified and rectified. A critical appraisal of each and every centre is needed in terms of their financial independence or potential independence. If equipment and other resources are identified as the stumbling blocks, these should be the first on the priority list of issues to remedy. If educator training is found to be the primary cause, then the DoE needs to critically assess their situation and make the necessary arrangements. A ‘Marshall Plan’ approach may be the solution. Recommendations -- Provincial M emoranda of Understanding 1. Department interviewees were of the opinion that if the implementation took place along the lines that it was planned for, problems could have been avoided. Thus, all the role-players should stick to the negotiated plans; then the implementation can be implemented effectively. This includes communication plans; business plans; implementing a sensible and timely disbursement strategy and maintenance plans for individual centres. G overnance & Management 2. The current governance and management structure is viewed as cumbersome and full of delays and bottlenecks. It is recommended that this structure be amended to afford provincial offices more autonomy in their management of the centres. Provincial officers should be trained in the different aspects of the programme and permanently employed educators and Centre I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 115 Managers with appropriate and necessary skills should be appointed. The following issues are related: a. Decision-making processes at national level is extremely time-consuming. It is recommended that provinces should have a management structure similar to the structure at national level where decisions impacting on the project are made at provincial level instead of national level. This will accelerate the delivery and implementation processes. b. Prolit’s disbursement policies and practices need to be streamlined in order to avoid implementation delays. Some interviewees noted decentralisation as an option. c. Prolit’s business plan processes need to be speeded up so that centres can move beyond the planning phase of projects into implementation without long delays as a result of the cumbersome business plan process. Similarly to the disbursement process, some interviewees noted decentralisation as an option. Electives, Training & C hoices 3. Interviewees mentioned that the training strategy would change from a ‘one size fits all’ for all centres, to a centre-approach where the training programmes will be developed to address the needs of individual centres. It should be clearly defined whether projects are for SMME, poverty alleviation, livelihood or integration. The definitions will determine the interventions. 4. A SWOT analysis needs to be done with the centre governing bodies in order to determine the strengths as well as the weaknesses of the individual centre and its community. Based on this information, implementation/maintenance plans of the project should be developed. 5. Formal and structured training interventions are needed for the Centre Governing Bodies in order to bring them up to speed with developments. It is recommended that this component of the programme get priority attention because it was found that where the CGB was effective and active, the centre functioned better. M onitoring & Evaluation 6. Proper monitoring and evaluation structures (at all levels of the system) should be put in place. In instances where structures exist, an appeal has been made for a more streamlined structure. Roles and responsibilities of all staff need to be identified. This will ensure that if problems are experienced at the centres, they are immediately identified and addressed to ensure the smooth running of the project. (The section on M&E in the report deals more extensively with this aspect) Staff & M eeting Structures 7. More fieldworkers should be appointed to ensure that centres have access to support when required and that monitoring and evaluation of the project is done on a regular basis. This will ensure that remedial action is taken immediately if required. 8. Selecting centres in relation to the number of staff and budget available to avoid staff being over -stretched and over-committed. The budget should be in line with the number of centres. A phased replication approach could be considered. 9. The PPMC should include a broader representation base. It was found that DCs often hear about information for the first time only when attending the meetings - if they attend. The reasons are discussed throughout the report. Structures, Equipment & Systems I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 116 10. Centres should be equipped with fax machines and telephones to open the communication channels to the district and regional offices. Even if district officials are unable to visit centres on a regular basis, support can still be rendered via the telephone or through faxes. This will also ensure that centre managers and educators are motivated to know that help is available when needed. 11. In addition to the practicalities of communication, the structure can be improved by a. Streamlining the reporting process, with regular and proper feedback. b. Holding role-players accountable for failing to report or act on reports. c. Appointing more field workers. d. Providing more support and mentoring. e. Having a more refined communication strategy for provincial DoE staff. 12. The Department of Education should make a commitment (including the MEC) to equip district offices with the necessary resources (e.g. cars) in order to provide support to centres in the implementation and sustenance of the project. The needs of learners should be established before projects are implemented. The DoE (national and provincial) has a responsibility according to policy to monitor and evaluate the teaching and learning activities at centres and to provide the necessary support. 13. Road construction needs to be looked at seriously. At some centres the products can only be sold to the local community due to the inaccessibility of roads to the bigger towns and tourist markets. 14. The centres should be full-time and not part-time as present, in order to take cognisance of the plight of the aged and mothers. The current arrangement whereby learners share school facilities is problematic It is recommended that proper negotiations and agreements are reached with the DoE or any of the other proposed partners, about the use of facilities. It could include signing a lease with the school, whereby the PALC obtains legal rights and jurisdiction for the use of the facilities. This could possibly solve the issue whereby learners are locked out of classrooms and cannot use the ablution facilities. Integrated Learning Programme 15. In terms of the Integrated Learning Programme, the following recommendations could be considered, should the National Department of Education insist on keeping ILP on the education agenda: a. Joint planning sessions for educators and DCs. b. Team activities to help cross-curricular teaching. c. Organised planning in order to commit all educators and DCs in curriculum planning and involvement in different situations, such as theory and practical. d. Learning programmes should be developed as self-standing modules each with their own credit values. Learners can then leave the programme if and when they feel they have enough applied knowledge for their needs. e. Continuous assessments and M&E should be developed to modify and refine learning programmes. f. Educators’ working conditions need to be adjusted to incorporate preparation time and they should be employed on a full-time basis to afford them the latitude to work on the ILPs in an effective and efficient manner. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 117 16. Many of the interviewees felt that the Integrated Learning Programme should be abandoned altogether. Finances 17. A number of interviewees felt that the impact of the financial contributions could be substantially enhanced if centres were given more autonomy regarding procurement of equipment, in line with the approved business plans. 18. It is recommended that provincial Prolit and DoE have a greater say in deciding how much money should be allocated to a centre. All the different needs of the centres should be taken into consideration when the budget is allocated. 19. It is further recommended that the DoE budgets include sufficient transport and educator salary components. Recommendations – Monitoring & Evaluation 1. It is recommended that M&E be done mostly at centre level. A community-based M&E system should be implemented where the centre staff and learners take responsibility for the success of the system and the M&E specialist fulfils the role of the quality controller, analyst and monitor for change and remedy. This community-based M&E system can then be developed and implemented whereby the system indicators, processes and analysis is controlled by the centres themselves and not by a national office. 2. Roles and responsibilities need to be identified for all the staff involved in monitoring and evaluation at the various levels. 3. Most critically, it is recommended that the system be simplified, and redesigned for effective implementation. It is pointless to have sophisticated systems that cannot be applied by those who need them most, namely the centre staff. Recommendations – Business Plans 1. The business plans reflect no dates whatsoever and it is thus suggested that the following relevant dates should be reflected: a. The date that the business plan was compiled. b. The date that the Regional Office received the business plan. c. The date that the business plan was approved. 2. Land ownership should be addressed. If the land is situated in tribal authority territory, the Chief needs to grant approval. 3. Similarly, if the land belongs to the state, it must be clearly stated, for instance if the project is established in a schoolyard. 4. A brief description must be given of natural resources prevailing in the area, for instance, climate, soil conditions and the availability of irrigation and/or potable water. This last point is very important, as the researchers found during the surveys that the lack of water was identified as a major constraint with some centres, particularly in Limpopo. The water source, legal aspects, water tax, distance from water source etc, needs to be addressed. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 118 5. Furthermore, a brief description of soil is required. One project visited during the survey indicated that the soil was not suitable for irrigation as it was water-logged. This impacts on the choice of agricultural activity in which the centre can engage. It will be to the advantage of all the centres concerned with agricultural projects to involve the Department of Agriculture, particularly in the selection of sites and/or agricultural activities and choices. 6. The size of the project is also an important issue. Sizes of vegetable ventures can be expressed in ha or m2 while the measurements of the broiler house must be indicated in terms of the number of chicks to be housed. 7. The suppliers of inputs should be stated as well as the distance from the project. Delivered prices of major inputs such as chicken feed are necessary. 8. The expected production to be marketed must be determined in physical units. 9. A market analysis is presented as a standard component in the business plan. The physical quantities, marketed by competitors in the targeted area, should be indicated if available. 10. The financial implications should be addressed in more detail. The business plans address the capital requirements for broiler production in a detailed format. The demand for operational capital for a period of three months is included in the capital requirements. 11. The capital requirements for vegetable production are not shown in detail in the existing business plans and it would appear that the trainers lack the necessary skills to compile a business plan specifically for vegetable production. For instance, while the capital requirements for pumps are the same for all the centres producing vegetables, the pump sizes and capital requirements are a function of the size of the project, the distance from the water source, the cropping programme and height of water pumped. 12. Business plans should be taken a step further to indicate income and expenditure after the project has been established. This analysis will indicate if projects have the ability to repay loans in future and to indicate surpluses available for the members. 13. The business plans presented for the Eastern Cape Province entail a more detailed financial presentation. 14. Although Ikhwelo made a valuable effort to draft business plans, it is recommended that the trainers receive further training in drawing up business plans. The Agricultural Research Council, qualified and experienced BP consultants or the Agricultural Divisions of ABSA Bank and Standard Bank, may be approached in this regard. Recommendations – Cost-benefit Analysis It is recommended that: 1. Unless there is a 10-to 15 fold increase of current activities (both agricultural and SMME) in a massification process, the Ikhwelo Projects cannot be sustained. 2. It is further recommended that the massification process happens in the Centres of Excellence first and in line with the methodology outlined further on in this chapter. 3. The success of the programme pivots around an increase of activities. Existing learners must be granted the opportunity to establish their own ventures. They would, however, require further support. It is therefore recommended that the Ikhwelo Field Officers and Technical Agents be available in a post -project stage to support the learners in this regard. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 119 4. When the replication of projects commences, implementation needs to be speeded up in order to ensure the continuation of the project and to enhance the viability and sustainability of the project. 5. This massification will hinge on the provision of loan capital on a rotating credit scheme with the loan capital base centered in the PALC itself. 6. The planned ventures, which have not been implemented, be implemented as a matter of urgency. 7. Due to the fact that projects were implemented at a relatively late stage, it is recommended that the Ikhwelo Programme be extended. Sce nario Sketches The following three pages depicts possible scenarios to govern the Ikhwelo Projects. The three scenarios represent the opinions of national and provincial policy implementers. The research team refined the suggestions and drew information from existing documentation. Scenario 1 represents the status quo and was the preferred option of some policy implementers. It is a summary of the understanding of the present reporting lines and functions and no fine detail is depicted. This is also the governance and management structure that seems to cause much of the current implementation difficulties and delays. The research team did not endeavour to modify the existing structure, but attempted to redraw the boundaries in the other two scenarios. Scenario 2 represents the opinion of the majority of the policy implementers on national and provincial levels. The research team attempted to simplify the reporting lines, by creating an uncomplicated and flatter structure with less curves and dips. The advantage of this scenario is that the roles and responsibilities are vested in the Implementing Agent, and it encompasses a crucial development component, namely a forum where other sector specialists and role-players are represented. Scenario 3 represents the opinion of some of the policy implementers. It cuts out the external Implementing Agent and vests all functions in the Department of Education in collaboration with specialist agencies and a Multi-disciplinary Management Committee. In this scenario the most negative aspect is the current lack of capacity in the department – as the research showed – and the additional human resource and budgetary capacity that will be needed. This could, however, be overcome by involving more development role-players and making use of the services of specialist agencies. In this scenario, the interviewees felt that more money would reach the centres directly and would cut out the current expenditure of the Prolit Pretoria office and the AED components. An important addition to the scenario would be the cost and cost-benefit of each of the components. The cost-benefit analysis showed that unless the project is massified by between 10 and 15 times, it could not be sustained. This massification includes firstly the centre production and capacity, but it also takes into account that more resources would be needed in terms of infrastructure, human capacity, money and natural resources. IM PA CT E VA LU AT I ON FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 120 SCENARIO 1 NAG National DoE National PROLIT USAID Provincial DoE Provincial PROLIT PPMC DCs Centre Managers Educators Field Workers CGBs PALCs Governance: ƒ Overall guidance of the project ƒ Implementation management plan ƒ Financial control ƒ Human resource management, staff appointments and dismissals ƒ M&E and performance indicators ƒ Project Design CGB Functions i.t.o. ABET Act: • Promote the best interest of the centre and ensure its development through quality education • Develop a business plan • Provide information pertaining to the centre and its activities • Be responsible for the budgeting and financial management systems • Promote the activities and the programmes of the centre; • Supplement the procurement of LSP • Ensure a conducive learning environment • Elicit public support • Keep proper records • Develop the vision and mission statement • Determine language policy • Recommend the appointment of educators i.t.o. the Employment of Educators Act, 1998 (Act No. 98 of 1998); • Establish and administer a fund from voluntary contributions, • Adopt a constitution; • Adopt a code of conduct Administration: • Strengthening governance structures • Mobilise/procurement of resources • Co-ordinate fieldworkers • Financing and financial control • Monitor performance indicators • Advocacy and publicity Training • Practitioner development and capacity-building programmes • Curriculum development and accreditation of training programmes Administration: • Overall management of the project • Identify issues key to project implementation and help PROLIT develop strategies to address these issues • Monitoring and evaluation • Receive monthly progress reports from the Regional Project co￾ordinators and Prolit project manager on issues pertaining to the implementation of the project in the province • Report to senior management an NAG on the progress of the project • Take decisions on key project inputs o *Contracting consultants o *Learner support material o *Mobile resources • Provide inputs on project costs associated with the provincial project plan IM PA CT E VA LU AT I ON FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 121 SCENARIO 2 National Ikhwelo Board ƒ DOE ƒ USAID ƒ IMPLEMENTING AGENT ƒ ‘CLUSTER’ PARTNERS Im plementing Agent Multi-sectoral Stakeholder Board Regional IA CGB Centre Field Workers Governance: • Overall quality assurance function • Ensure that ABET policy is implemented • Discuss overall implementation management plan • Financial and budget approval • Monitor performance indicators • Appoint Implementing Agent Administration: • Overall management of the project • Identify issues key to project implementation • Budget and budgeting control • Financing and control measures • Manage human resources • Monitor and evaluate the impact of the project • Draft monthly progress and Board reports on issues pertaining to the • Implementation of the project in the province • Procurement of resources (e.g. LSMs, equipment, assets, etc.) • Implement training programmes at all levels Governance • Approval of projects • Monitor expenditure • Approval of progress reports • Monitor & oversee policy implementation • Accreditation of training programmes Administration: ƒ Overall management of the PALCs ƒ Identify issues key to project implementation ƒ Implement ventures ƒ Budget and budgeting control ƒ Financing and control measures ƒ Manage human resources & Appoint staff, incl. educators, Centre Managers, field workers, etc. ƒ Monitor and evaluate the impact of the project ƒ Draft monthly progress and Board reports on issues pertaining to the implementation of the project in the province ƒ Procurement of resources (e.g. LSMs, equipment, assets, etc.) ƒ Implement training programmes ƒ Ensure accreditation of training programmes Provincial DoE Advisory Functions • Advise DoE on Integrated Development Applications • Actively promote multi-sectoral involvement • Appraise tasks executed by the IA • Evaluation of both DoE & IA performance • Recommendations for remedial action Functions i.t.o. ABET Act: • Promote the best interest of the centre and ensure its development through quality education • Develop a business plan • Provide information pertaining to the centre and its activities • Promote the activities and the programmes of the centre; • Supplement the procurement of LSP • Ensure a conducive learning environment • Keep proper records • Develop the vision and mission statement • Determine language policy • Be responsible for the budgeting and financial management systems • Elicit public support • Recommend the appointment of educators i.t.o. the Employment of Educators Act, 1998 (Act No. 98 of 1998); • Establish and administer a fund from voluntary contributions, • Adopt a constitution; • Adopt a code of conduct IM PA CT E VA LU AT I ON FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 122 SCENARIO 3 DoE / USAID Provincial ABET as IA District Co-ordinators CGB Centre Fieldworkers Administration: • Overall quality assurance function • Ensure that ABET policy is implemented • Discuss overall implementation management plan • Financial and budget approval • Monitor performance indicators Training • Included in policy Administration: ƒ Overall management of the project ƒ Identify issues key to project implementation ƒ Budget and budgeting control ƒ Financing and control measures ƒ Manage human resources ƒ Monitor and evaluate the impact of the project ƒ Draft monthly progress and Board reports on issues pertaining to the ƒ Implementation of the project in the province ƒ Procurement of resources (e.g. LSMs, equipment, assets, etc.) Training ƒ Implement training programmes at all levels ƒ Accreditation of training programmes Functions i.t.o. ABET Act: • Promote the best interest of the centre and ensure its development through quality education • Develop a business plan • Provide information pertaining to the centre and its activities • Be responsible for the budgeting and financial management systems • Promote the activities and the programmes of the centre; • Supplement the procurement of LSP • Ensure a conducive learning environment • Elicit public support • Keep proper records • Develop the vision and mission statement • Determine language policy • Recommend the appointment of educators i.t.o. the Employment of Educators Act, 1998 (Act No. 98 of 1998); • Establish and administer a fund from voluntary contributions, • Adopt a constitution; • Adopt a code of conduct Multi-sectoral Stakeholder Forum Management Committee Specialist Agencies / Service Providers IM PA CT E VA LU AT I ON FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 123 Problem Statement Cause Effect Remedy 3,000 learner target not achieved Project had to close 8 centres Learners had dropped out Target was met and over 3,000 learners enrolled. A substantial number dropped out and the learner numbers fluctuate. ƒ M&E must be decentralised & effected ƒ Extend project term ƒ Establish additional centres ƒ Train more educators 300 practitioner target not achieved Project had to close 8 centres Educators had resigned. Target met and over 400 educators were trained. Resignations cause fluctuation in educator numbers. • M&E must be decentralised & effected • Extend project term • Establish additional centres • Train more educators 345 educator target not achieved Project had to close 8 centres Target not met as provincial DoEs did not implement this. • M&E must be decentralised & effected • Extend project term • Establish additional centres • Train more educators Local resource mobilisation not done • Poor communities • No evidence of broader buy-in Limited resource mobilisation • Broader schedule pay in • Increase focus on fundraising Ca use a nd Effe ct Analy sis IM PA CT E VA LU AT I ON FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 124 Problem Statement Cause Effect Remedy • Training focus not on fundraising • Time utilised on establishing centres CGB target (training) not met Some CGBs not operational Unfamiliarity with functions as stipulated in the ABET Act Target met but much room for improvement • Training in terms of the ABET Act needed. • Design strategy to meet target • Mobilise community participation • SWOT analyses Registration at ABET level 4 not achieved • Regulations not adhered to • No or few assessment tests done in 1999, 2000. Some done in 2001 • GETC benchmark cannot be reached while provincial DoEs do not strictly adhere to admission criteria. • High dropout rate • Adhere to regulations • Conduct placement tests Discordant w orking relationships (provincial and national) Structure flawed Poor communication • See scenario 2 • Improve working relationship • Establish linkages in the other government projects • Must be involved in project implementation Ca use a nd Effe ct Analy sis IM PA CT E VA LU AT I ON FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 125 Problem Statement Cause Effect Remedy Delayed implementation • Lack of infrastructure & equipments & materials • Start-up and establishment took too long • Development strategic partner • Unacceptable business plan implemented • Poor viability of overall programme • Target benchmarks not met • Delayed approval of business plan • Training and support • SWOT analyses • Overall planning of the project • Train trainers in business plans • Provide more human resources • Extend project term • Provide equipment to centres Programme, not learner￾centred • No ‘need analyses’ conducted prior to implementation • Philosophy of ‘one size fits all’ was implemented • High dropout rate • Some learners want practical while others want certification • GETC should be scrutinized • Programme needs to be learner centred Poor communication between educators and learners English as a medium of instruction ABET 3 & 4 admission requirements not adhered to Frustration leading to high dropout rate Use of both languages (English and other language) Ca use a nd Effe ct Analy sis IM PA CT E VA LU AT IO N FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 126 Centres of Excellenc e This section of the Analysis emanated from discussions during the consultation process after the submission of the First Draft. It is seen as a ‘new development’, noted in the Executive Summary and the Introduction. The Cost-benefit Analysis showed that unless there was a 10-to 15 fold increase in productivity outputs, the Ikhwelo Projects would not be sustainable in the long term. To increase the productivity in each of the centres, it does not mean that all the components in the development chain have to be increased in a longitudinal manner. It means that the increase in any one of the components in the project cycle should yield a significant increase to add up to a 10-to 15 fold overall improvement. Many factors impact on this scenario but the most important one that the researchers could extract was to increase the capacity of individual learners in the centres to take responsibility for the massification of the centre itself. This section of the recommendations summarises the components of this massification to yield the 10-to 15 fold productivity increase. A full implementation plan is not appropriate for this report. It is recommended that the following strategy is followed in the establishment of Centres of Excellence: Project Literacy is currently thinking about a massification strategy to improve the sustainability of the centres. The calculations that follow are based an an arbitrary number of 17 centres. Process For these centres to become ‘Centres of Excellence’, certain processes need to be put in place, which are described in the following section. Firstly, benchmarks were drawn for these centres as a ‘wish list’ of all the components that would make the centre successful and sustainable over the long term. In order to reach these benchmarks, assessments of various components at the centres would need to be undertaken before any business plans can be developed and before massification strategies can be determined for the centres. Ultimately, a final evaluation would need to be done on every Centre of Excellence in order to ascertain how the strategies need to be modified for grand-scale replication. This process flow can be represented as follows: Identify Centres of Excellence Set benchmarks Assessments and massification strategy Business Plan Process Formulation of Effective Implementation Strategy Implementation Final Evaluation IM PA CT E VA LU AT IO N FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 127 Massification For the massification strategy to be implemented it is suggested that ventures at the centre be expanded 10-fold. This applies to both agriculture and SMME ventures. It is important that the plan clearly identifies the entrepreneurial link between the agriculture and SMME ventures at the centres. Seventeen centres have been identified as Centres of Excellence. With approximately 60 learners per centre, it is suggested that 10 massification clusters (consisting of approximately 6 learners each) be formed per centre. These clusters will consist of learners establishing both agriculture and SMME ventures at their homes or in a communal area identified by the cluster. Centre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Each of the 10 clusters of ± 6 learners engage in one or both of the electives Funding the Clusters The funding for the individual clusters can operate on a ‘revolving credit scheme’ or stokvels, managed by the Centre Governing Body from grant funding obtained either from the Implementing Agent funds or by the IA applying to outside agencies for financing such a scheme. Each centre will be able to fund 10 clusters with R3,000 each from a loan capital base of R 30,000 . The total amount needed to fund the credit schemes for 17 Centres of Excellence would be in the region of R510,000. This will obviously depend on the number of clusters being formed. For a cluster to access these funds, it has to comply with the following criteria: 1. The cluster, comprising approximately 6 learners, has to be formed. 2. The cluster has to submit a simple business plan outlining what it proposes to do and how it will repay the money. 3. The cluster has to produce a payment schedule. Much literature is available on the management and operations of revolving credit schemes, stokvels, and savings-loan schemes. An international example is the operations of the Grameen Bank, based in Bangladesh with replication branches in most developing countries. IM PA CT E VA LU AT IO N FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 128 Benchmarks ‘Centres of Excellence’ have certain characteristics. This table depicts these characteristics as the benchmarks for these ‘Centres of Excellence’. Human Resources Governance ~ The CGB has a Business Development Plan in place. ~ The CGB fulfills all functions as stipulated by the ABET Act. ~ The CGB receives continuous training and support. ~ CGB is fully representative of the community including the business community. ~ A memorandum of understanding is in place and is strictly adhered to. M anagement ~ Centre managers are trained to fulfil management functions. ~ The centre managers have jusridiction over all management issues. ~ Centre managers have access to bookkeeping support. ~ Centre managers are fully trained in record keeping and documentation. ~ Centre managers are full-time employees. ~ Centre managers are computer literate. ~ Centre managers mobilise resources for massification of activities. Educators ~ Educators are full-time employees. ~ Career pathing exists for educators. ~ Educators have access to support networks such as v libraries v Internet access v sector specialists ~ Educators are computer literate. ~ Educators are qualified and competent. IM PA CT E VA LU AT IO N FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 129 ~ Educators do continious assessment of learners. ~ Educators keep records of learner assesments. ~ Educators receive on-going support from learning area specialists. ~ Educators receive on-going in-service training. ~ A code of conduct for educators is implemented. Administrators ~ A bookkeeping system is in place. ~ A bank account is in place. ~ Powers of Delegation are in place. ~ Contracts for all staff are signed and available upon request. ~ Office systems are established and are functioning. ~ A record system is in place and is functioning. ~ Adequate administrative staff are appointed. Learners ~ Two learning packages are offered, i.e. o One package accommodates learners interested in practical skills training. o The other package accommodates learners interested in persuing a GETC qualification. ~ Selection criteria are in place to ensure that learners are placed at the correct levels. ~ An RPL system exists to acknowledge what learners know and can do upon entry to a learning programme. ~ Learners are familiar with the options for a GETC. ~ Learners are continuously assessed and results are documented in a portfolio. ~ A code of conduct exists for learners. Implementing Agency Staff (provincial) ~ Functioning community-based monitoring and evaluation system is in place. ~ Proper execution of remedial action emanating from the monitoring and evaluation. ~ Enough fieldworkers to visit the centres at least twice a month. ~ Career pathing exists for fieldworkers. IM PA CT E VA LU AT IO N FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 130 (provincial) ~ Staffmembers are trained in all governance and management aspects in order to be able to provide support to centres. ~ Staffmembers have access to all network information including national networks. ~ Fieldworkers must be able to identify other sectoral partners in the area. ~ Staff mobilises resources for massafication. DoE staff ~ DoE inreased the provincial budget to allow for frequesnt interaction with the Implementing Agency. ~ Vehicles are put at their disposal to visit centres when required and to evaluate progress. ~ Competence in evaluating budget expenditure (or have access to info). ~ DoE staff must be ‘au fait’ with the ABET Act and community-based management systems. Physical and Natural Resources Natural resources ~ Suitable soil for crop production is selected. ~ There is adequate water quantity and quality. ~ There is water on site for irrigation. ~ Appropriate technology is in place. ~ Land availability concommitent with chosen agriculture activities. ~ Land-bound and school-centred ventures have long-term agreements. ~ Suppliers of materials are identified. ~ Proper planning is done to ensure timeous supply of materials to centres. ~ A procurement policy is in place. ~ A budget for obtaining materials is in IM PA CT E VA LU AT IO N FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 131 M aterials place and properly managed. ~ Unit standards are simplified and used in all learning areas and electives. ~ Learning programmes are developed in all learning areas and electives. ~ The relevant learning support materials for learning areas and electives are available and utilised. ~ The input-supply is adequate, e.g. fertiliser, pesticides, seed, plants, SMME materials, etc. Capital items ~ Appropriate technology is in place for agricultural activities, e.g. irrigation, water, pumps, etc. ~ Proper fencing is in place. ~ Storage facilities are in place. ~ SMME equipment is available and produced on time. ~ Appropriate SMME facilities are available, depending on the type of SMME activity (e.g. food preparation, Jiuce manufacturing, knitting, brick-making, pottery, etc.) ~ Communication equipment is available (e.g. faxes, phones, computers, etc.) ~ Sufficient equipment for SMME and agriculture (e.g. calculators, watering cans, spades) Infrastructure ~ A suitable building is available. ~ There is adequate energy supply (electricity, generator, etc.) ~ There is adequate and on-site water supply. ~ There are adequate sanitation facilities. ~ There are child-care facilities available. ~ Roads are available and accessible ~ Transport is available. ~ A security system is established for every centre. IM PA CT E VA LU AT IO N FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 132 M arkets ~ A Marketing Plan is in place. ~ A Business Plan is implemented. ~ Marketing channels are in place. M assification ~ Learner clusters exist. ~ Centre activities have been replicated 10- to 15 fold. Assessment Framework In order to be measured against the above-mentioned benchmark, current realities and shortcomings need to be addressed. These can be represented as follows: What needs to be done to turn a centre into a ‘Centre of Excellence’ Assessment of natural resources ~ Soil conditions are investigated and assessed. ~ The climatic appropriateness of current crops is determined. ~ The climatic appropriateness of the proposed crops is determined. ~ Availability, quantity and quality of water resource is investigated. Assessment of capital items ~ The availability of appropriate storage facilities is determined. ~ The availability of on-site water and an appropriate irrigation system (watering cans, wagon wheels, reticulated system, flood irrigation, etc, is established. ~ It is determined whether sufficient handtools are available (e.g. how many of what for what type of agriculture intervention and what surface area). ~ Determine whether sufficient communcation equipment is available (e.g. computers, fax machine, telepkones, etc.). IM PA CT E VA LU AT IO N FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 133 Assess w hat support is needed ~ The availability of inputs such as planting material, fertiliser, pesticides, etc. is investigated. ~ The competencies of Technical agencies and extention officers are evaluated. ~ The support available from other agencies, government departments, NGOs, donor organisations and parastatals are determined. Assessment of the management capacity ~ The management capacity existing in the centre is evaluated (e.g. the educators are teachers, not necssarily business people, and centre managers are managers and not necessarily educators). ~ The procedurial, documentary and business development potential that exist in the centre is determined. ~ In order to develop the centre into an entrepreneurial centre, an assessment is done of what needs to be done to develop a proper business plan. ~ The link between agriculture to SMME, without fragmenting it, is established and training is provided accordingly. Assessment of existing training procedures of the electives ~ An assessment is done to determine the needs and gaps that still exist, e.g finanacial management, CGB governance training, educator competencies and experience. ~ An assessment is done of the training needs of learners, educators, CGBs, centre managers and agencies. ~ Training needs as required by each centre is determined, e.g. non-generic electives, including computer training where applicable. Assess the market ability ~ An assessment is done of the marketability of existing outputs. ~ Market research is done to asses what product potential should be further explored. ~ Market strategies are established. IM PA CT E VA LU AT IO N FIN AL R EP OR T: MA RC H 2002 134 ~ Communication strategies are established. Assess the gaps in the infrastructure ~ Other departments are lobbied to assist with the filling of the infrastructural gaps, e.g. roads ~ The availability of building is determined in terms of the memorandum of understanding. ~ A team needs to be put in place to establish and nurture the developmental links, eg. with the local council, etc. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 135 ANNEXES Ann ex 1: Centre Cas e Studie s – Limpopo Fifty % of Ikhwelo Projects were selected in Limpopo for evaluation, namely Dithothwaneng, Mvhuyazi, Soniye, Matangari, Makahlule, Khomisani, Hosana-Mavele, Madisei, Madikanono and Rakopi. The Ikhwelo Field Workers and District Co-ordinators assisted the research team with their visits. The team noted that an extremely good level of co-operation and teamwork existed between the District Co￾ordinators, Field Workers, Centre Managers, Educators and Learners. One aspect that was outstanding was the good relationship between the District Co-ordinators, Field Workers, Centre Managers, Educators and Learners. There was a sense of teamwork between the Field Workers and District Co-ordinators. It was an exciting experience especially because every centre had its own dynamics. Language was not a major problem as initially thought it would be. Although there was an interpreter in the Tsonga- and Venda-speaking centres, they only had to relay a message to them when it was necessary to do so. Most of them understood Northern Sotho. Madikanono Centre Madikanono Centre is located in Region 6 in the Sekhukhune district close to Burgersfort. The centre share facilities with the school and the main activities include pottery production. It is planned to start juice production in the future. A chievements The learners have started a pottery project and a vegetable garden. While the pottery project is quite impressive, the vegetable garden lacks impact. The reason given for the failure of the garden project is ascribed to the lack of water on site. Learners have to carry water in wheelbarrows to water the plants. Chapter 5 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 136 The learners interviewed are enthusiastic about their projects but are concerned about the lack of commitment of others. Impressions The learners indicated that their expectations from the Ikhwelo Project were that through the projects they would be able to reduce the incidence of kwashiorkor, reduce poverty and create sustainable jobs and income. However, their expectations have not been met yet since there is no obvious decline in the levels of poverty and concomitant manifestations of poverty. The learners have indicated that their progress is hampered by two major factors, namely ~ Insufficient equipment for production and ~ Lack of water on site. Regardless of the problems, the learners are positive about the projects and believe that they are not wasting time and that what they have achieved, little as it may be, is worth the effort. English as the teaching medium did not bother the learners and they found it easy enough. However, they believe that mother tongue instruction could improve their performance. C entre Governing B ody The learners do not know what the CGB is supposed to do as they (the CGB) do not turn up for any meetings. The learners stated that they were non-existent because they had never done anything for them. The learners stated that they wrote several letters to the 'so-called CGB' but they never responded – 'they just disappeared'. Educators The educators believe that if they are given skills training in the use of a pottery wheel and how to make peanut butter, they would be able to impart this knowledge to their learners and it will further enhance the chances for sustainability and poverty relief. The educators’ lives are made difficult by the fact that there is no water on site. They stated that although the agricultural project was still operational, the products were not thriving as a result of the shortage of water. D ropout learners According to the learners, about 30 dropped out because they got frustrated with the slow process, the project did not meet their expectations, such as business opportunities and job creation, they went to look for permanent jobs, and the project did not address poverty alleviation. However, according to the educators, these learners left because they did not want to attend the theory classes and only wanted to do practicals. C entre manager The CM at this centre was very concerned about the weak relationships prevailing between the District Co-ordinator, community and the CGB and the ‘rest’. This issue needs to be addressed as it makes the working environment difficult. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 137 He felt that particularly the CGB contribution to the centre was poor and that they could contribute substantially if they would be involved as it was legally their task to help with the effective governance of the centre. Although the CM rated the project average because he did not feel that it was functioning effectively, the impact on learners had been substantial in his opinion. They can now manage their own agricultural projects, make clay pots, peanut butter and Vaseline, and read and write. He believes their livelihoods have substantially improved. Positive impact The educators are confident that the learners are on track and that their interventions have had a positive impact on the learners and the community as a whole. The learners are now able to use the knowledge that they acquired at the centre in their everyday life. The pottery project has had a very positive impact on the lives of learners and the educators view this a priority project because of this obvious impact. The educators felt that the new knowledge that they have acquired as Ikhwelo teachers had been invaluable to them. They feel greatly empowered by this project and the Ikhwelo processes. Educators specifically referred to the broader Ikhwelo training interventions, the new learner assessment methodology and the newly-acquired practical experience. N egative impact Although the learners stated that they received sufficient learning materials for the theory part of the electives, they believe that the lack of equipment for practical use impact very negatively on their performance. They have to share equipment among themselves. The educators stated their weak relationship with the District Co-ordinator, the CGB and the broader community as impacting negatively on them and on the project. They stated that their relationship with the CM, Prolit and the learners were excellent. Strengthening the weak relationships is paramount. The fact that the educators do not have contracts is impacting negatively as that has been the major reason for them leaving the centre. Three educators have resigned so far. The project delays seem to have a major negative impact in this centre as is has affected the functionality, motivation and enthusiasm of the project. It has led to dissatisfaction and could be contributing to the impaired relationships at the centre. Sharing the centre has not been conducive to good learning and teaching. It has had domestic ramifications for the learners and impacts negatively on teaching because of time and space constraints. R ecommendations The learners believe that if projects were simultaneously implemented in terms of the theory and practice, they would benefit more. Because the learners go home empty handed, their families find it difficult to see tangible results. The learners and educators believe their performance will be enhanced if they have I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 138 ~ Equipment for production and ~ Water reticulation Learners feel that they would benefit ultimately if they are specifically taught how to start a business and if they are assisted to do so. An increase in the number of educators at the centre will speed up the teaching process and afford learners more individual or ‘small-group’ tuition where they are struggling, specifically with mathematics. The CGB in this centre is obviously non-existent and non-co-operative. The interviewees felt that a new body should be elected and an effort should be made to get them on board. Similarly, the relationships with the District Co-ordinator needs attention. D ithothwaneng C entre Dithothwaneng is in Region 6, in the Apel district, close to Groblersdal and Pietersburg. The main activity includes a bakery and they are planning vegetable production and broilery. The centre shares facilities with the school and it appears that their crops are reasonably well-protected and fenced in. They have a borehole, but need a pump to extract the water. A chievements ~ The learners have established a viable bakery project with the aid of the Department of Health. They bake and supply bread and rolls locally and to neighbouring communities. ~ Another achievement noted by the learners is jam making and sewing, juice making and proper business planning. ~ The learners see the fact that they know how to apply correct measures, etc as an achievement. ~ The feel that they deal with their challenges in a pro-active manner, such as contributing money to purchase bottles and caps. ~ The CM sees the educator salary payments as an achievement. Impressions The learners are very happy with Ikhwelo, but were concerned about the insufficiency of equipment and time. They indicated that they did not receive all their equipment for agriculture and as a result they had not started with agriculture production. They felt that the time they spent on theory was too short because they had to share educational facilities with schoolchildren. They proposed that a separate facility be provided for adult learners so that they could start in the morning at 09:00. They also feel that a better balance between theory and practice at the Centre would enhance their level of learning. The learners felt that more focus on income-generating projects would be substantially more appealing as the poverty levels were exceptionally high and they found it difficult to feed and care for their I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 139 families. Like the learners at Madikanono, this community has not seen any overt decline in poverty indicators, such as kwashiorkor among the children. The learners felt that the project had not yet achieved its objectives and their expectations were thus only partially met. Educators A positive aspect of the educator responses focused on the training which they received from the Ikhwelo Project. They felt that this training assisted them tremendously with their tasks. The educators are seriously disenchanted with two issues, namely ~ The way in which the Department handles their salary/payment issues. The educators felt very strongly that Prolit should pay them directly and not the Department. They noted that their relationship with the Ikhwelo staff was very sound and more accessible. ~ The fact that Ikhwelo does not fulfil their promises. In this regard they mentioned one specific project that had to be terminated as a result of promises made and not fulfilled – the crocheting project. Only one educator had left the centre, and this was because she found a permanent teaching post.. The educators highly appreciated the relationships they enjoyed with the District Co-ordinator, the CM, the learners and Prolit. D ropout learners It was reported that about 30 learners had dropped out. The main reasons given were: ~ Learners who dropped out expected that they would get immediate jobs - but that was not the case. ~ Most of them were affected by self-parenting, with no help to look after their children when they attended lessons. They believe that in order to prevent dropouts, Ikhwelo should assist them to start job creation and income generating projects. They also believe that if they would have a separate facility with a crèche attached to it, the problem with childcare, insufficient time, and lack of productivity and self-parenting would be resolved. C entre manager The CM successfully negotiated money for the bakery from the Department of Health and now that the bakery is running, the community can get fresh bread at an affordable price. The CM views the Ikhwelo training interventions that he attended as beneficial to the centre. He was trained in management, SMME, assessment and ILP. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 140 C entre Governing B ody The learners said that their CGB was active and knew their roles and responsibilities. The CGB assisted them to bring water to the project. The CGB viewed their involvement in the centre seriously and was concerned about the lack of broader community support. The latter point is being seen as a challenge and they will focus on this sector to recruit more learners. On the CGB agenda is co-operating in starting new projects, particularly income generating and job creating. However, the shortage of funds and materials impacts on the expansion and functioning of the centre. The CGB noted that the lack of trust by some of the learners in their (the CGB) ability was a major challenge as this affected the operations. Positive impact Learners approved 100% of the balance between theory and practice and believed this balance was giving them everything they needed in terms of training. Learners were happy with the English medium of instruction. Although they believed that they were benefiting from this in some ways, they felt that mother tongue instruction would help some to achieve better results. The learners believe their new-found skills have given them the potential to start their own businesses. They believe that the community sees life at Ikhwelo because they have become their service providers of jams, juice, uniforms and morogo. Across the board, all the learners believed that their new skills and knowledge gave them a higher esteem and self-confidence. In terms of their families, the project had helped them gain the respect from other family members and as women, they had transcended from being housewives to businesswomen. N egative impact As the learners have to share the school facilities, they felt that even if training time would be increased, the impact would be negligible for as long as they did not have their own facilities. They find the sharing very disruptive. The learners felt that their expectations of Ikhwelo were not met because the theory that they had learnt could not be put into full and profitable practice since they did not have access to capital. They were not fully equipped yet to start viable group activities such as co-operatives. This had a negative impact on their motivation levels and made them feel inadequate. The weather in the area is unpredictable with a very high rainfall. This often causes learners to miss lessons or be late for class. Although they know that little can be done about this, they still feel that this is a factor that negatively impacts on their learning. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 141 Women learners felt that the sacrifices they made at home in order to attend class, had a negative effect on their productivity and learning. Some of the sacrifices include: ~ Not being able to plough at the same time as others. ~ Not attending to their children as they go to class when their children come home from school. ~ Getting home late and still having to fetch wood and water. ~ Suspending women church association meetings. Notwithstanding the sacrifices, the women believe that the knowledge and skills that they gain is worth it. Learners and educators felt that learning materials and equipment were insufficient and that this shortage impacted negatively on their performance. The learners believe that the reason for their poor crops were because they had to plant the maize at the wrong time. Traditionally, they would follow rainfall patterns for planting, but modern technology dictates otherwise. The fact that the CM views the salary payment to the educators as a major achievement is of concern. This issue impacted negatively on their performance and motivation. R ecommendations The learners felt that if they were assisted with funding to start projects and to set up co-operatives, they would be able to sustain them and improve their livelihoods. In order to accommodate women learners, it is important that the class attendance times are seriously looked at and possibly changed. Learners felt it would improve the whole process and production if class could start earlier and not end so late, in order for them to be able to attend to both school and their homes. Learners believed that more class work and tests would assist them to achieve better theory results. They recommended that if Ikhwelo would supply transport to buy stock, repair facilities for the sewing machines and water for their vegetable production, their livelihoods would improve substantially. The CGB felt that water for irrigation purposes would benefit the project and create more jobs. The educators felt strongly that they should be paid by Prolit directly and not by the Department. Much of the red tape and delays could be short-circuited. On the issue of educator qualifications, they requested that they be certificated to show that they were Ikhwelo educators. Mmadisei C entre Mmadisei Centre is located in Region 2 in the Mogodumo district, in the vicinity of Pietersburg. The centre shares facilities with the school and its main activity is vegetable production. They are in the process of constructing a broilery. Although the Prolit records state that water is not readily available, I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 142 the CM stated that they are drawing water from the river, which is sufficient for their agriculture activities. The crops are protected and fenced in with a reed fence. The Prolit records show that a proper fence had been erected, but the researchers found otherwise. A chievements The learners indicated that their expectations were partially met in agriculture because they had established a thriving vegetable garden. However, they felt that the lack of water on site impacted negatively on their productive capacity, as they had to carry water with buckets from the school premises to the garden. Furthermore, the fact that the agricultural site had no fence meant that they also had problems with goats destroying their garden. They innovatively constructed a temporary fence from reeds. This centre managed to establish their agriculture project in the face of real adversity. The learners counted as their main achievements the establishment of the vegetable garden and the fact that they could supply the community, their contribution to better health in the community and their ability to read and write. Impressions In the SMME area, they have not achieved anything and are still working towards starting a project. They are concerned that if they did not start soon with SMME activities, they would lose the theory learnt. They needed equipment for sewing and catering. The learners felt that unless the practical SMME activities started soon, their theory would be lost because they would forget what they had been taught. D ropout learners The learners reported that about 15 had dropped out because they were not interested in the theoretical part of the electives. Others had left because they had small children to care for. Although the learners were generally satisfied with the Ikhwelo Project, their main concern and hope is that Ikhwelo can accommodate those people who are only interested in practical work and not theory. According to learners, this was the main reason for the high dropout rate at their centre. C entre Governing B ody The learners are happy with their CGB, which they say is very active, and ensure that resources are available. They felt that the CGB actively and positively contributes to the centre's achievements. The CGB is active at the centre and tries to govern the centre according to the correct principles, regulations and laws. They have been trained by Ikhwelo and have gained sufficient experience to resolve problems and assist in the running of the centre. They feel that in order for them to do their job properly, better care should be taken of the learners and educators. For instance, learners should be exposed to more opportunities, which they can only do if more resources are made available. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 143 The CGB described their relationship with both Ikhwelo and the District Co-ordinator as mediocre but with the CM, the learners, the educators and the community they described the relationship as good. Educators The SMME educators were frustrated because no projects had as yet started and they were concerned that the learners would forget the theory. The educators are aware of the fact that the learners prefer the hands-on practical work better than the theoretical class work, but they are satisfied that the learners appreciate that there should be a balance between the two components. The educators benefited from the Ikhwelo training interventions and noted that it had changed their style of teaching and they had to acquire facilitation rather than teaching skills. C entre manager This CM has no formal ABET experience and ran a spaza shop and sold jewellery before working at the centre. He thus views all the training that he got from the Ikhwelo project as invaluable. Although he received leadership training, money control, centre management and agricultural training, he felt that he needed more leadership training to work optimally. He felt that the centre could be more successful if it had more resources, including equipment and materials. The CM works closely with the CGB in governing the centre and he finds their input valuable. According to the CM 10 educators had left, mainly to start other projects or because they got other jobs. He was concerned that the educators did not have contracts because this made them vulnerable and affected their work. Positive impact The vegetable production has impacted positively on the lives of the learners and the broader community because it has positively affected their health, their standing in the community and their self￾esteem. They feel the project has positively impacted because they now have the knowledge to explore better and alternative opportunities. N egative impact The learners noted the distances that they had to walk to get to the centre as having a negative impact on their learning. They were often unable to attend classes as a result of this. Although the learners feel they are benefiting from the lessons and the project as a whole, the short course duration is negatively impacting on their learning. These learners do not feel that English as the medium of instruction adds anything to their lives. On the contrary, they feel that this has a negative impact on their learning and would like mother tongue tuition. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 144 The CGB felt that Ikhwelo could resolve the challenges and minimise the negative impact by doing the following: ~ More resource allocation, among others, for them to advertise their centre in neighbouring villages. ~ More care to the dropout learners and their reasons for dropping out. ~ Computer skills, sewing machines. ~ A storeroom to keep their equipment and materials safe. ~ Timely payment of the educators. R ecommendations As the learners are concerned that the SMME activities had not taken off yet, their fears of losing the theoretical knowledge is valid. Attention is needed to get the projects going. The following issues need attention if this project is to have a positive impact on the lives of the learners: ~ More time for lessons. ~ Separate facilities to ease the burden on these adult learners. Sharing facilities have many negative ramifications, including domestic issues, time, safety, etc. ~ Mother tongue instruction. The learners recommended that in order to address the reasons for learners dropping out of the programme, Ikhwelo should introduce a system where the adults who were only interested in practicals, could do that without doing the theory. They cited sewing as one example. Another way to address this would be for Ikhwelo to establish crèche facilities close to the project to cater for mothers with small children. The CGB recommended that regular mass meetings should be held with all the different stakeholders in the community. This way they could tell people what was happening and what they needed to overcome the difficulties and to face their challenges. The CGB members felt that they should receive remuneration for the tasks that they performed. R akopi C entre Rakopi Centre is located in Region 2 in the Mankweng district, close to Pietersburg. Their main activity is vegetable production and they are planning a sewing venture. Water is not readily available and learners have to fetch it from a nearby dam with buckets and wheelbarrows. Their vegetable garden is fenced in. The centre shares facilities with the school. A chievements The centre has a successful vegetable garden that has assisted them to reduce the incidence of malnutrition in the community. However, the main problem with vegetable production is lack of on-site water provision. This community has to carry water in buckets or in wheelbarrows in order to water the garden. This makes it extremely difficult for them to achieve their expected levels of production. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 145 The CGB at the centre sees as their main achievements the fact that they were instrumental in fostering and encouraging co-operative relations among the role-players, and that they have successfully addressed and resolved the personal problems of some learners. The following story depicts a major achievement: 'Before ABET, people used stones and sticks to count their cows. My grandfather had many cows, but he had old knowledge of counting. We are lucky because we know the right counting method.’ Impressions The group of learners who were interviewed were hopeful that through Ikhwelo they would, in the future, be able to address their poverty problems themselves. However, they were concerned that they had not put into practice the theory they had learnt in the SMME elective because there were insufficient opportunities and follow-up. The interviewees also felt that what they were taught in class, was not what was set for examinations and they made an appeal for the examinations board to liaise with educators when setting examination papers. The learners also recommended that the centre should be open on weekends in order to give them more time to attend classes and to complete the work. D ropout learners Learners noted that learners dropped out, due to the distances they had to walk to get to the centre and also the fact that projects implemented did not offer them immediate jobs and income. They proposed that another centre be established at another school to overcome the distance issue. Another reason noted for the dropout rate was that learners were unable to attend classes due to domestic obligations, job opportunities elsewhere and the fact that learners did not see immediate benefits of the project. Educators The educators at Rakopi also do not have contracts and have to wait up to three months before the Department pays them. This is demotivating. Educators felt that they didn’t have enough teaching time and this was partly due to their sharing facilities and the time it took to demonstrate the practical components of the agricultural elective. They felt that although learners were happy with English as the medium of instruction, mother tongue tuition would enhance their results. Apart from this, they had not noted any other constraints to the learning process per se. The question of resources for the practical components of the electives is also high at this centre. The educators received a number of training interventions from Ikhwelo, including ~ Animal and plant production. ~ How to teach learning in OBE. ~ Compilation of business plans. ~ Financial management and management of the project. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 146 C entre manager The CM has excellent qualifications and experience for the task at hand and views his involvement as efficient and necessary. This CM believes that if he could install computers at the centre, it would greatly enhance the learners’ opportunity for growth. However, due to the fact that there is an electricity problem in the village, computers may not be possible at this stage. The CM is concerned that although the Department of Education has been talking about contracts for the educators, this promise has not been fulfilled. The Ikhwelo training interventions enhanced his abilities and increased his knowledge. The interventions include: ~ Plant production training. ~ Animal production training. ~ CGB training. ~ Summative assessment training. C entre governing body The learners respected the CGB because they found them helpful and effective in their dealings with the centre. They also assist with monitoring the performance of the educators. They commented: ‘If we need something, they are quick to respond.’ The CGB understood their roles and responsibilities and held monthly meetings with the educators and the CM. The CGB felt that if they were remunerated for their services, they would be able to spend more time at the centre. The CGB stated that they received sufficient support from the District Co-ordinator and it made their tasks easier. They regularly attend meetings with the DC where they share ideas. Pivotal to the CGB’s belief that the centre can achieve more, is the question of financial resources. This issue permeates most of the activities, as they feel they cannot achieve optimally with the current, limited budget. Positive impact The most important positive impact from the centre’s vegetable garden is the reduction in poverty and malnutrition. The CM felt that the training had had a tremendously positive impact on the learners as they could manage and produce vegetables and they also now knew how to write a business plan. The courses have enhanced the employability of learners, either in the formal or informal sectors or self￾employment. In terms of the impact on the community, the learners and CM felt that they now had the skills and ability to impart their knowledge to other members of the community. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 147 The ability to start a business or an own garden has advanced the possibility to reduce poverty in the community – and the learners are pivotal to this. Some CGB members believed that the sewing and telephone skills that learners now had, had been beneficial. The educators view the good relations and positive interaction between all the role-players at the centre as having had a positive impact, particularly on the learning environment and the learners themselves. They measure the impact on themselves as educators by the respect that the role-players afforded them. N egative impact The following issues were noted by the learners as negatively impacting on their learning, the growth of the centre and their ability to reduce poverty: ~ Their inability to start their own businesses, due to a lack of resources. ~ The lack of water at the centre. ~ The fact that they had to walk long distances to the centre which impacted on their performance and their ability to attend classes. ~ The fact that they have not had the opportunity to put into practice the SMME theory that they have learnt. ~ The lack of electricity impairs growth and the types of projects that the centre can embark upon. ~ Members of the CGB felt that learners did not receive the specific skills that they wanted and thus felt discouraged. ~ The delays in approving business plans and disbursing the money are having serious repercussions on the project. R ecommendations To overcome the effect of the distances people had to walk to the centre, learners have recommended that a centre be established at another school to overcome this issue. Computer literacy is viewed as important by this centre and the CM believes that this issue should receive attention. However, this centre has no electricity. The CM sees this as a priority as he links electricity provision with the SMME growth and opportunities. The CGB believes that that if the centre received the following items, it would address most of the resource shortcomings: ~ Sewing machines ~ Sewing material ~ Computers ~ Phones ~ Electricity I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 148 The issue of educator contracts is serious and the centre recommended that this be looked at as a matter of priority. A serious recommendation from the educators is that the centre needs a borehole for the irrigation of the agricultural project. They feel that without this, the project will not achieve its potential. A recommendation from the CGB was that they should be remunerated for their services. The business plan approval as well as the Ikhwelo disbursement process need to be streamlined. Matangari C entre Matangari Centre is located in Region 3 in the Mutale district, close to Thohoyandou. Their main activity is vegetables and crops. They are planning a broilery but have not found suitable accommodation. They have ample water and both the vegetables and crops are irrigated. However, the crops and vegetables are vulnerable, as they are not fenced in. The centre shares facilities with the Ndidivhani Primary School. A chievements The Matangari Centre has a number of achievements, namely ~ Making their own compost, and ~ Planting and selling vegetables (sweet potatoes) and crops (dry maize) to their community and neighbouring villages. The centre has successfully managed to link the connection between agricultural production and SMME activities. Learners do not seem to separate the two electives and the issues of additional projects of a more overt SMME nature do not appear to be as high on the agenda as in other centres. Impressions The people interviewed indicated that they expected that through Ikhwelo, they would be able to: ~ Reduce poverty ~ Acquire knowledge ~ Employ themselves ~ Practise what they were taught at home ~ Start group activities ~ Start own businesses They indicated that they had managed to acquire knowledge, which they could apply at any given situation, but they had not been able to reduce poverty because they had not been able to start group activities for self-employment or income generation. Learners at this centre have started some agricultural activities and have planted maize but they did not have sufficient implements and their productive capacity is affected. A factor which influenced their low maize crops is that they did not receive fertilisers. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 149 In the light of the fact that they did not receive fertiliser, learners felt that if they were allowed to put into practice their traditional knowledge, they would succeed better. They felt that they had to put agricultural theory into practice and they were forced to plant maize at the wrong time and traditionally they followed rainfall patterns to plant a variety of crops. They knew of some traditional insecticides but could not apply their own knowledge because they thought modern technology superseded their own traditional technologies and knowledge. Educators The educators feel confident that their project is successful and cites the improvement in the learner literacy and numeracy rates, as well as better proficiency in English, as examples of individual progress. Generally good relationships prevail between the educators and the other role-players at the centre, and they feel that the CGB has contributed well to the centre. The educators were also involved in the house-to-house recruitment of learners. They feel that learners do not fully grasp the tenets of the theoretical component of the two electives and that this is partially as a result of insufficient learning materials in agriculture, SMME and ABET. Some educators said the learners did not want English as the language of instruction because they felt it hampered their progress and understanding. They preferred mother tongue instruction. Other educators noted that most of the learners understood English in the classroom situation, but often needed explanations in their mother tongue. The training interventions offered by Ikhwelo contributed to the educators’ successful implementation of the project because they feel better equipped with knowledge and understanding. This includes the use of fertiliser, pesticides and to market the products. D ropout learners According to the CM, 17 learners had dropped out, mainly because the found other employment. The CM believed this could be overcome by promoting the project as a vehicle for self-employment or better employability. C entre manager The CM views his input into the lives of the learners and the centre as successful and efficient. He believes that the impact that the centre has had under his leadership, has been substantial and noted that in 2000 they supplied the local community with maize crops and dry maize, and in 2001 they also produced sweet potatoes which they supplied to the community. He felt that the attempts to build a team spirit between the educators and learners had been an achievement. Although he also managed to access finances for the centre from the NDA, they still need more resources. Because they view the lack of sufficient land as the major challenge, the CM had discussed possibilities with the Department of Agriculture. The CM felt that the relationship between the CGB and the centre was conducive to progress. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 150 C entre governing body ~ The educators view the involvement of the CGB very positively because they normally come up with good suggestions and is a motivating force in the centre. ~ The CGB organised mass meetings to explain the role and plans of the projects in order to recruit more learners and publicise the centre. ~ The increasing learner numbers can be partially attributed to the CGB. ~ Although the CGB has received training, they believe that more financial training would make them more efficient. ~ The CGB drew up a constitution and a code of conduct for the centre. ~ They do not believe that the project can sustain itself if the Ikhwelo funds dry up. Positive impact Learners can now use fertiliser, they know the soil types, how to price and market their products and to read, write and speak English. All these things have enhanced the status, self-esteem and marketability of the learners. Learners feel that the project has given them confidence to start businesses, and to teach others how to plant and market crops and vegetables. They are now equipped with skills that make them employable. N egative impact Although the Ikhwelo documentation states that this centre has irrigation, the educators noted water as a problem because learners often have to fetch water from the canal. They cited the water problem as having a negative impact. Their crops are vulnerable because it is not fenced in. The educators noted that the delays in the delivery of teaching materials and disbursements, seriously and negatively affect the centre’s achievements. Learners do not have enough time to complete their work. This is partially because they share facilities. Also, the centre was housed in temporary accommodation, which was unpleasant and not conducive to learning. R ecommendations A system to speed up the delivery of teaching and learning materials need to be developed to assist this centre to achieve optimally. Better accommodation is needed in this centre as the learners have been accommodated in temporary facilities. It would be advisable for them to get facilities dedicated to them. The infrastructure, particularly the building and fencing of this centre, is obviously lacking and this needs to be remedied. A very strong recommendation from the educators centred on their contractual and payment arrangements. They felt that the government should make a concerted effort to pay them on time because they could not commit themselves fully to the project if they felt so insecure. They needed I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 151 more teaching time allocated to them and the government needed to relook their conditions of teaching and employment. Makahlule C entre Makahlule is located in Region 3 in the Malamulele district, close to the Punda Maria Gate of the Kruger National Park. Their main activity is sewing and they are in the process of de-bushing and fencing the land for a vegetable production venture. The project has sufficient water from a nearby dam. The centre shares facilities with the school. A chievements The learners are running a successful fruit juice business. They buy concentrated juice and they then dilute and bottle it for sale to the local schools and community. They also make jam and have a sewing project. They do not have water on site and the CGB assists them with fetching water for gardening. According to the learners, this centre had met most of their expectations because if and when they wanted to start a business, they had acquired the skills to do so. On the other hand, they could not start the businesses because they were not able to get the financial resources together to do so. Regarding co￾operative activities, they felt that the learners had not yet reached the stage where they could start group activities. Impressions The learners expected that Ikhwelo would assist with funding to start job-creating and income￾generating ventures and to enable them to plant and produce and market their products as groups. They point out that in terms of theory, they have met their expectations because they have acquired sufficient knowledge to start a viable business and to produce food for household consumption and for sale. Their expectations were not met in terms of putting theory into practice because they have no money to start their own businesses and they have not yet reached a stage where they can start collective activities. Learners also indicated that they needed more time to finish the theoretical electives but that this would not be possible if they were still sharing facilities with scholars. They had proposed that a separate facility be established for ABET learners so that they could start as early as 09:00 and work until 14:00. Educators Two educators have left the centre since its inception. There appears to be amicable relations between the learners and the educators, the educators and the Centre Manager and generally also with the Department staff. Some of the educators felt they were achieving more than expected because they were motivating the learners to produce with insufficient resources. They feel proud that the learners are acquiring skills that they have never had before. The educators are not regularly remunerated and they held out the hope that the Department would resolve this issue. They do not have performance appraisals. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 152 The educators felt that SMME activities would be enhanced if they received materials and equipment. They do, however receive agricultural materials and equipment. Regarding the theoretical component of the electives, the educators felt that their task would be made easier if they had sufficient learning materials. Some educators did not feel that English as a medium of instruction hampered their tasks because when the learners struggled with the language, they could explain in the vernacular. Others felt that English as the tuition language led to communication breakdowns. They recommended that the vernacular be used together with English. The educators attended numerous training interventions and they felt that this empowered them to better fulfil their tasks. D ropout learners Quite a number of learners had dropped out since the centre opened. The learners ascribe this to their expectations that they would immediately get jobs once they left. This has proven not to be the case. C entre manager The CM is a qualified ABET practitioner and believes that he runs an effective establishment that should be seen as a positive influence on the community and which has contributed substantially to the eradication of poverty. However, the centre has its own limitation, including a shortage of resources. The CM is proud that notwithstanding the shortage of resources, they show good results, enthusiasm and growth. He believes that if the centre could be upgraded and have its own facility, then the learners will reap more benefits. In his opinion, these benefits, which include better self-employment potential, will further reduce poverty in the community. The CM feels that the CGB functions well in the centre and that they add value through their involvement. The CGB and the CM meet formally on a monthly basis. This CM was consulted by the Department of Education before the community was chosen as an Ikhwelo centre. He sees this as an achievement on behalf of the whole village. C entre governing body The learners view the CGB in a positive light because they help them to fetch water for the agricultural project. The CGB sees the following as their major achievements: ~ Acquisition of a plot of land. ~ Successfully buying materials. ~ Successfully acquiring sewing machines. The CGB sees the major challenges that they need to assist with as: ~ Water shortage. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 153 ~ The dropout rate of learners. ~ Payment of the CMs and educators. The CGB had written Ikhwelo a letter addressing the challenges, but Ikhwelo never responded. This makes the CGB doubt if they are taken seriously. The CGB does not believe the project can fully sustain itself without outside financial assistance, as it is not yet producing enough. The water shortage is curtailing its advancement. Positive impact The learners are very proud that they can make jam, sew and draw up business plans. This has had a positive effect on their lives. The learners have become wiser and have learnt how to run a business, which has created self￾confidence and taught them self-sufficiency. They are now equipped with skills that make them employable. N egative impact The lack of their own facilities impacts seriously on the centre and the learners felt that if they had their own facilities, it would ease the burden on them in terms of class attendance times, domestic obligations, etc. The learners felt that their course time was too short and it put too much strain on them. They felt they could not achieve as much as they set out to do in the given time. None of the learners felt that English as a tuition medium hampered their learning. However, they felt that some explanations in the vernacular were needed. The CGB cited the following as having negative impact: ~ Ikhwelo not ordering enough materials. ~ Ikhwelo not making funds available on time. ~ Delays in approving business plans and ~ Delays in disbursing money approved for materials. The CGB does not believe that the project can fully sustain itself without outside financial assistance, as it is not yet producing enough. R ecommendations The centre is in need of dedicated facilities, as it would benefit the whole learning environment. The centre expects the Department to review the learning and educator teaching times. Learners felt that this obligation deserved urgent attention. They believe a dedicated facility would address this. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 154 Khomisani Centre Khomisani Centre is located in Region 4 in the Giyani district. Their main activity is vegetable production and they are busy planning a broilery. They do not share premises with a school and occupy independent facilities. A chievements Learners at the centre list the following activities as their main achievements: ~ Building the poultry farm. ~ Making peanut butter and atchar for sale in the community. ~ A women-driven brick making and building project. The fact that they have acquired enough skills to expand on their existing agricultural activities and linking agriculture with SMME principles, is a major achievement. It is for this reason that the learners believe the project can and will continue when Ikhwelo comes to an end. They are proud of their project and appear very loyal and enthusiastic. Impressions The learners' expectations of Ikhwelo were that through the programme, they would be able to: ~ Improve their business skills. ~ Improve their ability to communicate in English. ~ Increase their income. ~ Improve the nutritional status of the family. They indicated that their expectations were met because they were now equipped with appropriate skills to improve their existing businesses and to communicate in English. Like all other centres, there is a general concern that Ikhwelo is not delivering learning materials and equipment on time. This situation is causing retardation of progress and also create a lack of trust in the entire programme. D ropout learners The dropout rate at this centre appears disproportionately high in comparison to other centres sampled. The reason for this is that most of the learners had to leave because examinations were not written on the expected date. This postponement led to domestic problems, particularly for female learners who had to justify their attendance to their spouses who mistrusted their attendance at the centre. Furthermore, learners were promised computers, which were not delivered. One dropout learner was interviewed in this community and had the following to say: ~ That she initially registered as a learner to acquire agriculture skills and a certificate in order to start her own business. She was an ABET 3 level learner that attended classes for one year. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 155 ~ She left the project to start her own business, selling biscuits. ~ As she was not English proficient; she cited language as a problem, which discouraged her. ~ She also noted that if Ikhwelo would supply more equipment for the practical component of the electives, learners would find participating easier. ~ She can now apply all the theory that she learnt in her business, at home and in the community. She also used the knowledge that she gained from the programme to start her business. ~ She had no problem with the theory/practical balance of the project and thought that it was just enough. Educators Some of the educators in this centre are very well qualified in comparison to other projects. A noted difference is the focus that the educators who were interviewed, placed on self-sustainability, improved livelihoods and personal enhancement. Some of the interviews were markedly different in that it focused on the outputs using whatever resources are available, rather than counting the shortages. One interviewee believes she is successful in her teaching SMME skills, because she already is the owner of a successful small business. She believes teaching by example is very effective. Although the educators think that mother tongue instruction will help learners understand better, they all felt that English was acceptable and a good thing because learners learnt the language only through using it. A point was made in this interview section on how the English was used and the recommendation was to keep the language simple, with short sentences and straight forward. It appears from the interviews that the educators did not have much practical experience upon joining the staff. They all, however, responded that the project helped them tremendously to balance their theoretical knowledge with ample practical experience. This has enhanced their careers and has made them more employable. They expressed gratitude to the role-players for affording them the space to grow. The educators felt that they benefited from the Ikhwelo training interventions and that they could impart their new knowledge to the learners with confidence. All the educators expressed their dissatisfaction with the way in which the Department had treated their salary and travel re-imbursement issues. Some of the educators have to travel long distances to the centre and they don’t get re-imbursed. C entre manager Strangely, in the centre where the educators who were interviewed were highly qualified, the centre manager (who also teaches) is young, inexperienced and has much lower formal education than the educators. Notwithstanding this, it appears that the centre is well managed and successful. The CM seems compassionate, with a sense of vision for the future, as new initiatives are continually in progress, such as the poultry farming undertaking. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 156 C entre governing body The other role-players in the centre view the CGB as effective and playing a supportive role. They understand and adhere to the regulations and laws governing CGBs and see their role as acting as a co￾ordinating body between the centre and the Ikhwelo office, who has to make inputs into educator employment and learner recruitment. The CGB felt strongly that Ikhwelo had a responsibility to make sure that they supplied the centre with the necessary equipment and timely disbursement of funds. They blame Ikhwelo for not fulfilling promises. The CGB sees the following as their main achievements: ~ They applied and managed to get land for agriculture. ~ They managed to start with the construction of the poultry farm. ~ They assist with the recruitment of learners. They see the following as the main challenges: ~ Stocking the poultry farm with chickens. ~ Delayed funding and slow responses from Ikhwelo. ~ Recruiting more learners. ~ Acquiring more pipes for irrigation, and a fence for security purposes. They believe the project will continue post-Ikhwelo because they will not stop with their activities. They believe that although they can survive, it will not be easy. Positive impact The educators in this centre believe that the project has had a tremendously positive impact on the learners, on themselves and on the community. They have all acquired new knowledge and skills. The new knowledge and skills can now be applied to start new businesses, to seek employment and eventually to help eradicate the prevailing poverty. The fact that the learners have started saving money to put towards starting their own businesses should be seen as a great achievement, with positive individual impact and implications. The fact that some community members lent the centre land for agriculture purposes can be interpreted in terms of the positive impact the centre has had on the broader community. The educators felt that the project helped them to balance their theoretical knowledge with practical experience, which had enhanced their careers and made them more employable. The educators felt that they benefited from the Ikhwelo training interventions and that they could impart their new knowledge to the learners with confidence. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 157 N egative impact All the educators expressed their dissatisfaction with the way in which the Department had treated their salary and travel re-imbursement issues. Some of the educators have to travel long distances to the centre and they don’t get reimbursed. This is very demotivating. R ecommendations The centre does not have enough materials and equipment for practical work. It is important that the project leaders take note of this. The salary issue is as important in this centre as in all the others surveyed. Here the educators also stressed the point that they could not wait for their money for up to three months. The issue of time allocated for teaching and learning is a problem in the centre and educators felt that the government needed to review their schedules because the short times impacted on the learners. Hosana Mavele C entre This centre is located in Region 5 in the Ritave district, close to Tzaneen. Their main activities are broilers and vegetable production. The project has sufficient water from a pump-driven river extraction scheme. They share facilities with the school. A chievements The main achievements were the establishment of the poultry facility from where they sell chickens and conduct vegetable production. The community get their vegetables from the centre's vegetable project. This brings an income to the centre. The centre acquired land from the chief. They see this as an achievement because it was a difficult process that had to follow traditional rules and practices. The learners having written their examinations, see this as a major achievement. Impressions Their expectations of Ikhwelo were that through the project, they would be able to: ~ Generate more income from projects implemented. ~ Create own employment opportunities. ~ Have sufficient material and equipment for production and business development. ~ Obtain certificates on completion of the course. ~ Create opportunities for local economic development. There was a mixed feeling among learners on the issue of whether the expectations stated above had been met or not. A few who have started their own businesses and have started to produce vegetables at home, felt that their expectations were met. Most of the learners felt that their expectations had not been met because they could not generate any income from the projects implemented. They indicated that Ikhwelo had not linked them with institutions that could assist them with funding. They also raised I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 158 a concern that resources were insufficient and they could not produce at a level that was sustainable and profitable. The CM reported that the agriculture project yieldeds better profits than the SMME because transport costs were eating up the SMME profits. C entre governing body There is a good relationship between the centre and its CGB. The learners indicated that the CGB was very active and that it was through its efforts that they could get land for agricultural production. Educators The educators see the late arrival of funds, unkept promises and the high dropout rate as serious challenges. Regarding the late funding from Ikhwelo, the educators collected funds among themselves to get the project going. The educators believe that mother tongue training should be used in conjunction with English. This way the learners will understand and respond better. In the light of the high dropout rate, one educator sees the fact that there were any learners left to write exams as a major achievement. The educators complained about the Department not paying them on time. Educators felt that due to the lack/shortage of learning materials, learners were not adequately prepared for exams and the theoretical component of the electives. Also, the shortage of learning materials led to delays in completing teaching and learning tasks, both theoretical and practical. D ropout learners Fifty learners dropped out of the project. This is very high in proportion to the total number of learners and a great cause for concern. The educators see this as their major challenge and said that the centre almost closed down as a result of this. The main reason given for the high dropout rate was the fact that learners thought they would be remunerated at the end of each month. This information had been given to the learners and it had taken a lot of effort by the educators to remedy the perceptions. The learners also said that Ikhwelo did not fulfil their promises. The researchers assume that the promises refer to money, but it could also refer to promises of remuneration to the learners. Either way, this impacted very negatively on the centre. C entre manager Although this centre experienced an enormously high dropout rate, to such an extent that the centre nearly closed down and there were barely enough learners who could write exams, the CM still views it as successful and his management as effective. In terms of production, the centre is successful as it supplies vegetables to the community. The CM responds: ‘Our teaching is effective, our garden is fine, CGB is also effective and I am managing well.’ I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 159 Positive impact Learners can now plant according to modern standards and they are reaping the benefits. This has made them confident and has helped to improve relationships. Learners are numerate, and literate and they know how to write a business plan. This has made them more employable and has given them skills that they can use to earn a living, be it through self￾employment or employment. N egative impact At some stage the learners went on strike and the community boycotted the centre by refusing to buy produce. This had a negative effect on the centre. It is proving quite an effort to win back the confidence of the community. The CM cited the reasons for the high dropout rate as stemming from the belief by the learners that they would be remunerated irrespective of the products. This led to dissatisfaction among them and had a negative impact. The learners also said Ikhwelo did not fulfil their promises. The researchers assume that the promises refer to money, but it could also refer to promises of remuneration to the learners. Either way, this impacted very negatively on the centre. R ecommendations ~ The educators will benefit from more structured training interventions. ~ The issue of where the profits go to, needs to be investigated by the Department and Prolit, particularly in the light of Ikhwelo coming to an end. ~ Educator remuneration is very high on the agenda and this needs to be resolved. ~ The high dropout rate is cause for concern and needs investigation. Also the unrest noted by the CM. ~ The educators believe that mother tongue training should be used in conjunction with English. This way the learners will understand and respond better. ~ The project does not have a space to store their equipment. It is necessary to address this shortcoming. Mvhuyazi C entre This centre is located in Region 7 in the Mkhulu district close to the Paul Kruger Gate o the Kruger National Park. Their primary activities are broilers and vegetable production. Although Prolit documentation states that the centre has sufficient water derived from a pump-driven river extraction scheme, water was noted as a main challenge at this centre. Similarly, the Prolit documentation states that the centre occupies independent facilities while the learners stated independent ABET facilities as a major challenge. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 160 A chievements The learners noted as a major achievement that they now had the ability to start their own businesses and gardens at their homes. The centre managed to build a chicken coop, which is now up and running. Impressions The learners’ expectations of the project were that they would be able to run a profitable poultry project and a vegetable garden. They indicated that their expectations were not met because their poultry project was not that successful, mainly because they could not keep regular stock as a result of transport problems. The garden was also not viable because they had no equipment for fencing, no water on site and no tractor to plough and till the land. They indicated that there was not enough time for them to attain both their theoretical and practical goals and as a result they would prefer to repeat the courses. However, they were of the opinion that firstly, if the programme did not start early in the year and secondly if they still had to share facilities with day scholars, they would still not be able to attain their objectives. They strongly emphasised the need for a separate educational facility for ABET learners. D ropout learners The learners indicated that the high dropout rate was linked to the empty promises made by Ikhwelo. Educators A large educator turnover is prevalent at the centre and different from most other centres. Five educators had left the community. The reasons (given by the CM), were mainly because of the Department’s payment delays. Educators use their own time for centre activities and view this as a big sacrifice. They noted that teaching and learning in both agriculture and SMME was affected by the inadequacy of resources because they had to water their agriculture project with buckets and they did not have equipment and computers for the SMME activities. C entre manager The centre manager rates himself as very efficient with strong leadership qualities rooted in many years in the community. He encourages learners to open small businesses and practise agriculture on their own by motivating them to practically apply their newly-acquired skills. His relationships with the DC, staff, learners and CGB are good and they communicate regularly. However, the staff turnover at the centre is much higher than in any of the other Ikhwelo centres and the dropout rate is also of the highest noted. The present learners seemed to think that neither the chicken nor the agricultural activities are successful and viable and did not hold out much hope for the centre’s sustainability unless things improved. Although all the reasons given for the negative trends picked up through the interviews were external ones, they do not differ from other centres where the staff and learner numbers are stable and the activities viewed as successful and sustainable. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 161 Although the CM noted that the centre had no budget for the current year, he viewed insufficient funds as a major challenge. The CM noted that the impact of the Ikhwelo Project on him had been ‘excellent’. C entre governing body The learners and educators said the CGB was active in their centre and gave them regular feedback and met monthly. The CM does not refer to any activities, inputs or challenges posed by the CGB and noted that they functioned but their input was ‘not applicable’. Positive impact The learners said they were satisfied that they had learnt new skills, such as budgeting, business plan development and the practicalities of their SMME elective. They had become wiser and had leant how to run a business, which had taught them self-confidence and self-sufficiency. N egative impact ~ The lack of sufficient materials impact negatively. ~ Learners want to start their own businesses, but they are not able to raise the capital to do so. They then become demotivated. ~ English as a medium of tuition is acceptable but slows them down. A combination of English and their mother tongue would enhance their learning. ~ The Centre Manager and educators do not have formal employment contracts, which leads to uncertainty. ~ Learners complained that Ikhwelo had a tendency of making empty promises and raising their hopes unnecessarily. They have indicated that they were promised computers, which were never delivered. The lack of confidence in Ikhwelo’s ability to deliver has led to substantial mistrust of the whole system. For instance, they also now do not believe that they would eventually get certificates on completion of the course. ~ Transport to sell their chickens is a big problem and has substantial negative impact on this activity. R ecommendations As there was not enough time for the learners to attain both their theoretical and practical goals, they recommended extended times, that the programme started early in the year and that they did not have to share facilities with day scholars. They strongly recommended the need for a separate educational facility for ABET learners. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 162 Soniye C entre Soniye Centre is located in the Bushbuckridge district, close to Thulamahashe. The primary activities are popcorn and vegetable production. The water provision is insufficient and their crops are vulnerable because they is not fenced in. The centre shares facilities with the school. A chievements The centre rated among their achievements the acquisition of a popcorn machine, a computer and a photocopier, as well as fencing materials and land and agriculture equipment. Impressions During discussion about issues of time and lessons, the learners indicated that they did not have enough time to do what they were set to do. This problem of time had some negative impact on their performance in class and in the practical situation. Although some learners felt that regardless of the problems which they encountered, their expectations were met because they had the ability to start and run a business and to feed their families, some were of a different opinion. Those who felt that their expectations were not met stated that they had problems because: ~ The courses started late during the year. ~ Those who are working miss many important lessons since they only attend two days a week as compared to the 4 days of those who are unemployed. The learners are concerned because their crops are not fenced and the the goats destroy the gardens which discourages them. The learners also noted a lack of ownership and commitment which affected their performance and led to negativity. This lack of commitment included Ikhwelo who made promises and failed to fulfil them. Educators The educators interviewed in this centre were unqualified (grade 12 and a teacher's diploma) in ABET, agriculture or SMME and had between 3 and 6 months at the centre. Neither had any experience and had received no training by the Department to fulfil their tasks. The educators believe that instruction in both English and mother tongue would enhance the learning process at the centre. Notwithstanding the fact that the educators are frustrated because they were promised a water pump and sewing machine, which never materialised and said that they had lost confidence in the process, they rated the project successful because the learners were learning and were benefiting from the harvests. D ropout learners The number of dropout learners is quite high in comparison (20), which the CM ascribes to family problems and the need for an income. He sees a solution to this problem through the learners' involvement in practical activities that would provide them with something to offer their families at home so that they didn’t view the learning process so negatively. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 163 C entre manager The CM rates himself as ‘passionate, confident, honest and responsible’ and notes his greatest achievement at the centre as the provision of a computer and a photocopier. The CM is in the process of mobilising people to commence with the constructing of a fence. He is positive that the learners will be involved, because they like farming and because they are fed up that the goats eat their vegetables and other people steal the vegetables. The CM said that the centre used its own learning materials, which differed from those issues by Ikhwelo. The CM showed that the centre had submitted a business plan, but that it could not implement it as there was always delays from Ikhwelo’s side. This leads the learners to distrust the centre management. C entre governing body The CM views the CGB as essential and noted that they met twice a month, mainly to discuss finances. The CGB stated that they were successful in resolving conflict between the CM and educators, and in communicating issues between the educators and the community. They understand their roles and responsibilities to include the smooth running of the centre, the monitoring of educators and learners and solving problems if and when they may arise at the centre. This CGB only received two weeks' training on their roles and responsibilities. Their aim for the centre is that they would deposit at least R30 per week as a saving from their profits. Although the CGB complained that Ikhwelo did not grant them the full amount of their business plan and only gave them 70% of the requested amount, which was not enough for the centre to survive, they still believed that the centre would be able to sustain itself when Ikhwelo came to an end. Positive impact Some learners felt that regardless of the problems they encountered, their expectations were met because they had the ability to start and run a business and to feed their families. Some, however, were of a different opinion. N egative impact The learners indicated that they did not have enough time to do what they were set to do. This problem of time had some negative impact on their performance in class and in the practical situation. Those who felt that their expectations had not been met, stated the following issues as having a negative impact on them: ~ The courses started late during the year. ~ Those who are working miss many important lessons since they only attend two days a week as compared to the 4 days of those who are unemployed. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 164 R ecommendations Training for the educators is critical at this centre. Courses need to start on time and the Department needs to review the allocated learning and teaching times. The Ikhwelo processes which causes the consistent delays in business plan approval, disbursements, provision of equipment and learning materials and the assessment of centre needs, is seriously lacking and needs review. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 165 Ann ex 2: Centre Cas e Studie s – Eas tern Cape Fifty% of (11) Ikhwelo Projects were selected in Limpopo for evaluation, namely Molly Blackburn, John Walton, Khanyisa, Makukhanye, EL Correctional Services, Nolitha, Zimele, Qoqodala, Lupapasi, Port St Johns, and Kambi The Ikhwelo Field Workers and District Co-ordinators assisted the research team with their visits. The team noted that an extremely good level of co-operation and teamwork existed between the District Co￾ordinators, Field Workers, Centre Managers, Educators and Learners. Molly Blackburn Centre Molly Blackburn is situated in the western region of the Eastern Cape Province in the Uitenhage district on the premises of the local school. A chievements Learners in this centre grow their own vegetables, such as carrots, cabbage, beetroot and maize on their own plot. The products are sold mainly to community members. It appeared from the interviews that the learners viewed this as their contribution to the improved health and livelihood of the broader community. The whole community has started their own community garden. Some learners stated that they are successfully producing beadwork and sewing articles. The ABET influence on the learners is seen mainly in their ability to read and write, skills which they did not have before. Some learners noted their main achievements as having received certificates in agriculture, English, natural sciences, and health and safety. Some learners stated that the fact that they succeeded in completing their own research in the library as a great achievement. Impressions The project, as compared to others reviewed, is good because their community was initially resistant to doing agriculture but they hired experts to come in and motivate them at community meetings. They now have established gardens. The learners were well motivated and did not complain about the theory/practical balance, but they felt that the teaching time was insufficient. Their main complaint was that because they share the facility with a day school, they could only start classes after school. This has domestic ramifications and also curtails the teaching time for these learners. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 166 D ropout learners According to the learners interviewed, the centre had approximately 35 dropout learners. The reasons range from lack of motivation to an inclement season, inappropriate placement or getting other jobs. Other reasons given were illnesses, laziness, domestic problems, job hunting, hunger and poverty, crime, reluctance to do agricultural projects and the dropout learners did not like the subjects being offered. The recommendations that emerged from the learners to curtail the dropout rate included that the classes should start after lunch in the afternoons, more electives should be offered, and that the centre should be promoted to the broader community because they felt that more learners would be recruited this way. Educators There are 5 Ikhwelo educators and none of them have left the centre since its inception. There appears to be amicable relations between the learners and the educators, the educators and the Centre Manager and generally also with the Department staff. Some of the educators felt they were achieving more than expected because they were motivating the learners to produce with very little resources. They feel proud that the learners are acquiring skills that they never had before. The educators are not regularly remunerated and they expressed the hope that the Department would resolve this issue. They do not have performance appraisals. The educators felt that SMME activities would be enhanced if they received materials and equipment. They do, however, receive agricultural materials and equipment. Regarding the theoretical component of the electives, the educators felt their task would be made easier if they had sufficient learning materials, textbooks, charts and storybooks. The educators did not feel that English as a medium of instruction hampered their tasks because when the learners struggle with the language, they can explain in the vernacular. The educators attended numerous training interventions and they felt that this empowered them to better fulfil their tasks. Positive impact The educators rated the success of the Ikhwelo Project as average because the learners were not working optimally, particularly in the SMME elective, because they lacked motivation. Another reason why the educators felt that this centre was average was because the resources, materials and equipment were received late. N egative impact ~ The educators noted the introduction of OBE as difficult and viewed this as a challenge. With the introduction of OBE, some learners dropped out of the project. ~ Starting agricultural projects from scratch was proving difficult, particularly for the educators. Similarly, with the introduction of some new agricultural concepts, I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 167 some learners dropped out. ~ Contrary to the educators, some learners noted English as the language of instruction as having a negative impact on their abilities. ~ The long distances that learners have to travel to attend classes was seen as an obstacle to successful learning. ~ Learners in Molly Blackburn experienced problems with the mathematics examination as the questions asked differed from the syllabus that they were prepared with. R ecommendations The learners felt that if the following ‘shopping list’ of requests are addressed, the centre would be more successful and the impact on themselves and their community would be enhanced: ~ Irrigation for the agricultural project. ~ More equipment for both agricultural and SMME activities. ~ A greenhouse. ~ Livestock in order to diversify the agricultural component of the elective. ~ Clean and accessible toilets facilities to address the health and hygiene issues at the centre. The learners often find the toilets at the school locked or in a dirty state. ~ Commercial pesticides - as learners were currently making pesticide from old cigarette buds. This is very time consuming. John Walton C entre John Walton PALC, is located at the John Walton School in Rosedale, in the western region of the Eastern Cape Province. The school is located in the Uitenhage district. The centre specialises in bead making, candle making and plaster of paris ornaments. They wish to venture into fabric painting and needlework in future. This centre does not practise agriculture. A chievements This centre was nominated as one of the best in the province and one of the educators was nominated best SMME educator in the province. All the learners are ABET 4 learners who have obtained good marks in the examinations. The learners feel they have built good relations among themselves and with the educators. The learners have learnt new skills, including business plan development, budgeting, candle and bead making. These skills have assisted them to develop their own self-esteem to teach their children and give advice to family members. Impressions The project, as compared to others reviewed, exhibits the same difficulties all centres that are forced to operate in schools, do. Vandalism is very prevalent and every window in the classroom where the I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 168 interviews took place was broken. This is not a conducive learning environment as it makes it very uncomfortable in winter and during the rainy season. Educators The educators were the most passionate, vocal and clear about what they considered to be the great injustice and not allowing ABET teachers to take on any other positions to supplement their salaries. Taken as a group they had achieved diplomas in senior primary education, higher diplomas in education, degrees in education, BSc and post-graduate diplomas. So, if they could find permanent and better paying employment elsewhere they would move on. However, the educators did not seem to have a desire to move to the city for other employment. They liked the community and the community was grateful to them. The educators' needs seem to centre on earning a decent living and be empowered to do more. The educators enjoy the relationship they have with learners and they quote maturity as the main reason. When asked what difference they could make to the centre, they were thoughtful in their response and chose rather to say they felt they made a difference in the lives of their learners by empowering them. Educators saw their main challenge as motivating learners to start their own businesses. D ropout learners According to the Centre Manager approximately 10 learners had dropped out of the project. The reasons given include: ~ High level of criminality. ~ Cold weather due to the broken windows. ~ Some learners have been arrested due to committing crime. ~ Lack of family support. ~ Financial constraints. ~ Some learners could not cope with the subjects. C entre managers According to the Centre Manager, they were looking for their own office and classroom space, as well as a photocopy machine, and storage facilities for their equipment. The CM believed that a course in computer literacy would improve learning at the centre. They have managed to convince some of the learner dropouts to come back to school. However, vandalism and dagga smoking scare away the learners. C entre governing bodies CGB members interviewed understood their roles and responsibilities and understood the laws governing these roles and responsibilities. They ascribed this knowledge to the training interventions in which they participated. They also felt they were equipped to deal with problems as it arose. The treasurer of the CGB, who is also an educator, felt that the CGB contribution to the centre was sufficient. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 169 The CGB felt that the Department should provide administrative materials to the centre as currently the centre paid for it. They felt that the Department as well as other stakeholders needed to become actively involved in the centre. Insufficient learning materials were provided and the CGB felt that this should be addressed by Ikhwelo. Positive impact Although all the learners rated the centre as average, they were satisfied that they had learnt new skills, such as budgeting, business plan development and the practicalities of their SMME elective. The learners have become wiser and have leant how to run a business, which has taught them self￾confidence and self-sufficiency. The sense of self-reliance in this centre has influenced the response by the CGB that this centre will be able to survive when Ikhwelo comes to an end because they will be able to sustain themselves through fund-raising and the sale of their products. Some learners have started their own small businesses, among others a woodwork project. One learner wanted to be a nurse, and through the healthcare course she has realised her dream. N egative impact ~ The broken windows and lights have a very negative impact on the performance of this centre. ~ Crime has a negative impact on this centre. ~ The lack of sufficient materials impact negatively. ~ Learners want to start their own businesses, but they are not able to raise the capital to do so. They then become demotivated. ~ Because learners want Afrikaans as the language of instruction, English as a medium has hampered learning. ~ The Centre Manager and educators do not have formal employment contracts, which leads to uncertainty. R ecommendations The learners felt that if the following ‘shopping list’ of requests were addressed, the centre would be more successful and the impact on themselves and their community would be enhanced: ~ Fix the broken windows and lights. ~ Provide an office for the Centre Manager. ~ Police patrols to curtail crime. ~ Provide hygienic toilets. ~ Institute correct placement testing. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 170 ~ Introduce school fees. ~ The centre should assist them with starting their own businesses. ~ More professional educators. ~ Assist learners to be self-supportive. ~ Ensure that the project focuses on helping learners to make a living. ~ Supply sufficient materials for the practical components of the electives. ~ Encouraging fund-raising activities at the centre. Khanyisa C entre The school is located in the Zwelitsha district on the land and using the buildings of the primary school. The establishment of the project in 1999 was provoked by the increasing levels of unemployment in the region and persisting lack of basic skills to afford a basic living standard. The project provides learners with knitting, sewing and basic agriculture skills to equip them to be employable or self-employed. A chievements The centre is actively selling the knitting and sewing products they produce and is financially breaking even. Complementary activities such as bead and sta-soft making have been initiated in addition to the knitting and sewing projects. Learners have learnt how to price their products and to look for business opportunities. Impressions The project, as compared to others reviewed, is thriving because there have been many tangible changes since the beginning of the project when adults were reluctant to register for ABET and the CM says she convinced them that it was for the good of the community, not just individual educators. This was one centre, which raised the problem of learners wanting to take all the profit of whatever they grew or made, and not ploughing the requisite 50% back into the centre. For the Centre Manager this was an unexpected problem but the CM worked with the District Co-ordinator to explain the benefits of re-investment. D ropout learners This centre had a relatively high learner dropout rate. Reasons given were that learners either moved on to other projects in the community, went to the city or found formal and informal employment, lack of equipment frustrated them, other projects with financial gain, expulsion for stealing. C entre governing body The DC said of the CGB: ‘They are lazy and don’t want to work, yet they are the key. They don’t want to initiate anything and it is therefore hard to work with them’. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 171 The educators commented that the CGB did not provide any support to the centre and that they did not contribute anything. According to the CGB interview, there was a lack of reporting systems, particularly financial. Apart from this, the CGB feel they are doing a fine job. Educators The educators saw themselves as pioneers of the interpretation of Unit Standards, because they ended up becoming a model and were teaching other centres to interpret it. Educators felt that due to the lack of learning materials, learners were not adequately prepared for exams and the theoretical component of the electives. The shortage of learning materials led to delays in planting and completing practical tasks. Educators received training in OBE, ILP, assessment and business plan development. They valued this training and felt that it enhanced their teaching capacity. They felt that below ABET level 4 the instruction should be in the vernacular and above ABET 4 it should be in English. Positive impact The whole community has changed since they now see the benefits of growing food and even buy their vegetables from the centre instead of from shops. But most importantly, the principal who was initially resistant to Ikhwelo, offered them a small plot of land. While there had been some jealousy at the start and thus no water and electricity had been provided, this problem has been resolved. The principal shares her office with the CM and the staff room with educators. She also helps with recruitment. The learners were offered land by the local council to extend the project once they saw that it was successful. However, money is needed for fencing. The centre is actively selling the knitting and sewing products that they produce and this has led to a certain amount of independence. N egative impact As far as finances go, a lot of money goes into training. These educators have been thoroughly trained but leave because they are not permanently employed. Due to the lack of agricultural equipment, success has not been great, thus, the educators rated the centre as average. The SMME component was rated as good. This community has a problem with theft and is in need of a container to keep their equipment safe. They felt it was not cost-effective for Ikhwelo to invest so much but not provide a container. The project is also plagued by theft of their vegetables. Some learners did not write the examinations as they thought this was unnecessary. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 172 R ecommendations The learners felt that if the following ‘shopping list’ of requests were addressed, the centre would be more successful and the impact on themselves and their community would be enhanced: ~ Money for fencing off the agricultural plot to curtail theft. ~ A storage facility for equipment to keep it safe. ~ More learning and practical material and equipment. ~ The District Co-ordinators need dedicated transport because their mobility and thus ability to do their work and visit the centres is impaired as they rely on the pool car from the Department of Education. ~ Frank discussions and regular meetings will enhance communication Makukhanye C entre Makukhanye is situated in the greater central region of the Eastern Cape Province. The village is located in the East London district along a valley just outside East London. The centre makes use of the day school after hours. This centre focuses on SMME only. A chievements The appointment of the SMME practical educator in sewing, Rhona Mapundo and sending one educator on a fabric painting course. It seems that people with specialist skills commit to the centre and this has a positive effect on recruitment or learners who had lost interest and dropped out, returning to the centre. According to the learners, sewing, painting, reading and writing counted as the major achievement. The project's products are sold to the community. Impressions The project, as compared to others reviewed, has certain undeniable strengths such as the recently appointed Centre Manager and a CGB that considers itself so essential to the existence of the centre that the chair refers to it as the Life Government Body! Good relations prevail between staff, the CGB and the learners. This may have a substantial impact on the overall success of this project. One reason for the success is that the recently appointed centre manager has a lot of gumption and is well liked and a hard worker. When they had classroom problems the CGB approached the SGB and community leaders and it was subsequently resolved. Old women learners being forced to carry the goods that they make to and fro and sometimes even the sewing machines, since they are not safe at the school. Educators Most educators have tertiary qualifications and Ikhwelo provided additional training. The training included needs analyses, OBE and assessment. According to some educators, most learners were starting to come to the centre because new materials and equipments had been bought. Educators felt that, through the Ikhwelo Project, learners had now gained confidence and some were using their newly-acquired skills to earn a living. Some educators felt that the teaching hours were few and needed I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 173 to be added to. This has an impact on the quality of goods produced, as it is not great at the moment. Some learners do not understand English, making it difficult for them to learn. D ropout learners According to the learners, approximately 10 learners had dropped out since the project's inception. This is a very low figure compared to other centres. The reasons for dropping out includes domestic problems, too much theory and less practicals and general learner laziness. The current learners believe that in order to deal with and manage dropout rate the following must be done ~ More practical work. ~ Securing of own building. ~ Improvements in the sale of goods produced by the learners. C entre managers The centre manager is highly qualified, with a BA degree in education. Additional skills and qualifications include training by the Ikhwelo Project. The centre manager has attended workshops, including centre principal workshop, new educator workshop and SMME workshop. According to the centre manager, these workshops assisted the centre managers with managerial skills. The centre manager believes that additional skills are needed in the centre. These skills include, financial management and learnership skills. C entre governing bodies The newly-acquired equipments have made everybody happy and committed to the centre. The CGB counts the fact that the centre is opened every year and is producing products, as a major achievement. The centre also enjoys the support of the community, including that of ocal political parties. The chair of the CGB believes that Ikhwelo should organise a training workshop entitled ‘What to do when Ikhwelo goes away’ as he does not feel confident that they would be able to cope once the Ikhwelo Co￾operative Agreement comes to an end. Positive impact According to some educators, the rating of the Ikhwelo Project was good, because learners had gained valuable experience in farming and making their own products. Some learners had been employed, thus improving their standards of living. The shortage of material had been somewhat been alleviated by the fact that some factories gave the school the sewing material. This was done through local fund-raising. According to some educators, learners wanted to diversify and learn new skills. N egative impact According to some educators, poor attendance and lack of resources was a major problem facing the centre. Other educator attribute poor learner attendance to old age, as some learners are elderly. Lack of storage facility is also cited as a problem. The current storage facility is provided for by the community and this means carrying machinery to and from the centre every day. This makes it unsafe and may contribute to breakages. Access to the school premises is sometimes a problem as the keys are not in the possession of the educators or centre manager. The lack of materials makes teaching difficult and it takes a long time to finish work at the centre. The furniture used is not suitable for adults, as it is geared towards primary school kids. This makes it uncomfortable for adult learners. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 174 R ecommendations According to the learners, the centre must diversify and introduce new subjects such as hair salon and agricultural projects. The centre must also teach learners other patterns varieties and establish a broidery project in order to earn an income. EL Correctional Services Correctional Services East London is self-evidently situated in the greater central region of the Eastern Cape Province. The prison is located in the East London district. A chievements The learners have written external exams and their interest in SMME and business is exciting. Learners have developed skills in business plan development, and basic agricultural skills. The educators have exhibited great motivational skills in recruiting learners and they believe that if they had not started with ABET in 1999, learners would not have been prepared for Ikhwelo when the opportunity arose. Impressions The project, as compared to others reviewed, is the greatest but most under-utilised opportunity for learning. This project requires very basic interventions that need to come from the very top which would imply lobbying Correctional Services at a national level to invest in education of prisoners with more conviction and creativity. D ropout learners According to the learners, approximately 50 learners had dropped out over a period of three years. The reasons for dropping out include: ~ Delays in securing learning materials. ~ The fact that there are no smoke breaks, discourages learners to attend. ~ Cold weather in winter discourages learners to attend. Current learners felt that no dropout learners should be allowed back. This would discourage dropouts. They also felt that practicals would attract old learners to enrol. As a recommendation, they felt that the Ikhwelo learners must maintain all prison gardens. C entre manager The centre manager of this project views his job as a ‘calling’. It is obvious that he operates under extremely difficult circumstances and a stifling Correctional Services bureaucracy. This centre displays tremendous pragmatism and has accepted the fact that all the wheels turn slowly and that they have to wait for everything. According to the centre manager, the centre was understaffed and there was a lot of admin work that needed to be done. The centre does not need a lot of money due to the current correctional rules governing the centre. Because of this, the centre manager believes the project will continue even if the Ikhwelo Project ends. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 175 C entre governing bodies This centre does not have a CGB. Educators The educators were never made aware that the theory they learnt in class was meant to be followed through with actual planting and growing outside and were very sad to hear this had been denied them. But the issue of escorting comes into play because even the classes cannot proceed without a member of the Correctional Services being present, so it is hardly likely that it would be easy to organise for prisoners to be taken outside the security of the buildings and be offered the freedom of movement necessary to farm. Educators are not sure that what they are actually doing is the correct thing. This points to little guidance from the Department and Ikhwelo. The educators have exhibited great motivational skills in recruiting learners and they believe that if they had not started with ABET in 1999, learners would not have been prepared for Ikhwelo when the opportunity arose. Positive impact The shortage of materials have forced learners as well as educators to source extra reading materials outside of the curriculum. Most learners rate the Ikhwelo Project as average, while the rest rate it as good. They felt that through the Ikhwelo Project, crime in South Africa could decrease. N egative impact Learning is hampered by the fact that some learners who are serving long-term sentences are not allowed to do practical agriculture due to their prison terms. All learners do not do SMME practicals, as this will violate their prison terms. The learners are only allowed to do theory. This surely limits learning. According to the learners, learning materials such as calculators, textbooks and pens were very few. This has led to frustrations and demotivation of learners caused by delays. Learners also cite the fact that instructions are in English, as a limiting factor. They would prefer the use of both mother tongue and English R ecommendations The DoE examines the education interventions currently being made by Correctional Services and conducts another survey like the Ikhwelo one but in a selection of prisons around the country and then comes up with recommendations for the renewed and vigorous promotion of ABET and reading linked to the reward of listening to and watching Soul City. The latter programme will be carrying ABET and reading messages over 2002 and 2003 and it is expected to stimulate an interest that the ABET sector must be prepared to respond too. The educators complained about not having enough time to finish the syllabus even though they push the learners. This appeared strange to the researchers as one would think they would have enough time on their hands. A recommendation thus needs to be about extending the time available for education inside prisons. Something which needs to be looked at is introducing life skills and self-improvement, so that the temptation to repeat crimes is reduced among those where there is still a chance for a change taking place. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 176 Also, the imprisoned learners work according to the school system ie starting in January, but they say there is no need for them to wait when they’re just wasting time in November and December. According to the learners, Ikhwelo must be introduced to other correctional facilities. Zimele C entre Zimele is situated in the Greater Central region of the Eastern Cape Province. This rural development project is located in the Lady Frere district on land specifically allocated to the project and has been running for several years. The buildings, infrastructure land and everything thereon, belong to Zimele. This centre focuses on both agriculture and SMME. A chievements The project, as compared to others reviewed, was in the opinion of the researchers, the best, because they are neither a primary school trying to be a PALC, nor a struggling PALC. They are a rural development project established in 1989, which has been involved with farming and animal husbandry, sewing and bead work, long before Ikhwelo came along. In the words of one CGB member ,‘Ikhwelo got us on the way so even if we go slowly we will keep going’. When Ikhwelo had not paid in their allocation of funds, they collected from the community, borrowed machines and tractors. The centre boasts an impressive array of products produced, including traditional dresses, beadwork, aprons, bags, hats etc. Impressions The training at the centre is needs-driven, in the sense that learners were consulted as to what they needed to study. The centre existed before the Ikhwelo Project, so it has a lot of experience and expertise in both SMME and agriculture. The centre has been funded by other organisations such as the Department of Labour. The agricultural expertise of Umnga Farmers Association is utilised to the maximum by this centre. Learners felt that the fact that they could produce products and read and write, was a major achievement for them. Although the delivery of equipment was delayed, the fact that those were received after the submission of a business plan, encouraged learners and educators alike. C entre governing body This was the strongest, clearest CGB interviewed, with each member playing an equal and defined role (in other interviews like Qoqodala, one or two CGB members dominated the question and answer session). When asked about their functioning they replied: ‘There is a structural organogram and we follow the lines of accountability from the manual on Centre Governing Management Book.’ They visit the centre 2 or 3 times a week. The CGB meets twice a month on a Wednesday at 14:00 and more if necessary. Minutes are taken to help compile their monthly reports. Educators I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 177 The educators felt they had changed learners’ lives by teaching them skills that earned them a living. Learners could now produce aprons, traditional wear, tracksuits, and develop a business plan. Most of the products which are produced by the centre, are sold to the community for income. The educators attended training interventions, including business plan development, summative assessment and formative assessment. The training interventions contributed to them to becoming better educators. D ropout learners Some of the reasons given for learner dropout were shortage of equipment. The educators recommended that all materials including equipment, must be sent to centrs at the beginning of each year to avoid disruptions. However, according to the learners and educators, most learners who dropped out had come back, because there was more time for practicals now. They felt that having more practicals had resolved the dropout problem. C entre managers The centre manager was interviewed as part of the CGB. Positive impact The centre is able to produce products that it sells to the community to earn an income. This includes supplying schools with uniforms. The learners feel that they are now able to provide food for their families as well as earn an extra income. N egative impact The equipment came in June 2001 and even though petty cash was promised every two months, it had so far only been deposited in June and October 2001. There is also a shortage of machinery. This has resulted in delays. The time that had been allocated for financial training ran out before they could finish and Ikhwelo said they would make another time but they didn’t. R ecommendations They need a telephone, facsimile and photocopying machine to improve communication. While they need equipment similar to other centres, they seem to have more of a definite plan for it. The learners would like the Ikhwelo Project to create a local and export market for their products. It would be advisable for other CGBs to meet with them to share in the determined positive manner in which this CGB operates. Nolitha C entre Nolitha PALC is situated in the greater central region of the Eastern Cape Province. The school is located in the Butterworth district. It is a primary school by day. A chievements Some learners have started their own businesses, while others are producing food for domestic consumption. It is clear that learners have had direct benefits from the project. The project is thus I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 178 providing food security and an income for learners. Learners have acquired knowledge of new methods in agriculture as well as marketing skills. Impressions The project, as compared to others reviewed, is not easy to get a grip on because a former centre manager was interviewed, along with the present centre manager who, although very pleasant, may have been instrumental in ousting the first CM. Another difficulty is the fact that it is put forward as a beacon of Ikhwelo in the Prolit promotional video and is rated highly by the Ikhwelo field worker. The researchers, however, found very little that would leave a lasting impression. Safety was an issue brought up by the learners leading to the gates being kept locked and learners not having access to the school. Another serious issue brought up by the learners is the fact that the AAAT was approved late in February 2001, but to date, they have not received equipment or funding for agriculture. The interviewees felt that Ikhwelo did not make good on their promises and felt that although there had been some improvement with the new manager in place, much still needed to be done. D ropouts According to the learners, ± 50 learners over a period of three years had dropped out. The reasons cited ranged from unemployment, delays or lack of equipment, and too much theoretical work. Educators According to educators access to land had been a challenge but they did manage to convince ECDC to provide them with land - but then this land proved unsuitable. One educator expressed a great desire to change other ABET centres that he seemed to have a connection with into Ikhwelo centres and was thus helping learners and educators in other centres to set up and improve their gardens. C entre managers The achievement or value of the centre manager remains a mystery at this centre. This is because the former centre manager who left a few months ago had been there for two years prior to her resignation and the present centre manager had been in this position for two months. Yet there was no clear or definite impression that one was an achiever (other than by their own self-expounding declarations) or well liked by learners or key to the centre’s success. C entre governing bodies Only one member of the CGB presented himself for the scheduled interview although others were also meant to be there. (But it was a miserably drizzly and chilly day and the school with its muddy puddles and cold classrooms was not the most inviting place to be - except for the district co-ordinator and regional manager who battled against great odds to get there.) Nevertheless, the CGB member seemed to have a clear understanding of the role of the CGB and was certainly doing his bit to see to the smooth running of the centre. He did make some wry comment about it being difficult to work alone which might indicate that the CGB is not as responsible or dedicated as it should be. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 179 Positive impact According to the educator who attempted to extend the effect and influence of Ikhwelo to other centres, he was rewarded with an increase in the number of learners enrolled at his centre. Another educator believed it was good for learners to be exposed to modern agricultural practices. N egative impact However, when these very modern agricultural practices fail to achieve the intended outcome because the land is unsuitable for agricultural intervention, this can reflect negatively on the agricultural facilitator. Through the delays of the department in helping educators to have access to appropriate land, production of products was delayed and this led to learner dropping out. R ecommendations A container is needed because Nolitha is in a host school and adult learners need to keep their learning materials separate for safety. They would also like their own portion of land for agriculture practical work. The centre must either negotiate a favourable conducive lease with the current school principal or get new premises. According to both learners and educators, learning is disrupted due to the use of poor classrooms with no electricity, lockout by day school principals during holidays and lack of storage facilities. Educators in Prolit centres need to be permanent. You need permanency in ABET as a whole. Those who go to Pretoria must be those who handle these centres directly. Qoqodala C entre Qoqodala PALC, is situated in the northern region of the Eastern Cape Province. The village is located in the Queenstown district on the land and using the building of the local mission church. They would like to have their own buildings in time in order to be able to move out of the mission but the priest is very supportive of their work. A chievements The project, as compared to others reviewed, is innovative because they are thinking ahead towards computer training, forestry, training to repair motor vehicles and training for catering which are things we did not hear in other centres and is definitely a response to the needs they recognise in their community. It is clear that the community has benefited because Qoqodala was one of 15 shortlisted projects out of 220 applicants in the Batho Pele Premier’s Award. They have managed the accounts since 1997 and started both AAAT and SMME before Ikhwelo brought the equipment and their activities involve the whole community. They have organised training for sewing from the DoL, secured donations from local Queenstown business people and the mayor I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 180 and have approached Crankshaw to make a sign for the road. When faced with the challenge of keeping learners in classrooms till the practical training started, they informed them by showing them rates of retrenchment and explained that if they ploughed the land they would be independent. Impressions They are fund-raising and planning towards computer training, forestry and motor vehicle repairs training and training for catering which are things the researchers did not hear in other centres and is definitely in response to the needs they recognise in their community. C entre governing body ‘Since we started we believe we are on the right track. We have a garden and are already selling spinach, cabbages, onions carrots and aprons. Some learners have their own gardens at their homes.’ The CGB’s activities range from fund-raising with the Dept of Agriculture and Economic Affairs, arranging slots in monthly community meetings in order to keep them informed of centre news and brainstorming together, for example when pests damaged the crops they sat together and resolved the matter. Educators The educators quoted the balance of theory against practice as a major challenge with regard to agriculture which probably means that in this centre as in others, learners were partial towards practicals and impatient with theory. In dealing with this issue the educator led by example in that he showed the learners articles on agriculture in the newspaper so that they would be convinced that the written word about farming was as important as practical farming itself. In response to the question about major challenges one educator said ‘to be a leader among leaders’ which is indicative of an appropriate attitude when teaching adults. D ropout learners Although it is a fact that learners did drop out at some point along the way, the learners interviewed could not remember what number this represented. However, they did make a point of saying that those who left had been frustrated but were now back and that the reason for the frustration had been the limited amount of time spent on practicals and that more of the latter would help to reduce the dropout problem. C entre managers The centre manager was interviewed as a part of the centre governing body because of time constraints but appears vital and integral to the success of the centre. Positive impact They have managed the accounts since 1997 and started both AAAT and SMME before Ikhwelo brought the equipment and their activities involve the whole community. They have organised training for sewing from the DoL, secured donations from local Queenstown business people and the mayor and have approached Crankshaw to make a sign for the road. When faced with the challenge of keeping learners in classrooms till the practical training started, they informed the learners by showing them rates of retrenchment and explained that if they plough the land they would be independent. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 181 N egative impact Educators at this centre quoted the delay in operations ie the fact that materials came late and they therefore had to start later as a challenge because it had the effect of making them work on weekends which they were not paid for. They also felt that the medium of instruction should not be English alone as some learners did not understand English, but it should be both Xhosa and English. R ecommendations The interview outcomes revealed that this project would benefit immensely if the following shortages were addressed: ~ Funding for the project. ~ More equipment such as wheelbarrows, spades, rakes, watering cans, fertiliser. ~ More materials - training as well as for application in their practical work, such as an overlocker for the sewing project, stainless steel tables for brick making, baking pans, cooling rack, scales, gas cooker, etc. The community wants a baking project, but cannot feed the entire community from one mud oven. ~ Road construction to make it possible for them to reach the markets by road. This will furthermore enhance the marketability of their agricultural and other products. ~ Water irrigation for their agricultural activities. ~ Fencing to protect their crops and other vegetation from domestic animals. ~ Electricity to enhance the potential of their SMME activities. ~ Erection of property centre building so that they can have their own land and premises and ultimately be autonomous. Lupapasi Centre Lupapasi, called Tyityane, is situated in the eastern region of the Eastern Cape Province. The village is located in the Umtata district in mountainous terrain and as in most rural centres, access by road is practically impossible without a 4x4 vehicle. It took the researchers almost 2 hours to reach the village. The centre buildings are a day school, roughly hewn with sand and mud interiors. To emphasise the ruddy rural surroundings a large snake made its way towards the researcher at the end of her interview with educators and was killed by the school children. A chievements This PALC, as compared to others reviewed, is above average because the spirit and commitment of educators and learners equal that of other centres while the challenges of living in such a remote, difficult to access area, are extreme. At this centre there were no dropout educators. All the educators have been there from between 18 months and 3 years. Educators all have diplomas and certificates in fields such as agriculture (crop production), and teaching. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 182 The educators feel confident that the learners are learning the relevant fields of study and they are starting to grow their own crops. According to the educators, the learners were illiterate in 1996 when the project started; now, 150 people can read and write, and they approach the educators for help if and when they need assistance. The educators have succeeding in making the learners believe in working for themselves to reduce starvation. They noted 30 learners who were growing things successfully and we can gather from this that their families are benefiting from this project, specifically in terms of poverty relief and improved livelihoods through production as a result of what they learn at the centre. In this community, SMME training was not addressed initially, by choice of this community. Only after they realised the correlation between AAAT and SMME they wanted skills in SMME. This points to a lack of project planning on the part of the project implementing agent and other principals at the onset of Ikhwelo. Impressions Learners and educators appeared committed and dedicated with a strong sense of community spirit. Although this centre is deemed a success, it is not without its shortages and problems. The project has made a positive impact on the learners, specifically in agriculture as learners can now space their crops, plant, conduct fumigation and know how to apply decomposed cow dung as fertiliser. The project furthermore has had a positive impact on the community because what they have learnt is upfront and tangible, unlike purist ABET where the results can only be felt if literacy and numeracy are actively applied. D ropout learners Forty-nine learners dropped out because some took up employment, some did not want to write exams and others were not interested in the theory of AAAT and SMMEs. Learners wanted practical instruction, not so much theory. On average 3 hours per teaching day is spent on preparation and 3 hours on theory. Furthermore, two days per week is spent on theory and two on practical. C entre governing body All round good relations prevail between staff, the CGB and the learners. This may have a substantial impact on the overall success of this project. One reason for the success is that the centre manager holds appraisals and report-backs twice a month, even though the centre manager lives 15 kilometres outside of the village and only goes to the centre once a week on a Thursday. Educators At this centre, there were no dropout educators. All the educators have been there from between 18 months and 3 years. Educators all have diplomas and certificates in fields such as agriculture (crop production), and teaching. The educators feel confident that the learners are learning the relevant fields of study and they are starting to grow their own crops. According to the educators, the learners were illiterate in 1996 when the project started, now, 150 people can read and write, and they approach the educators for help if and when they need assistance. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 183 C entre managers The centre manager was interviewed as a part of the CGB because of time constraints. Positive impact The educators succeeded in making the learners believe in working for themselves to reduce starvation. They noted 30 learners who were growing things successfully and we can gather from this that their families are benefiting from this project, specifically in terms of poverty relief and improved livelihoods through production as a result of what they learn at the centre. N egative impact The only negative point raised by educators was that the process was slow and that had all the material been there on time, the learners would have performed adequately because they were capable. The lack of water and equipment for both electives were also cited as a challenge. In this community, SMME training was not addressed initially, by choice of this community. Only after they realised the correlation between AAAT and SMME did they want skills in SMME. This points to a lack of project planning on the part of the project implementing agent and other principals at the onset of Ikhwelo. R ecommendations The interview outcomes revealed that this project would benefit immensely if the following shortages were addressed: ~ Transport and road construction. ~ Water for irrigation. ~ Equipment such as wheelbarrows, spades, rakes, watering cans, fertiliser, etc. ~ Fencing for the agricultural projects. ~ Language use – this community wants mother tongue instruction. ~ Properly structured pay for full-time educators who are only paid sporadically – ‘if you claim in September, you may get paid in November’. ~ Funding for the project. ~ More materials – training as well as for application in their practical work, such as an overlocker for the sewing project, stainless steel tables for bread making, baking pans, cooling rack, scales, gas cooker, etc. The community wants a baking project, but cannot feed the entire community from one mud oven. ~ A clinic - because medical attention is necessary for health and survival and most other places have some sort of access to such an amenity. If a learner is sick and it takes a two-hour drive via a random lift which could pitch up at any time to get him into Port St John’s, he and others that he comes into contact with, are at risk. ~ Erection of a property centre building because the few structures that make up the school are far too rudimentary. They are shared with the day school children and it would be far better for adult learners to be able to store their learning materials in their own safe space. Many of adults were just sitting around on the grass and grounds when we visited, so there is no doubt that more comfortable buildings would provide shelter from the elements and would be more conducive towards I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 184 study. The research revealed that if the educators had additional skills to impart to the learners, such as candle making, T-shirt printing, etc, the project would benefit. Port St Johns Centre A chievements Learners are able to sign their own names, count money, plant vegetables, sew and operate machines, do carpentry, beadwork, knitting and ashtray making. They can also compile business plans, price goods and conduct quality control. Impressions This is a centre that has moved from theory to practice for the creation of products and then finally to selling and replenishing their stock from sales. We can verify this because they were waiting for us with a range of bead and sewn products displayed all over the small ground of their very limited learning space. We were late because of the long and arduous drive down the mountain from Lupapasi, but they waited. The quality of the work seemed good and we had a variety of goods to choose from, when we decided to purchase some beadwork. Educators Educators were interviewed as a part of the CGB. Whenever the questions tended towards that which did not relate to CGBs in particular but just to the general running and affairs of the centre, they answered quite confidently. Their diffidence might have been related to the presence of the CM for whom they needed to perform well, or it could have been linked to a lack of confidence with speaking English. Despite these impressions, one can still conclude that they are more than adequate educators because learners are satisfied with them and products are available. D ropout learners According to learners interviewed, approximately 100 learners had dropped out since the start of the programme. In this centre. The main reasons for this were a change of location (the centre changed its venue) and because of a lack of a building and furniture such as desks. Had these been available right from the start, the learners felt that learner dropout would have been prevented. C entre managers The centre manager, quite a strong personality, was interviewed as a part of the CGB. C entre governing bodies Educators were interviewed as a part of the CGB which they were members off. The overall impression gained by the researcher was that they were not very confident about their answers as CGB members and were constantly prodded and prompted by the CM who had a notebook next to her from which she would answer. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 185 Positive impact The community can now order products from us and since Port St Johns is a growing eco-tourist destination, there are opportunities for products to be sold to a much wider audience than the local community. N egative impact The only negative aspect raised by learners was starting the project late. R ecommendations Markets must be developed for products produced so that learners are enabled to start their own businesses. Learners must be assisted to take their learning forward by establishing their own projects so that there be constant movement and growth after completion of the project theory and practicals. More materials need to be supplied for the practicals. Kambi Centre Kambi PALC is situated in the eastern region of the Eastern Cape Province. The village is located in the Umtata district on the land of and using the building of the primary school. Storing their sewn goods and equipment is difficult because this area is plagued by heavy rains and floods and the CM showed us buildings in ruins which had to be abandoned. A chievements The project, compared to others reviewed, is innovative, entrepreneurial and community-centred. When the Ikhwelo equipment did not arrive on time, educators and the CM each put in R50 from their own pockets. They had six machines at the beginning but hired more and convinced people in the community who owned machines that they would service them if they lent them to the project. This centre has come to realise the importance of the elders in the community in two ways: Firstly, they cannot go into the towns to get jobs but are reluctant to come to school. This has a domino effect on the community. The CM plans to go door to door to ensure that the elderly join the school and use their time profitably. Secondly, they bought 50 metres of material and made petticoats, which were very popular among the elderly. The centre realised that the elderly were an important potential client. They have also made and sold tea cosies, aprons, scatter cushions and now they have orders being placed. Educators This was the first and only centre manager to admit that his relationship with educators was not always easy, largely because of complaints about late payment. He also admitted that he thought they did not trust him at first. Educators started arriving at the centre as the researchers were driving off and it could be seen from their lacsidaisical approach that it might be a challenge to motivate them to remain vigilant I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 186 about their work at all times. They were told to come to the centre to meet us earlier than they were accustomed to but nevertheless came at the usual time of 15:00. C entre governing bodies Although we did not meet with any CGB members, the CM had a clear understanding of what their function should be and since they do liaise and keep up good communication between the community and the centre, it can be inferred that they are performing their functions well. They meet once a month and when a difficulty arose over learners wanting certificates as soon as they finished their training, the CM reported it to the CGB and they together with the DC were able to sort it out. A trainer had given the learners this unrealistic notion but they eventually did get the certificates when time was allowed for processing. D ropout learners Twenty seven learners were originally selected and six had dropped out: Two got married and left because their new homes were far away and four took up jobs in town. The centre manager believes that external exams and certification would encourage learners to stay on because this would provide a route to moving on to technical colleges. C entre manager Having experienced CMs who wrote from notes and coached their fellow CGB members to say the right thing, this CM was a refreshing relief. He was serious about communicating what was actually happening - the challenges of having other satellite centres that needed his attention over and above Kambi. Positive impact These educators try not to put the elderly (and other) learners off by introducing too much theory. They want to be out in the fields learning as they work. The CM explained that while people may have been farming, they were not necessarily using the appropriate and most beneficial techniques. This is the great value that Ikhwelo in the form of their specialist partners UPE and Umnga, brought to them. Now, for example, they apply new techniques, which are to the advantage of their agricultural production (they now intersperse onions between cabbages and spinach and this has a naturally positive effect on cultivation). N egative impact Without having a container or their own safe and secure facility to store sewing machines, sewn goods and other equipment, the burden of safekeeping falls on elderly learners. While really bad weather cannot of course be blamed on the Ikhwelo Project, it becomes all the more difficult to bear because rooms in which they had stored equipment were literally blown over in the storms and so they had to move and scatter equipment among various caretakers. What we are trying to communicate here is that while the overall introduction of the project is no doubt positive, it brings certain new responsibilities which ,if not adequately catered for by Ikhwelo - like safety and security - can then become a challenge or have a negative impact on the very lives we are trying to ease. R ecommendations It would be to the centre’s advantage to link the sewing project directly to what the community needs, for instance, in Kambi there are now orders for school uniforms. Perhaps Ikhwelo should sponsor a flea I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 187 market set up at the very beginning of the project or year and have a range of products available with educators on call with information sheets so they can record how much interest is expressed for what product and what price it needed to be pitched at to be viable for that community. If a lot of beadwork were to be done it would have to be linked with a tourist outlet or out of home trade post. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 188 Ann ex 3: Researc h methodology The research team consisted of impact evaluation specialists who acted as team leader (Minnie Venter-Hildebrand) and external facilitator (Douglas Passanisi), two ABET specialists (Beulah Thumbadoo and Fakazani Mgwaba), an agricultural economist (Junior Ferreira), and a research and curriculum expert (Alrika Moore). The methodology which the Ikhwelonet Consortium followed in the execution of the impact evaluation is described below.16 This impact evaluation summarises the data obtained during a longitudinal study of changes in individuals and institutions that can be attributed to the Ikhwelo training interventions. Impact in this study means the change in individual or institutional capacity or performance that can be attributed to a training intervention. This believes that training itself is not impact. Impact is what trainees do with their training. Training is simply one intervention type open to recipients. Furthermore, training is not necessarily the overall purpose of the project but can contribute towards the achievement of national development objectives. In other words, training is a pre-condition for impact or change to occur. This impact evaluation has numerous audiences and applications: it is of interest to the Department of Education, USAID, Project Literacy, the learners, educators, centre managers, and programme managers who have programme or project-specific desires to maximise the impact of project-funded training. The implementing agent, Project Literacy would be well served to ascertain what alternative interventions; changes in approach, or implementation strategies would be more applicable, effective and efficient. Components of the impact evaluation The implementation plan for this impact evaluation includes an analysis of the project as designed, measure the project achievements and outcomes against contractual requirements, assess the impact of training interventions on individuals who benefited from training and on the employing institutions, evaluate the effectiveness of the project design and management and make recommendations for future training interventions to support national development goals. To achieve the above, the following components are included in the implementation plan: ~ A planning meeting to allow the research team to gain a common understanding of the assignment, the methodology and approach, of the different roles and responsibilities and the time-frames for collecting data and submitting reports. ~ Defining the issues becomes an important component of the implementation plan, 16 This methodology is based on acquired knowledge by the team leader and external facilitator from the Creative Associates Int. Inc Impact Evaluations. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 189 for if a common understanding is lacking, researchers will fall short of asking the right questions during the data collection process and this will negatively impact on the outcomes and analyses of the impact evaluation. ~ The determination of data sources and the collection methodology are important. In the case of this impact evaluation, the names and locations of the projects are available and the focus falls on the collection methodology. Impact evaluations are more reliable when findings are based on data rather than on beliefs or speculations. As budgetary and time constraints often limit the scope of the data collection, it is important that the team establishes a methodology that will gather the data required to respond to the research questions within the budget and time allocated. The methodology should include a combination of personal, telephone and fax interviews, focus groups and literature reviews. ~ Drafting and discussing the measurement instruments is determined by the data sources as well as the team’s agreed-upon data collection methodology. ~ Crucial to the process is the analysis and interpretation of the data. This determines the trends and findings that ultimately influence the conclusions and recommendations. ~ The components outlined above constitute the activities that the researchers implemented to conclude the impact evaluation. To ascertain impact and the benefits and influences of access to training, the activities are divided into four phases as outlined below: PHASE 1 The planning meeting was a planning and brainstorming activity which set the stage for the impact evaluation itself. It spanned four days, during which consensus was reached on the goals and objectives, procedures, data collection methodologies, roles and responsibilities and time-lines. During this meeting a work plan was developed to include all the steps to complete the project. Planning & defining the issues Project Management: Team Co-ordination and Quality Control PHASE 1: Planning & Defining the Issues PHASE 2: Data Collection PHASE 3: Data Analysis & Interpretation PHASE 4: Final Report: Conclusions & Recommendations I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 190 The six researchers and a minute taker, two Project Literacy staff involved in the Ikhwelo Project, the sub contractor AED and the principals from the Department of Education, USAID and Project Literacy, attended the planning meeting. During this meeting, the measurement instruments were drafted and the methodology and timing to test the questionnaire agreed upon. This meeting also set the communication parameters, in terms of each researcher’s itinerary, scope of work, contacts and responsibilities. This included identifying spokespersons for each institutional component that the team can liaise with to address questions and gaps. The meeting concluded with each team member fully on board and with a solid understanding of his/her roles and responsibilities, agreement on the measurement instruments, and data collection methodology. The external facilitator, who is an expert in impact evaluations and analysis, facilitated the planning meeting. This meeting was facilitated in a participatory manner, drawing on the SMME, agriculture and ABET expertise of the team members to construct the measurement instruments and finalise the data collection methodology. The goal of the meeting was to gain consensus on the approach, methodology and procedures by all the team members. It served to understand how the Ikhwelo Project provides training, to understand how individuals are selected for training, how the impact of training is defined and how the partner institutions interact to maximise the training impact (or not). The products at the end of this phase were: ~ A unified approach to the evaluation. ~ A work plan. ~ A draft table of contents. ~ The methodology for collecting data. ~ A list of evaluation instruments and interview guides. PHASE 2 The team applied a combination of five different data collection techniques, namely: ~ Interview s: Face-to-face meetings with the individuals who provided information according to the pre-defined series of questions. ~ G uided surveys: A list of questions given to respondents who fill them out and return them after which the answers are discussed with an individual researcher. ~ Focus Groups: Meetings with a group of people who provided information together and who hear each other's responses. The groups comprised respondents Data collection I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 191 with a common experience, namely learners, dropout learners, educators, and centre governing bodies. Interviewers gathered in-depth anecdotal and qualitative information and permitted respondents to draw on each other’s ideas and perceptions. ~ C ase studies: The case studies are descriptions of each centre visited, included to provide qualitative and subjective information as the researchers experienced it in the field. ~ R eview and probing: The planning meeting and outputs from the national partner interviews exposed issues not addressed in the initial terms of reference, which needed probing and investigation. The research team concluded that in order to ascertain the validity of the contentious issues raised, further investigation was needed regarding the financing of centres, applicability of training materials and adherence to agreements by all the partners. Each data collection method had pros and cons, and the team reviewed all the factors before deciding on the data collection methods. This meant that researchers sometimes made ‘on-the-spot’ decisions when they deemed it appropriate to change the survey method once in the field. Team members were divided into groups and areas, according to language proficiency and sector skills. Each team member was equipped with sufficient knowledge to probe for in-depth anecdotal information as well as the evaluation instruments and interview guidelines. Team members were provided with logistics information, contact numbers and names and timelines. The goals of these tasks were to finalise the data collection and fieldwork, to prepare the presentation of findings, and to assess the progress against the project work plan. The products at the end of this phase were: ~ Completed field work and data collection. ~ First draft of preliminary findings. ~ First draft of assessment of progress. PHASE 3 The analysis and interpretation phase of the process presupposes that the data was collected in a consistent, systematic and methodical manner, which allows the team to compare ‘apples with apples’ and extract commonalities and gaps. This process included the systematic sorting of the data according to respondent type, the capturing and calculating of quantitative data derived from closed questions and the assembling of the qualitative data. The qualitative data and anecdotal input was captured as case studies to enrich and substantiate the quantitative ‘number crunching’. The qualitative and quantitative data was organised according to question types. At this point, the team verified the responses in line with the verification questions that were included in the questionnaires. Activity details Data analysis and interpretation I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 192 The next phase in the process entailed that the data was interpreted in terms of the project design, implementation and achievements according to the terms of reference. ~ Return of all questionnaires for review. ~ Categorisation and compilation of data. ~ Comparison of the categorised and compiled data with the terms of reference. ~ Determining of what training planning mechanisms are correlated with increased impact. ~ Determining what factors in training management emerge as having an effect on the impact of training. ~ Examining what baseline data was available against which to measure impact. ~ Assess the changes in the project’s enabling environment that are associated with training’s impact. ~ Summarising what actions and procedures increase or inhibit the impact of training, funding and institutional collaborations. The products at the end of this phase were: ~ First draft of impact evaluation ~ Preliminary conclusions and recommendations are presented to the DoE, Project Literacy and USAID for comment. PHASE 4 Finally, the team developed conclusions and recommendations. This was a combined effort drawing on the analysed data and the sector-specific knowledge of the team members. The conclusions span a broad, national perspective across the spectrum to the detailed impact of the training on individuals and individual livelihoods. Activity details Final report with conclusions and recommendations I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 193 Ann ex 4: Verifying Impact Provincial & National FAC E to FA CE & Guided Interviews: National Policy Level NAME POSITION ORGANISATION Andrew Miller CEO Project Literacy Mathata Madibane Deputy Team Leader – Ed. USAID Stone Sizani MEC Education Eastern Cape Total number of face-to-face & guided interviews: 3 Non-formalised Telephone Interview: National Policy Level NAME POSITION ORGANISATION Morongwa Ramarumo Chief Education Specialist National Department of Education Total number of face-to-face & guided interviews: 1 FAC E to FA CE & Guided Interviews: Regional Implementers NAME POSITION ORGANISATION Barbara Basil Prolit Head Office Prolit National Office Patrick Mabude Prolit Head Office Prolit National Office Elsa Geldenhuys M&E Prolit Prolit National Office Dumisani Ntombela Dir. Ikhwelo Prolit National Office I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 194 Thobile Makamba Provincial Project Manager EC Prolit Regional Office Linda Ganda ABET EC Education Department Andrew Bussack ABET EC Education Department George Sonkwala ABET Head EC Education Department Ingrid Daniel ABET EC Education Department L Mazwi Regional Co-ordinator EC Department of Education A Kabana Regional Co-ordinator EC Department of Education V R Lepheana Regional Co-ordinator EC Department of Education P Ntebe Regional Co-ordinator EC Department of Education T Vikilahle Regional Co-ordinator EC Department of Education Moloko Maraba Provincial Project Manager NP Prolit Regional Office Onica Dederen ABET Head NP Education Department A V Mathalaunga Regional Co-ordinator NP Department of Education M L Masekwameng Regional Co-ordinator NP Department of Education N W Mphahlele Regional Co-ordinator NP Department of Education K D Kubayi Regional Co-ordinator NP Department of Education T G Baloyi Regional Co-ordinator NP Department of Education Total Number of Face-to-Face & Guided Interviews: 22 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 195 Eastern Cape: Focus Groups and Guided Interviews: Village Level Centre Learners Educators CGBs DC CM Molly Blackburn 26 5 1 John Walton 16 6 1 Khanyisa 17 8 Makukhanye 06 5 1 EL Correctional 17 5 Nolitha 6 4 1 Zimele 4 2 4 Qoqodala 26 2 6 1 Lupapasi 26 5 8 Port St Johns 14 4 Kambi 2 3 Sub Total 160 45 22 1 4 Total number of focus groups & guided interviews: 232 FAC E to FA CE Interviews: District & V illage Levels NAME POSITION ORGANISATION C Nonkwelo Provincial Fieldworker Project Literacy M Dabula Ikhwelo Fieldworker Project Literacy A Sompofu Head Correctional Services B Mgcaku CGB member Nolitha N Makalima Centre Manager Khanyisa P Sotyato Ex-Centre Manager Nolitha R Manciya CGB – Chair Makukhanye B Kwepile District Co-ordinator Zimele I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 196 C Ndinisa District Co-ordinator Butterworth F Songca District Co-ordinator Khanyisa M Qobongo Centre Manager Kambi A Windvogel District Co-ordinator Uitenhage Total number of face-to-face interviews: 12 Limpopo: Focus Groups and Guided Interviews: Village Level Centre Learners Educators CGBs DC CM Madikono 15 3 0 0 1 Dithothwaneng 36 5 6 0 1 Madisei 9 4 4 0 1 Rakopi 8 5 6 0 1 Matangari 14 4 4 0 1 Makaahlule 25 4 6 0 1 Khomisani 10 3 4 0 1 Hosana Mevele 14 5 3 0 1 Mvhuyazi 28 4 5 0 1 Soniye 11 2 2 0 1 Sub Total 170 39 40 0 10 Total number of focus groups & guided interviews: 259 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 197 FAC E to FA CE Interviews: District & V illage Levels NAME POSITION ORGANISATION Sarah Sethwape Drop-out Learner Madikono Centre Patric Sefoka Field Worker Ikhwelo Regional Office L Thouhakale Field Worker Ikhwelo Regional Office S Boitseng Trainers Northern Training Trust S Lebese Trainers Northern Training Trust Q Shivhamvu Trainers Northern Training Trust J Shitalame Trainers Northern Training Trust P Mahubane District Co-ordinator Madikono S D Tshoga District Co-ordinator Madisei E Ramalebana District Co-ordinator Matangari M C Mabunda District Co-ordinator Khomisani J X Nyakane District Co-ordinator Mvhuyazi Kid Mabunda District Co-ordinator Soniye Total face-to-face interviews: 13 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 198 Ann ex 5: Finan cial Breakdowns Sup por t ta bles Expenditure according to Province, April 1999 - A ugust 2001 Item Eastern Cape Limpopo TOTAL Personnel 709,832 670,254 1,380,086 Consultants 444,245 697,311 1,141,556 Agricultural consultants 229,539 372,246 601,785 Assessment 2,000 2,000 SMME consultants 204,762 245,838 450,600 Centre governance 64,872 64,872 Project management 5,351 5,351 10,702 Other 2,593 9,004 11,597 Travel 459,426 323,303 782,729 Expendables 396,984 301,936 698,920 E mail, fax & telephone 129,228 73,824 203,052 Postage and courier 16,944 10,364 27,308 Office expenses 19,848 15,617 35,465 Stationery 20,301 14,929 35,230 Computer usage 5,063 740 5,803 Printing & reproduction 14,904 14,360 29,264 Rental 98,032 84,609 182,641 Motor-vehicle ex penses 39,562 43,013 82,575 Advertising 53,102 44,480 97,582 Non-expendables 271,322 473,409 744,731 Moto- vehicles 217,026 434,052 651,078 Furniture 16,527 9,282 25,809 Office equipment 35,319 30,075 65,394 Security gates 2,450 2,450 Admin costs/overheads 595,476 595,476 1,190,952 Training 2,081,635 1,549,522 3,631,157 Assessment 155,314 103,802 259,116 Educator training 282,149 26,046 308,195 Centre manager 80,161 76,957 157,118 Project management workshops 12,777 12,777 25,554 Centre governance 138,986 21,926 160,912 Agric specialist workshops 246,810 123,527 370,337 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 199 SMME specialist workshops 220,130 38,355 258,485 Learner registration 10,215 1,059 11,274 Learner/educator material 554,772 681,965 1,236,737 Learner stationery 48,054 40,887 88,941 Material and transport (resource unit) 11,240 8,154 19,394 Petty cash to centres 9,500 13,000 22,500 SMME/agricultural ventures 112,241 171,254 283,495 Equipment 68,685 42,435 111,120 Open day 62,764 102,290 165,054 Transport 53,469 67,508 120,977 Other 14,368 17,580 31,948 TOTAL 4,958,920 4,611,211 9,570,131 B udget & Actual Expenditure: A griculture & SMME Ventures, Eastern C ape (R) No Centre Budget Actual Expenditure Balance Equip￾ment Pumps Fen￾cing Expendi-ture According to BPs Total Expenditure 1 John Walton 10,000 0 3,004 5,300 8,304 1,696 2 Kambi 10,000 2,478 7,523 10,000 0 3 Kanana 10,000 1,778 8,222 10,000 0 4 Khayisa 10,000 1,798 8,202 10,000 0 5 Lukhanyiso 10,000 0 2,345 7,655 10,000 0 6 Lupapasi 10,000 2,503 3,004 7,497 13,004 (3,004) 7 Middle Xolobe 10,000 1,798 3,004 5,049 9,851 149 8 Molly Blackburn 10,000 2,234 7,766 10,000 0 9 Port Alfred 10,000 2,234 7,766 10,000 0 10 Port St Johns 10,000 0 9,300 9,300 700 11 Balasi 10,000 2,645 6,597 9,242 759 12 Dubula 10,000 1,875 3,004 4,971 9,851 149 13 Dwesa 10,000 1,875 3,004 4,971 9,851 149 14 Iggili 10,000 0 10,000 10,000 0 15 Itekeng 10,000 2,645 3,004 4,202 9,851 149 16 Makukhanye 10,000 0 9,000 9,000 1,000 17 Nolitha 10,000 0 10,000 10,000 0 18 Qoqodola 10,000 1,820 3,004 8,180 13,004 (3,004) 19 Zimele 10,000 1,748 8,252 10,000 0 20 Lovedale** 1,798 1,798 0 1,798 0 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 200 21 Mooiplaas** 1,798 1,798 0 1,798 0 TOTAL 193,596 31,027 21,027 2,345 140,452 194,851 (1,255) ** Centres Closed B udget & Actual Expenditure: Agriculture & SMME Ventures, Limpopo (R) Actual Expenditure No Centre Budget Balance Equipment Pumps Fencing Expend According to BP Total Expenditure 1 Fhatuwani 10,000 2,441 3,153 5,375 7,559 18,528 (8,528) 2 Khomisani 10,000 2,608 7,392 10,000 0 3 Maandamahulu 10,000 2,336 7,963 10,299 (299) 4 Magoni 10,000 2,292 3,108 7,708 13,108 (3,108) 5 Makhahlule 10,000 3,290 3,153 5,375 3,557 15,375 (5,375) 6 Malandini 10,000 1,080 3,695 5,225 10,000 0 7 Matangari 10,000 2,380 6,127 8,507 1,493 8 Mbaleni 10,000 1,805 8,195 10,000 0 9 Mutangwa 10,000 1,577 3,153 5,375 5,270 15,375 (5,375) 10 Mvuyazi 10,000 728 5,375 6,119 12,221 (2,221) 11 Phulani 10,000 2,292 7,708 10,000 0 12 Soniye 10,000 2,292 3,153 5,375 4,555 15,375 (5,375) 13 Dithotwaneng 10,000 1,813 7,270 9,083 917 14 Ditlotswane 10,000 1,329 7,963 9,292 708 15 Ga-Phaahla 10,000 0 7,663 7,663 2,337 16 Hosane-Mavele 10,000 2,484 3,153 7,516 13,153 (3,153) 17 Madikanono 10,000 1,925 5,375 8,075 15,375 (5,375) 18 Madisei 10,000 2,343 5,375 7,657 15,375 (5,375) 19 Marumofase 10,000 1,478 6,127 7,605 2,395 20 Maupye 10,000 1,487 7,963 9,450 550 21 Phomelelo 10,000 1,532 8,182 9,714 286 22 Rakopi 10,000 1,161 8,840 10,000 0 23 Senopelwa 10,000 2,338 5,375 7,662 15,375 (5,375) 24 Tompi Seleka 10,000 2,017 7,983 10,000 0 TOTAL 240,000 45,026 15,767 49,800 170,278 280,872 (40,872) I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 201 Ann ex 6: Infrast ructure & Res ources Supp or t In format ion IKH WELO C EN TR ES, LIMPOPO Province Project Ventures Established School Yard Land Bound Size Water Sufficient Fenced in Date M Y NP Makahlulu Sewing Y Y N 4 01 NP Makahlulu Vegetables N Y 6 01 NP Malindini Bricks Y N Y 5 01 NP Malindini Vegetables Y N Y 1.0 Borehole N Y 7 01 NP Matangari Vegetables Y N Y 0.9 Scheme Y N 8 01 NP Matangari Crops Y N Y 1.0 Scheme Y N 8 01 NP Matangari Broilers N Y 5 01 NP Mbaleni Vegetables Y Y Y 0.2 Primary Y N 5 01 NP Mbaleni Broilers N Y 8 01 NP Mbaleni Grass Cu Y N N 5 01 NP Mutangwa Vegetable Y N Y 0.6 River Y Y 5 01 NP Mutangwa Blue soap N N 9 01 NP Mvuyazi Vegetables Y N Y 1.0 River Y Y 5 01 NP Mvuyazi Broilers Y N Y 32.0 6 01 NP Phulani Sewing Y N N 7 01 NP Phulani Vegetables Y Y Y 0.9 Primary Y Y 7 01 NP Soniye Popcorn Y Y N 6 01 NP Soniye Vegetables Y Y Y 0.5 Pit N N 6 01 NP Fhatuwani Bakery N Y 8 01 NP Fhatuwani Vegetables Y Y Y 0.7 River Y N 8 01 NP Khomisani Vegetables Y Y Y 0.6 Dam Y Y 7 01 NP Khomisani Broilers N Y 7 01 NP Maandamahulu Vegetables Y Y Y 0.8 Primary Y Y 6 01 NP Maandamahulu Broilers N Y 6 01 NP Mangoni Sewing Y Y N 6 01 NP Mangoni Vegetables Y Y Y 0.9 Primary N N 7 01 NP Dithotwaneng Bakery Y N Y 7 01 NP Dithotwaneng Broilers N Y 7 01 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 202 NP Dithotwaneng Vegetables Y N Y 0.5 Borehole N Y 7 01 NP Ditlotswane Broilers N Y 7 01 NP Ditlotswane Vegetables Y Y Y 1.0 Buckets N Y 7 01 NP Ga-Phaahla Broilers Y N Y 17.0 8 01 NP Ga-Phaahla Popcorn N N 8 01 NP Ga-Phaahla Vegetables N Y 8 01 NP Hosana Broilers Y N Y 12.0 6 01 NP Hosana Vegetables Y Y Y 2.0 River Y Y 6 01 NP Madikono Juice N Y 7 01 NP Madikono Pottery Y Y N 7 01 NP Madisei Vegetables Y Y Y 0.0025 Buckets N Y 7 01 NP Madisei Broilers N Y 6 01 NP Marumofase Broiler Y N Y 9.0 8 01 NP Marumofase Vegetables N Y 8 01 NP Maupye Broilers Y N Y 36.0 8 01 NP Maupye Vegetables Y N Y 0.5 Dam Y Y 8 01 NP Phomelelo Popcorn N N 7 01 NP Phomelelo Catering N N 7 01 NP Phomelelo Vegetables Y N Y 0.5 Borehole Y Y 7 01 NP Rakopi Sewing N N 6 01 NP Rakopi Vegetables Y N Y 1.0 Buckets N Y 6 01 NP Senopelwa Sewing Y Y N 6 01 NP Senopelwa Vegetables Y Y Y 0.1 Borehole N Y 5 01 NP Tompi Seleka Broilers N Y 6 01 NP Tompi Seleka Crops Y Y Y 3.0 Furrow Y Y 6 01 IKH WELO C EN TR ES, EASTER N CA PE Province Project Ventures Established School Yard Land Bound Size Water Sufficient Fenced in Date EC John Walton Candles Y Y N 5 01 EC John Walton Beads & Plaster Y Y N 5 01 EC Kumbi Sewing N N 8 01 EC Kumbi Vegetables Y Y Y Primary Y 8 01 EC Kanana Vegetables Y Y Y 0.06 Primary Y Y 8 01 EC Khayisa Sewing Y Y N 5 01 EC Khayisa Vegetables Y Y Y 0.1 Primary Y Y 5 01 EC Lukhanyiso Baking Y Y N 9 01 EC Lukhanyiso Sewing Y Y N 9 01 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 203 EC Lukhanyiso Vegetables Y N Y River Y Y 9 01 EC Middle Xolobe Candle making Y Y N 6 01 EC Middle Xolobe Sewing Y Y N 6 01 EC Middle Xolobe Vegetables Y Y Y 0.5 River N 6 01 EC Molly Blackburn Vegetables Y Y Y 0.2 Borehole Y Y 5 01 EC Port Alfred Sewing Y Y N 5 01 EC Port Alfred Vegetables Y N Y 0.05 Primary Y Y 5 01 EC Port St Johns Sewing Y Y N 5 01 EC Balasi Sewing N N 01 EC Balasi Vegetables Y N N 0.1 Primary 8 01 EC Dubula Vegetables Y N Y 0.00 Dam Y N 8 01 EC Iggili Sewing Y N N 5 01 EC Itekeng Candle Making Y Y N 9 01 EC Itekeng Vegetables Y N Y 0.2 Borehole Y Y 9 01 EC Makukhanye Sewing Y Y N 7 01 EC Nolitha Sewing Y Y N 5 01 EC Nolitha Vegetables Y Y Y 0.2 Primary Y Y 5 01 EC Qoqodala Sewing Y Y N 5 01 EC Qoqodala Vegetables Y Y Y 0.2 Dam Y Y 5 01 EC Zimele Candle Making Y Y N 5 01 EC Zimele Sewing Y Y N 5 01 EC Zimele Vegetables Y Y Y 0.1 River Y Y 5 01 EC Lupasi Vegetables Y N Y River Y Y 10 01 EC Dwesa Vegetables Y N Y Dam Y Y 8 01 EC Mendwane Vegetables Y N Y 2.0 Dam Y Y 8 01 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 204 Ann ex 6: Cost Benefit Analysis Sup por t Tables Actual income and cost figures for SMME ventures were not available. The business plans for SMMEs were evaluated but unrealistic results are projected for some of the ventures. As an alternative an income / cost norm was established based on averages. These norms were applied for the Cost-benefit Study. C ASH FLOW ACC OR DING TO C EN TR E, LIMPOPO PR OJEC TS Project/Year 2 001 2 002 Ventures Gross Income Direct Cost Overhead NET FLOW Gross Income Direct Cost Overheads NET FLOW Makahlulu Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Makahlulu Vegetables 0 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 Malindini Bricks 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Malindini Vegetables 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 Matangari Vegetables 28 350 18 702 2 250 7 398 28 350 18 702 2 250 7 398 Matangari Crops 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 Matangari Broilers 0 9 360 5 633 1 800 1 927 Mbaleni Vegetables 6 300 4 156 500 1 644 6 300 4 156 500 1 644 Mbaleni Broilers 0 9 360 5 633 1 800 1 927 Mbaleni Grass Art 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Mutangwa Vegetable 18 900 12 468 1 500 4 932 18 900 12 468 1 500 4 932 Mutangwa Blue soap 0 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Mvuyazi Vegetables 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 Mvuyazi Broilers 14 976 9 012 2 880 3 084 14 976 9 012 2 880 3 084 Phulani Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Phulani Vegetables 28 350 18 702 2 250 7 398 28 350 18 702 2 250 7 398 Soniye Popcorn 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Soniye Vegetables 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 Fhatuwani Bakery 0 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Fhatuwani Vegetables 22 050 14 546 1 750 5 754 22 050 14 546 1 750 5 754 Khomisani Vegetables 18 900 12 468 1 500 4 932 18 900 12 468 1 500 4 932 Khomisani Broilers 0 9 360 5 633 1 800 1 927 Maandamahulu Vegetables 25 200 16 624 2 000 6 576 25 200 16 624 2 000 6 576 Maandamahulu Broilers 0 9 360 5 633 1 800 1 927 Mangoni Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Mangoni Vegetables 28 350 18 702 2 250 7 398 28 350 18 702 2 250 7 398 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 205 Dithotwaneng Bakery 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Dithotwaneng Broilers 0 9 360 5 633 1 800 1 927 Dithotwaneng Vegetables 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 Ditlotswane Broilers 0 9 360 5 633 1 800 1 927 Ditlotswane Vegetables 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 Ga-Phaahla Broilers 7 956 4 788 1 530 1 638 7 956 4 788 1 530 1 638 Ga-Phaahla Popcorn 0 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Ga-Phaahla Vegetables 0 7 875 5 195 625 2 055 Hosana Broilers 5 616 3 380 1 080 1 156 5 616 3 380 1 080 1 156 Hosana Vegetables 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 Madikono Juice 0 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Madikono Pottery 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Madisei Vegetables 0 79 52 6 21 Madisei Broilers 0 9 360 5 633 1 800 1 927 Marumofase Broiler 4 212 2 535 810 867 4 212 2 535 810 867 Marumofase Vegetables 0 7 875 5 195 625 2 055 Maupye Broilers 16 848 10 139 3 240 3 469 16 848 10 139 3 240 3 469 Maupye Vegetables 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 Phomelelo Popcorn 0 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Phomelelo Catering 0 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Phomelelo Vegetables 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 Rakopi Sewing 0 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Rakopi Vegetables 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 Senopelwa Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Senopelwa Vegetables 1 575 1 039 125 411 1 575 1 039 125 411 Tompi Seleka Broilers 0 9 360 5 633 1 800 1 927 Tompi Seleka Crops 47 250 31 170 3 750 12 330 47 250 31 170 3 750 12 330 TOTAL 634 833 387 871 64 155 182 807 841 042 497 755 95 331 247 955 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 206 C ASH FLOW ACC OR DING TO C EN TR E, EA STER N CA PE Year/Project Ventures Gross Income Direct Cost Overhead s NET FLOW Gross Income Direct Cost Overheads NET FLOW John Walton Candles 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 John Walton Beads & Plaster 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Kumbi Sewing 0 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Kumbi Vegetables 1 575 1 039 125 411 1 575 1 039 125 411 Kanana Vegetables 1 890 1 247 150 493 1 890 1 247 150 493 Khayisa Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Khayisa Vegetables 4 095 2 701 325 1 069 4 095 2 701 325 1 069 Lukhanyiso Baking 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Lukhanyiso Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Lukhanyiso Vegetables 1 575 1 039 125 411 1 575 1 039 125 411 Middle Xol Candle 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Middle Xol Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Middle Xole Vegetables 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 Molly Black Vegetables 5 670 3 740 450 1 480 5 670 3 740 450 1 480 Port Alfred Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Port Alfred Vegetables 1 418 935 113 370 1 418 935 113 370 Port St Johns Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Balasi Sewing 0 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Balasi Vegetables 1 890 1 247 150 493 1 890 1 247 150 493 Dubula Vegetables 210 139 17 55 210 139 17 55 Iggili Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 30 000 12 000 4 670 13 330 Itekeng Candles 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Itekeng Vegetables 4 725 3 117 375 1 233 4 725 3 117 375 1 233 Makukhanye Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Nolitha Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Nolitha Vegetables 5 670 3 740 450 1 480 5 670 3 740 450 1 480 Qoqodala Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Qoqodala Vegetables 6 300 4 156 500 1 644 6 300 4 156 500 1 644 Zimele Candles 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Zimele Sewing 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 12 000 4 800 1 860 5 340 Zimele Vegetables 3 150 2 078 250 822 3 150 2 078 250 822 Lupasi Vegetables 1 575 1 039 125 411 1 575 1 039 125 411 Dwesa Vegetables 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 15 750 10 390 1 250 4 110 Mendwane Vegetables 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 31 500 20 780 2 500 8 220 TOTAL 294 743 144 577 37 914 112 251 336 743 161 377 44 444 130 921 NP +EC 929 576 532 448 102 069 295 058 1 177 784 659 132 139 775 378 876 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 207 APPENDICES Te rms of Re ference TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR AN INTERIM EVALUATION OF THE IKHWELO PROJECT Prepared by Elsa Geldenhuys (11/09/2001) (Commissioned by Project Literacy) 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE IKHWELO PROJECT Introduction The Ikhwelo Project has been initiated as a response to providing support to the Eastern Cape (EC) and Limpopo (NP) Department of Education (DOE) in the area of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET). The purpose of the Ikhwelo Project is to support the Eastern Cape and Limpopo’s Departments of Education in the implementation of a pilot project in the two elective sub-fields, Applied Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (AAAT) and Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprise (SMME) over a period of 36 months. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provides primary funding through a grant to Project Literacy (Prolit). The goal of the Ikhwelo Project is to implement a pilot project in AAAT and SMME that will provide access to the General Education and Training Certificate for adult learners to enhance their social and economic capacity. To achieve this goal the Ikhwelo Project will accomplish the following core objectives: S To enhance the skills of adult learners in AAAT and SMME. S To enhance the skills of adult education practitioners to deliver learning programmes in AAAT and SMME. S To enhance the capacity of governance structures to effectively and efficiently manage Chapter 6 I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 208 various aspects of the pilot project. S To develop and provide relevant/appropriate resources to facilitate learning and teaching within the pilot project. S To establish mechanisms to ensure sustainability and replication of the pilot project. The Ikhwelo Project commenced operations in April 1999, and will complete its work during 2002. 1.2 The role of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) in development. Adult Basic Education and Training is regarded as a critical component of the reconstruction and development of our country. It is expected to be the main vehicle for addressing a wide range of challenges eg unemployment, poverty alleviation, HIV/AIDS, health. ABET should enable all ABET educators and learners to achieve the seven critical cross-field outcomes: S Identify and solve problems in which responses display that responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking have been made. S Work effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation or community. S Organise and manage oneself and one’s activities responsibly and effectively. S Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information. S Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of written presentation. S Use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and the health of others. S Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation. Adult Basic Education and Training is a very important pillar across the 8 levels and 3 bands of the National Qualifications Framework. ABET falls within Band 1 of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and is further divided into four sub-levels (ABET Level 1 - Level 4). Outcomes-based education (OBE) ensures that learners develop life-skills through learning programmes that are relevant to their needs. The challenge to adult educators is to design and implement learning programmes that transform people’s lives. 1.3 Progress with learning in Ikhwelo Public Adult Learning Centres. The Ikhwelo Project is currently running in 44 Public Adult Learning Centres (PALCs), twenty-four of these are in Limpopo and twenty are in the Eastern Cape (See Appendix I for list of the Centres). A total of 270 educators have been trained by Ikhwelo in the two electives (AAAT and SMME) and in ABET methodology. Ikhwelo PALCs currently have a total of 2 645 learners. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 209 Ikhwelo trained educators teach the two electives (AAAT and SMME). They work in conjunction with other fellow educators in their respective PALCs to plan and deliver their lessons in an integrated fashion. 1.4 Diagnostic Study on Integrated Learning Programme. A study team has been appointed to evaluate the performance of educators when implementing an Integrated Learning Programme approach to the teaching of AAAT and SMME at Ikhwelo PALCs. They have also been requested to make recommendations, based of their findings, as to how this particular methodology can be improved. Details of the specific objectives of this study are delineated in the attached Appendix II. The report will be presented on 3 October 2001. The research team of this study will be free to draw information from these findings. 1.5 Objectives of the Interim Evaluation of the Ikhwelo Project. This Evaluation Study seeks to observe and document (a) what has been achieved during the implementation of the Ikhwelo Pilot Project, (b) the conditions and attributes of the program that led to the achievements, and (c) reasons for not achieving these goals, where such non-achievement has been identified. The specific objectives of this study are to establish the following: S How efficient is the Ikwelo Project? S How effective is the Ikwelo Project? S What is the impact of the Ikhwelo Project? TERMS OF REFERENCE In order for the study to meet its stated objectives, the following research questions should be answered: Efficiency S What funds have been spent by the Client (Department of Education), the Funder (USAID) and the Service Provider (Project Literacy)? S On what have the funds been spent? S What has been achieved so far in terms of resource mobilisation at all levels of the Ikhwelo Project? Are the PALCs engaging in effective resource mobilisation, and sound financial planning processes, to ensure the sustainability of the Business Ventures established by their Centres and individual educators and/or learners? Effectiveness S Are the following benchmarks been reached and if not, what are the reasons? S Enrol 3000 learners into the Learning Programmes for agriculture and SMME. S Educator training completed for not less than 300 practitioners. S 345 educators successfully complete the entrance assessment test and enrol to be trained as educators. S 2 members from each Centre Governing Body successfully complete 3- day training. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 210 S 40 management staff per Province successfully complete 5-day training course. S Centres have access to all necessary equipment and teaching aids of an appropriate technology level. S Learners registered for the 2 Electives at NQF Level 1 will gain accreditation with credits going towards obtaining the GETC. S Position the programme for replication in all 9 provinces in South Africa. 2.3 Impact S Are the set objectives of the Ikhwelo Project achievable within the context of the target group’s expectations and government’s ABET policy and multi-year plan? S What evidence is there that the knowledge and skills training meets the needs of very diverse groups for local development? For example unemployed and under-employed people, dismissed farm workers, adults and others wishing to change careers, youths seeking employment for the first time, and bodies such as village associations and farmers’ groups. S What is the evidence that the needs are being met for (a) certification for participants expecting post-training employment and (b) knowledge and skills for participants expecting self-employment? S Have effective relationships between agricultural education institutions, the agricultural extension system, the farming community and the Ikhwelo PALCs been established and maintained in order to enhance the sustainability of Ikhwelo Business Ventures set up by both individuals and groups? 2.4 Partnership S Has the co-operative agreement model between the National Department of Education, USAID and Project Literacy been a successful partnership for the project? S How the partnership between the National Department of Education, the Provincial Departments of Education in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, USAID and Project Literacy has contributed to the outcome of the Ikhwelo Project? PROPOSED METHODOLOGY FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE STUDY A detailed research methodology for this study, should be proposed to address the Terms of Reference of this particular study and the constraints of the budget. The final methodological approach, including primary data collection such as consultation, interview, and observation schedules, will be negotiated between the partners of the Ikhwelo Project, namely the DOE ABET Directorate, Project Literacy and USAID, and the contracted research institute. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN A specific implementation plan should be proposed, including an activity time line, management strategy and reporting schedules. 4.1 Duration I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 211 The duration of this study will not exceed 3 months. The consultants’ report, together with the recommendations and list of how these will implemented and developed should not exceed the period of 3 months. This information will be presented at the proposed stakeholder meeting in January 2002. The study will begin with a presentation, by the consulting researchers to representatives of the USAID, DOE and Project Literacy, of their interpretation of the terms of reference, their implementation schedule and proposed work plan for the study. 4.2 Personnel It is envisaged that the research team will include at least one specialist in each of the areas. The team will review and evaluate all aspects of the Ikhwelo Project, including curriculum, training, materials, teaching and the setting up of sustainable agriculture business ventures and M & E structures: S Adult Basic Education & Training S Agricultural and Applied Agriculture S The Practical implementation of SMME theory S Additional team experience will include knowledge of: S Financial Management S Resource Mobilisation S Project Management S Experience in evaluating projects of a similar nature and scope List the personnel whom you will assign to this project and their anticipated responsibilities. For each professional member of the project team, provide a one-paragraph summary of his or her qualifications in this section of your proposal, a one paragraph summary of each member’s job description and experience plus a full CV as an appendix. (CVs should not include copies of qualifications and certificates, but should include complete employment histories and educational qualifications.) Results of the study A detailed research report on the outcome of the Interim Evaluation must be presented to the members of the partnership, i.e. National DOE ABET Directorate, Provincial DOE in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, Project Literacy, USAID and AED. This will include an executive summary that sets out the research team’s key findings and recommendations. Four bound copies and one unbound copy are required. Capabilities Describe your company’s experience, including previous experience in research projects. Note any relevant experience or qualifications around adult education and rural development. Note any experience working in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo (including capabilities in local languages there) and with the Department of Education. Provide any other information relevant to your capability to carry out this project. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 212 EVALUATION OF TENDERS In evaluating tenders for the Interim Evaluation of the Ikhwelo Project, the review committee will seek “best value”. Based on the Review Committee’s decision, Project Literacy will award the sub contract to the bidder who offers the most beneficial proposal to the Ikhwelo partners (the Department of Education, USAID and Project Literacy) in terms of technical considerations and costs. In making its decision, the Review Committee will consider the following factors as they pertain to each proposal. The percentages shown in brackets after each factor indicate its relative weighting on a 100- point scale. S Activity design (70) S Proposed methodology (25) S Personnel (20) S Implementation plan (15) S References (10) S Cost proposal (30) 6. BUDGET A detailed cost proposal for the planned research project should be included separately to the main tender. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Your tender must include the following: S 7 copies of the technical proposal S 7 copies of the cost proposal Tenders must be received no later than 16:00 on 28 September 2001. Late tenders will not be considered unless the entire tendering process is reopened to all interested companies. DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS TO BE REVIEWED BY CONSULTANTS The consultants will review, but not be limited to the following list of documents and records to gain an insight into the Ikhwelo Project and the ABET sector: Policy Documents S The ABET Act No 52 of 2000. S The National Multi-year Implementation Plan for Adult Basic Education And Training: Provision and Accreditation. S Small and Medium Micro Enterprises ABET Level 4 (GETC) Integrated Learning Programme. S Applied Agriculture and Agricultural Technology ABET Level 4 (GETC) Integrated Learning Programme. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 213 S Succeed in Business, an outcomes-based course at ABET Level 4 (GETC) developed by ABE Development Services Trust. S Learning programme guidelines for ABET. S Fields of Learning, an agriculture course for adults at ABET Level 4 (GETC). S Seeds of learning, an agriculture course for ABET learners. S Unit standards for NQF level 1 (ABET level 4) Agriculture, final draft 1999. S Unit standards for NQF level 1 (ABET level 4) Small Medium and Micro Enterprises, final draft 1999. S Integrated Outcomes Based Learning Programmes, ABET Eastern Cape Department of Education, 1999. S Annual Survey of Public Adult Learning Centres, National Department of Education, Final report 1999. S Ikhwelo Project Proposal Document. S Action Plans. S The 5 Objectives of the Ikhwelo Project. S Grant Agreement. S Needs Analysis Document. Ikhwelo Project Reports S The Ikhwelo Project’s First Nine Months Final Report, by PR. Christensen, March 2000. S Ikhwelo Project: National Vision Sharing Workshop - Final Report, by PR. Christensen, June 2000. S Ikhwelo Semi-annual Reports, three editions, (Oct 99 to April 2000), (May 2000 to Nov 2000) and (Dec 2000 to June 2001). S Ikhwelo National Manager’s Reports to the National Management Team. S Monitoring and Evaluation Quarterly Reports. S Provincial Managers’ Quarterly Reports. Other documents S SAQA Policies and Procedures. S NQF Policies and Procedures. S The Chisolm Report, Compiled by Prof L. Chisolm. S Curriculum 2005. S Appendix I – Terms of Reference for Diagnostic Study on the implementation of the Integrated Learning Programme. S A sample of school records (teachers’ qualifications and performance reviews, students enrolment, attendance and completion rates) and teacher/student records (sampling of files showing lesson plans, test results, etc.). I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 214 Appendix I PUBLIC ADULT LEARNING CENTRES PROVINCE CENTRE LOCATION Limpopo Dithothwaneng Mpilo Ditlotswane Bakenberg Ga-Phaahla Makdikoe (Groblersdal) Hosana Mevele Tzaneen Khomisani Primary Malamolele Maandanahulu Tshitale Madikanono Groversdale Madisei Mashite Magoni Adult Centre Louis Trichardt Makahlule Malamolele Malindini Thoyandou Marumofase Lenyenye (Tzaneen) Maupye Pietersburg Mbaleni Learning Centre Thoyandou Murangoni (Fhatuwani) Thoyandou Mutangwa Manugu Thoyandou Mvhuyazi Mkhuhlu Ndidvhani Primary (Matangari) Thoyandou Phomelelo Warmbaths Phulani Byihola Phalaborwa Rakopi Pietersburg Senopelowa Modjadji Soniye Allandale Tompi Seleka Marble Hall Eastern Cape Balasi Flagstaff Dubula Willowvale East London Prison East London Igqili Abet Centre Aliwal North Itekeng Mount Fletcher John Walton Uitenhage Kambi Umtata Kanana Peddie Khanyisa Zwelitsha (King Williams Town) Lukhanyiso Tsolo Lupapasi Port St Johns I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 215 Makukhanye Amalinda Mendu Willowvale Middle Xolobe Tsomo Molly Blackburn Kwa-Nobuhle Nolita Butterworth Port Alfred Port Alfred Port St Johns PALC Port St Johns Qoqodala Lady Frere Zimele Zimele Rural, Queenstown Appendix II Terms of Reference for Diagnostic Study on the implementation of Integrated Learning Programme To establish if the principles of the ILP approach to teaching and learning are consistent with the design of the Ikhwelo Project and its objectives and the needs of the target group. To identify problems in the implementation of ILPs in Ikhwelo PALCs and specify how they can be resolved. To establish if the principles of the ILP approach to teaching and learning are implemented by Ikhwelo educators as they teach AAAT and SMME in Ikhwelo PALCs. Where these principles are being implemented, to establish how they are implemented and to identify what problems have been experienced, and are still being experienced, during implementation and how these problems have been dealt with. If ILPs principles are not being implemented, to establish what has prevented their implementation? To investigate if educators have received sufficient training and orientation in the following; AAAT, SMME, general principals of ABET pedagogy and the principles, benefits and application of ILPs. To collate evidence of training in AAAT, SMME, ILP and ABET methodology that has been provided to educators and specify how this training has enhanced their teaching competency. To establish the range of AAAT, SMME, ABET methodology and ILP related learning materials and support services provided to educators and how these have assisted them in becoming skilled implementers of an integrated approach to teaching and learning within the constraints of the Ikhwelo Project. To evaluate the standard of teaching of the electives, AAAT and SMME, using an integrated approach, within Ikhwelo PALCs. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 216 Exa mples of In stru men ts The formatting of all the questionnaires were sacrificed to save space in this volumnous document. LEARNERS QUESTIONNAIRE General Province : Name of Centre : Name of Interviewer : Name of Interviewee : Surname of Interviewee : Name of organization / department : Tel no : Fax no : E-mail : Address : Age 15-30 years : 31-45 years : 46-60 years : <60 years : Gender : Date : General Information 2.1 Why did you register as an Ikhwelo learner: To obtain a qualification / certificate To acquire agriculture skills To acquire SMME skills To start my own business 2.2 How did you become aware of Ikhwelo? 2.3 Did you write a placement test before you registered as a learner? Yes No 2.4 What was the entry level? NQF 3 NQF 4 None 2.5 Was your prior knowledge and experience recognised? Yes No Explain 2.6 What do you want to do after completing the training and education programme Further education Start own business Employ￾ment 2.7 What is of more importance to you a. certificate b. practical skills Theory – practical balance 3.1 Did you learn the theoretical part of the course? Yes No 3.2 Could you apply the theory in practice? Yes No At the centre Yes No I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 217 At your home Yes No In a communal set-up Yes No At your workplace Yes No 3.3 Have you used your new knowledge to Start a business Yes No Produce food for domestic consumption Yes No 3.4 Did the educator treat you like an adult learner? Yes No Explain Learning 4.1 Were the objectives of the course clearly explained to you? Yes No 4.2 Did you have enough time to learn what you set out to do? Yes No If not, how much longer would you have needed? 4.3 Was there enough theory? Yes No 4.4 Was there enough practical? Yes No 4.5 Was there too little theory? Yes No 4.6 Was there too little practical? Yes No 4.7 Were your personal expectations met by this course? Yes No How? 4.8 Were the courses offered what you wanted to do? Yes No If not, explain 4.9 How does the distance from your home to the centre affect your learning? 4.10 Do you think that the time spent on the course is too long, too short, just right? 4.11 How many hours do you spend at the centre on a daily basis? 4.12 What do you sacrifice at home in order to attend the classes? 4.13 Do you think that the lessons are worth it in the light of what you have to sacrifice? 4.14 Are you supported by The staff The CGB Specialist Agencies/Consultants Resources – Materials/equipment 5.1 Did you receive classroom materials for your studies? Yes No Agriculture SMME If not, how did the lack of materials impact on your studies? 5.2 Did you receive equipment for your practical studies? Yes No Agriculture SMME If not, how did the lack of equipment impact on your studies? 5.3 Did English as the medium of instruction hamper your learning? 5.4 What should the medium of instruction be? 5.5 If the medium of instruction was in your mother tongue, do you believe that your learning results will improve? 5.6 What else do you think will improve your learning results? 5.7 Do you know how many of the learners that started with you dropped out? 5.8 What do you think are the main reasons? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 218 5.9 What, do you think should be done to prevent this? Achievements & Challenges 6.1 What would you count as your main achievements to date? 6.2 What have been the major challenges that you faced? If any, how did you deal with these challenges? 6.3 What positive impact have these challenges had on your studies? 6.4 What negative impact have these challenges had on your studies? 6.5 Do you have regular contact with The education department staff The Centre Manager Prolit staff The Governing Body 6.6 What, in your opinion, is the role of the Governing Body? 6.7 Is the CGB active in your centre? Yes No If not, please explain If yes, please give an example Curriculum 7.1 How many actual learning days do you have per week? 7.2 In an average learning week, how many hours are there in each learning day? 7.3 What percentage of your day do you spend on theoretical studies? 7.4 What percentage of your day do you spend on practical studies? 7.5 What percentage of your day do you spend on preparation? 7.6 In your opinion, is the time spent on the above activities sufficient. If not, explain 7.7 If the time were not enough, what would you do to overcome this problem? Impact of the Ikhwelo Project 8.1 How would you rate the success of the Ikhwelo project? Agriculture Good Average Poor Explain your answer. SMME Good Average Poor Explain your answer. 8.2 What can you do now that you could not do before you registered at the Ikhwelo centre? Agriculture SMME 8.3 How has your new-found skills changed your life At work In your community In terms of your self esteem and confidence In your family 8.4 Do you think it is a good idea that the Ikhwelo project continues in other communities Yes No If yes, what would you recommend to other centres to help other learners? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 219 DROP-OUT LEARNERS QUESTIONNAIRE General Province : Name of Centre : Name of Interviewer : Name of Interviewee : Surname of Interviewee : Name of organization / department : Tel no : Fax no : E-mail : Address : Age 15-30 years : 31-45 years : 46-60 years : <60 years : Gender : Date : General Information 2.1 Why did you initially register as an Ikhwelo learner: To obtain a qualification / certificate To acquire agriculture skills To acquire SMME skills To start my own business 2.2 How did you become aware of Ikhwelo? 2.3 Did you write a placement test before you registered as a learner? Yes No 2.4 What was the entry level? NQF 3 NQF 4 None 2.5 Was your prior knowledge and experience recognised? Yes No Explain 2.6 What did you want to do after completing the training and education programme Further education Start own business Employ￾ment 2.7 What is of more importance to you a. certificate b. practical skills Reasons for dropping out 3.1 Why did you drop out of the programme? 3.2 What exactly worried you the most about the programme? 3.3 What did you think about the theoretical learning in the programme? 3.4 What did you think about the practical learning in the programme? 3.5 Rank in order of priority your main concerns regarding the future of the programme. 3.6 If the programme is restructured will you go back to the programme? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 220 3.7 How long did you attend the Ikhwelo course? 3.8 What, do you think Ikhwelo should do to prevent other learners from dropping out? Can you use the knowledge that you gained while you attended the Ikhwelo course? Yes No Please explain: 3.10 What do you now do differently than before you attended the Ikhwelo course? 3.11 What, do you think Ikhwelo should be done to prevent other learners from dropping out? 3.12 Even though you left, c you apply the theory in practice? Yes No At the centre Yes No At your home Yes No In a communal set-up Yes No At your workplace Yes No 3.13 Have you used your new knowledge to Start a business Yes No Produce food for domestic consumption Yes No Learning 4.1 Were the objectives of the course clearly explained to you? Yes No 4.2 Did you have enough time to learn what you set out to do? Yes No If not, how much longer would you have needed? 4.3 Was there enough theory? Yes No 4.4 Was there enough practical? Yes No 4.5 Was there too little theory? Yes No 4.6 Was there too little practical? Yes No 4.7 Were your personal expectations met by this course? Yes No How 4.8 Were the courses offered what you wanted to do? Yes No If not, explain 4.9 How does the distance from your home to the centre affect your learning? 4.10 Do you think that the time spent on the course is too long, too short, just right? 4.11 How many hours do you spend at the centre on a daily basis? 4.12 What do you sacrifice at home in order to attend the classes? 4.13 Do you think that the lessons are worth it in the light of what you have to sacrifice? 4.14 Were you supported by The staff The CGB Specialist Agencies/Consultants Resources – Materials/equipment 5.1 Did you receive classroom materials for your studies? Yes No Agriculture SMME If not, how did the lack of materials impact on your studies? 5.2 Did you receive equipment for your practical studies? Yes No Agriculture SMME I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 221 If not, how did the lack of equipment impact on your studies? 5.3 Did English as the medium of instruction hamper your learning? If ‘yes’, what should the medium of instruction be? 5.5 If the medium of instruction was in your mother tongue, do you believe that your learning results will improve? 5.6 What else do you think will improve your learning results? Impact of the Ikhwelo Project 6.1 How would you rate the success of the Ikhwelo project? Agriculture Good Average Poor Explain your answer. SMME Good Average Poor Explain your answer. 6.2 What can you do now that you could not do before you registered at the Ikhwelo centre? 6.3 How has your new-found skills changed your At work In your community In terms of your self esteem and confidence In your family 6.4 Do you think it is a good idea that the Ikhwelo project continues in other communities Yes No If yes, what would you recommend to other centres to help other learners? EDUCATORS QUESTIONNAIRE General Province : Name of Centre : Name of Interviewer : Name of Interviewee : Surname of Interviewee : Name of organization / department : Tel no : Fax no : E-mail : Address : Age 15-30 years : 31-45 years : 46-60 years : <60 years : Gender : Date : I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 222 General Information 2.1 What do you think your role and responsibilities are regarding the Ikhwelo project? 2.2 How long have you been Educator of this centre? 2.3 What does your job entail? 2.4 What qualifications do you have? 2.5 What agriculture experience do you have? 2.6 What SMME experience do you have? 2.7 What ABET experience do you have? 2.8 Did you receive leadership training in the project to fulfil all the tasks in your job? Yes No 2.9 If you received training in the project, how effective has this training been? Good Mediocre Bad 2.10 What teaching experience do you have? 2.11 Do you think that you are an efficient Educator? Yes No How is this efficiency measured? Please explain your opinion 2.12 What do you think are the differences that you as the educator can make to the centre? 2.13 What skills/resources do you need to make positive differences to the centre? Achievements & Challenges 3.1 What would you count as your main achievements to date? 3.2 What have been the major challenges that you faced? If any, how did you deal with these challenges? 3.3 What positive impact have these challenges had on the operations in your centre? 3.4 What negative impact have these challenges had on the operations in your centre? 3.5 What, if any, unintended effects have these challenges had on the operations in your centre? 3.6 Do you believe that, through your teaching, the centre is performing well? Yes No Explain 3.7 What is your relationship with the following entities? District Co-ordinator Centre Manager Learners Governing Body Prolit Communities 3.8 How do you interact with: District co-ordinator Centre Manager Prolit staff The community Governing Body The learners 3.9 What, in your opinion, is the role of the Governing Body? 3.10 Is the CGB in your centre functioning? Yes No If not, please explain If yes, please give an example I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 223 Recruitment 4.1 What role did you play in the selection of the learners for: Agriculture SMME ABET 4.2 If you were involved in the selection of the Ikhwelo learners, which criteria were used for enrolling to the Agriculture learning programme? SMME learning programme? ABET learning programme? 4.3 How many of the learners selected at the beginning of the Ikhwelo project dropped out? 4.4 What are the reasons for these learners leaving the centre? 4.5 How can this be resolved? Resources – Human Resources / Educators 5.1 How many Ikhwelo educators left since the implementation of the project? Agriculture SMME ABET 5.2 Why did they leave? Agriculture SMME ABET 5.3 Do all the Ikhwelo educators have job contracts? Yes No If not, explain. 5.4 How are educators remunerated? Monthly Weekly Hourly 5.5 Is there a performance appraisal system in place at your centre? Yes No If not, explain. If yes, how often is it used? Resources – Materials/equipment 6.1 Did you receive materials/equipment for Yes No Agriculture SMME ABET If not, how did the lack of materials impact on your work? 6.2 Were these materials/equipment sufficient for your theoretical work? Yes No Agriculture SMME ABET If not, how did the lack of materials impact on your work? 6.3 Were these materials/equipment sufficient for your practical work? Yes No Agriculture SMME ABET If not, how did the lack of materials impact on your work? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 224 6.4 How has English as the medium of instruction hampered your teaching? 6.5 What should the medium of instruction be? 6.6 If the medium of instruction was in the mother tongue, do you believe that the learning results will improve? 6.7 What do you think will improve the learning results? Training & Support 7.1 List the Ikhwelo training interventions that you attended? 7.2 Did these training interventions prepare you for the successful implementation of the Ikhwelo project at your centre? Yes No Explain your answer. 7.3 Do you receive support from the following: Department of Education Yes No If not, explain. Specialist Agencies Yes No If not, explain. Ikhwelo fieldworkers Yes No If not, explain. 7.4 Do you have any resource constraints with regard to the effective implementation of the Ikhwelo project? Agriculture Yes No SMME Yes No ABET Yes No Explain the impact 7.5 What support do you provide to the Ikhwelo CGB Ikhwelo Learners The Centre Manager The community Curriculum 8.1 How many actual teaching days do you have per year? 8.2 In an average teaching week, how many hours are there in each teaching day? 8.3 What percentage of your day do you spend on theoretical work? 8.4 What percentage of your day do you spend on practical work? 8.5 What percentage of your day do you spend on preparation work? 8.6 In your opinion, is the time spent on the above activities sufficient. If not, explain 8.7 If the time is not enough, what would you do to overcome this problem? 8.8 What structures and procedures are there to plan learning programmes for Agriculture SMME ABET 8.9 How do you monitor the learning programmes for theoretical work for Agriculture SMME ABET I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 225 8.10 How do you monitor the learning programmes for practical work for Agriculture SMME ABET 8.11 To what extent is teaching and learning in Agriculture and SMME affected by a shortage or inadequacy of resources (i.e. equipment for practical work, instructional material, physical resources, land, water, etc.) – explain. Agriculture SMME ABET Financial 9.1 How does your centre keep records of income and expenditure? 9.2 What financial policies and procedures do you follow? 9.3 Do you have any financial constraints with regard to the effective implementation of the Ikhwelo project? Agriculture Yes No SMME Yes No ABET Yes No Explain the impact Impact of the Ikhwelo Project 10.1 How would you rate the success of the Ikhwelo project? Agriculture Good Average Poor Explain your answer. SMME Good Average Poor Explain your answer. 10.2 What can learners (at your centre) do now that they could not do before registered for the Ikhwelo Project? Agriculture SMME ABET 10.3 To what extent will the Ikhwelo project (as offered by your centre) have an impact on The learners in the programmes (Agriculture and SMME) The workplace The community You, personally Your family I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 226 CENTRE MANAGERS QUESTIONNAIRE 1. General Province : Name of Centre : Name of Interviewer : Name of Interviewee : Surname of Interviewee : Name of organization / department : Tel no : Fax no : E-mail : Address : Age 15-30 years : 31-45 years : 46-60 years : <60 years : Gender : Date : General Information 2.1 What do you think your role and responsibilities are regarding the Ikhwelo project? 2.2 How long have you been Centre Manager of this centre? 2.3 What does your job entail? 2.4 What qualifications do you have? 2.5 What agriculture experience do you have? 2.6 What SMME experience do you have? 2.7 What ABET experience do you have? 2.8 Did you receive leadership training in the project to fulfil all the tasks in your job? Yes No 2.9 If you received training in the project, how effective has this training been? Good Mediocre Bad 2.10 What management experience do you have? 2.11 What financial management experience do you have? 2.12 Do you think that you are an efficient Centre Manager? Yes No How is this efficiency measured? Please explain your opinion 2.13 What do you think are the differences that you as the centre manager can make to the centre? 2.14 Do you believe that, through your leadership, the centre has had an impact on the community? Yes No Explain how 2.15 What skills/resources do you need to make positive differences to the centre? Achievements & Challenges 3.1 What would you count as your main achievements to date? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 227 3.2 What have been the major challenges that you faced? If any, how did you deal with these challenges? 3.3 What positive impact have these challenges had on the operations in your centre? 3.4 What negative impact have these challenges had on the operations in your centre? 3.5 What, if any, unintended effects have these challenges had on the operations in your centre? 3.6 Do you believe that, through your leadership, the centre is performing well? Yes No Explain 3.10 What is your relationship with the following entities? District Co-ordinator Educators Learners Governing Body Prolit Communities 3.11 How do you interact with: District co-ordinator Educators Prolit staff The community Governing Body The learners 3.12 What, in your opinion, is the role of the Governing Body? 3.13 Is the CGB in your centre functioning? Yes No If not, please explain If yes, please give an example 3.14 Do you receive inspections or visits from the District Co- ordinator? Yes No 3.15 Do you submit reports to the District Co-ordinator? Yes No If ‘yes’ how often Recruitment 4.1 What role did you play in the selection of your centre as an Ikhwelo centre? 4.2 What role did you play in the selection of the learners for: Agriculture SMME ABET 4.3 If you were involved in the selection of the Ikhwelo learners, which criteria were used for enrolling to the Agriculture learning programme? SMME learning programme? ABET learning programme? 4.4 How many of the learners selected at the beginning of the Ikhwelo project dropped out? 4.5 What are the reasons for these learners leaving the centre? 4.6 How can this be resolved? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 228 Resources – Human Resources / Educators 5.1 How many educators (responsible for the Ikwhelo project) do you have? Agriculture SMME ABET 5.2 What are the qualifications of these educators? Agriculture SMME ABET 5.3 How did you select these educators for teaching for teaching the Ikhwelo project? Agriculture SMME ABET 5.4 How many Ikhwelo educators left since the implementation of the project? Agriculture SMME ABET 5.5 Why did they leave? Agriculture SMME ABET 5.6 Do all the Ikhwelo educators have job contracts? Yes No If not, explain. 5.7 How are these educators remunerated? Monthly Weekly Hourly 5.8 Do you have a performance appraisal system for the educators in place? Yes No If not, explain. If yes, how often is it used? Training & Support 6.1 List the Ikhwelo training interventions that you attended? 6.2 Did these training interventions prepare you for the successful implementation of the Ikhwelo project at your centre? Yes No Explain your answer. 6.3 Do you receive support from the following: Department of Education Yes No If not, explain. Specialist Agencies Yes No If not, explain. Ikhwelo fieldworkers Yes No If not, explain. 6.4 What support do you provide to the Ikhwelo Educators Ikhwelo Learners Curriculum 7.1 How many actual teaching days does your centre have for the current year? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 229 7.2 In an average teaching week, how many hours are there in each teaching day? 7.3 What structures and procedures are there to plan learning programmes for Agriculture SMME ABET 7.4 How do you monitor the learning programmes for theoretical work for Agriculture SMME ABET 7.5 How do you monitor the learning programmes for practical work for Agriculture SMME ABET 7.6 To what extent is teaching and learning in Agriculture and SMME affected by a shortage or inadequacy of resources (i.e. equipment for practical work, instructional material, physical resources, land, water, etc.) – explain. Agriculture SMME ABET Financial Administration 8.1 What is your centre’s budget for this year? 8.2 How much of this amount is spent on the Ikhwelo project? 8.3 What bookkeeping and accounting practices are in place? 8.4 How does your centre keep records of income and expenditure? 8.5 What financial policies and procedures do you follow? 8.6 Do you have any financial constraints with regard to the effective implementation of the Ikhwelo project? Agriculture Yes No SMME Yes No ABET Yes No Explain the impact Impact of the Ikhwelo Project 9.1 How would you rate the success of the Ikhwelo project? Agriculture Good Average Poor Explain your answer. SMME Good Average Poor Explain your answer. 9.2 What can learners (at your centre) do now that they could not do before registered for the Ikhwelo Project? Agriculture SMME ABET 9.3 To what extent will the Ikhwelo project (as offered by your centre) have an impact on The learners in the programmes (Agriculture and SMME) The workplace The community You, personally I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 230 CENTRE GOVERNING BODIES QUESTIONNAIRE General Province : Name of Centre : Name of Interviewer : Name of Interviewee : Surname of Interviewee : Name of organisation / department : Tel no : Fax no : E-mail : Address : Age 15-30 years : 31-45 years : 46-60 years : <60 years : Gender : Date : Objectives 2.1 What are the objectives of the Ikhwelo Project? 2.2 Are these objectives being achieved? Yes No Give reasons Centre Information 3.1 Are you actively involved in the PALC? Yes No Tell us how 3.2 Are you involved in selecting learners? Yes No Tell us how 3.3 Were you consulted in the selection of your centre? Yes No 3.4 If ‘no’ do you believe that you should you have been consulted? Yes No Give reasons 3.5 Is your centre suitable for the implementation of training in SMMEs? Yes No Give reasons 3.6 Is your centre suitable for the implementation of training in agriculture? Yes No Give reasons 3.7 Does your centre have enough resources to fulfil its theoretical training needs? Yes No Give reasons I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 231 3.8 Does your centre have enough resources to fulfil its practical training needs? Yes No Give reasons 3.9 How would you like to see the resource shortcomings resolved? Role of the Centre Governing Body 4.1 What do you think your role and responsibilities are within the centre? 4.2 Do you know why the centre requires a Governing Body? 4.3 Are you aware of the laws governing the roles and responsibilities of CBGs? Yes No Give reasons 4.4 Are you executing your roles and responsibilities in accordance with the ABET Act? Yes No Give reasons Achievements and challenges 5.1 Do you think that you are an efficient Governing Body? Yes No How? 5.2 What have you as CGB achieved to date? 5.3 What have been the challenges you have faced? 5.4 If any, how have you resolved the challenges? 5.5 What do you think are the differences that you as a Governing Body can make to the centre in your community? 5.6 What skills/resources will do you need to make positive differences to the centre in your community? 5.7 Do you formally interact with: How do you interact? Or why do you not interact? District co-ordinators Yes No Centre manager Yes No Educators Yes No Ikhwelo Yes No The community Yes No The learners Yes No 5.8 What is the relationship between the CGB and: The district co-ordinators The centre manager The educators Ikhwelo The learners The community 5.9 Do you help in the recruitment of learners? Yes No 5.10 Did you understand the entry-level requirements for learners in the Ikhwelo project? Yes No Support 6.1 Did you receive any management training to manage the centre activities? Yes No I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 232 Was it effective? Yes No Explain 6.2 What support do you receive as CGB members? From whom? Is this support helpful? Yes No 6.3 Do you monitor the: Centre manager Yes No Educators Yes No Learners Yes No Communication 7.1 How does communication take place within the CGB? Is it effective? Yes No Give reasons 7.2 How does communication take place between the CGB and: The district co-ordinators The centre manager The educators Ikhwelo The learners The community 7.3 Do you think this communication can be improved? Yes No 7.4 How can the communication be improved? Finances 8.1 Who funds the Ikhwelo project? 8.2 What are the funds used for? 8.3 Are there sufficient funds to effectively run this project? Yes No Give reasons 8.4 Did you receive any financial training to manage these funds? Yes No 8.5 Was the training to manage these funds effective? Yes No Explain why? 8.6 Did you receive any training on resource mobilisation? Yes No 8.7 Was the training to mobilise funds effective? Yes No 8.8 Did you manage to mobilise funds for your centre? Yes No Explain how? 8.9 Who did you mobilise funds from for your centre? 8.10 Do you have a financial reporting system? Yes No 8.11 If the Ikhwelo Co-operative Agreement comes to an end will the project continue? Yes No Explain how? 8.12 Are there obstacles that have stood in the way of success? Yes No 8.13 Is there any particular success story you wish to tell us about? 8.14 How can the communication be improved? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 233 Reporting Procedures 9.1 How does reporting take place within the CGB? Verbally In writing Is this method effective? Yes No Give reasons 9.2 How would you improve reporting procedures if we ran the project in another community? 9.3 Do you meet regularly? Yes No Give reasons FIELD WORKERS QUESTIONNAIRE General Province : Centre name : Name of Interviewer : Name of Interviewee : Surname of Interviewee : Name of organization / department : Tel no : Fax no : E-mail : Address : Age 15-30 years : 31-45 years : 46-60 years : <60 years : Gender : Date : General 2.1 What centres do you serve? 2.2 How were you recruited to become a field worker? 2.3 How many centres do you visit per month? 2.4 How many times per annum do you make follow-up visits to the same centre? 2.5 What training have you received which prepare you for the job? 2.6 What training has Ikhwelo provided? 2.7 What training has DoE provided? 2.8 What training will you get in the future? 2.9 What expectations do you have from this training? 2.10 Were you involved in the planning for your training? 2.11 Were you involved in the selection of type of training programme? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 234 Services 3.1 How do the learners utilise your services? 3.2 How does the community utilise your services? 3.3 How do the educators utilise your services? 3.4 How does the centre manager utilise your services? 3.5 How does the DoE staff utilise your services? 3.6 Describe what you would rate as successful activities in your community. 3.7 What are your major contributions in the field? 3.8 What do you need in order to succeed in your work? Roles & responsibilities 4.1 What are the most important characteristics of an effective field worker? 4.2 What are the most important skills needed to be a successful field worker? 4.3 What skills do you still need to enhance? 4.4 What are the most important support services you need to function effectively? 4.5 Prior to your recruitment to Ikhwelo did you have a career plan? If ‘yes’ give a short description of this plan 4.6 Did your career plan make provision for additional mobility through training Yes No 4.7 What attracted you to the rural development sector? 4.8 Do you see yourself as a field worker for the next few years? Yes No 4.9 What contribution do you see yourself making to the rural development sector in South Africa? 4.10 How will the training assist you to enhance leadership development in your community? 4.11 How can field workers enhance networking in communities? Why is this important? 4.12 Are you from the district or a community that you serve Yes No 4.13 How has this contributed or hindered your effectiveness? 4.14 How were you introduced to your community? 4.15 How has this contributed or hindered your effectiveness? Impact 5.1 List the benefits that you anticipate that your community will gain from your activities 5.2 List the obstacles that you have encountered in your community Resolutions to these obstacles Other comments or suggestions Governing bodies 6.1 Are you aware of the laws governing the roles and responsibilities of the Centre Governing Bodies that you are required to interact with? Yes No 6.2 Are you assisting them in executing their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the ABET Act? Yes No Tell us how 6.3 How do you envisage your support to the Governing Bodies in line with the ABET Act? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 235 Communication 7.1 Do you have regular contact with Yes No The centre manager The educators The governing body The learners The community Is it effective? Yes No Give reasons 7.2 How does communication take place between yourself and: The district co-ordinators The centre manager The educators Prolit The learners The community 7.3 Do you think this communication can be improved? Yes No 7.4 How can the communication be improved? Finances 8.1 Do you think that there sufficient funds to effectively run this project? Yes No Give reasons 8.2 If the Ikhwelo Co-operative Agreement comes to an end will the project continue? Yes No Explain how? Reporting Procedures 9.1 How does reporting take place between yourself and the centre? Verbally In writing Is the method that you use effective? Yes No Give reasons 9.2 How does reporting take place between yourself and the DoE? Verbally In writing Is the method that you use effective? Yes No Give reasons 9.3 How often does reporting take place between yourself and the DoE and between yourself and the centre? What format do you use? Time DoE Reporting format Centre Weekly Bi-monthly Monthly Quarterly Annually I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 236 9.4 Is this reporting method effective? Yes No Give reasons for this choice of reporting 9.5 If reporting is in writing, are the reports available? Yes No 9.6 How would you improve reporting procedures if we ran the project in another community? 9.7 Do you meet regularly with DoE colleagues related to the project? Yes No How often? Are the meetings formal or informal Are the meetings minuted? DISTRICT CO-ORDINATORS QUESTIONNAIRE General Province : Name of Centre : Name of Interviewer : Name of Interviewee : Surname of Interviewee : Name of organisation / department : Tel no : Fax no : E-mail : Address : Age 15-30 years : 31-45 years : 46-60 years : <60 years : Gender : Date : Objectives 2.1 What are the objectives of the Ikhwelo Project? 2.2 In your opinion, are these objectives being achieved? Yes No If ‘no’, why not? 2.3 What would you do to improve in the current method of achieving the project’s objectives? Centre Information 3.1 Were you consulted in the selection of the centres in your district? Yes No 3.2 If ‘no’ do you believe that you should you have been consulted? Yes No Give reasons 3.3 Are the centres in your district centre generally suitable for the implementation of training in SMMEs? Yes No Give reasons I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 237 3.4 Are the centres in your district generally suitable for the implementation of training in agriculture? Yes No Give reasons 3.5 Do the centres in your district have enough resources to fulfil its theoretical training needs? Yes No Give reasons 3.6 Do the centres in your district have enough resources to fulfil its practical training needs? Yes No Give reasons 3.7 How would you like to see the resource shortcomings resolved? 3.8 What is the ratio between educators and learners in your centres for: Agriculture SMME ABET 3.9 Do you believe that the educators in your centres are suitably equipped to train adults in Agriculture SMME ABET The Role of the District Co-ordinator 4.1 What do you think your role and responsibilities are regarding the centres in your district? 4.2 Do you think that you are an efficient District Co-ordinator? Yes No Please explain your opinion 4.3 What would you count as your main achievements as DC to date? 4.4 What have been the major challenges that you faced as DC? 4.5 If any, how did you deal with these challenges? 4.6 What positive impact have these challenges had on the operations in your centres? 4.7 What negative impact have these challenges had on the operations in your centres? 4.8 What, if any, unintended effects have these challenges had on the operations in your centres? 4.9 Do you believe that, through your leadership, the centres in your district have performed well? Yes No Explain how 4.10 What do you think are the differences that you as the District Co-ordinator can make to the centre in your district? 4.11 Do you believe that, through your leadership, the centres in your district have had an impact on the communities that they serve? Yes No Explain how 4.12 What skills/resources do you need to make positive differences to the centres in your district? 4.13 What is your relationship with the following entities? Centre managers Educators Learners Governing Bodies Prolit Communities I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 238 4.14 Do you formally interact with: How do you interact? Or why do you not interact? District co-ordinators Yes No Centre manager Yes No Educators Yes No Ikhwelo Yes No The community Yes No The learners Yes No 4.15 Are you expected to visit the PALC in your district? Yes No 4.16 Do you visit the PALC in your district? Yes No If ‘yes’ how often If ‘no’ please explain the barriers preventing you from field visits. Support to DC 5.1 Did you receive any management training to manage the centre activities in your district? Yes No Was it effective? Yes No Explain 5.2 What support do you receive as DC? From whom? 5.3 Is this support helpful? Yes No 5.4 Do you monitor the: Centre manager Yes No Educators Yes No Learners Yes No 5.5 What monitoring mechanism do you use? Is it effective? Yes No Please give an explanation. DC support – Learners 6.1 Do you help in the recruitment of learners? Yes No 6.2 Do you understand the entry-level requirements for learners in the Ikhwelo project? Yes No 6.3 Do you have selection procedures in place for learners in the Ikhwelo project? Yes No If ‘yes’, what do the procedures entail? Please give a brief explanation: 6.4 If ‘no’ what can you do to change this? 6.5 Are the learner selection procedures applied consistently? Yes No If ‘yes’, how? Please give a brief explanation: If ‘no’ what can you do to change this? DC Support – Educators & centre managers 7.1 What is your role in the recruitment and appointment of educators and centre managers? 7.2 Do you interact directly with educators and centre managers regarding curriculum difficulties? Yes No 7.3 Do you interact directly with educators and centre managers regarding employment issues? Yes No I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 239 7.4 Do you interact directly with educators and centre managers regarding learner-training choices? Yes No 7.5 Do you interact directly with educators and centre managers regarding resources? Yes No DC support – Governing bodies 8.1 Are you aware of the laws governing the roles and responsibilities of the Centre Governing Bodies that you are required to interact with? Yes No 8.2 Are you assisting them in executing their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the ABET Act? Yes No Tell us how 8.3 How do you envisage your support to the Governing Bodies in line with the ABET Act? Communication 9.1 Does communication take place within your district between yourself and Yes No The centre manager The educators Prolit The learners The community Is it effective? Yes No Give reasons 9.2 How does communication take place between the CGB and: The district co-ordinators The centre manager The educators Prolit The learners The community 9.3 Do you think this communication can be improved? Yes No 9.4 How can the communication be improved? Finances 10.1 Who funds the Ikhwelo project? 10.2 What are the funds used for? 10.3 Do you think that there sufficient funds to effectively run this project? Yes No Give reasons 10.4 Did you receive any financial training to manage these funds? Yes No 10.5 Was the training to manage these funds effective? Yes No Explain why? 10.6 Do you have a financial reporting system? Yes No 10.7 If the Ikhwelo Co-operative Agreement comes to an end will the project continue? Yes No Explain how? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 240 10.8 Are there obstacles that have stood in the way of success? Yes No 10.9 Is there any particular success story you wish to tell us about? Reporting Procedures 11.1 How does reporting take place within the district Ikhwelo structures? Verbally In writing Is this method effective? Yes No Give reasons 11.2 How often does reporting take place within the district Ikhwelo structures and in what format? Time Reporting format Weekly Bi-monthly Monthly Quarterly Annually 11.3 Is this reporting method effective? Yes No Give reasons for this choice of reporting 11.4 If reporting is in writing, are the reports available to the Ikhwelo principals? Yes No 11.5 How would you improve reporting procedures if we ran the project in another community? 11.6 Do you meet regularly with the Prolit partners in the province? Yes No How often? Are the meetings formal or informal Are the meetings minuted? REGIONAL POLICY IMPLEMENTER QUESTIONNAIRE General Province : Name of Centre : Name of Interviewer : Name of Interviewee : Surname of Interviewee : Name of organization / department : Tel no : Fax no : E-mail : Address : Gender : Date : I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 241 Policy & Objectives 2.1 What are the objectives of the Ikhwelo Project? 2.2 Are these objectives being achieved? Yes No Give reasons Centre Selection 3.1 Who was responsible for the selection of the Ikhwelo ABET centres in your province? 3.2 What criteria were used in the selection of centres? 3.3 Do you believe that the selected centres are suitable for the implementation of training ventures in SMMEs? Yes No Give reasons 3.4 Do you believe that the selected centres are appropriate for the implementation of training ventures in agriculture, for example suitable natural resources? Yes No Give reasons Education & Training 4.1 To what extent are the training desires and needs of individual learners taken into account in the offering and presentation of training interventions in the PALC? 4.2 What provincial capacity exists to change the existing curriculum content in the Ikhwelo project, for instance from a certification to a skills-based programme? 4.3 What is your understanding of Integrated Learning Programme (ILP)? 4.4 To what extent has the Integrated Learning Programme been implemented through the Ikhwelo project? 4.5 Are you satisfied with the general level of Ikhwelo learner training in your province? Yes No If ‘no’, what would you change? 4.6 What has been the effect of the Ikhwelo project as having any effect on ABET? Positive: Negative: Governance 5.1 Are you satisfied with the current governance and management structure of the project? Yes No Please explain 5.2 What changes would you make to the governance and management structure? 5.3 Are centre managers permanently employed on the project? If not, how are they employed and remunerated? 5.4 Are educators permanently employed on the project? If not, how are they employed and remunerated? 5.5 Do centre managers have employment contracts? Yes No 5.6 Do educators have employment contracts? Yes No 5.7 How are centre managers recruited? 5.8 How are educators recruited? 5.9 What criteria are used for the selection and appointment of centre managers? 5.10 What criteria are used for the selection and appointment of educators? 5.11 Is there an empowerment programme for centre managers in place? Yes No I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 242 5.12 Is there an empowerment programme for educators in place? Yes No Please explain 5.13 What is your understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the Centre Governing Body? 5.14 How are the Centre Governing Bodies elected/selected? 5.15 Are the existing Centre Governing Bodies effective in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities? Yes No Please explain Project Management Structure 6.1 Who is responsible for the management of this project at provincial level? 6.2 What are the roles and responsibilities of each partner? 6.3 What are the main roles of the Provincial Department of Education in the Ikhwelo project? 6.4 What are the main roles of Prolit in the Ikhwelo project? 6.5 Are these roles and responsibilities being executed satisfactorily? Yes No Give reasons 6.6 Who do the staff (centre managers, educators, etc.) at the PALC report to? 6.7 Is the current reporting structure effective? Yes No Give reasons Communication 7.1 What communication structure or policy is currently in place to facilitate the smooth running of the project? Is it effective? Yes No Give reasons 7.2 How can the current communication structure be improved? 7.3 How often do the Provincial Department of Education and Prolit meet? 7.4 Are these meetings formal? Yes No 7.5 Are these meetings minuted? Yes No 7.6 Are these meetings relayed to other structures? Yes No Explain the communication mechanism. Finances 8.1 What is the annual budget specifically for this project, including salaries and transport? If this information cannot be supplied, who can provide it? (Get contact details.) Salaries (per annum) Transport and other costs (per annum) Hourly rate of Ikhwelo educators 8.2 Is the current ABET budget sufficient to ensure the success of the Ikhwelo project? If ‘no’, give an explanation 8.3 What impact has the current budget had on the success or failure of the project? 8.4 If this project were to be replicated what changes would you make to the financial structure, if any? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 243 Monitoring and Evaluation 9.1 According to the policy documents, is the project subject to monitoring and evaluation? Yes No If yes, with whom does this responsibility lie? 9.2 How is monitoring and evaluation being conducted in this project? Is it effective? Yes No Give reasons 9.3 The Ikhwelo project has been evaluated on numerous occasions, have the findings been incorporated? Yes No Give reasons 9.4 List the mechanisms currently in place in the project to implement changes in the governance of the project as a result of the monitoring and evaluation findings. 9.5 How would you improve this component if the project were to be replicated? Time Allocation 10.1 What percentage of time do you spend on the Ikhwelo project? 10.2 What percentage of time does the following people spend on the Ikhwelo project? Regional manager District Co-ordinator Centre Manager General 11.1 Will this project continue when the Ikhwelo Co￾operative Agreement comes to an end? Yes No Give reasons 11.2 Who, in your opinion, is the most appropriate implementing agency for the Ikhwelo project now and in the future? 11.3 If this project were to be replicated \what would your recommendations for improvement be? NATIONAL PROJECT PRINCIPALS QUESTIONNAIRE General Province : Name of Centre : Name of Interviewer : Name of Interviewee : Surname of Interviewee : Name of organisation : Tel no : Fax no : E-mail : Address : I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 244 Date : Project Management 2.1 Do you feel your institution contributed to meeting Ikhwelo objectives? Yes No How? 2.2 What has been successful with your other national partners? 2.3 Do you feel that the sense of partnership between the USAID/ DoE / Prolit-Ikhwelo team is fragmented? If yes, please explain 2.4 Does your institution have responsibility for components of the projects for which you feel you have no jurisdiction? If yes, please explain 2.5 Are you satisfied with the current project management design of the Ikhwelo project? If no, what would you suggest for changes in the project management design 2.6 Have management recommendations from past evaluation and progress reports been taken into account in correcting project design errors? If not, why not? Please explain 2.7 Do changes in the ABET environment warrant changes in the current project design? If yes, when do the collaborating partners intend to institute the changes? Project objectives 3.1 Please define the primary objectives of the Ikhwelo Project as per the Project Proposal. 3.2 In your opinion, are these objectives realistic? Yes No Give reasons 3.3 What do you feel should be the most important output of this project (please rank in order of priority). ABET certification Learner skills training Educator training Centre manager training Community development Provincial staff capacity building CGB development Income generation, Job creation & Poverty relief 3.4 Do you think that your rank order will differ from that of the other national project partners? If so, why? 3.5 How does changing provincial DoE administration impact on meeting the goals of the Ikhwelo project? 3.6 How do the project’s ABET aims attempt to meet learner needs in South Africa? Centre Selection 4.1 Who was responsible for the selection of the Ikhwelo ABET centres? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 245 4.2 What criteria were used in the selection of centres? 4.3 Do you believe that the selected centres are suitable for the implementation of training ventures in SMMEs? Yes No Give reasons 4.4 Do you believe that the selected centres are appropriate for the implementation of training ventures in agriculture, for example suitable natural resources? Yes No Give reasons 4.5 Given the findings of evaluation, diagnostic and progress reports and the stated inappropriateness of a number of centres, what should the course of action be for the three national partners to remedy this? Please state suggestions in order priority Education & Training 5.1 To what extent were the training desires and needs of individual learners versus ABET national objectives taken into account in the project design? 5.2 What provincial capacity exists to change the existing curriculum content in the Ikhwelo project, for instance from a certification to a skills-based programme? 5.3 What is your understanding of Integrated Learning Programme (ILP)? 5.4 To what extent has the Integrated Learning Programme been implemented through the Ikhwelo project? 5.5 Given the existing lack of capacity of educators and the difficulties being experienced with the implementation of ILP and the concomitant problem with the certification embedded in this methodology, how does the DoE foresee ILP implementation in this project? 5.6 What has been the effect of the Ikhwelo project as having any effect on ABET national objectives? Positive: Negative: Provincial Governance 6.1 What are the roles and responsibilities of each partner? DoE Prolit/AED USAID 6.2 What are the main roles of the Provincial Department of Education in the Ikhwelo project? 6.3 What are the main roles of Prolit in the Ikhwelo project? 6.4 Are these roles and responsibilities being executed satisfactorily? Yes No Give reasons 6.5 What is the role of the PPMC? 6.6 Are you satisfied with the current provincial governance and management structure of the project? Yes No Please explain 6.7 If you are not entirely satisfied with the current governance and management structures, what changes would you make? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 246 Centre Governing Bodies 7.1 How will provincial structures support to the Governing Bodies in line with the ABET Act? 7.2 How do the partners see their responsibilities vis-à-vis the management, training, legalising and governance of the Centre Governing Bodies? Communication 8.1 What communication structure or policy is currently in place to facilitate the smooth running of the project? Is it effective? Yes No Give reasons 8.2 How can the current communication structure be improved? 8.3 How often do the national Department of Education, USAID and Prolit meet? 8.4 Are these meetings formal? Yes No 8.5 Are these meetings minuted? Yes No 8.6 Are these meetings relayed to other structures? Yes No Explain the communication mechanism. 8.7 How often do the Provincial Department of Education and Prolit meet? 8.8 Are these meetings formal? Yes No 8.9 Are these meetings minuted? Yes No 8.10 Are these meetings relayed to other structures? Yes No Explain the communication mechanism. Reporting 9.1 To whom does the centre staff (centre managers, educators, etc.) report? 9.2 Is the current reporting structure effective? Yes No Give reasons 9.3 What reports are required from the provincial managers for both Prolit and the DoE? 9.4 Are these reports accessible by all the partners? Yes No Give examples of national management acting on the report content. Recruitment & appointments 10.1 Who appoints the centre staff in the provinces? 10.2 Is the appointment of staff a collaborative process? If not, please indicate the appointment methodology. 10.3 Who sets the recruitment standards for the appointment of centre staff in the provinces? 10.4 Is this collaborative process? If not, please indicate the appointment methodology. 10.5 Problems have been identified with educators/centre managers who are not ABET educators. How can this be remedied? 10.6 Problems have been identified with educators/centre managers who have no practical experience (agriculture/ business/ ABET). How can this be remedied? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 247 10.7 Educators have no contracts or are inexperienced and are not paid for the hours for which they provide services to learners. How can this be remedied? 10.8 Reports suggest that District Co-ordinators are not providing the needed support to Ikhwelo centres. How can this be remedied? 10.9 Learners drop out because of long distances, failure by staff to assist with income options after completion of the course, failure to sit for examinations or unfulfilled expectations. How can the drop out rate be addressed? 10.10 The length of the course has brought about failure of learners due to insufficient time to digest materials. How can this be remedied? 10.11 Why has English language course instruction not been integrated into the course design? How can this be remedied? 10.12 Why has mother tongue language course instruction not been integrated into the course design? How can this be remedied? 10.13 Reports suggest that learning materials are non applicable to South African conditions, or unavailable. This problem was identified some time ago and not addressed. What will be done to remedy it? 10.14 Why have multi-sectoral partners not been involved in the Ikhwelo project to meet ABET objectives (for instance agricultural, business, natural resources / water and the environmental fraternity)? What plan of action is on the table to address this? Finances 11.1 Is the current ABET budget sufficient to ensure the success of the Ikhwelo project? If ‘no’, give an explanation 11.2 Given the increase in the original project allocation as a result of the US$ exchange rate, the project budget will increase substantially. What plan of action is on the table to address the state ABET shortfall with this increase in order to overcome difficulties and continue with the Ikhwelo project. If no plan is on the table, please state what action is being planned. 11.3 What impact has the current budget had on the success or failure of the project? General 12.1 Who, in your opinion, is the most appropriate implementing agency for the Ikhwelo project now and in the future? 12.2 If this project were to be replicated \what would your recommendations for improvement be? NATIONAL PROJECT PRINCIPALS QUESTIONNAIRE General Province : Name of Centre : Name of Interviewer : Name of Interviewee : Surname of Interviewee : Name of organisation : Tel no : I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 248 Fax no : E-mail : Address : Date : USAID Mission input 2.1 Are you actively involved with this project? Yes No How? 2.2 Do you receive reports about the project’s progress? Yes No 2.3 Do you know how the project goes about achieving and demonstrating its impact on development goals? Yes No If yes, please explain 2.4 Do you know how the project defines impact? Yes No If yes, please explain 2.5 Were you involved in selecting institutions for training? Yes No If not, why not? Please explain 2.6 Were you involved in selecting individuals for training? Yes No 2.7 How would you assess the project’s achievement of impact? If you could rate the following on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest rating, 1 being the lowest, how would you rate the following? The project’s definition of impact 1 2 3 4 5 The project’s demonstration of impact 1 2 3 4 5 The project’s marketing of impact 1 2 3 4 5 2.8 What role does the project play in achieving your Mission’s strategic objectives? 2.9 Has the project over time become more or less important in achieving your strategic objectives? More important Less important Don’t know / no response 2.10 To your knowledge, what was the policy environment when the project was designed? 2.11 Have there been changes in the policy environment since then? Yes No If yes: can you describe those changes? 2.12 If you could rate the project’s importance to achieving your development objectives on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest rating, 1 being the lowest, how would you rate the project’s importance to your Mission? 1 2 3 4 5 2.13 About how many people have received training under this project? 2.14 About how many institutions have received training under this project? 2.15 Do you receive reports about the project’s progress? Yes No 2.16 Do you know how the project goes about achieving and demonstrating its impact on development goals? Yes No If yes: how? 2.17 Do you know how the project defines impact? Yes No If yes, how? 2.18 Do you play a role in ensuring that the project’s interventions work towards your CPSP objectives? Yes No If yes, how? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 249 2.19 Are you satisfied with the contractor’s mechanisms for planning for and managing the project for its impact on your Mission’s development goals? Yes No 2.20 If you could rate the contractor’s performance on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest rating, 1 being the lowest, how would you rate the following? Contractor defining project impact 1 2 3 4 5 Contractor defining impact for individual institutions 1 2 3 4 5 Contractor defining impact for individual training events 1 2 3 4 5 Contractor demonstrating project impact 1 2 3 4 5 Contractor overall effectiveness 1 2 3 4 5 Project Management 3.1 Do you feel your institution contributed to meeting Ikhwelo objectives? Yes No How? 3.2 What has been successful with your other national partners? 3.3 Do you feel that the sense of partnership between the USAID/ DoE / Prolit-Ikhwelo team is fragmented? If yes, please explain 3.4 Does your institution have responsibility for components of the projects for which you feel you have no jurisdiction? If yes, please explain 3.5 Are you satisfied with the current project management design of the Ikhwelo project? If no, what would you suggest for changes in the project management design 3.6 Have management recommendations from past evaluation and progress reports been taken into account in correcting project design errors? If not, why not? Please explain 3.7 Do changes in the ABET environment warrant changes in the current project design? If yes, when do the collaborating partners intend to institute the changes? Project objectives 4.1 Please define the primary objectives of the Ikhwelo Project as per the Project Proposal. 4.2 In your opinion, are these objectives realistic? Yes No Give reasons 4.3 What do you feel should be the most important output of this project (please rank in order of priority). ABET certification Learner skills training Educator training Centre manager training Community development Provincial staff capacity building CGB development Income generation, Job creation & Poverty relief 4.4 Do you think that your rank order will differ from that of the other national project partners? I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 250 If so, why? 4.5 How does changing provincial DoE administration impact on meeting the goals of the Ikhwelo project? 4.6 How do the project’s ABET aims attempt to meet learner needs in South Africa? Centre Selection 5.1 Who was responsible for the selection of the Ikhwelo ABET centres? 5.2 What criteria were used in the selection of centres? 5.3 Do you believe that the selected centres are suitable for the implementation of training ventures in SMMEs? Yes No Give reasons 5.4 Do you believe that the selected centres are appropriate for the implementation of training ventures in agriculture, for example suitable natural resources? Yes No Give reasons 5.5 Given the findings of evaluation, diagnostic and progress reports and the stated inappropriateness of a number of centres, what should the course of action be for the three national partners to remedy this? Please state suggestions in order priority Education & Training 6.1 To what extent were the training desires and needs of individual learners versus ABET national objectives taken into account in the project design? 6.2 What provincial capacity exists to change the existing curriculum content in the Ikhwelo project, for instance from a certification to a skills-based programme? 6.3 What is your understanding of Integrated Learning Programme (ILP)? 6.4 To what extent has the Integrated Learning Programme been implemented through the Ikhwelo project? 6.5 Given the existing lack of capacity of educators and the difficulties being experienced with the implementation of ILP and the concomitant problem with the certification embedded in this methodology, how does the DoE foresee ILP implementation in this project? 6.6 What has been the effect of the Ikhwelo project as having any effect on ABET national objectives? Positive: Negative: Provincial Governance 7.1 What are the roles and responsibilities of each partner? DoE Prolit/AED USAID 7.2 What are the main roles of the Provincial Department of Education in the Ikhwelo project? 7.3 What are the main roles of Prolit in the Ikhwelo project? 7.4 Are these roles and responsibilities being executed satisfactorily? Yes No I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 251 Give reasons 7.5 What is the role of the PPMC? 7.6 Are you satisfied with the current provincial governance and management structure of the project? Yes No Please explain 7.7 If you are not entirely satisfied with the current governance and management structures, what changes would you make? Centre Governing Bodies 8.1 How will provincial structures support to the Governing Bodies in line with the ABET Act? 8.2 How do the partners see their responsibilities vis-à-vis the management, training, legalising and governance of the Centre Governing Bodies? Communication 9.1 What communication structure or policy is currently in place to facilitate the smooth running of the project? Is it effective? Yes No Give reasons 9.2 How can the current communication structure be improved? 9.3 How often do the national Department of Education, USAID and Prolit meet? 9.4 Are these meetings formal? Yes No 9.5 Are these meetings minuted? Yes No 9.6 Are these meetings relayed to other structures? Yes No Explain the communication mechanism. 9.7 How often do the Provincial Department of Education and Prolit meet? 9.8 Are these meetings formal? Yes No 9.9 Are these meetings minuted? Yes No 9.10 Are these meetings relayed to other structures? Yes No Explain the communication mechanism. Reporting 10.1 To whom does the centre staff (centre managers, educators, etc.) report? 10.2 Is the current reporting structure effective? Yes No Give reasons 10.3 What reports are required from the provincial managers for both Prolit and the DoE? 10.4 Are these reports accessible by all the partners? Yes No Give examples of national management acting on the report content. Recruitment & appointments 11.1 Who appoints the centre staff in the provinces? 11.2 Is the appointment of staff a collaborative process? If not, please indicate the appointment methodology. I MP AC T E VA LU AT IO N FI NA L R EP OR T: M AR CH 2002 252 11.3 Who sets the recruitment standards for the appointment of centre staff in the provinces? 11.4 Is this collaborative process? If not, please indicate the appointment methodology. 11.5 Problems have been identified with educators/centre managers who are not ABET educators. How can this be remedied? 11.6 Problems have been identified with educators/centre managers who have no practical experience (agriculture/ business/ ABET). How can this be remedied? 11.7 Educators have no contracts or are inexperienced and are not paid for the hours for which they provide services to learners. How can this be remedied? 11.8 Reports suggest that District Co-ordinators are not providing the needed support to Ikhwelo centres. How can this be remedied? 11.9 Learners drop out because of long distances, failure by staff to assist with income options after completion of the course, failure to sit for examinations or unfulfilled expectations. How can the drop out rate be addressed? 11.10 The length of the course has brought about failure of learners due to insufficient time to digest materials. How can this be remedied? 11.11 Why has English language course instruction not been integrated into the course design? How can this be remedied? 11.12 Why has mother tongue language course instruction not been integrated into the course design? How can this be remedied? 11.13 Reports suggest that learning materials are non applicable to South African conditions, or unavailable. This problem was identified some time ago and not addressed. What will be done to remedy it? 11.14 Why have multi-sectoral partners not been involved in the Ikhwelo project to meet ABET objectives (for instance agricultural, business, natural resources /water and the environmental fraternity)? What plan of action is on the table to address this? Finances 12.1 Is the current ABET budget sufficient to ensure the success of the Ikhwelo project? If ‘no’, give an explanation 12.2 Given the increase in the original project allocation as a result of the US$ exchange rate, the project budget will increase substantially. What plan of action is on the table to address the state ABET shortfall with this increase in order to overcome difficulties and continue with the Ikhwelo project. If no plan is on the table, please state what actionis being planned. 12.3 What impact has the current budget had on the success or failure of the project? 12.4 If this project were to be replicated what changes would you make to the financial structure, if any? General 13.1 Who, in your opinion, is the most appropriate implementing agency for the Ikhwelo project now and in the future? 13.2 If this project were to be replicated \what would your recommendations for improvement be?