End of Project Evaluation: Sustainable Reintegration of Orphans and Vulnerable Children into Family and Community Life in Uganda & Ethiopia This evaluation report is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Retrak and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. © Retrak 2011 No part of this publication may be reproduced for any other use, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Retrak Metropolitan House, Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, SK8 7AZ, UK +44 161 485 6685 mailbox@retrak.org www.retrak.org December 1, 2008 November 30, 2011 Cooperative Agreement # GHO-A-00-09-00006-00 Funded by United States Agency for International Development through the New Partners Initiative of PEPFAR Authors Azeb Adefrsew Joshua Wandera Zahara Legesse Kauffman October 2011 End of Project Evaluation: Sustainable Reintegration of Orphans and Vulnerable Children into Family and Community Life in Uganda & Ethiopia Azeb Adefrsew, Joshua Wandera, Zahara Legesse Kauffman October 2011 CONTENTS Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................................... i Acronyms ......................................................................................................................................................................ii Retrak glossary of key concepts ............................................................................................................................... iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................. iv Background ................................................................................................................................................................. iv Findings and conclusions ...........................................................................................................................................iv Recommendations .....................................................................................................................................................vi 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background to the Final Evaluation .............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 The Scope of the Final Evaluation ................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Purpose of the Evaluation .............................................................................................................................. 2 2. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Preparatory Work ............................................................................................................................................ 3 2.2 Methods of the Evaluation ............................................................................................................................. 3 2.3 Data Analysis and Compilation .................................................................................................................... 4 3. FINDINGS ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Organizational Development and Project Preparation Process .............................................................. 5 3.2 Realization of the Project Objectives ........................................................................................................... 5 3.3 Results Achieved ........................................................................................................................................... 15 3.4 Efficiency of the Project ............................................................................................................................... 27 3.5 Sustainability of the Project .......................................................................................................................... 28 3.6 Compilation of Good Practice and Lessons Learnt ................................................................................. 29 3.7 Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) ............................................................................................................... 31 4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................................... 33 4.1 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................................... 33 4.2 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................... 35 REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................................. 38 ANNEXES ..................................................................................................................................................................... 40 End of Project Evaluation: Sustainable Reintegration of Orphans and Vulnerable Children into Family and Community Life in Uganda & Ethiopia Azeb Adefrsew, Joshua Wandera, Zahara Legesse Kauffman October 2011 i Acknowledgements The evaluators would like to extend appreciation to all the children and families who actively participated during the evaluation and shared with us intimate information regarding their family situations and provided us with their views on the services rendered by Retrak. Our deepest gratitude goes to the representatives of the different government stakeholders and partner organizations. These include AIDS Information Center, Dwelling Places, Crane and Viva in Uganda. In Ethiopia stakeholders and partners that participated in the evaluation were the Addis Ketema Sub-City, Wereda 7, the Addis Ababa Women, Children and Youth Affairs Office, UNICEF and Bethany Christian Services. We would also like to extend our warmest thanks to all the staff of Retrak Uganda and Ethiopia and especially to Dinah Mewsigwe, Uganda Deputy Country Director, Maggie Crewes, Ethiopia Country Director and Joanna Wakia, Regional Development Officer for their unlimited support and valuable input in facilitating the undertaking of the evaluation by providing information and data and forwarding constructive comments. The Evaluators ii Acronyms AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome BoWCYA Bureau of Women, Children and Youth Affairs CSI Child Status Index FGD Focus Group Discussion HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus HQ Head Quarter IGA Income Generating Activity M&E Monitoring and Evaluation NuPITA New Partners Initiative Technical Assistance OVC Orphans and Vulnerable Children PEPFAR PLA Participatory Learning in Action SOW Scope of Work TOT Training of Trainers UK United Kingdom UPE Universal Primary Education USAID United States Agency for International Development USD United States Dollars USE Universal Secondary Education USG United States Government VCT Voluntary Counseling and Testing iii Retrak glossary of key concepts The following terms are used by Retrak and in this evaluation report with these definitions  Alternative care: Care of children in a family environment, but not with their parents or legal care￾givers, including: kinship care, foster care, family-like care, supervised independent living (UN General Assembly 2009, paragraphs 26 to 29).  Street children: Children and young people (under the age of 18years) who live and sleep on the street (including roads, doorways, markets, stations and other open spaces), and participate in street life all day. They do not have home to go to because they are orphans or their family ties are not fully functional. The streets are their home, their school and their work place.  Family: Relatives of a child, including both immediate biological family (mother, father, step-parents, siblings, grandparents) and extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins and clan/village members).  Community: Individual or groups of people and institutions (formal and informal) in the location around a child. Such institutions include: government organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community based organizations (CBOs), faith based organizations (FBOs), and health and education institutions.  Stakeholders: Any person or institution which has a role to play or an interest in the life of the child, including: family, community, governmental and non-governmental organizations, community based organizations (CBOs), faith based organizations (FBOs), and education and health facilities; all of whom could potential work together with Retrak.  Family reintegration: The process through which a child is returned back to his/her immediate or extended family (either where s/he lived before or with another family member), and is able to reintegrate into family and community life where s/he receives the necessary care and protection to grow and develop. Within this process reunification is the bringing of child and family members together for the first time after a period of separation while the child was on the streets, often a key step in the process towards reintegration.  Foster care: The placing of children by a competent authority for the purpose of alternative care in qualified, approved and supervised for providing such care (UN General Assembly 2009, paragraph 28 c ii).  Community reintegration: The process through which a young person is supported to become an independent member of society. This support should include both economic support to find work and social support, such as linking with a mentor, so that the young person is able to provide for them and integrate into social structures.  Pre-visit: A visit to a family home (either of relatives or potential foster carers) for the purpose of (re)building a relationship and exploring the possibility of placing the child within the home.  Placement: Transferring a child into a new care situation, such as family reintegration or foster care.  Follow-up: Post-placement contact with family for purposes of checking that the child is safe and that the placement continues to be in the best interest of the child, and for providing guidance and assistance to the child and care-givers, and possibly to other family and community members.  Economic st capacity to earn an income and be able to pay for the requirements for all their children (including school, health care, food, clothing and shelter). iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background Retrak is a faith based NGO working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the street in Africa with the aim of enabling OVC living on the streets to return to sustainable family setting. Retrak has been operating in Uganda for over 14 years and in - (PEPFAR). The purpose of the evaluation is to examine the performance of the project in line with four main objectives of the project which are to enable OVC to begin the transition from street life; to enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context; to build the capacity of Retrak projects; and to strengthen partnerships. The methodology for the final evaluation exercise was mainly qualitative and included document review, focus group discussions (FGDs), participatory learning in action (PLA), and interviews. Information was collected from staff, children, families and partners. Some quantitative data was also analyzed from reports and the Child Status Index (CSI) data. Findings and conclusions The evaluation reviewed the project across key issues that included the realization of project objectives, results achieved, efficiency and sustainability, compilation of good practices, and monitoring and evaluation. The following conclusions were drawn based on the major findings. This project has attained impressive achievements with still two months left of the PEPFAR three-year grant. The project exceeded all the targets set by both Retrak and PEPFAR indicators. As measured by Retrak indicators, the combined achievement at the level of the drop-in center was almost triple (294%). In Uganda, the achievement at the halfway home was 144 per cent. Similarly, the compounded achievements in reintegration and follow-up were quite high accounting to 121 and 145 per cent respectively. Targets were also exceeded according to PEPFAR indicators for all services. The highest achievement was attained with regard to children receiving at least one care service (281%). This was followed by shelter (266%), psychosocial (228%) and health (197%) services. Moreover, the quality of services delivered by Retrak is in line with the minimum standard guidelines issued by the government and by PEPFAR in both countries (MGLSD 2004, MOWA and FHAPCO 2010 and PEPFAR 2006). The CSI data showed that reintegrated children were provided with sufficient food, live in a fairly adequate shelter, have adult care takers, are safeguarded from abuse and neglect, are not in need of legal protection, are mostly happy, and get along with peers and other people. This was also true for children staying at the drop-in center in Uganda since most of them stay off the streets completely. Children and families have also confirmed that Retrak does a good job of reforming the lives of children which is reflected through improvement in the behavior, health and educational status of the children. The remarkable improvements in the behavior, emotional wellbeing, educational status and health were observed in children living on the street in Uganda. On the other hand, the children attending the v drop-in center regularly in both countries showed completely transformed behavior. They behave well. They are attentive, respectful and cooperative. Their health and educational status has improved. It is noted that this is a good evidence for the professional work done by Retrak. Successful promotion and development of ut Outreach and Transition: The objective of enabling OVC on the street to come to the drop-in center and start their transition to life in the community was met as children received psychosocial, health, educational and other basic services. Children and families reported that the project improved the behavior, emotional wellbeing, health and educational status of beneficiary children. However, the fact that children continue to experience stigma and discrimination is a challenge. Other challenges include shortage of staff in the learning center and distraction of the learning teaching process in the drop-in center in Uganda and lack of basic skill in counseling by support staff in both countries. Family and Community Life: The improvements in the behavior, educational status and health condition of reintegrated children was remarkable. The CSI data showed that reintegrated children were provided with sufficient food, live in a fairly adequate shelter, have adult care takers, are safeguarded from abuse and neglect, are not in need of legal protection, are mostly happy, and get along with peers and other people. However, these children were not as happy, expressive and outgoing as children in the halfway home in Uganda. They also reported that there are relational problems. Follow-up is also a challenge in both countries due to distance since children are reintegrated all over the country. Family poverty is another serious challenge in the reintegration efforts which is mainly dealt with through economic strengthening of families. Other challenges include issues of sustainability and equity among siblings caused by payment of school fees in Uganda and illness of care-givers, large families, family breakdown and domestic violence especially in both countries. Foster care program is being developed by Retrak Ethiopia. Formal foster care being a new approach in Ethiopia, very low public awareness on the service and poverty of prospective families could challenge the efforts. Capacity Development: With regard to capacity development, the findings showed that Retrak has put in place a child protection policy as well as financial and RH manuals and oriented staff on all its policies. Staff had ample training on various topics which are hi NuPITA was instrumental in this regard. However, there is staff shortage for following-up reintegrated children in Uganda and in both countries there is a need for more specialized skills in the area of counseling to deal with trauma and stress among staff. Also, follow-up formats do not capture feedback from the children. Strengthening Partnerships: Retrak was successful in developing strong partnerships and linkages at local, regional and international levels. This enhanced the implementation of the project in both countries. Referrals to other service giving organizations were highly beneficial to the children. -confidence and their emotional, educational and health statuses improve, they get reintegrated into society. However, paying school fees in Uganda may not be sustainable for most children. Also, addressing the root causes that push out children to the street is a challenge that needs the collaboration of all stakeholders. Retrak demonstrated good practice in the model it employed to transform the lives of OVC on the street, in its child focused approach, relationship building, promotion of self-determination and holistic approach. Lessons learnt and successful cases that evidence good practice are documented and shared through in a toolkit so that other organizations could replicate the model. vi Recommendations The following are the major recommendations drawn on the basis of the findings of the evaluation: Outreach and Transition: Shortage of staff and distraction need to be addressed in the learning center in Uganda; in both countries public awareness should be carried out with the aim of reducing stigma and discrimination against OVC on the street; and more regular and intensive life skills training and counseling for children in the halfway home to help them continue to deal with anger and behavioral problems. Family and Community Life: There is a need to intensify the preparation of families and support to children through more regular follow-up; medical support should be provided for families with serious financial and health crisis; funds for IGAs should be sufficient and should be utilized according to plans and supported with intensive regular training follow-up; and selection of foster parents in Retrak Ethiopia should be made with the involvement of community based associations and religious organizations. Capacity Development: Continuous training of professional staff in counseling and stress management is needed to deal with trauma and stress among staff; support staff should receive basic training on counseling in both countries; and in Uganda, there is a need to hire a social worker to provide more pre-visit assessments and regular follow-up of children who are reintegrated. Strengthening Partnerships: Retrak needs to spearhead the establishment a network of organizations supporting OVC on the street in Ethiopia. Sustainability of the Project: Linkages should be created to reduce the challenges in the follow-up of reintegrated children in Ethiopia; children in Uganda should be sent to government schools to reduce sustainability concerns and avoid inequity among siblings; and contributions should be made to efforts that address the root causes of the problems faced by OVC on the street. Compilation of Good Practices and Lessons Learnt: Efforts in sharing good practices and learning should continue. Monitoring and Evaluation: in both countries, the follow￾need to be elected without delay after elected children leave the programs; and the CSI data needs to be completed for all children, especially in Uganda. 1 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Final Evaluation Retrak is a faith based NGO working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the street of Africa and committed to providing each child with an individual route back to family and community. Retrak Uganda has been operating for over 14 years and the lessons learnt were successfully transferred to a new project in Ethiopia, in 2006. Retrak aims to enable OVC living on the streets to return to a stable and caring family setting. This is achieved through reintegration with their own relatives or through placement with local foster care families and with support to build the capacity of these families to meet the needs of their children. Retrak has been implementing a 3- Vulnerable Children into Family and GHO-A-00-09-00006- Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development in Uganda and Ethiopia in order to provide short-term quality care and protection to OVC on the street and to strengthen families to meet the needs of these OVC in the long-term. The project had four main objectives as outlined below:  Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs  Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context  Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency.  Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The evaluation was commissioned as part of the grant requirements and covers the period from December 1, 2008 November 30, 2011. 1.2 The Scope of the Final Evaluation As specified in the scope of work (SOW), the Final Evaluation addressed the following questions:  How far were the objectives of the project realized?  What results have been achieved, both with regard to outputs and outcomes (intended and unintended)?  How successful do the targeted children and families feel the project has been?  What factors contributed to or undermined the achievement of results?  How appropriate were the services and the  Was the project implementation resource-efficient?  What measures have been put in place to ensure the sustainability of the project? To generate learning specific to the core project activities of family reintegration and foster care, the following key questions were addressed:  To what extent did the children's behaviour, sense of wellbeing, health and education improve from before they left home /their time at Retrak up to now? 2  After being reintegrated or fostered, have the children used new life-skills (relationship building, self￾confidence, team work etc.) which they learnt at Retrak?  How has the follow-up support offered by Retrak impacted the children who were reintegrated/ fostered, their siblings and their care-givers?  In what areas could Retrak, or partner organisations, have provided additional support to the family? In addition to the above, the consultants decided to also look into the project initiation process, the learning gained from implementing the project and the compilation of good practices. These issues are included because of their importance in identifying feasible actions for the future. 1.3 Purpose of the Evaluation The evaluation aimed to specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 1. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 2. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 3. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency 4. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally PLA with children at the Drop-in Center in Ethiopia 3 2. METHODOLOGY The methodology for the final evaluation exercise was derived keeping in view the objectives of the project. Information and data were collected through a combination of highly participatory primary data collection techniques and tools. These included focus group discussions (FGDs) with staff and beneficiaries, participatory learning in action (PLA) with children as well as individual or group interviews with staff and relevant partners. These techniques were utilized mainly for gathering qualitative information and were guided by checklists and unstructured questionnaires. Some quantitative data was also compiled through desk review of various project documents and Child Status Index (CSI) data. Observation was also used to validate information gathered through other techniques. All the project indicators tracked through the project reports were basically quantitative. Thus, qualitative methodologies were adopted to verify achievements as well as to gather human experiences from project beneficiaries and other stakeholders. Moreover, employing a variety of techniques and collecting information from different groups rather than relying on one method or type of information source ensures the reliability and validity of the data. 2.1 Preparatory Work Exchange of documents and ideas was carried out through e-mail and telephone calls between the consultants and Retrak staff at the preliminary stage. This helped to get general information on the project and clear understanding of the scope of the evaluation. It also helped to agree on the methods and tools of the evaluation as well as clarifying roles, and responsibilities for both parties and operational details including field management plans. 2.2 Methods of the Evaluation 2.2.2 Document Review Using a synthesis and distillation approach, the consultants reviewed various documents and records so as to obtain relevant information as well as for identifying information gaps for firming up the field instruments. Documents reviewed include project proposals, work plans, progress reports and monitoring and evaluation 2.2.3 Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and Group Interviews As part of the data collection exercise, FGD checklists and group interview guides were prepared and the following sessions were held with Retrak staff and selected beneficiaries:  FGD with children in the drop-in center and OVC on the street/ new to the drop-in center  FGD or group interviews with OVC in homes (reintegrated or fostered children), their siblings and care-givers  FGD with staff and social workers  Group interview using strengths weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis with teachers and house parents 2.2.4 Individual and Key Informant Interviews (KII) 4 Staff and some of the stakeholders were required to complete self-administered questionnaires which were prepared with the aim of getting information on various issues. This technique was utilized for triangulation purpose which was instrumental in increasing the validity of the information gathered from other sources. 2.2.5 Participatory Learning in Action (PLA) Since children communicate more freely and easily express feelings through drawings, essays and role play, PLA was employed to capture additional information from children in the drop-in center, children in homes, children in the hostel and halfway home. This included:  drop-in center, halfway home and hostel) and expression of feelings through drawings and short essays and role play  FGD with OVC in homes and expression of feelings and thought through drawings, short essays and role play 2.2.6 Observations Observation of the physical appearance and behavior of children on the street, in homes and at the drop￾in center and general state of structures was carried out accompanied by photography. 2.3 Data Analysis and Compilation Since this is mainly a qualitative evaluation, data analysis was an ongoing and iterative process starting from the field level. At the end of the field work, data was transcribed from the data collection tools, some quantitative data was also compiled from the progress reports and the CSI data to inform this consolidated evaluation report. 2.4 Ethical Considerations from any harm during discussions and interviews. Ethical considerations that were observed during the evaluation included ensuring informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality and sensitivity to individual knowledge and local customs. Caution was taken to avoid raising any unrealistic expectation of evaluation reports. Parents also gave their consent for the pictures taken during FGDs to be used for the evaluation report. 2.5 Limitations of the Evaluation The evaluation process experienced some challenges and limitations as discussed below:  The CSI data served as a baseline and it was possible to analyze the data for some of the children. However, the data was not fully compiled for some of the children especially in Uganda.  Efforts made to have a discussion with Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) ible were away. It was progress report. 5 3. FINDINGS The findings of the evaluation are discussed below under each of the four objectives of the project and the key issues addressed by the evaluation. 3.1 Organizational Development and Project Preparation Process la known as the Tiger Club. The support to OVC on the street sprang spontaneously from activities carried out for addressing some of the needs of the members of the Tiger Club who were living on the street. Thus, no needs assessment was carried out to collect baseline data prior to designing the first project proposal. On the other hand, the development of Retrak Ethiopia was based on a participatory and intensive needs assessment and feasibility study that was carried out in 2006. The process was carried out through discussion with OVC on the street and on site observation during the day and night time. The assessment covered a few selected parts of Addis Ababa where these children gather, engage in various activities and sleep. Moreover, over 70 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 15 government organizations (GOs) including the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) and 9 vocational training institutions were consulted. Desk review was also part of the assessment for which available research in the area was referred (Crewes M 2006). Consequent Retrak documents were however based on information obtained from experience and internal evaluations and assessments like the one that was carried out for Retrak Ethiopia (Wakia Joanna 2009). The CSI data that is being developed recently allows the compilation of data on each beneficiary and the services provided. It is a tool that is used to compile a baseline survey on various key aspects of child well￾being and also used when following-up reintegrated children. This specific project funded by USAID through PEPFAR was informed through internal evaluations, assessments and many years of experience. 3.2 Realization of the Project Objectives Evaluation Question 1: How far were the objectives of the project realized? This section of the evaluation deals with the realization of each of the four objectives of the project. Even if each objective is dealt with separately, it should be realized that there are overlaps in services as well as in outputs and outcomes. 3.2.1 Outreach and Transition Project objective one is related to the outreach and transition programs of Retrak and reads as follows: Objective 1: Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs. The achievement at the level of the outreach and transition was almost triple (294%). A total of 2,789 children received one or more services in the two countries compared to the target which was 950 (650 for Uganda and 300 for Ethiopia) according to Retra countries. Uganda offered services to a total of 2,366 children with 364 per cent achievement and Ethiopia 6 to 423 children with 141 per cent achievement. This is a great achievement which reflects the high commitment of the staff. Achievement at the halfway home was also significantly high (144%) as measured by Retrak indicators. The total number of children placed at the home during the last three years being 194 which exceeded the target that was set at 135 children. Outreach Program At the outreach level, trained outreach workers reach out to OVC living on the street early in the morning, at night and during the day. Retrak Uganda has an open house policy whereby any OVC on the street can come to the drop-in center whenever they want. The aim of the outreach is mainly to build relationships with -in center. Football matches and mobile medical care that includes voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and HIV prevention education are provided. Peer-to-peer outreaches and open feeding are also used. Children attracted by the football match, get an opportunity to spend time at the drop-in center and many decide to stay and attend the programs regularly with a view of changing their lives. In Ethiopia, Retrak has to screen children on the street before inviting them to the drop-in center. An open house policy would be overwhelming due to the large number of OVC on the street in Addis Ababa. A recent headcount by UNICEF, together with Retrak and other NGOS, indicated that there are about 11,000 children living on the streets of Addis Ababa of which 71.4 percent are male (UNICEF 2011). Attracting children through football matches was also not an option due to lack of space in the area where the drop￾in center is located. Thus, outreach workers in Retrak Ethiopia focus on relationship building on the streets. Children are invited to the drop-in center when they decide to move out of street life. Children who are not ready to move on are given some guidance and referral so they can manage to survive despite the harsh reality on the street until they get better alternatives. The Nurse joins the outreach team to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS. The outreach in Ethiopia is carried out by the Teachers who are trained in outreach work. Both roles of teaching and carrying out outreach are demanding and could be overwhelming. Thus, there is a need to address this problem. FGD discussion with the Teachers showed the dedication of the staff to their work but also some stress was reflected. The fact that one of the Teachers was on sick leave at the time of the field visit could also be an additional reason for feeling overburdened. Transition Programs: The Drop-in Center At the drop￾spiritual, medical, educational, recreational and basic needs. They get two nutritional meals per day in Ethiopia and three in Uganda which includes fresh fruits and vegetables. Children taking medication or those who are seriously ill are provided with dinner at the drop-in center in Ethiopia. However, children in Ethiopia have expressed that they are hungry during the evenings and weekends. According to staff, this problem will get attention when children move to the new night shelter. With regard to shelter, in Uganda, children sleep in the multi-purpose hall which serves as a learning center and recreational hall. On the other hand, in Ethiopia, a night shelter close to the drop-in center is used for children attending the programs at the drop-in center. Safety in night shelters is monitored in accordance to the child protection policy. A Warden who stays in the center is responsible in Uganda. In Ethiopia, guards play this role with close supervision from Social Workers. As expressed by the Social Workers in Retrak Ethiopia, checks. Children are monitored by However, reintegrated boys reported that there was minor abuse by bigger boys like taking away the mats and blankets from the 7 smaller children when they were staying at the night shelter. This problem, if it still exists, will be solved with the plan to move the children to a new night shelter since it is planned to hire an additional guard. At this time, the sleeping quarters of the smaller and bigger children is planned to be separated and this will minimize the problem. Medical examination and treatment services are provided at the drop-in center Clinic. In both centers, all children are medically cleared. In Uganda, the service is open to all OVC on the street who come to the center. In Ethiopia, children who need immediate medical treatment or face serious health problems are brought in by the outreach workers. The Nurses medically assess and treat emergency cases and provide first aid for minor illnesses. Any child in need of further medical care is referred to hospital or specialized clinics. In addition, the children are provided with educational services in the catch-up classes. Teachers assess place on a one-on-one interaction. The national school curriculum is used so that when the children go back home, they can have a smooth transition to school and adapt easily. In Uganda, a catch-up curriculum has been developed to help children learn key skills to catch-up quickly with missed education. Some children who have never been enrolled in school or dropped out too early learn to read and write. This facilitates enrollment in vocational skills training and as a basic life skill. For some children the desire to learn and the passion for school dramatically increases. For some children, lessons at the catch up classes offer a high motivation to get reintegrated with their families. However, there are a few challenges faced in the provision of services in the drop-in center in both countries. In Uganda, the classroom is situated in the multi-purpose hall where there is a lot of noise and too many activities are taking place. Shortage of teachers was also mentioned as a challenge with a high pupil: teacher ratio. In Ethiopia, the Teachers expressed the need for individual desks for the children to reduce disruption. In Uganda, staff members other than the Social Workers have been capacitated to provide emotional support to children. During the evaluation, it was observed that children in the drop-in center in Ethiopia also go to the cook and guards for attention and care. Thus, introductory para-social work and counseling training can be provided to them to enable them to interact and deal with children in a supportive way. Another challenge noted is that children at the drop-in center continue to suffer from stigma and discrimination on the street. In most cases OVC on the street are looked at with suspicion. People consider them to be threats to society. Thus, they are sometimes insulted and physically attacked. At best, these children are ignored by the community around them it is like they do not exist. UNICEF refers to this group ng at various levels. The general public, law enforcement and local authorities should be educated in order to create a positive attitude towards OVC on the street. Transition Programs: Halfway Home Some children are reintegrated into communities directly from the drop-in center, while others need more preparation and are taken to a halfway home in Uganda and the hostel in Ethiopia. (The hostel is not part of the USAID funded project.) These homes are more structured than the drop-in center. The halfway home has four cottages that accommodate about 32 children. The activities include catch-up classes and life skills, counseling, medical treatment, recreation, food, shelter and clothing. Child Care Reviews are carried out every six weeks to assess the progress of the children, and reintegration schedules are drawn. Pre-visits are then carried out where children are taken to the families to discuss prospects of reintegration. According to staff working in the halfway home, the challenges are related to the fact that children who 8 were abused physically, emotionally and psychologically need longer time to be prepared for reintegration. Children react to stress in different ways (UNICEF 2003). Many need time to open up they give many conflicting stories and they always give it in bits. Health risks for staff related to HIV and TB were also mentioned. The demanding position of workers in the homes results in stress some of which was captured through the self-administered questionnaires as presented below. In response to the challenges they face, staff stated the following: solving conflicts from morning to bed time fighting, quarreling, vulgar language, stealing and revenge; they are destructive, neither trust nor appreciate. Due to drugs they are aggressive, slippery and tricky and Emotional stress is normal among psychologists and other mental health staff (Solam Tsang Huey 2007) when supporting children and families in difficult circumstances. This challenge should be dealt with at two levels. The children in the halfway home should be provided with additional life skills training and counseling to help them deal with anger and behavioral problems. At another level, the staff should be supported to deal with stress. Another challenge is that children do not want to stop regular school. Retrak handles this on a one-on-one basis since each child is unique. In general, older children are helped to compare their age with the level of education they will attain if they continue their education. According to the Country Director, them through the reality. It serves as a wakeup call. When they see that education may not be the answer there will be a huge mental shift. We tell them that those who are keen could continue their education through night school after becoming self-reliant. We also tell them that we are not an orphanage. We are Moreover, good performers are supported with referral to other organizations that provide long-term support. 3.2.2 Family and Community Life Programs Objective 2: Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context Data compiled for the two countries show that this objective was also met successfully. A total of 407 children have been reintegrated or fostered, while 377 children in families received follow-up support with significant achievement which accounted for 121 per cent and 145 per cent respectively. Retrak Uganda has reintegrated and fostered 253 children and has exceeded its target set at 240. Ethiopia had a target of 95 and has exceeded it by reintegrating 154 children with a very high achievement level (162%). The target for follow-up was 200 in Uganda and 60 in Ethiopia. Both of these targets were exceeded with achievements of 142 per cent in Ethiopia and 116 per cent in Uganda. The intervention that enables children to return to their families is in line with international and regional instruments. Both the CRC and the ACRWC state that growing up in a family environment is crucial for the well-being of the child (UNCRC 1990 and OAU 1999). Similarly, the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children stresses that a child should remain in or return to the care of his/her parents, or when appropriate, care for OVC on the street is being guided by PEPFA National OVC Policy for Uganda (MGLSD 2004) and the National Guidelines for Alternative Childcare (MOWA 2009) for Ethiopia. Reintegrated children are provided with education and medical support, as well as counseling and follow￾up. Efforts are made to restore the relationship between children and their biological families. In cases where biological parents or relatives are not traceable, an alternative is to identify, screen and train community members who are capable and willing to foster the children. Ongoing support is provided until 9 support is no longer needed or the children become 18 years old. The families are economically empowered through income generating activities (IGA). During FGD in Uganda, foster parents listed the various services provided to them by saying, money for upkeep (14 USD per Month), school materials, toilet papers, books, shoe polish, clothes, mattress, blankets and bed sheets. There is training on the challenges we could face and on parenting. Exchange visits are arranged between foster parents to share experiences and discuss challenges and we give feedback if necessary to Retrak. There is regular training which is refresher for most of us. The meetings and experience sh According to FGD with foster parents in Uganda, they are assured that the child will go to school. The fact that school fees and materials are fulfilled builds into the relationship. Foster parents also explained that the upkeep and the Christmas incentive are used for the whole family and clothing is provided for the fostered care support), another child from the family is also invited to join. In Ethiopia, describing the support they received, biological care-givers stated, received start-up capital for IGA or money to strengthen the IGA we already have. We also got financial support for school registration and school materials and counseling. Recently, we received training on IGA. We designed individual plans for the IGA. We also received more money for the IGA and 17 USD for Children are generally happy with the support provided by Retrak. However, during the FGD with reintegrated children in Uganda the children demonstrated lower emotional confidence as compared to children at the halfway home who are very happy, outgoing and expressive. It was observed that as a group, reintegrated and fostered children were timid and shy. Fostered children made the following comments during the FGD: clothes while our siblings are sleeping. When we complain, they say we are abusing them. They tell us how Similarly, of the four children reintegrated who were interviewed in Uganda, only one wanted to stay home, the other three wanted to go to boarding school. One said that the house is overcrowded, another one said that he can read books and the teachers are good while the third one said, boarding school bec Challenges faced by foster parents included some relational and placement problems. As expressed by one of the foster parents, ars. They Another one added, care for children who know they have parents. They do not have full respect for the foster parent. It is difficult when there is communica Asked if having the same age children, whether foster or biological is challenging, a foster parent explained by saying, her. When children are of different ages The above findings indicate that families may need more preparation and follow-up should be strengthened. Retrak does a good job of reforming the lives of children by improving the behavior, emotional wellbeing and enhancing their health and educational status. The process of preparing the families for reintegration or foster care is not an easy matter. Despite the above challenges, the fact that most of the reintegrated children did not go back to the street shows that Retrak does a very good job. 10 There is only a need to strengthen the follow-up with more focus on the children, especially those who are newly reintegrated. The follow-up of reintegrated children has been a serious challenge since children are reintegrated throughout the country. The distance makes regular follow-up difficult due to shortage of professional staff in both countries and lack of field vehicle in Ethiopia. Retrak Uganda is planning to deal with this challenge by developed with the assistance of the OVC Advisor assigned by the USAID funded New Partners Initiative Technical Assistance (NuPITA) will be valuable in this regard. This program will focus on recruiting community mentors for older OVC who are transitioning to vocational training, work and independent life. With regard to the support provided by Retrak, foster families in Uganda indicated that the money for the upkeep helped to some extent but it is not sufficient. One of them explained, and worsening it becomes difficult to maintain the children. The support is still the same. Increment has been Another one commented, Poverty exasperated by the ongoing economic crisis is a serious challenge to the reintegration and foster care efforts. In addition to the economic issue there is also the dependency issue which needs to be dealt with. Economic strengthening through IGAs is a positive intervention. However, care must be taken not to create dependency on Retrak. Funds for IGAs should be sufficient and at the same time they need to be utilized according to plans. Thus, the training and follow-up should continue. Another problem observed in relation to the foster care and the reintegration program in Uganda is related to the payment of school fees which is creating inequity among children living under one roof. for Similarly, there are some challenges in Ethiopia where children are mainly reintegrated with their own parents or extended family. Here, the problems are mainly economic as well as family related including domestic violence, illness of care-givers, large families and family breakdown as vividly expressed by the care-givers:  become frustrated. I am HIV positive. When I try to plant corn my husband cuts and sells the stems to  1 is 8 USD per month. My sons will not be able to continue their education  ren who have lost their father. I sell enjera, butter and spin cotton. If I get  am the only one providing for the  wholesalers. I pay school fees for 2 children and send 2 to the government school. The small one 1 These schools are not as expensive as other private schools since they were public schools previously when they were run by the Kebeles. 11 goes to kindergarten. The cost of living is escal  bought clothes for the children. I get about 6 USD per month by backing Enjera. I own my house but it services. Their responses again revolved around economic and health issues. One of the foster parents suggested that money for the upkeep of the children should be increased. She added, possible, at least foster parents should be provided with medical care. We are the bread winners and when Similarly a sibling in Ethiopia said, She used to cook for occasions like weddings and spin cotton. It is now two years since she got sick. I hope that Retrak Retrak is doing its best to support families according to their needs and will not be able to reduce the wider poverty issue on its own. This needs the involvement of all stakeholders - the government, international and local organizations, donors and community based organizations, the private sector and the public at large. Retrak Ethiopia is preparing to begin its foster care program it is in the process of selecting foster parents together with the Addis Ketema Sub-city. According to the FGD with social work staff, public awareness on foster parenting is low and those who are willing to become foster parents are living in very difficult situation. They do not even have space for the children. In Addis Ketema the social environment is also not conducive for bringing up children (IRIN 2004). It is a business area congested with all types of people and with high crime rate. According to research findings the physical condition of the home of foster parents and community environment are critical in determining the success of the fostering service (Russell J, Brownlie H and Freeman I 1988). Studies have proved that foster care is preferable to institutional care, when children could not live in their own homes (Roy, Rutter, & Pickles, 2000). However, risk factors like separation anxiety, previous addiction and abuse might cause children to run back to the street if they are put in extremely marginalized homes which are similar or worse than their original homes (Stovall, K C, & Dozier, M 2000). It is suggested to utilize the good practice from Retrak Uganda where there is careful selection of caregivers from a variety of social and economic backgrounds as well as the experiences of other partners like Bethany. The selection of foster parents need to be done not only with the Sub-city but also with community based associations and religious organizations that can give more reliable information on the characters and dependability of individuals recommended for fostering children. According to a study in Zimbabwe, foster mothers need to be loving, assertive and have good communication skills in order to promote relationships with orphans (Mutandwa E and Muganiwa C P 2008). ght pose to the foster parent due to difficult behavior, previous addictions, length of time on the street, etc. and the capacity of the parent to deal with these issues (Russell J, Brownlie H and Freeman I 1988). 3.2.3 Capacity Development Objective 3: Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency The above objective which aimed to build the capacity of Retrak projects by improving quality and efficiency was achieved through: staff training, strengthening financial and human resource management, developing an M&E system and developing resource mobilization strategies and capacities. The evaluation assessed aspects of policy, financial and human management, information sharing, resource mobilization, staff training and M&E which impact on quality and efficiency as discussed below: 12 In both countries, the child protection policy has been adapted from the one developed by Retrak head quarter to suit the local context. Project staff has been trained and plans are underway to train partners. Financial and HR manuals have been revised. Staff orientation has been done on HR manual. Orientation on financial manual is ongoing. Internally, information is shared through weekly staff meetings, monthly departmental meetings, and emails. There are also supervision meetings (one-on-one) on a monthly basis. The leadership team holds monthly strategic planning meetings. Information with external stakeholders is shared through meetings in different ich are made by UK office. Resource mobilization is mainly done in the UK. Moreover, according to the 2009 progress report, a fundraising team was appointed to assist in the development of fundraising strategies at country levels. The capacity of the staff to carry out resource mobilization is being developed with support from NuPITA. In Ethiopia, resources have been successfully mobilized through contact with the Japanese Embassy for renovating the drop-in center and night shelter and the Australian Embassy for reintegration and foster care work. Also, the lack of field vehicle that limited pre-reintegration and follow-up visits will be solved soon since approached as a partner in further USAID funding. Retrak has also developed a strategic plan and designs yearly country operational plans. With regard to staff development, Retrak conducted a training needs analysis, undertakes yearly staff appraisals and monthly supervisions, and has started a Leadership Academy. Retrak has also gained the Investors in People award. With regard to staff training, the technical support Retrak received from NuPITA as part of the USAID grant contributed to the success in the implementation of the project. Project staff in Ethiopia have attended several training including Child Protection, Team Building, Human Resources Management, M&E, USG Compliancy by NuPITA, Child Protection, Street Business Training of Trainers (TOT), In Uganda staff training included Street Outreach, Client Targeting and Retention, Regional CSI, Compliance, Finance for Non￾Finance Managers, HIV Counseling and Testing, Database, Child Protection, Quality Assurance and Improvement and Leadership Skills, Strategic Thinking, Psychosocial support, M&E training, Sub-grant Management, Emotional and Social Intelligence. Retrak staff also attends annual retreat where staff has an opportunity to review and reflect on their work. Even if staff had already been provided with several training during the last three years, Social Workers in both countries will benefit from continuous professional development for counseling children who experienced severe trauma. Training on stress and burnout management and reduction to support other workers who deal with children on daily basis is also very important. Interacting and handling children who experienced intense trauma can be challenging and stressful. It is normal for staff working with traumatized children to feel emotional and physical exhaustion. According to a the suffering of those they wo and dealt with through support from Social Workers who also need to support each other to reduce stress. This can be done through maintaining warm, nurturing relationships professionally and personally. Taking regular breaks and annual leave are also important. The number of professional staff should also be increased from time to time as funds allow since counseling and follow-up are core services in the work of Retrak. For example both reintegrated children and social workers themselves acknowledged that sufficient time is not spent with children during follow￾Worker dedicated to the drop-in center so that other Social Workers can have sufficient time to engage with families and children. Retrak Ethiopia has recently hired one more Social Worker to fill the gap. 13 3.2.4 Strengthening Partnerships Objective 4: Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally Retrak is aware of programmatic, technical and other benefits associated with building local, national and international partnerships. Collaborative partnerships have been created and strengthened with the aim of nd Ethiopia. Others have generally targeted sharing of experiences and resource mobilization with commendable success in both Uganda. The achievements realized in each of the countries are outlined below. Within Uganda, there is evidence of strong partnerships at local, regional, national and international levels:  Retrak was invited by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to join the OVC technical Working Group to develop the National Strategic Program Plan of Interventions (NSPPI-II) for OVC.  Network membership includes Viva which is an international network of Christian childcare organizations and CRANE which is a network of organizations working with children at risk in Kampala. Retrak Uganda is also member of the Street Children NGO Network (SCNN) and works closely with ANNPCAN in the area of child rights.  Medical referral partners include Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services Uganda (CORSU) which provides free surgery and The Surgery which provides treatment to children at discounted rates.  Dwelling Places is an implementation partner to which Retrak refers female OVC on the street and which refers male children to Retrak. It is also an implementation partner of the Uganda Street Children Reintegration, Foster Care and Family Support Project funded by Comic Relief. Dwelling Places carries out mobile clinics, health outreaches and visit the government run Kampiringisa National Rehabilitation Centre together with Retrak. The two also work together on advocacy issues.  Retrak Uganda also partners with Child Restoration Outreach (CRO) which has multiple centers across Uganda. This widens the geographical scope of the project for better follow-up.  Other implementing partners include Aids Information Centre (AIC) that provides Retrak with HIV test kits, HIV/AIDS information, VCT training and participates in outreaches; Calvary Chapel which facilitates Bible study and Sunday services; Youth Justice Support Uganda that supports Retrak in providing legal support to children; Companionship of Works Association (COWA) which trains children in technical skills and links them to motor garages and mechanical workshops for employment; St. Joseph Vocational Training Centre in Kamuli district that trains children in vocational skills without asking for academic qualifications; and Quality Chemicals has been contracted to provide Retrak with pharmaceutical support. Discussions with some of the partners show that they value and respect Retrak. One representative from Viva said, network. With regard to OVC on the street, they are our point of reference Another partner from Dwelling Places appreciated the partnership with Retrak by saying, . They are rights . Retrak Ethiopia has also strengthened its relationship with various partners at local, regional, national and international levels:  Retrak Ethiopia has relationships with government stakeholders at Sub-city and regional levels as well as with the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs (MoWCYA), the Addis Ababa Regional Bureau of Women, Children and Youth Affairs (BoWCYA) and the corresponding office at the Sub city 14 level. According to the interview with the representative from BoWCYA, the Ethiopian government is planning to embark on a social protection program with support from UNICEF that incorporates reintegration and other alternative childcare actions in the near future. According to the Regional Bureau, follow-up of children reintegrated by Retrak can be carried out by local government authorities at the Kebele and Woreda levels.  The Woreda Office collaborates with Retrak by providing training hall for a reasonable cost and conducting training on street business without professional fee but only with Retrak covering the daily allowance of trainers.  Retrak Ethiopia, with support from UNICEF, is spearheading a network of organizations promoting alternative care for OVC with particular focus on fostering, kinship care, domestic adoption, inter￾country adoption and institutionalization. The Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Agency (CCRDA) is another coalition to which Retrak Ethiopia gained membership.  Implementing partners include DON BOSCO which is valuable for referral of children for vocational training; Forum for Sustainable Child Empowerment (FSCE) and Organization for Prevention, Rehabilitation and Integration of Female Street Children (OPRSIFS) which received street girls referred by Retrak and has now signed an MOU with Retrak which will provide funds for the recruitment and preparation foster carers to place a few children; Retrak has an ongoing relationship with Beza le Hewiot to connect with Iddirs for awareness raising on street children issues and foster care and with the Great Ethiopian Run which secured places for Retrak children to participate in the popular event.  Retrak Ethiopia has mobilized resources through contact with the Japanese Embassy and the Australian Embassy.  In 2009, Retrak participated at a conference organized by ANPPCAN on Family Based Care for OVC in Nairobi and presented a paper on OVC and family reintegration. Retrak also used this opportunity to make links with potential partners.  At the end of September 2011, Retrak Ethiopia organized a conference entitled Helping Street Children Return Home in Addis Ababa Ethiopia in which many partners participated. According to one of the Working Group members representing UNICEF, pia is an advocate for of children is also appreciated. The representative of the Woreda appreciated the outreach program by saying, essive program. It is the only program that reaches out children at night and rescues children from the street. Retrak is doing a great job. The problem of street children is so big that we all need to work together in order to assist street children reunify with their families or to support them to become self- However, according to the interview with the representative of BoWCYA, there is a gap in networking among organizations working on OVC on the street in Ethiopia. Efforts have been made by Retrak towards this end however the interest of the other NGOs seemed to be quite low at the time. Retrak Ethiopia should try again and lead the initiative together with the Addis Ababa BoWCYA. This forum can also be useful for experience sharing, avoiding duplication of efforts and coordinating efforts in reintegration and prevention. As part of this PEPFAR project, Retrak received assistance from the USAID-funded NuPITA which is the major capacity building partner under John Snow, Incorporated (JSI). NuPITA strengthens the institutional capacity of nongovernmental organizations that provide HIV prevention and care services under the NPI funding stream. NuPITA has two OVC Advisors stationed at Retrak and are providing programming capacity building support and undertook a needs assessment in both countries on street girls which is now being used to plan 15 3.3 Results Achieved Evaluation Question 2: What results have been achieved, both with regard to outputs and outcomes (intended and unintended)? Project reports reviewed indicate that most of the targets were significantly exceeded when measured by both Retrak and PEPFAR indicators as shown in the figures below. It should be noted that there are still two months before the three year in working with OVC on the street, the technical support provided by NuPITA and staff commitment. Retrak project indicators The figures below show the achievement attained on the basis of Retrak indicators. When achievements compiled for the two countries are examined, the targets for all programs are exceeded. As presented on Figure 1, the number of children who visited the two drop-in centers for one or more services amounted to 2,789 and almost tripled its target with 294 per cent achievement. With regard to follow-up and reintegration, the achievements were also higher than targeted accounting for 145 per cent and 121 per cent respectively. Achievements were also examined separately for each of the two countries. As can be observed on Figure 2, the targets set for Retrak Uganda were exceeded according to all Retrak indicators. The highest achievement was with the very high number of children who visited the drop-in center for one or more services which accounted for 364 per cent. This is followed by the number of children who were placed at the halfway home which was achieved with 144 per cent. Achievements for follow-up and reintegration/ foster care were also higher than targeted accounting for 116 and 105 per cent respectively. 950 135 335 260 2789 194 407 377 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 Drop-in centre Halfway Home Reintegration or foster care Follow-up Number of children Retrak indicator Figure 1: Achievement of key Retrak indicators in PEPFAR project (up to Oct11, Uganda and Ethiopia) Target LoP Life of Project so far 16 Similarly, according to Retrak indicators, targets set for Retrak Ethiopia were exceeded as could be observed on Figure 3. The highest achievement was obtained in the reintegration program which accounted for 162 per cent. Achievements were also high with regard to follow-up of reintegrated children and the number of children who visited the drop-in center for one or more services accounting for 142 and 141 per cent respectively. PEPFAR indicators With still two months left of the PEPFAR three-year grant, Retrak has now met all its targets, and in most cases exceeded them. Figures 4 and 5 below show the achievements compiled for the two countries on the basis of the PEPFAR indicators. Targets were exceeded for all services with the highest attained with regard to one care (281%) and followed by shelter (266%), psychosocial (228%) and health (197%) services. Very high achievement was attained in the area of education (179%), economic strengthening (178%) and the proportion of beneficiaries who received three or more services (178%). 650 135 240 200 2366 194 253 232 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 Drop-in centre Halfway Home Reintegration or foster care Follow-up Number of children Retrak indicator Figure 2: Retrak Uganda achievement of key Retrak indicators in PEPFAR project (up to Oct11) Uganda target LoP Uganda so far 300 0 95 60 423 0 154 145 0 100 200 300 400 500 Drop-in centre Halfway Home Reintegration or foster care Follow-up Number of children Retrak indicator Figure 3: Retrak Ethiopia achievement of key Retrak indicators in PEPFAR project (up to Oct11) Ethiopia target LoP Ethiopia so far 17 PEPFAR project achievements up to end FY11 281% 266% 197% 179% 145% 228% 178% 178% 102% 0% 50% 100% 150% 200% 250% 300% C1.1.N One care service C5.2.D Shelter C5.3.D Health care C5.4.d Ed & Voc Tr C5.5.D Protection C5.6.D Psychosocial C5.7.D Economic strengthening C5.0.D 3+ services C5.0.D Care￾givers Percentage achieved PEPFAR indicators Figure 4: Retrak achievement of PEPFAR Life of Project targets up to Oct 2011 (percentage) 1020 380 960 610 260 1020 45 310 1740 2866 1011 1889 1090 376 2328 80 551 1770 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 C1.1.N One care service C5.2.D Shelter C5.3.D Health care C5.4.d Ed & Voc Tr C5.5.D Protection C5.6.D Psychosocial C5.7.D Economic strengthening C5.0.D 3+ services C5.0.D Care￾givers Number of individuals PEPFAR indicators Figure 5: Retrak achievement of PEPFAR Life of Project targets up to Oct 2011 (number) Life of Project target Life of Project so far 18 Another critical measure is the quality of the services which is given high importance by Retrak. The services provided in both countries are in line with the PEPFAR Guidance for United States Government In-country Staff and Implementing Partners (2006), the National Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Policy (MGLSD 2004) and the Guidelines for National OVC Programme Coordination (MGLSD 2008) in Uganda and in Ethiopia, the Standard Service Delivery Guidelines Programs (MOWA and FHAPCO 2010). The priority areas according to the Ugandan National guidelines are care and support, child protection, education, health, food security and nutrition, psychosocial support, socio-economic security, conflict resolution and peace-building. Thus, it is realized that the services of Retrak in Uganda are being delivered as per the standard set by the government. According to FGD with Viva, a network of childcare organizations, came into the network with a high level of expertise in working with street children. We value them as a model for other street children projects. We send other organizations to them because This also becomes evident as the data from the CSI is analyzed. The evaluation used only six of the twelve sub-components, owing to gaps in the data. The sub-components examined are food and security, shelter, care, ab services in Uganda is evident from the average score of children on the CSI assessment. Even the children at the drop-in center scored as high as 3 and more in all sub-domains examined by the evaluation. This shows that these children get enough food, the shelter they live in is fairly adequate, they have adult care takers, are safe from abuse and neglect, are not in need of legal protection, are mostly happy and get along with peers and other people. The children who are reintegrated scored slightly higher than those at the drop-in center in all sub-domains except in emotional health where again the difference is very slight. This shows that the children are happier when they were with Retrak probably due to the quality services provided and also due to the economic and relational problems at home as discussed above under the section on reintegration. In Ethiopia, based on the Standard Service Delivery Guidelines for OVC, the seven service areas include shelter and care, economic strengthening, legal protection, health care, psychosocial support, education and food and nutrition which Retrak Ethiopia meets exceptionally well as could be observed on Figure 7. It also exceeded the minimum standard by incorporating child protection. The results in each of the sub￾domains indicate that reintegrated children have gained enormously from the various services provided by Retrak. These children have scored much higher than children at the drop-in center in all sub-domains 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.9 3 3.5 3.5 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.9 Food and Security Shelter Care Abuse and Exploitation Emotional Health Education and Work Figure 6: Average Score on CSI Assessment of Children in the Drop-in Center and Reintegrated Children in Retrak Uganda (N = 10 from each group) Children at the DIC Average Reintegrated Children Average 19 except social behavior. This means that they are provided with sufficient food, live in fairly adequate shelters, have adult care takers, are safeguarded from abuse and neglect, are not in need of legal protection, are mostly happy, and get along with peers and other people. However, when we compare the scores of children in the Drop-in Centers in Uganda (Figure 3) and Ethiopia (Figure 4), we can easily note that the children in Uganda scored much higher than the children in Ethiopia. This is because children in Uganda get three meals per day and do not need to go back on the street. On the other hand, in Ethiopia, they get two meals and they go back on the street from 3:00 pm till the evening, when they return to sleep in the night shelter. Thus, the upcoming new night shelter and improved feeding will also improve the status of these children. Evaluation Question 3: How successful do the targeted children and families feel the project has been? Before presenting the findings that describe the feelings of the children with regard to the success of the project, it is necessary to have some idea on their general profile. The data on Table 1 was obtained from the CSI records (both baseline data at entry to drop-in center and follow-up data collected after placement in family or community) but eliminating the data of that was entered twice for some of the children. Among the 44 children for whom CSI data was gathered, three fourth are reintegrated and one fourth are at the drop-in center. The age range of 59 per cent of the 44 children (73 per cent of those from the drop-in center and 55 per cent of the reintegrated children) was between 12 and 14 years followed by 27 per cent of those who belong to the 15 to 17 age group and all children are within the target age group of Retrak. Table 1: Age Group Program in Uganda Age Group Program Total Drop-in Center Reintegration 8 -11 Count 0 6 6 % by Program .0% 18.2% 13.6% 12 - 14 Count 8 18 26 % by Program 72.7% 54.5% 59.1% 15 -17 Count 3 9 12 % by Program 27.3% 27.3% 27.3% Total Count 11 33 44 % of Total 25.0% 75.0% 100.0% 1.9 1.5 1.8 2.8 1.6 2.7 3.7 3.9 3.6 3.6 3.9 3.9 3.6 3.6 Food and Security Shelter Care Abuse and Exploitation Legal Protection Emotional Health Social Behavior Figure 7: Average Score on CSI Assessment of Children in the Drop-in Center and Reintegrated Children in Retrak Ethiopia (N = 24 from each group) Children at the DIC Average Reintegrated Children Average 20 Table 2 presents data on age by program obtained from the CSI data of Retrak Ethiopia. The data of 19 children for whom information was entered twice were eliminated. When the data is analyzed by age, 94.5 per cent of the 54 children at the drop-in centre for whom data was gathered are within the age bracket of 7 to 17 years which is the target age group of Retrak. Only three young people have overpassed the target age. These are youth who are on their way to move to independent living after being supported to start small businesses. The highest proportion (50%) of the children in the drop-in centre was between the age of 12 and 14 years. Over two fifth (44.7%) of the 47 reintegrated children are between 15 and 17 years old. Obviously, youth in independent living are older with 81 per cent being in the 18 to 20 age group. Children and youth in independent living are not part of the PEPFAR funded project. Table 2: Age Group Program in Ethiopia Age Group Program Total Drop-in Center Independent Reintegration 8 - 11 Count 3 0 2 5 % by Program 5.6% .0% 4.3% 4.1% 12 -14 Count 27 0 14 41 % by Program 50% .0% 29.8% 33.6% 15 -17 Count 21 4 21 46 % by Program 38.9% 19.0% 44.7% 37.7% 18 - 20 Count 0 17 10 27 % by Program .0% 81.0% 21.3% 22.1% Over 20 Count 3 0 0 3 % by Program 5.6% .0% .0% 2.5% Total Count 54 21 47 122 % of Total 44.3% 17.2% 38.5% 100.0% The data also helped to understand the regional distribution of the original places of the children who receive services from Retrak in both countries. In Uganda, the 44 children came from 15 different regions. The highest proportion (22.7%) of the children is from Kampala with 10 of the 44 children coming from this region. This is followed by 5 children who came from Wakiso (11.4%) and four of those who came from Mukono (9.1%). Only one child resided in the other twelve regions. Table 4: Region OVC Resided in Ethiopia Name of Region Frequency Percept Addis Ababa 12 9.8 Amhara 31 25.4 Gambela 1 0.8 Harari 1 0.8 Oromia 36 29.5 SNNPR 37 30.3 Tigray 4 3.3 Total 122 100.0 21 Table 3: Region OVC Resided in Uganda Region Frequency Percent Buikwe 1 2.3 Kampala 10 22.7 Kasese 1 2.3 Katakwi 1 2.3 Kayunga 1 2.3 Luweero 2 4.5 Masaka 1 2.3 Mbale 1 2.3 Mpigi 1 2.3 Mukono 4 9.1 Ntungamo 1 2.3 Otuke 1 2.3 Pallisa 1 2.3 Rakai 1 2.3 Wakiso 5 11.4 Total 44 100.0 Among the 122 children for whom CSI data was analyzed, the highest proportion (30.3%) came from Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). This is closely followed by children who came from Oromia (29.5%) and children who came from Amhara Region (25.4%) as presented on Table 4 above. During the FGDs with children and caregivers, they indicated that they are grateful for the psychosocial, education and medical support provided. Parents of reintegrated children reported the relevance of the services. One parent in Uganda had this to say: education is the key. Our children are now settled ever since they were traced and brought back home. They no longer disappear from home. We are extremely happy with the way Retrak staff interfaces with the family. We get challenged Among children at the drop-in center, hostel and halfway home the evaluation assessed aspects of decision making. Behavior change: during the FGD, children at the drop-in center identified their behavior while on the street sniffing fuel; and fighting with peers and other people. Asked about their behavior while at Retrak, they said that their behavior has greatly changed and they attributed it to the following services: counseled. We are taught good habits like washing our hands before eating food, cleaning, cooking etc. Emotional wellbeing: During the evaluation, it was observed that children at the drop-in center were happy and confident and those at the halfway home were happier and showed greater confidence than the children at the drop-in center. Asked about their sense of emotional wellbeing while on the streets, children at the halfway home had this to say man took away my shoes and beat me. Police used to beat me. I thought that if I had got a bomb, I would Asked about their sense of emotional wellbeing now, this is what they had to say 22 mattresses and enjoy sleep. We are happy because we eat well and are clean. I have no worries and I am Health status: Children on the street look very different from those in drop-in center and halfway home in appearance. The evaluation team observed some children as they came in from the street. They were dirty, emaciated and with all sorts of visible illnesses like wounds and coughs. On the other hand, those at the drop-in center, halfway home and those reintegrated or fostered are better dressed and much cleaner. During the FGD, children in the drop-in center, halfway home, hostel and reintegrated and fostered acknowledged that their health and nutritional status is good as they have access to food and medical treatment whenever they fall sick. Educational status: Explaining the benefit of the catch-up class one child in the halfway home said, us to catch up, go back to school, get work and become self- When talking abut the services that improved his educational status, another child said, move on step-by￾Some of the children at the drop-in center Children at the halfway home The gap with the current learning system is that there is only one classroom both at the drop-in center and the halfway home in Uganda. Children are divided in two learning streams. The first stream comprises children classes 0 to primary four, while the second stream comprises children above primary four. This arrangement, although transitional, affects the learning process of children as those who ordinarily would be in higher classes are forced to be in the same class with children in a lower class. Some families of reintegrated children in Uganda also indicated that their school fees are not always paid on time. One of the fostered children said If school fees could be paid on time; we are never allowed in school before all fees are paid and sometimes it is paid two weeks after school opening. Last term I went to While another one said part well. The challenges we have are at home, what we are entitled to, when it is brought home, sometimes they are not well managed. We would like Retrak to organize forums where we could meet with fellow colleagues from There was also a general concern among children, staff and evaluators that social workers do not spend enough time with the children during follow-up visits. One of the reintegrated children said Social Worker to visit me more because we fight a lot in my gran One of the Social Workers also said -confidence and when they go back home they tell them that they are good for nothing. There are meetings and counseling sessions with parents. How 23 the children during follow￾When looking at the art work of the street life experiences of the children in Uganda and Ethiopia, the theme of the art work is similar in most of the art works and writings. Children describe the street life as a violent environment where they get harassed and physically abused, they abuse drugs and alcohol and had no place to sleep, they were cold and sleeping on the rain, they were hungry, they were begging, they were carrying heavy loads and garbage to make money, they were sick, they were engaged in sexual activity and or were witnessing sexual activity, they were fighting, they were feeling unsafe, and they were going to the bathroom on the road. Overall, in Ethiopia the children enrolled in the drop-in center program when depicting their life in the street, the art work appeared to be violent and the colors were vivid. This indicates that although the children are in Retrak program, the trauma is still real and they do encounter such incident in their daily life outside of Retrak. When such art work is compared to the drawings of children who are living with their families, although the art work does describe violence on the streets, it appeared to be drawn in much lighter shades when describing the street life. This may be because the children are now living with their families, they may feel safe and they had distanced themselves from such events. On the other hand, the children who are in the halfway home and hostel have similar themes in their artworks and writings when depicting and describing their experiences in Retrak programs. Yet, they portrayed and expressed their experience in a positive way. They drew pictures in which they depicted themselves eating fruits and vegetables, going to school, taking shower, eating healthy meals, playing games, playing football, wearing nice clean cloths, talking to staff, participating in activities, getting medical help, and feeling safe. They described being happy, getting attention, care and love from staff. Below are samples of the art works depicting and describing such experiences. A few of the drawings and essays of the children are presented below. (Please note that the children gave their consent for their drawings and short essays to be presented in the evaluation report.) Life on the street (violence and sex) and at the drop-in center (counseling) in Ethiopia 24 Changes in behavior in Uganda A short essay written by a child in the Halfway Home in Uganda guidelines prepared by Retrak Ethiopia, the monthly meetings have to be run by the children themselves with minimal staff involvement. The aim of establishing the councils is to get the views of the children on the services of Retrak and enhance child participation in decision making. The meetings are also found to be -confidence and enhancing respect among the children. Children discuss issues related to improvement in services such as duration of various sessions or provision of materials and changes are made when the demands are reasonable. Otherwise, appropriate explanations are provided. Other issues discussed by the children in Ethiopia included feedback on research questions, institutional versus family life and causes that push children to street life. These offered good learning forums for Retrak and the children. -in center and halfway home in which children select their representatives to the council, which debates issues concerning their welfare. The effectiveness of the council was assessed through the FGDs and the review of the minutes confirmed what the children said about the benefits of the council. When children in the halfway home were asked how their participation in  Street Life I was stripped for no cause I used to eat bad food. I did not have clean clothes I used to steal metals I was a thief I was not schooling I used to live on the street But now, I have changed I no longer steal I repented to The Lord to forgive me I dropped the old things I passed through I am a good person The Lord helped me He got me from the street I will never go back to the street 25      Children in the drop￾council as follows:     However, at the time of the evaluation, there was no council at either the halfway home or the drop-in center in Uganda as the former members had been reintegrated and had not been replaced. The minutes were not regularly recorded. Thus, there is a need to give attention to the continuity of the council through timely elections and the regular recording of the minutes. Unintended Results The following unintended results were noted on the basis of FGD discussions and observations:  According to one of the Social workers, when Retrak supports only one child in a family of six or seven helpless children, this does more harm to the family because even those who were at home think of running to the street to seek for that golden chance. A halfway home staff also observed, evidenced in one case during the FGD with children living on the street in Kampala. The child take care of the children of the foster family. That is motivation for those care takers. Retrak should expl However, this is already done by Retrak through Christmas incentive and clothing is provided for the foster child and one other child, as well as camping that allows another child from the family to come along.  In Uganda, the fact that school fees are paid in private schools for children who are fostered had wish  When parents see that Retrak has restored the physical, behavioral and emotional wellbeing of their child they assume that Retrak should look after their children as they do a better job. Evaluation Question 4: What factors contributed to or undermined the achievement of results? The project achieved all its targets and its community stakeholders are satisfied with the support provided. The factors that contributed to this success are:  Additional and dedicated staff: The project recruited additional staff to fill the shortage during the last 26 three years. Discussions with children, caregivers and staff themselves show that staff are dedicated and love their work. The children regard the project staff as their own parents, and those who have not been reintegrated regard Retrak as their home.  According to FGDs with the children and their families and the CSI results, the approach of the organization of providing for the needs of children in a holistic manner meets their basic needs and is relevant. The project meets the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of children in an integrated manner.  The technical support provided by NuPITA in developing the capacity of staff through continuous in￾house training was instrumental in improving the quality of the services. Training obtained from Networks and through support from donors like UNICEF was also valuable in developing the capacity  The policy environment of government - work. These Guidelines for National OVC Program Coordination. Yet, there are some gaps in the policies and Retrak and its partners are advocating with the government to fill these gaps. However, there are some factors that were experienced as challenges to the project as discussed below:  Reintegrated children are scattered all over the country making it a challenge to provide adequate follow-up. Retrak does not have up-country offices, yet some reintegrated children are located over 200 kms away from Kampala and Addis Ababa.  The need exceeds available capacity at Retrak. There are many children on the streets of Kampala and Addis Ababa that do not match the current financial and human resources.  The current economic hardships within households of reintegrated children make it difficult to provide adequately for them amidst the needs of other children within those households. Evaluation Question 5: How appropriate were the services and situation? child-centered and age appropriate. Each child is provided with individually tailored services. At the same children. The success at the outreach level can be attributed to the skills of the workers. They approach these children with respect and kindness. A staff member in Uganda expressed this reality during one of the FGDs, by saying, they can connect with you. We listen to them give the In Uganda, children are free to decide to stay or to go after they come to the drop-in center. The success here is in the approach used. Those who decide to stay will be committed to change their lives since the decision was not forced on them. The Warden stressing this point said, a few hours. When the doors are open you know who moves in and out often. These are not serious. The freedom helps them to be themselves. Some choose to stay they are not forced. The children love football Also in Ethiopia, the success of the outreach lies in the skill of the workers to connect to the children. The outreach workers in Ethiopia have also developed special skills in listening to children and establishing good relationship with the children. Here also the children make their own decision. Yet, the worker needs to create a close relationship with the child and has to talk to the child repeatedly for differentiating between children who are ready to move on and those who need time to decide. This is not very easy with all the 27 distraction that exists on the street. This approach may be one of the reasons why Retrak is successful in maintaining children in the program. The children were not tricked or forced to come to the program, rather they choose to be in the program. This type of self-assessment and self-determination is very crucial to OVC on the street being willing to turn around their lives. communities is a good practice as most of the organizations that work with OVC on the street in Uganda take them to orphanages. The family is the best place for the child to grow up and this approach is commendable according to the UNCRC and the ACRWC (UNCRC 1990 and OAU 1999). Also, the holistic approach of providing for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of children is commendable according to the National Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Policy of Uganda (MGLSD 2004) and the Standard Service Delivery Guidelines for OVC in Ethiopia (MOWA and FHAPCO 2010). The long term approach is also very crucial in making the reintegration effort successful. During the FGD, the Social Workers in Retrak Ethiopia explained by saying, have 6 months preparation. Then, we make a pre-visit to check whether the environment is safe or not. Then, we do follow-up once a month for 6 months. However, this depends on each child. Some need weekly follow￾In Uganda, the focus by development agencies has been on the girl child for the last two decades aimed at enabling them equal opportunities. As a consequence, the boy child is beginning to be neglected. It is commendable that Retrak focuses on boys. Yet, in the near future Retrak will also target girls since they face more serious abuse and psychosocial problems. A baseline study has already been carried out. 3.4 Efficiency of the Project Evaluation Question 6: Was the project implementation resource-efficient? The project exceeded all its targets, thus it can be concluded that implementation was efficient. According to senior management, Retrak Ethiopia has 80 per cent and Retrak Uganda has 75 per cent success rate in the reintegration program. One of the main reasons for this success rate is the way children come to the program through the outreach program. The children come to Retrak by choice, and not by force. The importance of the willingness of the child is confirmed by research in the area of family reintegration (Pecora P J et al 1992). Even if it is difficult to calculate the amount of money saved, some of the factors that contributed to this operational efficiency of Retrak include the following:  In Uganda, Retrak built its own offices, drop-in center and half way home that enables the organization to make savings on rental costs.  Retrak Ethiopia utilizes the space in the drop-in centre, shelter and the hostel to full capacity.  In both countries Retrak has got institutional arrangements for referrals of children to several service providers (especially hospitals and clinics) with highly discounted rates that reduce the cost of service provision to the children.  Children at the half way home produce vegetables which they eat reducing the costs of food. They also raise some animals. This equips the children with farming skills apart from providing themselves with fresh vegetables. 28 3.5 Sustainability of the Project Evaluation Question 7: What measures have been put in place to ensure the sustainability of the project? Several measures have been put in place to ensure that the work of Retrak is sustainable. These include the following:  The project has taught several life skills such as conflict resolution, anger management and healthy communication. These skills will enable children to confidently face the challenges of life without making themselves vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. The project has also equipped children with practical skills such as business, technical, service delivery and farming through apprenticeship and vocational training. In fact some of the children have started their own small businesses that will enable them to support themselves in the future.  The approach of reintegrating children back into communities rather than keeping them in homes managed by Retrak enables the children to live under a normal environment. At the same time, Retrak is able to release its resources to serve additional children.  When children are reintegrated to their families or foster families, Retrak provides the families with support for economic strengthening such as seed money and business training with the aim of enhancing the sustainability of the reintegration efforts.  With regard to the sustainability of the project, Retrak has developed strategies to find other donor agencies to sustain the project in the future. approaches are appreciated by partner organizations for making their intervention approaches are extremely sustainable. They are cost-effective and are developed with the involvement of Retrak pays school fees in Uganda, in private schools for reintegrated children for a period of two years. According to FGD with children and families, in some of the households, the siblings of the reintegrated/ fostered children are not going to school because the families cannot afford the education costs involved. Thus, it is likely that after the two years when Retrak phases out education support to them, some of the to pay school fees. There is universal primary education (UPE) and universal secondary education (USE) where government pays school fees for all children in government aided schools and parents pay for school uniforms and lunch at school. Accordance to the National guidelines, National Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Policy all concerned government ministries, agencies and departments are responsible for ensuring implementation of the Policy in their respective areas (MGLSD 2004). The coordination among the different bodies is guided by the National OVC Programme Coordination (MGLSD 2008). It is therefore recommended Retrak considers sending these children to UPE and USE schools. The resources used for school fees can be used for economic strengthening of families. In Ethiopia, the gap is with the follow-up of reintegrated children. One hope is that if the Ethiopian government adopts and implements a social protection program which is in the process of development according to the interview with the representative of BoWCYA, follow-up can be carried out by local government authorities. Moreover, Retrak Ethiopia is working on a new mentoring strategy to get community volunteers to help with long term follow-up. With regard to IGAs, more intensive training is being provided to families to build their skills so that they can become more confident to make their business work and be better parents learn new skills for life. Thus, these activities need to be further developed and 29 strengthened in order to fill this gap. Some of the participants of the evaluation suggested that Retrak explores ways of addressing the root causes of the problems faced by OVC on the street. It is evidenced by the findings of the evaluation that the major cause of this phenomenon in both countries is economic in addition to abuse and family breakdown. In our discussions with the children in Retrak homes as well as with the caregivers of those who have been reintegrated, there are three reasons that lead children to the streets. These are: breakdown of within households. It is fundamental that Retrak works with partners to address these issues. Possible avenues of doing this with limited resources can include use of radio and working with other partners who have the grassroots capacity to carry out community sensitization and mobilization; adopting a community based approach of using community change agents; and working with other economic institutions for household economic strengthening. This should involve the organization of information campaign on the situation and needs of OVC on the street and on the responsibility of all citizens to contribute to the wellbeing of the children. Governments may be willing to share the costs of campaigns through free air time on television and radio. Ways to get private businesses to support such interventions should also be explored. Retrak has developed a strong capacity in working with OVC on the street. Retrak should continue to transfer this expertise to other local organizations that are already working with this target group through training and workshops. Thus, Retrak can spearhead a dynamic social reintegration process that follows economic strengthening in the two countries. 3.6 Compilation of Good Practice and Lessons Learnt Retrak has demonstrated that the model it employs to transform the lives of OVC on the street is successful. decisions and actions taken, which respects the uniqueness of each child. Relationship building and promotion of self-determination are also approaches that contributed to successful reintegration. The holistic approach which caters for the physical, emotional, educational and social needs of the child and that empowers children with and families through developing their skill and economic capacity has contributed greatly to their sustainable reintegration. Compiling these good practices and the lessons learnt will contribute to the process of capacity development within the organization as well as enhancing the collective knowledge and skill of partners working in an area. Compilation of Good Practice Successful cases are best evidence for good practice. Retrak shares these to its partners through its website. It also publishes pamphlets and reports and organizes conferences to share good practice. The networks it belongs to such as Way forward Project and also the Safe Families Safe Children internationally and locally. These also include VIVA and the MGLSD task force in Uganda and the Foster Care Working Group in Ethiopia. Moreover, Retrak is in the process of developing a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) on its reintegration and foster care work to be shared and used as training materials. re Working Group stressed that evidence-based results and preparation of a toolkit for others working with this target population. 30 Lessons Learnt The evaluation required project staff to identify some of the learning they gained from implementing the project. In Uganda, where the number of staff is higher than in Ethiopia, it was possible to get a wider variety of learning. The learning from both countries is grouped under sub-headings and presented below: The family environment  The best place for a child is a family.  Life is difficult for children with step parents and single parents.  Some families do not want to take responsibility. They reject their own children.  Family structures have collapsed. Children can no longer go to the extended families.  Work has created distance between children and families. Parents have no time for their children.  Poverty, HIV/AIDS, broken families and polygamy are the push factors.  Tough economic situation pushes out the young children out.  Stigma and discrimination versus love and attention  There is still a lot of stigma and discrimination against OVC on the street both at all levels  Most of the behavior of the children is not because it is their character. When you show them that you trust them and believe in them they change they seek attention.  People do not give any attention. If you give to the children on the street they can connect with you.  Every child is unique with unique needs thus needs individual attention  A child is a child even if he is wrong. Positive change and reintegration  OVC on the street can change and can be reintegrated into family and community environment if staff, time and resources are available  The potential for change and chances for getting out of street life for OVC are very strong especially when staff capacity is strengthened  Every child can change if shaped and reshaped  Love, care and listening are tools for positive change. Child participation  A child is a person with a mind of his/her own. Involving children in solving difficulties in their circumstances is important if the solution will be long lasting.  There is need to listen to children and respect their views. Programming and approach related learning  Our model works  The level of trauma a child goes through determines the time lag he spends at the halfway home.  This work is very challenging and staff, resource and time intensive  Dedication and team work plus persistence brings success. 31 3.7 Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) According to the progress reports, Retrak developed an M&E system to ensure both activities and outcomes are recorded to inform decision making. This created a good understanding of programs impact and helped to improve strategies. New reporting formats were also developed in order to capture project related information for better decision making. The development of the M&E system was continuous and included the development of a baseline survey and the piloting of database to track children and their Filing and record keeping on children benefiting from the different programs has improved since Retrak began to use the CSI data in October 2010. Children at drop-in center have a box file in which their information is kept. Each of the children has a sepa locked in a filing cabinet and are only accessed by the Social Workers for the sake of confidentiality. Information kept includes information on identity of the child, family background, and life while on the halfway home, and a separate folder is kept for each child. When the child is reintegrated, the same file is used to make comments during follow-up. In Ethiopia, the files of the children stay at the drop-in center even if some of the children are placed in the hostel. However, although feedback is provided on the situation of the family, there is a need to include a section on the form for feedback from the child himself. Ongoing monitoring is carried out through weekly staff meetings, monthly departmental meetings and one￾on-one supervisory meetings with each staff on a monthly basis. Moreover, the management team holds monthly strategic planning meetings. The progress and challenges of the project are captured on monthly, quarterly and annual reports and the latter two are disseminated to government stakeholders and donors as per the requirements. Both PEPFAR and Retrak indicators are used to measure progress. Presently, baseline data is mainly collected through the CSI. The children also evaluate the services through monthly  Indicators: the project has a set of indicators that it uses to assess its progress. These indicators are also used for reporting.  Baseline survey: the CSI data is utilized to compile data on each beneficiary and the services provided. It helps to monitor the progress of children across various key components. However, data is not entered for some of the children. It is thus necessary to urgently insert information for all the children.  Data collection and reporting: The various programs such as medical, education, social work and sports have registers for their activities on which they collect child data on a daily basis and which is then used for making monthly reports. It is also very useful for tracking the children individually and in groups through the programs. The Regional Development Officer checks the quality of the data every month; processes this data for tracking progress against targets and sends out project reports.  M&E database: the database that is developed and tested is being refined and will be ready for use soon. It will facilitate the collection, storage and compilation of data, as well as making it easier to  Child participation: children with regard to the services of Retrak. These forms had at times been discontinued when children leading the council are reintegrated. Effort should be made to get new leaders elected so that the children can have regular meetings.  Evaluation and reviews: Even if there was no external mid-term evaluation, the internal evaluation carried out with support from the Regional Development Officer and the Mock Evaluation carried out become a valuable part of the M&E process. Even if this is the first donor evaluation carried out, 32 project development was informed through internal evaluations and assessments. External evaluation like the present one can also be utilized in the future for more objective views on achievement and future direction at mid-term and at the end of projects. 33 4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 Conclusions The evaluation reviewed the project across key issues that included the realization of project objectives, results achieved, efficiency and sustainability, compilation of good practices, and monitoring and evaluation. The following conclusions were drawn based on the major findings. This project has attained impressive achievements with still two months left of the PEPFAR three-year grant. The project exceeded all the targets set by both Retrak and PEPFAR indicators. As measured by Retrak indicators, the combined achievement at the level of the drop-in center was almost triple (294%). In Uganda, the achievement at the halfway home was 144 per cent. Similarly, the compounded achievements in reintegration and follow-up were quite high accounting to 121 and 145 per cent respectively. Targets were also exceeded according to PEPFAR indicators for all services. The highest achievement was attained with regard to children receiving at least one care service (281%). This was followed by shelter (266%), psychosocial (228%) and health (197%) services. Based on the above findings, the project has been able to meet the first two objectives which are to enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs and to enabling OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context. This is strengthened by the report from senior management that Retrak Ethiopia has 80 per cent success and Retrak Uganda has 75 per cent success in the reintegration efforts with children still living at home after reintegration. Moreover, the quality of services delivered by Retrak is in line with the minimum standard guidelines issued by the government and by PEPFAR in both countries (MGLSD 2004, MOWA and FHAPCO 2010 and PEPFAR 2006). The CSI data showed that reintegrated children were provided with sufficient food, live in a fairly adequate shelter, have adult care takers, are safeguarded from abuse and neglect, are not in need of legal protection, are mostly happy, and get along with peers and other people. This was also true for children staying at the drop-in center in Uganda since most of them stay off the streets completely. Children and families have also confirmed that Retrak does a good job of reforming the lives of children which is reflected through improvement in the behavior, health and educational status of the children. The remarkable improvements in the behavior, emotional wellbeing, educational status and health egrated children observed and reported by the were observed in children living on the street in Uganda. On the other hand, the children attending the drop-in center regularly in both countries showed completely transformed behavior. They behave well. They are attentive, respectful and cooperative. Their health and educational status has improved. It is noted that this is a good evidence for the professional work done by Retrak. Successful promotion and development of Strong partnerships and linkages have been developed by Retrak in both countries. Children have benefited tremendously from referrals to other service giving organizations for services, especially for medical treatment including surgery, that are not offered at Retrak. Girls are referred to organizations 34 providing services to this group in both countries and in Ethiopia children who wish to continue education are referred to other organizations providing long term services. Retrak Uganda is working on a partnership that can close the gap in relation to the follow-up of reintegrated children. Efforts are also being made in Ethiopia in this regard. The government social protection plan can offer a great possibility for providing children with closer follow-up when and if this strategy is realized. Retrak has put in place organizational policies and oriented staff on policy implementation. These included the child protection policy and financial and HR manuals. Staff capacity was also developed through various training and technical support from NuPITA. Information sharing is carried out successfully through meetings and publications. The achievements attained through the project are found to be sustainable. The fact that children gain self￾confidence, improve their educational status, get skill training and are reintegrated back to their families and into society will bring about viable change in their lives. Retrak has also successfully mobilizing funds both internationally and at country levels towards ensuring the sustainability of the project. Retrak demonstrated good practice in the model it employs to transform the lives of OVC on the street, it is child-focused, centered on relationship building, holistic and promotes self-determination. The model and lets and reports as well as through conferences and networks, such as Viva, Way Forward Project and Safe Families Safe Children internationally, and such as the MGLSD task force in Uganda and the Foster Care Working Group in Ethiopia locally. Retrak is also developing a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) on its reintegration and foster care work to be shared and used as training materials. The fact that Retrak is planning to also target female OVC on the street is commendable since girls living on the street are highly vulnerable to a variety of abuses and health risks. In terms of M&E, the evaluation established that there is a systematic system in place with regular monitoring ports. Progress is measured using the PEPFAR and Retrak indicators. Presently, baseline data is mainly collected through the CSI however the database that has been developed will soon be ready for tracking the progress of children individually and in groups. It is expected to facilitate the collection, storage and compilation of data, as well as making it easier to follow￾The evaluation concluded that Retrak owes its success to the model that it follows in its work and its dedicated staff as well as the technical support from NuPITA. The Retrak model follows pioneering approaches in preparing and reintegrating OVC on the street. Among these the open house in Uganda and the holistic approach, child participation, individually tailored planning, relation building and staff capacity development in both countries are found to be vital. Even if the success outweighs the gaps, the evaluation identified a number of challenges and gaps at the different levels of program implementation. The fact that reintegration of OVC on the street is a challenging endeavor is realized. This intervention involves bringing back children to the homes they run away from mostly because those homes were not meeting their needs in the first place. Foster care is also a relatively new intervention strategy to Uganda. Thus, the success of Retrak in these areas should provide sufficient motivation to tackle shortcomings. The challenges and gaps identified at the outreach and transition levels include shortage of staff in the learning center in Uganda and distraction from the various activities in the multi-purpose center that makes the teaching learning process difficult; the demand for support by children from support staff who are not equipped with basic training in para-social work and counseling in both countries; and stigma and discrimination against OVC on the street that prevails in both Uganda and Ethiopia. 35 Concerns and challenges at the level of the family and community life programs include the discontent reported and observed by the reintegrated children demonstrated through timid behavior and lower self￾confidence is possibly due to relational problems reported by both the children and the families in Uganda; the economic challenges, illness of caretakers, large families, family breakdown and domestic violence faced by families and care givers; gaps in the follow-up of reintegrated children due to the long distance since children are reintegrated throughout the country; and in Uganda, the likelihood of the sustainability of payment of school fee for reintegrated children and the inequality it causes among children in the same family. A foster care program is being developed by Retrak Ethiopia. The approach being new to Ethiopia, Retrak might face some challenges. The fact that public awareness on the service is very low and families who are willing to foster children are living in extreme poverty could be challenging. Also, since the physical environment and the personality of the foster parents are decisive in determining success in foster care placement, selection and training of families are believed to be highly important. Poverty aggravated by the current economic crisis is another serious challenge in the reintegration efforts. This is dealt with through providing allowances for upkeep for foster families and support for IGA for both foster and biological families in both countries. However, the issue of addressing the root causes that push out children to the street at a wider level needs to be dealt with by all stakeholders at local, national, regional and international levels. With regard to capacity building, the challenges faced include the trauma and addiction that many children experience on the street requiring intensive counseling and follow-up; and workers who interact with the children on regular basis requiring support to avoid and reduce burnout. As regards M&E, the gap identified is in relation to follow-up formats did not provide items capturing feedbacks from the children in cabinets. 4.2 Recommendations Retrak has successfully demonstrated that the lives of OVC on the street can be restored and transformed through the provision of transitional services and then reintegrating the children into their families and the community. However, being one of the most challenging endeavors in the area of social services, there is need for continuous capacity development and review of approaches and strategies that are relevant to the evolving situation of the target group and the surrounding environment. The project also needs to strengthen certain areas and address some of the challenges focusing in particular on reintegration and prevention efforts. Recommendations drawn on the basis of the major findings are presented below: Outreach and Transition  In the learning center in Uganda, shortage of staff needs attention in order to reduce the children to teacher ratio. There is also need to prepare a separate learning center to avoid the distraction in the multi-purpose hall.  As an advocate for OVC on the street, community care services and protection of children, Retrak should devise an awareness raising strategy targeting the general public, law enforcement bodies and local officials to encourage more positive attitudes towards OVC on the street with the aim of reducing stigma, discrimination and abuse.  Life skills training and counseling should be increased for children in the halfway home and hostel in order to help them continue to deal with anger and behavioral problems. Family and Community Life 36  The support provided by Retrak was appreciated by the children and families. There is a regular training program and exchange visits among care givers. However, it was realized that fostered children were not as happy, expressive and outgoing as the children in the halfway home in Uganda. This indicated that there is a need to intensify the preparation process and follow-up of children.  Poverty among families of reintegrated children which is a serious challenge to the reintegration efforts needs to be addressed with great caution not to create dependency. Funds for IGA should be sufficient and should be utilized according to plans. Intensive training on business management should be supported by regular follow-up.  Medical assistance to children and care-givers in cases where the families are facing serious financial and health crisis should be considered.  Selection of foster parents in Retrak Ethiopia should be made with the involvement of community based associations and religious organizations.  Public education can be instrumental in promoting the foster care program. Topics should include the importance of bringing up children in a family environment, the causes pushing children to the streets, the damage that could result from living on the street and positive parenting. Capacity Development  Counseling being very vital for handling trauma and addiction, there should be sufficient professional staff to provide sufficient counseling and follow-up. Thus, whenever funds allow, professional staff should be recruited and the available staff should receive continuous training.  In both countries, Social Workers also need training on stress management to support other workers deal with stress resulting from their work at all levels.  In both Ethiopia and Uganda, all support staff can benefit from introductory para-social work and counseling training so all staff can have a basic understanding of how to interact and deal with children.  In Uganda there is a need to hire a Social Worker to provide more pre-visit assessment and regular follow-up of children who are reintegrated. Strengthening Partnerships  Retrak Ethiopia should initiate a network among organizations supporting OVC on the street/ street children. This will help to fill the gap in collaboration in the reintegration and prevention efforts. Sustainability of the Project  Children in Uganda should be sent to government schools since sending children to private schools may be difficult to sustain for poor families and also because it created inequality among children in the same family. The resources used for payment school fees can be used for economic strengthening of families.  In Ethiopia the efforts already underway to improve follow-up of reintegrated children through mentorship should be continued. Also, linkages with partners working throughout the country should be strengthened to be able to reduce the challenges in the follow-up of reintegrated children.  Addressing the root causes of the problems faced by OVC on the street is vital. However, this is beyond the capacity of any one organization. Thus, Retrak should collaborate with other partners and the government to promote social protection and aware the community to mobilize support to these children. This can be done through radio and television messages. 37 Compilation of Good Practices and Lessons Learnt  Retrak is sharing its good practices and learning with partners and other stakeholders. However, Ret other organizations working in the area. Monitoring and Evaluation  The CSI data needs to be completed for all the children in order to be used for measuring progress through tracking changes in children over time individually as well as in groups.  information in Uganda.  The follow-up format used to collect feedback should have a section where children can also provide feedback to give them a voice and because the views of the children are vital in assessing the success of placement.  es. However, attention should be given to the continuity of the council through holding re-elections whenever children leading the council move out of the programs. The regular recording of the minutes should also be given due attention in Uganda.  Mid-term and end of project evaluations carried out by external evaluators are important for objectivity. 38 REFERENCES Australian Childhood Foundation 2007, Discussion Paper 6, Understanding the possible impact of trauma on adults working with children and families. Working with Them in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Retrak Ethiopia, March 2006. IRIN 2004, ETHIOPIA: Focus on street children rehabilitation project, ADDIS ABABA, 1 March 2004, accessed on MGLSD 2004, National Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Policy, Hope Never Runs Dry, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), May 2004. MGLSD 2008, Guidelines for National OVC Programme Coordination, Republic of Uganda, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), Kampala, Uganda. MOWA and FHAPCO 2010, Standard Service Delivery Guidelines Care and Support Programs, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of Women Affairs (MOWA) and Federal HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (FHAPCO), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 2010. Mutandwa E & Muganiwa C P 2008, Enhancing foster parent-orphan relationships in rural community based orphanages, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Agriculture, Bindura University of Science Education, Bindura, Zimbabwe, May 2008. OAU 1999, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Organization of African Unity, CAB/LEG/24.9/49 (1990), entered into force Nov. 29, 1999. Pecora P J, Whittaker J K & Maluccio A N 1992, The Child Welfare Challenge: Policy, Practice, and Research. New York: Walter de Gruyter. PEPFAR 2006, OVC Programing Guidance for United States Government In-country Staff and Implementing Partners, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), July 2006. Roy P, Rutter M & Pickles A 2000, Institutional care: Risk from family background or pattern of rearing? Journal Russell J, Brownlie H & Freeman I 1988, Fostering & Adoption Disruption Research Project: The Temporary Placements. Published by the Scottish Office Central Research Unit Papers, Social Work, ISBN-7480-0099-2. Solam Tsang Huey 2007, Occupational Stress, Social Problem Solving, and Burnout among Mental Health Professionals in HIV/AIDS Care, a doctoral thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Drexel University, May 2007. Stovall K C & Dozier M 2000, The development of attachment in new relationships: Single subject analyses for UNCRC 1990, Convention on the Rights of the Child, United Nations General Assembly, Resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989, entry into force 2 September 1990 in accordance with article 49. 39 UN General Assembly 2009, Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, United Nations General Assembly, Human Rights Council, Eleventh Session, Agenda item 3, A/HRC/11/L.13, 15 June 2009. November 2003. UNICEF 2006, The Sate of UNICEF 2011, Head counting of street children in Addis Ababa, Commissioned by the United Nations (BOWCA) and Street Invest London, Addis Ababa. Wakia Joanna 2009, Ethiopia Internal Assessment, Retrak, November 2009. 40 ANNEXES List of Participants List of Representatives of Partner Institutions in Uganda  Anne Nakabiri- PR & Fundraising Officer  Humphreys Bahirirwe- Administrator  Michael Mpulumba- Finance Manager  Tom Kabugu - Kampala Branch Manager, AIC List of Representatives of Partner Institutions in Ethiopia  Desalegn Shanko, Foster Care Program Manager, Bethany  Gezachew Haile Mariam, Manager of the Youth Centre  Kelly Bunkers, Consultant, UNICEF and  Mustafa Rashid, Research, Project and Advocacy Officer, Addis Ababa BOWCYA List of Technical Staff of Retrak in Uganda  Cherrie Agabalinda M&E Officer  Danny Kasadha Education Worker  Dinah Mwesigye- Dep CD  Elvis Lubowa Sports Coordinator  Florence Soyekwo Finance Mgr & Ag CD  Immaculate Nannyonga- Social Worker  Josephine Tusingwire OVC Advisor  Joshua Mutebe Livelihoods Manager  Michael Esalu- Educ Worker  Milton Turyatemba- Care Worker  Monica Ntege- Care Worker  Moses Wangadia Head of Social Work  Nelson Adutia Team Leader List of Technical Staff of Retrak in Ethiopia  Bezuayew Germa, House Parent  Biruk Nidaw, Assistant Social Worker  Emenet Tadesse, Foster Care Program Social Worker  Fekadu Daba, Deputy Country Director  Henok Dana, High School Teacher  Julyata Shibru, Drop-in-Centre Manager  Maggie Crewes, Ethiopia Country Director  Misrak Denbualaw, Project Nurse  Tegistu Petros, Social Worker  Tewdros Demmelash, House Parent 41  Yoseph Alabachew, Literacy Teacher 42 Details on Field Work in Uganda Date Time Activity Participants Monday 5th September 9 - 9:45am Staff introductory briefing Dinah Mwesigye- Dep CD Cherrie Agabalinda M&E Officer Josephine Tusingwire OVC Advisor Elvis Lubowa Sports Coordinator Moses Wangadia Head of Social Work Joshua Mutebe Livelihoods Manager Immaculate Nannyonga- Social Worker Danny Kasadha Education Worker 10:00 - 11:00am 10:00am 12.00pm -in center 13 children aged 10-17 years 1:00- 2:00pm Lunch 2.30- 5:00pm Visit stakeholders/partners: VIVA CRANE Dwelling Places Michael Mpulumba- Finance Manager Humphreys Bahirirwe- Administrator Anne Nakabiri- PR & Fundraising Officer Tuesday 6th September 9:30 - 10:30am Staff focus group at Halfway Home Nelson Adutia Team Leader Michael Esalu- Educ Worker Monica Ntege- Care Worker Milton Turyatemba- Care Worker 11:00 12:00pm Home 15 children aged 14-15 years 1:00- 2:00pm Lunch 2-3pm M&E discussion Cherrie Agabalinda M&E Officer Wednesday￾Thursday 7th-8th September 9am 5pm FGD with siblings of reintegrated children FGD with fostered children FGD with siblings of fostered children FGD with parents of reintegrated children FGD with parents of fostered children Five children aged 10-20 years Five children aged 12-16 years Four children aged 13-16 years Rita Namagembe, Abdul Mulika, Allen Busingye, Sawiya Namiro Sonko John, Nambasa Lucy, Kabuluma Resty, Ndagire Veronica, Nabacwa Catherine, Mukasa Stephen, Namugaya Lorna Friday 9th September 9am 12pm Visit stakeholders/partners: AIC Tom Kabugu - Kampala Branch Manager 1:00- 2:00pm Feedback to staff Florence Soyekwo Finance Mgr & Ag CD Dinah Mwesigye- Dep CD Cherrie Agabalinda M&E Officer Josephine Tusingwire OVC Advisor Elvis Lubowa Sports Coordinator Moses Wangadia Head of Social Work Joshua Mutebe Livelihoods Manager Immaculate Nannyonga- Social Worker Danny Kasadha Education Worker Nelson Adutia Team Leader, Halfway Home 43 Details on Field Work in Ethiopia Date Time Activity Participants Tuesday 13th September 10:50 11:15 am Introduction to Senior Management team (SMT) and Maggie Crewes, Ethiopia Country Director Fekadu Daba, Deputy Country Director Julyata Shibru, Drop-in-Centre Manager 11:15 12:15 am FGD with children at the Drop-in Center Retrak children at the Drop-in Center 28 children aged 12 17 2 3 pm Group Interview with Teachers Yoseph Alabachew, Literacy Teacher Henok Dana, High School Teacher 3 3:30 pm Visit to the Night Time Shelter Night Wardens 3:30 4:30 pm Group Interview with House Mother and Father at the Hostel Bezuayew Germa and Tewdros Demmelash, House Parents 4:30 5:30 FGD with Children at the Hostel 10 children aged from 8-15years Wednesday 14th September 9 10 am Group Interview with children who are very new to Retrak at the Drop-in Center 5 Retrak children aged between aged 13 16 who attended the Drop-in Center from 2 days to 1 month 10 11 am Group Interview with SMT Maggie Crewes, Ethiopia Country Director Fekadu Daba, Deputy Country Director Julyata Shibru, Drop-in-Centre Manager 11 12:30 pm Meeting to discuss M&E Maggie Crewes, Ethiopia Country Director Misrak Denbualaw, Project Nurse 2 3:30 pm FGD with social work staff Fekadu Daba, Deputy Country Director Julyata Sheberu, Drop-in-Centre Manager Tegistu Petros, Social Worker Emenet Tadesse, Foster Care Program Social Worker Biruk Nidaw, Assistant Social Worker 4 pm Visit home of Wondewossen (reintegrated after IGA/training) Wondewossen and two of his elder sisters Thursday 15th September 7:30 am 8:30 pm Focus groups with families of reintegrated children 8 Children aged 12 - 16 7 caregivers (3 mothers, 2 fathers, one sister and one foster parent) Friday 16th September 9 10:30 am Group Interview with vocational trainees 4 Vocational trainees aged 18 19 10:30 11:30 am Group Interview with small business trainees 4 Small business trainees aged 16 17 2 pm 3:30 pm Meeting with FCWG Members was not held because they were busy and it was agreed to send the questionnaires by e-mail. Kelly Bunkers, Consultant, UNICEF and Desalegn Shanko, Foster Care Program Manager, Bethany Monday 19th September 9 am 1 pm The meeting at Woreda 07 was held Meeting with the representative of BOWCYA could not be held because he was busy. Gezachew Haile Mariam, Manager of the Youth Centre Mustafa Rashid Research, Project and Advocacy Officer, Child Rights, Protection, Care and Support Service Core Process Addis Ababa Bureau of Women, Children and Youth Affairs (BOWCYA) 2 3 pm Initial feedback to staff Consultants and Retrak Ethiopia Staff 44 Scope of Work (SOW) Scope of Work for Final Evaluation Retrak-PEPFAR NPI project Sustainable reintegration of orphans and vulnerable children into family and community life in Uganda and Ethiopia Job Title: Evaluation Consultant Reports To: Regional Development Officer Position Location: Retrak Uganda and Ethiopia Duration: 30 working days August-October 2011 Background Retrak is a faith based NGO working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the street in Africa and committed to providing each child with an individual route back to family and community. Retrak Uganda has been operating for over 14 years and the lessons learnt were successfully transferred to a new project in Ethiopia, in 2006. Retrak aims to enable OVC living on the streets to return to a stable and caring family setting. This is achieved through reunification with their own relatives or through placement with local foster care families and with support to build the capacity of these families to meet the needs of their children. Retrak is close to completing a 3-year project funded by the United States Government under the hiopia in order to provide short-term quality care and protection to OVC on the street and to strengthen families to meet the needs of these OVC in the long-term. The final evaluation is taking place in October 2011, prior to the project closing in November 2011. anticipated that the two consultancies will work together in order to undertake field work and sharing findings for Ethiopia. Purpose and key questions The evaluation will specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 1. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 2. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 3. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency. 4. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The following questions should be addressed:  How far were the objectives of the project realized?  What results have been achieved, both with regard to outputs and outcomes (intended and unintended)? 45  How successful do the targeted children and families feel the project has been?  What factors contributed to or undermined the achievement of results?   Was the project implementation resource-efficient?  What measures have been put in place to ensure the sustainability of the project? In addition, to generate learning specific to the core project activities of family reintegration and foster care, these key questions should also be addressed:  How have the children's behaviour changed from before they left home /their time at Retrak up to now?  up to now?  How have the children's health (sickness, nutrition) and education (ability to read and write, performance at school) status improved from before they left home /their time at Retrak up to now?  After being reintegrated or fostered, have the children used new life-skills (relationship building, self￾confidence, team work etc. which they learnt at Retrak?  How has the follow-up support offered by Retrak impacted the child who was reintegrated/ fostered, their siblings and their care-givers?  In what areas could Retrak, or partner organisations, have provided additional support to the family? Timeline Potential consultants should respond to this SOW latest 19th August. The consultant will be required for a maximum of 30 working days, beginning on 29th August through to 14th October, 2011. Supervision evaluation coordinators and Country Directors in each Retrak project. Specific Tasks Time allocation 1. Review relevant documents including:  Request for Application (RFA);  Retrak Technical Response to RFA;  Cooperative Agreement and any amendments;  PEPFAR Country Operational Plans and Annual Reports;  Retrak Reports: annual FY09, FY10 and semi-annual FY11;  Retrak work plans;  Summary of Retrak achievements to date; and  Any other documents as may be deemed necessary. 4 days 2. l Development Officer to prepare methodology and questionnaires for:  Selected headquarter staff,  Selected project staff ,  3 days 46 homes; and care-givers, siblings and community members,  Stakeholder: partners, relevant ministry officials. 3. focus groups and key informant interviews. 10 days (4 days in each location, plus travel time) 4. Analyze data, assemble findings, write draft report and present to Retrak management and staff. 10 days 5. In corporate Retrak feedback into final report and submit to Retrak. 3 days Deliverables Deadline  Evaluation methodology including questionnaires and focus group outlines for field visits; 2 nd September  Draft evaluation report (outline of report will be provided); 30th September  Presentation to Retrak management and staff; and 7 th October  Final evaluation report. 14th October Consultant Profile  Demonstrated experience in evaluation design, implementation and leadership;  Practical experience supporting or evaluating OVC service delivery;  Knowledge and experience of and commitment to using methods centering on child participation and child protection;  Knowledge of USG and USAID; and  Experience in writing reports to an international standard and of designing public relations materials. Please note appointment of consultant will be based on these criteria, please ensure all relevant experience is cleared highlighted in application. Interested parties should send a CV and sample of previous reports to Joanna Wakia, Regional Development Officer, joanna.wakia@retrak.org no later than 19th August 2011. Approvals: Joanna Wakia, Regional Development Officer Date: 12/8/2011 Diarmuid O Neill, CEO Date: 12/8/201 47 Evaluation Tools Introduction Retrak is a faith based NGO working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the street in Africa. Retrak Uganda has been operating for over 14 years and Retrak Ethiopia for 5 years. Retrak aims to enable OVC living on the streets to return to a stable and caring family setting. This is achieved through reunification with their own relatives or through placement with local foster care families. Retrak is close to completing a 3-year project funded by the United States Government and the final evaluation is taking place prior to the project closing in November 2011. A parallel evaluation is also taking Purpose of the evaluation The evaluation will specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 1. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 2. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 3. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency. 4. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The evaluation is being carried out by a team of consultants together with the Regional Development Officer of Retrak and key stakeholders. As one of the key stakeholders, we thank you for accepting our request to participate voluntary in this FGD. List of FGD Participants No. Name (optional) Age Sex Educational Status Type of Engagement on the Street Length of time at the DIC 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 48 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Date FGD was carried out: __________________________ Discussion Questions 1. To what extent are these services at the DIC relevant to your needs? 2. To what extent did your behavior change from before you left home/ your time at Retrak up to now? a) How did you behave on the street? b) How do you behave now? c) What are the services that helped to change your behavior? d) Do you think that you still need to improve your behavior? How? 3. To what extent did your sense of emotional wellbeing (happiness, feeling of hope, sadness, anger, etc.) change from before you left home/ your time at Retrak up to now? a) How did you feel while on the street? b) How do you feel now? c) What services helped you improve your sense of wellbeing? d) Do you think that your wellbeing could be improved further? How? 4. To what extent did your health status (sickness, nutrition) change from before you left home/ your time at Retrak up to now? a) How was your health and nutritional status while on the street? b) How is your health and nutritional status now? c) What services helped you improve your health and nutritional status? 49 d) Do you think that your health and nutritional status could be improved further? How? 5. To what extent did your educational status (ability to read and write, performance at school) change from before you left home/ your time at Retrak up to now? a) Where you going to school while on the street? Day or night? Which grades? b) How do you get education now? c) What services helped you improve your educational status? d) Do you think that your educational status could be improved further? How? 6. Children will be divided by choice into four groups and will represent the changes in behavior, emotional wellbeing, health or educational status through drawings, role play or short essays. 7. What more could Retrak do to improve its services? Thank you for your invaluable input and time F 50 GD Guide for OVC on the Street (New Children at the DIC) Introduction Retrak is a faith based NGO working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the street in Africa. Retrak Uganda has been operating for over 14 years and Retrak Ethiopia for 5 years. Retrak aims to enable OVC living on the streets to return to a stable and caring family setting. This is achieved through reunification with their own relatives or through placement with local foster care families. Retrak is close to completing a 3-year project funded by the United States Government and the final evaluation is taking place prior to the project closing in November 2011. A parallel evaluation is also taking Purpose of the evaluation The evaluation will specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 1. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 2. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 3. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency. 4. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The evaluation is being carried out by a team of consultants together with the Regional Development Officer of Retrak and key stakeholders. As one of the key stakeholders, we thank you for accepting our request to participate voluntary in this FGD. List of FGD Participants No. Name (optional) Age Sex Educational Status Type of Engagement on the Street Length of time at the DIC 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 51 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Date FGD was carried out: __________________________ Discussion Questions 1. How have you been involved in the Retrak project? What more could Retrak do to improve its outreach services or services on the street? 2. To what extent did your behavior change from before you left home up to now? a) How did you behave while at home? b) What factors affected your behavior at home? c) How do you behave on the street? d) What factors affected your behavior on the street? 3. To what extent did your sense of wellbeing change from before you left home up to now? a) How did you feel while at home? b) What factors affected your wellbeing at home? c) How do you feel on the street? d) What factors affect your wellbeing on the street? 4. To what extent did your health status (sickness, nutrition) change from before you left home up to now? a) How was your health and nutritional status while at home? b) What factors affected your health and nutritional status at home? c) How is your health and nutritional status now? d) What factors affect your health and nutritional status on the street? 5. To what extent did your educational status (ability to read and write, performance at school) 52 change from before you left home up to now? a) Where you going to school while at home? Day or night? Which grades? b) What factors affected your educational status at home? c) Are you going to school now? Day or night? Which grades? d) What factors affect your educational status while living on the street? 6. What are the reasons that brought you to the DIC? What is interesting to you at the DIC? Do you want to come regularly? Why? Thank you for your invaluable input and time 53 FGD Guide for OVC in Homes (Reunified and Fostered Children) Introduction Retrak is a faith based NGO working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the street in Africa. Retrak Uganda has been operating for over 14 years and Retrak Ethiopia for 5 years. Retrak aims to enable OVC living on the streets to return to a stable and caring family setting. This is achieved through reunification with their own relatives or through placement with local foster care families. Retrak is close to completing a 3-year project funded by the United States Government and the final evaluation is taking place prior to the project closing in November 2011. A parallel evaluation is also taking place to assess the full 5 years of Purpose of the evaluation The evaluation will specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 1. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 2. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 3. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency. 4. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The evaluation is being carried out by a team of consultants together with the Regional Development Officer of Retrak and key stakeholders. As one of the key stakeholders, we thank you for accepting our request to participate voluntary in this FGD. List of FGD Participants No. Name (optional) Age Sex Educational Status Relationship with Care-Giver 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 54 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Date FGD was carried out: __________________________ Discussion Questions 1. How have you been involved in the Retrak project? 2. To what extent did your behavior change from before you left home/ your time at Retrak up to now? a) How did you behave on the street? b) How do you behave now? c) What are the services that helped to change your behavior? d) Do you think that you still need to improve your behavior? How? 3. To what extent did your sense of emotional wellbeing (happiness, feeling of hope, sadness, anger, etc.) change from before you left home/ your time at Retrak up to now? a) How did you feel while on the street? b) How do you feel now? c) What services helped you improve your sense of wellbeing? d) Do you think that your wellbeing could be improved further? How? 4. To what extent did your health status (sickness, nutrition) change from before you left home/ your time at Retrak up to now? a) How was your health and nutritional status while on the street? b) How is your health and nutritional status now? c) What services helped you improve your health and nutritional status? d) Do you think that your health and nutritional status could be improved further? How? 5. To what extent did your educational status (ability to read and write, performance at school) 55 change from before you left home/ your time at Retrak up to now? a) Where you going to school while on the street? Day or night? Which grades? b) Do you go to school now? Day or night? Which grades? c) What services helped you improve your educational status? d) Do you think that your educational status could be improved further? How? 6. Children will be divided by choice into four groups and will represent the changes in behavior, emotional wellbeing, health or educational status through drawings, role play or short essays. 7. Thank you for your invaluable input and time 56 FGD Guide for Care-Giver (Biological/Foster Parent) Introduction Retrak is a faith based NGO working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the street in Africa. Retrak Uganda has been operating for over 14 years and Retrak Ethiopia for 5 years. Retrak aims to enable OVC living on the streets to return to a stable and caring family setting. This is achieved through reunification with their own relatives or through placement with local foster care families. Retrak is close to completing a 3-year project funded by the United States Government and the final evaluation is taking place prior to the project closing in November 2011. A parallel evaluation is also taking place to Purpose of the evaluation The evaluation will specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 1. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 2. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 3. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency. 4. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The evaluation is being carried out by a team of consultants together with the Regional Development Officer of Retrak and key stakeholders. As one of the key stakeholders, we thank you for accepting our request to participate voluntary in this FGD. List of FGD Participants No. Name of Discussant Name of Child Relationship with the Child Type of Support Received 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 57 7. 8. 9. 10. Date FGD was carried out: __________________________ Discussion Questions 1. How have you been involved in the Retrak project? What services/support have you and your family received from Retrak? 2. Were the services offered by Retrak relevant to the needs of the reintegrated/ fostered children and your family? 3. To what extent were the services received by reintegrated or fostered children useful in improving the relationship the children have with you as caretakers, siblings and the community? (Relationship building, self-confidence, team work etc.) 4. What if any, challenges do you have with the reintegrated or fostered children? How could these challenges be overcome? 5. To what extent did the follow-up support offered by Retrak benefited the child who was reintegrated/ fostered, their siblings and yourself as care-givers? a) Referral service b) Home visits c) School Fees d) Support for income generating activities e) Other support (not mentioned above) 6. What challenges do you continue to experience in supporting the reintegrated/ fostered child in your households? How could these challenges be overcome? 7. Do you have Thank you for your invaluable input and time 58 FGD Guide for Siblings of OVC in Homes (Siblings of Reunified/Fostered) Introduction Retrak is a faith based NGO working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the street in Africa. Retrak Uganda has been operating for over 14 years and Retrak Ethiopia for 5 years. Retrak aims to enable OVC living on the streets to return to a stable and caring family setting. This is achieved through reunification with their own relatives or through placement with local foster care families. Retrak is close to completing a 3-year project funded by the United States Government and the final evaluation is taking place prior to the project closing in November 2011. A parallel evaluation is also taking Purpose of the evaluation The evaluation will specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 1. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 2. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 3. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency. 4. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The evaluation is being carried out by a team of consultants together with the Regional Development Officer of Retrak and key stakeholders. As one of the key stakeholders, we thank you for accepting our request to participate voluntary in this FGD. List of FGD Participants No. Name of Discussant Name of Child Relationship with the Child 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 59 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Date FGD was carried out: __________________________ Discussion Questions 1. What services or support have your sibling and your family received from Retrak? 2. What is the relationship between you and your sibling(s) who were reintegrated/ fostered 3. To what extent did the follow-up support offered by Retrak benefited the child who was reintegrated/ fostered, their siblings and care-givers? i) Referral service ii) Home visits iii) School Fees iv) Support for income generating activities v) Other support (not mentioned above) 4. What challenges does your family continue to experience in supporting the reintegrated or fostered child in the household? How could these challenges be overcome? 5. Thank you for your invaluable input and time 60 Site: Uganda Ethiopia Type of Beneficiaries Children on the Street Children at the DIC Children in the Halfway Home Children at Home 1. Physical appearance of most of the children: 1. Hair: a. Properly groomed b. Unkempt 2. Dress . Clean b. Not clean 2. Social behavior of most of the children: 1. Friendly 2. Cooperative 3. Quarrelsome 4. Respectful 5. Disobedient 6. Others 3. Emotional behavior observed in most children: 1. Happy and content 2. Sad 3. Interactive 4. Withdrawn 5. Frustrated 6. Cursing 4. Signs of drug abuse observed on most of the children: a. Physical signs (tiredness, sleepiness, dilated pupils, red eyes, staining of teeth, staining of fingers, etc.) b. Signs related to appearance (refer to observation on no. 1) c. Behavioral signs (refer to observation on no. 3) Comments by the Interviewer: 61 Observation Checklist for the Night Shelter Site: Uganda Ethiopia I. General Information 1. No of children/ youth sheltered: ___ female ___ male 2. Age group: ____ 3. Width of room: ____ square meters 4. Number of toilets in the compound: ___ 5. Number of people using the toilet/s: ___ 6. Is there a water tap in the compound: 1/ Yes 2/ No 7. How much water are the children/ youth allowed to use per day? ___________________ 8. Until what time at night are the children/ youth allowed to use electric light? ___________ II. General Condition of the Shelter Criterion Condition Very Good Fair Bad Very Bad Structural condition of the home Cleanliness of the room Cleanliness of the toilet Child friendliness of the shelter 62 II. Availability and Condition of Furniture and Household Assets Item Availability Condition Avail￾able Not Avail￾able Very Good Fair Bad Very Bad Sleeping mat (for each child/ youth) Table (for eating and studying) Chairs (for each dweller) Radio Tape Comments by the Evaluator: 63 Observation Checklist for the Halfway Homes Site: Uganda Ethiopia I. General Information 9. No of children/ youth sheltered: ___ female ___ male 10. Age group: ____ 11. Width of room: ____ square miters 12. Number of toilets in the compound: ___ 13. Number of people using the toilet/s: ___ 14. Is there a water tap in the compound: 1/ Yes 2/ No 15. How much water are the children/ youth allowed to use per day? ___________________ 16. Until what time at night are the children/ youth allowed to use electric light? ___________ II. General Condition of the Home Criterion Condition Very Good Fair Bad Very Bad Structural condition of the home Cleanliness of the room Cleanliness of the kitchen Cleanliness of the toilet Child friendliness of the home III. Availability and Condition of Furniture and Household Assets Availability Condition 64 Item Avail￾able Not Avail￾able Very Good Fair Bad Very Bad Bed (for each child/ youth) Table (for eating and studying) Chairs (for each dweller) Kitchen utensils Dining utensils Radio Tape Comments by the Evaluator: 65 Observation Checklist for the Drop-in-Centers Site: Uganda Ethiopia I. General Information 17. No of children/ youth sheltered: ___ female ___ male 18. Age group: ____ 19. Monthly rent payment: USD ____ 20. Tenancy status/ Rented from: 1/ Private 2/ Kebele 3/ Owned by children 21. Width of room: ____ square miters 22. Number of toilets in the compound: ___ 23. Number of people using the toilet/s: ___ 24. Is there a water tap in the compound: 1/ Yes 2/ No 25. How much water are the children/ youth allowed to use per day? ___________________ 26. Until what time at night are the children/ youth allowed to use electric light? ___________ II. General Condition of the Home Criterion Condition Very Good Fair Bad Very Bad Structural condition of the home Cleanliness of the room Cleanliness of the kitchen Cleanliness of the toilet Child friendliness of the center IV. Availability and Condition of Furniture and Household Assets Availability Condition 66 Item Avail￾able Not Avail￾able Very Good Fair Bad Very Bad Table (for eating and studying) Chairs (for each dweller) Kitchen utensils Dining utensils Radio Tape Comments by the Evaluator: 67 Questionnaire for Selected Headquarter Staff Introduction Retrak is a faith based NGO working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the street in Africa and committed to providing each child with an individual route back to family and community. Retrak Uganda has been operating for over 14 years and the lessons learnt were successfully transferred to a new project in Ethiopia, in 2006. Retrak aims to enable OVC living on the streets to return to a stable and caring family setting. This is achieved through reunification with their own relatives or through placement with local foster care families and with support to build the capacity of these families to meet the needs of their children. Retrak in close to completing a 3-year project funded by the United States Government under the ates Agency for International -term quality care and protection to OVC on the street and to strengthen families to meet the needs of these OVC in the long-term. The final evaluation is taking place prior to the project closing in November 2011. A parallel evaluation is also thiopia. Purpose of the evaluation The evaluation will specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 1. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 2. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 3. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency. 4. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The evaluation is being carried out by a team of consultants together with the Regional Development Officer of Retrak and key stakeholders. As one of the key stakeholders, we kindly request your voluntary participation for answering the questions below. Identification of Interviewee Name of the interviewee Represented Section Position of the interviewee in the organization Address Office Phone: Mobile Phone: 68 E-mail: Date filed: ________________________________________________________ Key issues 1. Was the project design based on needs assessment and baseline survey? Were there consultations with OVC on the street and other key stakeholders? How did the findings inform the design of the project? 2. Did the design of the project have any limitations? Were there any deviations or changes in the project implementation plan? What are the effects of these deviations on the project accomplishment? 3. How efficient is the project implementation in terms of meeting the planned time schedule stated in the project document? 4. How efficient was the budget utilization as compared with the accomplished and the remaining activities of the project? To what extent was the project implementation resource-efficient? 5. Have the outputs and results sufficiently contributed for achieving the objectives? Please elaborate. a. In enabling OVC to begin the transition from street life? b. In enabling OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context? 6. What were the unintended results with regard to outcomes? 7. To which extent had the project strategies contributed to the implemented activities and future needs and situation? 8. Were the follow up and monitoring systems and the capacity support activities appropriate enough to produce the progress expected? 9. To what extent did Retrak strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally? How did collaboration with the different government and NGO partners enhance the implementation of the project? 10. Are there any unmet needs of children on the streets, in DIC and those already reintegrated? 11. What have been the major lessons learnt from this project? 12. What strategies have been put in place to ensure the sustainability of the project? How effective are the strategies for sustainable project implementation in the coming periods? In addition to those strategies, what are your suggestions and recommendations for improve and to ensure sustainability? 69 Thank you for your invaluable input and time 70 Questionnaire for Selected Project Staff Retrak is a faith based NGO working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the street in Africa and committed to providing each child with an individual route back to family and community. Retrak Uganda has been operating for over 14 years and the lessons learnt were successfully transferred to a new project in Ethiopia, in 2006. Retrak aims to enable OVC living on the streets to return to a stable and caring family setting. This is achieved through reunification with their own relatives or through placement with local foster care families and with support to build the capacity of these families to meet the needs of their children. Retrak in close to completing a 3-year project funded by the United States Government under the aim is to further strengthen and grow -term quality care and protection to OVC on the street and to strengthen families to meet the needs of these OVC in the long-term. The final evaluation is taking place prior to the project closing in November 2011. A parallel evaluation is also Purpose of the evaluation The evaluation will specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 1. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 2. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 3. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency. 4. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The evaluation is being carried out by a team of consultants together with the Regional Development Officer of Retrak and key stakeholders. As one of the key stakeholders, we kindly request your voluntary participation for answering the questions below. Identification of Interviewee Name of the interviewee Represented Section Position of the interviewee in the organization Address Office Phone: Mobile Phone: 71 E-mail: Date filed: ________________________________________________________ Key issues: 1. What role do you have in the Sustainable Reintegration of OVC into Family and Community Life Project? 2. In which capacity building activities did you participate? 3. In which ways have the capacity building activities contributed towards improving your performance? 4. To what extent did Retrak meet the objective of enabling OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting: please elaborate. a. psychosocial needs b. health needs c. education needs 5. To what extent did Retrak meet the objective of enabling OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context? 6. What are some of the unintended consequences or outcomes would you associate with the services offered to children on the streets/drop in centers through this project? 7. What challenges do you experience in working with street children? 8. If you had an opportunity to change in any way the Retrak intervention was designed and implemented (whether with regard to out-reach, drop in center, or resettlement with family); what are those areas or things you would wish to change? 9. What lessons have you learnt from the Retrak project? Thank you for your invaluable input and time 72 FGD for M&E Discussion Introduction Retrak is close to completing a 3-year project funded by the United States Government under the DS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International -term quality care and protection to OVC on the street and to strengthen families to meet the needs of these OVC in the long-term. The final evaluation is taking place prior to the project closing in November 2011. A parallel evaluation is also taking place to assess the Purpose of the evaluation The evaluation will specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 1. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 2. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 3. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency. 4. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The evaluation is being carried out by a team of consultants together with the Regional Development Officer of Retrak and key stakeholders. As one of the key stakeholders, we kindly request your voluntary participation in this FGD. List of FGD Participants No. Name of Discussant Section Represented Title of Discussant 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 73 21. 22. 23. 24. Date FGD was carried out: __________________________ Key issues: 1. Retrak has developed its M&E system through the development of a database system which is commendable. a. Describe the process used in collecting data from the field. b. What type of data do you collect? c. How often is it collected? Or what tools are used in collecting data? d. How effective is the Child Status Index (CSI) tool in monitoring outcomes? e. Who is involved in collecting monitoring data? 2. What forms the basis for the data that is collected? Or how do you decide which data to collect? 3. How is the information that is collected used? Probe for the linkage of M&E and routine reporting; who is the consumer of the monitoring data. 4. How is the information analyzed and stored? 5. How is the implementation of the child protection policy monitored? 6. What are key challenges of your current M&E processes? Thank you for your invaluable input and time 74 FGD Guide for Teachers Introduction Retrak is close to completing a 3-year project funded by the United States Government under the -term quality care and protection to OVC on the street and to strengthen families to meet the needs of these OVC in the long-term. The final evaluation is taking place prior to the project closing in November 2011. A parallel evaluation is also taking Purpose of the evaluation The evaluation will specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 1. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 2. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 3. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency. 4. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The evaluation is being carried out by a team of consultants together with the Regional Development Officer of Retrak and key stakeholders. As one of the key stakeholders, we kindly request your voluntary participation in this FGD. List of FGD Participants No. Name of Discussant Section Represented Title of Discussant 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 75 33. 34. 35. 36. Date FGD was carried out: __________________________ Key issues: 1. What do you consider to be the main achievements of the Retrak project? 2. Discuss the means through which the Retrak project has met the critical needs of the direct beneficiaries (affected children and parents) 3. The services provided by the project do benefit children in many ways. Briefly describe the major benefits children, care givers (foster/biological parents) receive. 4. What challenges do you experience in working with street children? 5. What are the key strengths of the Retrak project (generally and specifically i.e. with respect to your core function or role in the project)? 6. What are the areas of weakness which do undermine the success of the Retrak intervention in the specific area of your work (medical, sports, skills training, social work etc.)? 7. What opportunities have you identified that could be capitalized upon to better address the problem of street children? 8. If you had an opportunity to change in any way the Retrak intervention was designed and implemented (whether with regard to out-reach, drop in center, or resettlement with family); what are those areas or things you would wish to change? Thank you for your invaluable input and time 76 Interview Guide for Stakeholders (GO and NGO Partner Offices / Organizations) Introduction Retrak is a faith based NGO working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the street in Africa and committed to providing each child with an individual route back to family and community. Retrak Uganda has been operating for over 14 years and the lessons learnt were successfully transferred to a new project in Ethiopia, in 2006. Retrak aims to enable OVC living on the streets to return to a stable and caring family setting. This is achieved through reunification with their own relatives or through placement with local foster care families and with support to build the capacity of these families to meet the needs of their children. Retrak in close to completing a 3-year project funded by the United States Government under the ograms in Uganda and Ethiopia in order to provide short-term quality care and protection to OVC on the street and to strengthen families to meet the needs of these OVC in the long-term. The final evaluation is taking place prior to the project closing in November 2011. A parallel evaluation is also Purpose of the evaluation The evaluation will specifically examine the performance of the project in line with the four project objectives: 5. Enable OVC to begin the transition from street life through meeting their psychosocial, health and education needs 6. Enable OVC to be reintegrated into a sustainable family context 7. Build the capacity of Retrak projects to improve quality and efficiency. 8. Strengthen partnerships, both locally and internationally The evaluation is being carried out by a team of consultants together with the Regional Development Officer of Retrak and key stakeholders. As one of the key stakeholders, we kindly request your voluntary participation in this interview. Identification of Interviewee Name of the interviewee Represented Organization Position of the interviewee in the organization Address Office Phone: Mobile Phone: 77 E-mail: Date filed: ________________________________________________________ Key issues: 1. Explain the relationship between Retrak and your organization or office. 2. What do you know about the work of Retrak? Briefly explain its services? 3. What are the most important achievements of the project which is reintegrating OVC on the street back to their families or foster families and the community? Mention any benefits you know have resulted from the implementation of this project. 4. What is your comment about the approaches used by Retrak? This should be specific to the OVC reintegration project. 5. In which ways does Retrak share information with your organization? 6. What are the most important contributions of your office towards this achievement? 7. Is there a network of organizations supporting OVC on the street? Who is coordinating the network? What is the benefit of being a member of this network? 8. What would be your recommendations for improving the services provided by Retrak in the future? 9. What do you think about the sustainability of the approaches used by Retrak? 10. replication, scaling up, prevention) Thank you for your invaluable input and time. 78