AIDSImpact.com:: - Santa Fe, USA 2011

Abstract #257 - Measure the effects on young people resulting from SRH education and HIV prevention; a toolkit developed with and for implementing organisations in Zimbabwe
Authors: Presenting Author: Mrs Miriam Groenhof - STOP AIDS NOW!
Additional Authors: Ms. Enet Mukurazita, Ms. Bertha Mukome, MA Joanne Leerlooijer,
Aim: Various programmes have been designed to address problems related to young people’s sexual and reproductive health (SRHR). While many organisations measure the outputs of their interventions, it remains a challenge to measure the effects on outcome level and analyse whether programs have changed young people’s life, and in particular, young people’s sexual behaviours. Eight NGOs in Zimbabwe developed, under management of Young Africa and Family Aids Caring Trust, and together with STOP AIDS NOW! and Rutgers WPF, a practical toolkit to measure effect on outcome level. The toolkit is designed for organisations who have sexual and reproductive health programmes for young people.
Method / Issue: STOP AIDS NOW! linked eight NGOs, all working with youth and SRHR, with social scientists, who are experts on monitoring and evaluation and design of programming. In a series of workshops, participants discussed evidence based approach, theories of behaviour change, using a logical framework approach in development of interventions, and addressing relevant and changeable determinants within programming. A baseline study was conducted and results showed specific learning needs of individual organisations. Based on the outcomes, organisations decided to develop a practical toolkit. The linking and learning programme, and thus the development of the toolkit is guided and evaluated through applied research, by the University of Amsterdam, together with a team of researchers in Zimbabwe. Starting point of the toolkit is the acknowledgement that organisations have different levels of expertise on M&E. In 8 steps, organisations receive practical guidelines on how to select outcome indicators, develop an evaluation plan and possibilities to implement either a best, moderate or minimum evaluation, depending on capacities and availability of staff. Furthermore, steps focus on methods for data collection and data analyses and report writing.
Results / Comments: The toolkit provides guidelines and practical information, derived from experiences of eight NGOs, guided by an evidence based approach on how to measure behaviour change of youth participating in their own programmes. The toolkit provides steps and tools to conduct an outcome evaluation, measuring change among young people aged 12-30 years, either in school or not in school, as a result of SRHR programs. The result of the development of the M&E toolkit, is that partners involved in this process have gained insights on ways how to measure effects on outcome level and learned (1) how to integrate theories of behaviour change in programmes, (2) linking programme objectives and goals with evaluation goals, (3) exploring capacities on evaluation within own organisation. At the same time they have captured their learning through the development of the tool. We would like to share the results and a practical toolkit which can be used by all organisations implementing SRH/HIV-prevention programmes.
Discussion: Internationally we see a shift where donor organisations require more often to see results on outcome level. Instead of hiring external consultants, why not focus on capacities of organisations to measure on outcome level themselves? While donor organisations often insist on seeing results of programmes on outcome level, yet, not enough resources are allocated towards evaluations.
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