The project, “Youth and Adolescents Education Support in Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh,” aimed to establish a functional literacy and numeracy (FLN) education system for Rohingya youth in camps and improve access to safe, gender-responsive education in host community schools. The initiative provided essential education to marginalized youth and adolescents affected by displacement, enhancing their literacy and numeracy skills, and fostering community cohesion through structured extracurricular activities.

The project also focused on building the capacity of host community educators through comprehensive training sessions and infrastructure support. Key objectives included promoting educational access for vulnerable youth, strengthening gender-responsive teaching practices, and enhancing community resilience through inclusive education.

The third-party evaluation of the project aimed to verify project outcomes, beneficiary satisfaction, and adherence to humanitarian principles and standards. By incorporating the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) and OECD-DAC evaluation criteria, the evaluation also analyzed localization components and the project’s contributions to Joint Response Plan (JRP) 2021.

The objectives of the evaluation included:

• To verify actual outputs and outcomes of the project with the available data
• To verify that the humanitarian principles and standards including Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) are respected.
• To understand the beneficiary satisfaction
• To assess the contributions of the project to Joint Response Plan 2021 and JPF’s program goals.
• To document and extract lessons learned and best practices and provide robust recommendations to improve the future projects and programme.

Funded by Japan Platform (JPF) and planned and implemented by Plan International Japan and Plan International Bangladesh, the project targeted Rohingya refugee camps (1E, 1W, 3, 6, and 7) and host communities in Ukhiya.

Key Highlights of the Assignment

DM WATCH LIMITED undertook a comprehensive third-party evaluation of the project using a mixed-method approach to ensure a robust analysis of project outcomes. Key tasks included:

1.Inception Phase:

• • Conducted discussions with JPF, Plan International, and other stakeholders to finalize the evaluation scope.
  • Reviewed project documents, including CHS guidelines, JRP 2021 objectives, and previous project reports.
  • Prepared and submitted a detailed inception report outlining methodologies, tools, and work plans, incorporating feedback from stakeholders.

2.Tool Development and Pre-testing:

• • Developed data collection tools, including structured questionnaires, Key Informant Interview (KII) guides, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) checklists, and observation templates.
  • Pre-tested tools in the field and revised them based on feedback to ensure contextual relevance and accuracy.

3.Data Collection:

• • Trained data collectors on data collection methodologies, ethical considerations, and the use of digital tools for data collection.
  • Ensured quality control through daily checks, spot checks, and accompanied interviews.
  • Conducted quantitative surveys covering 100 Rohingya youth in camps and qualitative data collection through KIIs, FGDs, and in-depth interviews.
  • Collected success stories to highlight project achievements and challenges.
  • Conducted physical observations of learning centers and schools to assess infrastructure and teaching environments.

4.Data Analysis and Validation:

• • Analyzed quantitative data using SPSS and Excel, applying descriptive and inferential statistical techniques.
  • Processed qualitative data through thematic coding and narrative analysis using NVivo.
  • Conducted triangulation of data to ensure consistency and reliability.

5.Reporting and Dissemination:

• • Prepared a draft report presenting initial findings, shared with JPF and Plan International Japan and Bangladesh team for feedback.
  • Organized a validation workshop to refine findings and gather stakeholder input.
  • Submitted the final evaluation report with strategic recommendations, incorporating all feedback.

6.Deliverables:

• • Comprehensive inception report.
  • Clean datasets in Excel and SPSS formats.
  • A final evaluation report, including data visualizations and infographics.
  • Presentation materials for dissemination workshops.