3.5 Advocacy awareness and creation

and engagement with Chapters; owing to travel restrictions and in anticipation of a virtual girls’ conference in future. 3.6 Conducting effective and efficient Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning As part of good practice, the project looked to conduct effective and efficient monitoring, evaluation and learning, throughout its life. Given that the regions are not homogeneous and therefore had challenges manifesting differently, a baseline survey was conducted both at region and school level, to get the region and school specific baseline data. In the targeted secondary schools, the baseline data was further used to establish the status of girls’ participation and performance, to guide project monitoring.

The monitoring evaluation and learning, was designed with the aim of periodically tracking progress of the project in the regions and schools and ensure accountability and timely reporting. In order to realize effective monitoring, evaluation and learning, the project incorporated an element of support supervision, aimed at building the capacity of the schools to report on progress of the project in a regular and timely manner. Joint review meetings were also conducted, to further build capacity and enlist project ownership. The main challenges registered over the course of the project included, delayed accountability and reporting by some schools, which delayed FAWE’s reporting and affected the schools that had reported on time. Schools also needed capacity building, in how to interpret and use data collected; for purposes of improving project activities.

As part of good practice, the project looked to conduct effective and efficient monitoring, evaluation and learning, throughout its life. Given that the regions are not homogeneous and therefore had challenges manifesting differently, a baseline survey was conducted both at region and school level, to get the region and school specific baseline data.

4.0

LESSONS LEARNED, SUSTAINABILITY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1 Lessons learned

Over the implementation period, a lot of positive results were realized in terms of promoting girls’ participation and performance in STEM subjects and a number of beneficiaries were reached a s outlined in Table 3 below.

The project evaluation showed that overall, the project registered success across the various components, with individual and cumulative results. STEM clubs saw very high participation of the girls and increased innovation in STEM, especially towards solving community problems. Role models and STEM competitions were also noted as areas that worked well; with all three components complementing each other. Building the capacity of teachers in GRP and use of digital pedagogies and ICT skills greatly improved lesson content and delivery and enhanced the girl’s interest, enrolment and practical participation in science subjects. Project beneficiaries noted that this was further enhanced by the provision of: science textbooks; laboratory equipment, chemicals and reagents and laptops. At governance and administrative level, the project led to greater synergies across the school structure; increasing teamwork amongst departments at school and enhancing professional guidance and motivation from the school management. It was also noted that the aspects of the project have been integrated or mainstreamed in the project schools as specified in Table 4 below.

Table 3: Beneficiaries reached by sex, number and percentage

Students that participated at the STEM Annual Mentoring Camp Teachers that participated at the STEM Annual Mentoring Camp Students that participated at the STEM National Competition Girls who participated in STEM clubs Teachers that attended the STEM National Competitions Head teachers & Deputies that attended the STEM National Competitions Teachers trained in ICT/Orientation on the Digital pedagogy Number of Outstanding Science teachers Awarded External facilitators for the STEM Annual Mentoring Camp Adjudicators for STEM National competitions Media at the STEM National Competitions Media at the STEM Annual mentoring camp

61 49 61

94 38 179 41 05 03 19 04 363 217 101 6000 58 28 70 12 05 02 05 01 424 266 162 6000 152 66 249 53 10 05 24 05

Table 4: Project components mainstreamed into schools

Project component mainstreamed by the school

STEM Club STEM competition Role Models Innovation GRP

Percentage

55.26

44.74

34.21

31.58

18.42

Mr. Teraq Al Gurg, the Chief Executive Officer Dubai Cares, appreciating one of the student’s innovations (Robot), and looking on are Mrs. Hendrina Doroba Former Executive Director FAWE Africa, Teachers and Students during Dubai Cares Monitoring Visit.

However, while there were all these positive lessons drawn from the project, there were also a number of challenges observed. Despite the good results and mainstreaming of components of the project into the school systems, there were certain areas that did not work well. Implementation of STEM activities ran concurrently with the school calendar, therefore the programme lacked adequate time to execute the mandate. In addition, there were limited finances to cater for project activities, yet they were expected to go ahead as planned. In some instances STEM clubs were not sustained and membership fell as material support from management was no longer forth coming. The decreased membership meant that girls who had hitherto used them as hubs of innovation, learning and peer to peer interaction were now losing out. This affected the level of innovative ideas coming out of the schools. In some instances, role models had very busy schedules and therefore it was difficult at times to fit in the school programs. There were instances of resistance from head teachers who did not appreciate the efforts that were being made to enhance girls STEM education and innovation. Others did not attend project workshops that encouraged shared learning, and follow up on STEM activities at school level was poor. While it was appreciated as a good project component; the digital pedagogy was not put into practice in schools that had no computers, and in cases where teachers had no android phones. Teachers were therefore unable to acquire ICT skills and integrate computer studies in thecurriculum.Wheretherewerecomputers,matters were not helped by the Intermittent, expensive and nonexistent internet connectivity which threatened research, teaching and learning using the e-learning platform as well as the sustainability of this good practice. By the time of close out of the project, some schools still needed more capacity built around keeping organized records, making timely reports and utilizing data for project processes. The twinning concept was somewhat difficult to handle; since different schools had different programs. Networking between twin and project schools remained a challenge due to a number of factors including: distances between schools, change in management and total lack of interest along with unmet material expectations. It was also noted that there was lack of trained personnel to help the students in fine tuning on their projects especially on the onset of the competitions and SESEMAT teachers