Impact Evaluation 2018-2019

External Consultants

Community investments

Dr. Aaron Yarmoshuk leading a team of Namibian consultants was contracted to conduct the External Impact Evaluation for the Community Trust’s Investment projects and grant funding programmes for the period of 2011 to 2018 in Tsumeb, Namibia.

Dundee Guesthouse, Tsumeb

(l-r): Helen Ochs – Education Specialist, Education and Community Development Consultant; Nathaniel Haukongo – SME Specialist, Business and Community Development Consultant; Charlene Keja Kaereho – Analyst, Lecturer, PhD Student; Dr. Aaron Yarmushuk – Team Lead, Freelance Consultant, Toronto, Canada

Statistics

101 Participants 126 Grants for projects and programmes 128 Grants for business development (SME’s)

Principle recommendations

• Moving forward the Trust should continue to support the same development categories but realign some of the priority areas and clarify others. It should set specific objectives for each priority area that are broad enough for organisations and individuals to identify how they can best achieve the objectives for the priority aeas. • Overall the evaluation found that the Trust is operating well and making importing investments into the community. • In almost all cases, the grants have been used well in that they represent important investments into improving the quality of life of the beneficiaries and their communities. • The monitoring systems of the Trust and its beneficiaries need to be improved so that impact of the Trust’s investments can be determined more feasibly and accurately.

After eight years of investing in community development, largely in Tsumeb and surrounding areas, the Trust Board commissioned an external evaluation to assess the impact of the Trust’s initial eight years of investments. The overall objectives of the impact evaluation were to: 1) Assess the extent to which the Community Trust grants made to community groups and individuals have contributed to making Tsumeb a better place to live. 2) Make recommendations for improving the Trust’s work and future action.

Five key impacts of the Trust’s investments identified in this evaluation:

Education: The Trust established a Kindergarten Forum that has 30 members who are providing improved early childhood education in Tsumeb.

SMEs Development: Over seventy percent (>70%) of SMEs examined were moderately successful or successful.

288

7475

269 Social Welfare: The Trust plays a critical role in supporting organisations in Tsumeb that serve the most vulnerable. Arts & Culture: The Trust empowered youth to play leadership roles in Tsumeb and Namibia by investing in their desire to engage in arts and culture.

Environment: The Trust plays a leading role in encouraging the Tsumeb community to invest in the environment.

The impact evaluation recommended youth development and agricultural support as two additional categories to focus for the next three-year Community Investment Development Plan (CIDP).