Building on evidence of a promising preschool programme in Mozambique
Context
Access to education in children’s earliest years helps lay firm foundations for them to integrate and prosper in their societies. Programmes to promote ECD are most critical in Africa, where children face myriad risks of disease, malnutrition, conflict and low-quality education systems. However, empirical evidence on the impacts of ECD programs in Africa has been scarce. This was a challenge in Mozambique, where only 4 per cent of the children attended preschool.
Save the Children USA led the Early Childhood Development Interest Group, a multi-stakeholder advocacy coalition in Mozambique that advocated successfully for the government to include early childhood education in its national educational plan. The NGO also demonstrated how to establish ECD in rural schools. It piloted affordable community-built and run escolinhas (preschools) targeting orphans and vulnerable children in selected rural communities in Gaza province.
3ie funded an evaluation of this pilot intervention that started in 2009. It was a time when Save the Children USA and the coalition were working with the government to develop the 2012–2016 national education plan, which would include preschools and a project for integrated development of preschool pupils, called Projecto de Desenvolvimento Integral da Criança em Idade Pré-escolar (DICIPE).
The study team included researchers from the World Bank and Save the Children USA. The study addressed the evidence gap about the impacts and cost-effectiveness of community-run preschools in improving readiness for school, primary enrolment, and health and welfare of beneficiary children and their families.
The team deliberately planned to share findings with the government ministries involved in DICIPE and to allow the collection of additional longitudinal data that would provide valuable information on children’s progress over time. A study advisory group comprised coalition members from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women and Social Action, and the Ministry of Health.
Evidence
The 3ie-funded evaluation of the pilot intervention in Gaza District ran from 2009 to 2011. It found that children in community preschools were 24 per cent more likely to enrol in primary school and were significantly better equipped to learn, compared to children not in the pilot scheme. Enrolled children were much more likely than those who were not to show interest in maths and writing, to recognise shapes and to show respect for other children.
A few indicators of emotional development also improved among enrolled children. However, the data showed little impact on language and communication skills. Health impacts were mixed. Enrolled children had a 10 percentage point increase in the probability of being sick in the previous four weeks, but also had decreased skin problems and decreased diarrhoea. Enrolment in the community preschools did not affect children's probability of stunting or wasting, or their height and weight for age.
The preschools had a positive ripple effect on the wider family. Parents of enrolled children were 26 per cent more likely to work, whilst some older siblings were themselves able to go to school. At a cost of US$2.47 per student per month, the results suggested the intervention was highly effective at improving the lives of preschool children and their families in rural Mozambique.
Evidence impacts
Type of impact: Inform discussions of policies and programmes
When subsequent phases of the evaluated programme or policy draw from the findings of the evaluation or review, and/or the study team participates in informing the design of a subsequent phase.
This is one of 3ie’s seven types of evidence use. Impact types are based on what we find in the monitoring data for an evaluation or review. Due to the nature of evidence-informed decision-making and action, 3ie looks for verifiable contributions that our evidence makes, not attribution.
Read our complete evidence impact typology and verification approach here.
Close windowPrompted by the study findings on the cost-effectiveness of community-run preschools and the ongoing engagement undertaken by the researchers and Save the Children USA, the government revised its national education plan and prepared to extend and evaluate the community-run preschools.
Type of impact: Scale-up a programme
When programmes found effective are scaled up.
This is one of 3ie’s seven types of evidence use. Impact types are based on what we find in the monitoring data for an evaluation or review. Due to the nature of evidence-informed decision-making and action, 3ie looks for verifiable contributions that our evidence makes, not attribution.
Read our complete evidence impact typology and verification approach here.
Close windowThe World Bank provided funding to the government for this scale-up of the community-run centres model, from one province to five of Mozambique’s 11 provinces, citing the positive findings of the evaluation in documenting its support for the expansion.
Type of impact: Change policies or programmes
Decision makers use findings from an evaluation or systematic review to adjust their programming to fix targeting, cash transfer amounts, training modules or other factors that inhibit the policy or programme’s ability to achieve its intended impacts.
This is one of 3ie’s seven types of evidence use. Impact types are based on what we find in the monitoring data for an evaluation or review. Due to the nature of evidence-informed decision-making and action, 3ie looks for verifiable contributions that our evidence makes, not attribution.
Read our complete evidence impact typology and verification approach here.
Close windowType of impact: Inform global guidelines and policy discussions
When findings from an evaluation or review can be traced to discussions or actions. Examples include governments or multilateral or bilateral donors’ mentioning the findings to inform policy or programming. To date, we have only one case of an individual impact evaluation informing global health guidelines. WHO guidelines require that the guidance is based on randomised evaluation evidence.
This is one of 3ie’s seven types of evidence use. Impact types are based on what we find in the monitoring data for an evaluation or review. Due to the nature of evidence-informed decision-making and action, 3ie looks for verifiable contributions that our evidence makes, not attribution.
Read our complete evidence impact typology and verification approach here.
Close windowThe DICIPE programme of community-run preschool centres and the 3ie-supported impact evaluation continue to be mentioned in the media and in in academic and non-academic literature. The study was referenced most recently in a 2017 Cambridge University study that argued for more donor support for preschool education.
Suggested citation
International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), 2019. Building on evidence of a promising preschool programme in Mozambique (online summary), Evidence Impact Summaries. New Delhi:3ie.
Evidence impact summaries aim to demonstrate and encourage the use of evidence to inform programming and policymaking. These reflect the information available to 3ie at the time of posting. Since several factors influence policymaking, the summaries highlight contributions of evidence rather than endorsing a policy or decision or claiming that it can be attributed solely to evidence. If you have any suggestions or updates to improve this summary, please write to influence@3ieimpact.org
Last updated on 30th October 2019