Endline Evaluation of the Community Based Education for Out of School and Vulnerable Children (COBE) Project in South Sudan

Abstract

This evaluation assesses the outcomes, outputs, and overall effectiveness of the Community-Based Education for Out-of-School and Vulnerable Children (CoBE) project implemented in South Sudan. Financed by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and executed by BRAC International between January 2020 and March 2023, the project established non-formal learning centers using the Community Girls’ School (CGS) and Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) curricula. The program enrolled 6,755 learners (96.4% of target) across four states: Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Northern Bahr el Ghazal (NBeG), and Western Equatoria. At project completion, 71% and 66% of Level 1 CGS learners achieved target proficiency (>60%) in numeracy and literacy, respectively. Among Level 4 ALP learners registered for the Primary Leaving Examination in Yambio, 93.3% of those who sat passed. While key outputs regarding center establishment, teacher training, and community management were met or exceeded, challenges such as safety, teacher gender disparities, lack of dignity kits, and transition obstacles to formal government schools persisted. Continued project funding, integration of livelihood/feeding models, and improved baseline assessment designs are recommended.