Lisa Jordan - Brazil innovation and evaluation

Young Children Are Everybody’s Business

Mission : To Improve opportunities for children up to age 8 who are growing up in socially and economically disadvantaged circumstances

Strategic Goals 2010 - 2020

• Reduce violence in the lives of young children • Take quality early learning to scale

• Improving young children's health by changing the conditions in which they live

Early experiences are built into our bodies

Early experiences affect the architecture of the brain

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Cardiovascular Disease 3.5

Odds Ratio

3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0

1

2

3

ACEs

4

5,6

7,8 Source: Dong et al, 2004

Changes in the Experts’ Approach Before the Science Revolution

• • • • •

Learning begins at school Health or education Care vs education Child focus vs parent focus Transition from preschool to school

After the Science Revolution

• • • • •

Learning begins at birth Health and education Care and education Two generations Continuity 0 to 8

BvLF fulfills the promise, somewhat.

Our Toolbox

Fund the world of ideas Build a field Tackle long term problems

Philanthropic Tools for Greater Impact 1. Knowledge Development o

research, documentation, evaluation

2. Service product development and delivery o

investments, grants

3. Capacity Enhancement and Skills Development o

training, technical assistance

4. Behaviour Change Programmes o

campaigns, awareness

5. Policy Development & Implementation o

community organising, legal empowerment, lobby

6. Enabling Systems & Infrastructure o

networks, markets, finance

ISRAEL Universal access to quality pre-school among 3 to 6 year old children.

Reduced incidence of depression, anxiety and aggression among young Jewish and Arab children exposed to political violence.

Reduced rates of malnutrition among young Bedouin children growing up in unhealthy physical environments in the Negev.

The National Ministry of Education, local municipalities and members of the business sector have increased their financial investments in preschools for children

Parents and children experience reduced levels of stress from exposure to political violence

Improved knowledge about dietary and infrastructure causes of child illness and malnutrition

The ratio of pre-school to supervisor has decreased

The Israeli government has an appropriate public system for prevention and treatment of depression, anxiety and aggression among young children

Increased access to clean water, improved waste management and electricity

supervisors are better equipped to improve pre-school quality The quality of teaching and learning in pre-schools has improved The curriculum and reflects the cultural backgrounds of the children

Improved access to transport among Bedouin communities, especially women and children

Pilot health education programmes Reduced rates of malnutrition among young Bedouin children growing up in unhealthy physical environments in the Negev Improved child health (esp. reduction in digestive tract illness)

Better access to clean water Regional and municipal advocacy (water, sanitation, electricity)

Improved housing conditions (hygienic, ability to regulate temperature) Government provision of infrastructure in Bedouin towns and villages

Joint municipal and community planning

Research and communications about PE and child health link

Improved waste management

Government planners and Bedouins agree on a child-friendly plan

Lobby for nurses

Improved access to mother-child wellbeing clinics Healthy dietary practices to combat vitamin deficiencies

Electricity

Bedouin families invest in own infrastructure

Legal recognition of villages

Increased awareness among parents about dietary and infrastructure causes of child malnutrition Increased incomes among Bedouin families

More Bedouin women join the workforce

Increased mobility (e.g. transport) among Bedouin communities (esp. women)

Bedouin communities are well organized, have more positive public image and are supported by professional planners Organizing for transport Private sector transport options

What are the most costeffective interventions to improve Bedouin children’s health and nutrition?

Individual evaluations combined with meta-analysis

Review and recommendations by advisory team with knowledge of broader political context

Health and nutrition outcomes for children

How are our strategies working to influence investment and service delivery in the Negev region for Bedouin children?

Budgets Evaluation of cluster of grants from advocacy perspective

How are our efforts to empower Bedouin communities in the planning process working to influence investment and service delivery?

Case study of selected municipalities

Effective coalitions (Arab, Jewish, government, private sector, parents) Access to basic services Health and nutrition outcomes

Overview: evaluation task Evaluation works between Strategic Planning and Management, providing the whole structure of the foundation with guidance and lessons learned from philanthropic activities.

Strategic Planning

25/05/2011

Evaluation

Strategic Unit for Philanthropy Evaluation Office

Management

13

Main purposes of evaluation Test and validate innovative policies Reward best practices Support worthy institutions

Accountability

25/05/2011

Critical analysis/ Learning

Strategic Unit for Philanthropy Evaluation Office

Knowledge sharing

14

Outcomes for children

Outcomes for children

Philanthropic Tools for Greater Impact 1. Knowledge Development o

research, documentation, evaluation

2. Service product development and delivery o

investments, grants

3. Capacity Enhancement and Skills Development o

training, technical assistance

4. Behaviour Change Programmes o

campaigns, awareness

5. Policy Development & Implementation o

community organising, legal empowerment, lobby

6. Enabling Systems & Infrastructure o

networks, markets, finance

Kenya

“Today there is no country in Africa like Kenya in terms of the reach of ECD. That system exists today because of the work of the Bernard van Leer Foundation.”

Marito Garcia, the World Bank

1971 – 2010 € 30,450,047

Kenya

1971 – 2010 € 30,450,047

• BvLF created a nationwide infrastructure for early learning, in essence taking on the role of the state, and then handing it back to the Government of Kenya.

• When BvLF arrived, no formal training in ECD in Kenya. Now every postsecondary institution provides an ECD Certificate and Kenyatta University awards a PhD in Early Childhood Education.

• It helped design early childhood education for nomadic pastoralist families and served children facing HIV/AIDS. • Its work convinced the World Bank to make their first loan for early childhood education in Africa (almost $30 million) resulting in 60% coverage for young children.

Philanthropic Tools for Greater Impact 1. Knowledge Development o

research, documentation, evaluation

2. Service product development and delivery o

investments, grants

3. Capacity Enhancement and Skills Development o

training, technical assistance

4. Behaviour Change Programmes o

campaigns, awareness

5. Policy Development & Implementation o

community organising, legal empowerment, lobby

6. Enabling Systems & Infrastructure o

networks, markets, finance

Poland

1990 – 2010 € 5,197,747 “Bernard van Leer Foundation support was like a golden seed which allowed [the] Comenius Foundation to grow, develop and become maybe not a big, but stable, tree with many strong branches which disseminates their knowledge and practice broadly among parents, teachers, educators, NGOs, local and national government leaders, academic and politicians, helping to create [a] better developmental environment for children.”

Teresa Ogrodzinska, Comenius Foundation

Poland

1990 – 2010 € 5,197,747

• Now 90% of 3-5 year olds in Poland attend pre-school • BvLF helped rural communities obtain early childhood education.

• BvLF introduced Polish educators and families to early childhood development and ‘developmentally appropriate’ education for young children.

• Key NGO partner leveraged almost $ 30 million in EU funds and lobbied successfully & conducted a media campaign for the Education Act to cover “other forms of pre-school provision.”

Elements of Success: Time - Flexibility - Trust - Choosing effective partners -Commitment to marginalised communities - Empirical data collection Willingness to take risks - Experimentation Contextualising methods - Local empowerment - Learning from local and international experience - Development of locally-rooted literature - Energetic dissemination of publications - Training trainers - Advocacy Attention to national ECD policies - Longevity of programme officers with adequate oversight and learning

Innovations

New appreciation for the integrated nature of early childhood development Early Learning

Health, Nutrition and Mental Health

Family Support and Child Protection

Changes in the Experts’ Approach Before the Science Revolution

• • • • •

Learning begins at school Health or education Care vs education Child focus vs parent focus Transition from preschool to school

After the Science Revolution

• • • • •

Learning begins at birth Health and education Care and education Two generations Continuity 0 to 8

700 new neural connections per second

 Testosterone ↓

Homicides reduced 56% Non-fatal shootings reduced 34%

BvLF fulfills the promise, somewhat.

Any questions?

Fund the world of ideas Build a field Tackle long term problems