Executive Summary
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Executive Summary
Client's Challenge
NC Global was engaged by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to execute an impact assessment of the Mulheres Mil Program, a Canada-Brazil funded social and economic inclusion program that operated from 2006-2011 through the Brazilian Ministry of Education. Mulheres Mil was hailed as a national success and potential model for Brazil however the Ministry of Education identified two barriers to further investment that NC Global could address:
- Limited availability of social impact data resulting from a planning mismatch at project design and leading to incomplete analysis on program impact.
- An underlying lack of data analytics capability among in-Market program managers and officials that would impede ministerial ability to report on national-level outcomes and demonstrate value-for-money.
Our Solution
Recognizing the significance of the challenge, we focused on introducing agile models to impact analysis. Our approach - empower future champions, design adaptable tools and recommend policy change that reflect urban and rural reality.
- Managing the Engagement: We led the research design and project implementation, working with government and academic partners to build a shared understanding of the end state vision.
- Empowering Champions: We established Canadian and Brazilian research teams to develop a locally-owned social research methodology to capture Mulheres Mil’s impact.
- Bespoke Research Design: We developed a parallel suite of innovative and accessible applied social research methods and impact assessment tools for application in rural regions with historically marginalized groups.
- Action-Driven Policy Planning: We created recommendations for a new investment monitoring and evaluation framework that would support data-driven decision-making as part of Mulheres Mil's second phase.
- Knowledge Management: We disseminated best practices, knowledge and experience in impact assessments with both Canadian and Brazilian partners.
Impact on the Client
- A new performance measurement system, an adaptable tool suite and training that was implemented by internal champions of change that enabled our partners to conduct a multiplicity of socio-economic impact studies.
- New capability built in our local partners to plan and execute multi-site impact assessments of the Mulheres Mil program as well as future development interventions within the education sector.
- Our team developed a series of policy recommendations to guide subsequent investments in the program focusing on value-for-money, social impact and economic growth.