Client: Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia - Vocational Education Department
Funded by: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
Start: November 2018
End: December 2018
Country: Georgia
In 2014, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia began implementing a study on the vocational education program graduates (known as the “Tracer Study”), which serves as a results assessment tool for the systematic analysis of important and long-term changes (positive or negative, planned or unplanned) that have taken place in the lives of graduates in terms of their employment.
In the course of this assignment, ACT studied the following issues: graduates’ satisfaction with the vocational education program and the institutions; future educational plans of graduates; graduates’ level of education before enrolling in the vocational education program; collection of information on graduates’ activities (employment/self-employment/internship/continuation of studies and other activities) after graduation (if a graduate was unemployed, the reasons behind their unemployment were identified); employed graduates’ satisfaction with their working conditions; the connection between education gained in a vocational education institution and graduates’ careers; identification of factors that have helped or have interrupted graduates (employment/self-employment/internship and/or continuation of studies); and the graduates’ assessments of different aspects of vocational education.
The survey provided information on how graduates proceeded with their careers in different directions (e.g. education, employment, self-employment, or unemployment). Data includes both factual information about graduates as well as their perceptions and assessments. The goal of the Tracer Study was to study changes in the lives of graduates after they have completed their studies.
Client: ECORYS
Funded by: The European Union
Start: January 2016
End: September 2020
Countries: Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova
The ‘EU NEIGHBOURS east’ project aims to increase the understanding within Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries about EU support, through improved communication. The overall objective of the project is to improve public perceptions of the EU, as well as to ensure a better comprehension of European policies and their impacts, particularly with respect to the regional and bilateral EU support and cooperation programs in the EaP countries.
The ACT team assists the ‘EU NEIGHBOURS east’ project by gathering opinions and gauging the level of information that citizens of EaP countries have obtained about the EU in general and about EU-funded cooperation and development programs/projects specifically. Since 2016, we have been working in the six EaP countries to trace program intervention outcomes in each country year-on-year.
The project has developed information and communication materials, has entailed the carrying out awareness-raising and information campaigns, and has assessed the perceptions of the EU and the support it provides through opinion polling and media monitoring.
Client: MCA-Georgia
Funded by: MCA-Georgia
Start: December 2017
End: November 2018
Country: Georgia
On 26 July 2013, the Government of Georgia (GOG) and the United States of America, acting through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), signed a Compact Agreement for a US$140 million grant to alleviate poverty and boost economic growth, employing the MCC’s assistance to strengthen good governance, economic freedom, and investments in Georgia. The five-year Compact entered into force on 1 July 2014. The objective of the Georgia II Compact is to support strategic investments in the Program, which consists of three Projects: (1) Improving General Education Quality (IGEQ); (2) Industry-led Skills and Workforce Development (ISWD); and (3) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). These projects respond to constraints affecting economic growth and aim to improve the poor quality of human capital in Georgia.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (M&E Unit), established within the MCA-Georgia, is implementing a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (M&E Plan) developed by the MCA-Georgia in collaboration with the MCC to conduct program performance monitoring and evaluations. Accordingly, the MCA-Georgia regularly updates the M&E Plan in which data quality reviews represent a critical component.
The ACT team verified the consistency and quality of data among the Program’s implementing agencies and other reporting institutions. The data reviewed included administrative data collected and reported by government entities and consulting firms contracted by the MCA-Georgia.
ACT conducted a quality review of the data generated by the MCA-Georgia, the GoG, and the MCA-Georgia’s consultants against data quality standards and criteria set out in the M&E Plan. The review covered two main aspects: indicators and baseline data used to develop program logic which are included in the MCA-Georgia’s indicator-tracking tables (monitoring indicators only); and verification of the data on school conditions and cost assessment.
Client: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
Funded by: European Neighborhood Program for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD)
Start: November 2016
End: October 2018
Country: Georgia
As part of its Rural Community Capacity Building Program, the UNDP supports rural citizens, and particularly AMAGs, to diversify their activities and switch from engaging in purely agriculture-focused activities to embrace some other activities that boost the rural economy in general.
The overall objective of the Project was to build community capacity and to enable individuals, groups and community activists in rural areas of Adjara to develop the confidence, understanding, and skills required to influence rural policy dialogue, and decision-making through established AMAGs. This was to include: enabling communities to provide and manage local actions to meet rural needs; and enabling communities to have a real influence in the planning, delivery, and quality of mainstream municipal services related to rural development, as well as specific initiatives such as those aimed at achieving six priority goals for the integrated rural development of Adjara.
The ACT team elaborated and delivered an interactive training program for members of AMAGs across Adjara, and, based on an open competition, then developed business plans regarding the initiation of local economic activities.
189 representatives of AMAGs were trained in:
The ACT team comprising business developers assisted individuals or groups of individuals representing AMAGs to devise business plans. Some of the initiatives were funded by the UNDP, and the AMAGs are still being supported in an effort to ensure sustainable rural development.