Monitoring and Evaluating Literacy and Education Programs

Mother tongue-first education is a relatively new and pioneering effort in providing quality education for learners in non-dominant language communities around the world.  There is a lot to learn about the process and a deep need to be able to see and understand what is happening and why.  Effective programs need monitoring and evaluation processes that answer the critical questions:

• Are the learners achieving their educational goals and objectives? If the learners are children in the formal education system, are they achieving the competencies established for their grade?
• Which parts of the program are working and why they are working?
• Which parts of the program are not working and why they are not working?
• Has the program actually helped the learners and their community as a whole?
• What does the local community think about the program? What do the relevant officials think about it? 
  

SIL provides technical input and support to language communities and their supporting partners in developing monitoring and evaluation programs that:

• provide a clear and accurate record of the impact of the program on the learners,
• identify program strengths and weaknesses and
• provide a clear and accurate record of all phases of the program
• ensure that the range of stakeholders’ perceptions and opinions are recorded so they are incorporated into on-going planning