High level Conference on Tackling the Out of School Challenge in West Africa: Research Evidence to Drive Action and Investment On 11th and 12th June 2024, Associates for Change (AfC), Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) and Dalan Development Consultants in collaboration with Complementary Education Agency organized a two-day High level Conference on Tackling the Out of School Challenge in West Africa. The conference brought together stakeholders from across the West Africa region to share best practices, present research findings, and explore synergies related to Accelerated Education Programmes (AEPs). It aimed to foster dialogue, collaboration, and mutual learning among governments, NGOs, education researchers, and development partners. Specifically, the objectives of the high-level conference were to: Foster full investment, ownership and enhanced partnerships for AEP integration. The high-level meeting aims to cultivate complete investment and ownership among stakeholders to fully integrate Accelerated Education Programmes (AEPs) into existing […]

PROJECT TITLE – Generating and Mobilising Innovative Knowledge for Regional Education Challenges KIX: A comparative study of accelerated education programs and girls-focused education models in Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, GPE KIX (March 2021- 2024) ABOUT THE PROJECT This project aims to fill the knowledge gap on the scalability of Accelerated Education Program models in rural and fragile areas to reach large populations of out-of-school children. The study also includes mini studies measuring the performance and efficiency of approaches aimed at increasing access to quality education for children in poor rural areas, access to quality girls’ education, educating children with disabilities, and transitioning AE children to formal schooling and retaining them therein. The research design uses a Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA) approach and includes evaluative mixed-method approaches including two longitudinal surveys related to the programme efficiency and effectiveness, one tracer study which tracks the children who have completed and […]

Annual Presentations on the Education Sector Budget to Parliament of Ghana (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017) Parliamentary Services, under the leadership of Parliament of Ghana organize an Annual Post Budget Workshop where various specialists and experts conduct a review of the proposed budget in order to inform Parliament of the strengths and weaknesses in the various sectors of the economy. Under the able leadership of Dr. Leslie Casely-Hayford, the Principal Consultant of Associates for Change, we have been conducting the education budget analysis over the past 6 years and making presentations to Parliament and its subcommittee in the education sector. The education budget analysis entails: an analysis of the implementation of the previous year’s budget related to the education sector, reviews the budget trends, provides a quick overview of the performance in the education sector and presents key issues and challenging questions to consider in analysis of the […]

Teacher Capacity Building for Play-Based Early Learning in Ghana and Sierra Leone (February 2022 to present) This is a KIX/GPE and International Development Research Centre (IDRC) supported research project being conducted by the Institute for Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana and Associates for Change in Ghana along with the Division of Education Studies, University of Sierra Leone. The KIX IDRC research seeks to bring together multiple stakeholders in early childhood education in Ghana and Sierra Leone to enhance the capacity of teachers to implement innovations in play-based learning at early childhood levels of education. These innovations in play-based approaches will assess the shift in teaching towards more play-based approaches by evaluating the teaching and learning outcomes across a variety of schools in urban and rural schools along with the cost of implementation. The purpose is to generate evidence of what works to improve classroom practice of […]

1. The Elmina Resource Guide on HIV/AIDS and Education for West Africa (ECOWAS): Strategies for Action. Based on findings from the Senior Experts’ Conference on “HIV/AIDS and Education in ECOWAS: Towards a Regional Mobilization” in Elmina , Ghana : March 2001. Final Report Ghana , September 2001. This resource guide is designed to assist policy makers and practitioners access resources and build on best practice for combating HIV/AIDS in the education sector. The guide has evolved from experience based on the “Senior Experts’ Conference on HIV/AIDS and Education” which took place in Elmina , Ghana between March 19 to 23, 2001 . The resource guide is based on the key recommendations from the Elmina Conference and highlights strategies for Government, educational institutions and civil society agencies for combating HIV/AIDS within the education sector. Download report 2. HIV/AIDS in West Africa ; A Regional Overview by Dr. Leslie Casely-Hayford. Presented at […]

Inspired by the Millennium Development Goals target of achieving universal primary education, the Department for International Development (DFID) has commissioned an educational research project to study the impact of education on life outcomes, including economic and social outcomes, in South Asia and Africa. The study is a multi-country initiative which includes Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan and India as study locations. The main focus of the study is to explore the impact of education and learning on labour market outcomes, health and fertility outcomes and human development outcomes.  Download report Social and Human Strand Oduro, A. (2008). An Investigation into Poverty, Educational Attainment and Outcomes in Ghana. Meta Analysis working Paper 2. Associates for Change The paper provides a preliminary analysis of educational attainment among Ghana’s adult population using the Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire (CWIQ) survey conducted in 2003. It describes the patterns and trends in educational attainment and makes some conclusions […]

COMPLEMENTARY EDUCATION Complementary Basic Education Programme, Government of Ghana and DFID supported (Feb, 2013 to November 2018) Associates for Change in collaboration with Crown Agents UK are currently managing a five year Complementary Basic Education Programme. AfC is managing the research, monitoring and evaluation technical support and oversight which entail providing educational advisory services to the Ghana Education Service. AfC has a Senior Education Advisor, an M&E Manager and M&E Officer providing technical advisory support to the Government of Ghana and 10 Non-Governmental organisations implementing the Complementary Basic Education Programme. AfC also sees to all the monitoring framework and curriculum material development and assessment processes which are part of the project. Some of the activities AfC engaged in include: Providing technical advisory support to the Government of Ghana and several Non-Governmental organisations implementing the Complementary Basic Education Programme. Oversight to the all the material development and assessment processes which are […]