EVALUATIONREPORT

Finalevaluationoftheproject“SoteICT:Developmentofstart-upsinKenya

throughpracticeenterprisesatsecondaryschools”

EditaBednarova–ExternalEvaluatorSeptember2017

FundedbySlovakAid

ContractNo.SAMRS/2015/KE/1/6ImplementedbythePontisFoundationandKasigauWildelifeTrust

(1stofOctober2015–30thofSeptember2017)

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CONTENTSExecutivesummary.....................................................................................................................3

1Introduction.............................................................................................................................8

1.1Projectdescription.......................................................................................................................................8

1.2Projectpartners...........................................................................................................................................9

2Evaluationobjectivesanddesign............................................................................................10

2.1Objectivesoftheevaluation......................................................................................................................10

2.2Evaluationmethodology............................................................................................................................11

2.3Evaluationlimits.........................................................................................................................................12

3Evaluationfindings.................................................................................................................13

3.1Relevance...................................................................................................................................................13

3.2Efficiency....................................................................................................................................................15

3.3Effectiveness..............................................................................................................................................19

3.3.1ImprovedentrepreneurshipskillsofyouthfromTaitaTavetaCounty...............................................19

3.3.2Builtpedagogicalandtechnicalcapacitiesattwonewgirlssecondaryschools................................20

3.3.3ImprovedskillsofKenyansecondaryschoolstudentswhoaretakingpartinpracticeenterprises..21

3.3.4Achievementofprojectobjectives.....................................................................................................22

3.4Sustainability..............................................................................................................................................23

3.5Impact........................................................................................................................................................25

4Lessonslearnt&recommendations........................................................................................27

4.1Lessonslearntfromactualproject.............................................................................................................27

4.2Recommendationsrelatedtosustainability..............................................................................................28

Annexes....................................................................................................................................30

Annex1–Listofacronyms..............................................................................................................................30

Annex2–Listofovervieweddocuments........................................................................................................31

Annex3–ToR(TermsofReference)...............................................................................................................32

Annex4–Guidelinesforinterviews................................................................................................................35

Annex5–Listofpeopleinterviewed...............................................................................................................38

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Executivesummary

The project “Sote ICT: Development of start-ups in Kenya through practice enterprises at

secondaryschools”hasbeenimplementedbyPontisFoundationinpartnershipwithKasigauWildlifeTrustorganizationwithin timeperiodof1st ofOctober2015and30thof September2017with theoverall foreseen budget of 237.541,20€. It was funded by the Slovak Agency for InternationalDevelopmentCooperation(SlovakAid).

Theprojectfollowedupthreepreviousones,whichwereimplementedbybothprojectpartnersinTaitaTavetaCountyinthepast,withsimilarfocusoninformationandcommunicationtechnologyeducation.

The overall objective of this project was, to contribute towards decrease of youthunemployment. The specific objectives of the project were to support start-ups of youth and tocontributetowardsbuildingofmodernschools,whichareabletoprovidequalityeducation(intheareaofinternetcommunicationtechnologyandbasicsofentrepreneurship).

Theresultsoftheprojectwereplannedas:1.ImprovedentrepreneurshipskillsofyouthfromTaitaTavetaCounty.2.Builtpedagogicalandtechnicalcapacitiesattwonewgirlssecondaryschools(intheareaof

internetcommunicationtechnologyandbasicsofentrepreneurship).3. Improved skills of Kenyan secondary school students who are taking part in practice

enterprises.TheevaluationoftheprojectwascommissionedbyPontisFoundationwiththemainaimto

receive sufficient evidence-based conclusions and recommendations in order to make strategicdecisionsaboutfutureprojectstobeimplementedinKenya.ThestructureoftheevaluationfollowedOECD-DACevaluationcriteria.

Theprojectwasequallycoveringtwocomponents(1.networkofschoolspracticingnon-formaleducationthrough“InformationandCommunicationTechnologyClubs”aswellasthrough“Practiceenterprises”and2.SoteHubcoworkingspace)whichweretogetherleadingtotheprojectobjective,yettheywillbeevaluatedseparately.Theconclusionofevaluationfindingsis:

COMPONENT/

CRITERIA

NETWORKOFSCHOOLSPRACTICINGICT&PE

NON-FORMALEDUCATION

SOTEHUBCOWORKING

SPACERelevance VeryHigh VeryHighEfficiency RatherHigh RatherHigh

Effectiveness RatherHigh VeryHighSustainability RatherHigh RatherLow

Impact RatherHigh RatherHigh

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RelevanceKenya is one of the three priority “program countries” for Slovak Official Development

Assistance and education is in-between the sectoral priorities. The goal is to decrease theunemployment of youth through access to quality education andpractical skills. Specific goals aredefined as improvement the possibilities of youth to succeed on the labor market throughdevelopmentofpracticalskillsandtoimprovethequalityofeducationatalllevelsthroughcapacitydevelopmentoftheteachers.Bothofthemwerefullyreflectedbytheproject.

Over the last years is the performance of students from Taita Taveta County in “KenyaCertificateofSecondaryEducation”belowaverage.Oneofthereasonsidentifiedwasaninsufficientschools’infrastructureandaccessincluding“InformationandCommunicationTechnology”.

AllmajorKenyanstrategicdocumentsaswellasdonorsworkinginKenya,describetheareasofeducation and youth unemployment as their priorities. The project directly reflects two of theSustainableDevelopmentGoals(no.4andno.9)andindirectlyanothertwo(no.5andno.8).

Thefastgrowthof“InformationandCommunicationTechnology”andinternetuseiscausinggrowthofdisparitiesinthesociety.Theprojectistryingthroughitsoutreachandbothcomponentstoreduceallpotentialgapsingender,povertyandurban-ruraldisparities.

Allbeneficiariesoftheprojectincludingthestudents,graduatesandteachersofall involvedschoolswhowereinterviewedexpressedstrongsupporttomoderntechnologiesbeingusedduringteaching/learningprocessandtoSoteHubasaplaceforstart-upsandseedfunding.

Overall,therelevanceofbothprojectcomponents(schools’networkandcoworkingspace)isveryhigh.Efficiency

The overall planned budget of the project was 237.541,20€ out of which 90% was to beprovidedbySlovakAidandtherestbytheimplementingorganizationsPontisFoundationandKasigauWildlifeTrust.Thebudgetwasspentgraduallywithquiteagoodnumberofrequestsforchangeinbudget lines submitted toSlovakAid,yetwithoutanymajor influenceon the totalbudgetor somebudgetcategory.

Challenging is still themotivation of Kenyan project counterparts, especially on the side ofteachersasthe“InformationandCommunicationTechnologyClub”isavoluntaryactivityforthem.Importantmotivationfactorandespeciallyinspirationfornotonlytheteachersbutprojectstudents/graduatesaswellare theexchangevisitsbetweenKenyaandSlovakia.RegularmonitoringvisitsofPontisFoundationstaffinKenyacontributedalsotowardsmotivationandinspiration.

SinceitsbeginningistheprojectstrugglingwiththesameissuesasthepreviousoneswhicharetypicalforruralareasofKenya:badornoneinternetconnectionandregularbreakdownofcomputersorotherequipment.

Therewerenoconcernsraisedbytheprojectstakeholdersaboutcost-efficiencyofanyprojectactivityasallwereconsideredeconomicallyreasonableonceachievingtheprojectoutputs.

Mostoftheactivitiesplannedintheprojecttookplaceaccordingtotheoriginaltimeline.Therewerefewminordelaysreflectingsomelogisticalissueswithoutanysignificantinfluenceontheprojectresults.

SoteHubasbeingaruralcoworkingspaceisfacingmanychallenges.CurrentlythemainaretheremotelocationattheedgeofVoitownandslowinternet.DespitethistheteamofSoteHubwasabletoattractquiteagoodnumberofmembers.Atthesametime,SoteHubisacentralplaceforsomeoftheprojectactivitieswhatcontributedsignificantlytoitspublicityandvisibility.

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The cooperation between project partners was very efficient as it was built on strongfoundationoflastsevenyearsofcooperation.

Overall,theefficiencyofbothprojectcomponents(schools’networkandcoworkingspace)isratherhigh.Effectiveness

Theprojectactivitiesledtofulfilmentofallthreeexpectedprojectresults.TheyouthfromTaitaTavetaCountyimprovedtheirentrepreneurialskills(whichisaneffortof

lastsixyears).BytheendoftheprojectistheSoteHubwellrecognizedcoworkingspaceknownbymajorityoflocaleducationalinstitutions(numeroussecondaryschools,CoastInstituteofTechnologyand Taita Taveta University) and the county government while providing various trainings andworkshopsaswellasmentoringandseedfundingforstart-ups.

Pedagogicalandtechnicalcapacitiesoftheteacherswerecontinuouslybuiltatall12projectschoolsandbasedontheteachers’transferstheprojectknow-howwassharedoutofthecounty.Theprocessofexpandingthenetworkofschoolsfrom10to12wassmoothastheexperienceandknow-howfrompreviousprojectswasutilized.Thetwonewsschoolswereequippedandthecomputerlabsareoperationalandusedbyeverybody.

TheskillsofKenyansecondaryschoolstudentswhoweretakingpart inPracticeEnterprisesweresignificantlyimproved.Again,theexperienceandlessonslearntofbothprojectpartnersfrompreviousprojectswereutilized.ThemostimportanteventforthemembersofPracticeEnterprisesistheannualtradefairwhichisthebiggestcontributortowardstheirsoftskills.

It seems that all the project activities created adequate package of infrastructure, theory,practiceandnetworkingwhichledtofulfillmentofprojectspecificobjectivestosupportstart-upsofyouth and to contribute towards building of modern schools, which are able to provide qualityeducation.Itcanbesaidthatfromtheshort-termpointofviewtheprojectfulfilledaswellitsoverallobjectiveandcontributedtowardsdecreaseofyouthunemployment.

ThetransferofSlovakexperienceduringthisandpreviousprojectsshouldnotbeoverlooked.Thanksto“SlovakStateVocationalEducationInstitute”andlong-termmentorshipbyteachersfromseveral Slovak business and hotel academies, Kenya became the first African country joining thePracticeEnterprisesNetworkandbenefitingfromadvancedteachingmethods.

Overall,theeffectivenessofschools’networkisratherhighandofthecoworkingspaceveryhigh.Sustainability

Mainsustainabilityelementoftheprojectisthecommitmentandtheownershipoftheprojectbeneficiarieswhoarethepotentialmultiplicatorsinthefuture.ThesearenotonlytheteachersbutaswelltheSoteHubteamwhobenefitedfrommanytrainingsandseveralstudyvisitstoSlovakia.

Thesustainabilityonthesideoftheschoolswasachievedfirstlybystronginvolvementoftheschooladministrationwhichiswillingtosupporttheactivitiesofthe“InformationandCommunicationTechnologyClub”inthefuture.Sustainabilityisnotthreatenedbytheteachers’transfersastherearealways two teachers in chargeof theclubateach school. Theclubs itself arewellestablishedandplannedrecruitmentensuresthattherearealwaysstudentsfromallfourforms.

The SoteHub is having currently quite good visibility and recognitionwithin the respectivecommunity.Quiteagoodpublicityandmentionswereachievednotonly inTaitaTavetaCountyorKenya but aswell at African level. Proper fundraising initiatives started only recently, after itwasannouncedthatthenextprojectwillnotbesupportedbySlovakAid.

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Allofthefundedstart-upsplantocontinue intheirbusinessactivities inthefutureandarereallycommittedtowardstheirbusinessideas.Yetthehumanfactorplaysagainthecrucialroleandsomeofthestart-upsmightcollapseduetoimmaturityandunpreparednessofthegraduates.

Lastly,theinvolvementofthelocalgovernmentisaswellimportantsustainabilityelementoftheproject.Localpartnerorganizationhaswiderangeofrelationshipswiththeactuallocalaswellasnationalauthorities.

All inall,theprojectsustainability isdefinedbythetimethebeneficiarieswillremainactivepartoftheSoteHubandtheclubs.Despitethefactthatthehumanfactormakestheprojectlesslikelyto be sustainable, the infrastructure, knowledge and experience gained during the project areconsiderable.

At the end, the project sustainability depends on the way of balancing two conditions:downscalingoftheactivitieswhichwereimplementedduringlastfouryearsonregularbasisandtheability to raise funds for the project activities either from some donors or even better throughcommercial“IncomeGeneratingActivities”oftheSoteHub.

Overall, the sustainability of schools’ network is rather high and of the coworking spaceratherlow.Impact

Theprojecthasdirectly influenced12schoolswithaveragenumberof400studentsand20teachersperschool.TheSoteHubsinceitsestablishmenthostedmorethan300people(mainlyfromvariouseducationalinstitutions)duringorganizedeventsandseedfundedeightstart-upswhichcount16youngentrepreneurs.

Mainimpactoftheprojectarethecapacitiesbuiltthroughthevariousprojectactivities.Similarimpactcouldnothavebeenachievedthroughtheprogramofnationalgovernmentwherebyitisonlydistributingcomputerstoselectedschools.

Impactfularealsotheestablishedrelationshipswithlocalauthoritieswhichshouldbefurtherutilized in the future. Sote Hub is through its actual services very complementary with the othereducationalinstitutionsintheregion.

Positive impact can be observed also on the side of Slovak teachers and students. Theinteraction during study visits and Skype calls gave them the opportunity to practice their Englishlanguageandchallengetheirprejudices.

Whileitisusuallyhardtoassesstheimpactofaprojectrightafterithasfinished,evidencefromthefieldshowssignsofsomepositiveimpactalreadytakingplace.Especiallytakingintoconsiderationthatitwasthefourthprojectofbothpartnerorganizationssince2009.

Overall the impactofbothprojectcomponents(schools’networkandcoworkingspace) isratherhigh.

Lessonslearntfromactualproject

1. Presence of Slovak people in the field stillmatters despite long-term cooperation betweenprojectpartners.

2. EmploymentofschoolgraduatesintheSoteHubwasverybeneficialforthembutmaybenotthatbeneficialforthecoworkingspaceitself.

3. CooperationbetweenschoolpracticeenterprisesandrealKenyancompaniesfromthesamesectoristhewaytogo.

4. Thereisaneedtoimprovetheplanningandespeciallybudgetingoftheproject.

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Recommendationsrelatedtosustainability1. Furthernetworkingandbrandbuildingisthewayforward.2. Theschools’networkcanstillgrowalthoughthereisnomorefundingfromSlovakAid.3. SoteHubshouldstartchargingitsservicesinordertobesustainable.4. Techstart-upsareverypopularandattractiveyettheagripreneurshipandhandcraftprojects

shouldnotbeomitted.5. SynergieswithotherSlovakAidfundedprojectsimplementedinKenyacouldbefound.6. OtherSlovakAidbilateralcooperationprogramsandinstrumentscouldbeexplored.7. Beforeensuringsufficientfunds(ideallythroughvariousincomegeneratingactivities)someof

theprojectactivitiesrelatedtoschools’networkshouldbedown-scaled.

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1Introduction

1.1 Projectdescription

The project “Sote ICT: Development of start-ups in Kenya through practice enterprises atsecondaryschools”hasbeensubmittedbyPontisFoundation(PF)inpartnershipwithKasigauWildlifeTrust(KWT)organizationforfundingtoSlovakAgencyforInternationalDevelopmentCooperation-SlovakAid(undercontractnumberSAMRS/2015/KE/1/6)in2015.

Theprojecthasbeenrunningfor24monthsduringtimeperiodofperiodof1stofOctober2015and30thofSeptember2017withtheoverallforeseenbudgetof237.541,20€.

The overall objective of the project was to contribute towards decrease of youthunemployment.

The specificobjectives of theprojectwere to support start-upsof youthand to contributetowardsbuildingofmodernschools,whichareabletoprovidequalityeducation(intheareaofinternetcommunicationtechnologyandbasicsofentrepreneurship).

Planned direct beneficiaries were 24 teachers and 610 students from two new secondaryschools as well as continuous support and cooperation of 10 previously supported schools (105teachersand3.400students).

Theresultstobeachievedwereplannedas:1.ImprovedentrepreneurshipskillsofyouthfromTaitaTavetaCounty.2.Builtpedagogicalandtechnicalcapacitiesattwonewgirlssecondaryschools(intheareaof

internetcommunicationtechnologyandbasicsofentrepreneurship).3. Improved skills of Kenyan secondary school students who are taking part in practice

enterprises.Theprojectfollowedupthreepreviousones,whichwereimplementedbybothprojectpartners

in Taita Taveta County (TTC) in the past. They were funded by Slovak Aid, with similar focus onInformation and Communication Technology (ICT) education at secondary schools. The first one(SAMRS/2008/05/19)waspilotingatoneprimaryandonesecondaryschool the ICTeducation, thesecondone(SAMRS/2011/02/08)addedPracticeEnterprises(PEs)educationandfourothersecondaryschools and the third one (SAMRS/2013/KEN/01/12) added five more secondary schools to thenetworkwithinTTC.

Theprojectisequallycoveringtwocomponentsimplementedinthecounty:1.networkofschoolspracticingnon-formaleducationthroughICTClubsandPE,2.SoteHubcoworkingspace.Boththesecomponentsareaimingtocontributetowardsdecreaseofyouthunemployment.

Thefirstoneisfocusedonsecondaryschoolstudentswhilethesecondoneonthesecondaryschoolgraduates,aswellascollegeanduniversitystudents,andlocalyouthingeneral.

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1.2ProjectpartnersTheimplementingorganization,PontisFoundation(PF),isafoundationestablishedinSlovakia

in1997asasuccessortotheSlovakbranchoftheAmericanFoundationforaCivilSociety.Itsmissionistomotivateindividuals,communitiesandcompaniestoberesponsibleforthemselvesandtheworldaround. Pontis Foundation is carrying out over 50 large projects per year mainly in the areas ofeducation,civicengagement,cultivatingindividualandcorporatephilanthropy,corporatevolunteeringandprobono,awardsforcorporatesocialresponsibilityandsustainabilityoftheprivatesector,know-howsharing,publicpolicyinterventionsanddemocratization.

PreviousexperienceofPFinKenyaiscountingthreeprojectsmentionedalreadyabove:“SoteICT: Slovak-Kenyan Cooperation for Modern Schools” (August 2013 – September 2015), “Slovak-Kenyan cooperation through modern schools” (September 2011 – August 2013) and “Increase ofcomputerliteracyofteachersandstudentsinSoutheastKenya”(January2010–Jun2011),allaimingonintroductionofICTinKenyansecondaryschoolsinTTCwiththeobjectivetoimprovethequalityoflearningandchancesofgraduatesonlabormarketaswellasestablishmentofcooperationbetweenSlovakandKenyanteachersandstudents.

ThebiggestcontributionofPFtowardstheprojectwascoordinationofexistingcooperationbetweenSlovakandKenyansecondaryschoolsandsupportingthetransferofthePracticeEnterprisesNetwork(PEN)know-howfromSlovakiatoKenya.Coordinationofallprojectactivitieswasalsoveryvaluable,especiallythestudyvisitsinSlovakia.

The local partner of the project, KenyaWildlife Trust (KWT), is a grassroots Kenyan Non-

GovernmentalOrganization(NGO)thathasbeenworkingwiththecommunitiesinTTCsince2009ondifferent types of community projects, mainly education, water and various Income GeneratingActivities(IGAs).Duringthelastfewyears,itsmainfocuswasICTeducationatsecondaryschools.

The cooperationwith PFwas established in the year of 2009 and so far, therewere threeprojectsco-implementedtogether(thefirstonewithNGOcalledYouthforConservationwhichwasranbythesamestaffbeforeKWTwasestablished).

ThebiggestcontributionofKWTtowardstheprojectwasdirectimplementationofallprojectactivitiesinthefieldaswellascomingupwithcreativesolutionstoallchallengesduringtheproject.Keeping good relationshipwith the Slovak Embassy and their involvement in the projectwas veryvaluableaswellasallnetworkingactivitiesatKenyanandwiderAfricanlevel.

There was a third project partner listed in the project document, the Ethics and Integrity

Institute.Itisanon-profitinstituteregisteredinKenyaasacompanylimitedbyguarantee.Theinstitutedesirestopromoteethicsbyequippingorganizationswithrequisiteskillsforacomprehensiveethicsmanagementsystems.Thisprogramenablestoorganizationstoestablishstructures,processesandstrategiesofmainstreamingethicsinordertosustainviablebusinessesaswellasmaintainpeace.Theinstituteworksinpartnershipwithotherorganizationsandbuildingcapacitiesformanagingbehavior.

Theinstitutedidnotactivelyparticipateonprojectimplementationanditsonlycontributiontowardstheprojectwasaprovisionofatrainingforteacherswhichwastobedeliveredbytheendoftheprojectperiod.

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2Evaluationobjectivesanddesign

2.1Objectivesoftheevaluation

TheevaluationoftheprojectwascommissionedbyPFwiththemainaimtoreceivesufficientevidence-basedconclusionsandrecommendationsinordertomakestrategicdecisionsaboutfutureactivitiestobeimplementedinTTCandpotentiallyothercountiesofKenya.

ThestructureoftheevaluationfollowedOECD-DACevaluationcriteria:

• RelevanceThe extent to which the objectives of a development intervention are consistent with

beneficiaries’requirements,countryneeds,globalprioritiesandpartners’anddonors’policies.• Efficiency

Ameasureofhoweconomicallyresources/inputs(funds,expertise,time,etc.)areconvertedtoresults.

• EffectivenessTheextenttowhichthedevelopmentintervention’sobjectiveswereachieved,orareexpected

tobeachieved,takingintoaccounttheirrelativeimportance.• Sustainability

The continuation of benefits from a development intervention after major developmentassistancehasbeencompleted.Theprobabilityofcontinuedlong-termbenefits.Theresiliencetoriskofthenetbenefitflowsovertime.

• ImpactPositiveandnegative,primaryandsecondary long-termeffectsproducedbyadevelopment

intervention,directlyorindirectly,intendedorunintended.Followingthesecriteria,theevaluationiscompatibleandcomparablewithsimilarSlovakAid

fundedprojectevaluations.Theevaluation’slearningpointscanalsoprovideinformationtotheSlovakOfficialDevelopmentAssistance(ODA)decisionmakersandotherimplementingorganizationsorlocalpartnersforthefuturedesignoftheirprojects.

Finally,theevaluationshouldalsoprovideanindependentfeedbacktoPFaswellastolocalpartnerorganizationKWTontheirmanagementoftheprojectandpossiblewaystoimproveit.

The evaluationwas conducted based on the Terms of Reference – ToR (Annex 3) and thelanguageofthisevaluationwasagreedtobeEnglish.

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2.2Evaluationmethodology

TheevaluationmethodologywasdevelopedwithandapprovedbythePFProjectManagerafterthoroughdiscussioninordertoreflectthemostoftheexpectationsoftheorganization,especiallyintheareaswheretheimplementingorganizationfelttheneedforfurtherevidence-baseddecisions.

Inthepreparatoryphaseoftheevaluation,thepurposeoftheevaluation,workplanandtimingwere agreed and guidelines for interviews (Annex 4) were created. Its focuswas put on in-depthqualitative research allowing thorough understanding of the projects’ context and stakeholders’agencyintheimplementationprocess.Thedatacollectionmethodswerenon-participatory(involvingstakeholdersasrespondentsandinterviewees,butnotasevaluationdesignersandplanners).

Theevaluationwasconductedthrough“evidence-basedapproach”wheretheanswerstotheevaluationquestionswereputtogetherthroughcollectingevidencefromthedeskresearchandfieldresearch (personal visit in Kenyaor Skype andphone callswhere thepersonalmeetingswerenotpossible),itsverificationandtriangulation(comparingtoeachother)andfurtheranalysisofotherdatareceived.

Followingsourcesofinformationwereidentified:1. DocumentsandmaterialsconnectedtotheprojectandstrategicdocumentsdescribingSlovak

andKenyanstrategicinterestsinthethematicareaofICT(fulllistofdocumentsreviewedisinAnnex2).

2. Project management and implementation team including project managers, programcoordinators,financialmanagersandvolunteersofboth,PFandKWT.

3. DonorrepresentativesastheSlovakAidProjectManagerandtheDevelopmentCooperationDiplomatinNairobi.

4. RepresentativesofLocalAuthorities(LAs)andKenyangovernment.5. RepresentativesofotherINGOs.6. Trainersandmentors fromKenya(e.g.representativesfromvariousprivatecompaniesand

coworkingspaces)andSlovakia(e.g. teachersfrombusinessacademiesandrepresentativesfromprivatecompanies).

7. Direct beneficiaries of the project (students, graduates and teachers) including othercommunitymembersinvolvedinprojectactivities.

Listofallinterviews,theirformsandtimelinecanbefoundinAnnex5.Thepreparationphase

oftheevaluationstartedwithface-to-faceinitialdebriefingwithPontisFoundationProjectManagerbytheendofAugust.BeginningofSeptemberwasdedicatedtodeskresearchoftheprojectrelatedandother strategic documents. The field visitwasdonebetween18th and24th of September. Theindividualinterviewsorthefocusgroupstookusually1–2hourseach.ThereweresomeSkypeandphoneinterviewsconductedaswellasemailconsultationsduetounsuccessfulattemptsforaface-to-facemeeting.

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2.3Evaluationlimits

Therewerefewchallengesencounteredduringtheevaluationprocess.The project was still running at the time of the evaluation with last activities still being

implemented.Therefore, the informationaboutsustainabilityand impactof theprojectaremainlybasedonexpectationsofthestakeholdersinvolved.

Intheprojectdocument(anditslogicalframework),theprojects’outcomebenchmarksaresetinawaymorerelatedtooutputsandactivitiesthantheactualobjectiveofeachactivity.

Moreover,onlyveryfewbaselinedataaresetintheprojectdocumentwhichmakesitevenhardertomeasureanysuccessoftheproject.

Despitetalkingtomanystakeholdersfromschools,atleasthalfofthemwasnewtotheprojectduetohighteachers’turnoverandregulartransfers.

Therefore,assessingachievingofspecificgoalsandmeasuringtheefficiencyandeffectivenessoftheprojectisrathersubjective.

FocusgroupswiththeICTclubmemberofvariousprojectschools(PJMwangola,KasigauGirls,MoiHighSchool,Mwaghogho).

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3Evaluationfindings

3.1 Relevance

Kenyahasbeentraditionalpriority–“programcountry”ofSlovakODAsince2003asSlovakAidwasestablished.SlovakNGOshaveworkedinKenyasincethemid-1990sandthereweredozensofsuccessful projects implemented mainly in health, education and agriculture. The “Medium-TermStrategyforDevelopmentCooperationoftheSlovakRepublicfor2014–2018”acknowledgesboth,Kenya being one of the three priority “program countries” for Slovak ODA and sectors of priordevelopment,educationbeingoneofthem.Theformofassistanceandcooperationisfurtherspecifiedincountrystrategypaperdocument“StrategyforDevelopmentAidforKenyanRepublicfor2013–2018”.Thegoal foreducation istodecreasetheunemploymentofyouththroughaccesstoqualityeducationandpracticalskills.Specificgoalsare:toimprovethepossibilitiesofyouthtosucceedonthelabormarket throughdevelopmentofpracticalskillsandto improvethequalityofeducationatalllevelsthroughcapacitydevelopmentoftheteachers.Bothofthesespecificgoalswerefullyreflectedbytheproject.

During the interviews both representatives of the donor, the Development CooperationDiplomat in Nairobi and SlovakAid Project Managers confirmed the project “relevance in widersynergicapproachtotheotherSlovakAidprojects,iftherespectivecriticalfindings/commentswillbetakenintoconsiderationbytheprojectteam”.

“Overthelastyears,KenyaCertificateofSecondaryEducation(KCSE)performanceinTTChasbeen declining and remained below average.” E.g. in 2012 the county took position 36 out of 47countiesandnoneofitstopfiveschoolsappearedinthetop100schoolsnationally.TTCwitha66%ofpopulationlivinginpovertyhaslimitedchancesofparentsorguardianssendingtheirgraduateswithlowerscores(B-toC+)touniversities.Oneofthereasonsforlowperformanceidentifiedbythestudy“CausesandRemediestotheDecliningStandardsofSecondaryEducationinTaitaTavetaCounty”was“schools’ infrastructure and access” where besides other “the county required 45 new computerlaboratoriesinordertofullyintegrateICTinteachingandlearningtoKCSE.Allschoolsmusthaveatleastonecomputerlaboratory.”

All major Kenyan strategic documents describe the areas of education and youthunemploymentastheirpriorities.AccordingtokeydevelopmentdocumentofKenya–Vision2030,educationandpracticalskillsareoneofthemainsectorsofsocialpillar.Inthesamedocument,theeconomicpillardefinesregionaldevelopmentandICTservicesassectorpriorities.

TheissueofincreasingyouthunemploymentandqualityofeducationisoneofthekeyprioritiesforallmajordonorsworkinginKenyaincludingUnitedNations,EuropeanCommissionorUSAID.TheprojectdirectlyreflectstwooftheSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs):no.4–QualityEducationandno.9–Industry,InnovationandInfrastructure.IndirectlytwomoreSDGsarebeingaddressed:no.5–GenderEqualityandno.8–DecentWorkandEconomicGrowth.

The fast growthof ICT and internet use is causing growthof disparities in the society. Theprojectistryingthroughitsoutreachandbothcomponents(theschools’networkandthecoworkingspace)toreduceallpotentialgaps:“agendergap(becausemorementhanwomenusetheinternet),apovertygap(whencostbecomesabarriertoaccess),andanurban-ruralgap(becausethoseinruralareas areworse off)”. At the same time are these gaps utilized to inspire innovation and supportcreativityforbusinesssolutions.

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An ICT-Hub/a coworking space is seenasa sustainablephysical centerwith thenecessaryinfrastructuretoprovidegenericICTservices,internetaccessandbusinesssupportaswellasrelatedtrainingsandlearningopportunities.Itusuallyprovidesthestructure,whichenablescommunitiestomanagetheirowndevelopment.Itisalsoanimportantmeansforthegovernmenttogrowaninclusive,innovativeeconomyforthebenefitoftheregionorthecountry.Notonly“techentrepreneursinruralareasfaceamyriadofchallengesincluding:lackofinternetaccess, lackofbusinesssupport, lackofbusinessexpertiseandskillsandlackoftraining”.ThesechallengeshavehinderedtheirgrowthandsometimesforcedentrepreneurstorelocatetoNairobitoaccesssomeoftheseresources.“ThereispotentialforanICThubmodelimplementationinruralcitiestohelpinaddressingmostoftheseissuesbyidentifyingservicesandfunctionsneededbycommunities.”

The national government of Kenya is already addressing the issues which are being main

infrastructuralfocusoftheproject.ThereisaprogramrunningforlastcoupleofyearsunderMinistryofEducationthroughwhichcomputersarebeingdeliveredtoselectedschoolsineachconstituency.AtthesamesincelastyearthereisaprogramunderMinistryofICTwherebyfourinnovationshubsshouldbeestablishedineachconstituency.TheseprogramsconfirmtheurgencyofthematteryetthemaingapidentifiedislackofICTskillstrainingsfortheschoolteachersaswellaslackofICTteachers.Theconsequencemightbethatevenhavingacomputerlabestablishedbythegovernment,itisnotbeingusedandthecomputerscienceisnotanexaminationsubject.

Finally, all beneficiaries of theproject including the students, graduates and teachers of allinvolvedschoolswhowereinterviewedexpressedstrongsupporttoICTbeingusedduringteaching/learningprocessandtoSoteHubasaplaceforstart-upsandseedfunding.

The potential of Voi town, being the first largest town of TTCwhich is still growing, is notnegligible.Itisdefinedbythetourism(thereareseveralnationalparksinthearea),goodgeographicalposition(beingonthehighwayandrailwayroutesbetweenthecapitalofNairobiandKenyanlargestportMombasa)andpleasantclimate(thankstohigheraltitudeandsurroundingmountainsofTaitaHills).

Consideringalltheinformationabove,therelevanceofbothprojectcomponentsisveryhigh

toitsbeneficiariesandallstakeholdersinvolved.

ThepremisesandequipmentofSoteHub(coworkingspace)inVoitown.

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3.2Efficiency

Theoverallplannedbudgetoftheprojectwas237.541,20€outofwhich213.781,20€(90%)wastobeprovidedbySlovakAidand23.760€bythe implementingorganizationsPFandKWT.Theactualexpenditureswerenotprovidedbythetimetheevaluationreportwascompiledbutbasedonapprovedbudgetchanges,theyshouldnotsignificantlydifferfromtheplan.

Thebudgetwasspentgraduallywithquiteagoodnumberofrequestsforchangeinbudgetlines submitted toSlovakAid,yetwithoutanymajor influenceon the totalbudgetor somebudgetcategory.Ononeside“thismightbesignofbadplanning”forthedonor,yetontheotherside“itwasquitedifficulttoadapttoallchangesinthefieldandtracktheunitsoncetryingtooptimizetheprojectcosts”fortheimplementingpartners.

The following graph shows the breakdown of the planned budget based on the types ofexpenses:

Significant percentage of the overall project budget was to be spent on activities (28%).

Personalcosts(includingsmallratioofadmincosts)ofbothprojectpartnerswereplannedaswellat28%.Thisamountreflectsthevolumeofworkrelatedtoquitenumerousandvariousprojectactivities.15%of thebudgetwas to cover the salariesof different trainers and related travel expenses. Thebudgetcategoryofinvestmentandpropertywasplannedat13%oftheprojectbudgetanditcoversall equipment provided for both project components: establishment of computer labs at twonewsecondaryschoolstojointheexistingnetworkof10andestablishmentofcoworkingspaceinVoitown–SoteHub.

TherewasnoexpatProjectCoordinatorofPF inKenyawhosecostwould increasepersonalcostsofthebudget.InsteadtheprojectwassupportedbytwoSlovakvolunteersviaVolunteerProgramofSlovakAid.DespitethefactthattheyspentinKenyaonlyfewmonths,theircontributiontowardsthe

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projectwassignificantandhighlyappreciatedbyallbeneficiaries.BothofthemcamewithrelevantandspecificICTskillswhichwerefurthersharedatallsecondaryschoolsaswellaswiththemembersofSoteHub.Thoughoneoftheprojectstakeholdersmentionedthat“aSlovakFieldWorkermighthavebeenmorevaluablefortheprojectespeciallyoncefocusingonthesustainabilityoftheprojectasthevolunteerswerenotsufficientauthoritiestodictatethedirectionsandprioritiesoftheproject”.

Challenging is still themotivation of Kenyan project counterparts, especially on the side ofteachersasthe ICTclub(which includesPEs) isavoluntaryactivity forthem. Importantmotivationfactorandespeciallyinspirationfornotonlytheteachersbutprojectstudents/graduatesaswellaretheexchangevisitsbetweenKenyaandSlovakia.StudyvisitstoSlovakiaweredescribedbyallKenyanparticipants as “great learning experience, inspiration and opportunity for networking andestablishmentofdirectpersonalcontactswithpeers”.ThesevisitsareappreciatedalsobyallSlovakhosts as cultural sharing for very interesting for the teachers and students, their prejudices werereducedandtheyweremotivationalaswellbecause“thereisalotwhatwecanlearnfromeachother”.RegularmonitoringvisitsofPFstaffinKenyacontributedalsotowardsmotivationandinspirationofvariousprojectstakeholdersasthesearealwaysconnectedwithmotivationalspeeches,deliveryoftrainingsorparticipatingonjurypanelsduringvariouscompetitionsforthestudentsorgraduates.

During theproject, itwaspossible toemploy several graduates from theproject secondaryschools at the Sote Hub. They demonstrated deep knowledge about the project and strongcommitmenttowardsitscontinuationandgrowth.Ontheotherside,itmustbeadmittedthatitwastheirfirstworkingexperienceandlearningaboutnotjustemploymentitselfbutalsounderstandingofspecificdutiesandresponsibilitieswhichwereassignedtothem.“Itmighthavebeenmoreefficientinsomecasestoemployanexpertwhocouldhavedeliveredmuchfasterandatbetterquality.”

SinceitsbeginningthisisprojectstrugglingwiththesameissuesasthepreviousoneswhicharetypicalforruralareasofKenya.Firstofall, itistheinternetconnection.Therewerealreadyseveralproviderstriedandcurrentlyalmosthalfoftheschoolsarewithoutinternet.Thisismakingsomeoftheprojectactivitiesimpossible,e.g.theSkypecallswithSlovakPEsorusingofPENonlineplatformtoolswhichwererecentlydeveloped.TheotherissueisregularbreakdownofcomputersorotherICTequipmentdelivered.FewschoolsarenotyetabletocoverthecostsofmaintenanceandSoteHubwas assisting with some of the repairs. “At some schools the lack of ownership is obvious as thecomputers,evenbeinglockedinalab,arenotproperlyprotectedfromtheomnipresentdust.”Astheprojectisrunningforlastcoupleofyearsthecomputersarealsoagingandforthoseschools,whichjoinedtheprojectbefore2013,somesparepartscannotbefoundonthemarket.TheresultisthatatmajorityoftheschoolsonlyhalfofthecomputersareoperationalwhichisnotsufficientfortheICTclubmembersnorfortheschoolstudentsduringcomputerscienceclasses.

Itisverypositivethattheprojectisnotfocusingonlyonschools,whicharenearbyVoitownandeasilyaccessiblebutalsoonveryremoteschools(e.g.MoiHighSchool–KasigauBoys,MurrayGirls, PJ Mwangola, Kasigau Girls or Buguta Secondary School). While enlarging the project andincreasingitsoutreachforthelastcoupleofyears,“bynowitwouldbemorecost-efficienttopurchaseaprojectcarinsteadofhiringvariousmeansoftransporttovisittheschools”.

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Therewerenoconcernsraisedbytheprojectstakeholdersaboutcost-efficiencyofanyproject

activity as all were considered economically reasonable once achieving the project results. Oncelookingforopportunitiesforsomesavings,twotypesofexpenseswereidentified:someofthegadgetsandequipmentcouldhavebeenpurchasedcheaper(thepricesof ICT itemsaredecreasingyearbyyear)andthetransportcostsspentonhiringvariousmeansoftransportarebythetwoyearsofprojectdurationslightlyhigherthanpurchaseofownprojectcar.

Mostoftheactivitiesplannedintheprojecttookplaceaccordingtotheoriginaltimeline.Therewere fewminordelays reflecting some logistical issues (e.g. latedeliveryof ICT equipmentby thesupplier, not existing reliable internetprovider for some schools’ localities)without any significantinfluence on the project results. At the same time, all the efforts from previous projects wereaccomplishedduringlasttwoyearsoftheactualone.TheSoteICTNGOwasfinallyestablishedalongwith the Sote ICT Ltd. company which together create good legal foundation for socialentrepreneurship.KenyaalsobecameofficialmemberofPENbeingthefirstAfricancountrywhichisoperatingautonomously.Thisachievementwaspossiblethankstolong-termmentoringbySlovakPEsTeacherscoordinatedby“SlovakStateVocationalEducationInstitute”.Basedon“SlovakCentreforPE”, the Kenyan one was established whereby KWT is administrating the online platform andcoordinating activities with other PEN member countries (26 so far). Kenyan model should bereplicatedinMorocco,TunisiaandIvoryCoast.Theactualmembershipisnotyetafullonebutthestatusis“mentoredcountry”.Mainreasonbeingthefeewhichneedstobepaidfull-membershipwiththemainbenefitofavoteatinternationallevelaboutPENoperations(whichiscurrentlynotrelevant).Kenyawasregisteredonlyfewmonthsagoandsofar,thereare26KenyanPEssetupintheonlinesystem.

Someofthegrantees(recipientsoftheseedfundingfortheirstart-upsincubatedinSoteHub)pointed out two issues related to transparency of the process. During the first round of grants’distributionnotallconditionswerecommunicatedclearlybeforeapplyingforthefunding.Specifically,itwasthedutytosigna“MemorandumforaCompanywithSharedCapital”bywhichisthestart-upgivingup10%ofitssharesforSoteICTLtd.andmonthlypaymentsof3.000KESaftersigningthe“GrantAgreement”foratrustfundofSoteICTLtd.tosupportmoreemergingentrepreneursunderSoteICTproject.Duringthesecondroundofgrants’distributionallcommunicationwasclearandtransparent.Bothofthecontributions(sharesand3.000KESpermonths)fromtheincubatedstart-upsareseenas

Newcomertothesecondaryschools’networkandoneoftheremoteones:

KasigauGirlsandtheircomputerlab.

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importantsustainabilityelementoftheICTproject.Forsomeofthestart-upsitistheregularmonthlypaymentof3.000KESwhichdrivesthemtoworkhardandtogenerateincome.“Itisalsoanimportantlessonlearntforthestart-upmembersthatnothingisforfreeassofartheirvariousactivitieswereinthepastfullysupportedfromtheprojectbudget.”

SoteHubasbeingaruralcoworkingspaceisfacingmanychallenges.Currentlythemainaretheremote locationat theedgeofVoi townandslow internetwhich shouldbe thebackboneofeachcoworking space. Despite this the team of Sote Hubwas able to attract quite a good number ofmemberswhichcouldbedistributedintothreeequalgroups:thegraduatesfromprojectsecondaryschoolswhoweremembersofICTclubs,studentsandgraduatesof“CoastInstituteofTechnology”andstudentsof“TaitaTavetaUniversity”(bothlocatedwithinVoitownarea).Atthesametime,SoteHubisacentralplaceforsomeoftheprojectactivities(especiallythetrainingsandtheworkingspacefor ICT clubgraduateswhoarewilling to turn their ideas into viablebusinesses)what contributedsignificantlytothevisibilityoftheprojectasawhole.ThesearenotjustthesignpostsatprojectschoolsandSoteHubpremisesinVoi,butespeciallythepublicityandmentionsatlocal/county,national/KenyanandatAfricanlevel.ThebrandofSoteHubisrecognizedwithinTTCandaswellatnationalKenyanlevel.However,thereisalwaysspaceforimprovementascurrentlyitisknownmainlybysmallgroupof“techfans”.

The cooperation between project partners was very efficient as it was built on strong

foundationof last sevenyearsof cooperation.Thecommunicationbetween thepartnerswasveryopenandfrequent.Thepartnership isalsostrengthenedthroughregularvisits,eitherofPFstaff inKenyaanddirectparticipationonfieldactivitiesorKWT/SoteHubstaffinSlovakia.

Consideringalltheinformationabove,theefficiencyofbothprojectcomponents(schools’

networkandcoworkingspace)isratherhigh.

VisibilityofSoteHubinVoitownandatoneoftheprojectschools-PJMwangola.

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3.3Effectiveness

Thisevaluationreportaimstogobeyondoutput-orientedquantitativeindicatorssetupinthelogicalframeworkoftheproject.Thisdatacanbeeasilyfoundinthereportsprovidedtothedonoronregularbasis. In thisevaluation, the focuswas shifted towardsmoredescriptivewayofpresentingresultsshowingrealoutcomesoftheprojectcontributingtotheoverallimpact.Thechapterhasbeendividedintothreepartsfollowingtheresultsasdefinedintheprojectdocument.

3.3.1ImprovedentrepreneurshipskillsofyouthfromTaitaTavetaCounty

Accordingtotheprojectlogicalframework,thisresultshouldbeverifiablethroughestablishedcoworkingspace (including incubator)SoteHub,where in total300peopleattended its trainings /workshops,50peopleareregularvisitors,10peoplearemembersandareregularlyusingthespaceforworkandfivestart-upswereestablished.

BytheendoftheprojectistheSoteHubwellrecognizedcoworkingspaceknownbymajorityoflocaleducationalinstitutions(numeroussecondaryschools,CoastInstituteofTechnologyandTaitaTaveta University) and the county government. Its activities did not end up only within TTC andcooperationwithlocalbusinesscenter(BiasharaCenter)butfirstnegotiationaboutfuturecooperationweredonewithneighboringcountyKwale(especiallywithlocalgovernmentandbusinesscenter).SoteHub established also reciprocal partnerships with other coworking spaces in Kenya whereby itsmemberscouldusethespaceandmentoringinotherKenyancities(e.g.withiHubinNairobi,MettaHubinNairobiorSwahiliBoxinMombasa).

Withintheprojectdurationthereweremorethan300peopleintotalwhoattendedvarioustrainings and workshops which were reflecting actual ICT trends and were delivered by differentexpertsfromKenyaorSlovakia.Therearemuchmoretha50plannedpeople(approx.300peopleaswell)whoareregularvisitorsoftheevents(especiallythestudentsandgraduatesoflocaleducationalinstitutions)andmorethan10people(approx.15-20)aremembersofSoteHubworkingfromthereonregularbasis.“ThetrainingswhichSoteHubprovidesareverybeneficial–Iamgainingmanynewskillsandlotofknowledge.Forinstance,recentlyaboutcybersecurity.”

30start-upideasweresubmittedtotheSoteHub’scallforproposals(15infirstroundand15in second round). The applicants (usually mix of local students or graduates) were pitching theirprojectsinfrontofjurypanelandfourstart-upswereselectedineachround.Thecallforproposalswasconsideredbymajorityoftheapplicantsasclearandtheselectionprocessasfairandtransparent.Yetforthefirstroundofstart-upsthegrantconditionswerenotcommunicatedclearlyfromtheverybeginning.Narrativeandfinancialreportingseemednottobecomplicatedforanyofthestart-ups’representatives.

Following start-ups were selected for seed funding, each of them having a tailor-madeconditionsandcontract:

1. Redecor–redesignsartandcraftedcuriosfromdifferentculturesandaimstoreconnecttheglobethroughculture.

2. Rogim Designs – a creative agency which offers advertisement and design solutions to allbusinessesbycreatingonlinemarketingplatforms.

3. Re-Afrika–solvinge-wasteproblembyrecyclingthemtofunctionalelectronicequipment.4. Cladika–anecommerceshopwheretheyredesignandbrandsecondhandclothespopularly

knowninKenyaas“mitumba”accordingtoclient’spreferencesmakingthemtrendy.

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5. Elimu Pi – production of credit sized CPU and laptops giving a chance for education byinnovationandtechnology.

6. Wezacom–anappandsmssolutionforruralfarmerswhichlinksthemtotransportersthroughaproductknownas“TicketSoko”.

7. Cholacs–asmartwatercontrolandautomationsystemusingIoT.8. Dobrich–bakingproductsmadefromsweetpotatoesincooperationwithlocalfarmers.

Originally therewereonly five start-ups tobe supportedbutdue to savingsonsomeotherbudgetlinesitwaspossibletosupporteightoftheminaverageamountaround2.000€.Allinterviewedgrantees already invested their seed funding (either into gadgets and equipment or productionmaterials)andareexpectingtoreachthebreakevenpoint latestwithinnexttwoyears.Oneofthegranteementionedthat“themostbeneficialwastheincubationandmentoring”.

Duringthetimeof theevaluationoneof theprojectgraduatewaspitchinghisseed-fundedstart-upinNairobiduringacompetitionorganizedbyaDutchorganization.Veryinterestingwasforthestart-upsrepresentativestheopportunitytomeettheofficialsfromSlovakEmbassywhovisitedtheSoteHubandtheygot thechancetopractice theirpitchingskills.Lateron,someof themmetSlovakPresidentduringhisofficialvisitinKenyawhichwasveryinspirational.

EstablishmentofcoworkingspaceinVoiwasreflectedalsointheprogramofthestudyvisitinSlovakiaastheSoteHubstaffmembersgotthechancetovisitseveralcoworkingspacesinSlovakiaandtolearnandgetinspiredfromthem.

3.3.2BuiltpedagogicalandtechnicalcapacitiesattwonewgirlssecondaryschoolsThecapacitiesweretobebuiltintheareaofinternetcommunicationtechnologyandbasicsof

entrepreneurship.Accordingtotheprojectlogicalframework,thisresultshouldbeverifiablethroughtrainingsofteachers(15oncomputerskills,25on“Schoolmanagementandadministrationsystem”-EMIS, 25 on project based learning with focus on ICT and PEs and four on ICT club and PEsmanagement),establishmentofICTclubsandPEs(twoICTclubsand6PEswith80studentsintotalwhichshouldmake it500studentsatall12projectschools),10teacherswhoareusing innovativeteachingmethods(includingprojectoratleastonceaweek),threecompetitionsfortheICTclubs/PEsandcertification(sixPEswithPENcertificate,30studentswithPENcertificateand100studentswithSoteICTcertificate).

Alltheindicatorswereachievedasthispartoftheprojectisreplicatingpreviousprojectswhileexpandingthenetworkofschoolsfrom10to12andbothprojectpartnersarealreadywellexperiencedinthisarea.Teachersandstudentsfromall12schoolswereinvolvedequally.Thetrainingsforteacherswerenotonlylearningexperienceandopportunitytobeupdatedbutatthesametimetheteachersgotachancetonetworkandtosharetheirbestpracticesfromvariousschoolsreflectingtheirdifferentconditions.Thecompetitionsandcertificationsareoneofthekeymotivationalfactorsforthestudentsthusveryappreciated.

The two news schoolswere equipped and the computer labs are operational and used byeverybody.Oneofthemisfacingtheusualproblemwithinternetconnectionandtherewasnotyetagoodproviderfoundfortheirarea(allthenecessarye-mailcommunicationonbehalfoftheICTclubandPEsmembersisdonebythepatrononceinatwoweeks).

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3.3.3ImprovedskillsofKenyansecondaryschoolstudentswhoaretakingpartinpracticeenterprises

Accordingtotheprojectlogicalframework,thisresultshouldbeverifiablethroughinvolvementof thestudents incompetitions (at leasthalfof the ICTclubmemberscompetingduring individualcompetitionsandat least90%of thePEscompetingduringgroupcompetitions)andqualityof theoutputs,cooperationbetween10Slovakand12KenyanPEs,attendanceofKenyanPErepresentativeatSlovaktradefairandfinallytwotradefairsorganizedinKenyawithactivepresenceofatleast90%ofthePEswithminimumofthreemembers.

As inpreviouschapterall the indicatorswereachievedas thispartof theproject isaswellreplicatingpreviousonesandutilizingtheexperienceandlessonslearntofbothprojectpartners.Someteachers,studentsandgraduateshadthechancetoattendthestudyvisitinSlovakiawhichwastailor-madetotheirneeds.ItisoneofthebiggestmotivationalfactorandarewardnotjustforKenyansbutalsofortheSlovakcounterparts.Itwasanopportunitytomeetface-to-faceownpeersandlearnfromeachotheraboutPEs,tradefairsandPENitself.SomeoftheparticipantsgotthechancetovisitothercoworkingspacesortobementoredbyrealSlovakcompany.SlovakschoolswelcomedtheKenyanvisitorsintraditionalwaysandinonecaseeventhecitycouncilwasinvolved.

Allparticipantsofthestudyvisitsappreciatedthenetworking,exchangeofideasandsharingofexperiencebetweeneachother.Someof theSlovak teachersnoted that“Wevaluenowmore theopportunityof freeeducationandat the same timeweadmireKenyan studentsand teachershowenthusiasticandaction-orientedtheyare.AscooperatingwithKenyanPEstheschoolisalsogainingpositiverecognitionfromthecommunity.BesidespracticingEnglish,wearenowmoreinterestedevenintoKenyanpoliticsastheyareourfriends.”

ThelevelofICTclubaswellasitsPEsvariesfromschooltoschoolanditisverymuchdependentontheschooladministration(whichinmajorityofthecasesisveryreceptive)andthecommitmentoftheclubpatron.DespitethefactthatduetoKenyaneducationalsystemtheteachersarebeingquiteoftentransferred,sofartheICTclubactivitieslastatallschools.Almosthalfoftheschoolsarehavingproblemswithinternetconnectionyettheclubpatronsarestillabletoexcel.SuchcasestudyistheteacherHermanMwalukuku fromMarunguSecondary Schoolwhich is quite remoteand currentlywithoutinternet.TheICTclubishavingthreePEsandeachofthemispartneringwitharealcompany

Oneofthenewprojectschools:VoiGirlsEducationCentreandtheircomputerlab.

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fromVoitown.Theteacher isusingowncarandfundstotransportthePEs’representativestoVoitowninordertodoonlinecommunicationfromSoteHubortovisitthepartnercompanies(abank,aninsuranceandaprinting company).At the same time thePEs fromMarungudidnot endup theircooperationonlywithSlovakPEsbutmanagedtodovirtualdealsalsowithPEsfromGermany,KoreaandIsrael.

ThemostimportanteventforthePEsistheannualtradefairwhichisthebiggestcontributor

towardstheirsoftskills.Thestudentsarepresentingownvirtualbusinessestoeachotheraswellastopanelofjury,variousofficialsandhonorableguest.ThepresenceofCountyGovernorgavetotheeventbiggerrecognitionandthestudentsvaluedverymuchthechanceoftalkingtohimorevensellinghimaproduct.Someofthestudentswereaskingfor“onetradefairtobeorganizedduringeachschooltermtoworkevenharder”yetthisisnotpossibleduetobusyscheduleofeachschool.Allinterviewedteachersorschoolprincipalsseeachange inthe ICTclubmembersoncecomparingthemwiththeotherstudents:“Theseguysareusuallymoreactivealsoinotherschoolactivitiesandhavingverygoodorganizationskills.Atthesametime,theyaremoreopenmindedandcanexpressthemselvesbetter.Theircommunicationandpresentationsskillsareaboveaverage.Theyaremoreconfidentandwithgoodself-esteem.”

3.3.4AchievementofprojectobjectivesTheprojectactivitiesledtofulfilmentofallthreeexpectedprojectresults.TheyouthfromTTC

improveditsentrepreneurialskillsnotonlybecauseoftheactivitiesbySoteHubbutalsothankstothewholeprogramandtheeffortoflastsixyears.Pedagogicalandtechnicalcapacitiesoftheteachers(intheareaof internetcommunication technologyandbasicsofentrepreneurship)werecontinuouslybuiltatall12projectschoolsandbasedontheteachers’transferstheprojectknow-howwassharedoutofthecounty.TheskillsofKenyansecondaryschoolstudentswhoweretakingpartinPEsweresignificantlyimprovedyetsomebenefitedmore(especiallytheofficialsofICTclubsandPEs,aseachICTclubishavingsome“freeriders”).

HermanMwalukuku,theICTclubpatronfromMarunguSecondarySchool

andwell-keptcomputerlabthoughwithagingcomputers.

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ItseemsthatalltheprojectactivitiescreatedadequatepackageofICTinfrastructure,theory,practiceandnetworkingwhichledtofulfillmentofprojectspecificobjectivestosupportstart-upsofyouth and to contribute towards building of modern schools, which are able to provide qualityeducation.Itcanbesaidthatfromtheshort-termpointofviewtheprojectfulfilledaswellitsoverallobjectiveandcontributedtowardsdecreaseofyouthunemployment.ThegraduatesoftheICTclubsareable to identifymoreopportunitiesafter thesecondaryschool (ownenterprisebesides furtherstudiesoremployment)andaremoreemployablethankstoadvancedsoftskillsandbettercomputerskillsthantheirruralpeers.OneoftheKenyancompanyprovidingcloud-basedon-demandworkforcefromNairobialreadyemployedfiveICTclubgraduatesastherewasaspecialcareercallopenedforSoteHubwheretheapplicationsweresubmittedfrom.ThereisanothercallcurrentlybeingpreparedandSoteHubiskeenonplacementsoftheICTclubgraduatesbyallpossiblemeans(e.g.theonlinenewsletter besides updates about the project activities, containing also actual applicationopportunitiesforstart-upscompetitionsandjobopportunities).BythetimeofevaluationvisitasurveywasconductedbyKWT inorder to findoutwhat is theratioofgraduateswhoarenot idlingaftersecondaryschool.Unfortunately,theresultswerenotavailablebeforesubmissionoftheevaluationreport.TheestimationoftheProjectManageristhat“theICTclubgraduatescanbesplitintothreeequalgroupswheretheygoforfurtherstudies,findanemploymentorstartownenterprise”.

ThetransferofSlovakexperienceduringthisandpreviousprojectsshouldnotbeoverlooked.Thanksto“SlovakStateVocationalEducationInstitute”andlong-termmentorshipbyteachersfromseveralSlovakbusinessandhotelacademies,KenyabecamethefirstAfricancountryjoiningthePENandbenefitingfromadvancedteachingmethods.

Overall,consideringthesuccessesandchallengesduringprojectactivitiesimplementation,

the effectiveness of the schools’ network is rather high and of the coworking space very high -especiallyduetooutreachbeyondsecondaryschools,bettertrackingofthemembers/beneficiariesandaddressedsupport.

3.4Sustainability

In the project document, several measures were introduced to sustain the outcomes andimpact of the project beyond its life cycle. On the side of management, sustainability was to beachievedthroughstabileteamwhichisexperiencedandworkingtogetheralreadyseveralyearsaswellas through the volunteering teachers who are the ICT club Patrons. The exit strategy should besupportedby finalizingof theregistrationprocessof theSote ICTNGOandmembership inPEN. Inregardtofinancialsustainabilitytheplanwastoraisefundsthroughcrowdfundingplatformsaswellastoprovidesomepaidservices(e.g.paidcoursesordeskspaceinthecoworkingspace).

Theenvisagedsustainabilityelementshaditschallengesduringtheimplementationprocess,especiallythatnoneofthemcouldensurerealsustainabilityandindependenceoftheprojectbesidesintended paid services. Main sustainability element of the project is the commitment and theownershipoftheprojectbeneficiarieswhoarethepotentialmultiplicatorsinthefuture.ThesearenotonlytheteachersbutaswelltheSoteHubteamwhobenefitedfrommanytrainingsandseveralstudyvisitstoSlovakia.Thesustainabilityshouldbeassessedatfourlevel:schools,SoteHub,seed-fundedstart-upsandcooperationwithgovernment.

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Thesustainabilityonthesideoftheschoolswasachievedfirstlybystronginvolvementoftheschooladministration.Allinterviewedprincipalsseetheprojectasusefulfortheschools“Wewanttocontinuewiththisprojectbecauseitbenefitsall,studentsaswellastheteachersandwearewillingtosupportitfinanciallyinthefuture.Evennowwearealreadycoveringtheinternetcostsandcomputerrepairs.”Sustainabilityisnotthreatenedbytheteachers’transfersastherearealwaystwoteachersinchargeoftheICTclubateachschool.AllinterviewedteachersarewillingtocontinuewiththeICTclubactivitiesevenafterthesupportfromSlovakAid isoverandmanyofthemseetheICTclubastheirlegacy.ThebenefitsofICTandopportunitiesforinteractionswithotherprojectstakeholdersoverruledthefactthatitistheirfree-timeandunpaidactivity.Finally,theICTclubsitselfarewellestablishedandplannedrecruitmentensuresthattherearealwaysstudents fromall four formswherebytheolderonesareteachingtheyoungerones.

The SoteHub is having currently quite good visibility and recognitionwithin the respectivecommunity.QuiteagoodpublicityandmentionswereachievednotonlyinTTCorKenyabutaswellatAfricanlevel.Thebrandisknownandincasethenetworkingactivitieswillcontinueatthepaceasthey started by the end of the project (after it was announced that the next project will not besupportedbySlovakAid), its recognitionshould further improve.Thesame is relatedto fundraisingactivities–bytheendoftheprojectmoreeffortwasputintosellingpaidproducts(especiallytrainingpackagesandconsultancyservices)ofSoteHubwithsome futurecooperation.Therewereseveralprojectproposalssubmittedtootherdonorswithinprojectdurationyetwithoutanymajorsuccess.Sote Hub is ensuring its funds also through seed funding provided to its eight start-ups which isreflectingthetrendsinthisarea.Specifically,SoteHubissigninga“MemorandumforaCompanywithSharedCapital”wherebyitisgaining10%ofsharesofeachincubatedstart-up.Eachsupportedstart-upaswellcontributesmonthlypaymentof3.000KES(basedon“GrantAgreement”)toatrustfundtosupportmoreemergingentrepreneursunderSoteICTproject.

Allofthefundedstart-upsplantocontinue intheirbusinessactivities inthefutureandarereallycommittedtowardstheirbusinessideas.Someoftheentrepreneursaremembersofmorethanjustonestart-upandsomeareproceedingwiththeirstudiestoenhancetheireducation.Morethanhalfofthestart-upsarehavingfeasibleideasandcapableteams.Yetthehumanfactorplaysagainthecrucialroleandsomeofthestart-upsmightcollapseduetoimmaturityandunpreparednessofthegraduates.OneoftheSoteHubmembersmentionedthat“someofthestart-upguysarenotseriousenough to work with them”. Sote Hub team is trying to work on this factor through continuousmentorship.

Lastly,theinvolvementofthelocalgovernmentisaswellimportantsustainabilityelementoftheproject.Localpartnerorganizationhaswiderangeofrelationshipswiththeactuallocalaswellasnationalauthoritiesdespite the fact thatsomeof the representatives (including thekeycontactofcountygovernor)changedrecently.Alltheeffortsarebeingdone(especiallybytheendoftheproject)toattractmoreattentionofthegovernmentofficialsandgainrelevantsupportfortheproject.

All inall,theprojectsustainability isdefinedbythetimethebeneficiarieswillremainactivepartoftheSoteHubandICTclubs.Despitethefactthatthehumanfactormakestheprojectlesslikelyto be sustainable, the infrastructure, knowledge and experience gained during the project areconsiderable.Attheend,theprojectsustainabilitydependsonthewayofbalancingtwoconditions:downscalingoftheactivitieswhichwereimplementedduringlastfouryearsonregularbasis(e.g.nostudy visits to Slovakia, less attractive prizes during individual competitions and annual trade fair,limitedvisits to schoolsor cheaper rent for coworking space)and theability to raise funds for theprojectactivitieseitherfromsomedonorsorevenbetterthroughcommercialIGAoftheSoteHub.

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Overall, taking into consideration the dependency of the schools on the Sote HubcoordinationbutatthesametimethelongICTclubtraditionattheschoolsandtheirownactivitiesbetweenthem,thesustainabilityofschools’networkprojectcomponentisratherhigh.ConsideringthefundraisinginitiativesofSoteHubwhichstartedmainlyonceknowingaboutthewithdrawalofthe donor but as well the actual opportunities for commercial activities, the sustainability ofcoworkingspaceprojectcomponentisratherlow.

3.5Impact

Theprojecthasdirectly influenced12schoolswithaveragenumberof400studentsand20teachersperschool.AllschoolshaveestablishedICTclubswithdifferentnumberofmembersusuallyoscillatingaround40whoarerathertheactiveones.AllthemembersofICTclubwereusuallypartofsomePEandmorethanhalfofthemwereveryactivelyinvolvedinallprojectactivities.SomeofthebenefitsofmembershipinICTclubweredescribedas“Ihavethechancetocomeupwithmyownideas;my creativity and innovative thinking are supported; I have opportunities to talkwith people fromEurope;IamgainingpassionforICT/photography/videoshooting;Iamlearninghowtoberesponsible/ focused / disciplined; I am improvingmy communication / presentation skills as well as Englishlanguage;Iamlearningtovolunteerandmyparentsareamazed.”

The Sote Hub since its establishment hosted more than 300 people (mainly from variouseducational institutions) during organized events and seed funded eight start-upswhich count 16youngentrepreneurs.

Itisdifficulttoestimatethenumberofpeoplewhowereindirectlyinfluencedbytheproject.Infewcases,thecommunitylivingaroundtheprojectschoolsbenefitedasinteractingwiththepracticecompaniesandusingtheirservicesorbuyingtheirproducts(suchastakingofphotosorvideoshootingandbuyingofsmallornaments).TheinfluenceofSoteHubonthebusinesscommunityinVoitownwasverylimitedasitsmainfocuswasonstudents.

Mainimpactoftheprojectarethecapacitiesbuiltthroughthevariousprojectactivities.Directbeneficiariesarethestudents,graduates,teachersofsecondaryschoolsandtheSoteHubteam.Similarimpactcouldnothavebeenachievedthroughtheprogramofnationalgovernmentwherebyitisonlydistributingcomputerstoselectedschools.Theeducationalcomponent isclearlymissingwhatwasconfirmedduringtworandomvisitsofnon-projectsecondaryschools.AlthoughtheircomputerlabswereestablishedtheywerenotutilizedasnoneoftheschoolswashavingacomputerteacheratthattimeandtherewasnootherteachertrainedtomanageanICTclubatleastasafreetimeactivityifnotaproperschoolsubject.

Impactfularealsotheestablishedrelationshipswithlocalauthoritieswhichshouldbefurtherutilized in the future. Sote Hub is through its actual services very complementary with the othereducational institutions in the region (already mentioned secondary schools, Coast Institute ofTechnologyandTaitaTavetaUniversity).

Positive impact can be observed also on the side of Slovak teachers and students. Theinteraction during study visits and Skype calls gave them the opportunity to practice their Englishlanguageandchallengetheirprejudices.

PotentialnegativeimpactoftheprojectactivitiesiscurrentlyonthesideofSoteHubanditsreputationasitisseenbysomecommunitymembersas“aplacewhereyouthofbothgendersmeetandwhoknowswhattheyaredoingwiththecomputers”.Obviouslymoreawarenessraisingisneeded.

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Whileitisusuallyhardtoassesstheimpactofaprojectrightafterithasfinished,evidencefromthefieldshowssignsofsomepositiveimpactalreadytakingplace.Especiallytakingintoconsiderationthatitwasthefourthprojectofbothpartnerorganizationssince2009.

Based on this evidence (although too early to fully assess the impact of the project) the

conclusionisthattheimpactofbothprojectcomponentsisratherhigh.

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4Lessonslearnt&recommendations

BasedontheevaluationfindingsandconclusionsaswellaspurposeoftheevaluationdefinedbyPF,followinglessonslearntandrecommendationsweremade.

4.1Lessonslearntfromactualproject

1. PresenceofSlovakpeopleinthefieldstillmattersdespitelong-termcooperationbetweenprojectpartners.ThetwoSlovakvolunteerswhospentfewmonthsinKenyaandtriedtovisitalltheschoolswere

very valuable for the project. They were selected based on their specific ICT skills and potentialcontributiontotheprojectbeneficiaries.Atthesametimetheneedforsupervisionandcoordinationofthefieldactivitieswasmuchhigherthantheycouldhaveprovided.Itwasvisiblebytheendoftheproject that efforts towards project sustainability started to be shown only once itwas clear thatSlovakAidwillnotsupportthenextproject.

2. EmploymentofschoolgraduatesintheSoteHubwasverybeneficialforthembutmaybenot

thatbeneficialforthecoworkingspaceitself.Despitethefactthatthegraduatesdemonstrateddeepknowledgeabouttheprojectandstrong

commitmenttowardsitscontinuationandgrowth,theywerestilllearningasitwastheirfirstworkingexperience.Areasasfinance,sales,marketingandfundraisingwouldhavebeenbetteraddressedbyandexpert.Atthesametime,someofthegraduateswerelackingrespecttowardsthestudentsasforgettingveryquicklythatfewyearsagotheywereatthesameposition.Itseemsthatduetothisfactalso theworking environment in SoteHubwas sometimesquite stormy. There is a need for cleartransitionfromagraduatetoanemployeeandstricterrulesshouldhavebeenappliedyetstilltryingtoremainfriends.

3. CooperationbetweenschoolpracticeenterprisesandrealKenyancompaniesfromthesame

sectoristhewaytogo.FromtheexperienceoflastfouryearsatsomeKenyanPEsaswellasfromsharedexperience

ofSlovakPEsitisclearthatthepartnershipswithrealcompaniesareverybeneficial.Itisawin-winforboth sides as the PEs can have real touch with the business and see e.g. how variousmarketingmaterialsshouldlooklikeorhowdoestheproductionandvariousdepartmentswork.Realcompaniesaredemonstratingtheircorporatesocialresponsibilityandatthesametimemarketingtheirproductsorservicestofuturepotentialcustomers.

4. Thereisaneedtoimprovetheplanningandespeciallybudgetingoftheproject.Duringprojectimplementation,therewereseveralrequestssubmittedbyPFtoSlovakAidin

ordertochangetheunitsortheamountsofvariousbudgetlines.Despitethefactthatinmajorityofcasesitwastheefforttooptimizethespending,theadministrativeburdenonbothsideswasnotable.It is difficult to predict all the various challengeswhichmight come up in the field during projectimplementationyetaftermorethansixyearsofexperience,someaccuracyinestimationsisexpected.

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4.2Recommendationsrelatedtosustainability

1. Furthernetworkingandbrandbuildingisthewayforward.Therewerealreadyseveralpartnershipsandcooperationestablishedduringthelasttwoyears

oftheproject(someofthemevenconfirmedbyMemorandumsofUnderstanding)betweenSoteHuband other potential stakeholders (e.g. other hubs or local government). This initiative of partners’searchshouldcontinueandprominentorganizationsshouldbetargetedtotakeonimportantprojects.ThisalsomeanstoworkonrecognitionoftheSoteHubbrand.Thetargetaudienceshouldbeenlargedfromstudentstocompanies.EventhosefewrealcompanieswhicharecooperatingwithPEsatschoolleveldonotknowSoteHubanditsservices.RegularbusinessnetworkingbreakfastscouldbeoneoftheservicesofferedtolocalentrepreneursfromVoiregion.ItcannotbeforgottenthattheSoteHubteamshouldbe thebrand’sbiggest advocateandbesides looking forprestigious clients also greatresultsshouldbedelivered.

2. Theschools’networkcanstillgrowalthoughthereisnomorefundingfromSlovakAid.WhilepreparingthenewprojectforSlovakAidcallforproposals,verygoodrelationshipswere

establishedinKwaleregion(withlocalgovernmentaswellastheBusinessCentre).Someoftheschoolsarealreadyhavingthecomputerlabswhichusedtobethebiggestinvestmentoftheproject.TherearealsoschoolsinTTCwhicharealreadyhavingcomputerlabs.AssomeoftheICTclubpatronsarewith the projectsmore than four years theywould be great trainers for new teachers joining theschools’network.Newtypesof schools should join inorder tochallengeexistingenvironmentandcomfort zoneof current teachersand ICT clubmembers.Namelyurban schools (as so farwas theproject supporting only less privileged rural schools) and youth polytechnics. Once enlarging thenetworkaprojectcarshouldbestronglyconsidered.InregardtosustainabilityanentryfeefornewschoolsandthenanannualfeeformembershipintheSoteICTprogramshouldbeconsidered.

3. SoteHubshouldstartchargingitsservicesinordertobesustainable.CurrentlyaremajorityoftheserviceswhichisSoteHubprovidingfreeofcharge.Themembers

orvisitorsgotusedtodeskspace,internet,printingandtrainings/workshopsforfree.AsthereweremanycomplainsraisedregardingslowinternetinthehubanditsbadlocationoutofVoitown,themomentumofmovingtobetterplace(moredowntownandwithfiberinternet)couldbeusedtostartprovidingpaidservices(itseemsthatasuitableplaceforfreewasfoundwithinapremisesof locallibrary). At the same time the managers of the Sote Hub are currently looking for businessopportunitieswherebytheSoteHubstaffcouldtrainvariouscomputerskillspackagesorprovideICTrelatedconsultancyservicestoindividuals,companiesaswellastogovernment.Thissearchshouldbeintensifiedandturnedintoincomeassoonaspossibletoshortenthegapwithoutfunding.Additionally,furthercapacitybuildingshouldbeconsideredforSoteHubpersonnelsoeachofthemcanbecomeanexpertonsomespecifictopicandlaterbecameatraineroftrainers(ToT).TherearealsosomeIGAplannedbasedonrecentlypurchasedmachines(vinylcutterandscreenprintingmachine).Lateron,multipleprintingmachineshouldbepurchased.

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4. Techstart-upsareverypopularandattractiveyettheagripreneurshipandhandcraftprojectsshouldnotbeomitted.AgribusinessisoneoftheprioritiesinKenyaalsoduetorapidpopulationgrowth.Atthesame

time, it represents huge opportunities to create wealth and employment in the agri-food sector,especiallyforyoungpeople.SomeoftheschoolsarealreadyhavingIGArelatedtofarmingorgreenhouseandtheICTclubmembersactivelyparticipateontheseactivities.However,theopportunitiesarenotonlyintradingtheagriculturalproducts,butalsobyofferinginnovativeandincome-generatingservicestothesectorwhereICTplaysakeyrole.Therearealreadyfewagristart-upsbeingincubatedintheSoteHub.Twowereevenseedfunded(WezacomandDobrich)andothersarebeingincubatede.g.a“SmartShamba”whichisanappprovidinglands’digitizingandtitlingsolutionusingblockchaintechnologyor“MazaoJawabu”whichenablesfarmerstoselltheirproduce(whichtheyconsiderhardtosell)eitherthroughvalueadditionorwebbasedmarketingtools.Similarsituationiswithhandcrafts.

5. SynergieswithotherSlovakAidfundedprojectsimplementedinKenyacouldbefound.

AstherearemanySlovakAidfundedprojectsbeingimplementedinKenyathereisopportunityfor the Sote Hub for further cooperation, networking and looking for ICT solutions for them. Theprojectsareusuallyrelatedtoagriculture,healthoreducation.Majorityofthemmightbeinaneedofsomesmallapporwebbasedsolution.ThiscouldbegreatopportunityfortheSoteHubteamortheICTclubgraduatestopracticetheirknowledgeandgainnewexperienceaswellassourceofincome.

6. OtherSlovakAidbilateralcooperationprogramsandinstrumentscouldbeexplored.

The“BusinessPartnershipProgram”introducesinvolvementofSlovakprivatesectorintothedevelopmentactivities.Theprogramshouldestablishnewpartnershipswith localbusinessentitiesaimingatsustainablecapacitybuildingofpartner.ItshouldalsohelptoSlovakentitiestoaccessthemarketofthepartnercountries.Furthermore,theprogramsupportsexpansionofexistingactivitiesofthe private sector in partner countries with emphasis on their interconnection with Slovakdevelopmentinterventions.Thisprogramcanbeenhancedthrough“Start-up”instrument.ItisusedforstartingbusinesspartnershipsofSlovakentitiesinpartnercountries.SoteHub,ifnotbeingdirectlyfunded,couldofferofficespacetosuchstart-upsthoughtheyarenotsomanyyet.ThereisalsotheCETIRinstrumentwhichisaimedattransferringSlovaktransformationandintegrationexperiencetopartnercountries.ItcanbeconsideredonceSoteHubisreadytobeequalpartnertolocalgovernmentor willing to re-establish the communication with the national government and the Ministry ofEducation. CETIR takesmainly formof study visits by state administration, regional and local self-government representatives of partner countries to Slovakia and reciprocal study visits of Slovakexperts.

7. Beforeensuringsufficientfunds(ideallythroughvariousincomegeneratingactivities)someoftheprojectactivitiesrelatedtoschools’networkshouldbedown-scaled.ItisobviousthattheSoteICTprogramcannotcontinueatthesamescaleasduringthetime

whenitwasfundedbySlovakAid. Itseemsthatthepersonnelwillneedtobereducedandvisitsofschoolsdecreased.Variouscompetitionsforschoolsandthetradefairshouldbeorganizedatsomeoftheschoolswithoutrentpaymentandtheawardswillneedtobelesscostly.QuestionableistheessaycompetitionwherethewinnerswentforastudyvisittoNairobi.ThestudyvisitsbetweenKenyaandSlovakiawillbemostprobablyreplacedbySkypecallsorvideoexchanges.

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Annexes

Annex1–ListofacronymsPF PontisFoundationKWT KasigauWildlifeTrustSlovakAid SlovakAgencyforInternationalDevelopmentCooperationTTC TaitaTavetaCountyICT InformationandCommunicationTechnologyPE(s) PracticeEnterprise(s)PEN PracticeEnterprisesNetwork(I)NGO(s) InternationalNon-GovernmentalOrganization(s)IGA(s) IncomeGeneratingActivity(ies)OECD-DAC OrganizationforEconomicCooperationandDevelopment-

DevelopmentAssistanceCommitteeODA OfficialDevelopmentAssistanceToR TermsofReferenceLA(s) LocalAuthority(ies)KCSE KenyaCertificateofSecondaryEducationSDG(s) SustainableDevelopmentGoalsEMIS Schoolmanagementandadministrationsystem

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Annex2–ListofovervieweddocumentsProjectrelateddocuments:

1. ProjectdocumentsubmittedtoSlovakAidincludingtheattachments2. MonitoringreportssubmittedtoSlovakAidincludingtheattachments3. RequestsforprojectactivitychangessubmittedtoSlovakAid4. Profilesandstart-upideasofeightgrantees5. DocumentsrelatedtopreviousprojectofPFinTTC6. Resultsofvariousbeneficiaries’surveysconductedbyKWT

Donorrelateddocuments:7. Medium-TermStrategyforDevelopmentCooperationoftheSlovakRepublicfor2014–20188. SlovakAidKenyaCountryStrategyPaper9. SlovakAidcallforproposalsforKenyarelatedprojects10. SlovakAidfinancialguidelines

Country/Countyrelateddocuments:

11. KenyaVision203012. KenyaEducationSectorSupportProgram13. NationalICTStrategyforEducationandTraining14. StrategicdocumentsofmajorinternationaldonorsinKenya15. CausesandRemediestotheDecliningStandardsofSecondaryEducationinTaitaTavetaCounty

(byMinistryofEducationScienceandTechnology&TaitaTavetaCountyGovernment) fromDecember2013

16. ChallengesforRuralEnterprisesandRuralHubs(byEmpowerYouthforWorkNGO)fromMarch2017

17. DigitalKenya–AnEntrepreneurialRevolutionintheMakingfrom201718. CTAHandbook–AnICTAgripreneurshipGuide(APathtoSuccessforYoungACPEntrepreneurs)

from2016

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Annex3–ToR(TermsofReference)

TERMSOFREFERENCESoteICTandSoteHub:EvaluationoftheSlovakAidprojectSAMRS/2015/KE/1/6

BackgroundSote ICTprogram is basedon four consecutiveprojects of Slovak-KenyanCooperation forModernSchools thatSlovakAid fundedsince2010.Thepilotproject startedwithanaimto integrate ICT ineducationattwoschools-MoiHighSchoolKasigauandRukangaPrimary,trainteachersininnovativeteachingmethodswiththeuseofICTandpositivelyinfluencethelearningoutcomesoftheirstudents.In2011,wedevelopedaconceptofstudentITclubsthatwouldlearnthroughpracticalactivitiessuchasvideoediting,creationofschoolmagazines,businesscardsforteachersandlocalentrepreneursanddesignmaterialsforschooladministration.Theprogramexpandedtofiveschoolsin2012andtenschoolsin2013.Inthesameyear,weintroducedthe conceptof studentpractice companies thatweregraduallyestablishedateachof the schools,within the ITClubsonaweeklybasis. In2015,weexpanded to2moregirl secondary schoolsandopenedaSoteHubinVoi,firstruralandsmalltownstart-uphubinKenyatosupportourgraduatestoestablishtheirownbusinesses.Since2013,studentsestablishedandmanagetogether26trainingcompaniesthatareregisteredinPractice EnterprisesNetwork anddobusiness among themselves and students abroad.During theschoolyear,studentscreatebrochures,videoadverts,blogs,businessplansandaccountingdocumentsand share them through facebook.com/SoteHub and slideshare.net/soteICT. We organize regularcompetitions,tripsandannualtradefairsforstudents.PontisFoundationandourpartners,KasigauWildlifeTrust,havemanagedtheprogramforsevenyearsandwemanagedtoregistertheSoteICTasaspin-offNGOinMay2016.WealsoestablishedaSoteICTLimited,topursuegreatersustainabilitythroughSocialbusiness.SoteHublaunchedinDecember2015andmanagedtoorganize2start-uppitchcompetitionswherewe selected and supported together 8 start-ups with mentoring, incubation support and seedfinancing.We provide coworking space, regularworkshops and events and also run peer learninggroupslikeSoteTechQueens.SoteHubhasabove200members.YoucanseeouractivitiesonFacebook.com/SoteHubandourwebSoteHub.comTheprogrammereportsopendataalsotoIATIonannualbasis:http://www.iatiregistry.org/dataset/pontis-ke.ObjectivesToconductanExternalEvaluationofSoteICTprogramExternalEvaluationshouldcontain:

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Anassessmentoftheproject´simplementationstrategy,andthedegreetowhichobjectives,outcomeandoutputindicatorswereaccomplishedasdescribedintheprojectdocuments,especiallytowhatextent did the project lead to capacity building of the of the target group (young entrepreneurs,studentsandteachers).

Evaluation of the impact of the project outputs, i.e. start-up incubation, trainings of youngentrepreneurs,studentsandteachersinSoteHub,regularactivitiesofICTClubsandstudentpracticecompaniesandtheirimpactongraduatesandtheirlocalcommunity.Assessmenttowhatextentdidtheexperienceof1.SoteICTClubs,2.studentpracticecompaniesand3.IncubationatSoteHubhelpedtargetgroupstoacquirepracticalICTandbusinessskillsandtowhatextentdidithelpstudentstoachievebetterschoolresultsinBusinessStudiesandComputerStudiesandgraduatestoearnmorethantheirpeers.Analysis of the roleof theproject partner Pontis Foundation and its added value inmanaging theprogramanddevelopingthestrategyforitsimprovementandsustainability.Theexternalevaluationshall include these criteria in the assessment of the Sote ICT programme: impact, effectiveness,sustainability,efficiencyandrelevance,IdentificationofrealisticandfeasiblesetofRecommendations.Indicators:(qualitativeandquantitativeindicatorsfromthelogicalframeworkoftheprojectsortobeproposedbytheevaluator)

TargetGroupsandmethodologyThestudyshouldhelpPontisFoundationevaluatetheimpactoftheSoteICTprogrammeonlongtermschoolperformanceandlearningoutcomesofthestudentsintermsofimprovedschoolperformanceandpracticalICTandbusinessskills.Targetgroups:graduatestudentsfromourSoteICTClubs,SoteHubmembers,selectedteachersfromtwelvesecondaryschoolsinTaitaTavetaCounty,studentmembersoftheICTClubsandtrainingcompaniesandstudentswhoarenotmembersofICTClubs,localcommunityaroundschoolsandpartnerorganizations–KasigauWildlifeTrust,SlovakCentreforPracticeEnterprise,0100Ventures,RozbehniSaandiHub.Methodology:

• Desk research (Analyses of available materials provided by Pontis Foundation (projectproposals,reportsfordonors,evaluationreports,pastquestionnairesandoutputsofstudentICTClubsandstudentPracticeCompanies)

• Interviews(inperson,viaskype)• Anyadditionalmethodsproposedbytheconsultant

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Theevaluationshouldinclude:• Informationanddescriptionof theoverallenvironmentandcontextwithinwhichPontis

Foundationanditspartners–KWT,iHub,partnerschoolsworked• EvaluationoftheinstitutionaldevelopmentofKWTandSoteICTthesustainabilityofthe

SoteICTandSoteHubprogrammedesignandconcept• Evaluationoftheprocessofselectionoftheschoolsandteachers• EvaluationoftheaddedvalueofSoteICTprogrammeandSoteHubvis-a-visothersimilar

projects – Junior achievement Kenya and School Business Clubs inUganda by theNGOEducate!

• Analysisofthequalitativeandquantitativeindicators• Assessment of the results and impacts of the project to local community (parents,

graduates,localcraftsmen)

DurationTheConsultancyisexpectedtostartin22August2017andfinishafterthesubmissionoftherequesteddocumentsin22October2017.By22August2017thePontisFoundationwilldeliverallmaterialsnecessaryfortheevaluationprocess.WorkplanDeadlineforsubmissionDraft reportby15October, finalby22October2017 the consultantwill deliver theevaluation (inEnglish).PracticalarrangementThePontisFoundationandtheconsultantwillsignacontractallowinghim/hertodelivertheexpectedresults.ThecontractwillrespecttheSlovaklawsandstateallthedetailsregardingreimbursementofexpenses. The Pontis Foundation covers honoraria, travel, per diem, accommodation andcommunication.

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Annex4–GuidelinesforinterviewsPROJECTSTAFFEngagementquestions:

1. Howhasbeentheinvolvementofthepartnerstaffinprojectplanningandproposalwriting?2. Whichothersimilarprojectshastheorganizationbeeninvolvedin?Whatistheexpertiseofthe

team?Explorationquestions:

3. Istheprojectrelevanttothebeneficiaries?Why?4. Towhatextenttheprojectfulfilledthetargetsgroupsneeds?5. Whichfactorsinfluencedachievingoutputsandgoals?6. Weretheresultsoftheprojectachieved?Whathelped/preventedtheteamtoachievethose?7. Towhatextentthemainactivitiesandoutputscontributedtoachievingtheplannedgoalsand

purpose?8. Aretheprojectoutputsbeingused(e.g.Teachers’manualanditsmodifications)?9. Hasfinancialmanagementandtimingoftheprojectgoneasexpected?10. Whatwerethesuccessesandchallengesoftheproject?11. Howhasthelifeofthebeneficiarieschangedasaresultoftheproject?12. What other changes has this project contributed to (positive and negative, expected and

unexpected,actualandforeseen)?13. Could the same outputs be achieved with fewer inputs (cheaper)? / Could there bemore

outputsachievedwiththesameinputs?14. Howwas the cooperation between the project partners during the implementation of the

project?15. Howwastheinteractionwiththeotherprojectstakeholders?16. Whatarethemeasurestakentosustaintheresultsoftheprojectbeyonditsprojectcycle?17. Towhatextentdoyouexpecttheproject’sbenefitssustaining?

Exitquestion:

18. Whatisityoumissedthemostduringtheprojectimplementation?19. Ifthereisachancetostarttheprojectagain,whatshouldbedonedifferently?20. Isthereanythingelsetobementionedinregardstotheproject?

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BENEFICIARIES(TEACHERS/PRINCIPALS)Engagementquestions:

1. Whenandhowhastheschoolbeenestablished?2. Whatarethegeneralcharacteristicsoftheschool(daily/boarding,numberofstudents:girls/

boys,numberofteachers:government/BoardofMembers)?

Explorationquestions:3. Howdidtheschoolgetengagedintheproject?4. WerethereanyotherNGOsassistingtotheschoolbefore?5. Whathasbeenofferedtotheschoolandhasitbeendeliveredasoffered?6. Didtheactivitiesgoasexpectedintheoriginaltimeline?7. Didyourschoolgetfromtheprojectwhatyouexpectedatthebeginning?Whatwasit?8. HowwasthecooperationwithPFandKWT?9. Whathasbeenthemostvisiblechangeseenintheschool?10. HowmanyteachersareusingICTandinteractiveteachingmethods?11. DoyouseeanydifferencebetweenICTclubmembersandtheotherstudents?12. Doyouseeanyimprovementsingraduates’placements?13. HowistheICTclubperformingthesedays?Howmanymembersdoesithave?14. HowarePEdoing?AreyouconductingSkypecalls?AreyouusingPENonlineplatform?15. How many operational computers do you have in the lab? Are some of them from the

government?16. Howhavetheprojectactivitiesandtheirresultsinfluencedneighboringschoolcommunity?17. Howwastheinteractionbetweentheschoolandallthedifferentprojectstakeholders(project

partners,otherschools,parents,community,countygovernment,realprivatecompanies…)?18. WhatwastheaddedvalueoftheSoteHubandtheSlovakvolunteersduringlasttwoyears?19. Whichchallengesdidyouundergoduringprojectimplementation?20. Whatdoyouthinkwillhappenoncetheprojectpartnerswillfinishtheirsupport?21. Whatwasyourpersonalmotivationtobepartoftheproject?22. Whathasbeenofferedtoyouandhasitbeendeliveredasoffered?23. Whatareyourpersonalplansfornextcoupleofyears?

Exitquestions:

24. Whatcouldhavebeendonebetterduringthisproject?Anysuggestionsforimprovements?25. Isthereanythingelseyouwouldliketosayregardingthisproject?

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BENEFICIARIES(STUDENTS/GRADUATES,MEMBERS/NON-MEMBERSOFICTCLUB/SOTEHUB/START-UPREPRESENTATIVES)Engagementquestions:

1. Whereareyoucomingfromandwhatisyourage?2. Whichformareyou?/Whendidyougraduate?3. Whatis/wasthenameofyourschool?/Whatisyourcurrentjob?/Areyouintouchwith

othergraduates?Explorationquestions:

4. Howdidyougetengagedintheproject?5. WhatisthefocusofyourPE/start-up?6. Areengagedinotherschoolprojects/activities/clubs/start-ups/jobs?7. Whathasbeenofferedtoyouandhasitbeendeliveredasoffered?8. Didtheactivitiesgoasexpectedintheoriginaltimeline?9. Didyougetfromtheprojectwhatyouexpectedatthebeginning?Whatwasit?10. Didyourecommendthisprojecttoyourpeers?11. HowwasthecooperationwithPFandKWT?12. Whathasbeenthemostvisiblechangeseenintheschool/ICTclub/PE/start-up?13. HowmanyteachersatyourschoolsareusingICTandinteractiveteachingmethods?14. DoyouseeanydifferencebetweenICTclubmembersandtheotherstudents?15. Doyouseeanyimprovementsingraduates’placements?16. Doyouthinkthatthisprojectwillhelpyouinyourcareer?17. Howdidyouinteractwithallthedifferentprojectstakeholders(projectpartners,otherschools,

parents,community,countrygovernment,realprivatecompanies…)?18. HowistheICTclubperformingthesedays?19. HowarePEsdoing?20. WhatwastheaddedvalueoftheSoteHubandtheSlovakvolunteersduringlasttwoyears?21. Whichchallengesdidyouundergoduringprojectimplementation?22. Whatdoyouthinkwillhappenoncetheprojectpartnerswillfinishtheirsupport?23. Whatwasyourpersonalmotivationtobepartoftheproject?24. Whatdoyouthinkyouwilldoafterstudies?25. Whatisyourdreamjob?

Exitquestions:

26. Whatcouldhavebeendonebetterduringthisproject?Anysuggestionsforimprovements?27. Isthereanythingelseyouwouldliketosayregardingthisproject?

Annex5–Listofpeopleinterviewed

NO DATE NAME INSTITUTION POSITION INTERVIEW1 25/8 JakubSimek PontisFoundation ProjectManager Individual2 4/9 JakubSimek PontisFoundation ProjectManager Skype

3 4/9 IvanaUlicna PontisFoundation ProjectCoordinator Skype

4 6/9 TereziaGarajova BusinessAcademyNevadzova PESlovakTeacher Phone

5 6/9 GabrielaHorecka SlovakStateVocationalEducationInstitute Coordinator Phone6 7/9 DanielaSkladanova BusinessAcademyLevice PESlovakTeacher Phone

7 7/9 AdrianaPetrova PontisFoundation FinancialManager Skype

8 8/9 NinaMachacova SlovakAid ProjectManager Individual

9 8/9 ScottMitchell PENWorldwide ExecutiveDirector Skype10 8/9 JanaDesiatnikova PontisFoundation ex-SlovakVolunteer Skype

11 8/9 DusanDuffek 0100Ventures/0100Campus Partner/Co-founder Skype

12 19/9 DavidOgigaKasigauWildlifeTrust/SoteICTLtd./SoteICTNGO

ProjectManager/Director/Co-founder Individual

13 19/9 ElizabethNjokiSoteHub/KajireSecondarySchool

SchoolCoordinator/ICTclubGraduate Individual

14 19/9 VoiGirlsSchool PEEmpire 7members Focusgroup15 19/9 VoiGirlsSchool PERogim 7members Focusgroup

16 19/9 MwaghadiDuncan VoiGirlsSchool ICTclubPatron Individual

17 19/9 BeatriceWakioMbogo VoiGirlsSchool DeputyPrincipal Individual

18 19/9 DanielMwakari MwaghoghoSchool DeputyPrincipal Individual19 19/9 JuliasMutuku MwaghoghoSchool ICTclubPatron Individual

20 19/9 MwaghoghoSchool PEMagicFinger&PEInfoTech 10members Focusgroup

21 19/9RobinKiromboMwakamba TaitaTavetaUniversityGraduate SoteHubMember Individual

22 19/9 HarryMwailengoSoteHub/PJMwangolaSchool

Manager/ex-ICTclubPatron Individual

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23 20/9 PhilipKiokoWambua MinistryofEducation CountyDirectorofEducation Individual

24 20/9 CharlesMawieraNkabo PJMwangolaSchool DeputyPrincipal Individual

25 20/9 AlfredMwalugha PJMwangolaSchool ICTclubPatron Individual

26 20/9 PJMwangolaSchool PESafariKenya&PEInvestTaita 11members Focusgroup27 20/9 GriffinMwageshaMasawe MghaluSchool(notinproject) Principal Individual

28 20/9 JumaNnikitheka MwambonuSchool(notinproject) Principal Individual

29 20/9 MaryanneKadzoSoteHub/ChalaSchool

Admin&ProgramAssistant/ICTclubGraduate Individual

30 20/9 DavidAbok MwambitiSchool ICTclubPatron Individual

31 20/9 GiftMtamboRogimDesigns/MarunguSchool

Grantee/ICTclubGraduate Focusgroup

32 20/9 RobertMburuRogimDesigns/MwambitiSchool

Grantee/ICTclubGraduate Focusgroup

33 20/9 ErickMwamodoRogimDesigns/CoastInstituteofTechnologyGraduate

Grantee/SoteHubMember Individual

34 21/9 DanielMwangi MarunguSchool Principal Individual

35 21/9 HermanMwalukuku MarunguSchool ICTclubPatron Focusgroup

36 21/9 ZachariaMbela MarunguSchool ICTclubPatronAssistant Focusgroup37 21/9 HelenAnyano KasigauGirlsSchool DeputyPrincipal Individual

38 21/9 AmosArumba KasigauGirlsSchool ICTclubPatron Individual

39 21/9 KasigauGirlsSchool PERukassy&PEYoungFarmer 10members Focusgroup

40 21/9 KasigauGirlsSchool Schoolstudents 10non-members Focusgroup

41 21/9 MoiBoysHighSchoolPETsavoEcoVilla&DawidaMediaServices 11members Focusgroup

42 21/9 RubenKiarie MoiBoysHighSchool DeputyPrincipal Individual

43 22/9 DavidOgigaKasigauWildlifeTrust/SoteICTLtd./SoteICTNGO

ProjectManager/Director/Co-founder Individual

44 22/9 IzabelaNagyova SlovakEmbassyinNairobiDevelopmentCooperationDiplomat Individual

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45 22/9 GeoffreyMwachari

ElimuPi/KasigauWildlifeTrust/MoiHighSchool

Grantee/FinancialManager/ICTclubGraduate Individual

46 22/9 SylviaNyamburaCladykaNairobiUniversityGraduate

GranteeSoteHubMember Individual

47 23/9 JohnPaulKarijoiHubNairobi/Freelancer

ex-CommunityManager/ex-UXFieldResearcher Individual

48 23/9 HarryMwailengoSoteHub/PJMwangolaSchool

Manager/ex-ICTclubPatron Skype

49 23/9 BenRogersMwendwa MwambitiSchool EmployedICTclubGraduate Individual50 23/9 AliUwesoAbubakar Swahilibox(coworkingspace) DeputyExecutiveDirector Phone

51 23/9 FlorahMwakamba PJMwangolaSchool EmployedICTclubGraduate Individual

52 23/9 CholaWilsonSoteHub/MwambitiSchool

Grantee/ICTclubGraduate Phone

53 23/9 RobertoMwashashu BiasharaCentreVoi ProjectOfficer Phone

54 23/9 JoycePeshu VolunteerServiceoverseasNGO ProjectAdministrator Phone

55 23/9 JobOgwenoSoteHub/TaitaTavetaUniversityGraduate

Volunteer/SoteHubmember Phone

56 24/9JacklineJangongoNyandeje Ethics&IntegrityInstitute ExecutiveDirector Individual

57 24/9 AnthonyTumuthi KenyaCommercialBank VoiBranchManager Phone

58 24/9 JosephKisomoNgobi MadisonInsurance VoiBranchManager Phone

59 24/9 DavidOgigaKasigauWildlifeTrust/SoteICTLtd./SoteICTNGO

ProjectManager/Director/Co-founder Individual

60 26/9 JakubSimek PontisFoundation ProjectManager Individual

61 26/9 IvanaUlicna PontisFoundation ProjectCoordinator Individual

62 28/9 EvaKisLengyelova Corporation ex-SlovakVolunteer Skype63 28/9 AnnaKiapesova HotelAcademyLiptovskyMikulas PESlovakTeacher Phone