Baseline Evaluation of SIKAI - II Project

FDM is currently undertaking the Baseline Evaluation of SIKAI - II Project. The SIKAI-II Project’s goal is “to improve learning outcomes of children lagging behind in their learning by expanding mentoring approaches, including the Big Sister Model”. The project ensures all children achieve age-appropriate foundational learning outcome by addressing social-cultural barriers to education, strengthening school governance, and integrating the Big sisters mentoring model into local government policies for sustainability.

The baseline assignment aims to establish baseline benchmarks and assess changes in learning outcomes using mixed-method and comparative (quasi-experimental) approaches; evaluate effectiveness, impact, sustainability, and Value for Money in line with OECD-DAC criteria and assess inclusion, gender responsiveness, and the role of Big Sisters in addressing learning gaps and barriers. Most importantly, the baseline aims to generate evidence-based recommendations to inform adaptive project management, accountability, and future scaling of the model.

Districts: Kapilvastu, Banke, Dang and Bardiya

Quantitative Sample: 600 students | 600 parents | 125 control students | 125 control parents

Qualitative sample: 60 KIIs and FGDs with school level, community level and policy level stakeholders | School and Classroom Observation

Duration: Dec 2025 - Mar 2026