Scottish Government International Development Small Grants Programme
Additional guidance notes
Please use the report template and follow the guidance within it. The following additional guidance has been formed in response to observations from previously submitted reports.
Workplan
Use the workplan as a base and set out your progress in tabular form for each activity. Please include numbers. Don’t miss out activities planned for that year, even if you haven’t done them. It is also good to add in any significant activities that were not noted in the original workplan.
It is helpful if you head each activity with a descriptor – such as Complete, in progress, ongoing, not started. If not started, say why: the reason for the delay, or if the plan has changed. An example is included below.
If your original workplan in the application was not very detailed, please add in activities to give an overview of what has been done.
Outcomes
You should be able to report progress towards outcomes. In the example below quantitative information about the changes that have happened as a result of the work have been given. Case studies can be included.
Difficulties and lessons learnt
Please be honest. Examples of good reflection are given below.
Finance
The budget template should be used and reasons for variance noted. If there has been an overall underspend, please comment on this, and also note if you have been carrying an underspend from the previous year.
Please enclose a copy of your most recent signed accounts.
Examples
6. Please outline the activities that have taken place on the project during the reporting year as set out in your workplan, and comment on your progress towards achieving the relevant targets or milestones during the year.Activity / Progress to Date
Activity 1.1 Provide unique and user-friendly online first aid content via instructional videos, photo sets & tutorial information / Complete:
Photos, videos and tutorials have been completed and content simplified for users of older phones.
This was done in partnership with our local partner, who provided the vast majority of the actors and casualty simulation.
Activity 2.1 Identify 10 appropriate non-formal education providers to disseminate first aid information to disadvantaged/excluded groups / Partially complete:
We could not identify 10 separate non-formal education providers in a position to reliable provide this kind of training to excluded groups. Instead we aim to use the 4 we have identified to a greater extent. Should more be found between now and dissemination in 2016, we will endeavour to include these if our local partners agree it’s beneficial to the community’s understanding of our work.
Activity 2.2 Use traditional methods such as; dance, drama, song and storytelling to disseminate first aid information (which emphasises both the importance of first aid and reflects the content provided online) / On schedule to be completed in 2016-2017
Activity 3.2 Where NGOs are actively collaborating on content following the feasibility study, use their skills and capacity to boost uptake & use of content / Complete and ongoing:
We have communicated with 10 separate NGO and educational organisations to establish an initial testing base for the launch of the application in 2016. We have been astounded and delighted by the level of support shown by external organisations.
Activity 3.3 Hold regular workshops with relevant stakeholders and continually update them on progress of the project roll-out / Ongoing:
As with activity 2.2, this is a process which is in it’s early stages and will develop significantly throughout 2016.
7. Please outline progress on achieving the outcomes during the reporting year as set out in section C2 of your application.
Outcome / Progress detail (please include numbers)
Increase in school enrolment, in Malawi, for children with cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities / National data not available.
Based on 2013-14 data submitted by 30 teachers trained by CPA, target schools had overall roll of 43853 with 741 SN children in mainstream classes and 521 SN children in Resource classes. This is equivalent to 2.8% of the children in target schools having special needs.
83 of the 521 children in resource classes were Cerebral Palsy children (16%).
On average there were 2.9 CP children in each resource class.
Based on the numbers given in the 26 classroom observation sheets submitted prior to March 2015 (and so reflecting numbers 2014-15), there are 525 children in the resource classes supported by trained teachers with 100 of those having cerebral palsy (19%).
On average there were 4.2 CP children in each resource class.
This is already showing an increase.
Increase in the number of Special needs teachers in resource centres in Malawi able to provide appropriate activities and environment for children with physical disabilities / 21 teachers were trained by CPA in 2014. 19 trainers trained in 2010 were supported by visits from a local therapist, Montfort staff and CPA volunteers (in the community meetings).
50 additional teachers have been trained by teachers trained by CPA
Based on classroom observation forms:
In 72% of classes all CP children responded to the teacher
In 76% of classes all CP children can write, draw or play
In 96% of classes every CP child had a specific task
In 68% of classes all CP children interacted with other children
68% of teachers had made changes to the environment to help the children
56% of teachers had made APT toys
72% of teachers had made a total of 57 pieces of APT furniture for the benefit of the children. (Inevitably those trained in 2010 had made more with one teacher having made 11 pieces of equipment)
Increased engagement by the wider community, including general primary teachers, with the education of children with physical disabilities. / 21 schools have a parent support group.
85 community members attended CPA awareness raising sessions
200 community members were supported by trained teachers.
8. If progress towards delivering activities and outcomes is slower than planned or there have been delays in the delivery of the project, please explain:
a) What the issues have been and whether they were highlighted on your risk register?
b) What actions have been taken in response to these issues?
Issue / Action taken
- Lack of understanding of surveys at the community level leading to a delay in M&E
- The rainy season in 2014/2015 was very erratic and destructive. Rains came late causing devastating flooding all over the country but particularly in the south. This made communication and transport extremely difficult in January and February. These initial late heavy rains were then followed by just two months of rain in January and February with zero rainfall in our main area of activity in March. This may cause serious food shortages and has put a lot of stress on the Food Forests during their establishment period, resulting in less growth and some anticipated impact on survival of planted trees and crops in the coming months.
While the rain season should have been longer and less destructive it was an anticipated risk. The project’s use of passive water irrigation and a high initial input into preparation of Food Forest sites meant that the heavy rains caused little to no damage in comparison to other cultivated areas in the villages. The shortened rain season has inevitably impacted the establishment and growth of crops and trees that were planted, however various forms of irrigation have been set up to mitigate this problem and increase the commercial potential of the Food Forests.
Two Food Forests are now using treadle pumps, one is using a pond gravity fed irrigation system, several others are manually watered by various teams of community members from boreholes and finally one has a fully integrated 5,000 litre tank with gravity fed piped irrigation and sprinklers. The total cost to the project is minimal due to creative approaches to irrigation and the sourcing of equipment. These activities act as important demonstrations to reinforce water management and have attracted the attention of other community members.
9. What lessons have you learned during this reporting period?
The enthusiastic input from external monitors this year has really improved course organisation and quality of training. The new tutors have worked hard to secure this improvement, and are very proud of this year’s achievements.
The importance of good communication, and understanding the local context particularly in academic year planning has again been key this year to achieving our targets.
We have also worked hard to improve our accounting practices to create a more timely and efficient system of quarterly reports.
Our monitoring tool remains in development, and we are learning from the challenges of collaborative design and implementation of a new tool.
In addition, we will shortly update our training materials, following feedback from both local tutors and external monitors. All this should ensure our project continues to build on our successes to create a truly excellent training programme.
D Kaney 14/03/16