The Care and Support for Learning and Teaching (CSTL) is a programme that has been funded by the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) for the period of January 2009 to June 2011; and is currently implemented by six Member States within SADC, namely: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique and Madagascar (currently suspended from SADC), South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia, . The CSTL programme focuses on strengthening education systems through the promotion of care and support to enhance teaching and learning in schools.

In July 2008 the CSTL programme was formally adopted by the fourteen SADC Member States. The core partners are the SADC Secretariat, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), MiET Africa as implementing partner, and the Ministries of Education (MoE) of the SADC Member States. The programme takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the barriers to teaching and learning that are associated with health and poverty-related challenges. As a result, education institutions in SADC Member States will become inclusive centres of learning, care and support where every learner, especially the most vulnerable, can learn.

Khulisa has been contracted to attend to the following activities by the end of 2010:

  • Develop a comprehensive M&E framework for CSTL with MiET Africa as implementing partner in close liaison with the other partners and relevant implementing teams at Member State level.
  • Develop the methodological approach and tools as well as conduct a baseline study at national and selected schools in each of the countries, the findings of which will be measured against through an outcomes/impact study to be conducted in future years.
  • Develop and implement a capacity building programme of in-country training workshops and a comprehensive manual for the regional implementing team of the Member States to conduct monitoring and evaluation, in particular those that are directly involved in the CSTL initiative and the monitoring thereof based on a joint learning using best practices and lessons learnt approach.
  • Conduct an assessment to inform and initiate the building of capacity of key program staff and partners in Member States to conduct monitoring and evaluation which will enable them to provide ongoing monitoring throughout the three years to ensure that the programme is delivered according to expectations.