Browsing by Author "Duffy, Carren"
Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemOpen AccessA review of gender-based violence organisations in South Africa and their influences of decision-making(2023) Kieser, Jemma; Duffy, CarrenAs a country attempting to come to grips with high levels of Gender-based Violence (GBV) corroding the social and political fabrics of society, it has never been more important to acknowledge the dimensions of struggles, activism, and interventions of GBV in South Africa. This research explores what intervention designs are used, what is inhibiting and preventing a positive change in the GBV sector, and what influences GBV non-government organisations' (NGO) decisions regarding programme design, implementation, and evaluation. Interview data of nine GBV NGO staff members were collected and thematically analysed to answer the research questions. From the results of this analysis, a model of decision-making for GBV NGOs is proposed. This model includes the influences of funder requirements, organisational learning, and evidence-based literature and theories. Furthermore, the constraints of these influences and the strategies that NGOs take to manage them are revealed. This model shows that while the influences of funder requirements and organisation in-learnings seem to be comparable in scope and frequency, in-learnings are more valued than funder requirements. Moreover, evidence-based research was only found to have a small influence on decision-making and programme design especially due to the perception of “outsider” feedback versus organisational in-learnings. This study presents preliminary best practise suggestions for both funders and GBV NGOs and a broad view of the trends, practises, and drivers of decision-making in the GBV NGO sector. Various stakeholders, NGOs, and funders can draw learnings from the results of this research and adjust where necessary and possible to improve their interventions and/or their practise.
- ItemOpen AccessA theory evaluation and programme implementer decision analysis for two therapy-driven programmes operating in the disability and rehabilitation sector(2018) Minne, Lara; Duffy, CarrenThis dissertation focused on two therapy-driven programmes operating in the disability and rehabilitation sector in the Western Cape, South Africa. One programme is an inclusive education programme with a classroom component and parenting component to it and the other is a vocational rehabilitation programme. These two programmes, implemented by the Chaeli Campaign (CC), are aligned with the community-based rehabilitation model of service delivery. These programmes are implemented by personnel with a variety of qualifications, including community workers and occupational therapists. Key goals for programmes of this nature are to ensure that all persons with disabilities are active participants of socio-economic life, to ensure that the rights and dignity of all persons are respected and upheld and to reintegrate persons with disabilities into family and community life. Another goal of these programmes is to transfer skills from highly-skilled professionals to workers with less training and lay persons. With respect to the last mentioned goal, the skills required to services persons with disabilities are redistributed, so that professionals such as occupational therapists are no longer solely responsible for serving these persons. Both programmes under evaluation in this document are implemented either exclusively or with help from occupational therapists. Problem Statement: The problem statement is made up of two components. First, the underlying programme theories of the two therapy-driven programmes were not well articulated. According to CC’s director, this poor articulation made it difficult for programme staff to describe their programmes to potential programme donors. Second, the organisation struggles to obtain funding from potential programme donors to finance the use of occupational therapists in their programmes. The difficulty in obtaining funding is assumed to be due to potential donors’ belief that these programmes could be implemented at a reduced cost by community workers. Method: The evaluator decided to conduct two programme evaluations to address the two aspects mentioned in the problem statement. First, programme theory evaluations were done to address the poor articulation of the programmes’ theories. The programme theory evaluation aimed to elicit and articulate the underlying logic of each of the programmes, thus enabling the evaluator to assess their plausibility. Following this, three multi-criteria decision analyses (MCDAs) using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) were conducted. The MCDAs were intended to establish which implementer (an occupational therapist or a community worker) is most preferred by CC’s current programme stakeholders. The participants of the MCDA included programme beneficiaries, current programme donors, field experts, programme facilitators and programme staff. Results: Programme theories were made explicit and articulated. These were then depicted as logic models. Results indicate that when assessed against social science and evaluation literature, the programme theories elicited in this dissertation are plausible. The MCDA results indicate that programme stakeholders prefer occupational therapists for technical aspects of programme delivery and prefer community workers for psychosocial aspects of rehabilitation, such as relationship-building and providing emotional support. Of note is that stakeholders weighted the perceived benefits of occupational therapists and community workers as more important than the costs associated with each implementer. The results from the MCDA highlight that programme stakeholders perceive the benefits of implementers (occupational therapists and community workers) to be more important than their associated costs. The evaluator assessed these results against social science literature and found that in general, stakeholders value benefits more than costs of implementing personnel. Recommendations: Recommendations are made to the organisation to describe their programmes’ theories more coherently and more clearly express their need for both community workers and occupational therapists Conclusions: Rather than considering cost, potential donors should consider that occupational therapists and community workers serve specific purposes in programme implementation. Their purpose, rather than their cost, should be prioritised in order for programmes to be effective. The field should be made aware of this disjuncture, while costs are important considerations, stakeholders in the field of disability and rehabilitation should not compromise on the quality of services in order to reduce programme costs.
- ItemOpen AccessAn evaluation for the Therapeutic Learning Centre: A child inpatient and day-patient psychiatric unit in Cape Town, South Africa(2019) Nicholson, Lee; Duffy, CarrenThere are value and importance for inpatient and day-patient psychiatric units, particularly for children and adolescents. These facilities, which are scarcely established in South Africa, offer multidisciplinary and multifaceted treatment to persons experiencing varying symptoms and conditions of mental illness. This dissertation presents the findings of an implementation evaluation conducted for the Therapeutic Learning Centre (TLC), a child inpatient psychiatric unit in Rondebosch, Cape Town. The evaluation aimed to compare the TLC’s service and programme implementation with international standards. The Quality Network for Inpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (QNIC) checklist was used to assess the TLC on seven focused categories of service and implementation quality. Data were provided from selected TLC team members, which included mental health practitioners from various fields (e.g., psychology, psychiatry and social work to name a few). Overall, the programme established within the TLC was found to be implemented with fair fidelity when compared to the international unit standards. Most unit standards required and expected to be carried out by an inpatient unit were found to be satisfied by the TLC. There are, however, key aspects of the unit’s environment and facilities, staffing and training, care and treatment, and clinical governance that were highlighted as needing improvement. While the research yielded mostly positive results, the evaluator was able to make several recommendations to the TLC stakeholders. This evaluation contributes to limited research and implementation evaluations within the context of child inpatient psychiatric units. Furthermore, the findings are intended to support the promotion of quality psychiatric and behavioural treatment and mental health service policy in these units within South Africa.
- ItemOpen AccessAn Implementation Outcomes Evaluation for the Nal?ibali FUNda Leader Network: Eastern Cape Province(2023) Sithole, Stella; Duffy, CarrenThe need to improve literacy skills among the youths in South Africa has been a national priority area, with several programmes being implemented by the South African government and non-profit organisations in the country. These programmes aim to develop and improve literacy and reading skills among the youth. One such intervention is the Nal'ibali campaign. While Nal'ibali implements several interventions, this minor dissertation presents the findings of an implementation outcomes evaluation of their FUNda Leader Network. The FUNda Leader Network comprises volunteers from disadvantaged areas who implement reading clubs within their communities. The evaluator used the implementation outcomes framework developed by Proctor et al. (2011) to investigate seven implementation outcome domains of the programme, namely, acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, penetration, and sustainability. In line with these domains, the evaluator proposed eight evaluation questions that directed inquiry on the programme facilitators and their experiences, programme activities and service delivery, service uptake and utilisation, outcomes achieved and success stories of programme beneficiaries, as well as the sustainability of these outcomes, post the intervention. Through assessing these domains, overall, the evaluation aimed to evaluate the extent to which Nal'ibali's FUNda Leader Network was implemented with fidelity and the programme's effectiveness in achieving its intended outcomes. A qualitative approach utilising semi-structured interviews was employed to collect the data. A total of six interviews were conducted. Findings support the FUNda Leader Network as a relevant initiative that has facilitated the development of reading abilities and the creation of a reading culture amongst the youths in some of the disadvantaged communities in the Eastern Cape. The FUNda Leaders interviewed were satisfied with the campaign and its activities and were able to share stories about how the network and the activities enhanced knowledge and confidence among the youth in their respective reading clubs. While some interviewees discussed some community resistance, they shared the strategies adopted to raise awareness about the importance of the intervention among the parents and the community, resulting in subsequent support for the programme. This dissertation reports the findings of the implementation domains as well as the success stories of programme beneficiaries (outcomes). Additionally, recommendations to further improve the programme are discussed. Overall, the evaluation returned positive implementation and outcomes results for Nal'ibali's FUNda Leader Network. Keywords: reading clubs, youth literacy, implementation evaluation, outcomes evaluation, implementation outcomes framework
- ItemOpen AccessAn outcome evaluation of the Work 4 Progress Programme for unemployed youths(2023) Pophiwa, Pamela; Duffy, CarrenThis evaluation assessed whether the Work 4 Progress programme, a youth employment programme implemented by Action Volunteers Africa achieved its intended short-term and long-term outcomes. The programme is designed to improve the employability of young people aged between 18 to 25 years who are not in employment, education or training (NEET), by providing them with work opportunities, life coaching and career guidance. The evaluation used a mixed-method exploratory sequential design to collect data. To measure the outcomes of the programme, 29 alumni completed an online survey designed to assess their attainment of the programme outcomes namely: work-related skills and competencies; personal growth and career orientation. Eight participants also took part in semi-structured face-to-face interviews with the evaluator. The programme's Executive Director was also interviewed to promote triangulation of the results. Results of the analysis of the survey data revealed that the Work 4 Progress programme is likely to improve the employability of youths and the participants were overall satisfied with the experience. Results from the analysis of interview data revealed three overall themes. The emerging themes were: 1) Understanding backgrounds, 2) Career guidance is crucial and useful and 3) Programme praxis and knowledge in the real world. Overall, the informants felt that the programme equipped them with the skills and competencies needed in the world of work. The triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative results revealed both the economic and social benefits of engaging in the Work 4 Progress programme. The findings of this evaluation reinforce the importance of multi-component interventions as essential in improving the employment outcomes of youths with socio-economic disadvantages.
- ItemOpen AccessAn outcomes evaluation of the Zim-TTECH cervical cancer intervention in Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe(2023) Tapera, Oscar; Duffy, CarrenThis report presents the findings of an outcomes evaluation of the Zimbabwe Technical Assistance, Training and Education for Health's (Zim-TTECH) cervical cancer intervention in Harare and Epworth districts (Harare Metropolitan province). This programme seeks to improve access and uptake of cervical cancer screening and treatment among women living with HIV through recruitment, training and mentorship of nurses, procurement of equipment and commodities, providing support for diagnosis and referral for treatment services, and quality assessment of cervical cancer services. The evaluation interrogated the plausibility of the programme theory of the Zim-TTECH intervention and assessed its short- and medium outcomes. Methods The evaluation used a mixed-methods approach with both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. This comprised a desk review of programme documents and relevant literature, secondary analysis of programme routine data and collection of primary data. Quantative descriptive analysis was conducted to determine coverage (in percentage) of Zim-TTECH cervical cancer services between 2019- 2021. Qualitative analysis was used to complement quantitative data and aid in the interpretation of programme results. Key Results This assessment showed that the Zim-TTECH cervical cancer intervention contributed to the increase in awareness among women living with HIV and health workers. The programme capacitated health workers to conduct effective health education and awareness-raising campaigns for cervical cancer. The evaluation revealed that the Zim-TTECH cervical cancer intervention improved access to cervical cancer services among women living with HIV. Additionally, the intervention did not deny women who were HIV-negative services though the reach for this group is not routinely documented and reported. Results from the evaluation showed that LEEP was the main treatment type used in Harare and Epworth followed by cryotherapy and thermablation techniques. This assessment also showed that the Zim-TTECH cervical cancer intervention contributed positively to the following areas: increasing access to cervical cancer services, early detection of pre-cancers and invasive disease and increased health education and awareness of cervical cancer among women and health workers. The evaluation also revealed some negative implications of the Zim-TTECH intervention on the health system which include the following: the programme‘s screening resulted in the detection of invasive cervical cancer cases which were referred to weak and ill-capacitated public health facilities, and most screening services are offered in HIV clinics which results in some women who are not HIV positive not wanting to screen for fear of stigma and the programme also contributed to staff attrition in public health facilities as they search for better opportunities in the NGO sector and outside the country. The Zim-TTECH cervical cancer programme rapidly adjusted to the new COVID-19 protocols in 2020 to ensure continuity of services though the demand side was affected by protracted lockdowns. The programme has also been keeping in tandem with technological evolutions including the adoption of thermoablative techniques and planning for the rolling out of highly sensitive human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA testing in line with Ministry of Health strategies and WHO guidelines. However, discussions are still ongoing on the adoption of HPV screening as the primary method as it will negate the ‘see and treat' approach. This evaluation showed that cervical cancer services were likely to continue in Harare and Epworth after the cessation of Zim-TTECH support albeit at a lower scale. The Zim-TTECH intervention is based in public health facilities that have been offering cervical cancer services even before partner support came through and these are likely to continue in their absence. Conclusions Findings from this evaluation showed that Zim-TTECH cervical cancer intervention was relatively effective with regards to short-medium term outcomes, although the COVID-19 pandemic saw disruptions of cervical cancer services which affected service delivery/uptake in 2020-2021. However, the key shortfalls of the intervention revealed in this evaluation showed systemic/structural gaps with the design of health interventions in the country as well as the vertical approaches which are also being perpetuated by donors. Additionally, given the huge resource shortfalls in the MoHCC due to protracted underfunding, there is evidence of limited coordination/leadership capacities to guide partners who come up with piecemeal interventions. Despite the revealed shortcomings of the intervention there are opportunities to improve services including treatment of invasive cervical cancer. Overall, better partnerships and coordination among government, NGOs and donors will be a game changer in ensuring continuity of services for cervical cancer in low-resource settings.
- ItemOpen AccessEvaluating Mending Mamre: An Animal Welfare Intervention(2019) Rabier, Camille; Duffy, CarrenThe need to improve animal welfare and control companion animal populations is necessary for South Africa, especially in impoverished communities lacking resources and education to care for their pets responsibly. These programmes are often multi-dimensional in nature and aim to improve animal welfare in different ways. Sterilisation is often the first step but is not enough. Consequently, education is often used in combination, to teach responsible pet care and ownership to pet owners. By increasing their understanding and knowledge of animals it is hoped that the pets’ overall quality of life and welfare improve. The following dissertation presents the findings of an evaluation conducted for the Mending Mamre Mass Education and Sterilisation Programme. This programme had four components: surgical sterilisation of pets and feral cats, basic veterinary care, education sessions and the rehoming of stray dogs. Three evaluations were performed (as requested by the clients): a programme theory evaluation of the education sessions, a process evaluation to understand why some residents refused sterilisation and an outcome evaluation to measure if the pets’ living conditions and body scores had changed 16 months after the programme. Overall, the results of the programme theory evaluation demonstrated that: the activities and outcomes of the education sessions were consistent with similar programmes but the two causal pathways underlying the programme are not plausible. The results of the process evaluation highlighted that the most common reason why pet owners refused sterilisation was due to fear. Finally, the results of the outcome evaluation indicated mixed results; with an increase observed in the pets’ physical wellbeing but an overall decrease observed in their quality of living conditions. With the results, the evaluator was able to make recommendations to the client and highlight considerations for programme improvement. Overall this study contributes to the paucity of research on evaluations of animal welfare interventions at the community level.
- ItemOpen AccessExperiences of Female Informal Traders in Namibia during the National Coronavirus Lockdown of 2020(2023) Matomola, Lisa Namasiku; Duffy, CarrenBackground. In emerging economies, the informal sector is often the largest sector of the economy. Namibia is no exception, with approximately 58% of the Namibian population deriving a livelihood within the informal sector of the economy (Namibia Statistics Agency, 2018). According to the Namibia Statistics Agency (2018), most informal traders are women (61.2%) who mostly hold junior secondary education levels (41.1%). Women often find it harder to get jobs in the formal sector than their male counterparts, and when they do, they are often paid lower salaries resulting in a gender pay gap (Mwaba, 2010). As a result, many women turn to informal employment to provide for themselves and their families, and informal traders are mostly women (61.2%; The Informal Sector Survey, 2001). In many African nations, women are often undermined by their male counterparts, who use traditional conservative norms to subjugate them. The same principles are often also observed among women working in the informal sector (Mwaba, 2010). Despite women making up the largest proportion of informal traders, as suggested above, there is still little being done to address the challenges and experiences of women informal traders, and it is hoped that this study will contribute to alleviating the plight of this group. The situation informal traders find themselves in was severely impacted when a nationwide lockdown was declared, which was implemented to slow down the spread of COVID-19. Aim of the study. The aim of the present research study was to gain a better understanding of the experiences of female informal traders during the COVID-19 lockdown in Namibia. It was hoped that collecting information from female informal traders would contribute to closing a gap in the literature, as well as generate insights that could inform policymakers and those in government to adopt measures to better protect, support and develop this vulnerable group of people who provide an important service and positively contribute to the lives of many people. xii Procedure and Materials. An exploratory research design was utilised for the purposes of the current research study, and primary qualitative data were collected using in-depth interviews. The approach to conducting the research study can further be described as having been cross-sectional and of the ex post facto variety. Materials A semi-structured interview guide was developed and consisted of both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The questions were designed to collect information from participants related to their demographic information, as well as their experiences as informal traders before and during the COVID-19 lockdown in Namibia. Sampling and Realised Sample. Judgement or purposive sampling was used to obtain a non-probable sample of n=20 female informal traders operating within Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. Participants were selected using several inclusion criteria to ensure they were suitable for the purposes of the research study. Findings. The women who participated in the research study reported that the national lockdown severely affected their businesses as they were not permitted to trade for at least two months. Moreover, since their clients' movements were also restricted, a sharp decline in sales during this period was experienced. Not being able to generate an income meant that many informal traders depleted the little savings they had to buy food and survive over the period. The situation this group of female informal traders found themselves in was not unfamiliar to them; however, the impact of the lockdown greatly exacerbated the situation they have found themselves in for many years now. As a result, when the lockdown restrictions were lifted, about half of the women who participated in the research study reported having to take loans out to buy stock for their businesses to start trading again. Securing loans, however, has always proven challenging for them because they classified as a risky group when it comes to repayment as they have no assets.
- ItemOpen AccessAn implementation evaluation of a peer education programme(2010) Njovana, Rumbidzai; Duffy, CarrenProgramme evaluation is a process whereby the effectiveness of a programme is investigated, in order to "inform social action to improve social conditions" (Rossi, Lipsey & Freeman, 2004,p.16). Hence the aim of this evaluation was to assess the implementation of peer education programme, in order to recommend areas of improvement for future implementation. As a response to problems associated with high-risk behaviours and HIV prevalence amongst young people in Sub Saharan Africa, the Generation of Leaders Discovered (GOLD) Peer Education Development Agency developed a model that aims to address these issues. The model consists of a number of services that GOLD offers to implementing organisations (IOs) and enables them to roll out the GOLD Peer Education Programme. The programme is currently implemented by IOs in the Western Cape, Mpumalanga and Kwa-Zulu Natal provinces of South Africa, as well as Botswana and Zambia. The programme aims to equip young leaders with the necessary knowledge,skills and attitudes to be role models of health-enhancing behaviours that will ultimately contribute to HIV prevention and develop young leaders. As there has been an evaluation conducted on the level of the services offered by GOLD to IOs (Gelderblom, 2009), the focus of this evaluation was on the implementation of the programme from the IOs to the peer educators. Focus was on service utilisation, service delivery and organisational support.
- ItemOpen AccessInvestigating succession planning practices in South African construction companies(2022) Mfeka, Susan; Duffy, CarrenGlobally, the implementation of succession planning in the construction industry is not developing. Literature indicates that, while construction companies understand succession planning, their lack of implementation directly affects employee retention. This research employed a qualitative research design to investigate the extent to which certain South African construction companies implement succession planning. Data were collected from six human resource executives serving across six South African construction companies. Overall, the results confirmed a lack of succession planning implementation at the respective companies. This study found that the HR executives understand the concept of succession planning even though it is not formalised. Furthermore, leadership buy-in was found to be lacking, which was negatively impacting the succession planning implementation. Certain specific factors were also discovered to be contributing to the hindering of the succession planning implementation. These factors include lack of retention strategy, lack of career discussion, lack of skills development, and lack of available positions. Suggestions and recommendations in light of these findings are provided.
- ItemOpen AccessA theory-driven evaluation of a wellness initiative(2009) Duffy, Carren; Louw, JohannIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 41-43).