The document provides an overview and summary of findings from monitoring the implementation of an Early Childhood Development Conditional Grant in South Africa between 2002-2004. Key findings include: - Provincial and district officials were generally satisfied with the training provided and demonstrated relevant learning, though application and impact on organizational performance was only partially achieved. - The monitoring and support system was implemented, but many sites were only visited once and officials' workloads made frequent visits difficult. - The conditional grant was delivered to over 4,300 sites, though some sites did not receive subsidies or resource kits on time. - Sites showed progress, but many still required extensive assistance across several implementation levels including finance, health, HIV/AIDS awareness, and

1. 1
Early Childhood
Development Conditional
Grant Monitoring System
Khulisa Management Services
Jennifer Bisgard
Tender EDO 222
Adapted from 13 April 2004; Presented 14 August 2014

2. 2
Provincial Implementation:
Overview
Conditional Grant:
Selected sites (target 4500);
Administered financial support in the form
of subsidies / practitioner salaries;
Disbursed resource kits;
Created advocacy; and
Supported training practitioners.

3. 3
Introduction: Background
This report is a
snapshot
of implementation,
not impact.
2002 2003 2004 2010
Provincial Grant Payments
Advocacy Campaign
Resource Kits
Monitoring & Support
System Training &
Training of Management
Structures
Khulisa Monitoring of the
Conditional Grant Implementation
CurrentImplementationofGradeR
CompulsoryImplementationofGradeR
Continuing Benefits / Maintenance
Main Implementation
Preparation for Implementation
RTO Training
Implementation of Conditional Grant Components & Khulisa
Monitoring

4. 4
Introduction
Training of Provincial and District Officials: Were
provincial and district officials satisfied and did they
show relevant learning following the Khulisa
training programme?
Implementation of Monitoring and Support
Systems: How well has the monitoring and support
systems been implemented?
Provincial Conditional Grant Implementation: How
effectively have the provinces delivered the
conditional grant?

5. 5
Introduction
Conditional Grant Implementation: How has the
conditional grant affected the sites?
Advocacy Campaign Issues: What level of awareness
do the officials involved in this project have of the
advocacy campaign?
Broader ECD issues: What are the findings related to
the following broad ECD issues:
 Social Development Registration?
 Grade R Learner Admission Policy?
 Social Grant Disbursement?
 Primary School Nutrition Programme?
 South African Council of Educators (SACE) Registration?

6. 6
Caveat
This is a monitoring not a research project
from June 2003 to March 2004
Monitoring visits cannot be generalised to a
province or to a district
Monitoring visits may have been
(unconsciously or consciously) biased
Once most sites are monitored twice a year
then the results will be more representative

7. 7
Reliability of Results
Very reliable but slight deviations in the
interpretation of findings occur.
Officials sometimes feel “sorry” and
inflate scoring so as “not to penalise”
sites.
Despite four quality control measures,
inaccuracies still occur.

8. 8
Training of Provincial &
District Officials
Were provincial and district
officials satisfied with the
training and did they show
relevant learning following the
Khulisa training programme?

9. 9
Provincial Outcomes
To be able to analyse and
write up the data into quarterly
monitoring reports
To set up conditional grants
monitoring and support systems
To be able to hold staff
accountable for the monitoring
and support process
To ensure use of monitoring and
support system on all Grade R sites
To be able to train staff in the
monitoring and support process
Unit 1 – General Overview of the
Monitoring and Support System
Unit 2 – Monitoring and Evaluation
Unit 3 - Support
Unit 4 – Quality Control
Unit 5 – Logistical Planning
Unit 6 – Training Officials in your
Province
Data Analysis and Report
writing workshops

10. 10
Training of Officials:
District Outcomes
Unit 1 – General Overview of the
Monitoring and Support System
Unit 2 – Monitoring and
Evaluation
Unit 3 - Support
Unit 4 – Quality Control
Unit 5 – Logistical Planning
To be able to plan and conduct
monitoring of conditional grants
and other Grade R sites
To be able to provide support
which results in the performance
of sites improving
To be able to quality assure
monitoring data

11. 11
Kirkpatrick Training
Evaluation Model
Summary of the 4-level Strategic Training Model.
LEVEL 1 Satisfaction: Were trainees satisfied with the quality of
their training?
LEVEL 2 Learning: Did trainees learn, or acquire the
knowledge, skills, or attitudes the training
was intended to convey?
LEVEL 3 Application: If they learned, did the trainees apply to
their jobs, or at their workplace, the new
knowledge, skills, or attitudes?
LEVEL 4 Organisational
Performance:
If knowledge, skills, or attitudes were
applied, did that make a measurable
difference to the performance of the
organisation concerned?
Summary of the 4-level Strategic Training Model.
LEVEL 1 Satisfaction: Were trainees satisfied with the quality of
their training?
LEVEL 2 Learning: Did trainees learn, or acquire the
knowledge, skills, or attitudes the training
was intended to convey?
LEVEL 3 Application: If they learned, did the trainees apply to
their jobs, or at their workplace, the new
knowledge, skills, or attitudes?
LEVEL 4 Organisational
Performance:
If knowledge, skills, or attitudes were
applied, did that make a measurable
difference to the performance of the
organisation concerned?

12. 12
Training of Officials:
Summary Findings
Were provincial and district officials satisfied and did
they show relevant learning following the Khulisa
training programme?
 High degree of satisfaction with the training process (level one).
 Evidence of learning – both theoretical and practical (level two).
 Most participants had good attitude but when attitude was
negative, evidence that the attitude improved (level two).
 Completed forms and the participation rates indicate levels
three and four partially achieved
Not all provinces are equal in their performance
but some embraced the monitoring system
enthusiastically.

13. 13
Implementation of the
Monitoring & Support
System
How well has the
monitoring and support
system been implemented?

14. 14
Productivity: Officials
Monitoring
Average sites monitored per official 6.4:
LP officials most productive (10.7 visits)
NC least productive
One Mpumalanga official with 64 sites!
Low average of 6 visits over 8 months,
raises questions about the support model

15. 15
No. of Sites Monitored
Possible
Sites
Nr. visited at
least
once
% Visited
once
Nr visited twice
or more
% Visited twice
or more
EC 841 223 26.5% 10 1.2%
FS 290 174 60.0% 43 14.8%
GP 558 390 69.9% 88 15.8%
KZN 1035 229 22.1% 15 1.4%
LP 711 358 50.4% 14 2.0%
MP 341 186 54.5% 21 6.2%
NC 172 127 73.8% 8 4.7%
NW 170 63 37.1% 2 1.2%
WC 439 223 50.8% 13 3.0%
Total 4557 1973 43.3% 214 4.7%

16. 16
System Implementation:
Officials’ Comments
Greater sense of structure / focus:
“I didn’t know what to do when I get to the ECD site but ever
since I was trained on how to monitor and quality
control… I don’t have problems.”
Opportunities:
“I have learned that there is a team working together to
improve the standard of ECD in our province.”
Improved quality of site visits:
“Our school visits are much more focussed.”
Improvement at the sites:
“I can see the differences at the sites after the visits and they
have been improved.”

17. 17
System Implementation:
Officials’ Comments
Positive attitude:
“My attitude towards site practitioners has totally changed.
The amount of effort they put in managing those sites and
the eagerness to learn from mistakes made [impressed
me].”
“I have a different approach now when giving feedback to the
educators that I am working with.”
Impact on their workload:
“It has made some changes, although I feel I’m not doing
justice to this monitoring process due to the overload of
my work.”

18. 18
System Implementation:
Officials’ Comments
Work is easier:
“It makes my work as specialist easier. I know
exactly what I will do at a site and what I would
like to achieve.”
Sense of purpose with this system:
“It changed the way I work with sites because now
there is a country-wide tool being used which
assists with monitoring and which provides
direction with regards to what is monitored.”

19. 19
Provincial Conditional
Grant Implementation
How effectively have
the provinces delivered
the conditional grant?

20. 20
Provincial Implementation:
Summary Findings
How effectively have the provinces delivered the
conditional grant?
Target: 4500 sites, 4396 supported
 Of those 2/3rds received subsidy on time
2600 received the kits, but 48% could show
them
Since Khulisa was not given the training
database, no report on the RPL or training
process

21. 21
Level of Implementation
at Conditional Grant
Sites
How has the conditional
grant affected the sites?

22. 22
Implementation Level:
Introduction
Sites categorisation
“red”/ requires extensive assistance,
“yellow” requires support,
“green” requires less support and
“purple” / outstanding
Progress data based on the 214 sites that were
visited twice.

23. 23
Implementation Level:
Finance & Admin

24. 24
Implementation Level:
Finance & Admin
Potential support strategies:
Provide templates, exemplars and guidance;
Identify practical management tips;
Motivate use of good financial and
administrative records;
Champion ECD issues; and
Promote Social Development registration.

25. 25
Implementation Level:
Healthy Development

26. 26
Implementation Level:
Healthy Development
Possible support:
Identify and communicate areas
where support is required with
practitioner;
Encourage sites to register with
Social Development;
Supply resources; and
Provide Knowledge / Skill Support.

27. 27
Implementation Level:
HIV/AIDS

28. 28
Implementation Level:
HIV/AIDS
Possible support strategies:
Raise HIV/AIDS awareness;
Provide information regarding how to
deal with HIV/AIDS at site level (blood
injuries, orphaned children, nutrition);
Supply first aid training and resources
(including cheaper substitutes);
Work with other stakeholders to build
referral and support networks.

29. 29
Implementation Level:
Active Learning

30. 30
Implementation Level:
Active Learning
Support strategies
Build awareness and active learning skills;
Hold Training tenderer accountable through
monitoring system;
Focus on follow up and reinforce training
(partly through accessing Training database);
Minimise contradictive messages (Training
tenderer vs. province);
Promote “communities of practice”.

31. 31
Implementation Level:
Training

32. 32
Implementation Level:
Overall
Performance Category Nr. of sites % Total
Strong (Purple) 475 24%
Average (Green) 1143 58%
Needs support (Yellow) 338 17%
Needs intensive support (Red) 17 1%
Total sites 1973 100%

33. 33
Implementation Level:
Progress
Province Improved Same Weakened
Nr. of
Sites
EC 60% 0% 40% 10
FS 70% 0% 30% 43
GP 68% 1% 31% 88
KZN 47% 0% 53% 15
LP 57% 0% 43% 14
MP 43% 0% 57% 21
NC 50% 0% 50% 8
NW 50% 0% 50% 2
WC 69% 0% 31% 13
Total 63% 0% 37% 214
*Note: Only 214 sites were visited more than once

34. 34
Broader ECD issues
What are the findings related to the
following broad ECD issues:
Social development registration
Grade R Learner Admission Policy
Social Grant Disbursement
Primary School Nutrition Programme
SACE Registration

35. 35
Soc. Dev. Registration
Not Registered
Conditionally
Registered Fully Registered
EC % 25.9% 13.7% 60.4%
FS % 3.8% 92.4% 3.8%
GP % 27.6% 31.0% 41.4%
KZN % 32.4% 8.8% 58.8%
LP % 59.7% 13.2% 27.1%
MP % 42.3% 37.1% 20.6%
NC % 37.0% 21.9% 41.1%
NW % 25.9% 46.6% 27.6%
WC % 25.0% 53.7% 21.3%
Total % 34.2% 31.8% 34.0%
*Note: Only sites that were indicated to be community based are included in this
table. About 43 of the sites did not provide any information on this aspect.

36. 36
Child Support Grants
Unaware Aware Total
EC 31% 69% 100%
FS 27% 73% 100%
GP 50% 50% 100%
KZN 29% 71% 100%
LP 18% 82% 100%
MP 19% 81% 100%
NC 16% 84% 100%
NW 15% 85% 100%
WC 67% 33% 100%
Total 33% 67% 100%
* Note: 112 Sites did not provide information
on this aspect.
Province
Receiving
Grants
Not Receiving
Grants
EC 14.8% 85.2%
FS 27.3% 72.7%
GP 26.5% 73.5%
KZN 12.9% 87.1%
LP 19.5% 80.5%
MP 48.3% 51.7%
NC 22.7% 77.3%
NW 27.1% 72.9%
WC 22.7% 77.3%
Total 24.3% 75.7%
*Note: This table only contains responses for practitioners
that indicated that they were aware about social grants
disbursement.

37. 37
Broader ECD Issues:
Summary Findings
What are the findings related to the following
broad ECD issues:
Social Development Registration: Required
for community-based sites, a third of the sites
monitored are not even conditionally
registered
Grade R Learner Admission Policy: In
13.3% Grade R classes, practitioners admitted
to over-age learners

38. 38
Broader ECD Issues:
Summary Findings
Social Grant Disbursement: Practitioners’
pastoral role is increasingly important due
to HIV/AIDS, but 1/3 do not know if their
learners are receiving their social grants
Primary School Nutrition Programme:
According to practitioners, only 59% of
school-based sites are actually receiving
PSNP food/support
SACE Registration: Only 13% Grade R
teachers are registered