In rural northern Pakistan, a scholarship programme run by Operation Mercy’s partner organisation offers educational assistance to marginalised students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend school, equipping them to become leaders and help move their communities from poverty to prosperity. Half of the programme’s recipients are girls.
Through 19 years of work in Central Asia, Operation Mercy’s partner organisation has worked to develop a monitoring and evaluation program to ensure its programmes are pursuing professional excellence and helping to build impactful change among families and communities.
In the fall of 2022, a team piloted an online survey tool they developed known as Total Outcome. This particular survey was specific to upper-level scholarship programme students. Trained field staff loaded the survey on a portable device and asked students to answer the questions, supporting them as needed. The survey results provided evidence that the scholarship programme has encouraged access to health, wealth, wealth potential (education), and justice.
Using the survey tool, students shared the need for more opportunities to learn about financial management (i.e. budgeting, accounting, and savings). As a result, the team is working to ensure this is incorporated into the mentorship and leadership training that upper-level scholarship students receive. The team plans to survey these students yearly to learn more about the outcomes of the scholarship programme and its influence among families and communities.
