Concern’s Graduation Model Program in Burundi - Final Evaluation Report

Stephen Devereux, Keetie Roelen, Ricardo Sabates, Dimitri Stoelinga, and Arnaud Dyevre

ABSTRACT

The Graduation model programme, also known as Terintambwe (‘Step ahead’), was launched in two provinces of Burundi, Cibitoke and Kirundo, in April 2013. In each province, 500 poor households were selected to receive ‘high treatment’ (T1) support from Concern Worldwide, another 500 households were selected to receive ‘low treatment’ (T2) support – the main difference being in the number of home visits – and 300 similarly poor households were allocated to a control group, which allowed for a quasi-experimental ‘difference-in-differences’ research design. The mixed methods impact evaluation of the Terintambwe programme included a quantitative baseline survey, midline survey and endline survey that covered all 2,600 households (with an attrition rate of 10% over the three rounds), as well as regular monitoring and two rounds of qualitative fieldwork around the same time as the baseline and endline surveys. This report presents the findings of the endline quantitative and qualitative surveys, and analyses trends across the three rounds of data collection and the monitoring surveys. Findings are disaggregated by ‘high treatment’ versus ‘low treatment’ and by province. Terintambwe households received support in the form of monthly cash transfers (in the first year), access to savings and borrowing facilities, skills training and coaching, working capital for income-generating activities, a mobile phone, and advice on establishing kitchen gardens.