Abstract
The USAID-funded Quality Instruction Towards Access and Basic Education Improvement (QITABI) 2 activity collaborates with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) and the Center for Educational Research and Development (CRDP) to improve learning of Literacy, Numeracy and SEL for all primary school students in Lebanon by strengthening the Lebanese education system?s institutional capacity for sustainability and self-reliance. USAID commissioned the Monitoring and Evaluation Program for Lebanon (MEPL) to carry out an evaluation of QITABI-2. This study combines a mid-term performance evaluation design with a research study and seeks to examine the extent of successful project implementation as well as to better understand education sector priorities in Lebanon. The evaluation found that QITABI-2 was well aligned with Ministry priorities and was well regarded and respected throughout the education sector. In addition, the team found that QITABI-2 had supported the development of teaching materials, and approaches that were tailored to the rapidly changing needs of the education sector and its beneficiaries. Ongoing crises such as COVID, the financial collapse, and social and political unrest have aggravated hindering factors to schooling access and quality and resulted in extended school closures. These closures delayed implementation and limited the full integration of QITABI-2?s approaches and the activity?s impact. The report highlights findings and conclusions of the evaluation and provides a series of recommendations for future on-going QITABI-2 work, future USAID supports in Lebanon as well as for other entities involved in education in Lebanon.