Evaluating ICT for Education in Africa - Royal Holloway, University of ...

5. Analysing methodologies5.1 Introduction and rationaleThe purpose of this chapter is to engage with the reconceptualising ofmethodological approaches to monitoring, evaluation and impact assessmentof ICT for education programmes in Africa. This was undertaken through aprocess of cyclical research-based reflection, leading to both a critique ofconventional practices and a set of credible alternative emphases.The decision to conduct research in partnership with operational ICT foreducation programmes meant that the methodological approaches employedin the monitoring and evaluation case studies were subject to the real-worldconstraints of tight time-frames, limited financial resources, politicalconstraints and varying agendas (Bamberger et al. 2006). My objective wastherefore to assess the strengths, weaknesses and implications of the selectedmethods when utilised under these constraints in different contexts. This wasrealised through adopting an experimental research design that requiredcontinuous evaluation of the evaluation processes themselves, reflecting onthe case study experiences to assess what worked, what did not work, and thereasons for this. Grounding these reflections in the reality of standardprogramme limitations was necessary in order to achieve the overarchingobjective of providing insight into monitoring and evaluation of ICT foreducation initiatives more broadly in order to improve upon practice. Theintention behind this was to ensure that the research was not only groundedin the reality of development programme delivery, but would also produceresults of direct relevance to such programmes.Working with different partner organisations meant that throughout theresearch process every methodological choice had to be justified, negotiatedand occasionally compromised. This challenge was particularly exemplifiedin an initial meeting with officials from the Ethiopian MoCB (07/04/08)where it became apparent that my attempt to promote an approach to152