Public Services Delivery
Since its creation in 2003, Altai Consulting has supported international donors, local governments and partner NGOs in the assessment of population needs, the mapping and evaluation of existing structures, and the design of new programmes to support health, education and other public services in the most complex regions of the Middle East and Africa. Our teams leverage innovative research tools and technologies to support stakeholders in their initiatives.
Education Management Information System of Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Support Programme – UNICEF South Sudan
Altai Consulting was commissioned by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support the South Sudanese Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) design and operate their Education Management Information System (EMIS) for three years. The purpose of the programme was to assist in building a sustainable statistics team that can design and lead surveys, and adequately store, analyse, and synthesise data in order to providepolicy-makers credible and timely information.
The EMIS Support Programme had three primary objectives: (1) Build the capacity of civil servants at the national, state, and county levels; (2) assist the MoEST in collecting credible education data around the country; and (3) deliver strategic support to MoEST policy-makers so they could use EMIS data for policy and programmatic interventions.
In year one, the main activity conducted was the Baseline School Count and Verification, which was later instrumental in setting the stage for the Annual Education Census (AEC) for the following years. The AEC was a comprehensive review of the educations system as a whole. Altai was commissioned to assist the EMIS team conduct this census and product annual statistical booklets. EMIS staff members were trained to design questionnaires and collect data. Over 6,000 questionnaires were distributed and retrieved country wide. Analysis was conducted in house for the first time and booklets were released, together with a set of recommendations to prioritise funding in the education sector and support donors coordination.
Study on Understanding the Role of Non-State Education Providers in Somalia – The World Bank
Altai Consulting was commissioned by the World Bank’s Somalia Education Sector Programmatic Advisory Services and Analytics to conduct a “Study on Understanding the Role of Non-State Education Providers in Somalia”. The overall objective of this study was to help relevant Somali government institutions and the international community in developing an evidence base for understanding non-state education providers in the broader Somali education ecosystem, and in identifying opportunities for streamlining private initiatives into federal and state-level education sector development policy.
A mixed-method approach was used combining quantitative and qualitative methods. These included a quantitative survey of 170 primary and secondary schools across four locations; 27 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with students, parents and teachers; and 15 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with government officials, education experts, and private education stakeholders. The data collection took place in four urban and peri-urban locations across Somalia: Bosasso and Garowe (Puntland), Kismayo (Jubbaland), and Mogadishu (Benadir Regional Administration).
Public Expenditure Tracking Survey in the Education Sector – The World Bank
Altai Consulting was mandated by the World Bank to conduct a Public Expenditure Tracking Survey of the Afghan education sector. This assignment included extensive fieldwork in schools in several provinces of the country. Each review led to a set of recommendations for the World Bank and the Afghan Ministry of Education.
ESNA Education Sub-National Assessment in 34 Provinces – The World Bank
Altai was commissioned by the Afghan Ministry of Education and the World Bank to conduct a national assessment in 34 provinces aimed at clarifying the structure, functions and capacities of the education departments at provincial and district levels in Afghanistan. Research conducted for the assessment covered the Education Departments of all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, as well as 18 districts and 240 schools. The study focused on key areas for education management, including finance, HR, and planning. Furthermore, it evaluated the existing mechanisms for performance management of the provincial departments and provided recommendations on capacity building efforts and structural reform.
Focus Ethnographic Study of Infant & Young Child Nutrition Practices and Needs – GAIN
Altai Consulting was mandated by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to conduct a focused ethnographic study looking at social and attitudinal child feeding trends in a broad sample of Afghan families. The study aimed at mapping Infants and Young Children (IYC) food practices at the household level and assessing the current needs and demands expressed by Afghan mothers for IYC foods. This component was part of a broader study by Altai Consulting that aimed at shaping a business plan for nutrition assistance to IYC in Afghanistan.
Knowledge, Attitudes and Practicies (KAP) for a Reproductive Health Program – USAID
Through Compri-A, USAID and Constella Futures are supporting a range of hygiene and reproductive health products that are designed, distributed and promoted in Afghanistan in support to the national reproductive health policy. Altai Consulting was mandated to conduct a large-scale Knowledge, Attitudes and Practicies (KAP) study in order to provide the program with sound baseline information.
Youth Mental Health Research – University of Durham
Altai Consulting has conducted, in partnership with the Medical Anthropology Research Group at the University of Durham, a large-scale study on mental health involving more than 2,000 children, parents and teachers all over Afghanistan. It investigated mental health from the perspective of children, their parents and teachers at school. The main aim of this research is to better understand the prevalence and nature of psychological and/or psychiatric problems faced by Afghan communities. This work was part of the academic article: Violence, suffering, and mental health in Afghanistan: a school-based survey, Panter-Brick et al., The Lancet.
Water & Irrigation : Micro Level Study on the Integrated Development Potential of Wadis – The World Bank
Altai Consulting was commissioned by the Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP) of the World Bank to conduct a study on the positive and negative impacts of existing water infrastructure interventions in Somaliland and Puntland. The study was based on a case study approach combining qualitative and quantitative perception data, as well as objective data collected on-site to triangulate perceptions of water quality with actual composition of water, socio-economic cost-benefit analysis, with actual water catchment capacity, etc.
The findings of the study supported the World Bank Funded Water for Agro-Pastoral Livelihoods (WALP) Pilot project, which aims to strengthen government capacity to implement small-scale water interventions with the view to provide “safe water for human consumption, sufficient quantities for livestock consumption, and enhanced fodder and agricultural production”.
Binding Constraints to Public Service Delivery (Health, Education and Agriculture) – The World Bank
The World Bank commissioned Altai Consulting to study the major constraints to service delivery in three key sectors: education, agriculture and public health. After researching the modalities and processes of service delivery in the three ministries mentioned, the analysis focused on identifying constraints in key public administrative processes, including decision making and delegation, accountability, HR management, operations and maintenance budgeting, and public procurement. The analysis was designed to follow the service delivery chain, from central to provincial, district and community level. The study provides recommendations on ways to improve service delivery in Afghanistan, while acknowledging the likely shortfalls of ministerial resources moving forward
Third Party Monitoring of the Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) / Maturity Assessment of the NSP in 34 Provinces – The World Bank
Altai Consulting is commissioned by the World Bank and the Government of Afghanistan, in partnership with MSI and CTTC, to ensure the third-party monitoring of the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund for the next monitoring phase.
The objective of the monitoring is to: (i) provide data on nationwide small scale infrastructure project sites, (ii) provide assurance to donors, focusing mainly on infrastructure quality assurance and to a lesser extent on social and environmental safeguards, gender issues and select financial/fiduciary aspects and (iii) work closely with Government of Afghanistan ministries to address deficiencies.
Altai’s main focus in Year 1 is to assess the organisational maturity of the CDCs (Community Development Councils) created under the NSP (National Solidarity Program); providing an indication as to how advanced they are in their local governance and development functions, and identify their strengths and weaknesses, and improvement opportunities.
Access to Justice for Internally Displaced People – UNDP
Altai was commissioned by the UNDP in Libya to conduct a study that would assess access to justice for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benghazi, in order to generate a series of baseline indicators that could be used to measure future developments. The research mapped IDP communities in Benghazi, including their origins, ethnicity, standard of life and level of integration; analysed systems of justice, both formal and informal, for these communities; assessed how aware IDPs were of their rights, and what they expected in terms of justice from the State; and analysed how these communities deal with crime, land disputes, and other specific instances requiring a judicial intervention. The study then gave recommendations on future interventions that could improve access to justice for these IDPs in Benghazi.