Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication (Name of Journal)

Impact: Making a difference

Department

Professional Development Centre, Karachi

Abstract

As part of a project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), AKU-IED implemented a research study that aimed to understand the Impact of AKU-IED Capacity Building Initiatives for NGOs/CBOs in Education in Sindh. This paper will present some of our findings on the nature of impact of the program on individual course participant. The paper will present the case study of Mariam1, a female teacher working in a school managed by an NGO in rural Sindh. She participated in a Certificate in Education: Primary Education Program organized for NGOs. After completing the certificate course Mariam was also selected for the Advanced Diploma in Education Course. Mariam begun her professional career from a donor-supported community-managed girls’ primary school as its teacher and, within a very short time, she was appointed as the Principal of the same school. Thus, she gradually moved ahead and attained a pivotal position in her organization. In order to study impact of the teacher development program on an individual, Mariam was interviewed along with her colleagues and NGO representatives several times over the period of two years with intervals of six months. The professional development course had a multifaceted impact on Mariam's personality and her professional practice. She brought changes in her behavior and attitude with her colleagues, students and community; therefore she became friendlier and tried to interact with and include others in school improvement plans. Mariam’s professional practice, such as teaching, planning and decision-making, and managing and monitoring the school, also seem to be significantly enhanced and she seems to have emerged as a good teacher and manager. Over a period of time a change in her status has been observed as she has developed herself as a teacher educator along with teaching responsibilities. We will also try to explore factors, particularly program-related factors, which contributed towards the change process and supported the CP in creating impact from her initiatives.

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