Education

Impact Investing in Education

Situation

A major investment foundation sought to combat inequality and discrimination in education. As a member of a larger task force on education, the foundation worked with peer thought leaders to examine how tools like impact investing could be used to catalyze innovations in education finance. The foundation engaged Dalberg to provide an overview of the education impact investing landscape to guide the task force.s future engagements.

Dalberg Approach

Our team explored three key questions in this study: (i) What impact investments are being made in education? (ii) What are sources of capital for impact investments? and (iii) What are the implications for impact investors who want to target education? To answer these questions, our team compiled a high-level overview identifying the players, investments, trends, recent transactions and implications for education impact investors.

Results

Dalberg's work has since been used by numerous impact investors, across different asset classes, to determine their funding and investment strategies in education across developing/low-income countries and BOP markets. In addition, some of the key stakeholders are using this study to guide how they position themselves in the education sector.

To learn more about our Education practice area, click here.

Developing skills programs for Senegalese youth

Situation

In Senegal, 21% of the population is between ages 15 and 24, a figure that is expected to increase to nearly 25% by 2020. Within this population, school dropout rates are high, and one in five young people are unemployed. Dalberg was engaged by the International Youth Foundation (IYF) and USAID Senegal to provide a better understanding of the youth perspective that would help strengthen programs designed to address these issues.

Dalberg Approach

The combined team led focus groups with more than 500 Senegalese youth and met with more than 100 stakeholders from youth programs. The assessment team comprised youth paired with experienced researchers. The combination brought together perspectives from the target group and vetted research skills for a clearer understanding of the findings and provided the youth with practical field experience.

Results

Dalberg disseminated the team's key findings at an event hosted by the Government of Senegal, USAID, and IYF, where the work prompted stakeholders to discuss potential solutions to the problems identified by the youth population. A number of youth who participated in the study also attended.

To learn more about our Education practice area, click here.

Identifying host organization(s) for the Coordination Unit of Kenya's "Successful Transitions" Program

Situation

The Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF) was looking to launch a new program in Kenya, Successful Transitions: the continuum from home to school, which aims to optimize children's learning opportunities as they undergo the critical transition into formal school systems, as well as ensure they get on trajectories that allow them to develop their full potential. Dalberg was hired to help identify a suitable organization to host Coordination Unit for Kenya's Successful Transitions Program.

Dalberg Approach

Dalberg supported the Bernard Van Leer Foundation to rethink their strategy to improve early childhood development and primary education in Northern Kenya. In particular, Dalberg analyzed challenges facing early childhood education in Northern Kenya and reviewed BvLF's existing strategy in order to align the Foundation's core competences and objectives with the opportunities to strengthen primary education in the region. The result of the work was a strategic guidance document that outlined BvLF's intended impact, theory of change, program focus and options for operational structuring.

Results

This project helped the client to build a deeper understanding of the context and causes of poor primary education and drop out in Northern Kenya. The results of this work informed BvLF's strategy in the country.

To learn more about our Education practice area, click here.

Identifying private, low-cost education solutions in Pakistan

Situation

Pakistan's education system is in urgent need of change: It ranks 119th out of 127 national education systems surveyed by the UN, and has a low literacy rate of 56% across all age groups. School enrollment is also low; there are approximately 7 million children out of school, meaning that one out of every 10 out-of-school children in the world is from Pakistan. A development finance institution engaged Dalberg to identify the most effective ways to increase the provision of quality, affordable education to low-income Pakistani households.

Dalberg Approach

Our team met with a diverse set of education actors to better understand the role of the private sector in improving access to and quality of education. We visited numerous schools using different models to deliver quality education in urban slums for a fee of US$ 2 to 20 per month. Our team analyzed network models and specific, high-potential individual schools, assessed regulatory barriers and other contextual factors, and used this to identify possible financing models and investment options for the finance institution.

Results

Dalberg identified several low-cost private schools that were out-performing their public counterparts. Our work helped inform the client's investments in the Pakistani education sector going forward.