Evaluation of the Early Childhood Development Programme (2016-2022)
Assessing progress, results and lessons for strengthening Early Childhood Development in Sierra Leone
Highlights
UNICEF began implementing strategic Early Childhood Development (ECD) interventions in Sierra Leone in 2016 and, from 2020, integrated ECD programming as a key component of its education sector support. Led by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, the programme strengthened systems, supported curriculum development and implementation, built the capacity of the pre-primary workforce, and enhanced quality assurance in pre-primary and childcare services.
The programme also promoted family and community engagement, with a focus on children from low-income households in rural communities across eight districts. It supported 52 community-based ECD centres, including 10 centres supported through the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). This evaluation assesses the programme's achievements, effectiveness, challenges and lessons learned to inform future ECD programming in Sierra Leone.
