The Long-Term Assistance and Services for Research (LASER) – Partner University-Led Solutions Engine (PULSE), (LASER-PULSE) consortium seeks to partner with USAID Somalia and USAID/LAB/CDR to:
- Identify the most effective and cost-efficient models of delivering accelerated education programs in the pilot phase of the contract, focusing on learning outcomes, equitable access, and retention for all students, particularly the most vulnerable;
- Measure the results of the full program, in terms of learning outcomes, equitable access, and retention for all students, particularly the most vulnerable.
- Measure the cost effectiveness of the program (for pilot models and scaled-up models); and
- capture the lessons learned for scale (for pilot models, and scaled-up models).
The proposed project activity builds the capacity of Higher Education Institution (HEI) partners to conduct research that advances USAID and its user groups’ ability to provide evidence base for Accelerated Education Programs (AEPs) by understanding the relative effectiveness of various AEP pilot models (or components of models), factors that influence scalability, as well as effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of AEP at scale. This activity is undertaken by a multi-disciplinary research team through the LASER PULSE consortium members, with Purdue University leading the effort, in collaboration with Makerere University, Somali Disaster Resilience Institute (SDRI) in Somalia and a member of the Makerere University’s ResilientAfrica Network (RAN).
