Leading Impact and Evaluating Strategy for the JDC International Development and Disaster Response Unit
Location:
India, Ethiopia, South Africa
Background
From 2021 to 2023, Co-Catalyst collaborated with the JDC to evaluate and strategize for their international development and disaster response initiatives. This partnership encompassed key projects across three regions: India - Evaluating the outcomes of JDC’s COVID-19 telemedicine project in under-resourced hospitals; Ethiopia - Strengthening TOV program mission to integrate innovative Israeli agricultural technology to improve productivity and sustainability in farming; South Africa- Supporting the Imagine More program, which focuses on women’s economic empowerment through sustainable business models, specifically honey production.
Our approach
Telemedicine in India
Theory of Change: Developed to outline the desired outcomes and guide the implementation of innovative health technology in Cachar and MAHAN hospitals.
Qualitative Research: Mentored on-ground evaluators to gather data through interviews and questionnaires.
Data Analysis & Reporting: Synthesized data into a comprehensive evaluation report, providing strategic recommendations for enhancing JDC’s healthcare delivery model.
Agricultural Innovation in Ethiopia
Technology Integration: Facilitated the adoption of Israeli agricultural technologies, supporting Ethiopian smallholder farmers in increasing productivity and sustainability.
Capacity Building: Delivered lectures and guidance for tech innovators entering the Ethiopian market, driving agricultural growth.
Imagine More Program in South Africa
Beekeeping and Business Development: In collaboration with Ripples for Change, supported rural women in building honey production businesses through beekeeping education.
Sustainability & Empowerment: Focused on helping women achieve economic independence, fostering knowledge exchange between experienced and novice beekeepers.
Impact
Through our evaluation and strategic planning, we achieved the following:
Constructed Three Theory of Change Frameworks:
These frameworks served as the foundation for a comprehensive evaluation process and facilitated strategic alignment among the international team.
Published a 40-Page Evaluation Report:
The report assessed the project's impact using a robust methodology, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The evaluation focused on healthcare outcomes, the sustainability of the technology, and the effectiveness of stakeholder partnerships.
Dissemination and Learning:
Insights and lessons learned from these projects were shared at professional conferences, further advancing JDC’s mission in international development and disaster response.
Testimonials
“JDC's department for international development and disaster relief has been collaborating with Stav for over four years on various impact management initiatives, and we appreciate every opportunity to benefit from her expertise.
The most significant collaboration was her consultation on the evaluation study we conducted on our COVID-19 humanitarian assistance in India. Stav's main activities included developing the study methodology, preparing all sampling materials, guiding the evaluator on best practices, analyzing the results, and writing the final report.
She did a thorough and comprehensive job, and we are very proud of the final evaluation deliverable. It enabled us to gain valuable insights that we can apply to other programs in similar contexts.”
— Lior Refael, Impact & Knowledge Manager, GRID | International Development and Disaster Response, The Joint (JDC)