Localization Case Studies - Promising Practice and Lessons Learned

The Localization Case Studies Initiative launched a call for Taskforce members to submit experiences supporting local tool development and localization. This presentation provides a synthesis of efforts and challenges of four organizational case studies. Organizations are implementing SEL/SS measurement efforts in the Middle East/Northern Africa region, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire. Educational programming focuses on lifeskills and citizenship education for early secondary students, supporting the development of lifeskills for children and adolescents in refugee settlements, fostering social emotional learning for young women’s empowerment and assessing life skills and values of adolescents. The case studies reflect the development of two regional assessments, a performance-based assessment and the adaptation of a tool to three different country-contexts. The stories of challenges that implementers tell focus on issues translating concepts to different contexts, language issues, and complications engaging local researchers. Analysis of the four studies also bring to light opportunities and gaps specific to measurement of these important concepts. This synthesis provides a close-up on a precise area of MEL practice yet offers insights and poses questions for the larger MEL field’s efforts to genuinely localize.