Can education innovations be sustained after the end of donor funding? The case of a reading intervention programme in Zambia

This article explores the sustainability of donor-supported innovations in the education sector. Accordingly, a case study was conducted of a programme (Primary Reading Programme) implemented in Zambian primary schools which was intended to improve literacy levels. The programme was initially supported by the Department for International Development (DFID). The study found that after the withdrawal of donor support, the programme was poorly sustained with many aspects being drastically altered or discontinued. Variables influencing programme sustainability included project-level factors associated with the programme design, stakeholder ownership/motivation, resource provision, and monitoring and evaluation. Contextual-level factors related to sustainability included school attributes, the country’s socio-economic status and changes in policies. Sustainability was also associated with the negative attitude stakeholders had towards donor-supported innovations (project mentality). A critical finding of this study is that innovations that include inputs and activities that are beyond the socio-economic capacity of the beneficiaries may prove difficult to sustain. Consequently, one of the main recommendations emanating from this research is that innovations should be designed in such a way that they do not include excessive activities or tools, or attempt to deliver benefits, that are beyond the socio-economic capacity of the beneficiaries.