Adapting in Action – Early Grade Reading to Education in Crisis and Conflict in Ethiopia

Ethiopia READ II ("Activity" and "READ II") is a USAID-funded Basic Education Activity running from January 2018 to October 2023 and implemented by a team led by Creative Associates International, Inc. Originally designed as an Early Grade Reading (EGR) educational Activity, READ II rapidly evolved after the onset of COVID-19, and later, due to the extended war in Northern Ethiopia, into an Education in Crisis and Conflict (EiCC) intervention supporting primary school students in the conflict-affected areas of Amhara, Afar, and Tigray.

The rapid change process, captured through six pivots and fifteen cooperative agreement modifications, relied on the Activity’s Collaboration, Learning and Adapting (CLA) approach for the project to stay relevant and effective. The following are some reflections from READ II’s CLA application and its resilient and adaptive programming which truly reveals the development-humanitarian nexus:

• The frequent and timely adapting to changes created an opportunity for the team to ask harder questions like “What does success looks like for READ II?” at each change point/pivot, requiring a redefinition of “success” for the Activity. READ II repeatedly revised its results framework and key indicator set to align with the changes.
• Establishment of strong camaraderie and common focus among the staff, stakeholders, and USAID.
• Documented and utilized learning about the development-humanitarian nexus and working in a dynamic and non-permissive environment for continuous improvement and future programming.
• Success in demonstrating that EiCC has a rightful place as a life-sustaining endeavor in emergency and conflict situations.