Purpose:
Research Methods International is conducting a landmark, independent impact evaluation of Plan International Zimbabwe’s work spanning nearly four decades (1986–2025). The evaluation aims to generate robust, longitudinal evidence on the cumulative and intergenerational impacts of Plan’s programming in advancing child rights, gender equality, and community resilience across Zimbabwe.

The study assesses how Plan’s evolving interventions—across education, child protection, gender equality, SRHR, WASH, youth economic empowerment, humanitarian response, and systems strengthening—have contributed to sustained social change over time, and how these contributions interacted with Zimbabwe’s shifting socio-economic and policy contexts.

Scope and Approach:

The evaluation applies a rigorous theory-based, mixed-methods and contribution analysis approach, combining:

• Retrospective household surveys with life-history calendars to reconstruct long-term outcomes;
• Qualitative life-history interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews with beneficiaries, former sponsored children, community leaders, government officials, and past and present Plan staff;
• Historical reconstruction and desk review of programme documentation from 1986 to 2025; and
• Process tracing to assess Plan International Zimbabwe’s contribution to systems-level and policy change.

Mutare District serves as the primary site for in-depth intergenerational analysis, complemented by national-level assessment of systems and policy influence. The evaluation is guided by OECD-DAC criteria, with a strong Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) lens.

Status:
Ongoing. The inception phase was completed in November 2025, and primary data collection and analysis are currently underway. The evaluation will culminate in a validated impact report and strategic recommendations to inform Plan International Zimbabwe’s next Country Strategy (2025–2029).