Citizen led Learning Assessment (2013-2018)
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Uwezo, a Suwahili word meaning Citizen-led Learning Assessment (CLA), is an initiative to improve competencies in literacy and numeracy among children in basic schools. This is done through an innovative citizen-driven and public accountability approach to social change. The assessment enables policy makers as well as ordinary citizens – parents, students, local communities and the public at large – to become aware of actual levels of children’s literacy and numeracy, and build on that awareness to stimulate practical community and policy level discourse for improvements in quality education delivery. CLA is meant to result in increased information, awareness and ultimately the needed pressure for wider public policy debates in the media and encourage citizens and governments to improve the quality of education by focusing more on learning outcomes.

The CLA concept utilises expertise and capabilities from relevant institutions in its methodology and processes with the view to ensure credibility in outcomes for general public acceptability. Choice Ghana thus worked closely with various key stakeholders of governmental and non-governmental institutions such as the Universities namely, University of Cape Coast-Centre for Educational Research, Evaluation and Development and University for Development Studies-Faculty of Education, Ghana Statistical Service, Ibis Ghana, Savana Signatures, Northern Network for Education Development, CALID, Tamale College of Education, Northern Regional Education Office, Curriculum Research and Development Division (CRDD), School for Life, GILLBT and a host of other organizations.

The innovation sought to rely on independent Civil Society and public institutions to design standard test instruments to test or measure the actual learning levels of children in basic schools to answer the question: our children go to school every day, are they learning? The entire methodological approach uses basic research procedure involving survey tool or questionnaire, sampling methods, pre-testing, data gathering, data analysis, report writing and publication.

This model was successfully implemented in the Kpandai district and it perfectly combined with the innovation of networking SMCs project for a bigger voice. CLA thus provided the evidence on actual children’s learning for SMC networks to use for engagement. By dint of the methodology employed in carrying out the research, both professionals and academics could not water down the evidence on learning outcomes but were compelled to accept the results and work on improvement. The data or evidence generated are used to engage key stakeholders including policy makers on different platforms to influence quality learning outcomesand the desired policy change.
The maiden name adopted for Citizen Led Assessment in Ghana is SCALE-Ghana; which means Strengthening Citizen Action for Learning and Empowerment in Ghana. It refers to an educational assessment model used to measure competencies of children in numeracy and literacy. It is therefore a measure of the effectiveness of Ghana’s education system in building the foundation skills related to numeracy and literacy of children in the early grades.

Choice Ghana seek to empower communities to be capable of accessing opportunities for a better life.