A success case method evaluation of the effectiveness of the implementation of the HIV and AIDS management at schools in the Tshwane South district

Abstract

The intention of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of the HIV and AIDS management at schools in the Tshwane South District. The rationale was based on the gap in research regarding evaluation of the implementation of intervention programmes at schools, especially the management and leadership intervention strategies. The Foundation for Professional Development (FPD), a South African Medical Association self-funding education provider in the health sector, had conducted a training intervention with the members of the School Management Teams (SMT) of the Tshwane South District schools. The application of the skills, knowledge and attitudes gained through this training was the main focus for evaluation. For that reason, the Success Case Method (SCM), an innovative programme evaluation design, was used. The first phase of the SCM involved using a short questionnaire to identify appropriate participants for the second phase, which involved in-depth telephone interviews as directed by the SCM. The second phase also involved probing, understanding and documenting the successes, thus allowing an evaluation of the findings. The findings of the study indicate that some SMTs are actually implementing the skills, knowledge and attitudes gained in the FPD training with success, albeit with differing levels of effectiveness. It was also found that there are unsuccessful SMTs that are not implementing or are unable to implement their learning from the FPD training. There were various reasons for both the successes and non-successes. These included matters pertaining to conflicting directions, policy guidelines, commitment, empathy and attitude of the SMTs in understanding circumstances related to people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS, teamwork, reporting systems, the duration of the training workshop and pace of learning of SMTs members, marketing collaterals, workforce availability and availability or lack of time for implementing the HIV and AIDS programme. The recommendations include the provision of follow-up and material support to schools, including the formation of HIV and AIDS management forums and networks. Recommendations are also made to the FPD for enhancing and sustaining the training and implementation. Further recommendations are proffered to the Department of Education regarding activities for directed and needs-based support for schools. The study contributes to the practice of HIV and AIDS management in that it produced an evaluation report on the implementation of HIV and AIDS management at schools. This should be useful to practitioners at school, community and departmental levels regarding the status of HIV and AIDS management at schools. The study also contributes to the theory of intervention programmes using the Success Case Method in education, which is a novel, user-friendly and easy-to-use method of evaluation.