The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), with support from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and in collaboration with the Pacific Centre for Flexible and Open Learning for Development (PACFOLD) at the University of the South Pacific (USP), has launched the final evaluation of the Partnership for Open, Distance and Flexible Learning in the Pacific project. Since November 2020, this activity has sought to increase access to learning and to build the capacities of teachers and officials in offering and managing open, distance and flexible learning (ODFL) across nine Pacific Island countries that are members of the Commonwealth.

The evaluation will assess the project’s efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, and sustainability, particularly to gender equality and resilient development outcomes. In addition to examining the project’s overall impact, the evaluation will generate insights into how well it has strengthened national education and training systems in adopting ODFL, particularly in response to external shocks such as Covid-19-related disruptions.

MFAT’s support has been instrumental in sustaining the partnership model that underpins this project. The evaluation will also assess the effectiveness of this approach in fostering institutional ownership and long-term sustainability.

Findings from the evaluation will inform future strategies to expand access to ODFL in the Pacific and strengthen policy frameworks for its adoption. Proposals for conducting the evaluation are due by 10 March 2025.

Further details are available at https://www.col.org/request-for-proposal.