Designing desirable innovations: EERUI's early childhood programme

The DVF Framework—which stands for Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility—is a strategic model that helps organisations assess and refine their initiatives as they scale. It can help organisations reflect on how well innovations align with user needs (desirability), are financially and operationally sustainable (viability), and can be realistically implemented with available resources (feasibility). By balancing these three elements, education organisations can scale effectively while maintaining quality, impact, and long-term success. GSF has integrated the DVF framework into its Impact at Scale Labs – Early Years in Kenya programme, which helps education organisations scale their innovations effectively. 

This case study focuses on EERUI, demonstrating how co-creation with the local community significantly improved their programme's desirability, leading to increased uptake and success. 

Introducing EERUI’s caregiver empowerment programme 

Education Empowerment for Rural and Urban Initiatives (EERUI) supports children aged 0-3 in low-income areas of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. They address critical developmental challenges by empowering caregivers and teachers. The programme offers comprehensive training workshops centred on the Nurturing Care Framework, focusing on responsive caregiving, adequate nutrition, good health, security and safety, and opportunities for early learning. Recognising the integral role of financial stability in improving child development outcomes, EERUI also provides specialised training on economic empowerment, such as how to initiate and manage a sustainable childcare business. By enhancing caregivers' knowledge and practical skills, the programme effectively strengthens young children’s cognitive and socio-emotional development, thereby boosting school readiness and foundational learning capabilities. The programme is designed to equip caregivers with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide nurturing care, focusing on five key areas: responsive caregiving, nutrition, health, safety, and learning. By incorporating economic empowerment training, EERUI addresses the holistic needs of caregivers, recognising that financial stability is integral to a child's development. The programme's impact is measured through improvements in caregiver practices and children's developmental outcomes, contributing to long-term educational success. 

What is desirable? Identifying a delivery model 

EERUI aimed to design a programme that effectively supported caregivers and children across the diverse settings of Uasin Gishu County. They faced two key challenges: identifying the most effective approach to mobilise caregivers and determining the optimal methods to engage them for positive child outcomes. To identify the most effective approach, EERUI tested school-based and community-based models. 

• ECD school-based model: Uses partner schools as hubs for recruitment and sessions. 
• Community-based model: Uses local leaders to reach wider communities. 

EERUI used two success criteria: 

• Child availability: Preschools had few children aged 0-3, making the community-based model more effective. 
• Target group needs: Home and centre-based caregivers needed more support than trained teachers. The community-based model allowed targeted support. 

Data-driven decisions led EERUI to prioritise the community-based approach, also shifting focus to secondary caregivers for wider reach and community benefits. The decision to test two delivery models, school-based and community-based, was driven by the need to identify the most effective way to reach and engage caregivers in Uasin Gishu County. The school-based model offered the advantage of leveraging existing school networks, while the community-based model aimed to reach underserved populations through local leaders. The success criteria, child availability and target group needs, were crucial in guiding EERUI's decision-making process, ensuring that the chosen model aligned with the specific needs of the community. 

Establishing trust, desirability, and continuity 

EERUI understood that continued engagement required high programme desirability. They began by understanding community needs. Faced with hesitation due to fears of government scrutiny, EERUI used a community-driven approach, co-designing training with caregivers. A needs assessment identified crucial training areas, including daycare management and financial sustainability. Tailoring the programme built trust. 

EERUI used community networks to build credibility. Early participants shared positive experiences, and public forums addressed concerns. Ongoing engagement and feedback led to programme adjustments, such as informal, discussion-based sessions. Building trust was essential for EERUI, given the community's initial hesitations. By adopting a participatory approach, EERUI empowered caregivers to co-design the programme, ensuring that it addressed their specific needs and concerns. The use of community networks and public forums further facilitated trust-building, while ongoing engagement and feedback loops allowed for continuous programme refinement. This iterative approach ensured that the programme remained relevant and responsive to the community's evolving needs. 

Looking ahead: next steps for EERUI 

EERUI aims to reach over 3,000 caregivers and support 40,000 children by 2030. They will adopt a social franchising model to expand childcare access and strengthen internal systems for monitoring, evaluation, and finance. EERUI will continue to prioritise community needs, using data for informed decisions, supporting their growth and mission. EERUI's ambitious goal to reach 3,000 caregivers and support 40,000 children by 2030 underscores their commitment to scaling their impact. The adoption of a social franchising model will enable EERUI to expand their reach, while strengthening internal systems will ensure long-term sustainability. By continuing to prioritise community needs and using data-driven decision-making, EERUI will maximise their impact in early childhood development. 

About 

The Impact at Scale Labs by the Global Schools Forum (GSF) supports organisations with promising education solutions to test, adapt, and scale their impact. The Labs provide flexible funding, evidence-based iterative learning approaches, stakeholder engagement opportunities, and scaling support through the GSF network. 

Laterite, a data, research and analytics firm specialising in social impact, was engaged by GSF to provide monitoring and evaluation (M&E) technical support to Lab grantees. Laterite’s expertise includes quantitative and qualitative data collection, research and evaluation design, and capacity building throughout the M&E cycle. 

For the Education Empowerment for Rural and Urban Slums Initiative (EERUI), Laterite provided technical support in designing and implementing a testing study for their education solution. This included identifying testing areas, developing methodologies, creating tools and sampling frameworks, monitoring and cleaning data, conducting analyses, and interpreting findings to refine the solution for greater impact.