Graduation Programming
This page describes the Graduation Approach - a means of sustainably addressing extreme poverty at the household level. The page contains guidance materials and learning documents from Concern's Graduation programming.
Read our 2019 annual report
Concern's objectives, activities and achievements in 2019 can be found in our new annual report.
Read the reportThe Graduation Model and Gender Empowerment research project in Malawi
As part of the implementation of the Graduation Model in Malawi, Concern and TIME (Trinity Impact Evaluation Unit) at Trinity College Dublin are undertaking a high level Randomised Control Trial (RCT) impact evaluation on the Graduation programme.
Photo: Concern Worldwide.
The aim of this research is to better understand the barriers faced by women in escaping poverty. This research project examines whether the gender of the Graduation programme recipient affects female empowerment, household decision-making, food security, and income. Furthermore, the research will look at whether this effect changes when the programme is delivered with a couple’s empowerment training called ‘Transforming Gender & Power Relations’.
The model is designed to address the many challenges of extreme poverty by simultaneously boosting livelihoods and income and providing access to financial services. Since the BRAC pilot in 2002, the Graduation Model has been increasingly seen as a tool to help the ultra-poor break out of poverty. The intervention’s success in Bangladesh led to significant interest among policymakers worldwide.
Download Resources
Measuring Graduation - A Guidance Note|PDF(1 MB)
In 2018, a study was undertaken to look at the impacts that Cyclone Idai had on households enrolled in the graduation programme in Malawi. For more information and study findings please go to: Impact of Cyclone Idai
