The fourth APSTAR evaluation report

This evaluation aims to provide a review of the Applied Population Studies Training (APSTAR) programme to ascertain the extent to which it is achieving its objective of addressing the limited institutional and technical capacity for demographic analysis in the context of South Africa. The employees and students of APSTAR were interviewed to establish the corrective measures put into place to address the issues highlighted in previous evaluation reports whilst also identifying any other gaps that may be present within the program. From previous reports, the main criticisms of the program were the lack of synergy between modules; repetition of information between modules; and the subjectivity of the program content by the facilitator. APSTAR has corrected these issues by hosting a workshop in collaboration with the United Nations to create synergy without repetition and to draw up templates for modules to ensure uniformity. Along with the evaluation of various source documents and interviews with programme stakeholders, this review highlights the basic structure, management, administration and accreditation of the programme. It also provides an overview of the marketing for APSTAR and the criteria for selection of students and facilitators. This report confirms that APSTAR is a successful programme, which has made great strides in integrating population issues into development in South Africa. This is evidenced by an overwhelming positive response obtained from a number of current and former students coupled with the response from employers of APSTAR graduates. Students have emphasised the excellent tuition offered by APSTAR while employers mentioned the improved productivity they received from graduates.