Mid-term evaluation – Implementation of Norad Programme, Zimbabwe Country Programme 2016-2019

Purpose/objective

The mid-term evaluation (MTE) aims to find current performance (2016-2018) against the expected level of the strategic program 2016 – 2019 in a consultative process. The MTE will assess and document achieved outputs, outcomes, impacts, challenges, highlight lessons learnt and make clear concrete recommendations to NPA with regards to the country program and partners.

Methodology

The MTE methods included desk/documentation review and analysis, data verification, planned activities versus achieved outputs. The consultant conducted key informant in-depth interviews with all NPA staff and partners, with a focus on leadership, programme and finance management.

The key informant tool was embedded with Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Challenges, Threats/Constraints (SWOT/C) questions. In addition, an Organisational Capacity Assessment selfadministered tool to assess partners’ capacities. Field site visits were conducted to 5 partners to administer Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with selected partners’ beneficiaries who included women, men and youth.

Key findings

Regarding ‘effectiveness’ the NPA programme has met and is on course to meet its goal as stated in the Country Strategy 2016-2019 based on the attainment of NPA programme objectives and goal. The set Results Based Framework targets and partner’s targets as set in their proposal were achieved at outcome and outcome levels (Efficiency).

The overall programme supports and financial management of the programme was noted to be efficient. The participation of youths and women was lower notably civic affairs but high youth participation noted in the Magamba Network programme. High levels of women’s participation were noted in Wadzanai, WLZ WLSA and ZCIEA programmes. ZESN efforts contributed to the high turn-out in the 2018 national elections.

Significant efforts were noted and policy advocacy by CHRA, to include social accountability and anti-corruption efforts by TIZ and policy implementation by WLZ and Wadzanai. CiZC and ZimRights made significant differences in highlighting human rights violations including labour rights of sugar cane workers and formalising artisanal miners. Partners contribution and efforts to the The NPA Zimbabwe development goal is; ‘organised communities in Zimbabwe claim their rights to equal access to resources’ is on course and set to be achieved.

Recommendations to Country Office

• The continued deterioration of human rights with increased arbitrary arrests of vendors, political and democracy activists suggests more support to CSOs in Zimbabwe, implying a scale up of the NPA country programme in the next funding cycle.
• Current NPA Zimbabwe role and operations and standard qualify for regional status and for cost efficiency for the Zimbabwe programme
• NPA and partners explore strengthen M &E, resource mobilisation, communication strategies and capacities with partners and improved governance and responsiveness to action points raised in organisational development assessment, capacity assessment and audit reports
• NPA should also consider funding co- administration costs and not only fund programmes where applicable.
• NPA and partners’ program staff and finance recommended mid- year, joint planning and implementation participation in work planning and budgeting, reconciling the implementation plan and budget. NPA therefore to consider partners requests in accessing flexible funds where possible in responding to the ever changing political and economic contexts. This in view of the continued inflationary trends and loss of value of the local bond note and electronic money transfers against the US$ has led to price increase affecting some partner activities, requiring some fiscal or accounting intervention on budget cost lines.
• NPA to consider funding in addition to the current partners, partner ‘like-minded’ coalitions or networks for partners with overlapping mandates and approaches. Partner coalitions as they tend to be more effective and cost effective albeit with their power dynamics and coordination challenges.
• ZimRights recommends “Merging issues of social and economic justice with issues of civil and political rights”.
• ZESN recommended that funding should not dry up after elections because the postelection phase is part of the on-going election cycle and need to start engaging early with partners in the next electoral cycle.
• The key informants recommended the need to increase dialogues with high level stakeholders with both politicians and senior bureaucrats had the positive effect and relevance of the media engagements noted points to the need to increase the number of media engagements.
• Partners recommended conflict resolution and peace-building programmes to promote healing in the aftermath of widely-disputed elections which have left the communities disgruntled and hurt after every election.

Recommendations: Monitoring and Evaluation

• NPA Baseline survey data should collect data linked to partner’s key intervention areas to feed into the Result Based Framework for easy of periodic reporting, for comparison with MTE and related summative evaluations.
• After concept paper is approved some partners require technical support in aligning their proposal and logical frameworks with NPA requirements for consistent and comprehensive M & E reporting aligned to Results Based Framework.
• The need to have reference data points i.e. numbers for RBF at the various levels e.g. B. Outcome level and related B.I for Outcome related indicators for systematic reporting and tracking of activities and RBF and indicator definitions to be shared with partners during inception of next phase
• To review the current NPA Results Based framework from the current 4 years to 5 years