The Norwegian Peoples Aid Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the Implementation of the Regional Program in South Africa (2016-2019)

Background

Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the Implementation of the Regional Program in South Africa (2016-
2019), which is financed under the NPA Cooperation Agreement with Norad 2016-2019, GLO
0613 QZA 15/0443

Purpose/objective

The MTR sought to (i) establish the implementation status of the program at the end of 2017
regarding Norad result areas, (ii) assess the program structure, setup and NPA’s added value as
it relates to effectiveness in achieving results, and (iii) review the existing monitoring and
evaluation (M&E) tools and propose changes to improve the framework and tools.

Methodology

The methods were key informant interviews with NPA staff and partners, focus group discussion
with partners, and field visit to beneficiaries, as well as document review.

Key findings

1. The Regional Program Southern Africa (RPSA) is a strategic, needed, and valued intervention, which the NPA has so far piloted with success.
2. The majority of NPA stakeholders are clear on what the program seeks to achieve at a conceptual level, although they percieve, interpret and articulate its design and structure differently.
3. the RPSA is well heeled in context, tackling critical issues of (re)distribution of economic and political power, based on a deep analysis that is both contextual, historical and strategic.
4. The RPSA aptly contributes to the NPA’s vision and strategy in the Southern Africa Region and globally.
5. The Regional Program’s results framework makes theoretical sense. It is clearly articulatedregarding desired effects and their observable implications (targets and indicators for outputand outcome areas)
6. The RPSA is an effective program, performing at optimal levels and is well on course to
   achieving the bulk of the results set out in the strategy. 12,5% and 62,5% of the indicators
   tracked under the RPSA are performing at optimum, while 18,75% and 6,25% are in danger
   of performing at sub-optimal levels.
7. The RPSA’s laudable performance is a function of various factors including:
   a. effective and adaptive program management,
   b. dynamic design and set up of the program unrestricted by dogmatic strictures of a
   linear design,
   c. partners commitment to achieving tangible results, and,
   d. the NPA’s efforts at adding value to its partners through technical, formal and
   informal capacity building.

Recommendations

1. The NPA must preserve the regional program, and work towards alignment of perspectives and clarity on structure and design.
2. The NPA Regional Program should facilitate the accommodation of increased demand for Regional cooperation from its partners, and ensure greater involvement of the Mozambique program.
3. The NPA is advised to calendar and institute a participatory planning process that more fully reflects on the Regional Program/RPSA design to inform follow-on strategy (beyond 2019). The process must subject the Regional Program design and implementation to a fuller assessment to facilitate change and improvement based on suggestions from Figure 6 and Box 2, as well as engendering the program more and bringing on board some missing but critical and strategic sectors like youth.
4. The NPA must in build more engagement amongst partners and across the NPA country programs, taking cognisance of language barriers and contextual sensitivities to allow for information and competence sharing as well as to enhance collective responsibility, leadership and ownership of the Regional Program.
5. The Regional Program must continue to ground itself and allied interventions in context, allowing interventions to be informed by local manifestations of the trends and dynamics noted as regional concerns in the context analysis. This will assist the regional strategy to be emergent and dynamic, not fixed and stationary.