Mid-Term Evaluation Report Mozambique

Background:
In 2004, NPA’s strategy in Mozambique shifted from service provision to working in partnership with local organizations. The shift was in line with NPA`s international strategy which aimed to strengthen the civil society through development of partners’ organizations, promoting gender equality, control over land and natural resources, democracy and participation.

Purpose/objective: Verify to which extent/level (point) NPA is equipped for efficient planning and implementing its development program with partners including expected results formulated in its strategy for Mozambique.

Methodology: Review regional and international strategic documentations, quarterly and annual partners’ reports and other relevant documents. Discuss with NPA`s program managers. Elaborate structured and semi-structured questionnaire taking in account aspects of efficacy, efficiency, impact and sustainability of actions implemented by the program. Visit all NPA partners as way of verifying the level of activities implementation and identify gaps. Visit beneficiaries of partner organizations as a way of identifying the improvement of living conditions of local communities as result of the program. Discuss the findings with NPA management in Maputo, including aspects on financial management; list the recommendations on how to improve program management. 

Key findings:
• The program is in accordance with the socio-economic context as it works to strengthen the institutional capacity of fragile civil society organizations. NPA partners’ work for community land and resources rights contribute to reduce land conflicts, however there are still gaps regarding the integration of gender, hiv/aids and environment aspects.
• The management team puts efforts into follow up partners, but the office has limited capacity and this affects the quality of the follow up.
• Partners’ financial management capacity varies. Partner audits are not done in accordance with a common and standardized ToR. NPA should coordinate /harmonize with other donors.
• Introduction of and focus on result based planning, monitoring and evaluation has enabled the program to verify and monitor progress according to indicators and short, medium and long term results. The introduction of standardized reporting format helps partners’ organizations to inform systematically on the activity level.
• The program contributes to the sustainability of partners’ organizations. Some partners are now able to develop own projects and to obtain funds from other donors and/or the government, and there is local ownership. Organizational development has provided partners with tools and systems that are useful to them. The application of the training programme Women Can Do It (WCDI) contributes to women’s self-confidence, trains women in the rules of political work and organization, and enables them to express their opinions in public and to take part in decision making processes.
• Joint, annual meetings with partners are among the values added by the program, providing space for joint learning and exchange of experience between partners.
• It is a weakness that the partners’ activities in the area of service provision to its members/communities are not coherent and lacking in strategic planning.

Recommendations:
The evaluation recommends NPA to revisit EO staffing requirements and add one monitoring officer and one financial manager.

NPA should continue prioritizing institutional development activities and a result based approach, and provide partners with financial and administrative management manual.

For better use of human and financial resources and get tangible results it is recommended that NPA defines thematic and geographic areas, mainly where it is recognized and where has more experience that can be an added value to development of the country.  The linkage to land, natural resources and crosscutting issues (areas) are must continue to be prioritized. Establishing partnership with government and forum of donors to harmonize and avoid double funding should contribute for better and more careful use of funds and human resources. 

Partners should elaborate or revise their strategic plans in order to improve their activity plans, and should revisit their internal monitoring plans and document their experiences.  The partners should or must be linked into government structures for example extension services (agriculture) or other service providers, including academic institutions that can help or support in capacity building of the partners beneficiaries. This will help to fit the partners’ activities in government sector annual plans, in identification of good markets as well as improving its value chain.

Comments from the organisation, if any: 
NPA downsized the EO office following a cost, competence and capacity assessment, including type and number of partners and support available from the regional office in Johannesburg. NPA agrees that EO follow up of partners’ financial management should be strengthened and has recruited an accountant who is based in Maputo. ToR for the work of the accountant in reference to partners’ financial management capacity and audit issues is in process and coordination meetings with other donors take place. It is NPA’s policy that monitoring and evaluation competence should not be separated from, but be an integrated part of program staff’s dialogue with partners. Political challenges faced by partners require that NPA revisits its added value to partners, and hence type of staff competence needed. NPA intends to increase the country program budget for the next period, focusing on strengthening partnership with social organizations for people’s participation, just land and resource distribution and gender equality. Partners liaise or establish partnership with the authorities. Most partners have – or are in the process of drafting gender and hiv/aids policies. Partners who are social organizations represent peasants, and sustainable environment is an integrated part of their concerns and aims.