South Africa Program Mid-term Evaluation

Background:
NPA has been working in South Africa since 1992. During 2004-2007 it shifted to focus on prioritised thematic human rights issues, including violence against women. The programme 2008-2011 was developed to reflect and understanding of South Africa being a new and fragile democracy, and that an active and critical civil society is a prerequisit to building a sustainable democracy.

Purpose/objective:
The MTE is to be a learning process and an opportunity for the NPA in South Africa team to view achievements and reflect on the strength and weaknesses of the program with the purpose to strategize and improve the programme. The MTE shall prioritize and focus on the strengths and the substantial, critical and difficult aspects of the program, hence how many partners, type and relevancy of the partners, their agendas and NPA’s role and relations with partners.

Methodology:
The approach was participatory and included: an extensive desktop analysis, questionnaires to EO and selected HO staff, analysis of responses, interviews with EO staff, the Head of International Department at HO, interviews with partners, focus group meetings with community based partners and social organizations, observed operations in the EO office and during field visits, workshops with partners to present findings and regular discussions with the Regional Director and the Programme Manager. There is an overlap between the evaluation reports for the South Africa and Southern Africa Regional programmes.

Key findings:
The period under review is seen in the context of this period being a foundation phase for the programme to re-orientate and reorganise itself to be in congruence with the international strategy and the regional programme.

The programme’s selected partners give expression to its result frame.  Significant progress has been made with regard to meeting the goals, target groups and results as set out in the plans. The programme has provided an empowering gender resource tool and has also included the youth.  It has also made tremendous gains in building collective organisations in order to bring change.

The work under this as well as in the other programs in the region has a strong emphasis on community based organisations and established NGO‘s who work closely with CBO‘s and social movements. This type of work is much more demanding than working with established NGO‘s. Generally there is a sound understanding on the part of staff on the nature of this sector and the conditions and challenges that confronts organisations on the ground.

There is a sound relationship with partners. It is open with the ability and freedom for criticism.

The review affirms the centrality of Organizational Development as a tool to build relevant, effective, efficient, sustainable and resilient civil society organisations, especially community based organisations and social movements. There is insufficient clarity on the OD in the region, however, the consultant notes that the issue is being addressed.

Recommendations:
NPA should examine South Africa’s role on the continent and the region and stress the imperative of building resilient collective organizations. It should:
• Find and/or continue to work with regional partners who have the capacity to meet the requirements and criteria necessary for effective regional partners.
• Continue to give effect to the focus on land, women and land, and youth;
• In cooperation with HO refine/define a clearer concept of OD;
• Formulate a development plan and programme of support for Women Can Do It (WCDI) over the next strategy period with clearer results.
• Examine how it can adapt the Result Based Management approach to be more appropriate to the needs, challenges and critical issues that confront partners.
• There should be clear roles for each staff members.
• Enable longer term funding; enable partners to plan over a longer period of time and speed up the process of proposal finalization;
• Clarify roles and develop a stronger organizational culture in NPA

Comments from the organisation, if any:
The evaluation has been a useful learning process.