Complementary Performance Evaluation of the Integrated Development Plan for the Inter-Andean Valleys Area 5 – Sorata

Background

The Inter-Andean Valleys Comprehensive Development Plan (PDIVI), after 15 years of work (2000 – 2014), finishes its activities in five cantons of Combaya, Sorata, and Quiabaya municipalities – Larecaja Province, La Paz Department. The intervention area reaches 630 Km2, with a population of 23,500 inhabitants of Aymara origin. It has an annual budget of USD 620,000.00, funded by MANB and local contributions, benefiting yearly to 15,000 people average. In this context, PDIVI Final Evaluation is conducted to determine its contribution to quality of life, looking into 2008 – 2013 period in Sorata and Quiabaya municipalities.

Purpose/objective

Determine the degree of fulfilment of the expected results of the Integrated Development Plan for the Inter-Andean Valleys 2008-2012, and assess the performance of the Closure Plan 2013-2014, based on the findings and recommendations of the mid-term evaluation of PDIVI-2 carried out in 2012, in the municipalities of Sorata and Quiabaya.

Methodology

This evaluation adopted a participatory approach that encouraged the active participation of the different stakeholders who had some degree of involvement in implementing the PDIVI. A field work was carried out from 9 to 12 February and four teams visited a total of 10 communities. The evaluation was based on a systematic and objective process, the purpose of which was to determine the relevance of the work carried out by the project, the results achieved in relation to the stated and implicit objectives, and the sustainability of these results. The evaluation also aimed to identify unforeseen changes that were brought about or collateral impacts. The methodology called the “Most Significant Change” was therefore used. Building on this theoretical basis, the methodology designed included the use of qualitative and quantitative research techniques, seeking to identify the particular features of the Plan’s implementation and reaching a deeper understanding of it.

Key findings

CONCLUSIONS

Pertinence and relevance:

• The design and implementation of the PDIVI programs: human development, economic development, and diaconal development have given an efficient answer to the local and social problematic. Their link with the Municipal Development Plan presents an alignment to policies stated in the National Development Plan.
• MANB’s intervention strategy contributed to projects management since local organizations and target population got involved in their design and implementation. In all visited communities, the population stated that projects met their needs and that prioritization was conducted in a participatory manner.

Effectiveness:

• Facilitation delivered by staff enhanced community role and participation in local development processes; women participation contributed to change their condition and status at community level.
• MANB could not consolidate an information system for the generation of operations, management, and executive reports, being this a structural problem in the planning and monitoring area. Monitoring and evaluation are hindered by the lack of an appropriate baseline, making it difficult to show the real impact achieved by the PDIVI.
• In almost all years, operations programming exceeded planned budget, with the exception of 2013 where 93% performance was achieved. On average, throughout the period under analysis (2009-2014), budget implementation reached 109% as for operations programming.

Effectiveness:

• It was found that PDIVI objectives contributed to improve the quality of life. Improvements on basic sanitation infrastructure and community awareness on education and health allowed improving the quality and access to these services. Leaders’ participation in the management of projects fostered community demand for accountability, being this important for development self-management.
• In general terms, family income increase results from changing rain-fed to irrigation agriculture (20 to 30% increase). Mainly, family income depends on the improvement of their production system - supported by MANB’s implemented projects; however, not all families achieved the same income increase. Raising awareness activities were done to promote reforestation in the municipality; nonetheless, environmental problems need long-term comprehensive actions.

Sustainability:

• It was found that the population has internalized and developed concepts, capacities, and dexterities that permit them prioritize their demand for future projects. What’s more, Municipal Governments established and used mechanisms to support community requested projects.
• Having used a participatory management approach for projects’ implementation contributed to appropriation, generating sound conditions for sustainability. Sustainability Strategic Plans have become an important initiative to generate the necessary conditions for projects’ sustainability.

Recommendations:

•  It is urgent to implement a monitoring and follow-up system to evaluate achievements, allowing – as well – the flow of qualitative and quantitative information between institutional levels.
• It is necessary to have baselines to measure impact or changes generated by projects, such baselines shall be considered for submitting follow-up, monitoring, and evaluation reports.
• Local economic development processes shall include investment for feasible and profitable activities (contributing to local economy energizing).
• It is important that future actions follow a value chain approach, contributing not only to improve produce, but also considering market orientation and trade agreements. 
• In order to have a deeper understanding of women empowerment – resulting from their inclusion and broader participation in economic-productive activities – it would be interesting to conduct a study to determine the use of generated economic resources, getting as well an idea of their perception of such resources (are these own or family resources?).

Lessons learnt

• Mainstreaming diaconal values and topics allowed having a solidarity, efficiency, and transparency environment for projects implementation.
• It is important to achieve an agreement with all community members about projects, considering matches percentage and modalities, as well as conditions for admitting new users; this to avoid discomfort and misinterpretations.
• Having community endorsement – showed in a General Assembly – is important to obtain co-funding from the Municipal Government for the implementation of projects.
• When opening new intervention areas, it is important that involved technicians participate from the whole process, including planning and design of follow-up tools and activities monitoring (e.g. indicators establishment).