Mid-Term Evaluation Report on the Organizational Development Project

Background

With a vision to support all disabled persons in Bhutan to attain their highest level of education, physical and psychological well being, and enable them to participate meaningfully in the socio-economic development of the country, Disabled Persons Association of Bhutan” (DPAB) was founded by a group of disabled people and registered as a Civil Society Organization in Bhutan on the 26th November, 2010. Four years after the organizational inception, DPAB was granted support for a 5-year Organizational Development Project (2014-2018) by Digni. This project is now in its third year and has undertaken a mid-term evaluation to review status and performance of the implemented program. 

DPAB operates under a Board of Trustees, an Executive Committee, an Advisory Board and an Administration led by the Executive Director to oversee the day-to-day functions. With its limited resources of only 4 full time employees, DPAB has put up number of events to raise awareness on the needs of the disabled, supported disabled to pursue school education. DPAB has also participated in international forums, workshop, meetings and annual observation of international days. In this project period DPAB has initiated collaboration with government stakeholders and other relevant Civil Society Organizations like “Draktsho” and “Ability Bhutan Society’’, and conducted a national registration survey of People Living with Disabilities (PWD’s) in Bhutan.

Purpose of DPAB:

1. To strengthen the DPAB as a sustainable organization for capacity building and resources
2. To improve the quality of life and living conditions of the disabled persons
3. To raise awareness and advocate for the rights of disabled persons in Bhutan
4. To enhance education and capacity of disabled persons
5. To facilitate communication, coordination and collaboration with relevant organizations within and outside the country

Purpose/objective

1. To create a learning process that will bring out valuable information for the DPAB to improve effectiveness of future strategies and programs.
2. To assess the status of performance and achievements of program implementation compared to the selected project targets and stated development goal.
3. To develop the organizational capacities of DPAB by gaining an understanding of its current strengths and challenges
4. To assess what the project has achieved against agreed outputs and to guide the remainder of the project in terms of its focus, direction and staffing within the current policy.

Methodology

The evaluation was carried out within a period of 30 days in September and October 2016. Evaluation was done using following methods:

1. Desk review of relevant documents such as reports, publications, project documents, annual work plans, progress reports, annual reports, minutes of the meetings, and website.
2. Discussion with the Project Manager, DPAB Management, and Executive Committee.
3. Interviews with selected project beneficiaries.  

Key findings

1. To some extent, the project has achieved the results effectively and the data collected on the selected indicators are closely in line with the project outcomes and outputs. As such, the indicators and evidences prove to verify the progressing organizational performance of DPAB. However, owing to constraints of budget, HR and other resources, DPABs total achievement of the project goal and objectives by the end of the project period (2018) is questionable, and the organization must secure continued collaboration and donor support.
2. DPAB has the potential to become an apex Disabled Peoples Organization (DPO) in the country, as DPAB is supplementing and supporting the Government in its pursuit of disability inclusion, empowerment and accessibility. DPAB is linked up with DPOs such as Ability Bhutan (ABS), Draktso Vocational Centre. Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour & Human Resources, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And have done a nationwide registration of People with disabilities (4451 people), which will guide decision makers and stakeholders during policy formulation and interventions. Education has been supported to 40 PWD students.
3. DPAB have appointed Focal persons in 20 districts and have been organizing consultative meetings and workshops to the focal persons whose main responsibility is to advocate DPAB programs to the local leaders during the district level conferences.
4. Although DPAB follows the Financial Rules of the Kingdom of Bhutan, it does not have proper accounts personnel and accounting system of software in place. The financial transactions and records are made in MS Excel Sheet which is very crude and not reliable.
5. There is a need for a full time, qualified accountant for DPAB to be a trustworthy organisation responsible to the donors.
6. A full time counsellor is needed to meet the need for following up the requirement from PWDs.
7. DPAB’s lack of its own office facility is a financial burden which on the contrary could have been a resource through income from house rent.
8. DPAB also lacks a designated office vehicle which affects the daily administrative works and registration of PWDs.

Recommendations

1. The financial sustainability is a major issue which DPAB needs to give proper attention. 
2. The project goal and objectives by the end of the project period (2018) is questionable and the organization must secure continued collaboration and donor support.
3. It would benefit DPAB get or build its own office and conference facility.
4. Personnel to fulfil DPAB’s obligations for the accounting and counselling work needs to be upgraded to a professional standard.
5. A determined plan for how to meet the need and fulfil the resources of the PWDs in the rural areas is needed.
6. DPAB needs to upgrade the accounting system from MS Excel into a fully digital customized accounting system. As such, DPAB must preferably secure the TALLY System for an efficient accounting and reporting system.
7. It is recommended that DPAB must propose for an independent office vehicle to achieve the objectives of its Strategic Plan.
8. Since DPAB works closely with the partner agencies it is a need to emphasize the importance of making MoU with the relevant agencies for mutual benefit and to coherently demarcate the boundaries of working collaboratively.

Comments from the organisation

After the mid-term evaluation was finished DPAB started using the TALLY system as the accounting system for the organization.