PROJECT MID TERM EVALUATION – Environmental Protection, Food Security and Economic Strengthening (EPFOSE) Project

Background

The Salvation Army Uganda (TSA UGA) is implementing a five-year Environmental Protection, Food security and nutrition and Economic strengthening project, funded by Norad through Digni and TSA Norway, in Manafwa district Uganda. The project contributes to protection of the environment and empowering the communities to be food secure and economically well in the six sub counties in Manafwa district.

The long-term goal of this project is to lay the ground work for long term protection of the areas surrounding Mt Elgon National park and its ranges. The purpose of the project is to develop and test effective measures for the reduction of the root causes of biodiversity degradation; the elicit use of the protected resources by the subsistence population.

This will be achieved through pilot activities to raise income in the sub-counties along the slopes of the mountain by supporting environmentally sound district planning. This will also further be achieved through the promotion of food secure community through the provision of inputs that support sustainable agriculture, nutrition and enhance livelihoods while adapting to climate change and conserving natural resources and environmental services.

The project seeks to assist the district to establish the basic conditions for long term
protected area integrity by implementing environmentally sound and economically
sustainable land use systems in the six sub-counties in the district by end of 2018. It aims to improve the capacity of 6000 farming households in the six sub-counties of Manafwa and surrounding areas to apply appropriate technologies to increase on food security and nutrition in their communities by end of 2018. Furthermore, the project will also initiate pilot economic activities to increase income of 6000 households in the six sub-counties adjacent to Mt Elgon National park by end of 2018.

Purpose/objective

The main purpose of this project evaluation is to examine project impact, by examining level of achievement of project goal and outcomes, to establish project relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and document lessons learned. The evaluation should also provide recommendations for improvement of the project, should there be a possibility for an extension following the end of the current project period.

The Specific objectives of the of project evaluation include;

1. Assess the relevance and appropriateness of project design/strategies.
2. Assess project effectiveness in achieving project outcomes?
3. Assess project efficiency in delivering project results?
4. Examine the progress towards achievement of EPFOSE Project objectives (impact).
5. Assess sustainability of project results and outcomes
6. Document lessons learned (what worked? what didn’t?) from the entire project cycle.
7. Recommendations for future project implementation.

Methodology

The midterm evaluation team used quantitative and qualitative approaches of social
investigation applied in a framework consisting of cross sectional, descriptive and case study research designs.

For the quantitative component, structured interviews using interviewer administered questionnaires were conducted with a sample of household beneficiaries. For the qualitative part, participatory approaches were employed using selected methods especially Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews, gender analysis, case studies and observations for extensive consultations with all stake holders.
This mixed method approach was particularly important because it helped to capture programmatic challenges that have been encountered and how they have been addressed to reach the expected outcomes. This approach was also equally important since the programme used different intervention strategies and the beneficiaries are heterogeneous.