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Alemaya University
Regional Programme to Strengthen Managing for Impact (SMIP) in Eastern and Southern Africa
M&E as Learning – rethinking the dominant Paradigm
Alemaya University
How have we done? Despite large amounts of aid the development
record is very patchy (cf Asia) Meta-analysis of IFAD/WB projects reveals that
we are repeating mistakes eg FTCs in Ethiopia Development is still heavily donor-driven Although there are some good examples….. We cannot continue to do business as usual
Alemaya University
Current trends in development
Need to be able to demonstrate impact - convince donors that worthwhile results are being achieved
Similarly, increasing pressure for donors to justify investment
This means a need to combine technical solutions with social and institutional change - Participation and empowerment
Need for a flexible process approach to development where implementing partners and beneficiaries (primary stakeholders) learn together
Alemaya University
What is impact? Impact on livelihoods, policies, institutions
and processes
“The changes in the lives of rural people, as perceived by them and their partners, plus sustainability enhancing change in their environment to which the project has contributed”
Alemaya University
Barriers to impact1. Analysis of situation inadequate and driven by external forces2. The ways organizations operate and the institutional context top-
down and leads to lack of participation and ownership3. Projects and programmes not adaptive to changing situations4. Catastrophes (shocks and stressors) undermine current situations5. Lack of proven and effective service delivery models at local level6. Lack of sufficient and quality human resources7. Lack of organizations working together in effective partnerships8. Power and vested interests influence the development agenda9. Non-enabling institutional framework10. Alternative conflicting development paradigms
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Alternative paradigm for M&E being outlined presupposes that M&E system fulfils the following purposes:
Accountability – demonstrating to donors, beneficiaries and implementing partners that expenditure, actions and results are as agreed or are as can reasonably be expected in a given situation.
Supporting operational management - providing the basic management information needed to direct, coordinate and control the human, financial and physical resources required to achieve any given objective.
Supporting strategic management – providing the information for and facilitating the processes required to set and adjust goals, objectives and strategies and to improve quality and performance.
Knowledge creation – generating new insights that contribute to the established knowledge base in a given field.
Empowerment – building the capacity, self reliance and confidence of beneficiaries and implementing staff and partners to effectively guide, management and implement development initiatives.
Purpose of M&E
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Challenges within M&E The LFA The demand for accountability and impact Quantitative indicators only, please The tyranny of participation Lesson learning Everything for nothing
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The basis for an alternative M&E paradigm (1) Increased demand for integrating learning in our
work: Learning organisations Integrating lessons learned in our work, Making M&E more reflective and learning oriented Collaboration with stakeholders in multi-stakeholder
processes: important to facilitated (social) learning processes and generating and documenting lessons learned
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The basis for an alternative M&E paradigm (2) Learning from a constructivist perspective - what is perceived
as “real” is influenced by history, culture & language; value of experiential learning
“Learning” is not just about the accumulation of knowledge & skills but also the ability to constantly improve the efficacy for action
Recognising dynamic environments and uncertainty, need for responsive & adaptive management - the environments in which pro-poor initiatives operate is dynamic & often difficult to predict
Moving from external design and evaluation to internal learning
Types and sources of information for learning and management is increasingly impact and results based
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The basis for an alternative M&E paradigm (3) Integrating action learning into development
initiatives which can improve efficiency and effectiveness
Capacities, incentives and resources – need to acknowledge innovation and be open to failure
Emphasis on critical reflection
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The managing for impact approach …a participatory management and learning
approach, which seeks to address the needs of people, communities and organisations to bring about positive change
…at it’s heart lies people and organisations, where all involved in a development initiative become part of a learning alliance that seeks to achieve the greatest possible impact
Alemaya University
Principles of managing for impact (1) People-centred development – where it is realised that the
focus needs to be on benefits to groups of people, not just development of a sector
A rigorous and shared understanding by stakeholders of theories of change which underpins the strategy of intervention
Empowering of stakeholders at all levels Learning is recognised as a self-conscious process of
reviewing and reflecting on experience, generating and applying knowledge in innovative and creative ways to improve action
Appreciates and builds on existing strengths and capacities
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Principles of managing for impact (2) Promotes participatory development at all levels and ensures
the inclusion of disadvantaged and vulnerable people Requires effective partnerships between stakeholders
including civil society, public and private sectors Based on a holistic understanding of livelihoods and systems Promotes sustainable interventions (economically,
environmentally, socially and institutionally) Recognition of the need for leadership and management
which is consistent with learning and participatory approaches
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Managing for impact – Key Components Guiding the strategy towards impact – taking a strategic perspective
whether an initiative is heading towards its goals (impacts) and reacting quickly to adjust the strategy or even the objectives in response to changed circumstances or failure
Ensuring effective operations - managing the day to day coordination of financial, physical and human resources to ensure the actions and outputs required by the current strategy are being effectively and efficiently achieved.
Creating a learning environment – establishing a culture and set of relationships with all those involved in an initiative that will build trust, stimulate critical questioning and innovation and gain commitment and ownership.
Establishing information gathering and management systems - ensuring that the systems are in place to provide the information that is needed to guide the strategy, ensure effective operations and encourage learning.”
Alemaya University
The genesis of SMIP SMIP = Strengthening Management for
Impact Grew from acknowledgments within IFAD of
need to think more creatively about how projects are learning
Regional programme with implementing partners from South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia.
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SMIP – overall goals & objectives Increasing impact of rural poverty reduction initiatives in
Eastern & Southern Africa Enhancing the capacity of key stakeholders to manage
towards impact through: Enhanced service delivery and application of M for I Increased availability & access to innovations and new &
existing knowledge Advocacy aimed at ensuring that policy/institutional
environment is supportive of efforts to manage for impact
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SMIP’s key approaches to enhancing capacity for managing towards impact
Improving internal learning processes to guide design & evaluation
Building capacity to influence and guide the “people processes” – relationships between & commitment of different actors
Strengthening abilities to identify and react to problems related to Project/Programme theories and/or implementation
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Current SMIP activities Training for service providers Responding to requests for support from
projects/ programmes on developing managing for impact approaches
Identifying action learning sites where we can test and improve the approach
Developing ERIL (electronic resource,information & learning centre)
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Contact details SMIP Regional Programme Facilitator
Mine Pabari – mine.pabari@gmail.com Eastern Africa Sub-Regional Institution:
IFPRI-ISNAR – Cosmos Ochieng c.ochieng@cgiar.org.orHaramaya University - Shimelis Wolde Hamriat shimelis65@yahoo.com
Southern African Sub-Regional Institution Khanya-aicdd - Rachel Searle-Mbullu rachel@khanya-aicdd.org.
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