M&E Sourcebook: Case Studies

Presentation of results

1. BRCS/IFRC/DfID Disaster Reduction Programme, 2001-2003

   Relevant stakeholders were all included in the presentation of evaluation findings. The team leader was required to produce a draft final report to be reviewed by the team which then presented the main observations for discussion and debriefing in each country/ region. The main findings of the community level evaluation were presented to community members, volunteers and staff from the Red Cross/Red Crescent branches involved. However, the issue was raised in the evaluation report of how to ensure that lessons learned from the evaluation would be applied to future Red Cross/Red Crescent activities: "In the interest of continuity and coherence the lessons learnt need to be harvested, used for a renewed effort to pull together the RC experience and to fine-tune its role in preparedness and disaster reduction based upon a clear assessment of its capacities. Results need to be fed into national policies, guidelines and training plans and curricula, which will provide the basis for a more clearly defined role and image the RC needs to project to the outside world."

   A workshop was carried out at the end of the programme (December 2002) in order to give those involved the opportunity to reflect on and share experiences. More than 30 stakeholders took part. They were encouraged to share information on programme activities and results and highlight cross-cutting issues. A "thematic report" was produced which summed up the main lessons learnt from the three-day workshop about disaster preparedness policy and implementation within the two regions and their implications for future disaster preparedness work in the IFRC. The workshop, along with other IFRC meetings on disaster preparedness during 2002, produced some key lessons and priorities which were then fed back into planning.

   In addition, other assessment techniques carried out during the programme are being used by some National Societies for planning and drawing up fundraising appeals. Findings from the Well-Prepared National Society analysis are being used, principally in East Africa, meaning that disaster preparedness and capacity building are featuring more prominently in these appeals. The Well-Prepared National Society method is therefore a potentially useful tool to better understand individual country needs and to measure progress towards these, although it was recognised that follow-up mechanisms for utilising findings need clarifying.

   Carrying out Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments (VCA) was seen to provide good opportunities to involve all kinds of actors, and it stimulated partnerships at local and national levels. For example, it led to better relationships between the National Society and communities in Ethiopia, with more dialogue and collaboration. In Uganda, the national government and the Ugandan Red Cross Society had worked together on VCA. In Rwanda, national-level VCA findings were requested and used by other humanitarian agencies, and this led to discussions with two international agencies about collaboration in establishing a community-based disaster preparedness food monitoring system. In Bangladesh, community-level VCA used as part of a wider community-based disaster preparedness initiative helped communities divided by ethnic conflict to achieve better mutual understanding. VCA findings are already feeding back into planning, and as the process improves and becomes institutionalised they will hopefully be used to measure progress and contribute to planning and monitoring feedback loops.

2. DIPECHO Action Plan for South East Asia, 1998

   The evaluation of the first DIPECHO Action Plan for SE Asia shows clearly the importance of disseminating results. The strategy on which it is based created some confusion. According to the evaluators, there was a lack of consistency between the Diagnostic Report and subsequent implementation guidelines, like the Action Plan. The Diagnostic is a far-reaching and comprehensive document which presents a realistic strategy and entirely feasible approach. But it is vague in parts and demands considerable effort to decipher. On the other hand, they noted that the direction offered in the Action Plan is very broad. As a consequence, there was uncertainty of the DIPECHO strategy. The fact that the strategy was not explained to experts in the region and the fact that key documents (including the evaluation report) were not systematically made available greatly hindered understanding and appreciation of DIPECHO motives. It was generally concluded that the projects had inadequate dissemination strategies, particularly given that the strategy was designed to concentrate on national activities with a good demonstration value and build a regional platform for exchange. Evaluation findings could also be more widely disseminated if the report was translated into local languages.

   The evaluators accepted that the evaluation mission was too short and while it was possible to gain a fairly conclusive impression of project performance and put forward some useful recommendations, the investigation into the strategy provided a more limited overview of DIPECHO’s appropriateness. Therefore, they concluded, the mission should be seen as the start of a process where further investigation and dialogue takes place within the region to refine the DIPECHO strategy.

3. CAMI/ARC Mitigation Grant for Risk Management and Community Preparedness, 2001-2003

   Results were clearly presented in the final impact evaluation report, including a useful section on lessons learned and recommendations which identified "what worked" and "what didn't work". It was hoped that these lessons could be applied to future regional disaster projects and to the ARC International Services Indicator Guide. Findings indicate that with further validity studies, and adaptations based on lessons learned from the CAMI project, indicators and methods used in this baseline assessment could be adapted and used by other donors and NGOs implementing similar projects.