Regions: Europe & Central Asia
Solidifying recent gains in transition countries is a critical challenge.
The fall of the Berlin Wall is part of the process of change or 'transition' that transformed the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Out of this diverse set of countries, ranging from middle to low income, many have experienced significant economic and democratic reforms. While poverty has declined throughout much of the region it remains high in Central Asia and the South Caucuses. There are major challenges related to strengthening governance, provision of services to the poor, anti-trafficking and fighting HIV/AIDS, which is growing rapidly in the region. And it is an uphill battle to improve regional health and the environment.
Shortly after the Velvet Revolution SI principals entered the region to build modern management capabilities of the Czech Ministries of Environment and Industry as the Soviet system was being dismantled. SI is currently working in the region to strengthen transition programs, government accountability to citizens, enterprise development and to create a more vibrant civil society.
- PROJECT details
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Serbia: Final Program Evaluation, ProMedia II, USAID/IREX, 2007
When the USAID-funded ProMedia II began, the media was seen as one of the few consistent and effective forces for democratization in Serbia. SI worked with the implementing organization, IREX, to conduct a final evaluation of the program. The evaluation provided an independent assessment of the impact of ProMedia on Serbian media outlets and lessons learned and best practices for possible future initiatives. The collaborative evaluation approach relied on qualitative data gathered from a desk review, and a field trip to Serbia with site visits to Belgrade and nine localities. During the field trip the team conducted key informant interviews and group interviews as well as content analysis of nightly news programs to measure changes in television news content from stations that had received IREX training and those that had not. The evaluation report is currently being used by IREX to inform future program strategies for Serbia as well as for other IREX programs.
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Armenia Media Sector Mid-term Evaluation, USAID/IREX, 2007
The primary mission of the Core Media Support Program of Armenia (CMSPA), a four-year program implemented by IREX and funded by USAID, is to foster self sustainability in the Armenian media sector. The main element of the program is designed to assist commercially viable targeted independent media outlets through the provision of loans. As IREX reached the mid-point of the program, it commissioned SI to conduct a mid-term evaluation of the program to gain an independent assessment of the impact on targeted Armenia media outlets (and the wider media sector) of prior and on-going program initiatives and recommendations for possible future initiatives. The SI team was asked to carefully assess the program and develop a set of practical recommendations for program improvement aimed at maximizing program results during the remaining time of the CMSPA program. SI presented its findings and recommendations through debriefs for IREX field and HQ staff, as well as via a final evaluation report. The team conducted its research through a desk review, content analysis and a field trip to Armenia. IREX is currently implementing these recommendations to improve program performance, especially in the areas of data analysis, reporting and extending the reach of the loan program to additional regions in Armenia.
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Kosovo—Performance Management for Kosovo Media Assistance Program (KMAP): USAID, 2005-2008
The Kosovo Media Assistance Program (KMAP), implemented by IREX, is helping to develop a sustainable and professional independent media system to help the citizens of Kosovo participate effectively in political and economic life. SI developed KMAP's Performance Management Plan (PMP), developed a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Handbook and provides ongoing support for the M&E system during program implementation. The handbook includes user-friendly step-by-step instructions to facilitate ease of use with the program's highly tailored M&E data collection tools: Media Content Analysis Tool; Media Outreach Measure; Advocacy Index; Scorecards and Client Surveys. These tools are currently used to manage KMAP and to report on results.
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Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan—Strengthening Civil Society Networks: Counterpart International, 2003-2005
SI supported Counterpart International to strengthen civil society networks in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan under USAID's Civil Society Support Initiative (CSSI). CSSI's purpose is to establish local, intermediary networks that mobilize civic organizations and citizens in democratic reform. SI has been using an assets-based approach to institutional capacity building called Appreciative Inquiry (AI) that strengthens network financial sustainability, demand-driven services, democratic governance and management structures. With SI's support, significant results have been achieved in each of these areas.
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Central Asia—Building Capacity of Local Health NGOs in Community Mobilization, 2004
SI worked with Counterpart International to provide training and technical support to its USAID funded project-the Health NGO Capacity Building Initiative (HNCBI). SI introduced an innovative methodology called Appreciative Community Mobilization (ACM) to build skills of Counterpart staff and local NGO leaders from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan in appreciative (asset-based) community assessment and planning in health. The workshops also led participants to develop strategic priorities for the next 1-2 years and follow-up action plans. Currently, Counterpart and many of the NGO leaders are using the ACM approach for strengthening health and governance programs in this Central Asia region.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina—Performance Management for Government Accountability Project (GAP): USAID, 2004-08
Since the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been consolidating its emerging, multi-ethnic, and representative government. The joint USAID and Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) funded GAP helps facilitate the consolidation process by building the capacity of selected municipalities to better serve their citizens within a policy and fiscal framework of good governance. Through a full-time M&E officer in Sarajevo, SI manages GAP's integrated performance monitoring & evaluation (M&E) system. The M&E approach relates program activities to demonstrable impacts, thereby helping to foster political legitimacy for the government, and ultimately helping to facilitate sustained peace and inclusion.
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Croatia—Performance Monitoring for Enhancing Small and Medium Enterprise Performance (ESP) Project: USAID, 2004-2008
ESP aims to trigger job creation by increasing Croatian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) global competitiveness. SI developed ESP's Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (MEP), the MEP Operations Manual and supports the M&E system during project implementation. The Operations Manual translates the structural features of the MEP into clear actions for assessing ESP performance. It draws on a baseline study of over 1400 SMEs and provides information related to investments, exports, revenues and job creation of the targeted firms. This information is used by ESP to improve project performance and to track results of ESP interventions.
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Macedonia-Final Evaluation of Confidence Building Initiative: USAID/OTI, 2003
The aim of OTI's Confidence Building Initiative (CBI) was to mitigate conflict-targeted communities affected by ethnic violence. SI assessed the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and probable sustainability of CBI activities. Using focus groups and mini-surveys, SI was able to verify-for the first time-measurable changes such as more collaborative attitudes and an increased trust and willingness to work together in OTI supported communities. Evaluation recommendations were internalized to improve OTI's program management approach and coordination with local partners.
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Armenia-Building Capacity for Performance Management: USAID/Armenia, 2003
SI provided on-site technical assistance to USAID/Armenia as it sought to integrate its newly developed country strategy with its new Performance Management Plan (PMP). Through SI's on-site technical assistance, performance management guidance, and training workshops for Mission staff as well as representatives from implementing partners, USAID/Armenia improved its programmatic decision-making through the use of performance monitoring and evaluation. As a result, USAID/Armenia successfully developed its PMP in accordance with USAID requirements in a tailored way that best tracks its programs.
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Albania—Developing Capacity for Performance Management: USAID/Albania, 2002
As a subcontractor to IBM, SI provided strategic planning and performance monitoring technical assistance to the USAID/Albania Mission. Specifically, SI provided technical assistance to draft, edit, and complete 9 Strategic Objectives (SO), in consultation with Mission SO Team Leaders. To ensure for quality control, SI then helped ensure that the R4 Reports were in compliance with USAID guidelines, helped to review the Mission Team Leader's portfolio priorities, and provided options to improve focus, impact, and manageability of the portfolio.
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Strengthening Project Quality for Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region: World Bank, 2000-02
SI supported World Bank project design teams working in the ECA regions to improve program effectiveness through better quality project and program designs (or Quality at Entry—QAE). Working with Logical Frameworks and Results Frameworks-SI strengthened the design of over 200 ECA projects and programs in all sectors covering most of the countries in the region. SI's support led to marked improvements in QAE for assisted projects. Sample projects that SI assisted include: Russia TB/AIDS, Russia Private Sector Development, Turkey Primary Education APL, Poland Coal, Yugoslavia Private Sector Development, Uzbekistan Enterprise Development, Moldova Private Sector Development and Romania School Rehabilitation.
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Bulgaria-Strategic Planning for Higher Education Reform, World Bank, 1999
SI designed and led a participatory strategic planning process with the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), World Bank and other key groups to advance reforms in higher education. The planning process succeeded in: i) establishing a common vision for higher education reform; ii) mobilizing key groups to support the reform process; iii) clarifying strategies to support the reforms, including definition of performance metrics; and iv) building the capacity of the MES for strategic management and team work. As a result the reform process gained momentum and supporting projects were funded by the World Bank, EU and other donors.