Services: Performance Management
Measuring results enables us to achieve outcomes and tell success from failure.
Managing for results is central to the global revolution in public management and aid effectiveness. Strong performance monitoring systems sharpen strategy and learning, improve communications with stakeholders, help ensure that resources are focused on key results, and promote accountability. Yet these systems are often impractical and out of alignment with organizational skills and incentives.
SI's is a global leader in performance monitoring for complex social, economic and environmental programs. Our unique approach focuses on developing performance monitoring systems that are highly useful to managers for organizational learning, performance improvement and upwards and downwards accountability.
Range of Services
- Performance Management Systems-designing and implementing performance management systems for specific projects and programs to reinforce program performance, learning and accountability.
- Building Capacity for Performance Management-building performance management capacity for entire organizations, including international donors and local partners such as governments and civil society organizations.
- PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT projects
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Afghanistan - Capacity Development Program (CDP): USAID, 2007-2012
Since 2002, the Government of Afghanistan and the international community have focused on supporting the establishment of national government structures, education and health systems, civil society and private-sector economy in Afghanistan. These initiatives were part of the emergency reconstruction plan and reliant on foreign assistance to achieve results. The CDP program seeks to shift the focus away from emergency reconstruction towards developing Afghan capacity to plan and manage the economic and social development process over the long-term. As a partner to BearingPoint, SI provides training in capacity building across the public, private and NGO sectors to strengthen Afghani institutions, increase their effectiveness, and streamline their operations. SI also designed and manages the CDP integrated performance monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system. The M&E approach relates program activities to demonstrable impacts, thereby helping to foster sustained capacity in Afghan institutions, and ultimately helping to facilitate the political, social and economic development of Afghanistan.
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Jordan Media Strengthening Program: USAID, 2006-2009
The USAID-funded Jordan Media Strengthening Program (JMSP) is the Middle East's first comprehensive media program. The IREX-implemented JMSP works with media outlets, training institutes, journalism faculties, and media NGOs to improve the professionalism and sustainability of the Jordanian media sector. SI is responsible for preparing and implementing JMSP's monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system, which is fully integrated into program implementation. As designed, the M&E system provides useful, timely information for results-based management, decision-making and learning purposes. The M&E system also includes a capacity building element that employs a collaborative approach to involving key stakeholders, including journalists, in defining priority performance indicators and targets, collecting and analyzing data, and making recommendations for program improvement. Additionally, SI also provides training for the Jordanian judiciary in communicating and presenting information about the legal system to the public. SI's training creates bridges between members of the media and the judiciary resulting in a more informed public.
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Mozambique-Support for Monitoring PARPA II, 2007
Mozambique's Second Action Plan for the Reduction of Absolute Poverty (PARPA II) included for the first time a monitoring instrument, the Strategic Matrix, prepared by a joint government and donors team led by the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD) and involving all line ministries and key agencies. Social Impact built on earlier World Bank support to Mozambique to ensure the timely collection and analysis of data from the PRSP (PARPA) Strategic Matrix indicators. Those indicators are used by relevant agencies implementing PARPA II. SI assisted the effort in three areas: 1) assisted line ministry staff to strengthen and refine 150 poverty reduction indicators; 2) prepared technical notes for each indicator to be monitored; and 3) prepared a work plan to define decentralized levels of responsibility in monitoring indicators. Preparation of the work plan also involved participation by the provincial governments. The Monitoring Plan has become a tool of government to manage for development results and to better allocate resources to achieve poverty reduction outcomes.
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Strengthen M&E Capacity of Bank-supported Angola Social Fund (FAS III): 2002-03 and 2006
SI worked with Angolan counterparts to strengthen the M&E system for a $90 million Social Action Fund designed to rehabilitate community infrastructure and local services devastated by the civil war. Working in Portuguese and in multiple provinces, SI conducted an in-depth assessment of existing M&E systems and worked closely with FAS staff to design and implement a practical participatory M&E system with strong community collaboration. The overall objectives include building community capacity to plan, monitor and evaluate community development initiatives. Through this activity SI worked with the FAS staff to revise and develop key project performance indicators, deliver basic and advanced M&E training to FAS staff and local partners, develop and implement M&E tools, data collection methods and sampling frames, and strengthen the project MIS. The FAS M&E system is currently recognized by the Bank as a "best practice" example of practical M&E for community development activities. FAS staff have enhanced capacity to perform M&E operations and M&E information is actively used by project management and community members for management decision-making, project improvement and accountability purposes.
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Afghanistan—Alternative Livelihoods Program: USAID, 2005-09
For many years, poppy and opium production has been a vital part of Afghanistan's economy and rural livelihoods. SI is supporting DAI in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province to promote alternative livelihoods and reduce reliance on poppy production. The $100 million program introduces high-value crops that can be sold domestically and internationally, improves access to microfinance, strengthens small enterprises, works with government officials to reform public policies, and manages essential infrastructure and public works projects. SI established the performance monitoring and evaluation system for this large, politically sensitive project and provides two full-time M&E staff as part of the project team.
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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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Strengthening Global Program Monitoring and Evaluation: World Bank, 2000-present
Through a series of multi-year and short-term contracts, SI supported the World Bank's Global Monitoring and Evaluation Improvement Initiative. SI staffed on-site offices at the Bank to anchor the M&E Improvement Program and provided long-term and short-term assistance to over 200 project teams, strengthening "quality at entry" (project design quality) and the quality of monitoring and evaluation processes of over 230 projects and programs in over 140 countries. This helped to set the stage for a results-based management (RBM) agenda that is central to Bank operations and for which SI provides continuing technical assistance.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina—Performance Monitoring for Government Accountability Project (GAP): USAID, 2004-2008
Since the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been consolidating its emerging, multi-ethnic, and representative government. The joint USAID and the 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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Ethiopia-Strengthening Performance Management: USAID/Ethiopia, 2004
SI helped improve USAID/Ethiopia's orientation to results-based management (RBM) by providing training and technical assistance in strategic planning and performance measurement. Over two phases, SI worked with USAID/Ethiopia SO teams to develop a performance management plan for the mission's new strategic plan focused on food security and sustained economic growth. As a result, USAID/Ethiopia is now utilizing performance monitoring and evaluation data to design stronger programs, and to better monitor the results of U.S. foreign assistance.
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Timor-Leste-Strengthening Strategy and Performance Management: USAID/OTI, 2004
In response to USAID/Timor-Leste's coordination and program design challenges (originating from the tumultuous 1999-2001 period when Timor was gaining independence from Indonesia), SI provided comprehensive assistance in the areas of strategic planning, performance measurement and assessment methodologies. SI helped ensure the longevity of programmatic decision-making through the use of performance monitoring and evaluation data. These interventions better positioned USAID/Timor-Leste to design stronger programs, monitor outcomes, and to consolidate strategic decision making about its future strategy.
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Eritrea—Strengthening Performance Management for Capacity Building: USAID/Eritrea, 2004
To strengthen USAID/Eritrea's orientation to results-based management (RBM), SI provided onsite technical assistance and tailored training workshops in performance measurement. SI worked with the Mission's Strategic Objective Team focusing on "Participation in Growth and Development" to develop a performance management system for the Mission's new Strategic Plan for FY2003-07. With the new management system the team is better able to monitor program results and make management decisions that improve program performance.
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Armenia—Strengthening 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 and representatives from implementing partners, USAID/Armenia improved its programmatic decision-making through the use of performance monitoring and evaluation.
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Sudan—Strengthening Performance Management: USAID/Sudan, 2003
As Sudan's long-enduring civil war reached a stalemate, and peace negotiations began to make progress, the U.S. launched major new development initiatives. To manage the initiatives, USAID/Sudan created the Sudan Interim Strategic Plan (ISP) to integrate all USAID assistance programs into a single strategy. SI provided Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) technical assistance to help the Mission manage these efforts. The PMP has since served to strengthen USAID/Sudan's orientation to results-based management, facilitated better program design and helped monitor results of U.S. foreign assistance in Sudan.
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Bangladesh—Strengthening Performance Management for Democracy and Governance (D&G) Programs: USAID/Bangladesh, 2003
In a highly participatory fashion, SI helped the USAID/Bangladesh D&G Team realign and update its Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP). Specifically, SI facilitated the development of a DG results framework that linked-up to the sub-IR level, a final DG performance monitoring plan, a DG Performance Management Task Schedule, and a suggested revised Education Results Framework. As a result of SI's on-site consultation, training workshops and performance management guidance, the D&G team is now integrating programmatic decision-making through the use of performance monitoring and evaluation data.
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Albania-Building 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 and impact, as well as manageability of the portfolio.
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Establishing Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation Systems for United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), 2001
SI worked with the UNCDF to introduce Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) systems to improve program effectiveness, local ownership and managerial capacity. Through tailored trainings of UNCDF operations staff, SI built staff knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for the design and use of PME systems in UNCDF programming. SI also facilitated the launch of the Bangladesh Local Development Project and provided technical assistance to strengthen the project's M&E system. The PME systems are currently used to strengthen UNCDF's results-orientation and stakeholder participation at each stage of the project cycle.
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Russia-Building Capacity for Performance Management in Democracy and Governance: USAID/Russia, 2001
SI worked with USAID/Russia to develop D&G Performance Management Plans (PMP) to better design program outcomes and monitor the results of its programs. To achieve these objectives, SI collaborated with Mission staff to enhance the USAID global Results Framework by assisting in R4 Report preparation, developing performance measures, and providing training on USAID's most current PMP methodology to USAID. As a result, USAID/Russia has improved its orientation to results-based management for D&G programs.