Strengthening the monitoring and evaluation capacity of civil society organization to improve the reach and quality of OVC care and support services: Experiences from Lesotho

1. Stronger health systems. Greater health impact.
Strengthening M&E capacity of civil society organizations to
improve the reach and quality Sciences for Healthcare and support
Management of OVC
services: Experiences from Lesotho
Jabulani Mavudze, Megh Jagriti, Roselyn Kareithi, and Mathabo Pule
March 2013
MSH Building Local Capacity Project 1

2. Background Information
• Building Local Capacity for the
Delivery of HIV Services in
Southern Africa Project (BLC)
• MSH project funded by
USAID is working in six
countries
• In Lesotho, BLC gives small
USAID funded grants to 12Management Sciences for Health
CSOs to:
• improve the coordination and
delivery of the OVC 6 + 1 services
• reach 25,5% OVC ( 46,585 OVC)
and 15,972 caregivers by 2015
MSH Building Local Capacity Project 2

3. Problem Statement
• Based on literature review and
capacity assessment, OVC
Total
programming challenges: population
2,000,000
 National CSOs and CBOs are
the predominant OVC service
Children
providers 1,072,974 (53%)
 The CSOs have weak M&E
systems and capacity
 CSOs have limited funds Management Sciences for Health
OVC
 low OVC reach and poor
182,000 (17%)
quality of services
 weak coordination of OVC
interventions at national,
district and community levels
MSH Building Local Capacity Project 3

4. Methodologies and Strategies (Being) Used (1)
Capacity Assessment
• Administer capacity assessment tool
• Documents and literature review
M&E Tools Development
• Data collection tools (Registration and Service Provision Forms)
• Reporting tools (Monthly and Quarterly templates and reporting
guidelines)
Management Sciences for Health
Training of CSO Staff
• 30 individuals from 12 CSOs received formal training on
importance of M&E, M&E tools, project indicators, data quality
standards, data management, and reporting
• Training was done together with Ministry of Social Development
MSH Building Local Capacity Project 4

5. Methodologies and Strategies (Being) Used (2)
Accompaniment
• Supporting CSOs to train secondary
caregivers
• Monitoring secondary caregivers as
they provide services
Coaching Sciences for Health
Management
• Monthly and quarterly data
verification and support visits
• Spot checks
MSH Building Local Capacity Project 5

6. Evidence of Success and Achievements
(1)
• Improved data quality - only Cumulative OVC and Caregivers Reached
60000
0,2% records in Dec 2012
53194
were discarded compared to 50000
12% in March 2012
OVC and Caregivers Reached
• Overall, 53,194 OVC and 40000
38578
caregivers reached against a
30000
target of 51,700
• By December 2012, 23,5%Management Sciences for Health
20000
16647
(42,739) of OVC in Lesotho
reached against a target of 10000
6826
25,5% by September 2013
0 186
Oct-12
Apr-12
Jun-12
Dec-
Dec-
Aug-
Feb-
12
12
12
11
MSH Building Local Capacity Project 6

7. Evidence of Success and Achievements (2)
• CSOs applying Some quotes from CSOs
„‟Well I believe it has brought about the importance of M&E within the
acquired M&E skills organisation. Initial projects did not put much emphasis on it hence
why there wasn't an M&E person . The emerging need and constant
and knowledge emphasis of M&E also contributed to quality service provision.”
• Improved quality of “Through the BLC project, my organization now has improved capacity
to carry out quality monitoring and evaluation activities, not only within
the BLC project, but now also within other in-house projects.”
services
• Improved data flow
• Reduced duplication
Management Sciences for Health
of services
MSH Building Local Capacity Project 7

8. Challenges and Solutions
• National CSOs and CBOs have few full-time staff; the
majority are volunteers
 As a solution, BLC together with partner CSOs developed
simple data collection tools in local language
 BLC provided long-term coaching support to CSO staff
responsible for M&E activities
Management Sciences for Health
MSH Building Local Capacity Project 8

9. Lessons Learned
• Prioritize institutional capacity building before
service provision
• With adequate M&E capacity CSOs can reach more
OVC with quality services
• Coaching and accompaniment are effective capacity
Management Sciences for Health
building approaches
• Equal partnership with CSOs promotes ownership
and mutual trust
MSH Building Local Capacity Project 9

10. Conclusions
Strengthening of monitoring and evaluation systems
significantly contributes to increased quality of services
and number of beneficiaries reached
Management Sciences for Health
MSH Building Local Capacity Project 10

11. Questions & Comments
Management Sciences for Health
MSH Building Local Capacity Project 11