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Mid-Term Review of the AGIR Programme - Sida

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2 F I N D I N G S<br />

2.4 EFFECTIVENESS – IMPLEMENTATION OF TH E<br />

<strong>AGIR</strong> PROGRAMME<br />

2.4.1 Overall effectiveness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>AGIR</strong> <strong>Programme</strong> implementation<br />

After an initial year <strong>of</strong> learning in 2010, <strong>the</strong> programme became more operational in<br />

2011. 25 However, <strong>the</strong> 2012 semi-annual report mentions that at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first<br />

half <strong>of</strong> 2012, three organisations (SCC, IBIS and Oxfam) were still seeking to fulfill<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir portfolios to cover all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sub-<strong>the</strong>matic areas. Diakonia was <strong>the</strong> only organisation<br />

whose portfolio was already filled and stable (Semi-Annual Report 2012, page<br />

1), but due to <strong>the</strong> freezing <strong>of</strong> funding <strong>of</strong> MEPT, this intermediary was looking for a<br />

new partner that will be locally based (Semi-Annual Report 2012, page 6).<br />

In <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> MISA, IBIS implemented a set <strong>of</strong> activities under <strong>the</strong> so-called “Plano<br />

Inovador (Innovative Plan)”, which consisted <strong>of</strong> replacing <strong>the</strong> activities under <strong>the</strong><br />

responsibility <strong>of</strong> this partner via alternatives (see Annual Report 2011, page 34). Five<br />

partner organisations including CEC and CODD, due to <strong>the</strong>ir areas <strong>of</strong> intervetions,<br />

are said to have taken over MISA’s activities. It is not clear to what extent <strong>the</strong> set <strong>of</strong><br />

“innovative activities” completely replaced those under <strong>the</strong> responsibility <strong>of</strong> MISA -<br />

because <strong>the</strong> report is not clear about this - but certainly <strong>the</strong> withdrawal <strong>of</strong> some partners<br />

has impacted <strong>the</strong> pace <strong>of</strong> implementation and <strong>the</strong> effort to fulfill <strong>the</strong> portfolio is<br />

evidence <strong>of</strong> this.<br />

The main weakness is still <strong>the</strong> local level, which is clearly under-resourced, and reporting<br />

on <strong>the</strong> progress at this level is not evident in <strong>the</strong> programme annual reports. In<br />

<strong>the</strong> four intermediaries, <strong>the</strong> local level receives an average <strong>of</strong> less than 1/5 <strong>of</strong> <strong>AGIR</strong><br />

resources. Whilst this can be a byproduct <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> programme prerequisites to support<br />

national organisations, <strong>the</strong> likely effect <strong>of</strong> this concentration <strong>of</strong> resources at <strong>the</strong> central<br />

level is a clear affect on <strong>the</strong> partners’ level <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> implementation <strong>of</strong> activities at<br />

<strong>the</strong> grass roots. Interviews carried out at <strong>the</strong> provincial level were all unanimous in<br />

pointing out constraints in <strong>the</strong> implementation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> strategic plans at <strong>the</strong> local level<br />

without <strong>the</strong> necessary funding. As mentioned earlier, <strong>the</strong> <strong>AGIR</strong> programme is changing<br />

its approach to CSO partner selection to include more locally-based organisations.<br />

In line with this approach, <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> preparing some partners at <strong>the</strong> local level to<br />

receive funding has also been initiated. For example, ACAMO (Association <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Blind and Partial Sighted <strong>of</strong> Mozambique) in Nampula has opened a bank account for<br />

this purpose; but as <strong>of</strong> October, it had not yet received any funding. The representa-<br />

25 The semi-annual report’s analyses <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> implementation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> various components conclude<br />

that, on average, <strong>the</strong> implementation has been more than 90%. The implementation <strong>of</strong> some components<br />

was delayed due to <strong>the</strong> termination <strong>of</strong> funding to MONASO, MEPT and MISA. Absorption capacity is ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />

problem that was pointed out as posing a problem to implementation (See Ibis Annual Report<br />

2011).<br />

45

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