Monitoring and Evaluation in a remote Humanitarian setting

Location:

Introduction:

In northern Syria, CARE collaborates with local NGONon-government Organizations to provide both facility-based and community-based sexual and reproductive health services. Continuously rising levels of insecurity in Syria, unpredictable border restrictions, and CARE’s determination to reach more remote and underserved areas, all result in a reliance on remote management, including third party monitoring of its activities.

Project Description:

CARE sub-contracts monitoring and real-time evaluation activities to independent firms with a proven track-record of methodological rigor who have access to project implementation areas and a strong team of staff on-the-ground in Syria. Using tools designed jointly between CARE and third-party firms, the third-party monitoring team verifies and triangulates data from clinical records with assessments it conducts on quality of care, supplies and equipment inventories, and patient exit interviews. The third-party monitoring firm then reports preliminary results at a joint meeting with both CARE and implementing partners before finalizing their findings.

In conducting third-party monitoring, the priority is selecting quality data sources and conducting effective triangulation that produces “good enough” information without putting partners under pressure and/or risk to provide evidence that is not available or unsafe to collect. The scope of monitoring is agreed with partners as part of planning, including discussion on the level of data that is appropriate, manageable and safe that will best demonstrate the effect of the project.

The feasibility of third-party monitoring is explored for each target area individually, taking into consideration security constraints. Where third-party monitoring is not feasible for security reasons, CARE and partners explores alternatives, such as peer monitoring. In some cases, CARE also contracts local groups based inside Syria to conduct independent monitoring of specific activities.

Lessons Learned:

One of the key lessons learned to date is that tri-partite planning between CARE, implementing partners, and the third-party monitoring firm is essential. Ensuring a common understanding of scope, purpose, and logistical and security implications of third-party monitoring activities is a key element of both successful implementation of third-party monitoring exercises and also maintaining effective, trusting working relationships among all partners.