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 Page 13 of
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Programme Priorities |
| Monitoring and evaluation | |
Reproductive health, including family planning and sexual health Adolescent reproductive health Reducing maternal mortality Emergency assistance in refugee situations HIV/AIDS Population and development strategies Advocacy Women's empowerment and gender issues Strengthening programme effectiveness Decentralization National capacity-building Monitoring and evaluation Training Contraceptive requirements and logistics management needs Partnership with NGOs and civil society ICPD+5
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The year 1997 saw a remarkable intensification of evaluation activities at both country and intercountry levels. Resources allocated for evaluations tripled from 1996 to 1997. This was due principally to the fact that many programmes ended in 1996 and 1997 and component projects were evaluated as part of the review and assessment process prior to new programme development. Two thematic evaluations were initiated in 1997. The first is examining the strategies and modalities adopted by UNFPA to integrate HIV/AIDS concerns into reproductive health and other related projects and programmes at the country level. It is being conducted in full consultation with UNAIDS at both the headquarters and field levels. The second evaluation, based on a sample of eight projects, is assessing the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and, to the extent possible, impact of UNFPA-supported strategies to reduce maternal mortality within the context of Safe Motherhood programmes. In 1997, the conceptual and analytical frameworks for the two evaluations were completed and field work and field missions were begun. Both evaluations are expected to be concluded by mid-1998. A major achievement in 1997 was the revision of the UNFPA monitoring and evaluation guidelines, which was carried out within the context of the preparation of the UNFPA Programme Manual. The guidelines highlight a more holistic approach to programming and emphasize the analysis of inputs rather than the process of delivering such inputs. In addition, to underscore the importance of continuous, systematic monitoring, the topics of monitoring and evaluation are accorded separate sections in the manual. The major new feature in the monitoring guidelines is the annual subprogramme review. This ensures that all component projects in each subprogramme are reviewed together so that due attention is paid to fostering linkages and complementarity among them. The annual project report has been revised. It calls for a streamlined tabular presentation of the delivery of inputs and requests information not only on the general implementation of the project work plan but also specifically on national capacity-building, technical backstopping, execution modalities, gender concerns, and South-South cooperation. A mid-term review is held in each programme cycle to examine the status of implementation and its continued relevance to the national context. An important new feature of the revised guidelines is that evaluations are required at the end of each programme period to ensure that there is a systematic assessment of programme performance and achievements, together with a synthesis of lessons learned for future application. The guidelines underscore the logical framework analysis as the cornerstone of the UNFPA monitoring and evaluation system, since it provides the frame of reference for all subsequent monitoring and evaluation activities. The logframe matrix outlines the baseline data to be established and the nature and source of monitoring data to be generated in the programme implementation process. During the year, UNFPA participated in interagency and United Nations exercises related to evaluation, including a Joint Consultative Group on Policy (JCGP) workshop that took place in early 1997. The Fund also provided inputs to the development of terms of reference for a United Nations system- wide evaluation exercise examining the impact of operational activities on national capacity-building. UNFPA also collaborated in a desk study conducted by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) on UNFPA support of national capacity-building in the area of reproductive health.
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| Foreword | Introduction | UNFPA in 1997 | Programme Priorities | |