Call for partnership with organizations working in HIV/AIDS on Monitoring & Evaluation.

[Guest guest]

Dear friends and colleagues,

We are an organization based in Mumbai having a grant to work with partner

voluntary organizations to set up effective monitoring and evaluation systems

for their project(s),

We are interested in working with organizations especially working in

counselling, intimate partner violence, outreach programs with PLWHAs who are

interested in being partners in this initiative.

Please find the brochure pasted below- please contact us at the addresses

mentioned in the same for further details and clarifications

Regards,

CSER M & E Team

Developing partnerships in Monitoring and Evaluation

An initiative of

Centre for Studies in Ethics and Rights (CSER)

(An Institute of the Anusandhan Trust)

4th Floor, Candelar, 26, St Baptist Road,

Bandra (W), Mumbai 400 050, Maharashtra, India

Tele: 91-22-26406703

www.cser.in

________________________

Supported by The D. and T. Macarthur Foundation

Background and context

There is an increasing realization that research, intervention strategies,

social action, advocacy on health and related issues, especially reproductive

health issues must be evidence based. Health policymaking is essentially a

political process. Evidence helps in both impacting the process to steer it in

right direction; and in the implementation of good policies, and in weeding out

the bad ones. In India, evidence in the past has demonstrated the potential of

Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in impacting policies in the interest of

people of India. However, there is further scope to streamline the processes and

systems, thus enhancing their contribution to policy formulation and

implementation. Creating evidence base and building on it systematic plans of

research, intervention and advocacy would go a long way in bringing a rigorous

professional approach to problem solving. It would also facilitate further

strengthening of the base of the NGO movement, and routing it in ground

realities. This would also help in building a NGO cadre with sound analytical

skills. It is important to further fortify NGOs, given their role and their

standing as one of the authentic voices of civil society.

The proposed initiative is to facilitate building alliances within this sector

to draw on experiences scattered over a large number of organisations. The focus

would be on mutual strengthening in monitoring and evaluation (M & E), one of the

means of creating scientifically sound evidences. The proposed initiative is to

provide such systematic inputs to NGOs engaged in health related activities, and

would ultimately lead to strengthening the NGO movement. This initiative would

be a step forward in developing mechanisms and systems for organizations to

assess their work, research and intervention, and to take timely corrective

measures. There would be documentation of not only successes and failures, but

also analysis of these to critically steer towards self-learning and

improvising, and self-regulation.

Objectives

(a) To strengthen capacities and foster leadership among the selected NGOs -

chosen grantees of the Macarthur Foundation and few other select NGOs - as

regards monitoring and evaluation.

( To develop opportunities for hands-on training in various concerned areas

to the participating organizations. Both, comprehensive as well as customised

support will be available.

© To provide avenues and opportunities to the participating organisations

to interact with other organisations and individuals, from within India and from

abroad; this would help in developing contacts, avenues for networking and

future collaborations in areas of common interests.

What is Monitoring and Evaluation?

Monitoring is a ‘process’ oriented activity. Its prime role is to keep

programmes informed with the help of empirical data and evidences about proposed

critical processes and outcomes over time. It provides space – created through

scientific means and methods - for corrective measures if any are required

during the implementation of any programme/activity/initiative. The results of

such on going analysis are to be shared with all the concerned stakeholders

and/or staff at various different levels for further action/response. Monitoring

implies deeper and intense involvement of the stakeholders and staff in the

programme conceptualisation and implementation as well.

On the other count, evaluation, broadly speaking, is intended to allow resource

allocation; enhance accountability to various concerned stakeholders; reduce

ignorance; and improve knowledge and decisions. Evaluations help stabilize a

turbulent environment, if any; and are important in formative stages of

programmes, given their complexities. Having a robust M & E system in place would

also enhance the potential for systematic replications and scaling up of the

programmes.

Both the concepts of monitoring and evaluation are to know scientifically the

efficacy of the programme leading to self-critique and self-regulation. They

require involving various concerned constituencies and staff in this process all

throughout enhancing transparency. This allows developing a culture of social

accountability at the institution level in a concrete manner.

Who can participate in the initiative?

It is open to organisations pursuing health related activities, especially

concerning YPSRHR and reducing MMM, research and/or intervention work as part of

their priorities, as well as others like those working in the field of HIV/AIDS.

M & E is premised on the principle of self-regulation, and is a mechanism to

develop a culture of social accountability, transparency and high standards in

one’s own work. Participating organisations are expected to have commitment to

these values. The partner organisations should have middle range cadre with

potential to be key players in the future, and must be willing to take on

responsibilities to strengthen M & E as well as other work in core areas of the

respective partner organisations. The organisations must have commitment to

integrating M & E in their organisations including appropriate resource allocation

for the same in the coming time. It must be a voluntary choice to participate in

this initiative.

Nature of partnership:

The partnership will evolve over time during the tenure of the project. It will

not only be between the participating organisations and CSER, but also among

various participating organisations. We also expect the newly developed

partnerships through this initiative to continue and get further strengthened

beyond the project tenure.

The resources and expertise will be drawn from all the partner organisations. In

that sense it would, indeed, be a relationship built on equal footing, with full

participation of all the participating organisations. While CSER would

facilitate the initiative, involvement of all the participating organisations in

sharing their knowledge, skills and expertise with other partners in the

initiative will be encouraged both for mutual benefits and for maintaining the

collaborative spirit of the initiative.

Methodology

Three strategies conceptualised in this initiative to meet the objectives are:

(a) Developing alliances and direct relationship with participating

organisations for making available customised support to the participating

organisations as well as select staff by training and directly assisting them in

project conceptualisation, implementation of the projects, including protocol

development, analysis and implementation; developing appropriate monitoring

mechanisms of their own projects and activities including developing indicators

to guide monitoring; evaluation and impact assessment, including measuring

changes using the appropriate indicators.

( Facilitating avenues for collaborative initiatives in research,

intervention and advocacy work depending upon shared interests among the various

participating organisations. This would provide opportunities for application of

their knowledge and skills; and also develop and/or strengthen sustainable

collaborations.

© Consolidating intensive certificate course in M & E, which will be

conducted using the resource pool drawn from the participating organisations,

and other external faculty.

About CSER

CSER has been set up in January 2005 by the Anusandhan Trustto undertake

research in ethics and human rights. Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied

Themes (CEHAT), Mumbai and Support and Training for Health Initiatives (SATHI),

Pune are the two other institutes of AT. CSER is engaged in research and

training in ethics and rights. It is leading development of training programmes

in the same for various constituencies including academia, and researchers from

both social sciences and biomedical fields, and various professional

practitioners, such as, social workers, medical professionals, counsellors, and

lawyers. A thrust area of CSER in the coming time will be exploring bioethics in

the Asian context. Priority areas would include public heath ethics, feminist

bioethics, policies and programmes to mainstream ethics; research ethics;

clinical ethics and exploring linkages between discourse in ethics and rights in

our context. This would be done in collaboration with institutions,

organizations, and individuals interested in the field of bioethics.

CSER M & E Team

Dr Sunita Bandewar, Project in - charge

Ms. Neha Madhiwala

Dr Anant Bhan

Dr Amar Jesani (Advisor), Coordinator, CSER

Mr Ravi Duggal (Advisor), Coordinator, CEHAT

Contact details: Telephone: 91-22-26406703 (Off)

Sunita Bandewar: sunitavb@...; sunita.bandewar@...;

Anant Bhan: anantcser@..., anantbhan@...

Neha Madhiwala: mneha@...

Amar Jesani: jesani@...