Project Description
We were engaged by a major international humanitarian agency that operates with a mission to eradicate global poverty. Within this engagement, we were called upon to provide monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks, best practices, and strategic planning for the future of a major cash-for-work (CFW) program deployed across Yemen.
The CFW impacted hundreds of thousands of Yemeni nationals across multiple sectors, including agriculture, education and healthcare, and was recognized as one of the organization’s most critical programs of its kind globally. The success of this program would later serve as a template for similar programs run by the organization across several other countries in the Middle East and Africa (MEA).
Solution
Impact Consulting collaborated directly alongside senior leadership and project teams on the ground to initially understand the scope of the CFW program and the target outcomes across both the social and economic benefit spectrum. This was an important consideration to understand the realized benefits for communities and any gaps that the existing program was not delivering to date.
Thereafter, Impact Consulting supported our client with the development of a robust performance monitoring and evaluation infrastructure that could be replicated and scaled easily and seamlessly. Our solution was defined by two components:
Questionnaires, focus group discussions and interviews: We spearheaded a comprehensive survey exercise across a stratified sampling of CFW workers. Survey respondents were representative of demographics, geography, ad scope of involvement within the national CFW program. Survey questions were designed to be bias-free and outcome-oriented to assess both the strengths and areas of improvement for the program.
Future-state Strategy: Based on survey findings and observations with CFW workers, a renewed program strategy was formulated. This strategy identified and triaged community assets (primarily infrastructure) to be rehabilitated in order to maximize the net benefits and number of beneficiaries of the CFW program. This strategy was then presented to the Steering Committee to secure buy-in and set the foundation for a successful change management process.
Final Evaluation Outcome
From the survey and M&E frameworks, our client was able to surface and course-correct on key issues related to access to markets, water, education and healthcare while defining a sustainable long-term operating roadmap for the rehabilitation of community assets. The final evaluation provided feedback to help program design and implementation in Yemen. Its benefits reached the Food Security Cluster.
Cash for Work final evaluation project in Yemen. The case provides challenges and opportunities in design, programming, and implementation.