The project will be monitored through the following M&E activities:
Project start
A Project Inception Workshop will be held within the first two months of project start after the project document has been signed by all relevant parties.
The inception Workshop addresses a number of key issues including:
• Re-orienting project stakeholders to the project strategy and discussing any changes in the overall context that influence project strategy and implementation;
• Discussing the roles and responsibilities of the project team, including reporting and communication lines and conflict resolution mechanisms;
• Reviewing the project results framework and finalizing the indicators, means of verification and monitoring plan;
• Discussing reporting, monitoring and evaluation roles and finalizing the M&E budget; identifying national/regional institutes to be involved in project-level M&E; discussing the role of the GEF OFP in M&E;
• Updating and reviewing responsibilities for monitoring the various project plans and strategies, including the risk log; knowledge management strategy, and other relevant strategies;
• Reviewing financial reporting procedures and mandatory requirements, and agreeing on the arrangements for audits
• Planing and scheduling Project Board meeting and finalizing first year annual work plan
An Inception Workshop report is a key reference document and must be prepared and shared with participants to formalize various agreements and plans decided during the meeting.
Quarterly reports
Project Progress Reports (PPR) quarterly reports will be assembled based on the information recorded and monitored in the UNDP Enhanced Results Based Management Platform. The risk log will be regularly updated.
Annually reports
An annual Project Implementation Report (PIR) will prepared to monitor progress made since project start, and in particular for the previous reporting period (July to June). The PIR submitted to the GEF will be shared with the Project Board. UNDP-GEF and WHO will coordinate the input of the GEF OFP and other stakeholders to the PIR as appropriate. The quality rating of the previous year’s PIR will be used to inform the preparation of subsequent PIR. Portfolio level indicators (i.e. GEF focal area tracking tools) are used by most focal areas on an annual basis as well.
Periodic Monitoring through site visits will be conducted, based on the agreed schedule in the Project Inception Report and Annual Work Plan to assess first-hand project progress. A Field Visit Report/BTOR will be prepared and circulated no less than one month after the visit to the project team and Project Board members.
Mid-term evaluation of project cycle
An independent Mid-Term Evaluation of the project will be conducted after completion of the first two years. The Mid-Term Evaluation will determine progress being made toward the achievement of outcomes and will identify course correction if needed. It will focus on the effectiveness, efficiency and timeliness of project implementation; will highlight issues requiring decisions and actions; and will present initial lessons learned about project design, implementation and management. Findings of this review will be incorporated as recommendations for enhanced implementation during the final half of the project’s term.
End of project evaluation
An independent terminal evaluation (TE) will take place upon completion of all major project ouputs and activities. The terminal evaluation process will begin three months before operational closure of the project allowing the evaluation mission to proceed while the project team to reach conclusions on key aspects such as project sustainability. The project manager will remain on contract until the TE report and management response have been finalized. The terms of reference, the evaluation process and the final TE report will follow the standard templates and guidance prepared by UNDP IEO for GEF-financed projects available at the UNDP Evaluation Resource Center. As noted in this guidance, the evaluation will be “independent, impartial and rigorous”. The consultants that will be hired to undertake the assignment will be independent from organizations involved in designing, executing or advising on the project to be evaluated. The GEF Operational Focal Point and other stakeholders will be involved and consulted during the terminal evaluation process. Additional quality assurance support is available from the UNDP-GEF Directorate. The final TE report will be cleared by the UNDP-GEF Regional Technical Advisor, and will be approved by the Project Board. The TE report will be publicly available in English and the corresponding management response to the UNDP Evaluation Resource Centre (ERC). Once uploaded to the ERC, the UNDP IEO will undertake a quality assessment and validate the findings and ratings in the TE report, and rate the quality of the TE report. The UNDP IEO assessment report will be sent to the GEF IEO along with the project terminal evaluation report.
Project Terminal Report
The project’s terminal PIR along with the terminal evaluation (TE) report and corresponding management response will serve as the final project report package. The final project report package shall be discussed with the Project Board during an end-of-project review meeting to discuss lessons learned and opportunities for scaling up.
Learning and knowledge sharing
Results from the project will be disseminated within and beyond the project intervention zone through existing information sharing networks and forums. The project will identify and participate, as relevant and appropriate, in scientific, policy-based and/or any other networks, which may be of benefit to project. The project will identify, analyze, and share lessons learned that might be beneficial in the design and implementation of similar future projects and disseminate these lessons widely. There will be continuous information exchange between this project and other projects of similar focus in the same countries, region and globally.
A detailed plan for disseminating results will be developed within the first 2 months of project implementation, in consultation with relevant parties including the project management unit of UNDP’s Adaptation Learning Mechanism.
There will be a two-way flow of information between this project and other projects of a similar focus. This will be supported by knowledge management activities in Outcome 4.1, including the development and sharing of case studies, national and regional seminars/workshops and exchange visits, and information exchange via a project website and national/regional level workshops.
Auditing
The project will be audited according to UNDP Financial Regulations and Rules and applicable audit policies for agency-implemented projects.