Zhao Tong Community Development Project, Evaluation of the Second Phase (2005-2007)

Background

The Zhao Tong Community Development Project was initiated by a Zhao Yang Government Official, which lead to a feasibility study in 1999. The project officially started in January 2002 and completed its first three year phase in December 2004. The focus for the first phase was on poverty alleviation for the socially disadvantaged, with the specific aim of improving education, supplying clean water, improving the environment and providing training. In 2004 the project was subject to an external evaluation, which concluded that the project was reaching many of its objectives and should plan for a second three year phase with a greater emphasis on training. The main project goals for the second phase have been to reduce poverty in selected townships of Zhao Tong prefecture and improve the environment and educational levels of the people, hence improve the general living conditions of the people. It has also been a goal to establish a community based training program in Zhao Tong prefecture.

Purpose/objective

The main purpose of the evaluation was to help the project reflect on what it had achieved and prepare for the future.

Methodology

The evaluation team used a variety of methods to evaluate the project, namely; review and discuss all project documentation, visit the project sites and have informal talks with all of those involved in the project. The evaluation team also carried out some participatory exercises with the local government workers involved in implementing the project, the Project Manager and the Xincon Consultant. The participatory assessment activities (PAA) were used to verify the data in the reports, gain relevant information for the site visits, observe the interaction of the project manager and the government workers during the group exercises, gain insights into the challenges and hopes of the project team and to give all of those involved in the project an opportunity to express their fears and hopes, as well as gain a clearer understanding of the issues facing the project.

Key findings

In general, the project has achieved its objectives, since all three of the project villages have had a notable reduction in poverty as a result of the project improving education, health and other facilities. Moreover, the establishment of training stations both in Zhao Tong City and Pan He Xiang has gone a long way to establishing community based training programs in the prefecture.

On the basis of performing the tasks, having the necessary resources for doing the tasks and adhering to the planned schedule, the Zhao Tong CDT project appears to be a well managed project. Furthermore, local government officials in Women's Federation, the Poverty Alleviation Office and the Township Government all seems to take responsibility for their assigned tasks. Evidence for this is the detailed reports which they have produced, the implementation of the projects and the high degree of cooperation that exists between the various government departments. There also seems to be a strong sense of commitment and good stability amongst those implementing the project i.e. only a few of the officials have changed their positions since the start of the project in 2001. The government team appears to have transferred the values and lessons of the project to the villagers.

Therefore, the main issue with the management of the Zhao Tong CDT project is that there needs to be a much better understanding about the underlying reasons and motivations for doing the project. The aims and objectives of the project have been clearly defined; "to alleviate poverty and to establish a community development project". However, deeper questions need to be asked, such as: "What is poverty and what causes it?", "Why do we want to alleviate poverty?", "How do we define who is poor?" and, "When do poor people stop being poor and therefore when do we stop helping them?".

Recommendations

• There is a need for the stakeholders in the project to do some strategic planning to decide about future work. As a result of having a strategic plan, Xincon and the project donors will be in a much better position to decide what type of projects they want to do and where the main focus should lie.
• The project needs to develop an exit strategy.
• Overall, Xincon would do well to develop the capacity of the local government partners by providing training in the following areas:
o Strategic Planning;
o Project Planning & Project Management;
o Writing & Development of Project Proposals;
o Leadership Development;
o Cost Estimation and Budgeting;
o Teamwork and Communication; and,
o Resource mobilization & management.

• One further recommendation would be that Xincon (as the project consultant and representative of the donors), needs to take a much more active role in the monitoring and documentation of the project, especially with regard to the finances.

Comments from the organisation

The project has been encouraged to follow up the recommendations given in the evaluation report.