External Mid Term Evaluation PODCAM

Background:
PODCAM, a non-profit making organization evolved out of the need for parents of disabled children to represent and support the interests of children with disabilities at all levels. It was also formed to lobby the government and private sector on the aspirations of disabled children, create awareness about the plight of their children and to advocate for a favorable learning environment for children with disabilities.
 
The partnership between PODCAM and NFU started in 2004 with a study that assessed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of PODCAM. The assessment revealed the for capacity building to the organisation in order to become a stronger voice for children with disabilities. From 2005 it became an organisational development programme with funding from NORAD and Atlas Alliance, and this is the project that is being evaluated.

Purpose/objective:

Methodology: This involved review of documents, meetings officials from government departments and other organisations and field visits to selected sites in 4 districts spanning across the country. A total of 206 participants in the various branches were met. 

Key findings:
Relevancy of PODCAM interventions: The assessment was made in view of the main goal of PODCAM to enable parents of children with disabilities to take an active role in advocating for positive change. There have been efforts to induct the PODCAM NEC members in their roles and get them involved in developing annual plans and budgets. The program has also facilitated branch elections and general assembly besides training the NEC and staff on advocacy and strategic planning, organizational development as well as reviewing the constitution.
 
It was found out that parents were critical in supporting the needs of their children and gaining access to services like education and health care. Even though PODCAM cannot meet such needs, there are efforts to link them up with organizations like MACOHA, MASAF and other service providers.

Compliance with strategic principles: The PODCAM interventions are mainly about increasing the visibility of the issues for disabled children and their families so that they can be addressed as part of the general development programmes (inclusion). PODCAM as a parents’ advocacy organisation recognises and promotes disability as human rights issue. PODCAM is hence fighting for inclusion of disabled children in all public sector activities especially inclusive education.  However, PODCAM has not yet succeeded in other advocacy areas stressed by the MDGS and the National Policy on Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.

Programmatic Performance Findings:  The mission has revealed that PODCAM has developed into a strong democratic member-based organisation. Parents and communities have been massively mobilised and are participating in the community based activities of the organisation. The mission was able to ascertain that PODCAM has mobilized over 5500 parents into 90 functional parents support groups. 
In terms of promoting a socially inclusive society for children and parents is concerned, PODCAM has been organizing campaigns targeting parents and their children and communities; training communities, children with disabilities and parents; linking youth with disabilities to employment institutions, as well as lobbying government to involve children with disabilities and their parents. However there has been lack of planning and setting targets and most of the public awareness initiatives are still by word of mouth. Not much is being done to develop printed IEC materials as part of the public sensitization strategy.
 
Recommendations:

• The mission recommends that instead of expanding branches to new districts, PODCAM should consolidate and support the development needs of the current and more local branches to enable them become strong and viable entities. This recommendation however, does not deter PODCAM from opening more local branches in the current districts. It should also establish a northern region coordinating office with at least one staff member who could be on voluntary terms to support the activities in the region.

• The mission also recommends that PODCAM needs to be supported to develop an advocacy strategy which should be change-focused with clear objectives, indicators and outcomes. Its development should be participatory involving the national and district branches. In addition, PODCAM needs to dedicate and train one of the three staff members as an Advocacy Officer whose role will basically to focus on training PODCAM grassroots structures in advocacy, work with stakeholders in pursuing the PODCAM advocacy agenda and take charge of the implementation of the PODCAM advocacy strategy especially at the national level.

• There is need for PODCAM to undertake a comprehensive capacity needs assessment / competency mapping exercise upon which PODCAM should develop an organisational capacity building strategy. This organisational capacity building strategy should be aligned to the OD strategy being supported / funded by NFU.

• PODCAM should be supported to develop a sustainability / fundraising and resource mobilisation strategy with clear set goals and strategies which is developed in a participatory manner. For financial stability, PODCAM should constitute a fundraising committee composed of members from the Board of Trustees, NEC and management. But above all, PODCAM should diversity her funding base.

• For improvements in programming, reporting and documentation, there is need for mentoring the management in result based planning and reporting and documentation in general. There is also need to develop formats for capturing data and information periodically. For documentation, PODCAM needs to start compiling vital information and start publishing some of the good practices, manual developed out of practice such as on community mobilisation – a strong area for PODCAM.

• Last but not least in order to adequately facilitate the district and local branches, the mission recommends increased funding to PODCAM to cover activities undertaken by the branches. The most sustainable way is facilitating the district branches to evolve into independent CBOs registered with the relevant government bodies, which can enable them undertake their own fundraising initiatives to sustain their branch activities.

Comments from the organisation, if any: