Final evaluation for MIRD I, Midterm review for MIRD II

Background

Malagasy Integrated Rural Development Program (MIRD) is one of FLMs development actors and contribute to the achievement of FLM’s National Policy for Development and Diaconie (PNFD). A recent survey concludes that direct beneficiaries sums up to 31 000 women and 24 000 and reaching 55 000 of a total population of 274 400 in the targeted geographical areas. The FLM, as a church with more than 4.5 mill members 1/5 of the total poulation, is a faith-based institution which has a long and well known history of involvement in social and economic development of the population mainly among the poorest and the marginalized groups in Madagascar. FLM has about 9000 congregations all over Madagascar and a structure of committees and regular meetings on all levels. They are united in about 1014 parishes, 251 districts and 25 synods. 

The organisational structure for development that has been built in the church is called FANILO, an acronym for Fampandrosoama ANIvon’ny Loterana, but at the same time it also means light or torch in the Malagacy Language. The idea is to stimulate volunteerism and support everybody in the church to use his or her talent to build a better Madagascar. MIRD is in this respect a very important professional asset of FLM in mobilizing, motivating, training and organizing human ressources. The implementation of MIRD is in accordance with the philosophy and the values of the FLM. A major purpose of MIRD is to consolidate FLM’s Development efforts within one single Program in order to facilitate and strengthen the work and further improve the organizational development of the branches in the church, as well as the capacity-building of their staff. It is important to note that MIRD is working for the whole community and not not exclusively FLM members.

MIRD is defined by two major phases. The first phase, 2009-2013 (MIRD I) was dedicated to consolidate four integrated development projects within the MIRD Program. An external evaluation was conducted november 2012 and the report finalized in 2013. The second phase 2014-2018 (MIRD II) confirms the unique MIRD program, spread over five geographical areas: MIRD South (Ihosy); MIRD West (Toliara); MIRD South-East (Manakara, from 2016); MIRD North (Mahajanga, from 2015); MIRD East. The evaluation had 15-days with field visits and targeted the South and West regions (Ihosy and Tulear). Initially the external evaluation was planned for 2016, but for reasons beyond our control it was postponed to may 2017. To understand and asess the development and progress of the program and to sustain the continuity, we decided to combine a final- and mid-term external evaluation.

Purpose/objective

The evaluation report was a result of the final evaluation of MIRD I and the mid-term evaluation of MIRD II. The goal was to analyse the efficiency and effectiveness of MIRD, the implementation of the MIRD II strategy, and in particular clarify the local collaboration between MIRD, the Church and FANILO. In addition asess and identify the lessons learned so far and provide advice/suggestions to improve the future programming.

Methodology

The evaluation was carried out in a participative- and gender sensitive approach. The methodology of evaluation combined several techniques and methods including; review of documents, direct observations, interviews and discussions with focus groups at each visited location. The methodology and approach of the evaluation was designed so that everyone on the sites visisted, the MIRD actors, as well as the central office of FLM could participate. The processing and data analysis was done very systematically. Triangulation of the data acquisition of different sources (documentary review, direct observation, interviews, group discussions / focus groups with different recipients, observations or suggestions from the presentation of the preliminary findings) was made. The report was to a great extent based on the results of these steps.

The evaluation was carried out in in May and June 2017 with field-visits to Ihosy and Tulear. A “Focus Development team” with the Vice President of FLM performed the evaluation. Preliminary results were presented for the Head Office of FLM, the Head of Departments, the project leaders and the program coordinator. In a conference November 2017 the FLM Vice President and the Directors of the other Departments discussed the Evaluation’ recommendations, how to apply them and how to improve the collaboration in the future. The work on improving the collaboration within FLM was continued on a workshop together with NMS in December.

Key findings

• MIRD has managed to keep the efficiency of the program during its two main periods, has responded to the needs of the local population and significantly contributed to relieve poverty in the target areas. MIRD works in 5 georgaphical areas within several sectors and the report concluded with 12 key findings.  
• MIRD I achieved its objectives, and MIRD II is generally well on the way to achieve the objectives set in the Project Document (PD) Furthermore MIRD’s ability to spread, multiplication-effects as important results of their interventions; the evaluation team clearly conclude there has been tangible changes in knowledge, behaviour and practices also for neigbouring communities, villages and synods.  
• The most tangible result is the strengthening of MIRD II's collaboration with church structures at all levels through FANILO. The power of MIRD I strategy has been to explore, detect and asess the ressources of FLM. Use of talents, voluntary commitments, and use of local assets are all objectives set in PD and achieved. MIRD II re-activated the talents in both the Church and the community in implementing its new strategy.  
• The MIRD II funding activity has encouraged MAFA ( Volunteer facilitators for Development) to continue to assume its responsibilities in the campaign and has to a great extent created unity between the Church and the community. Implementation of Synodal Technical Teams (STT), ideal but still a long process to realize. The challenge is to find professional people, who have the same range of experience as MIRD team and accept to be paid by the local Church or synod according to their possibilities.  The ability of synod to hire STT became as a major challenge for this evaluation.  
• The Gender equality’s results and gender-oriented efforts were far beyond the expectations and could be spread as example model. Example; The income-generating activities, financed by the program have helped to contribute to resolve the unfair disadvantage toward women, living within in the society. Women were more confident, courageously engaged in the community, fluently speaking in public and being heard when speaking. This was seen during the on-site visits. There was also evidence that there were empowered women, who had the strength to be involved in the development of income-generating business. In addition as particularly sucessful were mentioned; adult education, agriculture and farming and the integration of of environmental protection in some sectors.  

Recommendations

Recommendations were summarized in 7 points and focused on ways to improve and implement a strategy for preparing a strategy and a predictable plan for phasing out MIRD;  

• In a MIRD III term continue to strengthen the relationship between MIRD program and FLM.  
• Involvement of MIRD in developing and formulation the National Plan for Development and Diakonia in FLM. 
• Consolidate the phasing out by strengthening FANILO and MAFA and enhance opening to other implementing partners. 
• Sustain efforts within the FANILO-system at national and other levels. Enhance capacity-building with training, exchange and follow-up. Develop and deepen relations FANILO/MAFA/STT.  

For MIRD programme in particular;

• Improve baseline survey. In particular reduce number of indicators in accordance with national platforms and methods of measuring expected change to facilitate comparison of examples.
• Analyse the compliance of the program with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
• It would be good for the program to move along with other actors, to strengthen their complementarity, especially in the sectors of health and education.

Comments from the organisation

Recommendations from the evaluation has been important preparations of the new project document for the third phase of MIRD. In accordance with the evaluation recommendations the work with the indicators for MIRD III have focused on simplifying them, making them easier to measure and more focused on the direct results from MIRD.

The evaluation concluded that it would still be a long process for the implementation of the Synod Technical Team (STT) because it is too difficult for the synods to find finances for the STT. Therefore, MIRD will in the future focus on training volunteer ToT (Training of Trainers) and work together with the FLM Departments for professional technicians in the synods.