Evaluation of the cooperation between the Guatemalan Red Cross and the Norwegian Red Cross (NorCross)

Background :
For various years, the Norwegian Red Cross (NorCross) has been cooperating with national societies (NSs) in the Americas, including the Guatemalan Red Cross (GRC), normally channeling the funds multilaterally through the Secretariat of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and its programs in the region. As a result of tropical storm Stan, which affected Central America in October 2005, the NorCross channeled aid bilaterally to the Guatemalan Red Cross for the first time. Since then, and without abandoning multilateral cooperation, the NRC has been directly and continuously supporting different GRC programs, mainly in the areas of health, disaster risk reduction (DRR), voluntary work and organizational development (OD) with resources from external donors such as the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), as well as its own funds.

Purpose/objective:
The Norwegian Red Cross (NorCross) is currently approaching the end of two funding cycles (MFA in 2011 and NORAD in 2012). With the aim of defining its action strategy in the country for the coming years, it has contracted an external consultant to evaluate the projects it has supported in Guatemala, as well as its cooperation model and institutional relations with the Guatemalan Red Cross (GRC) and other relevant actors. The evaluation process, implemented between August 30 and September 27, 2010, has centered on evaluating the relevance of the programs, the effectiveness of the cooperation between the GRC and the NRC in the last four years, and the GRC’s capacity to manage more efficient, effective and sustainable programs.

Methodology:
The revision was based on relevant strategies and programme documents as well as in depth interviews with key personnel in Guatemala Red Cross and the Norwegian Red Cross.

Key findings and lessons learned:
- It is possible to conclude from the analysis of the programs implemented that they are coherent with the main strategies and priorities established within the Red Cross Movement at the global, regional and country levels through strategic documents such as the 2010 Strategy, the Inter-American Plan 2007-2011, the Guatemalan Red Cross Strategic Development Plan 2009-2012 and the NorCross Framework Document for the Americas Region 2010-2012.

- The HIV/AIDS, Maternal-Infant Health and Health in Emergencies programs are also pertinent and relevant to the country’s needs and problems in terms of both the prioritized issues and the geographical areas selected, while the Organizational Development (OD) program is pertinent to the institutional priorities and needs identified by the GRC itself. In terms of efficacy, the HIV/AIDS, Comprehensive Care for Diseases Prevalent in Infancy (AIEPI), and Health in Emergencies programs have so far had an important influence and impact on the lives of the target communities and groups, and on the capacity, image and positioning of the GRC in the delegations in which they are being implemented.

- Despite important advances that need to be recognized, the achievements and impact achieved in the OD actions have been more limited than expected, due to factors such as a lack of ownership, the lack of linkage among the different actions and the absence of plans integrated and linked by the GRC.

- The analysis of efficiency has revealed that generally speaking the resources have been well administered, although certain elements can be improved. The GRC has demonstrated an important improvement in its management capacity, although the conditions for an independent financial, administrative and technical management have not yet been achieved.

- There has been close, transparent, and collaborative coordination between the NorCross and the GRC, and the four-year time frame of the funding cycles has proved to be sufficient for a medium- and long-term strategic approach.

- While it is too soon to assess the sustainability of the achievements and results obtained, it has been possible to verify that the programs have no integrated sustainability plans or strategies nor an exit plan for the conclusion of the current cooperation cycle in 2012. There are, however, examples of actions aimed at achieving sustainability, such as the strategic and operational alliances with the public health sector and other private local organizations.

- In relation to the Guatemalan Red Cross’ institutional capacity, the main strengths identified have been the existence of a solid basis for sustained growth in the future, a considerable improvement in the technical capacity of both the central headquarters and the delegations, accumulated experience in responding to recent disasters, and an improvement in the internal control and accountability systems. The main weaknesses found are related to the lack of a long-term institutional and strategic vision, weak strategic planning at different levels, the absence of procedures manuals and formal mechanisms for institutional management, limited diversification of external funding sources and the lack of a resource mobilization strategy, weaknesses in the volunteer management cycle, and the lack of an institutional presence in highly vulnerable departments and geographic areas.

- Different alternatives are proposed for the definition of a future cooperation framework between the NorCross and the GRC, based on elements such as the programmatic approach, the funding amounts, the cooperation model and the follow-up and monitoring model. The progressive institutionalization model is proposed as an example of a flexible model for future cooperation that can be modified and adapted in accordance with institutional circumstances and changing contexts.

Recommendations:

1. Conduct independent external evaluations of the programs to draw conclusions and produce recommendations to determine the programmatic priorities of a possible future cooperation cycle.
2. Systematize and capitalize the successful actions of the programs being implemented.
3. Initiate in the short term an open dialogue with the Secretariat and other members of the Movement present in Guatemala with the aim of identifying concerted organizational development actions.
4. Incorporate into the future cooperation models strategies that increase the NorCross’s capacity for support, advice and technical accompaniment in the programs implemented.
5. In future cooperation agreements and cycles all the programs should incorporate organizational development components to strengthen the capacity of the territorial delegations in which the programs are implemented.
6. Implement cooperation models that favor the progressive responsibilization of the Guatemalan Red Cross and the sustainability and institutionalization of those programs considered to be priorities for the national society.
7. Provide the necessary steps to harmonize and align the implementation periods of the programs that receive external funding and the planning cycles of the Guatemalan Red Cross and the Federation in the Americas.
8. Prioritize support to the GRC in updating its strategic institutional plan.
9. Develop and implement a mechanism for the follow up, accompaniment and monitoring of cooperation with the GRC that includes process indicators and/or indicators for compliance with commitments and intermediate institutional goals previously agreed between both parties.
10. Prioritize programmatic issues in which the Norwegian Red Cross can offer added value and a comparative advantage compared to other members of the Movement and external donors.