External Mid-term Evaluation (MTE) of Southern Africa Regional Programme

Background:
NPA’s engagement in southern Africa started with the support to the liberation movements and was followed by the establishment of development programmes and offices in Zimbabwe (1983), Mozambique (1987), Angola (1989) and finally South Africa (1992). Exchange of experience and competence between the country programmes and NPAs partners was one important aspect of the activities. In 2006, the regional programme was established as the platform for these and networking activities. The regional office implements the programme and provides coordination and support to the external offices in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa.

Purpose/objective:
The MTE is to be a learning process and an opportunity for the NPA in South Africa team to view achievements and reflect on the strength and weaknesses of the program with the purpose to strategize and improve the programme. The MTE shall prioritize and focus on the strengths and the substantial, critical and difficult aspects of the program, hence how many partners, type and relevancy of the partners, their agendas and NPA’s role and relations with partners.

Methodology:
The approach was participatory and included: an extensive desktop analysis, questionnaires to the External Office and selected Head Office staff, analysis of responses, interviews with EO staff, the Head of International Department at HO, interviews with partners, focus group meetings with community based partners and social organizations, observed operations in the External office and during field visits, workshops with partners to present findings and regular discussions with the Regional Director and the Programme Manager. There is an overlap between the evaluation reports for the South Africa and Southern Africa Regional programmes.

Key findings:
The programme has continued relevance in the region. The partners are in congruence with the international strategy and communication with them is sound, open with the ability and freedom for mutual criticism.

The work has a strong emphasis on community based organizations and established NGO‘s who work closely with CBO‘s and social movements. Generally there is a sound understanding among EO staff on the nature of this sector and the conditions and challenges that confronts organizations on the ground.

The review affirms the centrality of OD as a tool to build relevant, effective, efficient, sustainable and resilient civil society organizations, especially community based organizations and social movements. However, there is insufficient clarity on the NPA concept by all EOs. The review notes that this is being addressed.

In the period under the review a broad grouping of women have been reached and empowered through the Women Can Do It  (WCDI) methodology.

Result Based Management (RBM) has been introduced, but the EO’s have adapted it in different ways. A common framework is needed.

Partners need to build alliances if there is to be significant impact on shifting the balance of forces, hence alliance building should be a clearer strategy of this programme. 

Recommendations:
• Find and/or continue to work with regional partners who have the capacity to meet the requirements and criteria necessary for effective regional partners;
• Continue to give effect to the focus on women and land, and youth;
• Explore how NPA can be more involved and in deeper solidarity with the struggle for democracy in Swaziland, incorporate Angola into the SARP programme and continue and strengthen the cross cutting Zimbabwe solidarity work;
• That NPA in the region with the support of the HO refine/defines a clearer concept of OD for the region;
• Formulate a development plan and programme of support for WCDI over the next strategy period with clearer results;
• Examine how the programme can adapt the RBM approach to be more appropriate to the needs, challenges and critical issues that confront partners;
• Explore the implementation of political education to build resilient organizations;
• Strengthen political and power analysis; continue conflict resolution building
• Enable longer term funding; enable partners to plan over a longer period of time and speed up the process of proposal finalization;
• Clarify roles and develop a stronger organizational culture in NPA

Comments from the organisation, if any:
The evaluation has been a useful learning process.