- Evaluation Plan:
- 2013-2019, Liberia
- Evaluation Type:
- Mid Term Outcome
- Planned End Date:
- 08/2013
- Completion Date:
- 07/2013
- Status:
- Completed
- Management Response:
- Yes
- Evaluation Budget(US $):
- 13,280
Mid Term Evaluation of "Support to Liberian 2010-2012 Electoral Cycle" project
| Document | Type | Language | Size | Status | Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Final Evaluation Report Liberian Election Cycle Support with annexes 29.7.13.doc |
report | English | 360.00 KB | Posted | 2927 |
| Title | Mid Term Evaluation of "Support to Liberian 2010-2012 Electoral Cycle" project | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas Project Number: | 00075179 | ||||||||
| Evaluation Plan: | 2013-2019, Liberia | ||||||||
| Evaluation Type: | Mid Term Outcome | ||||||||
| Status: | Completed | ||||||||
| Completion Date: | 07/2013 | ||||||||
| Planned End Date: | 08/2013 | ||||||||
| Management Response: | Yes | ||||||||
| Focus Area: |
|
||||||||
| Corporate Outcome and Output (UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017) |
|
||||||||
| Evaluation Budget(US $): | 13,280 | ||||||||
| Source of Funding: | Election Basket Fund | ||||||||
| Joint Programme: | No | ||||||||
| Joint Evaluation: | No | ||||||||
| Evaluation Team members: |
|
||||||||
| GEF Evaluation: | No | ||||||||
| Key Stakeholders: | European Commission | ||||||||
| Countries: | LIBERIA |
| Lessons | |
|---|---|
| Findings |
| Recommendations | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Relevance/Timeliness: Some initial project staff should be hired to conduct assessments and baseline studies before finalising the ProDoc so that the main management plan for the project is tailored to country issues and the current situation. This step would also allow for better measurement of progress towards project goals from the baseline. A revision of the ProDoc and work plan with an extension could be more nuanced and targeted. |
| 2 | Transparency: :The Electoral Cycle Project should strengthen its documentary record and make more planning and reporting documents available on the project web site. The project and CO should convene additional PB and other informal meetings to increase transparency on project strategies, activities, outcomes, challenges, and adjustments. This is somewhat difficult when the NEC itself is not very transparent but should be used to nudge the NEC towards greater openness, outreach, and visibility. |
| 3 | Sustainability The Electoral Cycle project should be extended through 2014 to help the NEC and key counterparts such as the IPCC restructure in sustainable ways with the help of the project. |
| 4 | Accountability: UNDP and the project, if granted more time for project implementation beyond August 2013, should develop new mutual accountability mechanisms with the NEC that can be used for management. Bargaining over what the project can do to help the NEC, contingent on what the NEC does in restructuring and planning key activities, could build partnerships between the NEC and project as well as strengthen NEC capacity and implementation of VR and 2014 election processes. |
| 5 | Effectiveness: The project should increase the amount of information shared with the NEC to build a stronger partnership. The project should consider ways of building mutual accountability with the NEC through conditionality - rewarding the NEC with some of the types of activities that they prefer such as study tours upon implementation of some organizational reforms. More time is needed to support ? and monitor ? the institutionalization of changes supported by project TA, training, and capacity-building in specific areas (such as the recently developed draft NEC communications policy). |
| 6 | IP capacity and accountability: The project should assist the NEC in addressing the issues noted in the Moore Stephens audit; after addressing these issues, UNDP should test NEC finance and procurement policies and procedures with modest funds to support 2014 electoral processes, to be followed by another UNDP audit on the use of these funds. |
| 7 | Cross Cutting Issues :Civic Education/Youth/Women: Substantial engagement is needed in civic education to help Liberians across the board understand representative democracy in their context and shape the broader political environment in which elections can be seen as transparent, inclusive and credible in the eyes of all stakeholders. CE should differentiate carefully by categories of people (including gender and youth) and be targeted appropriately, based on solid research to set baselines for civics knowledge ex-ante and understand methods for reaching different target audiences. |
1. Recommendation: Relevance/Timeliness: Some initial project staff should be hired to conduct assessments and baseline studies before finalising the ProDoc so that the main management plan for the project is tailored to country issues and the current situation. This step would also allow for better measurement of progress towards project goals from the baseline. A revision of the ProDoc and work plan with an extension could be more nuanced and targeted.
Management Response: [Added: 2013/08/12]
Timely deployment of election professionals is essential. Action is required.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
[Added: 2013/11/05] |
UNDP CO, GoL, Partners | 2013/01 | Overdue-Not Initiated | Not Initiated. |
2. Recommendation: Transparency: :The Electoral Cycle Project should strengthen its documentary record and make more planning and reporting documents available on the project web site. The project and CO should convene additional PB and other informal meetings to increase transparency on project strategies, activities, outcomes, challenges, and adjustments. This is somewhat difficult when the NEC itself is not very transparent but should be used to nudge the NEC towards greater openness, outreach, and visibility.
Management Response: [Added: 2013/08/12]
Valid observation. Action is required.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular documentation of project products to be uploaded on the project website. Perhaps restart of the monthly election
NEC to organize more information sharing meetings
[Added: 2013/11/05] |
Project/CO visibility focal point | 2013/08 | Overdue-Not Initiated | Some donors have had concerns that the project and UNDP have not been clear enough in communications with donors on some issues, such as NEC accountability for missing VR equipment. Project Board meetings have not been as informative or held as often as some donors would like. |
3. Recommendation: Sustainability The Electoral Cycle project should be extended through 2014 to help the NEC and key counterparts such as the IPCC restructure in sustainable ways with the help of the project.
Management Response: [Added: 2013/08/12]
Extension of the project until end of 2014 was foreseen and approved by the board. UNEAD NAM recommended extension of the project.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Strategic decision of UNDP senior management if an extension should be pursued
2. Discussions with GoL and Partners, Fundraising
[Added: 2013/11/05] |
UNDP senior management, CTA | 2013/01 | Overdue-Not Initiated | NEC still requires support in Communications Policy and Action Plan, Gender Policy and Action Plan, CVE, and systematically developing HR department policies and procedures. Public consultations on legal reform and the potential for developing more active IPCC meetings may make for a more sustainable NEC and consultative body. |
4. Recommendation: Accountability: UNDP and the project, if granted more time for project implementation beyond August 2013, should develop new mutual accountability mechanisms with the NEC that can be used for management. Bargaining over what the project can do to help the NEC, contingent on what the NEC does in restructuring and planning key activities, could build partnerships between the NEC and project as well as strengthen NEC capacity and implementation of VR and 2014 election processes.
Management Response: [Added: 2013/08/12]
Action required.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Training has been done for NEC logistics and field operations staff on warehouse management (proper layout of the warehouse, inventory and sustainable usage of reusable elections materials and equipment
2. Development of the Operational Manual
[Added: 2013/11/05] |
Project | 2013/01 | Overdue-Initiated |
5. Recommendation: Effectiveness: The project should increase the amount of information shared with the NEC to build a stronger partnership. The project should consider ways of building mutual accountability with the NEC through conditionality - rewarding the NEC with some of the types of activities that they prefer such as study tours upon implementation of some organizational reforms. More time is needed to support ? and monitor ? the institutionalization of changes supported by project TA, training, and capacity-building in specific areas (such as the recently developed draft NEC communications policy).
Management Response: [Added: 2013/08/12]
Valid observation. Action required.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTA regularly briefs BoC
[Added: 2013/11/05] |
Project | 2013/08 | Overdue-Not Initiated |
6. Recommendation: IP capacity and accountability: The project should assist the NEC in addressing the issues noted in the Moore Stephens audit; after addressing these issues, UNDP should test NEC finance and procurement policies and procedures with modest funds to support 2014 electoral processes, to be followed by another UNDP audit on the use of these funds.
Management Response: [Added: 2013/08/12] [Last Updated: 2013/11/05]
Noted.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
[Added: 2013/11/05] |
Project | 2013/12 | Overdue-Initiated | Capacity Assessment report ranking the NEC as a high-risk IP |
7. Recommendation: Cross Cutting Issues :Civic Education/Youth/Women: Substantial engagement is needed in civic education to help Liberians across the board understand representative democracy in their context and shape the broader political environment in which elections can be seen as transparent, inclusive and credible in the eyes of all stakeholders. CE should differentiate carefully by categories of people (including gender and youth) and be targeted appropriately, based on solid research to set baselines for civics knowledge ex-ante and understand methods for reaching different target audiences.
Management Response: [Added: 2013/08/12]
Valid observation. Action is required
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Baseline study for evidence based CVE planning
3. Project and BEC will provide targeted Voter education for youth to participate in the update of the voter?s role
4. Grant schemes for youth and women CSO will be developed
[Added: 2013/11/05] |
NEC/Project | 2013/07 | Overdue-Initiated | Liberian society, only 10 years after the end of decades of misrule and civil war, is still at an early stage in processes of national reconciliation and development. Current and historical social cleavages and the underdeveloped economy still overshadow Liberian politics, especially for young people, and create a difficult environment for electoral institutions and processes. These challenges go beyond the scope of the electoral cycle project, or indeed any project. |