Poorest Areas Civil Society (PACS) Programme

PACS Framework Goal Poor people in the most backward and poorest districts of India are empowered to realise their entitlements more effective and in ways in which it can be sustained Purpose Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the most backward and poorest districts of India more effective in helping poor people realise their entitlements Outputs 1.Successful interventions promoting self-governance, women's empowerment, policy advocacy, social cohesion and self-help to meet basic needs 2.Effective partnerships of civil society 3.Lessons learnt and disseminated

PACS – Programme Structure and Functions Policy Advice & Guidance Programme Oversight Project Selection & Progress Review External Monitoring & Assessment PACS Management & Administration Outreach and Information Dissemination, Capacity Building Impact Assessment Consultants National Advisory Board DFID India / UK Category (A) DA Support Systems Project Selection Committee DA-PWC PACS Programme Management Team DA PwC (Technical) (Financial) Programme Implementation Category (B) Category (C) Category (D) MEAL Core Group CAP Communication Advise & Guidance Oversees the MEAL Implementation

Note : - Map not to Scale MAHARASHTRA (11/35) MADHYA PRADESH (20/45) UTTAR PRADESH (20/70) CHHATTISGARH (4/16) JHARKHAND (19/22) BIHAR (34/37) State Boundary District Boundary Legend Potential Cluster PACS Scale of Operations January 2006

PACS Approach to Projects Integrated - Cross-cutting, multi-faceted, result-oriented Flexible - Responsive to community needs - No constraint by pre-conceived budget lines - Encourages innovation and risk-taking Process-oriented - Wide range of methodologies - Self-monitoring

MEAL – The Cutting Edge Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning System An integrated methodology: - An integral part of every intervention - At all levels: Process, Program, Project and Activity A systemic method to improve: - Reflection and learning within and externally - Generation and management of decision information

What is MEAL Monitoring, Evaluation And Learning Comprehensive M&E system, that focuses on learning and capacity building, designed and managed by stakeholders. Contributes to understanding progress, quality of processes and accumulates knowledge Operates at CSO, State and National levels

MEAL – Components Monitoring - Inputs, Activities - Processes - Outputs Evaluation - Program achievements - Impact - Organisational capacity - Program principles Learning - Research, Innovation (PACS and beyond) - Joint reflection, analysis

MEAL Outputs Information to improve Programme effectiveness : - Project /Programme progress and process - Output/Impacts (signs of change) - Information to understand advocacy and policy issues - Best practices /stories of change (program and organisation related) - Issues addressed through networks and partnerships and their results - Understanding of different stakeholders and their stake - Critical constraints and limitation in achieving above

MEAL Outputs New learning: - New ways of addressing problems /issues - Information on emerging issues through research - Ideas and opportunities for innovation - New initiatives by Govt., CSOs, networks (within and outside PACS)

Prog. Support Team (PST) MEAL Core Group (MCG) Design & manage MEAL National PM, SA, SMCs, CMS, ROs, CSOs Implement, Analyse SA, SMCs, ROs, SBCA State State Core Group (SCG) SA, SMCs, ROs, CSOs, ARO, SBCA, Invitees State Programme governance Institutional mechanisms

Knowledge Management… GENERATION OF KNOWLEDGE ANALYSIS /SYNTHESIS STORAGE /RETRIEVAL SHARING, FEEDBACK & COMMUNICATION USAGE IN DECISION MAKING

MEAL as Knowledge Management tool… Collective reflections for Converting experiences, into knowledge: - Community – CBIA, learning forums - CSO – Input, activity, processes, outputs, evaluations, learning forums etc. - State – PST and SCG level reflections, Programme and institutional assessments, learning forums - National – MC and MCG level reflections, learning forums Analysis and synthesis of information - State and national level synthesis reports every six months Effective storage and retrieval –thru DIISDIIS Usage –thru follow ups and institutional mechanism of PST Sharing, feedback and communication mechanisms

Learning loops MEAL recognises that learning is not the domain of specific organisations or stakeholders It is a process that spreads across the entire programme and beyond. Learning spreads through learning loops at different levels, wherein they learn from each other through interactions at multiple interaction points. MEAL suggests systems to facilitate information dissemination and learning between these groups

Learning loops