1. Monitoring and Evaluation in the CSO Sector in Ghana
Monitoring & Evaluation and Social Accountability
M&E Forum May 2011
Dorcas Ansah

2. Paper examines:
the M&E systems and practices of CSOs in Ghana
and how M&E supports the achievement
of social accountability in Ghana.

3. Approach to Presentation
a broad definition of the concept of SA and some examples of the application of this in Ghana.
the link between M&E and SA
an overview of the M&E systems of CSOs in Ghana based on the evaluation reports of G-RAP
proposing some recommendations, based on the preceding on how M&E of CSOs in Ghana can better support SA.

4. What does Social Accountability mean
Social accountability is a process in which the ordinary citizen participates directly in exacting accountability and responsiveness of decision makers: Government (local, district and national); Parliament; and other groups deliver services
Social Accountability mechanisms refer to a broad range of actions (beyond voting) that citizens, communities and civil society organizations can use eg: citizens’ participation in public policy making, participatory budgeting, public expenditure tracking, citizen monitoring of public service delivery, citizen advisory boards, lobbying and advocacy campaigns.

5. Examples in Ghana of the expression of the demand for social accountability
Elections
The Africa Peer Review Mechanism of NEPAD (APRM)
CSO programmes like the SEND HIPC Watch and School Feeding Monitoring Program;

6. What SA seeks to Achieve
Improved governance
increased development effectiveness through improved public service delivery and more informed policy design
social accountability initiatives can lead to empowerment, particularly of poor people

7. Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring is a systematic process of collecting and analysing information to track the efficiency of programmes in the achievement of its Impact.
Evaluation is a systematic process of collecting and analysing information to assess the effectiveness of a programme in the achievement of its Impact.
It provides regular feedback that helps track costs, personnel, implementation time, OD, and economic and financial results to compare what was planned to actual events. In its simplest terms, monitoring is collection and analysis of information to track project implementation.
Evaluation
Evaluation provides regular feedback that helps analyse the consequences, outcomes, and results of activities. Evaluation also provides regular feedback that helps assess the programme’s relevance, scope, and sustainability. In its simplest terms, evaluation is the collection and analysis of information to assess the impact of a programme.

8. To achieve this, there are three M&E priorities;
Learning from experience; for partners to share and capture challenges and good practices in governance processes. This is looking back on the concrete actions and experiences of the programme and its partners
Informing decisions; ensuring that insights, understanding and learning from experience is used and informs partners to improve their own decision making and identify concrete ways in which to plan differently for their work
Be accountable and change; using lessons learned, in its strategies, plans and responses now change by acting on learning and as a result work becomes more effective

9. M&E and Accountability
Ideally M&E should help achieve triple accountabilities
Internal accountability
Donor accountability
Accountability to constituents

10. Social Accountability & M&E
SA requires access to information for informed policy advocacy based on empirical evidence. M&E helps to collect information, conduct analysis, measure progress, evaluate and feedback into the process adopted to achieve the proposed outcomes

11. Do current CSO approaches to M&E promote social accountability?
The internal M&E systems of CSOs seem to focus on accountability to donors and do not facilitate accountability downwards to communities and citizens’ groups or even enable citizens holding them to account. In effect the systems do not deliver on achievements in social accountability
An assessment of M&E within G-rap in 2010 showed that there was very little attention within organisations to M&E. It was not seen as being integral to achieving organisational effectiveness and therefore programme effectiveness.

12. Using M&E to achieve increased impact in social accountability
Clearly articulating expected results
Benchmarking and identifying milestones leading to the achievement of the result
Ensuring that internal systems generate the information for the milestones. Evaluating and Feeding back to key sections of the programme any information requiring a change
Reporting key data and findings which respond to the steps identified for achieving the results

13. Some Recommendations What needs to be done:
Rethink our current approaches to M&E, focusing on handing over the stick( what we monitor, communities’ role in our M&E, enabling communities’ own M&E, how we provide info to enable community/citizens to hold us accountable, etc.)
Rethink concept of accountability
Strengthening communities’ capacity to undertake SA;
Build into M&E frameworks we develop for donors, processes and mechanisms for donor & CSO accountability to citizens;

14. STAR-Ghana’s Approach
Background to STAR-Ghana
To hold government accountable, need to understand how govt works, so S-G’s TOC is around the government business cycle;
So results framework of STAR and its grantees are built around the govt business cycle and therefore monitoring will be around it. This will help enhance govt accountability in ways that are meaningful to ordinary citizens;
One of the challenges on the way we have approach SA is that we have focused on one part rather than the whole business cycle

15. The Theory of Change the Government business cycle Voice
Responsiveness
& Accountability
Voice
Budget analysis
Policies, development plans, legislation
Planning processes, prioritisation, policy formulation
M&E / assessment of service delivery and social & economic impacts
Service delivery
Resource allocation, budget setting
Scrutiny of budget / resource allocation
Release of funds
Utilisation of funds
/ spend
the
Government
business
cycle
Policy advocacy
Budget monitoring

16. Citizens’ Participation in Decision Making
Policy Modification
Policy and Legislation
Budget Analysis
Policy Advocacy
Resource Allocation
Government Business Cycle
M&E of Services and Impacts
Resource Release
Service Delivery
Resource Utilisation
Budget Monitoring and Tracking

17. Concluding thoughts
SA has to be an integral part of democratic governance i.e. citizens are able to hold govt accountable and responsive.
To be able to achieve this it is important to critically examine the systems and practice we adopt as CSOs to promote SA.
We therefore need to rethink the why, how and what of M&E ensuring that there is alignment between our commitment to transparency and accountability and they way we do business.