MONITORING AND EVALUATION REPORT FOR THE AMERICAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ABIDJAN 000621

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W AND PRM/AFR/CACHANG
STATE PASS TO USAID/OFDA/DDEBERNARDO
MONROVIA FOR USAID/OFDA/RQUINBY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PHUM IV LI
SUBJECT: MONITORING AND EVALUATION REPORT FOR THE AMERICAN
REFUGEE COMMITTEE (ARC) IN LIBERIA: SPRMCO06CA061


1. Summary: The Abidjan-based Refugee Coordinator
(RefCoord) for West Africa traveled to Liberia from May 1-11
to conduct a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) assessment of
the American Refugee Committee's (ARC) PRM-funded project,
"Supporting Sustainable Return, Reintegration and
Stabilization of Liberian Communities." RefCoord met with
ARC staff in Monrovia and visited project sites in Gbarnga,
Foequelleh, Bellemu, Garmue, Gbarngasiaquelleh, Gbalatuah,
Voinjama, Kolahun, and Foya. ARC appears to be largely on
target to meet their objectives for the current project
cycle, although ARC needs to reduce the number of indicators
in any follow-up project. PRM should encourage ARC to
strengthen its presence in Lofa County and improve security
conditions for ARC employees operating in that region. End
Summary.


2. The Abidjan-based Refugee Coordinator (RefCoord) for West
Africa traveled to Liberia from May 1-11 to conduct a
monitoring and evaluation (M&E) assessment of the American
Refugee Committee's (ARC) PRM-funded project, "Supporting
Sustainable Return, Reintegration and Stabilization of
Liberian Communities." RefCoord met with ARC staff in
Monrovia and visited project sites in Gbarnga, Foequelleh,
Bellemu, Garmue, Gbarngasiaquelleh, Gbalatuah, Voinjama,
Kolahun, and Foya. RefCoord met ARC staff Paula Nawrocki
(Country Director),Dawn Dahlke (Program Liaison Officer),
Saad Karim (Program Development Officer),Cherno Diallo (Head
of Gbarnga Field Office),Marie Kalinke (ARC GBV Officer),
Krishna Acharya (MED Program Coordinator, Gbarnga),Isaac
Duaneh (LOSAC Project Coordinator, Gbarnga),Lansana Camara
(Tailoring Project Leader, Gbarnga),and numerous other local
staff working with ARC's field offices in Gbarnga and
Voinjama.


3. RefCoord also discussed ARC's program activities with
Raouf Mazou, UNHCR Acting Representative, David Karp (UNHCR
Gbarnga),Cesar Ortega (UNHCR Voinjama),Gray Zuu (LRRRC Bong
County - Government Refugee Office),as well as other
officials with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working
in collaboration with ARC.

OBJECTIVES AND INDICATORS
--------------


4. OBJECTIVE 1: To support the sustainable return and
reintegration of Liberian refugees and returnees and the
stabilization of war affected communities through provision
of business training, grants, loan and savings group
facilitation, and loans that are designed to support the
creation and growth of income-generating micro-enterprises.

Business Training and Grants:

- ARC has disbursed grants to just over 2,000 persons, but
is not able to indicate how many have increased assets by 50%
or how many will receive the second part of the grant;
- ARC believes they will have information on the percentage
of beneficiaries who manage an active business by the end of
the project and will include in the final report;
- ARC is above target for the percent of beneficiaries who
are women;
- ARC states they are above target for the percent of
beneficiaries who are returning refugees.

Loans and Savings Clubs (LOSACs):

- ARC is on target for the number of new and existing LOSACs
created and managed;
- ARC will not meet indicators related to average group
savings or disbursements. Although ARC is reporting on a
July-July project cycle, the LOSACs are managed on a
January-December cycle and there is not sufficient time in
the project to meet this indicator, although the LOSACs
appear on target for the ARC cycle;
- RefCoord does not believe ARC can meet the indicator for
group members passing post-curriculum literacy test.

Microfinance:

- ARC has decided not to provide micro-finance loans to 400
beneficiaries in Ganta. ARC reported their loan partner was
not able to establish a functioning office in Ganta as had
originally been planned. ARC Country Director told RefCoord
on May 7 that they had identified a property and planned to
set up the office by the end of July;
- ARC is on target to meet the indicator on repayment of

ABIDJAN 00000621 002 OF 004


monetary loans, although the 400 loans planned for Ganta are
not included in this figure;
- ARC is on target to meet the indicator on female
beneficiaries in their overall Microfinance activities, minus
Ganta;
- ARC will not meet their indicator for the percent of
beneficiaries who are returning refugees. This is mainly due
to the decision not to provide MED loans in Ganta.

Coordination with Other MED Programs:

- ARC reports a 26 percent participation rate (above target)
of former ARC clients from the refugee camps;
- ARC reports they are working with two local NGOs (target:
3),although ARC is also working with Liberty Finance for
their loan activities, which would be a third local NGO
partner.


5. OBJECTIVE 2: To promote peaceful reintegration of
refugees into communities by raising awareness about
gender-based violence (GBV),building capacity of GBV
response service providers, and developing sustainable
community-based strategies to prevent and respond to GBV in
target areas.

Health:

- ARC reports they have met or will meet both indicators in
the health sector.

Case Management and Protection:

- ARC is on target to meet their indicator on percent of
Community Peers who pass post training tests in GBV
prevention and response;
- ARC reports they will meet the indicator to provide
ongoing holistic case management services;
- ARC reports they will meet the indicator on percent of ARC
social workers who pass GBV response and refresher training
in Month 1;
- ARC is not sure if they will meet the indicator on percent
of service providers that pass GBV response and
post-refresher training;
- ARC will meet their indicator on ARC staff and partner
staff to pass SEA and ARC Code of Conduct training;
- ARC has only assisted 34 GBV survivors with safe house
assistance (target 72) and only 38 survivors with material
assistance to meet basic needs (target: 300). ARC was not
sure why numbers were so low.

Legal/Justice:

- ARC reports they will meet the indicator on number of
trainees the three counties who meet the goal of at least 80
percent improvement on post-test scores;
- ARC expects to meet the indicator on BCC materials
produced and distributed. However, ARC reports to have done
92 posters against the indicator of 3. ARC staff explained
they intended to do 3 themes, but the 92 posters appear to be
for one theme. RefCoord requested ARC to be more explicit in
their final report on this indicator;
- ARC expects to complete the assessments on increased human
rights awareness in July;
- ARC has met their indicator on paralegal support to GBV
survivors in all counties;
- ARC has or will meet the final two indicators in this
heading by the end of the project.

Community Awareness:

- ARC's numbers on mass sensitization campaigns are
extremely high compared to their second quarter report.
RefCoord requested ARC to provide more detailed information
on this indicator before the end of the project;
- ARC has exceeded the target for development of community
support networks;
- ARC expects to meet their indicator on refresher training
with community leaders;
- ARC expects to meet their indicator on community video
teams and films produced.

Empowerment:

- RefCoord has asked ARC for further clarification of their
indicator on building/identifying community centers;
- ARC will meet their indicator on the number of persons who

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will graduate from their 3-month Reproductive Health Literacy
courses;
- ARC will meet their target on number of vulnerable school
age GBV-survivors assisted.

PROGRAM ISSUES
--------------


6. Cross-cutting Goals: ARC's activities target communities
and vulnerable women. RefCoord visited many of the LOSAC
members and MED grant beneficiaries in Bong and Lofa County
and noted the high percentage of female beneficiaries. ARC
includes a capacity building component throughout its project
activities, both with governmental partners and with the
beneficiary communities.


7. Coordination: ARC works well with their other NGO
partners, UNHCR, and their government counterparts, although
UNHCR did voice complaints on their level of coordination in
Nimba County. However, ARC did not implement their planned
MED loan activities in Nimba as expected. This, and their
rather narrow focus on working in Ganta might have played a
factor in their level of coordination with the UNHCR office
in Saclepea. UNHCR Gbarnga reported good coordination with
ARC and works with ARC in a number of activities. ARC plans
to expand their presence in Nimba County in the coming year.
RefCoord encouraged ARC's Country Director to work with UNHCR
to ensure coordination when identifying target communities of
high return for their LOSAC and MED activities.


8. Effective Use of Funds: RefCoord's main complaint with
ARC has been its slow arrival in areas of high refugee
return, particularly Lofa County. The areas around Monrovia
are well served by a number of non-governmental and
international agencies. Although return numbers to Nimba
County are moderate, there is still a reasonable expectation
that refugees still residing in Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire will
return to this area. ARC should be encouraged to focus
PRM-funded activities further away from Monrovia and further
into areas of high refugee return/need, particularly in
upper-Lofa County.


9. Sphere Standards: ARC does not apply Sphere standards in
its GBV and MED activities.


10. Financial and Personnel Systems: ARC maintains strong
financial and personnel systems. ARC reported a specific
problem with tracking fuel consumption with some of their
vehicles, but was able to uncover the problem through their
record keeping and fired the concerned staff members. Staff
are subjected to regular personnel appraisals and start with
a three-month probation period. ARC also has a ten day
no-show policy. ARC staff reported some turnover in the
LOSAC program, some staff gaps in the micro-finance project,
and the departure of several other field level staff that
negatively impacted overall implementation (PRM and non-PRM
activities) over the past year.


11. HQs Oversight: ARC reported frequent visits and strong
oversight from their HQs.


12. Coordination with PRM: ARC coordinates well with PRM.
However, that coordination tends to weaken at the mid-point
of their projects, when ARC decides to change an important
aspect of their program. For example, in the previous
PRM-funded project ARC decided to switch suddenly the focus
of their MED activities to a different county. In the
current project, ARC decided not to pursue the MED loan
activities in Nimba County at a similar stage and requested
to withdraw from Vahun District for logistical reasons. The
PRM visit in January was able to reverse this request and ARC
has shown positive results in Vahun as a consequence.
RefCoord suggests more frequent formal monitoring of ARC's
projects to avoid late notice of unnecessary changes.


13. Security: ARC's Voinjama office was broken into in
February and several items, including an ARC vehicle, were
stolen. This was the second incident they experienced in
Voinjama. The ARC office in Voinjama doubles as their staff
residence and the perpetrators apparently followed the staff
back to the office at night in order to gain access to ARC's
facilities. RefCoord visited the office and noted additional
concertina wire had been added to the perimeter and interior
wall, as well as perimeter lighting. However, the structure
itself still remains in the middle of Nzerekore town whereas
most NGOs have located their offices and residences slightly

ABIDJAN 00000621 004 OF 004


outside the center of Voinjama. ARC's Country Director said
they are considering renting a second location to house their
staff closer to other NGOs and away from their office space.
RefCoord recommends that PRM support ARC's efforts to
separate their office and residential space and should
encourage ARC to ensure staff work/live in reasonably safe
conditions.


14. Problems: ARC did not report any significant problems,
although UNHCR complained their administrative fees for their
MED program are high when compared to a similar program run
by UNDP. This is true, although UNDP enjoys slightly
different economies of scale with regard to covering
administrative expenses for its projects. UNHCR Monrovia
also reported that ARC was given a "poor" rating for their
2006 activities during an internal audit. UNHCR Gbarnga is
working closely with ARC in several project areas and their
Head of Office stated he was doing so only because he knew
the ARC officer working with them personally and that he had
a reputation for keeping very detailed records. RefCoord
noted several areas of high personnel turnover in the last
year bt was impressed with some of the recently hired ARC
staff. RefCoord discussed the need for closer mnitoring of
project activities with ARC's Countr Director and suggested
they try to reduce the nmber of indicators.

COMMENT
--------------


15. AC appears to be largely on target to meet its
objctives for the current project cycle, although ARCneeds
to reduce the number of indicators in any ollow-up project.
As UNHCR's assisted repatriatin deadline draws near, NGOs
working in Liberia wll need to focus their efforts to ensure
basic leels of self-sufficiency in high return areas. ARC
provides returnees and local communities with ecnomic-based
activities that offer alternatives t other forms of
employment that often lead to exloitation and/or
discrimination. At the same time, ARC needs to improve its
own project monitorin and stabilize their staffing situation
to ensur solid performance. Finally, although their GBVactivities in and around Monrovia are generally wel
perceived, PRM should encourage ARC to strengthen its
presence in Lofa County and improve securiy conditions for
ARC employees operating in thatregion.
VALLE