Evaluations & technical assistance

Evaluation Card:
Technical Assistance to IBIS: Elaboration of West African Strategy
Country:
Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone
Team:
1
Name of client:
IBIS
Origin of funding:
IBIS (Framework contract Danida)
Dates (start/end):
Apr. – Jun. 2008
Name of consortium members (if any):
Dnet Consult ApS - Denmark

Description of project

IBIS works in five regions, with the most recent being West Africa. The regional presence covers a country programme in Ghana and humanitarian/rehabilitation project implementation in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The West Africa programme is expected to grow considerably because Ibis is phasing out its activities in Southern Africa (except Mozambique) and this will make additional funds available for activities in West Africa. The Thematic Review of IBIS (June 2007) commissioned by Danida recommended to ‘give urgent priority to the West Africa strategy development’ and the IBIS Board has followed this by deciding to embark on a process leading to a more comprehensive regional West Africa Strategy.

Ibis has already a coherent strategic framework with an overall Vision 2012 and a number of thematic strategies where ‘Education for Change’ and ‘Citizen’s Rights in Governance’ cover the main activities in West Africa. According to the Terms of Reference the West African regional perspectives within education seem strong, while the regional perspectives within governance are less clear and will take more time to develop.

The strategy development process is to be based on participatory methods and is to take account of experiences gained in West Africa. In this way it will develop a contextualised West Africa Strategy that will guide the development of the West Africa programme during the coming five year period (2009 – 2013).

Through a participatory consultation process with a wide range of stakeholders the consultants provided two products:

        1. A ‘Framework Document’ describing the structure and use of the West Africa strategy, (situation, vision, path)
        1. ‘Strategic Programming Catalogue’ that documents and concludes on the thorough participatory process with stakeholders (in particular the responsible Ibis staff) on the strategic perspectives of each of the projects/programmes. This document will also contain a proposal for developing a new management structure. A main purpose for preparing this is that Ibis staff and others will learn from the process and that they will be able to use the Catalogue as a reference document.