International Consultancy Services to Strengthen Safeguard Mechanisms in Donor-supported Development Programs in Ethiopia

In 2009 a number of allegations were made concerning the distortion of donor-supported development programs. The allegations included the suggestion that people have been excluded from particular programs (including public works programs and food aid) or employed to deliver services funded by the programs on the basis of political affiliation.

Donors have an obligation to ensure that their funds are used effectively for the purposes intended, and that the gprograms that they support have effective mechanisms in place for preventing, detecting and addressing distortion. They also recognize that programs which play an important role on delivering long-term development outcomes for the Ethiopian people must not be derailed by allegations that are ill-informed. Donors are in agreement that well functioning accountability systems acting as an integral part of supported programs are key to the prevention and detection of distortion, as is stakeholder ability to monitor and evaluate the functioning of these accountability systems, and the programs as a whole.

In recognition of this, the Development Assistance Group of Donors (DAG) commissioned the “Aid Management and Utilisation in Ethiopia” study (henceforth the AMU study), which sought to examine the robustness of systems and safeguards in place in four major supported programs (the Productive Safety Nets Program, the Protection of Basic Services, The Relief Program and the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program) to prevent, detect and address distortion. The study also looked at data and measurement mechanisms relating on effectiveness and targeting.

The AMU study showed that each of the programs is supported – some more than others – by safeguards and accountability systems that provide robust check on distortion,. However, it also concluded that there was room for improvement and identified specific actions for the four programs in question, and also made suggestions for future work. DAG members have now agreed to pursue and monitor progress on the AMU recommendations, to gain a better direct understanding of the situation on the ground and to institutionalize mechanisms for ensuring the existence and effectiveness of safeguards.

Aim and Objective

The aim of this consultancy is to provide a focal point for the management of the ongoing strengthening safeguards of donor supported programs in Ethiopia, particularly with respect of program safeguards intended to detect or prevent distortion. As a starting point it recognizes the work on safeguards already done, and the measures in place, not only resulting from the AMU study but also in original program design and ensuing dialogue. Moving forward, the consultancy will seek to test, strengthen and synthesize these measures through processes of research, ground-truthing and dialogue.
The focus will be threefold, namely:

To build on the AMU study by performing a review of GEQIP and PSCAP (therefore filling what DAG saw as the key gap in the coverage of programs in the AMU study).
To perform sufficient fieldwork to gain a better understanding of the programs at the point of delivery. This will involve ground-truthing the current safeguards in place for each program, the findings and recommendations of the AMU and agreed actions of the relevant programs through such instruments as joint review missions. This should be seen as part of a process of gaining a comprehensive view of the strengths and weaknesses of programs supported in respect of its safeguards, resulting in an independent appraisal of whether the safeguards themselves go far enough and contribute to development effectiveness and the minimization of distortion.
To develop effective, institutionalized monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for continuous, real-time appraisal of the safeguards that form an integral part of supported programs.

Recipient

The recipient of the consultancy services will be the DAG.

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