Introduction
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is a key tool used to plan, manage and build a reporting system on the progress in achieving any project objectives.
Based on that, the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) ensured that M&E is integrated across all its MCA entities around the globe. Working closely with these entities, MCC incorporated the M&E function into their programs’ designs and implementation phases.
The Jordan Compact
To implement MCC’s Compact in Jordan, the Millennium Challenge Account-Jordan (MCA-Jordan) was established to manage a USD 275 million program. In the heart of the program, MCA-Jordan effectively operated a monitoring and evaluation system in order to track performance on processes and outputs at the beginning of a Compact’s life as well as tracking high-level outcomes and impacts at the end. This operation helps MCA-Jordan to concretely assess how the program’s projects and activities are reducing poverty and enhancing economic growth in Zarqa Governorate. The Compact aims to increase the supply of water available to households and enterprises through improvements in the efficiency of water delivery, the extension of wastewater collection as well as the expansion of wastewater treatment network. These three enhancements are manifested through three integrated projects: 1. The Water Network Project. 2. The Wastewater Network Project. 3. The As-Samra Expansion Project.
How it all started
In the aim of properly assessing the impact of the Compact’s interventions in the Zarqa Governorate, an Impact Evaluation was designed to thoroughly examine such benefits. This evaluation requires a rigorous surveying of control and treatment groups in the examined area in order to collect the needed data, analyze it, and properly assess the impact. To this effect, MCA-Jordan has cooperated with the governmental body Department of Statistics (DoS) to carry out three surveys: a household survey, an enterprise survey, as well as an agriculture survey.
MCA-Jordan preferred to work with DoS for their extensive knowledge in the field coupled with cost effectiveness operations.
Success
The cooperation between MCA-Jordan and DoS has yielded substantial benefits. The exchange of knowledge, and expertise, as well as best international practices have helped to build the capacity of the teams allocated to implement MCA-Jordan’s assessments.
Furthermore, a new Java system was developed that provided a better technology to raise the level of data collection. MCA-Jordan provided the needed training for DoS employees to be able to use the system as well as computers and laptops for that regard.
Noticing that data collection was conducted manually, consuming time and affecting quality, MCA-Jordan decided to empower the field teams with unprecedented technology in Jordan by distributing 50 tablets for them so that they can electronically gather data.
Result
MCC has always placed M&E at the forefront of its programs. Following the U.S. agency’s strategy, the Jordan Compact has successfully applied sound monitoring and evaluation practices since its inception. One of the main successes that MCA-Jordan achieved was choosing an experienced government body to carry out the Compact’s assessments. The close cooperation between MCA-Jordan and DoS has resulted in receiving the needed data for the studies efficiently and within the time frames, helping to steer the Compact toward achieving its objectives.