Category: Evaluations-Audits

ALG is proud to announce it has completed a comprehensive technical and financial audit for the Results-Based Water Supply and Sanitation Project, which is funded by the World Bank. Commissioned to assist the National Office of Water and Sanitation (ONEA), this audit plays an essential role in maintaining transparency and efficiency in key infrastructure projects within a region facing significant security and climate difficulties.

Context: The Importance of Water Management in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is currently home to around 2.06 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and is seeing a troubling drop in per capita water availability, now below critical levels. This reality highlights the pressing demand for stronger water resource management.

Audit Overview: Major Results and Methods

With funding from agreement N6255-BF, ALG assembled a specialized team—including water engineers, procurement experts, and financial auditors—to review activities across 23 urban centers and rural communes throughout Boucle du Mouhoun, Cascades, Hauts-Bassins, and Sud-Ouest.

The audit resulted in both Provisional and Final Technical and Financial Reports. Key outcomes included:

• Extensive Procurement Evaluation: ALG thoroughly examined every stage of the contracting process, from initial tenders to final awards, confirming adherence to economic, efficient, and transparent practices. They compared institutional frameworks with the public service procurement code for greater insight.
• Infrastructure Validation: The team rigorously checked technical studies and inspected water and sanitation facilities on-site, verifying that they conformed to project requirements and cost targets.
• Financial Review: The auditors ensured project funds were used exclusively as intended, carefully examining transactions and accounting records for compliance with accepted principles—directly tackling the need for better financial oversight.

Client Response: Outcomes and Progress

The World Bank Team commended the audit’s thoroughness and useful recommendations. Rather than just pointing out issues, ALG offered guidance for strengthening institutional capacity.

• Improving Financial Oversight: After uncovering more than CFAF 32 billion in unsupported commitments in an earlier review, the audit clarified ONEA’s financial management, providing a foundation for reliable future tracking and use of funds.
• Practical Recommendations: Beyond identifying compliance problems, ALG suggested ways to improve internal procedures at ONEA, aiming to strengthen contract management systems and information reliability for future water projects.
• Assisting Vulnerable Communities: By verifying how efficiently investments are made, the audit helps ensure continued water access for the 78.3 percent who depend on these services, especially in rural zones where coverage has been lacking.

This collaboration marked a step forward for transparency and resilience in Burkina Faso’s water sector, helping guarantee that development resources benefit the people who need them most.

The program received funding from the European Union as part of the ACP-EU partnership framework. It was executed by an international consortium. ALG has been engaged to carry out the final evaluation, which occurred from February to June 2024.

Scope of the evaluation

The external evaluation of the “Create in Central Africa: Support for the Cultural and Creative Sectors” Programme under the ACP-EU Culture Programme comes in a context of renewed interest in the cultural and creative industries. The cultural and creative industry (CCI) is considered today as one of the fastest growing sectors in the global economy. The CCI constitutes a real economic challenge given its considerable weight in the global economy.

The external evaluation of the Programme has been commissioned to:
● provide a comprehensive history of the project and assess its overall impact with the aim of improving future cooperation projects aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the cultural and creative industries in ACP countries;
● analyse the implementation of the project in relation to its initial objectives while providing its partners with an independent review of the activities and results.

The evaluation team used the available evidence to examine the technical and management aspects of the Programme. It considered the issues of effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, preliminary impact and sustainability to identify the factors that facilitated and/or hindered the achievement of the objectives. Particular attention was paid to the elements related to the projects funded as well as to the overall picture of the Programme.

With regard to the elements related to the projects funded, the evaluation:

• identified and developed quantitative and qualitative indicators to assess the projects funded, in terms of work plan, areas of work, results and final beneficiaries;
• assessed the sustainability and possible future replicability of the projects funded;
• identified best practices of the 40 projects funded based on their achievements;
•  assessed the impact of the communication of the projects funded and the visibility of the EU in the context of Create in Central Africa
•  examined and analysed how the projects funded contributed to achieving the objectives of the Create in Central Africa Programme.

Regarding the overall view of the Programme, the evaluation:

• assessed and analysed the results and overall impact achieved by the Programme and its contribution to social cohesion, inclusion and job creation;
•  identified lessons learned and provided recommendations for follow-up actions as well as for future projects and programmes on intercultural dialogue;
• assessed mobility and networking activities.

Based on the main lessons learned, the evaluation resulted in recommendations that could benefit the various stakeholders. These recommendations will increase the sustainability of the Programme, provide means to assess the extent to which the consortium has contributed to strengthening the capacities of beneficiaries for the improvement of the governance and financing framework as well as the production of cultural products at the sub-regional level.

In addition to the executive summary, the general introduction and the conclusion, the report consists of four parts: (i) the description of the Programme, (ii) the methodology and main stages of the evaluation, (iii) the results of the evaluation and their implications, (iv) the lessons learned and the recommendations.

**Final Evaluation of PROTEJEM Program**

**Client:** Save the Children International / Terre des Hommes
**Location:** Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Senegal
**Period of Implementation:** August – December 2023

**Introduction**
The PROTEJEM program, aimed at safeguarding vulnerable children and promoting their rights in West Africa, underwent a comprehensive final evaluation conducted by ALG. This evaluation was designed to assess the program’s effectiveness, measure its impact, and identify lessons learned to inform future initiatives.

**Evaluation Objectives**
The primary objectives of the final evaluation were to:
1. Evaluate the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the program in achieving its intended outcomes.
2. Assess the relevance and sustainability of the interventions implemented.
3. Gather feedback from stakeholders, including beneficiaries, to gauge satisfaction levels and areas for improvement.

**Methodology**
The evaluation employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data collection through surveys and qualitative insights through interviews and focus group discussions. Stakeholders from the target countries—Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal—were engaged to provide a comprehensive view of the program’s impact.

**Key Findings**
1. **Effectiveness:** The PROTEJEM program demonstrated significant success in enhancing child protection mechanisms across the targeted regions. Most beneficiaries reported increased awareness of their rights and access to protective services.

2. **Stakeholder Satisfaction:** Feedback from local partners and beneficiaries indicated a high level of satisfaction with the program’s implementation. Many stakeholders highlighted the program’s responsiveness to local needs and its adaptability to the socio-cultural context.

3. **Sustainability:** The evaluation found that the program has laid a strong foundation for sustainability through capacity-building initiatives with local organizations, ensuring continued support for child protection efforts beyond the program’s duration.

4. **Challenges:** Despite the successes, some challenges were identified, including logistical constraints and varying levels of engagement among local communities, which could be addressed in future programming.

The final evaluation of the PROTEJEM program has concluded with positive outcomes, reflecting the commitment and effectiveness of Save the Children International and Terre des Hommes in promoting child rights and protection in West Africa. The findings underscore the importance of community engagement and capacity building for sustainable impact.

**Recommendations**
1. Continue strengthening partnerships with local organizations to enhance community ownership of child protection initiatives.
2. Address logistical challenges to improve program delivery and accessibility in remote areas.
3. Expand monitoring and evaluation frameworks to capture long-term impacts and inform future programming.

The successful implementation of the PROTEJEM program serves as a model for future child protection initiatives in the region, and ALG is pleased to have contributed to this important work.

• Project: Evaluation of the Support Program for the Implementation of the Response Plan for Educational Continuity in Burkina Faso
• Country: Burkina Faso
• Client: Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
• Period: October 2022-March 2023

Description of the intervention:

ALG was recruited by AFD to conduct the final evaluation of the Response Plan Support Program to (i) report on the activities financed with regard to the criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, gender equality and equity; (ii) highlight what this health crisis has revealed about the functioning of the education system; and (iii) contribute to learning lessons from the management of this situation by the education community, by striving to show the progressive progression of the stages between observations (raw data), findings (developed indicators, ratios), judgments made and lessons/recommendations.

The objective of the service is to conduct the final evaluation of the Support Program for the Response Plan for Educational Continuity in Burkina, which will be carried out at the end of the eighteen months of implementation and will make it possible to report on the activities financed with regard to the criteria of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency.

Beyond the program financed by the GPE, the evaluation will focus on highlighting what this health crisis has revealed about the functioning of the education system to help learn lessons from the management of this situation by the education community. The service provider will strive throughout its work to clearly show and explain the progressive progression of the stages between observations (raw data), findings (developed indicators, ratios), judgments made and lessons/recommendations.

• Project title: ICT for health in Africa
• Countries: 12 sample countries and the whole continent
• Client: Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
• Period: November 2022-March 2023

Description of the project:

ALG has carried out this assignment for IsDB. The general objective is to develop an eHealth program in Africa that will allow for patient- centric health care provision enabled by interconnected ICTs for health. The specific objectives are: (i) Enhancing access to quality health services; (ii) Reducing the overflow of hospitals and medical centres; and (iii) Freeing up medical staff for underserved regions.
Therefore, the study will assess the status and opportunities for investments for the improved status of e-health systems in African member countries.

The study will assess the current status of ICT and innovation in the Health sector, including governance arrangements, in IsDB 12 African Member Countries, and identify investment opportunities to harness digital technologies’ use and appropriate application to build resilient health systems. This will help develop the Bank’s investments in digital health for enhanced resilience among member countries. This study will be conducted in consultation with all key stakeholders within the national health ecosystems, including governments, Partners, private sector NGOs, and CSOs such as the Health practitioners Association and Unions; Universities, and the private sector.

More about our eHeath Consulting. 

• Zone d’intervention: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso
• Client: UNESCO
• Période de la mission: Janvier-Février 2022
• Titre du projet: Renforcer la résilience des jeunes face à l’extrémisme violent et leur engagement pour la construction de la paix à travers l’éducation

L’objectif principal de cette mission est de disposer d’une ébauche de modules de formation sur la base du rapport issu de l’évaluation des besoins des jeunes qui a été conduite dans les 3 pays. Les modules de formation seront utilisés par des formateurs/facilitateurs pour le renforcement des capacités des jeunes (filles et garçons) en matière de résilience, de construction de la paix et de l’état de droit et des compétences leur permettant d’être des agents de la paix.

• Project: Youth Empowerment through TVET in The Gambia
• Country: The Gambia
• Client: UNESCO
• Period: January-March 2022

The evaluation team will aim to achieve the following objectives:
i) Assess the appropriateness of the project strategy and design in relation to outcomes and progress made;
ii) Assess the strategic positioning of the project within the UN system and the broader landscape of TVET-related actors and programmes, taking into account relevant enabling policy frameworks to which the work of the project responds;
iii) Assess how the project aligns with The Gambia’s needs, as well as SDG targets, relevant international policies and norms, and UNESCO strategic objectives and Global Priorities;
iv) Assess contributions towards gender transformative change;

v) Assess managerial arrangements and work planning; finance and co-finance, risks to sustainability (financial, socio-economic, institutional framework and governance, environmental, etc.);
vi) Evaluate the current exit strategy and likelihood of sustainability of activities and preliminary project gains; and
vii) List obstacles the project confronted, and lessons learned moving forward.

• Project title: Support the capacity of the Government and national stakeholders to establish credible transitional justice processes and mechanisms that promote reconciliation and sustainable peace in The Gambia.
• Country: The Gambia
• Client: UNDP
• Period: June-July 2021

The evaluation had five key objectives:

1. To assess the contribution of the project activities to the realization of project objectives and outcomes by determining how relevant, efficient, effective, and sustainable the project is.
2. To identify and provide analysis of the factors that have either positively or negatively affected/impacted the project beneficiaries.
3. To recognize any possible catalytic effects of the project.
4. To assess the project’s contribution towards national strategies on transitional justice and human rights, as well as peacebuilding, including its contribution towards strengthening Government-led coordination and planning in this sector.
5. To provide recommendations for improving UN support to transitional justice and human rights in The Gambia, including the country’s sustainable peace agenda on transitional justice and human rights.

• Client: Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI)
• Country: Ghana
• Period: August-September 2021

The overall objective of this consultancy is to prepare products that document the extent to which the subject project’s outcomes and impact have been achieved: What is the impact of the project on rural development and improvement of the irrigation system for vegetable production in the target community?

• Client name: Fairtrade International
• Countries of assignment: Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana
• Period: April-May 2022

The scope of the evaluation covers at least six Fairtrade cocoa cooperatives in Cote d’Ivoire which

participate in a GIZ funded Living Income Learning project, but ideally also includes an analysis of

two additional cooperatives (one in Ghana and one in Cote d’Ivoire) for which farm record data have

been collected in different living income projects for cross-learning.

Overall tasks completed by ALG:

• Systematize, clean and analyse the data collected through farm record books and quantify progress made in relation to baseline results (where available).
• Collect complementary data in order to monetize, quantify and evaluate in-kind income improvement of target farmers through project interventions, premium use and cooperative services;
• Triangulate and validate the analysed data results with relevant project stakeholders;
• Provide descriptive statistics about the breakdown of household incomes and expenditures, production costs, household labour employment, demographics, and other key predefined income indicators.
• Evaluate the results and impact of the different project interventions and cooperative services to members in terms of progress towards target values for key income drivers as assumed in the Living Income Reference Price model.
• Assess the underlying model assumptions and key variables of the Living Income Reference Price model.
• Provide recommendations for potential adjustments of the LIRP variables, based on the results.
• Expand the impact evaluation to two additional living income projects for which farm record data have been collected, involving a cooperative in CDI and a cooperative in Ghana, and compare the results in relation to the project specific interventions.