Services & Sectors
- Baseline Studies 40
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- Commercial Services 1
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- Economic Research 58
- Education Safeguards 14
- Enterprise Survey 28
- Gender Analysis 9
- Health 6
- Household Survey 32
- Human Resources 1
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Oxford Policy Management Ltd. (OPM) - Enhancing Evaluation Use: Rubric Methodology In Program Evaluation - 2021
Description of Project:
This research project aimed to increase the analytical and conceptual rigour applied to using how evaluation evidence is used to inform decision-making. Though the goal of evaluation was to inform policy and practice, the processes through which evaluation evidence was used to inform decision-making was relatively under-researched. While a considerable amount of guidance and tools had been produced, these seemed to be based on anecdotal information and case studies of ‘best practice’. There was scope to build a more rigorous conceptual framework for effectively enabling the use of evaluation evidence, particularly in development contexts that might be characterised by weak institutions and limited capacity and resources.
Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:
● Prepared inception report detailing purpose of the research; methodology for conducting the research; and research hypothesis.
● Designed an experimental research approach where a control and treatment group would be asked to evaluate a WASH programme in Myanmar with groups being given different information. The treatment group will be given an evaluation rubric in order to see how this framework changes the evaluation conclusion.
● Submitted four quarterly reports detailing progress on the project and how it would be adapted in the wake of COVID-19, including using innovative solutions to continue to conduct research to inform future programming.
● This project was suspended by CEDIL after the UK FCDO ODA budget was decreased and in the wake of COVID-19.
Crown Agents Limited - Consolidating and Prioritising Nutrition Research in Rakhine State, Myanmar - 2022
Description of Project:
The research aimed firstly to ascertain on-going nutrition research in Myanmar and Rakhine State in particular, including on aetiology of malnutrition, wasting, kwashiorkor and stunting trends, and on effective identification and management of malnutrition, to identify research gaps, and secondly, to identify the key research questions on the effective management of malnutrition, including wasting, stunting and micronutrient deficiencies, in all vulnerable groups including infants, children under five years of age, school-age children, adolescents, women of reproductive age and pregnant and lactating women (PLW).
While nutrition programming tended to focus on children under 5 years of age (including infants), this exercise also included school-age children, adolescents and women of reproductive age more broadly.
Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:
● Held a kick-off meeting between MKE research team and HARP-F team
● Compiled and analysed secondary data sources
● Finalised interview questionnaire for KIIs
● Finalised survey template to rank nutrition research questions and code on Kobo Toolbox
● Mobilised stakeholders to engage in KIIs and survey
● Submitted Inception Report (3-5 pages plus annexes of questionnaire and template)
● Conducted 15 remote stakeholder KIIs to prioritise nutrition research questions
● Conducted survey with wider stakeholder group to rank nutrition research questions
● Conducted data cleaning, transcription, analysis and report writing; Presented findings to HARP-F team
LWF - Hope Project - 2021
Description of Project:
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Myanmar is an international NGO serving people in Myanmar since 2008. It commenced operations in Rakhine in 2013, and its programming addresses humanitarian and development assistance for displaced people, conflict‐affected host communities, and other vulnerable or impoverished communities in an impartial, participatory, and inclusive manner. LWF activities include camp coordination and camp management (CCCM), education in emergencies (EiE), shelter, non‐food items, women’s empowerment, disaster risk reduction, livelihoods, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection, social cohesion, and rights‐based empowerment.
The project aimed to increase:
a) Access to quality service: Increased access to dignified and safe shelters and education facilities
b) Access to livelihood: Increased income and food and nutrition security
c) DRR and Fire safety: Enhanced coping capacity at risk-communities
d) Social cohesion and peaceful co-existence: Strengthen social cohesion and peaceful co-existence between Muslims IDP and host communities
Mekong Economics implemented the following tasks:
a) Developed the evaluation design and plan complete of methodology, timeframe, and estimated budget.
b) Collect Data by 400 HH surveys, over 30 stakeholders KIIs including government officials, 9 IDIs and 18 FGDs.
c) Develop tools for data collection and trained Field researchers and enumerators for data collections
d) Raw clean database in Excel and SPSS/STATA format including variable names and codes; indicator calculation matrix; outlining how each indicator is computed from the evaluation tools.
e) Submitted inception and Draft report.
f) A final report incorporating all feedback.
g) PowerPoint Presentation
Ecorys - (Public) transport services in the Chindwin River corridor/ Assessment of “round 2” project applications for the Dutch grant programme ORIO - 2021
Description of Project:
The proposed project will be carried out in the Sagaing region in Myanmar. Many of the road sections leading to cities and villages within the corridor are secondary roads or tertiary roads. Large sections of these roads are face severe accessibility problems, especially during the rainy season.
Private vessel operators currently operate ferry transport services, primarily along routes; Monywa-Khamti, Monywa-Homalin and Homalin-Khamti, making several stops in between. However, several problems exist with the transport services provided by these companies and the Myanmar Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) is looking to reinstate public ferry services on the Chindwin River.
In support of decision-making on the reinstatement of these ferry services, services of a local consultant are required to carry out fact-finding on the current transport services by road and ferry between Monywa and Homalin (including the major settlements in between) and between Homalin and Hkami.
Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:
MKE implemented the following tasks:
● Prepared an overview of (i) Supply of road transport services and ferry transport services (e.g., number of public / private operators between the major settlements along the corridor, frequency of services between these settlements, average travel time between the settlements, travel cost, quality of transport services), and (ii) Demand for road transport services and ferry transport services (e.g., average daily demand for transport between each of the major settlements, average load factor);
● Conducted meetings at the start and end of the assignment via skype, zoom or teams;
● Conduted field mission to collect data and information;
● Provided a qualitative and basic quantitative description of the research issues, and a clear indication of sources and/or assumptions used for its quantifications;
● Provided key findings in a short report in English
World Vision - Mid Term Review for the Tanintharyi Region Rural Income and Livelihoods Development Myanmar Project - 2021
Description of Project:
The project is a unique partnership between two in-country partners in Myanmar: World Vision and VisionFund Myanmar, and New Zealand partners Lincoln University (LU) and World Vision New Zealand. Funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and WVNZ private donors. The activity was designed to leverage WVM’s and VFM’s in-country implementation expertise in economic development projects in rural and community development with LU’s long standing applied research excellence in the analysis and development of agri-food value chains and producer organisations. WVNZ will tie the three partners together and supply expertise in MFAT grant and contract management, international and domestic partnership management, and monitoring and evaluation support.
The Review has the following major objectives:
1. Measure and assess project progress to date towards key priority outcomes and outputs intended to be delivered by mid Y3, as defined in the Results Measurement Table (RMT).
2. Make recommendations for implementation focus and practices during the remaining project period.
3. Review and make recommendations on Monitoring and evaluation tools and practices.
4. To consider current coordination and working modalities between project partners and provide recommendations on how to further work together in order to achieve the project goal.
5. Document promising practices, key lessons learned and recommendations, which will refine the project going forward and the wider livelihood portfolio.
Mekong Economics implemented the following tasks:
a) Mid-term evaluation design and plan complete of methodology, timeframe, and estimated budget.
b) Collected data by 50 Surveys,60 KIIs including cooperation partners and 10 FGDs
c) Develop tools for data collection
d) Raw clean database in Excel and SPSS/STATA format including variable names and codes; indicator calculation matrix; outlining how each indicator is computed from the evaluation tools.
e) Inception and Draft report.
f) Facilitate workshop to discuss the findings.
g) A final report incorporating all feedback.
h) PowerPoint Presentation
UNOPS Programme evaluation of gender principled projects - 2021
Description of Project:
The evaluation aimed to assess the effectiveness of the grants and evaluate the appropriateness of approaches and identify opportunities to strengthen advocacy efforts for greater participation of women in the peace process. In addition to assessing each individual grant performance and achieved results, the evaluation enfolded the acceptance and acknowledgement on the importance of Women Peace and Security issues and greater participation of women in the peace process among stakeholder groups.
Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:
MKE implemented the following tasks in cooperation/ consultation with the project team:
● Reviewed key documents
● Consulted with key stakeholders on the evaluation methodology
● Contributed to the inception report
● Conducted consultations/ interviews with identified stakeholders in project areas
● Conducted project site visits in coordination with various stakeholders and project personnel
● Contributed to the final report to JPF
Relief International - Learning from capitalisation of village savings loans association - 2021
Description of Project:
This assignment aimed to prepare a research paper on the effect of capitalisation on the savings culture of the village savings loans association (VSLAs) and how the structure might be adapted to strengthen the savings culture, livelihoods and social safety net.
Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:
MKE implemented the following tasks:
● Identified and evaluated the impact and effect (actual and potential) of both internal and external capitalization on the VSLA groups;
● Analyzed the current savings and loans culture and existent social safety net within the VSLA groups including the gender dynamics relating to these and microfinance as a whole;
● Developed and recommended a clear structure to the RI external capitalization of VSLA groups for livelihoods while sustaining the voluntary savings, loans and social safety net culture;
● Proposed a social safety net approach that covered crisis (emergency) and stability (through livelihoods) and integrated this into the umbrella of the VSLA monitoring/tracking system;
● Analyzed and proposed a pathway to linking the VSLAs to formal financial system in Myanmar where they would be regulated;
● Proposed recommendations that would be subjected to further studies to investigate opportunities and potential for roll‐out based on the local context (Myebon and Mrauk U);
● Produced a final report/research paper with findings, facts, figures and case studies validated by the indicators.
UNFPA - Multistate Endline/Baseline Assessment for Women and Girls’ First Programme
Description of Project:
The Women and Girl’s First Programme (WGF) is an innovative programme that aims to empower women and girls to achieve their rights through integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR), Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and Gender Based Violence (GBV) service delivery and through the development of community resilience as well as relevant policy framework. The activity is to establish a endline/baseline for WGF (Women and Girls First Programme). Multistate assessment in 6 townships at 4 states in relation to key programme indicators.
Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:
MKE implements the following tasks:
● Prepared survey questionnaires related to key programme indicators and developed methodology together with the UNFPA team.
● Developed project work plan and KII and FGD participants list.
● Coordinated with community level health care service providers, local CSOs, EHOs, LNGO, INGO, Implementation partners.
● Endline/Baseline survey: Conducted 600 mixed-method approach household surveys, and 10 FGDs with beneficiaries of respective townships. Conducted semi-structured open question interviews with key stakeholders like village/camp leaders, village level healthcare services providers, local CSOs, EHOs, LNGO, INGO, Implementation partners, and beneficiaries.
● Analysed and evaluated findings of remote surveys and interviews of each location.
● Cross-checked findings between primary and secondary data sources and analyzed key programme indicators and similarities and made recommendations for improvements of events.
● Submitted final reports to the UNFPA team.
NAVSUP - Foreign Influence Survey of Myanmar – Vulnerable Population Study Survey - 2021
Description of Project:
The objective of this project is to conduct a ten thousand (10,000) person face to face survey throughout Myanmar’s fourteen states and regions and Nay Pyi Taw for the Vulnerable Population Study (VPS). This is a fully representative survey of all adults (aged 16 or older) residing in both urban and rural areas and representative of age, gender, occupation and ethnicity. The survey aims to better understand public perceptions and influences, with particular reference paid to foreign influences.
Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:
MKE implemented the following tasks:
1. Inception Phrase
● Prepared and revised survey questionnaires to ensure it was culturally sensitive and could be understood;
● Developed methodology and representative and random sampling technique that covered the fourteen states and regions and Nay Pyi Taw and represented age, gender and ethnicity;
● Submit data collection plan together with work-plan and methodology, and the target areas as primary sampling unit and mappings.
● Translated the survey questionnaire into different ethnic languages, back-translations, show card creations and coding in CAPI software for data collection.
● Organized the Government Approval Process for in-person data collection in all states and regions.
● Conducted recruitment process for field teams and managed the sub-contractor for data collection plan.
2. Data Collection Phrase
● Conducted the pilot testing in representative states/regions and submitted the outputs.
● Closely monitored the situation under the political changes and pandemic conditions.
3. Final Phrase
Before the actual field work, U.S Embassy requested to cease all work immediately after the Myanmar Military coup that happened on 1st February 2021.
GIZ - Evaluation of MYSAP Nutrition Awareness and Advocacy Campaigns - 2021
Description of Project:
The Myanmar Sustainable Aquaculture Programme (MYSAP) works to intensify aquaculture in a sustainable way. MYSAP is funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, and jointly implemented by the Myanmar Department of Fisheries and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The programme works with all members of selected aquaculture value chains, including Government and Non-Governmental Organizations, the private sector, academia and other stakeholders in efforts to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers as well as food security and nutrition in the country.
The activity is to conduct a post-event evaluation for the nutrition awareness and advocacy events conducted by MYSAP in 2018 as well as conducting a pre-event survey and post-event evaluation of the nutrition events in 2019. The target groups of the events were students at high school level (grade 9-11, age 14-16), emphasizing on adolescent girls.
Description of actual services:
1. Post-event evaluation of 2018 Nutrition events
● Prepare survey questionnaire and develop methodology together with the MYSAP nutrition team before field visits.
● Conduct field work for post-event evaluation of 2018 Nutrition events by visiting each location of MYSAP’s 2018 nutrition promotion events, conducting a quantitative survey, and conducting semi structured open question interviews with key stakeholders in each location.
● Analyse and evaluate findings of survey and interviews of each location.
2. Pre-event survey of 2019 Nutrition events
● Develop the survey in close cooperation with the MYSAP nutrition team
● Visit each location of MYSAP’s 2019 nutrition promotion events before events will be conducted.
● Conduct a quantitative survey of a representative sample of the event’s target group.
3. Post-event evaluation of 2019 Nutrition events
● Visit each location of MYSAP’s 2019 nutrition promotion events before events will be conducted.
● Conduct a quantitative survey of a representative sample of the event’s target group.
● Conduct semi-structured open question interviews with key stakeholders in each location.
● Analyse and evaluate findings of pre-events and post-events surveys and interviews of each location.
● Cross-check findings between pre-and post-event and different locations, point out differences and similarities and make recommendations for improvements of events.
Overall
● Conduct a quantitative survey of a representative sample of the nutrition event’s target group (students) at each Basic Education High School.
● Conduct semi-structured open question interviews with key stakeholders like local DoF staff, local government and General Administrator’s Office staff, other support staff, school teachers and principals.
● Provide written questionnaire for a quantitative survey of nutrition event’s target group developed in close cooperation with the MYSAP nutrition team.
● Provide written guideline for semi-structured qualitative interviews with key stakeholders developed in close cooperation with the MYSAP nutrition team.
● Make presentation of draft or final report regarding the findings