Author Archives: Enabling

Review of Civil Society Organisations – Oxfam America and Natural Resource Governance Institute

FCG-Sweden (final client was Norad, Norway), 2019.

Ghana and the United States

The review was commissioned by Norad as part of its grant management procedures. The main objectives were to assess the two organizations’ organisational structure, cost-efficiency, financial management (“to be an organisation”), results management (“to do”) and partnership approach (“to relate”). The review also identified synergy between the organizations where relevant.

The consultant provided an assessment of the results framework (outputs and outcomes) and the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning system. In order to analyse results and the partnership approach, a field visit to Ghana was carried out, where both Oxfam America and NRGI work with the extractive industries sector, including advocacy related to this issue at community, national and regional (African) levels. Based on selected cases, an assessment of Oxfam America’s and NRGI’s contribution to the reported outcomes was carried out.

Likewise, an assessment was made on how the support contributed to strengthen and maintain the space for civil society partners in Ghana, especially in related to accountability and transparency regarding the extractive industries.

HN Consultants ApS provided the consultant in charge of assessing results management and the partnership approach for Oxfam America well as an input for the assessment of NRGI’s results in Ghana.

Review and Capacity Assessment of Mission East (Mission Øst)

Danida, 2019

Afghanistan, Belgium, Denmark

The overall objective of the Review was to assess the capacity and performance of Mission East (ME) in delivering results under its engagement with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including its overall strategic, programmatic, organisational/administrative and financial management capacity. Also, ME’s new communication strategy was assessed, including progress on all major targets.

The Team carried out the following tasks:

(i) Desk study of ME’s programmes, with specific focus on the sample of results from the Afghanistan and Iraq Programme. Likewise, a review of financial and administrative procedures.

(ii) Interviews with programme, communication and administrative staff in Copenhagen and Bruxelles. Interviews with network that Mission East was part of.

(iii) Organisation of field visit of two Afghan consultants to the communities supported by ME in two of the regions in Afghanistan. A consultant visited relevant communities, while another consultant carried out a capacity assessment of programme management, administrative and financial management at the field office in Kabul.

(iv) Presentation of a draft & final report, including recommendations.

The team used documentation review, semi-structured interviews, observation in the field (in Afghanistan). Triangulation of information was made with different key informants and international networks.

HN Consultants ApS provided all consultants in support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including an organizational development consultant and a Financial Management consultant. In addition, HN Consultants ApS provided two local consultants from Afghanistan.

Documentation for Communication of Result from Danish Development Cooperation on Environment, Energy and Climate

Country: Indonesia, 2018

Client: Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Project features:

The Environmental Support Programme, with the current third programme phase (ESP3) is running from 2013 to 2017 (subsequently extended up to end of 2018). The overall ESP3 objective is to support the Government of Indonesia in reconciling economic growth with sustainable development through improved environmental management and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The objectives of the consultancy are to document ESP3 key results and challenges and prepare a ‘forward looking’ Green Opportunities paper outlining ideas on the way forward once the bilateral cooperation terminates. This paper will be disseminated to Indonesian and Danish stakeholders and the public in general; and will be used during strategic communication events to be held in April – November 2018 (in Indonesia and Denmark).

Services provided: HN Consultants ApS provided an international publication specialist for the assignment in charge of drafting of a publication: ”Denmark in Indonesia – Providing Green Opportunities” . The publication included the following elements: i) brief history of Danish environmental support to Indonesia; ii) presentation of green opportunities related to strategic themes including environmental safeguards, renewable energy and energy efficiency, forest management and climate; waste-to-energy (Central Java and waste master plans), and oceans.

Review and Documentation of Experience with Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

Country: Indonesia, 2017

Client: Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Project features:

Indonesia and Denmark have been implementing the Environmental Support Programme since 2005, with a third programme phase (ESP3) running from 2013 to 2018. The objective of the assignment was to review and document relevant experience and formulate key lessons learned on the application of SEA from 2007 until today, present the experiences and lessons learned at a planned national SEA conference, and compile and prepare a set of conference proceedings.

Services provided: HN Consultants provided the consultant in charge of the experiences and lessons learned documentation process as well as one of the keynote conference presentations. The consultant prepared the following outputs: 1. SEA experience in Indonesia since 2007 reviewed, annotated, and documented; 2. Results of SEA review presented at the planned national SEA conference in early December 2017; 3. Proceedings of the national SEA conference prepared.

Review & capacity assessment of the Disabled People’s Organisation Denmark

Country: Ghana/Geneva visit, 2018

Client: Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Project features

The assignment included a review of the Disabled People’s Organisation Denmark (DPOD) as well as a capacity assessment of DPOD (a strategic partner for the Ministry) with focus on DPOD’s own strategy, technical capacity, results (Ghana as example), popular foundation and partnership. Specific focus was on the projects’ contribution to empowerment, organizational development and advocacy.

Services provided

HN Consultants provided all three team members to the assignment, including two consultants with expertise in organizational and capacity assessments as well as a consultant with expertise in financial management. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided the team leader. The team carried out an initial desk review of selected projects, a visit to projects in Ghana and international partners in Geneva and prepared the draft report, which was discussed with DPOD and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mid-term Review of Latin America Programme LIRIOS with Bolivian and Honduran partners

Country: Bolivia & Honduras, 2018

Client: Danish Association of the Physically Disabled

Project features

The LIRIOS programme provides support to disability organisations in Honduras and Bolivia, through strengthening of their organizations and capacities to advocacy. End-beneficiaries include persons with hearing or visual impairment, physical, intellectual or other disabilities. The purpose of the assignment was to assess progress towards the expected results and objectives as well as to provide recommendations for possible adjustments.

Services provided

HN Consultants provided a team of three consultants. Two consultants in Bolivia and Honduras carried out field visit to local branches of those disability organisations supported by LIRIOS. The team leader interviewed organisations at national level, as well as governmental and donor representatives and other key informants. Three reports were prepared: two reports regarding progress at local level; and a main report with overall assessments. A debriefing workshop was held with partners to discuss conclusions.

Evaluation of the “Building a Sustainable Mental Health Uganda (MHU)” project

Country: Uganda, 2018

Client: SIND Mental Health Denmark

Project features:

SIND Mental Health supports its partner Uganda Mental Health both at local and national level. At local level, the branches are strengthened to carry out advocacy for access to medicine, peer support to persons with mental health illness and access to the governmental poverty alleviation programme. At national level, Uganda Mental Health was strengthened to influence the national legislation on mental health and to carry out fundraising. The objective of the assignment was to assess overall results of the project support since 2014.

Service provided

HN Consultants provided the sole consultant for this assignment. The evaluation used the DAC criteria, with focus on relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, outcome/impact and sustainability. Visits were carried out to two of eight districts and information was collected from seven of the districts, governmental representatives, other disability organisations, hospital staff, and end-beneficiaries. Findings were discussed at national level with representatives from all districts.

Preparation of Programme Completion Reports for Danida (Education, Governance), 2017 annual reports for Oxfam IBIS.

Country: Liberia

Client: Oxfam Liberia, 2018

Project features:

The assignment included four tasks: i) Prepare for, initiate and support the annual reporting for Oxfam Liberia for 2017, to be delivered to the Organisational Performance System in Oxfam IBIS; ii) prepare for, initiate and support completion report for the Danida frame agreement 2017 regarding the education and governance programmes; iii) propose models for the integration between the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Danida and other programmers managed by Oxfam in Liberia; iv) support development of a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and/or Performance Framework for the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Danida and other programmes.

Services provided

HN Consultants provided the sole consultant for the assignment who worked with the M&E team in Oxfam Liberia regarding all four tasks and their corresponding four outputs (reports). Through visits to key districts and interviews at national level, the consultant collected information and provided a draft for the four expected outputs, which were handed over to the country office for finalization.

Final learning and documentation review of the Civil Action for Socio-economic Inclusion Programme

Country: Vietnam, 2017-2018

Client: CARE Denmark

Project features

In Vietnam, the Civil Action for Socio-economic Inclusion (CASI) supported the rights of ethnic minorities in the Northern areas. The objective was to enable remote ethnic minorities who are land poor, have weak resilience to hazards and shocks, and in particular women, to participate equitably in the economy and have legitimate and respected voice. The CASI programme, funded by Danida through CARE Denmark, was implemented by CARE over an eight-year period. The purpose of the learning review and documentation was to draw out the major achievements of the CASI programme.

Services provided

HN Consultants provided the team leader to this assignment, who was in charge of the field visit to northern Vietnam, as well as data collection from governmental representatives, donors, organisations and key informants at national level. In collaboration with a national consultant, the team leader prepared a report containing analysis on four topics: i) CASI approach and added value to civil society strengthening in Vietnam; ii) approaches to promote Ethnic Minority lead Community Based Organisations and networks, iii) lessons learned from the use of diverse approaches to advocacy; iv) experiences and lessons from the phase out from long term civil society partnership during 2015-2017.

Mid-term Evaluation of the project “Raw Diamonds – Sharp Tongues”.

Country: Sierra Leone, 2017

Client: Oxfam IBIS

Project features

Operation a Days Work is a solidarity program based on volunteering by students at upper secondary schools in Denmark, which collects funds for a project in the Global South. In 2013, it was decided that the funds raised would directed to an Oxfam IBIS project in Sierra Leone entitled ‘Raw Diamonds – Sharp Tongues’. The objective of the project was to strengthen the capacity of youths in mining communities in the Kono District in their struggle to receive part of the mining revenues for development and education, and scaling the problem from local to national level. The objective of the review was to assess the progress towards the achievement of objectives and results.

Services provided

HN Consultants provided the team leader to the review, which was based on the DAC evaluation criteria. Likewise, a junior consultant, hired by Oxfam IBIS, carried out interviews with the youth organized in the Local Mines Monitoring Groups in the Kono District. The team carried out interviews with governmental representatives, traditional chiefs, private mining companies, local partners to Oxfam IBIS and end-beneficiaries, both women and men. A draft report was discussed with the key stakeholders in Kono and subsequently finalized.