¿MISION CUMPLIDA? EVALUACIÓN DEL PROGRAMA DE ... - Novib

¿Misión cumplida? Evaluación Programa ON-LAC
A fresh gender policy and a Traffic Light renewed in 2007 did not leave a visible impact on
the Programme. Some counterparts participated in the Programme on Gender
Mainstreaming and Leadership Trajectory (GMLT) that was launched in 2008. Over the
evaluation period, approximately half of the LAC target groups consisted of women and
girls, well under the more ambitious goal of ultimately reaching a population that would
be seventy percent.
Interaction between Oxfam Novib and counterpart organisations
In a vast majority, relationships between Oxfam Novib and counterpart organisations in
the ON-LAC region were established before the start of the evaluation period. In written
documents as well as personal interviews, counterpart interlocutors referred to the vital
role played by Novib during the initial stages of their organisation. On many occasions
during the repressive 1970s, Novib support had proved to be vital. It allowed Novib to
establish a degree of goodwill throughout the continent in later decades, rarely obtained
by other cooperation agencies.
The earlier process of exchange, cooperation and mutual learning had a number of
positive effects along with perceivable drawbacks during the evaluation period. The
selection of new counterparts became more difficult. 14 The project cycle managed by the
Oxfam Novib LAC department underwent restructuring in 2005. The agency introduced a
so-called Toolbox for all submitted project proposals with a view to both opportunities
and risks of counterpart financing. The Toolbox did serve to streamline the procedure for
getting projects up and running. Within Oxfam Novib the link between the Toolbox and the
project performance registration system (PRS) is complex, with inputs and not shared
with counterpart organisations. 15 Evaluations have been regularly carried out,
differentiated into institutional evaluations (two third) and project evaluations (one
third), with only two impact evaluations.
Mutual confidence, as stated earlier, has been an essential characteristic of the
relationship between Oxfam Novib and most of its counterparts. Numerous interlocutors
spontaneously emphasized to evaluators the commitment, transparency, quality of
technical advice from officers, political backing when required and institutional respect
and reciprocity that traditionally marked the counterpart relationship with Oxfam Novib.
The global affiliation strategy of Oxfam Novib has raised some questions. In at least one
country (Mexico), not all counterparts reported to be comfortable with the option of
becoming dependent on a source representing the Oxfam International network. A second
misgiving relates to the institutional mandate of O.I. affiliates in Latin America. National
agencies representing Oxfam will not necessarily continue with the strategy of Oxfam
Novib, once the latter has effectively withdrawn. A third question involves the cooperation
between counterparts in Latin America after withdrawal by Oxfam Novib. As yet, there is
no alliance structure that can act as a regional countervailing power to e.g. large
transnational companies.
14 The observed stagnation was also caused by spending pressure on the side of Oxfam Novib, where an
average minimum threshold was applied to individual desk officers. The minimum amounted to a substantial
spending pattern over a three year period which, in the context of decreased staffing within the LAC
department of Oxfam Novib, added to the pressure on proposals submitted by counterpart organisations with
a long track record.
15 Counterparts are unaware of the intricacies in the Oxfam Novib reporting requirements. Since 2007, at least
one third (i.e. over 30 pages) of the content of the reports presented by Oxfam Novib to the Dutch Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has consisted of annexed quantified enumerations in accordance with a Balance Score Card
method.
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