Monitoring, Evaluaton and Reporting Expert
Aurat Foundation
Total years of experience :29 years, 8 Months
Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is the largest social safety net in Pakistan that has been providing unconditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor families. Same families also receive “conditional cash transfer” if they are able to enroll their children (between the ages of 5-12 years) in schools. The project endeavored to group these families into committees with the objective to augment their awareness level (e.g., health and nutrition, population control, violence against women, social rights, etc.) and build their capacity in communication skills etc. My role was to make sure that the program implementation was done efficiently, effectively and in accordance with the approved budgets for each activity and the signed agreement between BISP and Aurat Foundation.
Research Study "To assess the laws relating to Good Governance and their Mechanisms for the Implementation: objective description of recent changes in the legal framework on protection of vulnerable persons, including women, children and minorities; latest experiences on implementation of law against honor killings; rules and procedures regulating registration of births, citizenship, marriage, separation/divorce, violence against women etc. at national and provincial level; role of Sharia; which laws are applicable in different situations and what criteria decides competence of different courts; any other related information." A report was prepared and presented to the Royal Norwegian Embassy predicated on in-depth study of relevant laws, key informant interviews held with experts and service-providers, semi-structured interviews conducted with the cross section of society and common citizens.
Mid-Term Evaluation of "Citizens' Voice Project" funded by USAID Pakistan. The project aims to improve engagement between citizens and government in order to promote good governance in Pakistan. The objective of this evaluation was to the assess efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, sustainability, replicability and impact of the program. The following activities were carried out during the evaluation process: a) documentary review of grants given to various organizations; b) several questionnaires were developed for different stakeholders and beneficiaries for capturing all aspects of evaluation; c) field surveys were conducted that included interviews/FGDs with beneficiaries, grantee organizations, government officials, nongovernment organizations, all other relevant stakeholders; d) formulated and reported Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations; and g) Contributed in finalizing the report by writing the introduction, background and context sections.
Mid Term Review of the "Responsive Education and Awareness for Child Protection" programme. This programme has been funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy and implemented by an NGO named 'SAHIL'. The project aims to create a protective environment that is free from all forms of violence especially child sexual abuse and enables children to realize their full potential. The following activities were undertaken: a) Literature Review of all phases of program, i.e., Project Document, LFA, WPs, Annual Reports, Budgets, evaluation and assessment reports; and b) field visits to the four provinces of Pakistan during which meetings were held with victims and their parents, service providers, SAHIL's regional offices, police, lawyers, judges, religious scholars, NGOs, media, Education Department, Health Department, Social Welfare Department, etc. All of the above led to the preparation of mid-term report, which was presented and submitted to the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
The project purpose was to improve quality of education through: teacher training; school management; community mobilization; new school construction and capacity building of Education Department. Main responsibilities were to: a) advise the Education Department and USAID on program planning, management, coordination, implementation and reporting; b) assist the Program Director in technical and operational management of the Program Unit; and c) ensure efficient construction of fully equipped and furnished schools in accordance with the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Act and Rules, and USAID procurement guidelines. Specific achievements include:
Strengthened Program Management & Implementation Unit by streamlining procedures through development of organizational manuals like, M&E, Internal Audit, Financial Management, HR and Procurement;
Revised Program PMP and drafted Monitoring and Evaluation Framework;
Drafted program communication strategy and public private partnerships model;
Prepared monthly, quarterly and anniversary progress reports;
Supervised a large team of technical and support staff;
As a member of 3Ps Advisory Group made recommendations for improvements in the Government of Sindh’s existing 3P model.
Undertook field visits to ensure compliance to the terms of Letter of Acceptance;
Reviewed and finalized Tender Notices, Letter of Acceptance/Award, etc. for civil works and vehicles in compliance with SPPRA and USAID rules;
Participated in bid evaluations, assessment surveys, negotiations, review and finalization of Letter of Acceptance/Award.
Mid Term Program Review of "Cultural Development and Environment Management” Program. The programme has been funded by the Royal Norwegian for more than 15 years with the objective to preserve the culture and environment of northern areas of Pakistan including Gilgit, Baltistan, Chiltral. The programme was implemented by the Aga Khan Cultural Services, a subsidiary of Aga Khan Foundation. The consultants reviewed all the relevant literature (programme documents, assessment reports, annual progress reports, budgets, etc.), undertook field visits during which physical monitoring of the works was undertaken and interviews/FGDs were held with all relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries. The evaluation report was prepared and presented to the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
Mid-Term Review of the 'Realization of Human Rights in Pakistan' project. The purpose of the review was to assess and evaluate program performance over the last three years and make recommendations for the next 3-years of the program. The assignment was carried out in the following manner: a) detailed study of all project documents including, LFA, WPs, Budgets, assessment/evaluation reports; b) detailed meetings were held initially with relevant staff of HRCP and Board of Directors; and c) in-depth interviews and FGDs were held with key stakeholders, communities and other key informants. In doing so, HRCP's capacities in the areas of Internal Governance, Programme delivery and financial/operational management were also assessed. Based on the above, a detailed evaluation report was written and presented to the donor including the findings, conclusions and recommendations.
End-of-Program Review of “Protection Against Child Sexual Abuse”. The programme has been funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy and implemented by an NGO named 'SAHIL' since 1997 all over Pakistan. The project aims to create a protective environment that is free from all forms of violence especially child sexual abuse and enables children to realize their full potential. The following activities were undertaken: a) literature review of all phases of program, i.e., project document, LFA, WPs, annual progress reports, evaluation and assessment reports; and b) field visits to the four provinces of Pakistan during which meetings were held with victims and their parents, service providers, SAHIL's regional offices, police, lawyers, judges, religious scholars, NGOs, media, Education Department, Health Department, Social Welfare Department, etc. All of the above led to the preparation of mid-term report, which was presented and submitted to the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
The purpose of this assignment was to assist and advise the Governance Unit in development, management, implementation, budgeting, monitoring & evaluation and reporting of the: Multi-donor funded Support to Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment (DTCE) project; Peace and Development project and Flood Early Recovery project. The purpose of these projects was to improve public service delivery through active community participation under the existing local governance structure. Main achievements include:
• Reviewed project work plans, budgets and progress reports for quality, consistency, timeliness and relevance to the project objective and outputs;
• Monitored and evaluated the ‘grants management portfolio’, and converted it into an accountable and effective exercise by inserting output-based KPIs.
• Ensured compliance to UNDP’s and DFID’s procurement policies for goods and services.
• Built capacity of the Implementing Partner (DTCE) on internal governance, program performance and financial management through development of organizational manuals.
• Converted annual and quarterly work plans into Monitoring and Communication plans by establishing key performance indicators and quality criteria;
• Prepared and reviewed technical documents like, LFAs, Quality Criteria, Work Plans, Implementation Plans, etc.;
• Regularly participated in field activities, closely interacted with all relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries and prepared comprehensive reports;
• Successfully negotiated 14-month no-cost project extension for DTCE project, succeeded in securing funds from UNDP and DFID for the ‘Peace and Development Project’, and also mobilized funds from the European Union for the ‘2010-Flood Early Recovery project’.
• Coordinated between UNDP, donors and implementing partners for frequent flow of information resulting in efficient achievement of project targets;
• Planned and managed country-wide social audits of local governance and public service delivery in 2009/10 and 2011/12. This entailed developing and managing partnerships with universities.
Appraisal of the Gender Based Violence project funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy and implemented by the Norwegian Church Aid. Activities include the following: a) thorough review of the project proposal; b) institutional assessment of Norwegian Church Aid and its implementing partners on Internal Governance, Programme Performance and Financial Management; and c) in-depth interviews with relevant experts from the cross-section of society. Predicated on the above activities, Appraisal Report was presented and submitted to the Royal Norwegian Embassy
Child Protection and Education Specialist (Consultant) - DEVCON
September 2008 to March 2009
As DEVCON Consultant provided the following services to ILO and UNESCO
ILO:
1. Developed work plan for the next phase of ‘Promoting Elimination of Bonded Labor in Pakistan Project’ (PEBLIP). Main activities include: review of achievements and challenges during the first phase of the project; lessons learnt; review of original project objectives, outputs and activities vis-à-vis the opportunity cost and then revise the activities for the next phase of the project keeping in mind the best interest of the target groups.
2. Developed complete project proposal for the ILO funded ‘Eliminating Abusive Child Labor through Quality Education and Literacy/Vocational Training’ Project. The main activities included development of: project approach, strategy, objectives and targets, implementation plan, coordination plan between collaborating partners, work plan, logical framework analysis, monitoring and evaluation, reporting plan and project budget.
UNESCO:
Documentation of achievements, gaps and future needs of ‘Strengthening Teacher Education in Pakistan’ Project. The main activities include: concise documentation of activities; achievements and impact assessment; lessons learnt; best practices; identification of needs and opportunities for coordination and collaboration between Teacher Education Institutions all over Pakistan; and identification of needs and opportunities for professional development forums.
The objective of the assignment was to critically evaluate USAID-Pakistan’s “Draft Education Strategy and Design (2008-2012)” and “Draft Partnerships for Better Schools Programme (2008-2012)” and make recommendations for improvements. For this purpose, a team of international and national education experts was formed which critically reviewed Pakistan’s successive Education policies, different education programs funded by multilateral and bilateral donors, and juxtaposed these with the state of education in the country (impact assessment). Predicated on these reviews, an analytical appraisal report was presented and submitted to MSI and USAID.
Conducted primary research on four worst forms of child labor and/or bonded labor in Pakistan, i.e., Tannery Sector, Surgical Sector, Glass Bangles Sector and Rag picking sector. The research was funded by the US Department of Labor. Interviews were held with working children and their parents across the country, representatives of working children’s employers, government labor departments, academia, politicians, judiciary, media, etc. More than 150 interview transcripts and a consolidated report, separately for each sector, were prepared and submitted to the Macro International.
The main objective of the ‘Addressing Child Labor through Quality Education for All’ project (funded by the US Department of Labor) was to eliminate/reduce child labor by strengthening government schools and technical/vocational training centers, and establishing non-formal education centers in the Punjab province. My role was to provide: a) overall leadership to the implementing partners in planning, management, budgeting and implementation of the project, and b) timely output-based reporting to the US Department of Labor and Save UK. Main achievements include:
Resolved serious disputes between Save the Children UK and Sudhaar-ITA Alliance and within Alliance by developing accountable corporate governance systems and partnership arrangements.
Converted M&E and PMP plans into output-based plans for maximizing benefits to all.
Ensured adherence to US DOL’s and Save the Children UK’s operational guidelines on procurement of goods and services.
Developed organizational manuals that led to optimum utilization of all resources.
Improved quality of education by designing high quality, sustainable and cost effective teacher training program.
Built capacity of 08 district education depts. of Punjab by preparing Education Sector Plans.
Designed and supervised third-party assessment of students’ learning achievements.
Organized a national conference on Eradicating Child Labor from Pakistan.
Developed a public private partnerships with a number of corporate entities for supporting government schools
Prepared and submitted Technical Progress Reports to US Dept. of Labor.
Participated in developing Save the Children UK’s 4-year Country Education Programme.
Facilitated Final Evaluation by US Dept. of Labor and prepared the End-of-Project Report.
Humanitarian Work: Established Save UK’s Muzaffarabad office, and developed implementation plan for the education and child protection programs that enabled timely utilization of international funding.
The project purpose was to mobilize corporate philanthropy (public private partnerships) for improving quality of education and physical infrastructure in government schools. My role was to plan, manage and implement the USAID funded "Facilitating Institutional Philanthropy for Education through public private partnerships" project. Main achievements include:
• Planned, managed and implemented Public Private Partnership Education Programs for a number of corporations;
• Evaluated corporate philanthropy education programs of a number of organizations;
• Developed criteria for identification and selection of schools for receiving corporate philanthropy;
• Designed school intervention plans and obtained approvals from all the partners.
• Developed agreements between the Pakistan Center for Philanthropy, District Education Departments and Corporate Philanthropists;
• Developed Monitoring and Evaluation Plans for each partner;
• Identified and developed partnerships with local NGOs for day-to-day coordination and implementation of each public private partnership.
• Undertook regular M&E for each partnership and submitted reports to all concerned;
• Contributed in finalizing the first-ever public private partnerships for education manual in the country.
In 1992, the Government of Pakistan, with the financial and technical support of the World Bank and several other international donors, initiated the Social Action Programme Project with the objective to improve governance in the four basic social sectors, i.e., Primary Education, Basic Health, Population Welfare, and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation. As a mid-level professional, I provided the following services to the unit:
• Assisted the whole unit and in-particular the Education section in the overall program management, implementation and reporting;
• Contributed in preparing annual operational plans and coordinating implementation;
• Provided technical and administrative support to multi-donor missions on regular basis;
• Assessed and evaluated students’ learning achievements and teachers competence in different subjects;
• Undertook impact assessments of program components, such as School Management Committees, Water Users’ Associations, Participatory Development Programme, etc.;
• Regularly coordinated and followed-up with government focal persons for timely and efficient program implementation;
• Organized numerous national and provincial level workshops and seminars for a variety of stakeholders.
• Conducted documentary and field researches on various elements of the program and at times on broader social and economic aspects;
• Prepared budgets and reviewed expenditure reports;
• Reviewed reports, books, papers and prepared succinct analytical reports.
• Prepared budgets for program components and special events, reviewed expenditure reports and reported compliance to various international donors;
• Developed and managed World Bank’s Small Grants Program for two years;
• Managed preparation of the NGO sector profile of 100 selective NGOs in Pakistan;
• Urdu translation of World Bank’s ‘Resettlement Policy’;
• As World Bank’s focal person, provided extensive administrative, logistical and coordination support to the: i) High-powered Multi-Donor Preliminary Early Recovery and Reconstruction Mission to Afghanistan and ii) World Bank’s Country Assistance Strategy 2001 Team.
As member of the USAID scholarship program, undertook activities including: need-assessment of scholarships for students of backward areas; planning scholarship programs; coordination with relevant education departments and universities/colleges in Pakistan and USA; advertisements for scholarship schemes; processing of applications and shortlisting; conduct of competitive examinations; verification of certificates/degrees, TOEFL Tests; visa processing; etc.
Aggregate percengtage = 45%