Annual Report: Monitoring and Evaluation Support Activity (MEASURE-BiH) FY 2015

The program aims to enhance the capacity of USAID/BiH and its Implementing Partners (IPs) to conduct high-quality performance management. During the period of October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015, MEASURE-BiH accomplished several important tasks and submitted numerous deliverables. The program is organized into five components: Technical Assistance for the Mission's Performance Management Plan, Evaluations, Surveys, Studies, and Sector Assessments, Geographic Information System (GIS) Mapping, M&E Training for USAID/BiH and IPs, and Strengthening Local M&E Capacity and Developing a "Center of Excellence" (CoE). In Component 1, MEASURE-BiH provided extensive assistance to USAID/BiH related to Mission and project M&E and to IPs related to activity M&E. The program assisted USAID/BiH in revising the Mission's project-level logframe results and indicators and worked collaboratively with the Mission and IPs to collect comprehensive data on baselines, actuals, and targets in the project logframe tracking tables. In Component 2, MEASURE-BiH designed and conducted several rigorous impact and performance evaluations, surveys, and sector assessments to identify "what works" and to generate empirical evidence for decision making. The program completed impact evaluations of two USAID/BiH Economic Growth (EG) activities: Fostering Agricultural Markets Activity (FARMA) and Fostering Interventions for Rapid Market Advancement (FIRMA). MEASURE-BiH also initiated the performance evaluation of the Strengthening Independent Media (SIM) activity and conducted an Anti-Corruption Assessment and prepared a Cross-Cutting Anti-Corruption Results Framework. In Component 3, significant progress was made in the development of Geographic Information System (GIS). The GIS is closely coupled with the BiHPERFORM system to ensure that project/activity-level performance can be assessed geographically. The data stored in the BiHPERFORM/GIS is being integrated into an interactive Website that will allow users to map all USAID/BiH activities and performance information within target geographic areas. In Component 4, MEASURE-BiH developed and began implementation of structured targeted training for Implementing Partners (IPs) and USAID/BiH staff. The program designed and delivered the first M&E training for IPs in "Introduction to Performance Management and Activity M&E Plans" and is currently finalizing a training course schedule for FY 2016 and continuing with the development of additional training materials. In Component 5, MEASURE-BiH aims to develop local capacity to conduct high-quality, independent evaluations, policy analysis, and social science research for USAID/BiH and other donors through the development of a CoE. The program has conducted an extensive Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis of the BiH social science research landscape, explored several options for CoE establishment, and finalized the plan of CoE development as a new non-governmental organization (NGO).