Civil society : mutual accountability project (CS:MAP) mid-term performance evaluation

The evaluation team reached out to a total of 248 respondents; 176 males and 72 females using key informant interviews, group interviews, focus group discussions, and mini-surveys to answer six evaluation questions. Based on the evidence collected, the evaluation team concludes that while the current activities have had some demonstrable successes, CS:MAP has yet to contribute substantially to achieving the project goal: “to foster a more legitimate, accountable and resilient Nepali civil society that is capable of advancing the public interest.” This may be due to the evolution of the changing governance structures and thereby the gap generated between the original vision of the project and the changed reality. The shift from a long-standing centralized system of governance to a decentralized federalist system required elections for sub-national officials and a considerable shift in authority, decision-making and bureaucratic processes. The evaluation team finds, however, that CS:MAP leadership has yet to adjust the project to maximize opportunities or capitalize on leverage points across objectives that may have further entrenched or reinforced project goals and objectives. Based on the evaluation team’s findings, the team recommends that USAID and CS:MAP leadership undertake a review of the current project’s scope, including partnerships, activities and locations (districts and wards) to determine if a more effective design could be developed to more closely achieve results and objectives as stated in the current project logical framework.