Third-Party Monitoring Technical Approach — Northern Ethiopia Response Learning Analytics Activity

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) is supporting the Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP) — a consortium of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) led by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) — and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to provide emergency food assistance to vulnerable populations in Afar, Amhara, and Tigray. The LAA team will conduct market surveys and monitoring, commodities management, and food distribution monitoring in Phase 1. Market surveys will collect market prices for food and non-food commodities to verify and provide independent analysis on the relationship between BHA assistance and the local markets in Northern Ethiopia. Commodities management will involve ongoing observations and documentation checks throughout the supply chain from receipt of commodities into secondary warehouses through final distribution points. Food distribution monitoring will include onsite observation of the food distribution process to ensure eligible beneficiaries are receiving entitlements and post-distribution monitoring (PDM) at the household level. The LAA team will also conduct outreach and dialogue with USAID and USAID implementing partners (IPs) to finalize the TPM data collection technical approach, key deliverables, and planning. These consultations will serve to understand USAID priorities and learning interests, review IP activities, and finalize the methodological approach, research instruments, and reporting structure. The LAA team will develop TPM instruments and data collection protocols, which will include a market survey and monitoring instrument, a commodities management instrument, and a food distribution monitoring instrument. The team will also conduct data collection training for field staff and implement data collection and sampling approaches. Food distribution monitoring will involve onsite observation of food distribution and post-distribution monitoring at the household level. The LAA team will also engage respondents during data collection, verify data quality, and analyze and report on the data collected. The team will also consider gender and inclusion in the monitoring activities and report on any hot button issues that arise during the monitoring process. The costs and key assumptions for conducting Phase 1 TPM activities will be summarized in a separate section. The LAA team will work closely with USAID and USAID IPs to ensure that the TPM activities are aligned with USAID priorities and learning interests. The team will also ensure that the TPM activities are conducted in a way that is transparent, accountable, and responsive to the needs of the beneficiaries. The TPM activities will be conducted in two phases. Phase 1 will focus on market surveys and monitoring, commodities management, and food distribution monitoring. Phase 2 will focus on cash and voucher monitoring and nutrition monitoring. The LAA team will work closely with USAID and USAID IPs to ensure that the TPM activities are conducted in a way that is responsive to the needs of the beneficiaries and aligned with USAID priorities and learning interests. The LAA team will also develop a TPM safe programming checklist to ensure that the TPM activities are conducted in a way that is safe and secure for all stakeholders. The checklist will include guidelines for conducting TPM activities in a way that is respectful of local customs and traditions and that minimizes the risk of harm to beneficiaries.