Woman/child impact-II : matching grant CA FAO-A-00-96-00003-00 between Save the Children-USA and USAID/PVC

The project planned a wide spectrum of capacity-building activities in SC headquarters (HQ) and in four hub country settings (Bangladesh, El Salvador, Ethiopia, and Mozambique). The detailed implementation plan (DIP) submitted to USAID in 1997 was poorly designed and impossible to implement. The Office of Private Voluntary Cooperation (PVC) failed to conduct a formal review of the DIP, which, after 3 years of confusion and uncertainty, was realigned to be consistent with USAID"s result framework format. Despite early problems, SC field offices achieved demonstrable results in implementing gender equity programs, establishing viable and sustainable partnerships and, to a lesser extent, creating operating monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems for their programs. SC headquarters has also adopted and advocated policies supportive of gender equity and partnerships. The implementation of an M&E system at SC HQ has proceeded much more slowly than anticipated and is far from accomplished. Overall, the WCI grant has added value to SC operations both in the field and at HQ offices in Westport and Washington, DC: (1) SC has integrated gender equity policies throughout the organization and worked hard to promote these policies with its international and national partners and through numerous international fora on women and children"s issues. (2) SC has strengthened the planning and monitoring of its field programs; programming procedures have been enhanced in HQ operations; and program learning groups are carrying out important training and TA roles. (3) SC field offices have increased their program outreach capabilities through strategic partnerships and have adopted more rigorous M&E approaches to assessing these efforts. In sum, despite some shortcomings, USAID funds strengthened SC as an organization and its capacity to carry out its mission consistent with the goals of the matching grant program. USAID has received a fair return on its investment.