As a trusted Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) partner of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) Africa Programmes and Expertise Department (APEX), Tetra Tech has delivered 45 TPM activities across 12 programmes since 2019. Our tailored TPM approach has been essential in supporting verification of programme monitoring across a portfolio that includes humanitarian, conflict, water, energy, climate change, trade, organised crime, and agricultural development programmes.
In this blog, Youngjin Kim, Consultant in our Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning practice, highlights the importance of adapting the TPM approach to meet the unique requirements of each task and maintaining the flexibility to respond to the evolving needs of the programmes we support.
Our role as a TPM partner involves customising different types of monitoring activities to fit the needs of each programme. Our monitoring activities include Data System Reviews (DSR), Activity Verification Visits – Beneficiary Feedback (AVV-BF), Rigorous Results Verification (RRV), Expenditure Monitoring (EM), Rapid Learning Reviews (RLR), and portfolio-level learnings.
The DSR assesses data systems in place of the implementing partners (IPs) to scrutinise and assess the quality and suitability of the systems for results reporting, verification and aggregation along the delivery chain. Data systems include the processes, people, tools, and documents through which the data is handled, from definition and data collection to analysis and reporting.
Typically, a DSR is conducted after a programme has started, once a data system is available for review. However, our TPM experience reveals that conducting a DSR even before implementation begins can be extremely valuable as it provides critical insights that can inform the programme’s design and planning from the start. By using flexible approaches, we can provide crucial insights that help shape the design and planning of the programme from the outset.
How our tailored solutions supported APEX programmes
FCDO’s APEX operates programmes across numerous African countries, working at pan-African, regional or sub-regional levels, through a diverse network of regional partners. The following examples showcase how we provided tailored solutions that met the unique needs of the APEX programmes as a part of our TPM support.
Tackling Deadly Diseases in Africa Programme II (TDDAP II)
TDDAP II is a global health security programme supporting national governments in five countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. It aims to strengthen partnerships between African, UK, and global public health institutions.
During the design phase of TDDAP II, we were asked to conduct a DSR to assess the quality and gaps in the health surveillance data systems in these countries, instead of the typical review of data systems within implementing partners. As a part of DSR, our monitoring included reviewing the initial Logframe and data sources of TDDAP II. We provided recommendations to identify data sources that would allow the programme to establish accurate and up-to-date baselines for each data point. Our work informed the design of appropriate monitoring indicators for the national component of TDDAP II, ensuring the programme could effectively track its progress.
Africa Humanitarian Response Fund II (AHRF II)
The Africa Humanitarian Response Fund II (AHRF II) delivers humanitarian assistance in African contexts where the FCDO has no in-country humanitarian presence or where a regional response is more efficient than a country-by-country approach.
For AHRF II, we conducted a DSR before any interventions began. Our review focused on assessing the existing cash transfer data systems to confirm IP’s capacity for quality data collection, analysis and reporting. This assessment was instrumental in verifying that the IP had robust processes in place and identifying areas for improvement. Our proactive DSR supported the FCDO in confirming that IP’s data systems were adequately prepared to manage the AHRF II budgets.
The value of TPM adaptability
Our experience as a TPM partner for the FCDO’s Africa Programmes and Expertise Department has shown us the importance of being flexible and responsive to each programme’s unique needs. We were able to achieve this adaptability by proactively communicating with our client during the DSR design stage, ensuring that our approach was well-aligned and useful. Such collaborative efforts allow us to provide more tailored support to the programmes we monitor and help ensure their success.