2012). These new sources of knowledge help aid managers in adapting their projects to local conditions, ultimately resulting in a higher level of success. The World Bank and other development partners can point to many examples of delivery success, drawing on a treasure trove of evidence obtained using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, linking successful delivery of interventions with local politics, culture, capacity and other factors. However, some of this experience is not easily accessible and may be buried in lengthy reports, files, datasets, and the heads of staff and evaluators as tacit knowledge. S c i e n c e o f d e l i v e r y Education How can a science of delivery approach improve schooling? Education is a critical public service and research in developing countries reconfirms that education can enable growth and poverty reduction (Schultz, 1993; Bloom et al., 2006). However, this causal chain is not always straightforward: for example, learning outcomes of poor children may be held back by health, nutrition and social factors during their first five years of age, such as stunting, inadequate cognitive stimulation, iodine deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia (Walker et al., 2007). Indeed, one crossnational study found no link between rising education of the Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2014/15 49 Further analysis will be conducted to see whether there are specific design features that are common to the high-performing projects with effective monitoring and evaluation. Some possible features are evident from looking at three examples where strong monitoring systems have been built at the beginning of the programmes with short-, medium- and long-term outcomes identified. Jamaica: PATH In the case of DfID’s Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), process evaluations and spot checks were undertaken for activities being implemented, allowing for the identification of any potential issues (Rawlings, 2009). As a result of these evaluations, the application process was deemed to be burdensome and unclear on programme rules, the system for verifying the eligibility of new beneficiaries was weak, and there was found to be a strong unmet demand for jobs and training. Quality data enabled management to exploit double-loop learning (Argyris and Schön, 1974), which led to a decision to revamp the management information system, revise the operations manual, use social workers as focal points to access social services, and create a ‘STEPS to Work’ programme focused on skill development and employment. Evaluations of PATH showed that it was better at reaching the poor than other Jamaican safety net programmes. Mexico: Oportunidades (formerly Progresa) Evaluations of Oportunidades showed the programme had a significant positive impact in improving health and education, and it has been lauded for reaching its target populations and yielding better results than other programmes. Oportunidades is a great example of improved science of delivery through the use of both a strong monitoring and evaluation system and of information learned from past projects. The programme began in 1997, providing monetary educational grants to poor, rural families for each child enrolled in school between the third grade of primary and third grade of high school. In addition to education, Oportunidades also has health and nutrition components. Government health institutions provide families with preventative health care and families also receive a fixed monthly transfer to improve food consumption. Nutritional supplements are provided for young children and their mothers. Where Oportunidades truly shines is in quality at entry. At implementation, project managers planned to have an independent evaluation done by the International Food Policy Research Institute. This independent evaluation was planned with the goal of providing management with data to make real-time project changes and improve delivery. They also drew on lessons learned from past projects, recognising that giving money to female heads of families results in better financial outcomes. These steps, taken during the implementation stages, translated into quality results that were reflected in the independent evaluation – the first large-scale, randomised controlled trial used in developing social policy. The results caught the eye of the Mexican federal government, and an increase in funding allowed Oportunidades (now accounting for 46.5 per cent of the federal anti-poverty budget) to expand to urban areas and to provide high school students with education grants. In summary, steps taken at implementation to improve the science of delivery were crucial in the success and subsequent expansion. The close involvement of scholar-practitioners helped to design new conceptual approaches, ensure technical soundness and rigorous monitoring, protect the programme during changes of administration, and spread the approach around the world (Lustig, 2011). Brazil: Minas Gerais Development Partnership In 2008 a sector-wide approach of more than US$1.4 billion was initiated, aimed at improving the efficiency of public resource use, supporting innovations in public management, and supporting the state government of Minas Gerais in strengthening its monitoring and evaluation system (World Bank, 2008). Funds were disbursed to ten eligible expenditure programmes in five sectors. Individual projects subject to monthly monitoring and quarterly management meetings were made accessible to the press. The government made yearly implementation data available on the web to increase programme transparency and improve data dissemination. The World Bank supported the project by developing a household survey, quality assurance surveys and a series of impact evaluations in the education, health and transport sectors. These monitoring systems provided managers necessary feedback mechanisms and learning loops, allowing them to work towards the achievement of medium-term goals on their way to the achievement of long-term objectives. So far, the programme has succeeded in reducing the amount of time needed to start a business at Minas Facil in Belo Horizonte from 26 to seven days. The poverty reduction programme has already exceeded its initial objective by benefiting more than 26,000 rural families. Project examples
CEP template 2012
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