Central African Republic - Reintegration of Ex-combatants Project (English)

Ratings for the Reintegration of Ex-combatants Project for Central African Republic were as follows: outcomes were moderately satisfactory, the Bank performance was satisfactory, and the monitoring and evaluation quality was modest. Some lessons learned included: coordination among project stakeholders was reported to have a primarily logistical focus, with somewhat limited opportunities for substantive information exchange. To enhance future interventions, it is recommended to establish platforms for regular coordination, which would focus on: (i) promoting frequent sharing of information and experiences among DDRR-PIU, implementing partners, MINUSCA, and others; and (ii) at regional and local levels, developing clear and practical procedures to facilitate coordination and information sharing among regional and local implementing partners, facilitating efficient reporting to PREC. Field data collection lacked systematic procedures, information sharing among implementing partners and local authorities was limited, and regular reporting to DDRR-PIU was lacking. This reduced data availability limited the effectiveness of data analysis, rendering it insufficient for guiding project activities. Since an effective M&E system is key as an early warning system that enables to track project results and guide subsequent activities, it is advised to develop as part of future interventions clear and practical data collection procedures, transparent and well-defined reporting requirements, and thorough data analysis processes. It is also recommended to complement the M&E system with an efficient MIS, which would track relevant data on project beneficiaries. All data collected in the field, including surveys conducted by different implementing partners or independent organizations, were available to the project team. Similar future projects, should consider engaging a Third-Party Monitoring agency to both undertake independent M&E and also design, implement, train users and on an ongoing basis support and MIS. In addition, for future programs, particularly given local skills deficits, a comprehensive M&E and MIS framework, encompassing both programs, that include all surveys and reporting procedures, should be agreed prior to project effectiveness beneficiaries.