Monitoring and Evaluation

Project monitoring and evaluations are led by Save the Children. All partners monitor and report on their own activities while Save the Children manages the functionality of M&E systems and ensures the quality of all data collected and reported. M&E for Growth through Nutrition will be guided by a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan. M&E activities include:

• Mapping of project woredas and documentation of woreda profiles
• Performance evaluation surveys (Baseline, Midline and Endline)
• FMOH's Management Information System strengthening
• Routine activity monitoring (Annual and Bi-annual Most Vulnerable Household survey and Program Data collection using DHIS2)

Key Progress in Project Year II

The project District Health Information System 2 (DHIS) database system developed in Year 1, was fully functional and used in Year II to generate information on key Feed the Future and project performance indicators, such as agricultural productivity training participants, Number of children under five (0-59 months) reached with nutrition-specific interventions, Number of people gaining access to basic drinking water services, etc for annual reporting, as well as to monitor data quality and provide technical support for staff based in the field.

Data management and use training was provided to 2239 (1074 male and 1165 female) HWs, HEWs, woreda nutrition and Health Management Information System (HMIS) experts, AEWs, DAs, and WASH experts in all regions. The project also conducted Data Quality Assessments (DQA) Quality Benchmark assessments in four regions to measure the level of data quality for selected indicators, to assess the overall data management and reporting system and to establish potential context based relevant complaint/feedback channels to ensure to timely and relevant information about the project is provided to communities. Growth through Nutrition also supported and conducted joint supportive supervision (JSS) and 63 multi-sectoral nutrition review meetings in operational woredas.

Key Progress in Project Year III

The project started full utilization of the DHIS 2 database through auto-generated information on key Feed the Future and project performance indicators to capture all project data on key project indicators, such as NSA training participants, number of children under five reached with nutrition-specific interventions, number of people participating in ECC sessions and others during project year III.

Data management and use training was also provided for 491 HWs, HEWs, woreda nutrition and HMIS experts, AEWs, DAs, nutrition focal persons, woreda officials and WASH experts in Amhara and Oromia Regions. 

Key Progress in Project Year IV

The project finalized its internal mid-term evaluation and compiled a related report, lead by the Save the Children US nutrition team. Furthermore, the project followed up on the most-vulnurable households survey, completing its third annual assessment to determine the challenges in key nutrition indicators and outcomes. The project also provided Monitoring and Evaluation and data management and use training to over 600 health, nutrition and agriculture experts in the SNNP, Oromia and Amhara regions, despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and security issues.