Poster from the 2012 International AIDS Conference

1. Developing a National Orphans and
Vulnerable Children Monitoring and
Evaluation System in Nigeria
Results through Participation
Falola-Anoemuah, Yinka, Ph.D1; Okwuonu, Oby2; Irene, Philomena3; Chapman, Jenifer, Ph.D4 and Oyediran, Kola, Ph.D5
1
National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Abuja, Nigeria; 2 Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Abuja Nigeria; 3 United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Abuja, Nigeria; 4 Futures Group/MEASURE Evaluation, Washington, DC; 5 JSI/MEASURE Evaluation, Washington, DC
Background Harmonized indicators mirror these agreed-upon inputs, outputs and impact,
and the priority data needs of stakeholders (see Box 1).
Efforts in Nigeria to provide effective care and support services to an estimated
17.5 million* orphans and vulnerable children (VC) have been challenged by a Box 1: Indicators
disjointed system for monitoring progress and evaluating impact.
1. % of VC with improved wellbeing as per standardized instrument (Child Status Index)
2. Ratio of school attendance of orphans and non-orphans aged 10–14 years (UNGASS)
The Government of Nigeria at the local, state, and national levels requires 3. Number of policy documents on VC developed and disseminated
high quality, standardized information in order to plan the response. 4. Number of coordinating structures for VC established and strengthened
Implementing organizations require information to ensure they are providing 5. Existence of functional regulatory mechanism for the social development workforce
6. Number of organizations and agencies demonstrating at least one score improvement in at least
services as planned, and that their interventions are effective at improving the one area of capacity building, as measured by a standardized tool
well-being of VC and their households. 7. % of funds utilized from public and private sector to provide social services for VC
8. Number of VC provided with social services
9. % of VC whose households received free basic external support in caring for the child
10. Number of organizations and agencies reporting based on the national M&E Plan for VC
Process
Leadership Harmonized data collection and reporting tools ensure reporting against
1. The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development national indicators, and also information the guide the VC response at all
(FMWASD) assembled a task force to lead the development of the VC levels (see Box 2).
M&E Plan. The task force included representation from international
and community-based organizations, the public and private sector. The Box 2: Tools
USAID-funded MEASURE Evaluation project provided technical support.
Data Collection Tools Reporting Tools
• Child Status Index • Pre-enrolment Register
Development • Child Vulnerability Index • Enrolment Register
2. The task force compiled indicators in use by different implementing • Enrolment Card • Service Register
• Service Form • Monthly Summary Forms (national, state,
organizations and governing agencies, and agreed to a minimum set of • Referral Form local government and community-based
national indicators, which could be harmonized across implementing • Organizational Assessment Tool organization)
• Committee Activity Tracking Summary Form
organizations. • Committee Activity Tracking Form
• Fund Tracking Summary Forms (national and
• Fund Tracking Form
3. The task force compiled data collection and reporting tools in use by state)
different implementing organizations and governing agencies, and in light
of the agreed national indicators, harmonized essential data collection
and reporting tools and developed tool guidelines. At the same time, the The implementation plan for the VC M&E plan outlined an incremental
task force agreed to a data flow process, and documented procedures for process of roll-out, and the importance of advocacy and participation from all
ensuring data quality and data use in decision making. levels of government, and public and private sector partners. It also included
a systematic and phased capacity building plan. Pilot testing showed that
Capacity Building harmonized indicators and tools were appropriate, with few changes needed;
4. The FMWASD, together with MEASURE Evaluation, rolled out a however, capacity to collect and report data is weak at all levels, leading to
capacity building strategy for implementing organizations and state- challenges with implementation. Still, results indicate that the M&E plan has
level ministry staff. State-level ministry staff, with M&E personnel from improved coordination and partnerships between government institutions
implementing organizations, are expected to build capacity and provide and implementing partners in providing care and support for VC at the
supportive supervision to local implementers. national and state levels, and in time, will reduce double counting.
Pilot Implementation and Review To address the challenges identified in the pilot implementation, an electronic
5. The task force developed a pilot implementation strategy and the draft database, called the Nigerian VC Management Information System (NOMIS),
Nigerian VC M&E plan was piloted in six states from 2010 to 2011. was developed and aligned to the M&E plan. A six-day M&E plan capacity
6. Mid-2011, MEASURE Evaluation undertook an assessment of progress, building curriculum was also standardized for roll-out by implementing
and the task force reconvened to review the draft VC M&E Plan. organizations and community-based organizations throughout Nigeria. The
M&E plan and the NOMIS are currently being implemented across Nigeria.
Results
Conclusions
The final Nigerian VC M&E plan reflects the country’s systems strengthening
approach to providing care and support to VC (see Figure 1). The successful approach to develop and roll-out the M&E plan is
characterized by the following elements: 1) country-led and owned, 2)
Figure 1: Nigeria’s Systems Strengthening Approach to VC Care and participatory and oriented to consensus-building, and 3) focused on building
Support local capacity in M&E and data demand and use. The pilot process laid the
Inputs outputs impact groundwork for the national roll-out.
Leadership and Literature Cited
Governance
Service Delivery * Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development (Nigeria).
Partnerships, Networks,
• Food and nutrition 2008. Key Findings Situation Assessment and Analysis on OVC in Nigeria,
and Collaboration
Human Resources and • Shelter and care
Capacity Building • Protection 2008. Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Nigeria.
Improved
• Health
child well-being
• Psychosocial
Financing • Education Contact for More Information
• Economic
Strengthening
1. Yinka Falola-Anoemuah
Information ofalola-anoemuah@naca.gov.ng; yinkaduke@yahoo.co.uk
Management
2. Jenifer Chapman
jchapman@futuresgroup.com
This research has been supported by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) under the terms of MEASURE Evaluation cooperative agreement GHA-A-00-08-00003-00. Views expressed are not necessarily those of PEPFAR, USAID,
or the United States government. July 2012. Evaluation