DFID’s support for civil society organisations through programme partnership arrangements
A vibrant civil society sector is an essential part of the UK aid landscape. Our report looks at DFID’s programme partnership arrangements, which will provide a total of £120 million a year to 41 civil society organisations in 2011-14.
Read the inception report
- PDF download (84 KB)
- Published: 17 May 2013
Read the terms of reference
- PDF download (64 KB)
- Published: 17 May 2013
Our approach
This evaluation looked in detail at six programme partnership arrangements (PPA) chosen as broadly representative of the types and size of civil society organisations (CSO) currently funded through PPAs.
For each of our six case study CSOs, we interviewed representatives and assessed their programme management capacity, focussing in particular on financial reporting.
We interviewed staff from the Department for International Development (DFID), consultants who had undertaken independent performance reviews, DFID’s independent evaluation manager, the National Audit Office and a range of informed observers. We met with representatives of CSOs who benefit from PPAs but are not case-study organisations and also with others who failed to obtain PPAs in the 2011-14 round.
Review questions
- Objectives: What is the programme trying to achieve?
- Delivery: Is the delivery chain managed so as to be fit for purpose?
- Impact: What is the impact on intended beneficiaries?
- Learning: What works and what needs improvement?