Midterm Performance Evaluation (MPE) of the Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved for Stronger Economy and Ecosystems Resilience (B+WISER) Program
Country: Philippines
PRIMEX provided the services of a Biodiversity Conservation and PES Specialist/Team Leader, a Watershed Management and CCM/REDD+ Specialist, a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Specialist, and a Statistician. The Team Leader/Biodiversity Conservation and PES Specialist was tasked to: (i) provide technical leadership and direction in the conduct of the MPE and supervise the overall evaluation process, ensuring the reliability and validity of the results; (ii) handle the assessment of overall project performance in Component 1 (Biodiversity in forest areas conserved), specifically in strengthening policy and governance frameworks for biodiversity conservation and implementing biodiversity-related research agenda; (iii) identify the facilitating and hindering factors for project progress observed in Component 1 and suggest measures to address identified issues and challenges for implementation in the remaining life of the project (LOP); and (iv) assess the capacity of DENR agencies and LGUs to monitor biodiversity and forest cover status.
The Watershed Management and CCM/REDD+ Specialist: (i) handled the assessment of the overall Project performance in Component 2 (Forest degradation in targeted priority watersheds reduced), specifically in addressing the drivers of deforestation, strengthening policy and governance frameworks for forest management, implementing watershed management-related research agenda, demonstrating Philippine REDD+ readiness, and stimulating incentives for forest conservation; (ii) identified the facilitating and hindering factors for project progress observed in Component 2 and suggest measures to address identified issues and challenges for implementation in the remaining LOP; (iii) assessed the capacity of DENR agencies and LGUs to monitor biodiversity and forest cover status and undertake the National GHG Inventory; and (iv) assessed the evaluability of the 13 learning questions developed along the project results chain with respect to the practicality and empirical feasibility of analysis within the LOP, and recommend appropriate modifications, where necessary. The GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist was tasked to: (i) assess overall project performance under Component 4 (Capacity for disaster management in highly vulnerable areas increased) and specifically in increasing disaster preparedness capacity and in implementing disaster mitigation measures; (ii) identify the facilitating and hindering factors for Project progress observed in Component 4 and suggest measures to address identified issues and challenges for implementation in the remaining LOP; (iii) with the Team Leader and the other Team members, assess the evaluability of the 13 learning questions developed along the Project results chain with respect to the practicality and empirical feasibility of analysis within the LOP and recommend appropriate modifications, where necessary; (iv) with the Team Leader and the other Team members and concerned DENR staff, review the Project performance indicators/targets agreed with USAID during Project inception and propose modifications, as needed; and (v) provide inputs for the preparation of the required Evaluation reports, particularly the findings and recommendations of his assessment of Component 4 and attend the Evaluation debriefings with USAID/P. The Statistician: (i) developed the MPE sampling design, data collection, and data analysis, ensuring that all people-level indicators and collection and analysis of data is sex-disaggregated; (iii) supervised and addressed concerns during sampling, data collection, post-enumeration, data entry, and data cleaning, ensuring that quality control procedures were in place; and (iv) handled the analysis of data collected through the survey and other methods and assists the Team Leader in report preparation and Evaluation debriefings with USAID/P.