Final Project Evaluation of the Support to INTERFUND (Capacity building of NGOs and CBOs) in South Africa

Detailed description of project Back

The framework for development cooperation between the European Commission (EC) and South Africa is set out in the Multi-annual Indicative Programme (MIP). The decade since the end of apartheid in 1994 witnessed a shift in EC support from direct funding of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), under the Special Programme of Assistance to the Victims of Apartheid, to more direct assistance to government. Notwithstanding this, successive MIPs acknowledged the important role that NGOs and civil society organizations (CSOs) have to play, earmarking 25% of available MIP funds for decentralised cooperation activities. Under this, the EC provided support to INTERFUND (International Fundraising Consortium), a South African NGO for Capacity Building of NGOs and CSOs.

The overall objective of the project was (i) to empower poor and marginalised communities, (ii) to strengthen their organisational capacity, (iii) to participate in public decision making, (iv) to increase their access to knowledge opportunity and resources, and (v) to deliver services more effectively. The project purpose was to strengthen INTERFUND (IF) in its capacity building missions so that NGOs and other organisations involved in decentralised co-operation would be able to realise their mission and deliver services more effectively. The expected results of the project are (i) an increased capacity of NGOs operating in MlP focal sectors, (ii) a strengthened overall NGO sector capacity, and (iii) a strengthened NGO capacity through an environmental scanning and development debate service.

This external evaluation is a requirement of the Financing Agreement between the EC and IF. Its purpose is to provide a comprehensive overview of the entire Capacity Building Programme (CBP) for South African NGOs and CBOs over its implementation period. To this end, the evaluation assesses the design, implementation and results of the CBP in order to determine its relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability in the context of its stated aim.

Type of services provided

PROMAN provided two capacity building experts with

• Thorough knowledge and experience of the NGO/CSO sector and development context in South Africa;
• International expertise in appraisal and monitoring of NGO support programmes in developing countries;
• Substantial experience in organisational development and capacity building issues at NGO level;
• Specific expertise to interrelate with institutional and civil society interlocutors at different levels;
• Knowledge about EU development programmes, procedures and processes.