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All CARE rehabilitation1 and development projects must: 1. be consistent with the CARE International Vision and Mission Projects should fit comfortably within the spirit and content of the CARE International vision and mission statements. The CARE International Program Principles should also form a part of this minimum standard after they have been reviewed at CI level, with a focus on capacity building to be included at the earliest opportunity. 2. be clearly embedded in a Country Office strategy This Country Office strategy could either be part of the Country Office Long Range Strategic Plan or at least an articulated program focus or strategy. This provides the program framework in which project decisions are made. 3. be based on a holistic diagnosis of needs, opportunities, assumptions and risks. The project plan and logic should be clearly summarized (e.g. logical framework) The needs analysis should include a cause and effect analysis of problems identified by key stakeholders, opportunities (local capacities) for addressing those problems, clearly articulated assumptions related to addressing the problems, and recognition of risks. The logical framework should summarize the cause-effect linkages between proposed interventions, outputs, effects (intermediary goals) and impact (final goal). |
4. have a mechanism for measuring impact
A project final goal should be significant yet achievable and measurable during the life of the project. The project should make a clear contribution to higher long-term (sustainable) impact on household livelihood security. Examples of mechanisms for measuring impact include establishing relevant indicators at the appropriate levels in the project hierarchy, and the collection of baseline data on these indicators consistent with plans for project evaluation.
5. have indicators that are relevant, measurable, verifiable and reliable
Both qualitative and quantitative measures are acceptable as long as they can illustrate discernible and significant change. Reliable denotes that the indicators are robust and will be useful and credible throughout the life of the project.
6. have a monitoring and evaluation plan that describes how the indicators will be measured, by whom and when, and how the information will be used for decision making
This plan should ideally be developed at the beginning of the project and its level of complexity should be commensurate with that of the project.
7. incorporate the active participation of stakeholders in the design, monitoring and evaluation processes
The ideal is for these processes to be open and transparent, with full involvement by community participants and project partners.
8. have a budget that includes adequate amounts for implementing the monitoring and evaluation plan
The costs of monitoring and evaluation should be included as a part of the project budget. In cases where donors are unwilling to contribute to these costs, then funds need to be secured elsewhere to ensure the minimum standard is met.
9. demonstrate that the costs of project activities are reasonable and commensurate with the desired outputs and nature of the project
Country Offices or program designers must be able to defend the costs of a project relative to its outputs, scale and significance.
10. be technically feasible
The project must be designed in a way that is likely to work, and that the interventions really will make a difference. This may require technical appraisal by those with expertise in the relevant professions.
11. be informed by relevant social and environmental analyses
Social analyses (both for diagnosis of needs and for evaluation) could include gender, social class, ethnicity, religion, etc. Environmental analysis could include assessment of current status, impact analysis, and regional environmental issues.
12. be informed by appropriate research and incorporate lessons learned from CARE and other experience
The critical importance of applying this standard is at the initial proposal preparation stage, but should occur throughout the life of project. It also implies that lessons learned from this project should be adequately documented and utilized in the design of other projects.
1/ Rehabilitation is defined by CARE International as "rebuilding social and / or physical infrastructure or preventing an erosion of assets". This definition is provisionally adopted for one year and will then be reassessed for classifying of rehabilitation projects as compared to emergency relief.
Main points developed by DMEAC in Atlanta 10/99; edited by CARE Australia Program meeting in Bangkok, proposed further revisions by Jim Rugh 3 December, 1999
