MULTILATERAL
ORGANISATION
PERFORMANCE
ASSESSMENT
NETWORK
The MOPAN Common Approach 2009
Presentation to DAC Network on Development Evaluation
15 June 2009
1
Purpose
Introduce MOPAN and
Common Approach Background
 Data collection and follow-up
 Key players
 Challenges – Looking ahead


Discussion
2
What is MOPAN?
Informal network
 15 like-minded donor countries
 Common interest in assessing
organisational effectiveness of major
multilateral organisations they fund

3
How does MOPAN work?
Joint assessments
 Share information
 Draw on experience in monitoring
and evaluation

4
Current MOPAN members

Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Ireland,
The Netherlands, Norway, Spain,
Republic of Korea, Sweden,
Switzerland, The United Kingdom
5
Common Approach
Annual assesment of select group
of multilateral organisations in 8-10
developing countries.
 Generates information members
can use to fulfil responsibilities and
obligations as bilateral donors.

6
Common Approach

Aiming to support dialogue between
MOPAN members, multilateral
organisations and their partners.
7
Common Approach

Provides evidence base for MOPAN
members, multilateral organisations and
direct partners to discuss organisational
effectiveness in order to build better
understanding and improve performance.
8
Common Approach
Derived from, and meant to replace,
seven existing bilateral assessment
tools and forestall the development of
other assessment approaches.
 Does not examine development
effectiveness, achievement of
development results or scrutinise
administrative economy or efficiency.

9
Common Approach

New methodology, but builds on
previous MOPAN experience of bilateral
assessments and dialogue with
multilateral organisations and learning
10
Why a Common Approach?
Growing demands internationally
to better understand how public funds
are used for international aid purposes,
including multilateral assistance.
 No widely accepted, coherent approach
to assessing effectiveness.

11
Why a Common Approach?
Need to:



Capture voice of direct partners,
not just MOPAN member views
Harmonise work to avoid duplication
Broaden and deepen original
‘perceptions-based’ approach.
12
Organisations assessed 2009
UNICEF
 UNDP
 AfDB
 World Bank (IDA and IBRD)

13
Data collection—survey

Survey measures:
Four Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
relating to management:
Strategic, operational, relationship, and
knowledge management
 More detailed micro-indicators (MIs).

14
Data collection—survey
Survey completed by three sources:
1.
2.
3.
MOPAN member officials at HQ level,
including missions, delegations and
representations
MOPAN member officials,country level
Multilateral organisation direct partners,
country level.
15
Data collection

Respondents provided with ‘document
fact check’—documents published by
multilateral organisations they can
use to inform their survey responses.
16
Direct Partners
Organisations receiving direct transfer
of finances or technical assistance
from multilateral organisation.
 Can be government, non-government,
private sector corporations.

17
Findings

Country level
Support discussion between developing
country partners, bilateral donors and the
multilateral organisations, as part of the
process of strengthening mutual
accountability at country level
 Strengthen relationships with multilateral
organisations at country level

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Findings

HQ level
Input to those responsible for the
governance of multilateral organisations
 Input to multilateral cooperation policies
 Input to wider debates about multilateral
organisational effectiveness

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Findings

Multilateral organisations invited to
respond to review findings
20
Findings
Not used to rank performance of
multilateral organisations, or evaluate
how well they deliver on development
objectives and projects.
 Not possible to compare multilateral
organisations—their mandates and
structures vary too much in scope
and nature.

21
Findings

Because the MOPAN assessment is
repeated at intervals of time, findings will
help determine if multilateral organisation
effectiveness in survey areas change
over time.
22
Reporting
 Country
reports (nine countries)
 Institutional reports (four
multilateral organisations)
 Timeframes for development of
draft and final reports being
finalised.
23
Key players
MOPAN Secretariat (Denmark 2009)
Oversee and coordinate work of lead
consultants, HQ Focal Points, Institutional
Leads, Country Leads
 Seek advice from working groups
 Act as primary contact point for external
partners

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Key players
MOPAN HQ Focal Points
Liaise with Country Leads
 Ensure support in their organisations
 Organise/supervise survey HQ level
 Support survey process in-country
 Coordinate comments on draft reports

25
Key players
MOPAN Institutional Leads
Key interface between MOPAN and
multilateral organisations under review
 Liaise between MOPAN and multilateral
organisations at HQ level

26
Key players

MOPAN Country Leads
Liaise with HQ Focal Points and focal points
of multilateral organisations at country level
 Build awareness of, and support for,
Common Approach
 Organise assessment at country level
 Lead country-level dialogue on findings
and coordinate comments

27
Key players
Consultants
 Manage implementation of
Common Approach 2009
 Prepare reports
 Prepare presentations of findings
28
Challenges: Balance Between



Low transaction
costs for MO and
MOPAN staff
Simple tool
Not a full-blown
assessment.


Provide useful
data and
meaningful
information to
make decisions
(perception based
+ objective).
Replace all
bilateral
assessment
instruments.
29
Challenges: Engaging Partners
Partners want to participate in MOPAN’s work
Highlighted additional areas for inclusion in CA
MO Policies and Procedure
Transparency of MOs
Alignment of MOs
How to Participate in the survey and dialogue
Link to mutual accountability agenda
30
LOOKING AHEAD
Testing the CA methodology
on Humanitarian
Organisations and Funds
Adding document review to
the primarily perception
based survey
Introducing RBM analyses
as an additional MOPAN tool
31