Diálogo

IDS is the external monitoring, evaluation and learning partner for Diálogo (originally known as the Mozambique Democratic Governance Support Programme, DGSP). Diálogo operates in five of Mozambique’s largest and most economically and politically important municipalities: Maputo, Beira, Tete, Quelimane and Nampula. It aims to contribute to improved governance and accountability for Mozambican citizens by supporting engagement among civil society groups, media and municipal authorities to identify and tackle local governance problems.

Diálogo is funded by the Department for International Development Mozambique office and implemented by a consortium led by DAI and including COWI and CESC.

Over the life of the programme, the IDS team has conducted a baseline study and a mid-term review, as well as contributing to regular learning events in Mozambique. In 2017 IDS is conducting the Final Evaluation of the programme, with a focus on the following, revised programme outcomes:

• Organized citizens engage with municipal institutions around specific issues;
• Media promote public debate around municipal governance issues;
• Municipal institutions engage with different stakeholders in municipal governance;
• Local and national actors implement joint advocacy actions to influence the national urban agenda.

The team, led by IDS Fellows Alex Shankland and Rosie McGee, has included IDS researchers and external specialists based in Mozambique, Angola and the UK. The baseline and mid-term review (MTR) surveys were carried out by a team from COWI led by Rachi Picardo. For the MTR, additional local and national context analysis and qualitative data collection activities were carried out by a team from IESE. Baseline and MTR qualitative and quantitative data analysis was conducted by Alexandra Hughes, Katy Oswald, Marina Fuser and Ana Ferreira da Fonseca. Joanna Wheeler provided additional specialist inputs in participatory and qualitative data collection methods for the baseline and MTR stages. Cathy Shutt has acted as lead Value for Money specialist at baseline, MTR and final evaluation stages, and Katia Taela as lead Gender and Inclusion specialist for the MTR and final evaluation.

For the final evaluation, in addition to the overall assessment of programme performance and multi-stakeholder engagement by Alex Shankland, Rosie McGee and Cathy Shutt, component-level analysis is being conducted by Rachi Picardo (municipal engagement) and Ana Ferreira da Fonseca (media). The IDS team is also incorporating additional activities with a particular focus on inclusion and on learning for consolidation and influence, as well as an in-depth qualitative lesson-learning study, led by Katia Taela with a team from Kaleidoscópio, that is analysing the potential “ripple effect” of different Diálogo-supported community-level civic engagement strategies. A series of co-authored IDS/Diálogo publications –including the findings of the “ripple effect” study and a summary of key lessons from the programme – will be published in early 2018.