VZCZCXRO2888
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHAB #0263/01 0711713
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121713Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2697
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0539
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000263 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/W AND PRM/AF/CACHANG 
DAKAR FOR USAID/OFDA 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM USAID UNHCR CI LI
SUBJECT: MONITORING AND EVALUATION REPORT FOR CVT LIBERIA: 
SPRMCO06CA042 
 
¶1.  Summary:  This monitoring and evaluation (M&E) report is 
based on Refugee Coordinator's (RefCoord) visits to the 
Center for Victims of Torture's (CVT) field offices in 
Liberia in October 2006 and January 2007.  CVT is on target 
to meet its objectives in the PRM-funded  program, "Promoting 
Community Resources for Healing in Liberia," and continues to 
provide much needed assistance to trauma victims among the 
returnee and local Liberian populations.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  This monitoring and evaluation (M&E) report is based on 
Refugee Coordinator's (RefCoord) visits to the field offices 
of the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) in Monrovia, 
Gbarnga, and Voinjama in October 2006 and January 2007. 
RefCoord met with CVT staff Dr. Jean-Baptiste Mikulu (Country 
Director), Alieu Mohamed Sannoh (Administrator), Sharon 
Gshaider (Clinician/Trainer), and Nelson Kaputo (Field 
Coordinator, Voinjama).  RefCoord also met more than 30 CVT 
Psychosocial Counselors (PSCs) working in Bong and Lofa 
Counties and discussed CVT's field level coordination with 
various non-governmental and international organizations, 
including UNHCR, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), 
and the American Refugee Committee (ARC). 
 
OBJECTIVES AND INDICATORS 
------------------------- 
 
¶3.  OBJECTIVE 1:  Provide direct psychological and 
psychosocial services to 1,000 returnees and members of 
receiving communities who are suffering from experiences of 
torture or war trauma. 
 
¶4.  CVT prepared a nation-wide survey of psychosocial and 
mental health activities in cooperation with UNMIL's 
Humanitarian Information Center (HIC).  CVT is now finalizing 
a formal baseline survey of mental health needs in Lofa 
County and has helped more than 860 clients. 
 
-  Indicator 1:  This indicator has already been met. 
-  Indicator 2:  CVT has achieved nearly 87% progress towards 
this indicator and expects to meet their target of 1000 
clients by the end of the project. 
-  Indicator 3:  CVT has exceeded their target. 
 
¶5.  OBJECTIVE 2:  Train Liberian returnees and receiving 
community members as psycho-social counselors (PSCs). 
 
¶6.  With CVT's move to Lofa County, they were able to take 
advantage of a solid pool of qualified candidates for their 
program as many CVT staff originating from this area had 
worked with CVT while in refugee camps in Sierra Leone and 
Guinea.  CVT staff demonstrate high morale and motivation in 
carrying out their work. 
 
-  Indicator 1:  CVT expects to meet this indicator. 
-  Indicator 2:  CVT expects to meet this indicator. 
-  Indicator 3:  CVT has already met this indicator. 
 
¶7.  OBJECTIVE 3:  Target group members in three project sites 
have a better understanding of and are more sensitive to 
issues related to torture and war trauma, mental health, and 
mental health services. 
 
-  Indicator 1 & 2:  CVT expects to meet both indicators for 
their sensitization activities by the end of the project. 
 
¶8.  OBJECTIVE 4:  In coordination with government entities, 
universities, and other non-governmental organizations 
(NGOs), conduct in-depth, specialized training for staff at 
other agencies and organizations working with affected 
populations. 
 
-  Indicator 1:  CVT has met this indicator. 
-  Indicator 2:  CVT has met this indicator. 
-  Indicator 3:  CVT will probably not meet the indicator on 
training of trainer activities and post-test knowledge gain 
results.  This is due to the lack of a CVT clinician from 
Nov. to Dec. 2006.  CVT will examine better ways of testing 
knowledge gained from their training (results show a 14-18% 
change, below the target of 25%). 
 
¶9.  OBJECTIVE 5:  Improve the capacity of gender-based 
violence (GBV) service provider partners to identify, refer, 
and provide relevant psychosocial support to survivors of 
sexual torture. 
 
-  Indicator 1:  CVT has met this indicator. 
 
ABIDJAN 00000263  002 OF 002 
 
 
-  Indicator 2:  CVT has met this indicator. 
-  Indicators 3 & 4:  CVT is slightly below target for these 
indicators. 
 
PROGRAM ISSUES 
-------------- 
 
¶10.  Cross-Cutting Goals:  CVT's activities target the most 
vulnerable and affected populations in Liberia.  They have 
built in activities designed to provide some sustainability 
in their project, although they have not yet succeeded in 
formalizing cooperation with Liberian higher learning 
institutes that would help certify trained psychosocial 
practicioners. 
 
¶11.  Coordination:  CVT coordinates with a wide variety of 
partners in carrying out its work.  This is a major focus of 
Objective 4 in their proposals.  Other NGOs complimented 
CVT's work and CVT has established a particularly close 
relationship with the American Refugee Committee (ARC) in 
Lofa and Bong Counties. 
 
¶12.  Effective Use of Funds:  CVT has a high percentage of 
former refugees working on its staff.  They continue to see a 
high retention rate in their activities even though they do 
not provide material support to their beneficiaries.  They 
have successfully moved and established their presence in 
Lofa County and are the only NGO implementing this sort of 
program in their areas of operation. 
 
¶13.  SPHERE Standards:  CVT does not apply SPHERE standards 
in its activities. 
 
¶14.  Personnel/Security Protocols:  CVT's personnel and 
security protocols appear to remain adequate.  Their compound 
in Lofa County is spacious and well guarded.  CVT was not 
targeted in February when ARC's compound was broken into by 
armed robbers and they are linked to the UN security system. 
 
¶15.  Oversight:  RefCoord did not discuss specific HQs 
oversight with CVT staff during this project cycle, but Dr. 
Jean-Baptiste Mikulu, the CVT Country Director, makes regular 
visits to CVT HQs and has an open communication with 
RefCoord.  CVT's progress reports are submitted on time and 
easy to read against indicators. 
 
¶16.  Problems:  CVT initially closed their office in Gbarnga, 
Bong County, when they moved to Voinjama in Lofa County last 
summer.  Mikulu reported that some staff had a difficult time 
at first adjusting to working in Lofa County.  However, PRM's 
decision to continue funding CVT in Bong County alongside 
CVT's expansion in Lofa County boosted staff morale and the 
more than 30 PSC's RefCoord spoke to said they carry a big 
advantage in being able to work with trauma victims living in 
their own communities.  All CVT staff RefCoord spoke to 
expressed their satisfaction with the move to Lofa.  Mikulu 
said some staff live in the same communities as their 
beneficiaries and are even helping people build their homes 
and other facilities in these areas.  CVT is still 
negotiating with Liberian universities a mechanism to have 
their training recognized as a professional certification. 
Many of their employees are counting on their work with CVT 
to lay the foundation for a future professional career in 
Liberia.  Successfully negotiating such recognition will be 
important to CVT's long-term impact. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶17.  CVT's project appears to be well on its way to meeting 
most, if not all, of their objectives in the current project 
cycle.  They have established a strong field presence and 
have a close relationship with the local population in the 
communities where they work.  They remain a strong link in 
the assistance chain currently anchoring persons back in 
their communities of origin.  Although counseling for trauma 
victims in Liberia is a daunting challenge, their efforts to 
establish a national framework for psycho-social counseling 
and assistance is much needed. 
Hooks