VZCZCXRO5889
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHAB #0555/01 1441818
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241818Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3014
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0553

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABIDJAN 000555 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PRM/AFR/CACHANG 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM IV
SUBJECT: MONITORING AND EVALUATION REPORT FOR IRC COTE 
D'IVOIRE: SPRMCO06CA201 
 
REF: ABIDJAN 293 
 
¶1.  Summary:  The Abidjan-based Refugee Coordinator 
(RefCoord) for West Africa conducted a monitoring and 
evaluation (M&E) assessment of the International Rescue 
Committee's (IRC) PRM-funded project, "Durable Solutions for 
Liberian Refugees in Cote d'Ivoire" in February and May 2007. 
 RefCoord was disappointed with IRC's progress in certain 
areas but it appears to be on track to turn over most 
activities to local authorities by the end of the project. 
Although IRC has been a solid PRM partner in this region over 
the last several years, RefCoord did not see any specific 
critical needs that would warrant continued PRM funding to 
IRC at this time.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  The Abidjan-based Refugee Coordinator (RefCoord) for West 
Africa conducted a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) assessment 
of the International Rescue Committee's (IRC) PRM-funded 
project, "Durable Solutions for Liberian Refugees in Cote 
d'Ivoire" in February and May 2007.  RefCoord traveled to 
project sites in Tabou, Georgetown, Gozon, and Yeouli. 
RefCoord met IRC staff, Maurizio Crivellaro (Country 
Director), Kakule Dieudonne (Head of Office, IRC Tabou), 
Valery Biyiriri (IRC Tabou), Blasius Abonge (IRC Tabou), 
Anthony Harmon (Education Assistant, IRC Tabou), Virginie 
Tanou (GBV Manager, IRC Tabou), Beatrice Kouadio (Wat/San 
Manager, IRC Tabou), and Germain Chabi (Agricultural Monitor, 
IRC Tabou).  RefCoord also discussed the IRC project with Dr. 
Mahamadou Toure, Head of Field Office for UNHCR Tabou. 
 
OBJECTIVES AND INDICATORS 
------------------------- 
 
¶3.  Objective 1:  To increase access to and improve 
sustainable health care and improve the knowledge, attitudes 
and practices regarding maternal and child health. 
 
-  Construction of Gozon Health Center completed. 
-  Five of the six health posts have been supplied with an 
initial stock of drugs.  However, procurement of medical 
supplies and equipment for the sixth health post, the Gozon 
Health Center, has not been done and the Center has not been 
functional since January.  IRC staff stated they believed the 
health supplies would arrive before the end of May 2007.  IRC 
expects to complete an MOU with the Ministry of Health for 
transfer of their facilities before the end of June; 
-  IRC is not on target to meet the indicator for vaccines by 
the end of the project, although they should be close to the 
50% goal in most categories; 
-  IRC in only reporting the number of deliveries done in 
health posts and at home. 
-  IRC stated that the KAP survey will be completed at the 
end of the project. 
 
¶4.  Objective 2:  To reduce the risk of waterborne and 
hygiene-related diseases in areas of significant integration 
of Liberian refugees and ensure community self-reliance and 
capacity of communities to manage core environmental health 
activities. 
 
-  IRC is not able to state if water is safe and free of 
faecal coliforms as described in indicators one and two.  IRC 
staff said they had no idea when the testing would be done as 
they were waiting for a testing kit from their Man office; 
-  IRC reported they will meet their indicator for the 
construction and rehabilitation of wells; 
-  IRC stated they have constructed 70 family latrines and 4 
VIP latrines.  IRC staff said they will not be able to 
complete the fifth VIP latrine by the end of the project; 
-  IRC will measure the impact of the sensitization campaigns 
on the importance of hand washing during the KAP survey at 
the end of the project; 
-  IRC staff believe they will meet the indicator on the 
number of established Environmental Health Committees 
(currently over 50% - target: 75%). 
 
¶5.  Objective 3:  To improve access to and quality of 
education for Liberian students in Ivoirian schools and to 
improve knowledge and practices of youth as related to 
HIV/AIDS prevention. 
 
-  Only 37% of the remaining Liberian refugee students (366 
out of 987 registered at the beginning of the school year) 
are presently enrolled in Ivoirian schools (target: 50%); 
-  IRC will not meet the target for classroom construction. 
Although their second quarterly report indicates IRC decided 
not to construct additional classrooms in Gozon due to a lack 
 
ABIDJAN 00000555  002 OF 003 
 
 
of community interest, it appears they instead used funds 
from Gozon to cover additional costs in other villages where 
classrooms were built rather than to identify new communities 
as reported in January; 
-  IRC has trained all 5 parent-teacher committees (COGES) to 
establish and maintain a functioning revolving fund; 
-  Condom use will be assessed in the KAP survey at the end 
of the project. 
 
¶6.  Objective 4:  To ensure a suitable protection environment 
for separated and/or at-risk children, accelerate 
cross-border reunification, and find durable solutions for 
children who are not reunified with their families. 
 
-  IRC reports their caseload of separated children has 
declined from 35 at the beginning of the project to 30.  They 
have not received any new cases since the start of the 
project; 
-  IRC reports that the local Red Cross is not capable to 
take on child caseloads and identified a different local 
partner, the Child Rights and Protection Committee (CPD).  It 
is doubtful, however, that they will meet this indicator 
before project end; 
-  IRC will not meet the indicator to train 260 local 
officials on child rights and child protection, although IRC 
staff said they will exceed 100 trained officials; 
-  IRC has not received any cases of child survivors of 
commercial sexual exploitation since the start of the project; 
-  The indicator on Best Interest Determination (BID) was 
supposed to be met by December 2006.  IRC staff explained at 
length what they were doing to develop this process, but 
RefCoord doubts they will meet this indicator. 
 
¶7.  Objective 5:  To prevent and respond to GBV through 
increased community awareness and strengthened support 
services for GBV survivors while building local capacity. 
 
-  IRC has met or will meet all of their GBV indicators.  The 
KAP survey to be conducted at the end of the project will 
determine the number of persons who can identify two health 
consequences of GBV (target: 50%). 
 
PROGRAM ISSUES 
-------------- 
 
¶8.  Cross-cutting Goals:  IRC activities in Tabou put 
particular focus on women and children.  IRC is also 
responsible for distributions to vulnerable groups with UNHCR 
funding in Tabou.  IRC has tried to elicit interest from the 
local authorities on the hand over and transfer or 
responsibilities for their project activities. 
 
¶9.  Coordination:  IRC works closely with UNHCR and local 
authorities in conducting all project activities. 
 
¶10.  SPHERE Standards:  IRC is using Ivoirian national 
standards in carrying out its Wat/San activities and has 
signed an MOU with the government on standards for phasing 
out and handover of responsibilities. 
 
¶11.  Personnel/Oversight/Security:  IRC Tabou has seen 
several different Program Coordinators over the last couple 
years.  They have sent several staff to participate in 
training activities sponsored by IRC and UNHCR.  At this 
time, however, they are beginning to phase out of Tabou and 
one third of their staff will be let go in July, with the 
rest to leave at the end of the year when their UNHCR funded 
activities are concluded.  IRC Tabou reported adequate 
financial and HQ oversight, but RefCoord noted that IRC staff 
were unable to answer specific questions related to 
expenditures for classroom construction under Objective 3. 
IRC reported no specific security issues during the course of 
the current project cycle. 
 
¶12.  Problems:  IRC reported serious problems with community 
participation and cooperation from local officials.  IRC 
staff reported most persons appeared only to be interested in 
receiving financial benefits from cooperation and this led to 
serious delays in achieving certain objectives.  Although 
they have a close operational relationship with UNHCR, they 
stated that UNHCR was not always willing to help them in 
their negotiations with local officials. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶13.  RefCoord was disappointed with IRC's progress in certain 
 
ABIDJAN 00000555  003 OF 003 
 
 
areas but it appears to be on track to turn over most 
activities to local authorities by the end of the porject. 
Also, most of IRC's statistics do not disaggregate refugees 
from local populations and it thus impossible to know to what 
extent remaining refugees are benefiting from efforts to 
support local structures.  RefCoord believes many local staff 
are concerned that they will lose their jobs as activities 
draw to a close and this has probably affected morale in the 
Tabou office.  Although IRC has been a solid partner in this 
region over the last several years, RefCoord did not see any 
specific critical needs that would warrant continued PRM 
funding to IRC at this time.  RefCoord also notes that one 
IRC staff member, a Liberian national from Maryland County, 
has already sent his family back to Liberia and is seeking 
letters of support for his job search with NGOs in Liberia. 
HOOKS