New Methodology

MOPAN’s “Common Approach” is a joint, annual assessment of a select group of multilateral organisations in several developing countries. Adopted in 2009, it has replaced the MOPAN Annual Survey, carried out since 2003. In 2013, four multilateral organisations will be assessed in six developing countries.

The Common Approach collects data through a survey, a review of documents published by the multilateral organisations and consultations with staff members from the multilateral organisations under review.

The assessment is intended to generate relevant and credible information on multilateral organisations to assist MOPAN members in meeting domestic accountability requirements. Furthermore, MOPAN does not rank the performance of multilateral organisations. Rather, it uses the findings of its work to promote dialogue between members, multilateral organisations and direct partners about on improving organisational learning and effectiveness over time.

Final reports on the findings of MOPAN’s 2013 Common Approach assessment of each multilateral organisation are expected to be released in December 2013, along with responses from the organisations.

Aims of the Common Approach

The MOPAN Common Approach:

• Generates relevant, credible and robust information MOPAN members can use to fulfil their responsibilities and obligations as bilateral donors
• Provides an evidence base for MOPAN members, multilateral organisations and direct partners to discuss organisational effectiveness in order to build better understanding and improve performance
• Aims to promote dialogue between MOPAN members, multilateral organisations and their direct partners on improving organisationsal learning and effectiveness over time, particularly at country level.

The Assessment 2013

The 2013 Common Approach will assess four multilateral organisations in six developing countries. It will be customised to account for the differences between multilateral development banks, United Nations (UN) Funds, Programmes and Specialised Agencies, and Global Funds. MOPAN will continue its expanded methodological framework which will provide an assessment of organisationsal effectiveness as well as the results achieved by multilateral organisations (a component of the methodology which was piloted in 2012). The assessment of results will focus on the degree to which progress is being made towards the organisations stated objectives and will analyse the relevance of its programming.

MOPAN Institutional and Country leads 2013

MOPAN Institutional Leads are the key interface between MOPAN and the multilateral organisations under review and are responsible for communicating with, and liaising between, MOPAN and the multilateral organisations.

MOPAN Country Leads will represent MOPAN in each survey country and be responsible for coordinating the Common Approach assessment in-country.

Adopted in 2009, the MOPAN Common Approach is derived from, and meant to replace, seven existing bilateral assessment tools. It is also meant to forestall the development of other bilateral assessment approaches. In the past four years it has been developed further in various ways.

For a better triangulation of the data collected, in 2010, the perception-based survey was complemented by a review of documents published by the multilateral organisations to achieve a better balance of factual- and perception-based findings.

Over time, MOPAN has continuously strived to extend the reach of the annual assessment and include more multilateral organisations with very diverse focus and operational contexts. In 2011, UNHCR and UNRWA were the first humanitarian organisations assessed to be assessed. In 2012, consultations with staff members from the multilateral organisations under review strengthened the data basis of the assessment even further. In the same year, MOPAN reviewed a Global Fund, GAVI, for the first time.

In 2012, MOPAN also piloted an expanded methodological framework which provided an assessment of organisational effectiveness as well as the results achieved by multilateral organisations. The assessment of results focuses on the degree to which progress is being made towards the organisation’s stated objectives and analysed the relevance of its programming and will continue as part of the Common Approach methodology in 2013. To inform the assessment of key results achievedby multilateral organisations data on three additional key performance indicators (KPIs) will be collected to cover the extent of the multilateral organisations’

• Progress towards its institutional/organisation-wide objectives and contributions to relevant Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)
• Contributions to relevant MDGs
• Contributions to country-level goals and priorities, including the MDGs
• Relevance of its objectives and programme of work to major stakeholders.

  For more details on the methodology used by MOPAN (adjusted to the specific context of each organisation) please refer to Volume 2 of the Institutional Reports of the respective year. Publications