4. Project implementation and management: an assessment
4.1 Involved organization and institutional arrangements
Participating Agencies |
Pole/Functions |
UNFPA |
- Source of funds ($507,649) |
FAO |
- Executing agencies including over all management of project, monitoring operations and technical backstopping |
Financial Institutions: | |
a) GFIs |
- Land Bank of the Phils., channel of UNFPA funds for establishment of economic enterprises |
b) Private bank |
- Allied Bank, channel of UNFPA funds for establishment of economic enterprises |
National Government Agencies:
a) DOH |
- health, nutrition, MCH and family planning services |
b) DA/BFAR |
- technical assistance/training on livelihood (economic enterprises, etc.) |
c) DSWD |
- administration of household care management (i.e., child cares and relief/rehabilitation) |
d) DECS |
- assistance in the implementation of activities by participating agencies (venue/facilities for training) |
e) POPCOM |
- family planning and IEC activities |
f) CDA |
- assist in the institutionalization of women organizations |
LGUs
a) Provincial Government |
- serve as project action unit in the implementation/operationalization of project activities |
b) Municipal Government |
- support provincial government |
NGOs: |
|
a) FPOP |
- family planning activities (provision of supplies/services, training and IEC) |
b) CARD |
- assist in technology transfer (i.e., experience sharing among field staff and WGs) |
c) IMCH |
- provide MCH related services |
d) ACPC |
- technical assistance (training on savings mobilization |
Other Agencies/Program:
* USAID/Pangasinan Family Planning program has indirectly supported the project in terms of provision of various supplies, training and IEC.
* UNICEF/Capiz - for IEC on children care and welfare
Project Intervention |
Involved Institutions | |
Direct |
Support a) Community/Group Project | |
Organizing |
LGU/BC/DOH | |
b) Training Assistance |
Project |
DA-BFAR/DOH/ |
DTI/CARD/ACPC/ | ||
DOST/TLRC/DECS/ | ||
LGU/BC/FPOP/GVO | ||
c) Technical Assistance |
Project |
DA-BFAR |
d) Credit/Funding Assistance |
UNFPA |
LBP/AB/LGU |
e) Social Services/ |
DOH |
POPCOM/DSWD/ |
linkages to Resource |
Project |
FPOP/IMCH/LGUs/ |
and services |
DA/DECS/CRS/ | |
(FP, MCH, nutrition) |
USAID/UNICEF/ | |
WGs/BHW/FPV | ||
f) IEC Material |
POPCOM/DOH |
LGUs/USAID/ |
Support |
Project |
UNICEF |
g) Monitoring and |
FAO/UNFPA/ |
LBP/WGs |
Evaluation |
GOP/Project |
Table 19 presents the assessment of the efficiency/ effectiveness of implementation of project activities and delivery of project inputs of agencies/ institutions involved.
A majority of all the participants for both provinces had a very good rating for both the FAO and Provincial Governments on the effectiveness and efficiency of implementation of project activities as delivery of inputs were timely. However, banking institutions administering the guarantee funds had been rated as good by 32% of all participants and 23% as fair due to long delay in release of loans.
As to the collaboration of activities with other agencies, most of the respondents said that the linkages/coordination are good.
1. UNFPA - As funding agency, not only provides funds but also monitor project and gives valuable recommendations esp. in family planning aspects.
2. FAO - As executing agency, has closely supervised and monitored the project through frequent visitation in the provincial offices as well as the WGs in their communities. Regular backstopping is also provided.
Funds management is very satisfactory as total annual expenditure did not exceed alloted budget, as shown in Table 20.
3. Provincial Government
The two implementing agencies have distinct cases in terms of project management. Table 21 presents distinct features of their respective management.
The Provincial Government of Capiz has an ideal feature which can lead to efficient and sustainable implementation of the project. On the other hand, change of management in Pangasinan at a particular time appears to have negatively influenced the staff morale and team spirit. This has been perceptible in discussions with individual members of the project staff and through observations. This can adversely affect the performance of the individual staff member and the project in general.
4. Project Guarantee Funds Management
The two banks administering the project's credit component have differences as shown in Table 22. The guarantee funds amounting to US$99,000 of Pangasinan and US$81,000 of Capiz are deposited in peso time deposit at Land Bank of the Philippines and in dollar current account at Allied Bank respectively.
The total credit allocation in project is US$180,000. The credit component of the project different from other projects because money was not used directly for lending but as credit guarantee. As an advantage, the administering banks use their own money and participate in a more responsible and sustainable way. Moreover, there are more funds available for lending. As a result, about US$400,000 had been disbursed to women participants during the project period. As of August 1994, total outstanding loans amounted to US$103,367 (P2,584,168.85). Assuming that none of this amount will be repaid, there will still be about US$105,478 left as guarantee fund.
As to which bank is more efficient, the team is in no position to assess this, since no actual assessment and interviews were conducted with the two banks. However, most of the project beneficiaries complained the delay or slow release of loans from either banks.
The team finds that the project's limited resources were utilized efficently and that the cost/benefit ratio is very satisfactory. This particularly applies to the , training and credit components of the project.
1990-1991 (Initial Stage)
Pangasinan
(Institutional)
1. Inadequate counterpart budget for project staff. PMS took dual assignments, Project field staff was composed of paid provincial and 8 municipal employees wherein the latter were not under the administrative control of the PMS and worked on a part-time basis for the project. This hampered the preorganizational and group formation activities.
2. Most staff were relatively new (neophyte) and had limited or no exposure and experience at CO and training activities.
3. Frequent replacements/turn-over of staff esp. at municipal level which hampered continuity of project interventions (there was a period when there was no field worker assigned in a barangay for 2 months) and gaining experiences.
(Target Beneficiaries)
4. High incidence of drop-outs in initital stage due to:
(a) husbands objections (either jealous or indifferent to project);
(b) neighbors, negative speculations about project and sneering insults,
(c) negative belief on the project due to previous unfavorable experiences,
(d) disappointment and doubts over the delayed release of loans
Both Provinces
1. Some project sites were inaccessible or hard to reach affecting mobility of staff.
2. Delay in the actual lending or guarantee/revolving fund operations due to additional time devoted to preorganizational activities.
3. Some barangay officials refused to cooperate in organizing women due to fear that women would not repay their loans and they would be left accountable.
4. Dole-out mentality of the target participants.
S. Little emphasis on age requirement in selection of participants, thus several members are non-MWRAs which in turn affect the FP component of the project.
1992
1. National and local election in May 1992
2. Subsequent change in provincial administrators which affected the continuity of project activities esp. conduct of training
3. Delayed approval and release of- supplemental funds for training (counterpart fund).
4. Delayed loan disbursements because of the deferment of the completion of required training inputs.
5. Lower repayment of loans due to natural calamities (e.g. typhoon, Mt. Pinatubo eruption)
6. Irregular and inadequate supplies of contraceptives at the village-level. Contraceptives bought at private suppliers are very expensive leading to increased drop-outs among users.
7. Inaccessibility of health services in some project areas.
8. Lack of motivational skills of young. inexperienced and unmarried field workers in FP aspects. (Pangasinan)
9. Delay in the preparation of feasibility study for IGP proposal of women participants as IGP Specialist had other concerns aside from the project (Pangasinan).
10. Difficulty in finding the IGP Local Consultant.
1993
1. Delay in releases of loans as attributed to policies of Bank serving as administrator of technical assistance fund from UNFPA:
(a) LBP imposed/required WG to be converted into a fullpledged cooperative and bank had simultaneous commitments and other project priorities.
(b) Allied Bank has new branch manager who is hesitant to take the risk of releasing new loans unless previous loans were paid.
1994
1. Low repayment as some participants know that project will be terminated by December 1994 (i.e., dole out mentality of participants that needs to be corrected/changed).
2. Project staff of Pangasinan are not certain of being retained beyond project life in view of temporary nature of their appointment. (lack of government commitment in sustaining the project)
3. Devolution of government agencies, e.g. DOH, affect delivery of health and family plannings services. (A woman who decided to be ligated has to pay P500 and provide medical supplies needed).
Staff
Pangasinan
1. Frequent turn-over and replacements of staff. Average year of involvement in the project is 1.8 years.
2. Inadequate funds for field work. Project staff solely depend on supplemental budget from FAO for field work. The provincial government does not provide per diem and travel allowance.
3. Staff hired in the last two years of the project have minimal training on CO and other project components.
4. Most of them are not sold to the idea of cooperativism, thus no effort has been initiated to convert WG into cooperative.
Capiz
1. Except for the delays in submission of reports to national project office (Manila), no other hitches or limitations have been observed.
Women Groups
1. Questionnable uses of loan funds. (e.g. improper utilization of loan proceeds due to other personal needs of the women beneficiaries)
2. Lack of group consultation in other matters (e.g. utilization of the capital build-up funds (CBUs))
3. Minor conflicts brought about by gossips originating from one member about another.
4. Shyness of the members in the first years of the project due to limited education and exposure to other people.
5. Departure of member from the barangay after receiving loan (i.e. the case of ambulant or non-resident members).
6. Lack of participation of some members in group projects/activities (social action projects such as community beautification gardening, health/nutrition related activities, social/cultural activities and others).
7. Poor leadership among some of elected officers of the WGs.
8. Non-payment of CBU by some members due to some failure in their business activities and limited income.
9. Some members have not yet internalized/realized the objectives of the project but just avail of loans.
10. WG members related to each other as co-borrower and not as a member of a united group, as in the case in some WGs in Pangasinan which caused dropping out of 4 WGs included in the 1st batch.
11. Slow repayment of loans as some members incurred lose in their IGP due to natural causes, mismanagement of loans etc. Lack of insurance guarantee fund.
12. Conflicts of women's time and concerns delayed training schedules.
13. Delay in processing IGP proposals among WGs.
14. Some of their husbands are jealous and objected to their wives, attendance of training (initial stage).
15. Some WGs are very dependent on their President. Thus, her absence or resignation has caused the members to discontinue activities and become inactive.
Bank
1. Delay in loan processes and releases due to limited staff (only 1 loan clerk) and loan requirements (registration in DOLE/CDA).
2. MOA of the project is with head office so bank branch manager cannot make major decision on their end.
3. No field staff to collect loan amortization of members (Capiz)
4. Only 1 bank is servicing the WG in Capiz. Accessibility of bank to other WG might be a constraint in delayed payment.
5. Change in bank employee/s assigned to project.
6. Release of loans not on a continuous basis, thus limiting the sustainable growth of the participant's business activities (e.g., a member who is fully-paid of her loan cannot immediately reloan as full payment of other borrowers must be satisfied first).
