The FCDO (then DFID) contracted IOD PARC in 2015 to design and implement a summative monitoring mechanism for the South Asia Water Governance Programme (SAWGP), which facilitates regional collaboration over three Himalayan rivers – the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra.

The SAWGP facilitates regional collaboration over three Himalayan rivers – the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra – which are relied on by over one billion people across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan for their water and energy needs. The purpose of IOD PARC’s work was to understand whether the SAWGP and its constituent parts were making a difference in the management of the three Himalayan rivers and to assess whether the programme was influencing change, what that change was, who was experiencing it and how it was achieved. IOD PARC’s primary focus was on evaluating the programme design, the process by which it was implemented and how this affected outcomes and impact.

To achieve this, IOD PARC’s consultancy team developed a summative monitoring mechanism which included reporting on gender and value for money as well as working to improve the existing results framework and theory of change. Our team worked to ensure robust data collection systems were in place as well as working closely with local partners and communities to ensure a participatory and gender-sensitive monitoring & evaluation approach. Overall, IOD PARC worked to bring together the individual monitoring & evaluation components of the programme to develop an overall picture of SAWGP’s achievements.