Imani Development provides a full range of project management services, from project design to monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Our expertise in project cycle management and our exposure to multiple international donors not only ensures the smooth flow of technical projects but also qualifies us to work on project design and external evaluations. Our project management services covers all our core business areas with national, regional and global scope.

Imani has delivered M&E projects for a range of clients and it has become clear that reports are essential to provide all stakeholders involved (donors, recipients, etc.) with an external, independent analysis and assessment of respective programs regarding the performance of the project. Our approach to M&E excersises are often guided by OECD-Development Assistance Committee (DAC) criteria of relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability. In addition, evaluations are expected to document lessons learned, ‘success stories’, and best practices. Based on these findings, recommendations can often be made in order to inform follow-up or future similar initiatives for the donor, the client and other international development agencies.

Download our latest Evaluations for Development Capacity Statement by clicking here.

Monitoring & Evaluation services provided by Imani: 

  • mid-term and final evaluations
  • impact evaluations
  • feasibility studies
  • cost-benefit analyses
  • social audits
  • design of M&E services

Project Highlights: 

Summative Evaluation of TUHF Jobs Fund Leveraging Project (2019 – 2020)

TUHF Limited is a specialist inner-city commercial property financier that provides funding to small businesses. TUHF drives inner-city investment by offering loans to emerging property entrepreneurs for purchasing and/or refurbishment of inner-city residential property.
In February 2015, the Jobs Fund contracted with TUHF Limited on a leveraging partnership. This public-private-partnership involved a R200 million grant to TUHF to create new permanent jobs and short-term jobs over a three-year funding. A summative evaluation of the Jobs Fund Leveraging project was implemented specifically to assess the extent to which TUHF had met the intended project objectives and to extract lessons learned in terms of the impact and sustainability of the project.

Trapca – Tracer Study and Impact Assessment (2015 – 2016)
The Trade Policy Centre in Africa (trapca) was established in 2006 to enhance trade policy capacity of least-developed and other developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It was also set up to enable networking and information sharing amongst various African Countries. trapca is based in Arusha in Tanzania. It is hosted by Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI), and academically supported by Lund University in Sweden. Sida has invested in trapca and has provided funding for the projects programmes in the last 9 years. The overall objective of the impact assessment was to trace trapca graduates and assess the effectiveness, relevance and impact of trapca programmes. This evaluation examined the different stages of trapca’s impact, starting with its primary impact on students, and its secondary impact on those organizations that employ alumni, ending with some sense of trapca’s impact on trade in Africa.

HydroSA – Social and Economic Impact Assessment of Proposed Hydro-electric Scheme (2015 – 2016)
This assessment formed part of the broader Environmental Impact Assessment of a proposed hydro-electric scheme on the Orange River in South Africa. It applied a CBA to report on the macroeconomic impacts on GDP, employment, and incomes, and included interrogating potential impacts on tourism in the region. Additionally, recommendations were made to strengthen positive impacts with skills development programmes to ensure local residents could be incorporated into various staffing requirements during construction and operationalisation of the facility.

TradeMark East Africa – Formative and Summative Evaluation of Selected PSO/CSO Projects (2015)
The intention of this assignment was to undertake an evaluation of selected Private Sector Organisation (PSO) or Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Projects supported by TMEA. The formative evaluations measured the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the PSO/CSO projects. The summative evaluations assessed how effectively and efficiently the projects met their intended objectives against planned ones, establish initial project impact on the beneficiaries. The feedback from the evaluations was used to improve on-going projects and gave strategic direction to future TMEA/ trade facilitation programmes. The evaluation also identified good practices or models that can be documented and showcased for learning, scale up and replication.

Australia-Africa Partnerships Facility – Strengthening ACTESA’s Program Development And Implementation (2013 – 2014)
Imani Development was contracted by the Australia-Africa Partnerships Facility (AAPF) to assist The Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA) in building their capacity to carry out its mandate as a facilitator of policy dialogue and as a knowledge hub on staple food markets in its region. The main outcomes of this project was to enhance capacity of the ACTESA Secretariat to implement key priorities of its Operational Plan, assist key decision makers and the public to better understand and support regional commitments to allow free cross-border trade in staple foods; and for ACTESA to establish a regional knowledge portal that collates information and best practices in relation to staple commodity markets in the region.

Department for International Development – Business Innovation Facility (BIF 1)
(2010 – 2013)
This ground-breaking programme aimed to actively identify and support inclusive business project opportunities in five pilot countries. Imani Development was the consortium partner responsible for Malawi and Zambia, and as Country Managers identified and delivered the BIF strategy there. Imani worked directly with commercial companies, farmer associations, community groups and development organisations engaging with the poor.  Many of the business models identified increased smallholder farmer benefits by integrating them in the ‘last mile’ of supply chains of larger businesses, thus directly encouraging private sector development and pro-poor growth. Beneficiaries were consumers or producers of goods and services, and many projects focus on climate resilience. A key principle of such projects was the demonstration of wealth creation through an inclusive, commercially viable approach.

Department for International Development and United Nations Development Programme – Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund (ongoing)
The Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund (MICF) has a US$8 million source of funding to boost the agricultural and manufacturing sectors in Malawi. The fund is run by fund managers, Nathan Associates London in association with Imani Development. The MICF is a competitive facility through which businesses can apply for grant funding for innovative projects with the potential to deliver large social impact to the poor. Firms that meet the project requirements of innovation, commercial sustainability, growth and replication potential, are realistic and feasible, and most importantly highlight a significant impact on the poor, are eligible to receive a grant from the MICF of up to 50% of the project’s total cost. The marketing and communications component of the MICF project has a 3-pronged approach: discussing the MICF program with the private sector; the circulation of brochures, folders and other printed materials; and well as interviews with the media. Imani performs various communications functions related to the MICF project. These include TV interviews; mass media (radio and newspaper) adverts informing the public of project progression, calls for proposals etc.; as well as establishment of the MICF website. The website, which is in the process of being updated to include more information and ease of use functionalities, includes project information, application procedures, MICF team information, and project progression updates.

International Trade Centre – MTE Lesotho Horticulture Productivity and Trade Development (2014 – 2015)
The Horticulture Productivity and Trade Development (HPTD) Programme was initiated in order to build the capacity of farmers and cooperatives in Lesotho to produce high value fresh fruit and vegetables both for domestic and export markets. In addition, the programme objectives included increasing Lesotho’s national capacity and knowledge regarding product standards and product assessment, improving commercial and competitive value chains in the country and improving the general financial management skills of targeted farmers. Imani Development conducted the Mid-Term Evaluation of the HPTD.

Department for International Development – Mid Term Review of the SADC Trade Protocol (2004): The overall objective of this review was to determine the impact of the implementation of the preferences and other provisions under the SADC Protocol on Trade on SADC countries, identify impediments and provide an assessment of the balance of benefits arising from the implementation. The review documented the extent to which each member state was implementing its WTO commitments, based on a review of their current MFN schedules, their tariff bindings, TPRM reports and country level interviews. Imani Development’s services included the analysis of regional economic integration and international trade policy, export promotion strategies and activities; supply surveys; export market surveys; representation of national trade development organisations.