 SSN is...
SouthSouthNorth (SSN), a network-based non-profit organisation sharing two decades of experience in the fields of climate change and social development with a specific focus on structural poverty reduction in Sub Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America by building Southern capacity and delivering community based mitigation and adaptation projects. The former mitigate climate change by reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and the latter assist communities to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change.
This project is a follow-on from the first SSN project (SSN1) that ended December 31, 2004. That project was designed to build sustainable development into the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) process. A report "Lessons Learnt" has been recently published. It includes a full description of the lessons learnt from the independent monitoring headed by HELIO International throughout that four-year project. The report can be downloaded here (2.12MB, PDF).
The current project is...four years in length and builds on the experience and adds a separate focus on poverty alleviation. Individual projects will be broader in scope focusing not only on CDM but also on adaptation, technology receptivity, capacity building and policy intervention.
The main deliverables of the project are at least 5 mitigation projects and at least 7 adaptation projects. There are also major elements on technology receptivity, capacity building and policy intervention.
HELIO International is responsible for...monitoring all activities ensuring excellence of performance at all levels of SSN operation and full delivery of vision-based outcomes. The major emphasis required by the Dutch funders is to focus on outputs and outcomes. HELIO has prepared a monitoring protocol that details the entire monitoring responsibilities of HELIO. Monitors are located in the countries of implementation but are coordinated by a global manager. A mid-project interim evaluation and a final evaluation after the four years will be carried out.
The monitoring includes reviewing the annual activity plans to ensure they comply with the logframe analysis. If HELIO is not satisfied, then the programme managers must make the necessary changes. Also, in the annual monitoring, if HELIO is not satisfied with progress of the specific outputs, it can withdraw funding or even recommend cancellation of specific elements.
Specifically HELIO's role is to monitor...- SSN project selection criteria setting against international standards
- SSN project development process against criteria and own best practice
- SSN technical outputs against international rules and standards
- SSN results against Log Frame Analysis and Funders" requirements in a qualitative assessment of all outputs and reports
How is the work done? HELIO International uses south-based monitors in Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa for SSN to monitor progress throughout all stages. Monitors work with a common methodology, specifically developed and modified for the SSN project. Country monitors work closely with country teams at all stages of the project development cycle, often resulting in dynamic altering of the projects.
No project goes forward until the HELIO monitors are completely satisfied that all criteria are being met satisfactorily. Thus, the monitoring provides continuous management feedback. This form of monitoring requires a "management" orientated approach and is heavily focused on process.
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