ME&A Wins Three New M&E Contracts

Jan 13 2012

  ME&A has recently been awarded three new contracts under USAID's Evaluation Services IQC:

This outcome?based evaluation of U.S. Department of State Human Rights and Democracy Fund (HRDF) programs is aimed at fostering freedom of the press in European countries known to have significant restrictions on media freedom.  These countries include Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia. The evaluation covers eight media freedom programs, both active and closed, administered by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL).  The primary objectives for these media freedom programs in Europe were to:

  • Bolster media freedom by building the professional capacity of media professionals through activities, including journalism trainings, media monitoring, supporting networks of journalists covering high?risk topics, and disseminating objective information;
  • Promote an independent media sector and increase access to information to provide alternatives to state?owned media.

The Europe Media Freedom Outcome Evaluation will address four key areas:

  • Program effectiveness; 
  • Quality of the program; 
  • Short?term and intermediate impact of the program; and
  • Fit of the program relative to other USG?funded media freedom programs in the country.

To conduct this evaluation, ME&A is working closely with its subcontractor, NORC, and with local subcontractors in the countries where the programs were implemented.

  • Nicaragua Enterprise & Employment Mid-Term Evaluation – ME&A will conduct a mid-term evaluation of USAID's Enterprise & Employment (E&E) Program, designed to support Nicaragua's response to challenges and opportunities in promoting a better environment for trading through business development, capacity building, trade and business climate (CAFTA-DR), and human capital development.
  • Evaluation of the Improving Business Climate in Morocco (IBCM) Project and Assessment of the Business Enabling Environment in Morocco – This two-part evaluation will 1) evaluate the impact and sustainability of the IBCM project; and 2)  provide USAID with a highly technical analysis of the current business enabling environment in Morocco.