HIV/AIDS Twinning Center

The monitoring and evaluation framework of the Twinning Center incorporates a logic model, as shown below. The model explains the relationship between inputs, processes, outputs, outcomes, and impact.

Each of the categories in the model is associated with a set of key questions, a sample of which are listed here. The base of the framework shows the multiple sources of information that program staff use to answer these and other questions. The answers help determine if the program as a whole and individuals projects are being implemented as planned and achieving desired results.

The framework distinguishes between program monitoring and program evaluation. Twinning Center monitoringinvolves ongoing documentation and assessment of how partnership activities are delivered with respect to inputs, processes, and outputs.

Twinning Center evaluation deals with outcomes, or results, of partnership activities—both those directly correlated with project outputs as well as longer-term impact. Such results typically are not assessed on an ongoing basis but rather are measured in a discrete study or series of studies.

The framework is applied at three levels:

Twinning Center: Monitoring and evaluation efforts at this level assess the extent to which the Twinning Center is able to establish and support twinning partnerships, and to hire, train, and place Volunteer Healthcare Corps members. More importantly, they answer key questions about the effectiveness of these and other Twinning Center activities in increasing capacity in focus countries to implement and sustain HIV/AIDS-related programs. They also assess the overall contribution of the Twinning Center to achieving PEPFAR objectives and indicators.

Twinning Partnerships: At this level, monitoring and evaluation efforts assess the extent to which the individual twinning partnerships successfully implement their workplans and achieve their objectives. Information gathered at this level assists program managers in maximizing results and provides both partners and funders with partnership-specific results. These results can also be combined to assess contributions of multiple partnerships to the relevant PEPFAR indicators at the country level.

Contributions to the Programmatic and Scientific Field: At this level, monitoring and evaluation efforts concentrate on development of a typology of twinning partnerships and the effectiveness of different types of partnerships. Questions include the extent to which the Twinning Center disseminates important lessons on how to design, implement, and evaluate twinning partnerships, thereby contributing to the body of knowledge about the unique contributions of twinning as a form of technical assistance.

Among the key monitoring and evaluation activities implemented by the Twinning Center program staff are:

Provision of standardized planning and reporting forms and support to twinning partners in using these tools effectively.
Technical support, including capacity building, to each twinning partner on designing their project’s M&E plan, data collection instruments, and data quality assurance mechanisms.
Data collection and analysis using customized databases to monitor and measure results at both partnership and program levels.
Assessments and special studies to answer targeted evaluation questions at all three levels of the M&E framework.

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Monitoring & Evaluation Framework of the HIV/AIDS Twinning Center Program

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