Synergy’s consortium, lead by prime contractor Social Impact, was recently awarded a 5-year Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC) with the US Agency for International Development (USAID). This $60 million IQC reflects the growing emphasis within USAID on transparency, accountability, and results. The TAP IQC will be used by USAID missions and Headquarters to expedite the procurement of services and solutions for enhancing the development of performance management plans and monitoring their implementation.

Synergy will bring to the consortium experience with implementing mission-level Monitoring and Evaluation information systems. These applications allow USAID missions to effectively report on the performance and results of their full portfolio of projects. Missions can monitor their Performance Management Plans (PMP) by tracking indicators, including baselines, targets, and actual outputs. Such real time data can be rapidly sorted, filtered, and presented instantaneously in the form of charts, GIS maps, or tabular reports.

Synergy’s tools significantly reduce the time and effort required for a mission to collect and report on activity level outputs and project level indicators. Greater access to data allows practitioners to more effectively draw conclusions regarding progress towards Assistance Objectives and development goals. This use of technology and emphasis on results strongly reflect the goals of the Administration as expressed in the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR).

The long anticipated TAP IQC can now be used by both field missions and USAID Headquarters to procure a variety of analytical, communications, training and information management services.

As a subcontractor to Social Impact on the Performance Management Plan project for the USAID Mission in Lebanon, Synergy will develop the Mission’s Web-based Monitoring and Evaluation Management Information System (MIS/GIS). This application will serve as the single, integrated tool for performance monitoring and reporting of US Government activities and projects in Lebanon. It will gather data from USAID implementing partners and perform analysis on indicators and activities for all stakeholders, including management, technical and support staff. The MIS/GIS will allow users to track project based information such as indicator baselines, targets, and outputs for the purpose of conducting performance driven reviews. This will allow for corrective action to be taken when gaps or overlaps are identified.

Synergy’s experience with M&E information systems for USAID includes a similar M&E MIS/GIS for the USAID Mission in Yemen, and a multi-country, multi-stakeholder data collection and reporting tool for the Global Food Security Response (GFSR) initiative.

Synergy will use this knowledge of USAID reporting requirements, its implementation experience in the developing world, and its flexible, rapidly produced software to perform the following functions:

• Study Existing USAID M&E applications
• On-the ground Needs Assessment
• Development and Maintenance of MIS/GIS
• Capacity Building
• Implementation Support

The MIS/GIS component of the PMPL project will begin with a Synergy mission to Lebanon in January 2011. Although the project will not conclude until 2014, the MIS/GIS implementation is expected to take place early in the project.

Synergy and International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI) have been awarded a high profile project to implement a new strategy and system for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of USAID in achieving its assistance objectives in Yemen.

In an effort to increase its effectiveness in a country tied intimately to US national security interests, USAID/Yemen is currently consolidating its efforts in Yemen into three main projects areas, focused on governance, economic growth, and livelihoods. As a part of this consolidation, USAID/Yemen requires increased M&E support to provide consistent performance monitoring and reporting of activities, projects and the assistance portfolio as a whole.

After performing a needs assessment to determine data flows and reporting requirements, Synergy will implement and install an M&E Clearinghouse for USAID/Yemen. This clearinghouse will provide USAID/Yemen with a secure web-based database integrated with existing information systems and accessible to both United States Government agencies (including the State Department, DOD, USAID Headquarters, and USAID implementers) and the Yemeni government. The M&E Clearinghouse will effectively consolidate existing and incoming data from multiple government sources. Moreover, a Geographic Information System (GIS) will incorporate project M&E data and national level stability indicators for governance and livelihood projects specifically. The pairing of a Management Information System (MIS) and a GIS will create a flexible, highly usable, and sustainable system that will seek to further USAID/Yemen’s progress towards achieving political stability, economic growth, and increased human capital in Yemen.

Upon installation and training, the M&E Clearinghouse will enable USAID/Yemen to monitor, verify and evaluate the performance, results (output and outcome), impact and environmental compliance of USAID projects and activities.