This evaluation assessed the performance of JIPS in delivering its 2021-2023 strategy. The evaluation is highly positive about the value that JIPS has added to global efforts to address displacement data issues.
JIPS plays a unique role in bridging the gap between data collected for initial emergency responses and longer-term development of inclusive data systems for durable solutions, using a joint and partnership focused approach that strongly involves community and government actors. JIPS has competitive advantage in this complex space due to its expertise and experience, its role as a small neutral actor, and its prioritisation of working with and for national partners who will own the data and process going forward. JIPS is assessed to be both highly relevant and effective in its efforts and approaches, as it continues to deliver an important niche service given the ongoing need to improve data and responses to displacement.
The evaluation supports JIPS role at global, regional and country levels, but recommends that the next phase should be characterised by clearer prioritisation of the organisation’s limited resources and staff such that country work is more clearly at the centre of JIPS role. Global and regional efforts remain important, but should be strongly linked with supporting those country level outcomes. Such a refocusing makes sense in terms of where JIPS is perceived to hold the greatest competitive advantage, but also because the country level work is most directly linked to more durable solutions for the displaced.
The current phase of JIPS strategy has been notable for several difficulties that have resulted from internal issues regarding process and management structure, in combination with some difficult to manage factors that are always risks for small organisations, and especially as occurred to field focused organisations working during the global covid pandemic. The evaluation recommends several changes JIPS should make to improve its organisational resilience and effectiveness. These focus on an improved approach to organisational management, both in terms of the management team and in some changes to the composition and engagement with the governance mechanisms. Internal reforms also involve improvements in the implementation of project management to better support organisational knowledge management and efficient delivery of projects.
Below is an overview of the 11 recommendations emerging from the evaluation, alongside JIPS’ management response on how each of the points of improvement are addressed as we head into our new strategic period 2024-2030 (strategy publication coming soon).
Recommendation 1
JIPS next strategy should clarify the centrality of country support as the primary effort, and place global policy and knowledge efforts as a supporting effect. The ToC should focus more clearly on JIPS role in supporting the change, how the outcomes depend and contribute to each other, and thus allow JIPS to use it in practice to assess how it is progressing.
Recommendation 2
JIPS should focus on shorter operational grounded knowledge products developed as integrated parts of country projects. JIPS should be careful about the extent to which it commits to significant publications, and do so only where funding is directly available, and where there is a dissemination plan to ensues that the effort results in a clear impact.
Recommendation 3
While JIPS should continue to have a regional approach in some cases, this should be driven by developing partnerships with relevant regional organisations, and not by a focus on hiring regionally based JIPS advisors. The purpose of the regional approach is to efficiently support progress across a range of relevant countries.
Recommendation 4
JIPS support to larger multi-partner programmes are a strength of the team that drives its ability to continue supporting improvements in nationally owned evidence on internal displacement, and should be maintained. JIPS should not engage in projects which are not strongly linked and aligned with its major partners.
Recommendation 5
JIPS should use the CLP strategically where it has identified and responds to a regional/country need, and can use the training as a step in a coherent plan to either build specific national capacities, or to create a network of potential partners from which to develop further national level efforts. Each CLP should be developed and implemented jointly with a regional or national partner, to ensure it is adapted and aligned with the needs of the context.
Recommendation 6
JIPS measurement of success should focus on joint measures that JIPS contribute towards. This may involve further though on meaningful intermediate milestones that should be shared by project partners.
Recommendation 7
JIPS should adjust the composition of its Executive Committee to comprise the organisations who can directly contribute to organisational sustainment. This includes the co-hosts, several other major UN organisations who are required to facilitate country project access and partnerships, and the donors.
Recommendation 8
JIPS should reinvigorate the Advisory Board, using it as a forum for discussion of key strategic and operational issues around effective and inclusive national ownership and use of data for displacement as it transitions from humanitarian response to country systems. Several members of the current Executive Committee would be more valuable partners to JIPS sitting on the Advisory Board, focused on the sharing of knowledge.
Recommendation 9
JIPS should formalise its management structure and responsibilities, with a regular management meeting including the coordinator, the senior management, and the grants coordinator. Projects should be clearly assigned to teams, including their budgets, and then managed within that team under the oversight of the coordinator.
Recommendation 10
JIPS should maintain its approach of putting the national partner organisations at the centre of project scoping and development, however donor and international partner engagement should occur systematically and prior to the conduct of the scoping mission. Early engagement with donors and international partners will have to shape decisions regarding possible projects, to improve the probability of successful funded proposals.
Recommendation 11
JIPS should continue and expand efforts to develop its project management templates, creating a standard definition of required documents and process guidance. This should include clear guidelines for the development of realistic project budgets, and for staff time tracking to enable project level governance.
