Monitoring and Evaluation

Sue has a special interest in M&E and in the opportunities that well considered and managed M&E plans and activities offer in terms of learning and helping to deliver appropriate and valued change. Sue’s experience ranges from designing and managing M&E plans and systems at project level through to supporting national level management information systems and multi-country/programme structures.

Sue has an in depth understanding of wide a range of different M&E approaches, methodologies and tools including quantitative, qualitative, traditional and developmental approaches. She is proficient at designing and overseeing data collection and is a skilled analyst who ensures that analysis and subsequent recommendations are firmly grounded in the environmental context. In addition to supporting the design on M&E systems and undertaking evaluations, Sue also provides comprehensive training in all aspects of M&E, accountability and learning (MEAL) to individuals and through organisations such as Bond. Sue is an Associate Trainer for Bond delivering their open courses and designing and delivering bespoke in-house training.

Examples of long-term MEAL support include:

Sue led the independent verification and evaluation agency (fulfilled by BDO Uganda 2016-2019) for the Uganda Reproductive Health Voucher Project II (World bank funded Global Partnership on Output Based Aid and implemented by Marie Stopes International, Uganda on behalf of the Ministry of Health). This included overseeing annual quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis (including customer utilisation and satisfaction, eligibility verification, health facility assessments and financial/process validation). Sue was responsible, with BDO, for the production of quarterly and annual programme and financial verification reports; for providing analysis of and insights into the programme’s performance; and for providing recommendations for the funder, Ministry of Health and implementing agency.

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Sue was team Leader of the independent evaluation of the PSI Adolescent 360 (A360) family planning programme funded by BMGF and implemented in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania (2017-2019). This role included working with a range of partners to maintain oversight, analysis and reporting on the findings of a range of evaluation methodologies including outcome and process evaluations, a cost effectiveness study and an engagement and research uptake strategy.

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During 2018-2021 Sue was committed to supporting the improvement of SRH/MNCAH services in Afghanistan. She worked with UN agencies, development partners and ATR consulting to support the design and implementation of a range of studies to identify baselines and to gather and analyse data relating to the performance and potential opportunities for improved SRH/MNCH services. These studies included:

• Team Leader, endline assessment of the Health Action Plan for Afghanistan (HAPA). (Aga Khan Foundation/ATR).
• Team Leader in development of a baseline survey and data analysis/reporting for an integrated nutrition, health, water, sanitation, and health (WASH) and communication for development (C4D) project. (ATR/Lighthouse Foundation).
• Technical adviser on the development of a baseline survey for a maternal outreach; designing tools, interpretation of findings, reporting and dissemination of findings (ATR/UNICEF).
• Lead consultant for data analysis, reporting and communication of learning around perceptions of and behaviours relating to anaemia. (ATR/FHI360).
• Technical adviser on the evaluation of the polio eradication programme; design of qualitative research approach, data interpretation and report writing. (UNICEF, ATR).
• Technical adviser on the evaluation of a maternal health cash transfer programme; design of community level data collection, data interpretation and report writing (UNICEF/ATR).

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““Assess, Transform, Reach (ATR) have used Sue’s services several times to lead, facilitate and/or support qualitative research and the evaluation of a range of health projects in Afghanistan. Sue has brought not only technical skills and knowledge but also expertise and thoughtfulness in the analysis and interpretation of findings in relation to the complex contexts within which many projects are implemented. I would have no hesitation in recommending Sue.”

Other indictive examples of Sue’s work in monitoring and evaluation include:

• Technical adviser for the development, implementation and data analysis of client exit interviews (qualitative evaluation) for the DFID-funded Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) (IPPF/Genesis Analytics).
• Senior evaluator, Evaluation of Government of the Republic of Zambia and UNICEF Country Programme of Cooperation. (Mokoro/UNICEF).
• Technical lead in the evaluation of the financial and programme data management for an innovative global family planning initiative funded by the BMGF (BDO/BMGF/JHU).
• Team Leader of the independent verification and evaluation agent for Uganda Reproductive Health Voucher Project II (Global Partnership on Output Based Aid/BDO/ Marie Stopes).
• Lead consultant on the development of a baseline for the DFID Saving Lives in Sierra Leone MNCH project (IMC).
• Team Leader of the independent evaluation of the Adolescent 360 (A360) family planning programme; Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania (Itad/BMGF/CIFF).
• Strategic adviser to the partnership, monitoring, evaluation and learning component of the FCDO/DfID funded Improving reproductive, maternal and newborn health programme, Sierra Leone (DFID/Options).
• Technical expert for the formative evaluation of UNICEF programming in health systems strengthening, including developing case studies for Nepal, Nigeria and Sierra Leone (UNICEF/Itad).
• Evaluation of the Ipas global programme and support with planning a consultative strategic review process, including field work in Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, India and Nepal (Ipas, Sida, Team Leader).

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“Sue played a valuable role in both conceptualising and carrying out the UNICEF Zambia Country Programme evaluation. I really appreciated the deep insights she brought to the team, and the advice she provided as we adapted our approach to respond to the pandemic. I was very happy with the quality of Sue’s inputs into the evaluation report, and the fact that Sue was highly responsive to requests for additional assistance as we finalised the report.”

Numerous FCDO annual reviews including:

Nepal Family Planning Project (2019 Team Leader); Saving Lives in Sierra Leone programme (2017 Peer reviewer); Preventing Maternal Death in East and Southern Africa programme (2016 Team Leader); E4A (Evidence for Action in maternal and newborn health) programme across 6 African countries (2103 Team Leader); Global Prevention of Maternal Death Through Unwanted Pregnancy Programme (PMDUP) (2012 and 2013 Team Leader).

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“Sue Newport worked on the 2007 Output-to-Purpose review (OPR) of the DFID-funded Nigeria Promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health for HIV and AIDS Reduction (PSRHH). PSRHH was a £52.8 million, seven-year programme with an end date of December 2008. It was the largest HIV programme funded by DFID anywhere in the world. Sue's responsibility on the OPR team was to cover issues of organizational development and monitoring and evaluation, to undertake institutional mapping and to provide additional technical expertise on sexual and reproductive health. As team OPR Leader, I can vouch for Sue's professionalism and dedication. Sue was also an effective and supportive team member, whose professional and personal qualities were much appreciated by other team members, Nigerian implementing partners and DFID.”