Monitoring and evaluation of the activities under the COMMIT Process has evolved over time.

COMMIT Monitoring

During the time of COMMIT SPA I implementation (2005-2007), the SPA had no monitoring and evaluation framework, so activities were simply reported by the Governments to each other at the annual COMMIT Senior Officials Meetings.  In 2007, in preparation for the COMMIT SPA II, UNIAP as COMMIT Secretariat conducted a final assessment of the achievements under COMMIT SPA I, but it was challenged by the fact that there was no evaluation framework to refer to.

• Relevant reference documents:  COMMIT SPA I; COMMIT SPA I Achievements Report

For COMMIT SPA II implementation (2008-2010), the SPA II was designed with an integrated monitoring framework, with joint targets and timelines associated with each of the major activities areas (then called Project Proposal Concepts, or PPCs).  In all, the COMMIT SPA II had 8 PPCs and 31 key targets total.  This integrated monitoring framework allowed for the annual monitoring and reporting of activities and progress against the agreed joint targets, which has contributed to much fuller and more substantive discussions by the COMMIT Taskforces at their national and regional meetings.

• Relevant reference documents:  COMMIT SPA II; COMMIT SPA II annual monitoring reports

For COMMIT SPA III implementation (2011-2013), as with the SPA II there is an integrated monitoring framework, with joint targets associated with each of the five major activity areas – Policy and Cooperation; Legal Frameworks, Law Enforcement, and Justice; Protection; Preventive Measures; and M&E and Data Systems.  Annual monitoring reports will also follow, as with the SPA II.

• Relevant reference documents:  COMMIT SPA III

COMMIT Evaluation and Impact Assessment

While COMMIT monitoring has allowed the governments to review how they are making progress at legal, systems, and capacity development for a more effective response to human trafficking, COMMIT evaluation will go one step farther to see how there have been real results that have made a difference in the lives of real people affected by human trafficking – the victims, their families, and even the criminal element.  For example, while COMMIT monitoring may track whether more national and sub-national officials have received the training and directives to raise awareness about human trafficking in the hotspot areas where they work, COMMIT evaluation will have independent evaluators going into hotspot areas to see whether the trainings of government officials have really translated into action which has translated into more people reporting cases and protecting themselves from suspicious brokers and traffickers.   In order to assess the effectiveness of victim protection programs and reintegration assistance, and to understand how systems and services could be improved, there will be a region-wide survey of trafficking victims, including those who were identified and assisted, as well as those who were not.

Since the COMMIT SPA II ran from 2008-2010, these evaluation efforts are ongoing now, in 2011.  For more information, please contact UNIAP’s CTA at lisa.rende.taylor@undp.org.