Overview
The Tanzania threshold program sought to improve performance on the Control of Corruption eligibility indicator. The independent evaluation assesses the program’s achievement of its program goals. Both MCC’s internal review of the Threshold Program, and findings from this and other early threshold program evaluations led to the development of a body of “lessons learned” that will be applied going forward.
Evaluation Summary
The quantitative evaluations are generally unable to uncover evidence for an effect of threshold program interventions on corruption. The striking exception is the system of audits administered by Kilimanjaro International and the PPRA – which produced a statistically significant and substantively large improvement in procuring entity compliance with procurement 79 regulations. The evaluators also find evidence that one of the ten (9 tested) journalist training sessions increased the quantity of articles produced by participants – though this effect was absent in other training sessions. Twenty eight journalists – of the 312 journalists trained – took part in this session.
In general, participants expressed concern that many of the training sessions offered under the program were too short or infrequent to achieve their desired effects. The most successful training – according to both quantitative and qualitative results – were more intensive and involved more practical activities – e.g., the travel grants provided to journalists in the Powers’ session. The program also successfully created a number of institutions that appear to be sustainable – the PETS councils, the FIU, and a legal aid secretariat. The evaluators were not able to adequately assess the effectiveness of many of these institutions through quantitative methods. It is encouraging, however, that many such institutions continue to perform their intended functions, many of which bear a logical relationship to anti-corruption efforts.