Service 01
Monitoring & Third-Party Verification
Independent monitoring and verification for programmes operating in complex and hard-to-reach environments.
The problem we solve
Programmes in Somalia and across East Africa are frequently implemented in locations that head offices cannot easily reach. Reporting arrives second-hand, activities cannot be confirmed independently, and decisions are taken on information that has not been checked in the field.
What we provide
- Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) of programme activities and outputs
- Programme verification and output verification
- Field monitoring, site verification and beneficiary verification
- Remote monitoring where access is constrained
- Field data collection with digital forms, photographs, GPS and timestamps
- Enumerator recruitment, training and coordination
- Monitoring operations management and quality assurance
- Digital monitoring and reporting for programme management
- Programme activity and distribution verification
- Infrastructure and site verification
- Humanitarian access enablers: route accessibility, checkpoint and access-constraint reporting
Typical assignment types
- Third-party monitoring of a multi-location programme
- Verification of construction, distribution or rehabilitation milestones
- Beneficiary verification and post-distribution checks
- Spot checks and site visits on behalf of a head office
- Structured household or facility data collection rounds
Who uses this service
- International NGOs
- Donor-funded programmes
- Development contractors
- Research and monitoring organisations
How we work
Agreed methodology first
Each assignment begins with a written methodology: what is being verified, the sampling approach, the evidence required, how field observations are recorded and how findings are checked before they are reported.
Field and remote collection
Trained enumerators collect data on digital forms with photographic, location and timestamp records. Where access is constrained, we combine remote monitoring with verified local collection.
Quality assurance and reporting
Field data is reviewed against the agreed criteria before reporting. Findings state what was observed, what could not be verified, and the limitations of the exercise.
Deliverables
- Monitoring and verification methodology
- Field data sets with photographic and location evidence
- Site and output verification reports
- Dashboards and periodic reporting packs
- Findings, limitations and recommendations for programme management
Where required, our assignments can include staff orientation, operational capacity building and knowledge transfer.
Discuss a ProjectIn detail
Third-party monitoring in Somalia
Third-party monitoring (TPM) in Somalia is commissioned when a head office, donor or fund manager needs an independent account of what has taken place at programme sites it cannot visit regularly. We plan the sampling, deploy and coordinate enumerators, collect structured field data, and report what was observed, what could not be verified and the limitations of the exercise.
Programme verification and field monitoring
Programme verification confirms that recorded activities, outputs and distributions match what exists in the field. Field monitoring covers site visits, spot checks, distribution and beneficiary verification, and infrastructure or rehabilitation milestones, with photographic, GPS and timestamp evidence attached to each record.
Remote monitoring where access is constrained
Where movement is restricted by access constraints, seasonal flooding or route disruption, remote monitoring combines verified local data collection, call-back verification and access reporting so programme decisions are still based on checked information rather than second-hand reporting.
Monitoring services across East Africa
Assignments are delivered primarily in Somalia, including Somaliland and Puntland, and can extend to Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti where a programme operates across borders or through regional hubs.
Where we monitor
Coverage across Somalia and the region
South West State & Bay
Baidoa and surrounding programme sites, including distribution and nutrition site verification.
Jubaland
Kismayo, Dhobley and corridor locations, with route accessibility reporting.
Banadir
Mogadishu programme sites, facility checks and supplier verification.
Hiiraan & Hirshabelle
Beledweyne and riverine locations, including flood-related access reporting.
Puntland & Galmudug
Garowe and Galkayo sites, spot checks and periodic verification rounds.
Somaliland
Hargeisa and western corridor sites, data collection and facility verification.
Common questions
What does third-party monitoring cover?
Independent verification of programme activities, outputs, distributions and sites by a party that is not implementing the programme — including field visits, structured data collection, quality assurance and reporting against an agreed methodology.
How quickly can a monitoring round start?
Once the methodology, sampling and reporting format are agreed, field rounds are typically mobilised within two to three weeks, subject to location, access conditions and enumerator coverage.
Do you provide impact evaluation?
No. We provide monitoring, verification and reporting. We do not provide impact evaluation, econometrics, statistical modelling or academic research. Specialist monitoring and evaluation expertise can be integrated into assignments where required.
How is field evidence recorded?
On digital forms with photographs, GPS coordinates and timestamps, reviewed against the agreed verification criteria before findings are reported.
Start a Conversation
Have a programme to monitor, a system to build or a market to enter?
Tell us the operational requirement and the locations involved, and we will set out how the assignment would be scoped and delivered.