Evaluating the Suitability of Results-Based Financing for UNFPA Family Planning Supplies

A hera team worked for the Directorate of Social Development (DSO) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs on a mission to evaluate a Results-Based Financing (RBF) pilot program for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Supplies. This initiative, launched in 2019 by the Netherlands, aimed to promote efficiencies and effectiveness within the UNFPA Supplies program through performance incentives.

The assignment for hera was two-fold - firstly, verifying the accuracy of the reported results with three case studies in Zambia, Malawi and Nigeria, and secondly, evaluating the suitability of RBF for a program like UNFPA Supplies. The RBF pilot consisted of 41 indicators, divided into four core "quantity" indicators and 37 non-core "quality" indicators. Our task was to independently verify the 2019 and 2020 results reported by UNFPA to the Netherlands by replicating UNFPA's methodology. Beyond verifying reported results, our assignment also entailed a review of the RBF pilot’s efficiency, effectiveness, and alignment to principles. We conducted a formative assessment, gathering insights from various stakeholders, including UNFPA teams in New York and Copenhagen, UNFPA CO staff for selected countries, donors, members of the steering teams, and staff members of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The findings from the verification exercise were key in shaping our review.