The evaluation team sought to assess the extent to which partners contributed to the project value. MIS data were used to determine the amount of funding that projects leverage through partners. For the 486 projects completed, the MIS identified cash contributions from 1,382 partners and in-kind contributions from 2,452 partners, totalling $34.1M. A large portion of contributions ($10.5M), however, were pledged but not confirmed in the MIS.25 Since all contributions are confirmed at the time the EcoAction contribution agreement is signed, this indicates that the MIS data is not updated. Actual contributions, as confirmed in contribution agreements, cannot be determined using the MIS as a result. Consequently, the evaluation team cannot determine if contributions in the MIS were received or if new contributions were received from different partners.
Type |
Cash |
In-Kind |
Total |
Confirmed |
$10,429,507 |
$13,186,959 |
$23,616,465 |
Pledged but not confirmed |
$4,802,326 |
$5,718,220 |
$10,520,547 |
Total |
$15,231,833 |
$18,905,179 |
$34,137,012 |
Source: MIS data (Project Status, Partner Cash, Partner Kind)
Given the large value of pledged but not confirmed contributions, leveraged funding was also examined by subtracting total EcoAction contribution from the total project value, for the same 486 completed projects. It was expected that the difference would represent the total confirmed contributions. However, this was not the case as the leveraged value was in excess of the partner contributions listed in the contributions data. In fact, it should have been equal to or less than this amount. This suggests that there are inconsistencies in the data, either in terms of the project value or the leveraged contributions.
Leveraged Contribution |
= |
Project Value |
- |
EcoAction Contribution |
= |
$49,079,005 |
- |
$13,446,069 |
|
= |
$35,632,936 |
Note: For 18 completed projects, there was no “actual project value” in the MIS (i.e., $0.00). In such instances, the approved project value was used instead.
Source: MIS data (Project Status, Project Value, EcoAction Contribution, Partner Cash, Partner Kind)
In summary, the MIS as a whole is not up to date in its recording of confirmed contributions, which means that it is not possible to know what contributions were actually received (i.e., pledged vs. confirmed vs. actually received).
In order to examine leveraged funding accurately, the evaluation team sought to exclude from the analysis those instances where data were inconsistent. This was done using the same approach as before but this time applying the formula on a project-by-project basis rather than on the MIS as a whole and comparing leveraged contributions and the EcoAction contribution to the project value:
Leveraged Contribution + EcoAction Contribution = Project Value
This approach allows for the identification and selection of only those projects for which the sum of the EcoAction contribution and leveraged funding (cash and in-kind) reflect the project value. For the 486 completed projects, this is what was found:
Given the low number of projects with values (actual or approved) that reflect the contributions received exactly, a leeway of $1,000 was given. With this leeway, a total of 359 projects have contributions (from partners and EcoAction) that are of the same value as the listed actual or approved project value, plus or minus $1,000.
As the total contributions (from partners and EcoAction) for these projects reflect the actual or requested project value (plus or minus $1,000), it can be concluded that the pledged but not-confirmed contributions were later confirmed. This confirmation likely occurred at the time the EcoAction contribution agreement was signed but the MIS data were not updated to reflect this.
Hypothesizing that pledged but not confirmed contributions of completed projects were eventually confirmed (or that contributions of similar amounts were received), the percent of the projects’ value leveraged through partner contributions can be measured. Given the inconsistencies in the MIS data, this was examined under three different angles for this evaluation:
Findings are presented in the next three tables.
Overall, for all completed projects, data show that 72% of the projects’ value was funded through partner contributions, either cash or in-kind, with the average project leveraging 68% of its value in its community.
Partner Contribution |
EcoAction Contribution |
Project Value1 |
Percent Leveraged |
|
Mean |
$70,241 |
$27,667 |
$97,906 |
68% |
Total |
$34,137,012 |
$13,446,069 |
$47,583,081 |
72% |
1‘Project value’ based on total contributions received rather than the project value (approved or actual) in the MIS.
Source: MIS data (Project Status, Partner Cash, Partner Kind)
In looking at the 359 projects for which contributions matched the project value to some extent, it is found that 70% of the total project value was leveraged through cash or in-kind contributions from partners, with the average project leveraging 64% of its value in its community.
Partner Contribution |
EcoAction Contribution |
Project Value1 |
Percent Leveraged |
|
Mean |
$57,535 |
$25,018 |
$82,553 |
64% |
Total |
$20,655,169 |
$8,981,428 |
$29,636,597 |
70% |
1‘Project value’ based on total contributions received rather than the project value (approved or actual) in the MIS.
Source: MIS data (Project Status, Partner Cash, Partner Kind)
Looking only at the 148 projects for which contributions matched the project value exactly (i.e., leveraged contributions + EcoAction = actual project value), 69% of the total project value was leveraged through cash or in-kind contributions from partners with the average project leveraging 65% of its value in its community.
Partner Contribution |
EcoAction Contribution |
Project Value |
Percent Leveraged |
|
Mean |
$62,389 |
$27,655 |
$90,045 |
65% |
Total |
$9,233,619 |
$4,093,002 |
$13,326,620 |
69% |
Source: MIS data (Project Status, Partner Cash, Partner Kind)
Although contributions may not reflect project value in all instances, projects exceed the 50% minimum level of leveraging by leveraging between 69% and 72% of the project value through cash or in-kind partner contributions.
25 A “pledged contribution” is an informal promise in which an organization commits to making a financial or non-financial contribution. A “confirmed contribution” is a formal promise in which an organization commits to making a financial or non-financial contribution. A pledged contribution can become formal in, for example, a letter of support. EcoAction staff ensure that contributions are confirmed (i.e., that formal promises are in place) prior to the signing of the Contribution Agreement (CA).