Interim narrative report to the donor: progress data, revision of a draft and ethics of testimonies

• Instalment 1: 1,164 / 1,200 = 97%; instalment 2: 1,090 / 1,200 = 91%.
• Payments made: 1,164 + 1,090 = 2,254, i.e. 2,254 / 2,400 = 94% of the month 6 target and 2,254 / 3,600 = 63% of the annual target. Amount transferred: 2,254 × 75 = USD 169,050 out of 270,000 planned (63%).
• Water tanks: 22 / 20 = 110% of the month 6 target, 22 / 40 = 55% of the annual target.
• Committees: 9 / 12 = 75% of month 6, 9 / 18 = 50% of annual; 7 / 9 = 78% meet the 40% women criterion (if the indicator requires this criterion, only 7 count, i.e. 58% of the month 6 target).
• Complaints: 131 / 146 = 90% closed.

Gap for instalment 2: 1,200 - 1,090 = 110 = 36 households already unpaid in instalment 1 (21 SIM or identity problems, 15 departures) + 74 households in Corail affected by the closure of the payment point. The delay is not due to the donor.

1. "Great success", "very satisfied": judgements without data; replace with figures (achievement rates, post-distribution monitoring results).
2. "All 1,200 households received both instalments": false (1,164 and 1,090).
3. "All very satisfied": not measured; cite what is measured (88% received the full amount).
4. "Malnutrition has fallen by 50%": no nutrition data, effect not attributable to the project; delete.
5. "All the water tanks have been rehabilitated": 22 out of 40.
6. Delay attributed to the donor: false and inappropriate; the causes are the agent's cash liquidity and identification problems.
7. Named testimony (name, age, place, family situation, a child's disability) and photo of a sick child: identifying personal data and image of a child without documented consent; harm to dignity; delete.
8. "Distributed 2,254 instalments and trained committees": outputs with no outcome and no figures for committees (9 out of 12 planned).
9. "No major difficulties": omits the 110 unpaid households, the postponed training sessions and above all the illegal withdrawal fees charged by an agent, which are an accountability issue and must be reported along with the measures taken.
10. Nothing on the complaints mechanism (146 pieces of feedback, 90% closed).

Sample answer:

2. Progress by outcome. Outcome 1, cash transfers. At month 6, 1,164 households (97%) had received instalment 1 and 1,090 (91%) instalment 2, i.e. 2,254 payments and USD 169,050 transferred (63% of the total amount planned). According to the post-distribution monitoring of instalment 1 (280 households), 88% of households received the full amount; spending went first on food (61%), debt repayment (14%), health (11%) and schooling (9%). Outcome 2, water. 22 community water tanks have been rehabilitated and are functional, above the month 6 target (20); 18 remain to be rehabilitated. 9 of the 12 planned management committees have been trained; 7 have at least 40% women.

3. Challenges and measures taken. Payments: 36 households did not receive instalment 1 (21 SIM card or identity document problems, 15 departures from the area). The 21 reachable households will be paid through another modality after verification; the 15 who left will be removed from the list after a visit. In Corail, the agent's payment point remained closed for 9 days for lack of cash, because of insecurity on the supply road; 74 households will be paid in a catch-up round next week, and a second agent is being sought. Irregular fees: 7% of households surveyed reported paying withdrawal fees; the Corail agent was charging HTG 150 per withdrawal. His contract has been suspended, the households concerned are being reimbursed and a message reminding people that withdrawals are free is being disseminated. Committees: three training sessions were postponed (rain, Corail-Pestel road cut off). They have been rescheduled for the afternoon, a time better suited to women. The delay should be made up by month 8.

I remove the testimony and the photo from this report: they make it possible to identify a widow, her children and a child with a disability in a small village; no informed consent is documented; the photo of a sick child undermines her dignity and may expose her; the quote "without us she would have died" cannot be verified and casts the organisation as a saviour.

For an ethical testimony: explain to the person, in their language, what their story will be used for (report to the donor, possible publication), who will read it, and that they can refuse without any consequence for their assistance; obtain written or recorded consent, specific to each use and revocable; for a child, consent from the parent or guardian and the child's assent, and no photo that identifies the child or shows them in distress; use a changed first name and a broad location ("Grand'Anse department"); check the facts; quote the person in their own words, showing their choices and agency; store the consent form securely. I suggest the team collect the story in this way for the next report.