The project framework, as revised at the end of the second year, includes a regular internal monitoring and evaluation activity primarily designed to ensure the progress of the activities according to the criteria and rules set by the donors but also to asses the achievement of the project’s goals, its social & economic impact and the level of beneficiaries’ satisfaction with the received NTF assistance.

The monitoring and evaluation counts on the analysis of all data concerning beneficiaries’ registration, submitted applications and delivery of assistance as inserted in the NTF database. Furthermore, the NTF is regularly collecting additional data through questionnaires submitted to assisted beneficiaries (three times throughout the first year of assistance per each assisted beneficiary). Questionnaires are designed to receive feedback on the proceeding of the respective businesses complementing and further expanding the monitoring capacity ensured by the periodical in-person visits organised by each field office.

Through the combination of those three tools, internal monitoring reports are produced on a four-monthly basis to be disseminated to relevant stakeholders. The information included in those reports allows the NTF to adjust and revise its operational activities as well as to timely analyse trends and issues. The two monitoring reports produced until now (July – October 2008 and October 2008 – February 2009) also indicate a significantly positive impact of the activities on the beneficiaries’ socio-economic status and a very high client responsiveness and interest to participate in the monitoring activities. As shown in chart 1, through the monitoring, beneficiaries reported that the NTF assistance was essential to the achievement of both private and professional goals.

The economic impact of the NTF assistance, measured through the statistical data collected in the monitoring, show that almost 55% of the beneficiaries consider that their new civilian business have helped then to earn a higher income that they had in the Army. Chart 2 indicates how this positive perception of their own business relates to the local environment where those people are implementing their activities. The beneficiaries’ perception of having set a good and profitable business remains positive even when compared to the other businesses operating in the same area.

The monitoring has also shown that the vast majority of beneficiaries are still involved in the activities they started through the NTF. Within the three years of activity, the regular monitoring has allowed the closure of approximately 5% of the financed activities as they were not performing according to the NTF rules and principles. However it has also to be noted that this percentage includes activities stopped by the same beneficiaries who decided to give up on his/her financed activity.