Midterm
Addressing Root Causes Project in South Sudan
The Addressing Root Causes (ARC) project that started in September 2016, aims at tackling the root causes of armed conflict, instability and irregular migration in South Sudan by increasing community resilience to conflict-related and economically-induced shocks in 19 payams in Jonglei state in the counties of Pibor, Twic East, Duk and Bor. The project has distinguished three outcomes areas: Economic Resilience, Peaceful Conflict Resolution and Social Cohesion which are expected to be mutually reinforcing and when all are combined and stregthened together, the beneficial effects will contribute to more resilience and a culture of peace.
This mid-term review was conducted to assess the progress of project implementation since September 2016, and document best practices and lessons learned to inform key stakeholders on future activity design, programming, and implementation. Primary data was collected using household survey, key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions with the targeted communities. Combined with the FGD, a Social Norm Analysis Plot (SNAP) framework was applied as it was considered best suited to measure changes in social (gender) norms.
Key findings from review indicate access to loans and training of VSLA groups is empowering women and youth in the targeted communities to engage in IGAs and micro-enterprises, thereby broadening their livelihood and resilience options and creating market linkages with traders across different ethnic communities. Further, more women and youth reported being confident to participate in economic opportunities and possess relevant tools and skills; and the role of women and youth is being appreciated in contributing to meeting household needs, thereby reflecting the conflict and gender transformation in the targeted communities. It should however be noted that more VSLAs have been formed and are engaged in IGAs and micro-enterprises in Duk and Twic East compared to Bor and Pibor.
Also, peace committees are appreciated and recognized by the targeted communities for facilitating and using peaceful mechanisms to mitigate and resolve intra and – inter community conflict and reconcile past grievances. Most project beneficiaries also reported increased collaboration with each other, and feel have more positive relationships and trust within and beyond their community. Read More...
This mid-term review was conducted to assess the progress of project implementation since September 2016, and document best practices and lessons learned to inform key stakeholders on future activity design, programming, and implementation. Primary data was collected using household survey, key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions with the targeted communities. Combined with the FGD, a Social Norm Analysis Plot (SNAP) framework was applied as it was considered best suited to measure changes in social (gender) norms.
Key findings from review indicate access to loans and training of VSLA groups is empowering women and youth in the targeted communities to engage in IGAs and micro-enterprises, thereby broadening their livelihood and resilience options and creating market linkages with traders across different ethnic communities. Further, more women and youth reported being confident to participate in economic opportunities and possess relevant tools and skills; and the role of women and youth is being appreciated in contributing to meeting household needs, thereby reflecting the conflict and gender transformation in the targeted communities. It should however be noted that more VSLAs have been formed and are engaged in IGAs and micro-enterprises in Duk and Twic East compared to Bor and Pibor.
Also, peace committees are appreciated and recognized by the targeted communities for facilitating and using peaceful mechanisms to mitigate and resolve intra and – inter community conflict and reconcile past grievances. Most project beneficiaries also reported increased collaboration with each other, and feel have more positive relationships and trust within and beyond their community. Read More...
Projet Haïti Gagne, Lire, Ecrire et Réussir
Le projet Haïti Gagne, financé par UNICEF, vise à améliorer les compétences en lecture et en écriture des élèves dans les 53 écoles partenaires dans les départements du Nord et du Sud’Est. A cet effet, plusieurs initiatives susceptibles de faciliter l’apprentissage des élèves en salle de classe ont été prises, telles que : Le support aux élèves au niveau des fournitures scolaires, L’implication des parents et de la communauté dans le suivi de l’apprentissage des enfants, la formation continue des enseignants sur la méthode « M’ap Li Net Ale », etc.
La comparaison des résultats de l’évaluation mi-parcours et ceux de l’étude de base montrent que les élèves, en particulier ceux de la 2e AF, cette année ont obtenu de meilleurs scores dans presque toutes les sous-taches. Indépendamment des caractéristiques sociodémographiques (niveau et département) des élèves, la proportion des élèves qui ont obtenu zéro, cette année a diminué dans presque toutes les sous-taches, par rapport à celle observée au cours de l’année académique antérieure. Read More...
La comparaison des résultats de l’évaluation mi-parcours et ceux de l’étude de base montrent que les élèves, en particulier ceux de la 2e AF, cette année ont obtenu de meilleurs scores dans presque toutes les sous-taches. Indépendamment des caractéristiques sociodémographiques (niveau et département) des élèves, la proportion des élèves qui ont obtenu zéro, cette année a diminué dans presque toutes les sous-taches, par rapport à celle observée au cours de l’année académique antérieure. Read More...
Promoting Resilient Livelihoods in Borana (RESET II) – Midterm
RESET II project, which began in October 2016, has been implemented for 42 months with a total budget Euro 6,586,291 and is financed by European Commission through European Union Trust Fund (EUTF). Implemented through a multi stakeholders consortium which included CARE Ethiopia, Oromo Self Help Organization (OSHO) and Action Against Hunger (AAH), the project was designed to address root causes of displacement and irregular migration in Arero, Miyo, Dire, Moyale, Dillo and Dhas Woredas within the Borena Zone, Oromia region. With the overall aim of enhancing the resilience of over 100,000 PSNP and other vulnerable communities, of which over 70,000 are women covering 21,000 households in total, the project results framework consists of five outcomes i.e. improved access and coverage of health and nutrition, diversified and increased livelihood opportunities and incomes, improved Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) capacity, enhanced research and knowledge management systems and reduced barriers to women empowerment. In order to achieve the above aim, the project partners employed CARE’s Pastoralist Resilience Casual Model (PRCM) using proven CARE’S Village Saving and Loan Association (VSLA), Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (CVCA), Social Analysis and Action (SAA), Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP) and AAH’s as well as Assisting Behavior change (ABC) methods and approaches throughout the project implementation.
The main purpose of this evaluation is to assess the progress, achievements, constraints and lessons learnt from the implementation of the project and to produce sufficient evidence that would help achieve the project overall objective. With that in mind, while the primary audiences for the evaluation are the consortium partners and the European Union, the secondary audience could also include relevant sector government offices and other Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) implementing similar projects as lessons learned here may guide similar programming. Read More...
The main purpose of this evaluation is to assess the progress, achievements, constraints and lessons learnt from the implementation of the project and to produce sufficient evidence that would help achieve the project overall objective. With that in mind, while the primary audiences for the evaluation are the consortium partners and the European Union, the secondary audience could also include relevant sector government offices and other Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) implementing similar projects as lessons learned here may guide similar programming. Read More...
Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP) Midterm Report
In 2009, Norad-funded women empowerment programs (WEPs) started implementation in seven countries: Burundi, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. In 2009 and early 2010, an extensive quantitative baseline study was conducted in these countries around a common set of indicators. The present mid-term review (MTR), which was done using qualitative methodology, analysed in depth the process and nature of changes that the programs are contributing towards. In all the program countries, the country WEP team carried out the review internally with the technical assistance of an external consultant and CARE Norway (CN).
With slight variations, the overall objectives of the country WEPs focused on the economic, social, and political empowerment of women. The village savings and loan association (VSLA) methodology was common for all the programs; and these groups create the platform for working on other aspects of the program besides economic empowerment. The initial changes that the programs produce are seen in terms of increased access to savings and loans, employment opportunities, and asset ownership. The ability of the women to earn income, generate their own savings and make financial contributions in the household (HH) has greatly improved their self-esteem, thereby giving them better leverage to involve in and influence HH decision making processes. Men were highly appreciative of the income women were able to bring in to the family as a result of being involved in VSLAs. Through their improved position in the household, women reported being able to negotiate the use of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and the abandonment of different harmful practices. Through the use of couples-based approach and engaging men initiatives, HH relationships are beginning to improve; men in these households are reportedly starting to have a more positive attitude towards women’s empowerment and are themselves even taking part in domestic activities in some contexts. The VSLA approach is enabling women to create strong social networks that are becoming an influential force for social change. As a result of increased knowledge on their human rights and increasing leadership skills, women are beginning to understand how they have to position themselves to realize their strategic interests. The VSLA groups and networks also enable women to mobilise support when they are running for elections; this support has increased number of women being elected into different posts. The contribution of women in VSLAs and in community leadership positions is being increasingly recognised and appreciated by local authority figures, which can be seen when they actively seek the advice of women and VSL groups in relation to different community development initiatives.
Through working in partnership with others, the programs are being implemented in a high quality and timely manner. Engagement with strategic partners has occurred effectively in some countries, and been instrumental in enabling the programs to link grassroots evidence to national level advocacy activities which have achieved concrete results. [52 pages] Read More...
With slight variations, the overall objectives of the country WEPs focused on the economic, social, and political empowerment of women. The village savings and loan association (VSLA) methodology was common for all the programs; and these groups create the platform for working on other aspects of the program besides economic empowerment. The initial changes that the programs produce are seen in terms of increased access to savings and loans, employment opportunities, and asset ownership. The ability of the women to earn income, generate their own savings and make financial contributions in the household (HH) has greatly improved their self-esteem, thereby giving them better leverage to involve in and influence HH decision making processes. Men were highly appreciative of the income women were able to bring in to the family as a result of being involved in VSLAs. Through their improved position in the household, women reported being able to negotiate the use of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and the abandonment of different harmful practices. Through the use of couples-based approach and engaging men initiatives, HH relationships are beginning to improve; men in these households are reportedly starting to have a more positive attitude towards women’s empowerment and are themselves even taking part in domestic activities in some contexts. The VSLA approach is enabling women to create strong social networks that are becoming an influential force for social change. As a result of increased knowledge on their human rights and increasing leadership skills, women are beginning to understand how they have to position themselves to realize their strategic interests. The VSLA groups and networks also enable women to mobilise support when they are running for elections; this support has increased number of women being elected into different posts. The contribution of women in VSLAs and in community leadership positions is being increasingly recognised and appreciated by local authority figures, which can be seen when they actively seek the advice of women and VSL groups in relation to different community development initiatives.
Through working in partnership with others, the programs are being implemented in a high quality and timely manner. Engagement with strategic partners has occurred effectively in some countries, and been instrumental in enabling the programs to link grassroots evidence to national level advocacy activities which have achieved concrete results. [52 pages] Read More...
EU-Recovery Midterm Evaluation Workshop Summary
The project aims to enhance the social and economic stability in the drought affected areas through supporting the recovery of livelihoods of the affected population and building their resiliency in the target 18 Woredas/Districts of the Oromia, Amhara and Tigray national regional states.
The project contract with the donor EU was signed in March 2016 while the project implementation was started retroactively in January 2016, with budget of Euro 18 million for 18 months duration up to July 2017. The project is being implemented jointly by CARE UK/Ethiopia (leading NGO) and SCI, ORDA and REST in 18 Woredas/Districts of the Oromia, Amhara and Tigray national regional states. [8 pages] Read More...
The project contract with the donor EU was signed in March 2016 while the project implementation was started retroactively in January 2016, with budget of Euro 18 million for 18 months duration up to July 2017. The project is being implemented jointly by CARE UK/Ethiopia (leading NGO) and SCI, ORDA and REST in 18 Woredas/Districts of the Oromia, Amhara and Tigray national regional states. [8 pages] Read More...
Graduation with Resilience to Achieve Sustainable Development (GRAD): Midterm
The Feinstein International Center for Tufts University commissioned a Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) of the USAID-funded Feed the Future project entitled Graduation with Resilience to Achieve Sustainable Development (GRAD). The project is being implemented by a consortium of seven partners1 under the leadership of CARE in sixteen Woredas in four regions across Ethiopia (Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region). Under a Strategic Objective to graduate 50,000 chronically food insecure households from the government's Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) and increase each household’s income by $365 per year, the project has three components, to (1) increase economic options for targeted households through value chain development and access to capital from micro-finance institutions and village-based savings and credit groups, (2) strengthen household and community resilience through interventions targeting women's empowerment, nutritional status, climate change adaptation and household aspirations, and (3) strengthen the enabling environmental to facilitate sustaining and replicating the impact of the project. The total project cost at approval was US$ 23,400,000 for a period of five years from 5 December 2011 through 4 December 2016. [55 pages]
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Promoting Opportunities for Women’s Economic Empowerment Project Analysis of Effects of Linkage
This report focuses on the effects of CARE’s POWER/PROFIR (Promoting Opportunities for Women’s Economic Empowerment) project on the financial health of village savings and loans groups in Cote d’Ivoire and Rwanda. The project is a collaboration between CARE Canada, Access Africa, and MasterCard Foundation. CARE International is one of the world’s leading organizations in the promotion of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in Africa, reaching more than 3.5 million people in 26 countries. CARE’s POWER project aims to determine the relative benefit of formal financial links for savings groups, households and individuals, and banks in Burundi, Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire, and Rwanda. However, this report only focuses on the two latter countries. For Rwanda, CARE‘s POWER project is called PROFIR (Promoting Financial Inclusion in Rwanda). [49 pages] Read More...
Durable Solutions for Returnees and IDPs in Somalia (DSRIS): Midterm Review
The 96-page mid-term evaluation (MTE) of the DSRIS project, implemented by the NGOs CARE, Save the Children, ACTED, SSWC and IMPACT, has been carried out by a four-person evaluation team (ET) of the Nairobi-based company, Intermedia Development Consultants (iDC). It has conducted a documentary study, carried out key informants interviews (KIIs) and held focus group discussions (FGDs) in four of the five of the project’s target districts, Bosaso and Galkayo North in Puntland, Adado and Galkayo South in Galmadug. Also, it has conducted a household survey in these and the fifth target district of Dhusamareb.
The ET has followed the conventional ‘big five’ evaluation themes in its data collection and reporting methods:
Relevance: An assessment of the significance of the needs the project is designed to address;
Efficiency: An appreciation of the quality of programme management, in terms of coordination between implementing partners, work planning, competencies of staff, funding – towards determining value for money;
Effectiveness: An assessment of the extent to which envisaged outputs (facilities and services put in place) are being achieved and the appropriateness of the strategies being implemented;
Impact: An appraisal of the actual or likely outcomes of the programme – changes in attitudes and practices;
Sustainability: An assessment of the likely continuation of project activities, outputs and outcomes.
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The ET has followed the conventional ‘big five’ evaluation themes in its data collection and reporting methods:
Relevance: An assessment of the significance of the needs the project is designed to address;
Efficiency: An appreciation of the quality of programme management, in terms of coordination between implementing partners, work planning, competencies of staff, funding – towards determining value for money;
Effectiveness: An assessment of the extent to which envisaged outputs (facilities and services put in place) are being achieved and the appropriateness of the strategies being implemented;
Impact: An appraisal of the actual or likely outcomes of the programme – changes in attitudes and practices;
Sustainability: An assessment of the likely continuation of project activities, outputs and outcomes.
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Every Voice Counts Somalia Midterm Review
Overall, Forcier’s research showed CARE to have maintained a healthy program implementation during the first half of the Every Voice Counts (EVC) program, resulting in gains within the domains of the EVC program’s theory of change. More specifically, CARE’s programmatic efforts between 2016-2018 focused entirely on Domains 1-3 relating to the empowerment of women and youth, capable civil society organizations (CSOs), and responsive public authorities and power holders. Nevertheless, the intertwined nature of the four domains of change allowed for results to organically occur within the fourth domain, which aims to establish effective spaces for dialogue and negotiations, as well. [64 pages] Read More...
Evaluation of the Integrated Shelter and Protection Improvements Programme for Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Tripoli, Lebanon
Since 2015, Care International in Lebanon (CIL) and its local partner Akkarouna, have provided shelter, water and sanitation, and protection assistance to vulnerable Syrian refugees and Lebanese host community members in Tripoli and Beirut as part of its Integrated Shelter and Protection Improvements programme for Syrian Refugees and Host Communities (the ‘programme’). The programme is on going – with phase IV continuing from September 2018 to September 2019 – and is funded by the US Government’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).
The aim of this evaluation is to ‘provide guidance to CARE Lebanon and its partners in order to learn from experiences, strengthen capacities and identify opportunities for increased integration of sectoral approaches as a pathway towards greater effectiveness and sustainability’. There are two objectives to the evaluation, firstly an assessment of Phase III of the programme (completed from September 2017 to August 2018); secondly a contribution analysis evaluation of Phases I, II, and III of the programme (from 2015 to 2018) in order to develop a theory of change. Fieldwork to collect primary data- interviews, focus groups and direct observation- was carried out in September 2018. This was combined with an extensive literature review in order to triangulate the data and refine the findings. [66 pages] Read More...
The aim of this evaluation is to ‘provide guidance to CARE Lebanon and its partners in order to learn from experiences, strengthen capacities and identify opportunities for increased integration of sectoral approaches as a pathway towards greater effectiveness and sustainability’. There are two objectives to the evaluation, firstly an assessment of Phase III of the programme (completed from September 2017 to August 2018); secondly a contribution analysis evaluation of Phases I, II, and III of the programme (from 2015 to 2018) in order to develop a theory of change. Fieldwork to collect primary data- interviews, focus groups and direct observation- was carried out in September 2018. This was combined with an extensive literature review in order to triangulate the data and refine the findings. [66 pages] Read More...