Project: Promoting Freedom of Information Activism at the Local Level in Brazil
Evaluation Date: April 2014
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

The project directly contributed to local enforcement of the Access to Information Act and public transparency policies. This clearly has a positive effect on strengthening Brazil’s democratization process. The project also facilitated the integration of two social intervention practices that had not been used before in this context: the experience of punishing and fighting corruption through the grantee’s network and the preventive approach offering technical assistance to the governments and monitoring agencies to create an oversight system for curbing corruption.

Theme: Community activism
Project: Promoting Freedom of Information Activism at the Local Level in Brazil
Evaluation Date: April 2014
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

The project made good use of the focal points in each municipality. They developed contacts and worked with municipal governments, public prosecutors’ offices, tax courts, educational centers, and civil society groups, giving birth to a widespread movement to fight corruption and the adoption of a wide range of citizen oversight activities. The most impressive experiences were observed in Mandaguari-PR, (ADAMA) and Fortaleza-CE (ACECCI). For example in Mandaguari-PR, the focal point helped create a standing civil society committee to monitor public procurement.

Theme: Community activism
Project: Nigeria Procurement Monitoring Project
Evaluation Date: April 2012
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

The project helped enhance the standing and credibility of the grantee. It was able to carry out work beyond the scope of the project. Following up on its efforts to open up the public procurement sphere to scrutiny, with the support of like-minded law firms, the grantee launched a number of public interest legal cases concerning the obligation of government bodies to release all relevant information to civil society observers. A positive result was achieved recently in one such case, concerning the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), which had refused to provide the necessary documents to an accredited monitor.

Theme: Interaction with government
Project: Media, Transparency and Accountability in Albania
Evaluation Date:
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

Project activities could have been made more effective had they not been done in isolation from the other good governance and anti-corruption work being done in Albania. Developing synergies with other projects and organizations working on the same issues could have ensured follow-up to the issues uncovered by the grantee reports and Union activities. Link investigative reports with civic and legal action to maximize their effectiveness and ensure accountability. Work with other civil society organizations government Ombudsmen and other organizations, such as international non-governmental organizations working on issues of freedom of the media, protection of journalists and anti-corruption, as well as international organizations such as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other donor programs.

Theme: Media
Project: Civil Society to Monitor and Contribute to Transparency and Anti-Corruption Policies in Moldova
Evaluation Date: January 2015
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

The project demonstrated how civil society could contribute to public policy on corruption. For example, the preparation and publication of three monitoring reports on progress made between late 2012 and December 2014 on the implementation of the government’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) in Moldova were very effective. The reports facilitated more comprehensive, precise and reliable reporting on the progress made during the reporting period by the 36 state institutions responsible for implementation of the Strategy. It also encouraged and produced improved performance in achieving the benchmarks set out in the official national Action Plan.

Theme: Rule of law
Project: Civil Society to Monitor and Contribute to Transparency and Anti-Corruption Policies in Moldova
Evaluation Date: January 2015
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

A centrepiece of the grantee’s efforts to build the capacity of smaller NGOs – both members and non-members of the Anti-Corruption Alliance in Moldova – was the small grants programmes. By providing preliminary training, financial and advisory support to NGOs, the project assisted in enhancing their skills in project design and implementation, while also contributing to their self-confidence in undertaking advocacy with local government. Some valuable ideas and approaches to local level anti-corruption work were piloted in the course of the sub-projects, and many of these could be considered as the basis for future initiatives.

Theme: Rule of law
Project: Promoting Freedom of Information Activism at the Local Level in Brazil
Evaluation Date: April 2014
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

The grantee partnered with the AMARRIBO network, which is the largest network fighting corruption in Brazil. An umbrella organization for some 200 grassroots groups, its purpose is to foster local participation in the fight against municipal corruption. The two organizations complemented each other well. The grantee contributed its experience and knowledge about civil rights issues, access to public information, and the law as well as experience in training and legal advice in these areas. AMARRIBO has a broad social base and extensive experience with intervention at the municipal level, especially as a leader and advocate with public entities. Its knowledge of the local context and stakeholders was a very positive factor in the implementation of the project.

Theme: Community activism
Project: Narrowing the Gender Gap in Flood Affected Areas of Pakistan
Evaluation Date: July 2014
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

The project developed and used a Gender and Governance Performance Scorecard to monitor governance and service delivery. It also used mobile phones to communicate instances of corruption and violence against women. Community members marked the scorecards and sent text messages to the authorities drawing attention to corrupt practices as well as violence against women. The grantee aggregated the data and the findings were discussed with local officials in quarterly Gender Reform Committee district meetings. However, resolving these issues required more than sharing the information with officials, and without follow up most of the problems remained unresolved.

Theme: Women's empowerment