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Project: Civil Society Monitoring of Governorate Councils in Iraq
Evaluation Date: August 2014
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

As civilian oversight was a politically sensitive issue in Iraq, the support from an international third party like UNDEF added explicit value to the project. The legitimacy provided by the UN label alongside the grantee’s credibility and networking skills gave reassurance to both government and civil society partners in undertaking or supporting the initiative.

Theme: Interaction with government

Iraq funding, legitimacy

Project: Deepening Democratization Processes Through Youth Leadership in Myanmar
Evaluation Date: September 2010
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The project was carefully planned to work within remaining restrictions and designed not to create conflict or controversy, to ensure that participants at the grassroots level were not put at unnecessary risk. Its design as part of a broader, longer-term undertaking means that it is embedded in processes that already have legitimacy among both communities and authorities.

Theme: Youth engagement

Myanmar design, legitimacy, politics, social capital

Project: Addressing Ghana’s Governance Deficits through Constitutional Reform
Evaluation Date: July 2013
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The forming of the Civil Society Coalition in Ghana, which included around 40 major national organizations from a variety of backgrounds, demonstrated the grantee’s convening power. All project events and documents were presented under the auspices of the Coalition. This gave considerable weight and legitimacy to the proposals presented in the eyes of the public, the media and the Constitutional Review Commission itself.

Theme: Interaction with government

Ghana coalition, legitimacy, reform

Project: Empowering Civil Society and Women to Engage in Policy Processes
Evaluation Date: August 2011
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Despite the coup d’état in Honduras, the project built up and maintained ‘spaces for visibility on women’s issues’. Thus the project strengthened women’s knowledge of their rights and their capabilities to defend and exercise these rights. It also provided women with a privileged place to participate in politics. The project therefore greatly contributed to the empowerment of women in a socio-political context that was characterised by the weakening, instability and lack of legitimacy of the spaces for democratic participation.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Honduras crisis, legitimacy, participation

Project: Strengthening Democratic Participation of Maya Communities in Rural Guatemala
Evaluation Date: June 2015
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The majority of the project’s multidisciplinary expert team in Guatemala were local to Q´eqchi Maya. The integration of detailed local knowledge contributed to the project’s credibility and legitimacy in the eyes of beneficiaries and local counterparts.

UNDEF/Guatemala

Theme: Community activism

Guatemala culture, indigenous, staff

Project: Strengthening Democratic Participation Among Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico
Evaluation Date: May 2014
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The comparative diagnostic study on Federal and State legislation laid the foundations for holding forums for consultation and the promotion of Constitutional Reform, and for drafting an internal document for the grantee. The Constitutional Reform proposal had the backing of indigenous and Afro-Mexican groups, and hence, legitimacy – an unprecedented achievement in the State of Oaxaca. These organizations have specific demands and agendas that while different, are complementary in terms of their level and content. Recognizing the need to consolidate these processes, they wish to continue receiving legal assistance and training to improve their advocacy and forge closer ties other government and civil society stakeholders.

Theme: Community activism

Mexico advocacy, collaboration, legislation

Project: JOINT Contribution to Strengthen and Expand Democracy in Mozambique
Evaluation Date: June 2014
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Some of the local NGOS involved gained a degree of recognition from the local authorities which was important. Most local NGOs operate without official registration, or with registration only at provincial level. Some interviewees suggested that the project helped them achieve a degree of credibility and legitimacy with local authorities, which might be conducive to them developing a better working relationship with government.

Theme: Community activism

Mozambique credibility, government, sustainability

Project: Strengthening Participation of Women in Geographically Deprived Communities in Local Governance in Ghana
Evaluation Date: June 2017
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Some Women’s Group Advocacy Platforms have registered as Community Based Organizations with the District Assembly. Official registration enhances the stability, legitimacy and credibility of these women groups, and makes them an attractive partner to other development actors looking to support women in Ghana.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Ghana credibility, donors, funding

Project: Emerging Leaders of the Arab Region
Evaluation Date: November 2017
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Networking to gather participants in training sessions should be conducted after there has been clear scoping of potential existing resources. The reliance solely on social media and personal connections limits diversity, and the lack of involvement of the grantee also limits the credibility and legitimacy of trainers to attract participants.

Theme: Youth engagement

Arab States, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates networking, social media, youth

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