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Project: Fostering Ethical Democracy and Advancing Micro Justice in India
Evaluation Date: September 2018
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Grantees should take care to adapt the information used in capacity-building exercises to the needs of the target groups. Grantees should consider adapting the information into more accessible or creative forms such as role plays, dramas, or art, or delivering information in conjunction with other activities meeting beneficiary needs (such as sports, life skills workshops) to bring key messages across.

Theme: Rule of law

India audience, audience knowledge, beneficiaries, context, local needs

Project: Tracking Campaign Promises in Albania
Evaluation Date: January 2023
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

One of the main problems of this project was that its design robustness could have been reinforced by a more detailed and comprehensive needs assessment in smaller vs. bigger municipalities in order to avoid obsolescence in some big municipalities. Consequently, inappropriate and generalised needs assessments that lead to a “one size fits all” approach can negatively affect the impact’s likelihood.

Theme: Interaction with government

Albania analysis, assess, assessment, beneficiaries, budget, community, data, engagement, governance, impact, local government, measure, needs, project design, scope, stakeholder, tools

Project: Enhancing Political Participation of Marginalised Women in Nepal
Evaluation Date: September 2010
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The project strategy was designed to operate progressively in stages, beginning with a database that tracked progress with measurable indicators. The activities designed and developed by the stakeholders were modified with the findings of rapid assessment reports. All stages were discussed by the target audience. This approach helped identify related grassroots capacity-building needs, develop suitable awareness and training materials, and forge ties between marginalized women and local authorities.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Nepal design, local needs, metrics, participation

Project: Enhancing Women's Land Ownership Rights in Eastern Sierra Leone
Evaluation Date: July 2018
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Allocating a portion of the budget to carry out a research component at the beginning of the project is crucial in developing the best understanding possible of the key issues and barriers in the local context.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Sierra Leone local needs, project design, research

Project: Citizens: empowering local communities, improving local governance
Evaluation Date: July 2023
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The following were the factors for a well-designed and effectively implemented youth engagement project:

The project design with a theory of change that was shared and assimilated by the implementation team and the implementing partners.
The strategy used to enter new communities, which was pragmatic, culturally sensitive, and politically neutral.
The choice of implementing partners (they were from within the communities, credible, and well-known at the local level).
The partnership strategy, which was based on empowering implementing partners and building their capacity.
The adequate approach for positive youth engagement (recognition, accountability, and exploring their potential).
The quality of the training programme and the diversity of learning formats.
Well thought-out communication.

Theme: Youth engagement, Interaction with government

Palestine change, communicate, community, culture, effective, empowerment, implement, local, motivate, motivation, needs, participation, partner, politics, project design, quality control, training, youth

Project: Safeguarding the Rights of Transgender & Intersex Communities in Pakistan
Evaluation Date: March 2024
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

While working on promoting rights of the transgender community, it is important to focus equally on demand creation through activities enhancing the rights awareness of the community focused on by the project, along with strengthening institutional capacity of public sector institutions for inclusive service delivery.

Theme: Rule of law

Pakistan Access, beneficiaries, beneficiary, engagement, human rights, inclusion, local, motivate, motivation, needs, project design, services, training

Project: Empowering Local CSOs in Yemen through Participation in Local Governance
Evaluation Date: May 2015
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The project document succinctly set out the key needs addressed by the project: to support the role of NGOs in post-2011 Yemen and to respond to the challenge of widespread poverty. However, the project document did not sufficiently analyze the challenges and opportunities related to local government structures in Yemen – in particular the difference in role between Local Councils (LCs) and Local Executive Offices (LEOs), which together form the Local Government Authorities (LGAs). LEOs are decision-making structures, which may access central government funds. By contrast LCs’ role is merely consultative.

Theme: Community activism

Yemen analysis, conflict, government, local

Project: Development Pacts: An accountability tool in the hands of local communities in Kyrgyzstan
Evaluation Date: November 2013
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

By being more aware of the responsibilities of local government in Kyrgyzstan individuals involved in the project engage actively to identify the most pressing local service needs. Reducing the gap between demand for and supply of public services has increased the public’s satisfaction with local service delivery

Theme: Community activism

Kyrgyzstan engagement, government, local

Project: Strengthening Advocacy Capacity of Civil Society in The Gambia
Evaluation Date: December 2013
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

External factors relating to the implementation by the government of civil society legislation limited the impact of joint dialogue between civil society and government in Gambia. Those local government administrations, which have already responded to advocacy efforts by introducing new services, mostly do so by financing through local tax income. As these resources are scarce, they are usually insufficient to meet the local needs NGOs have identified.

Theme: Community activism

Gambia government, local, policy, risk

Project: Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Groups to Promote and Protect Civic Space in Uganda
Evaluation Date: July 2023
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Communication strategies should reflect the local context and most importantly be tailored towards the target audience. It is therefore important to identify the communication tools with the greatest local resonance and translate all material into local languages.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Uganda adapt, approach, areas, awareness, communication, community, culture, effectiveness, information, needs, regions, relevance, resources, results, strategy, translation

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