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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

Brazil collaborate, network, partnership

Project: Renforcement des capacités de formation en leadership pour renforcer la participation des femmes dans la vie publique (Algérie)
Evaluation Date: November 2013
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

One of the expected mechanisms of sustainability foreseen – the training of trainers – did not take place. The concrete outputs – a video documentary and a “study” based on an opinion poll – are not of sufficient quality to be usable in Algeria. Although some of the women who participated came together in an informal “network”, experience suggests that the sustainability of such a network will depend entirely on the efforts of those involved in it and/or of a strategic approach to its maintenance by the grantee.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Algeria network, sustainability, training, video

Project: Leadership for accountable governance in Southern Africa
Evaluation Date: February 2011
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The training component in across the 11 countries in Southern Africa was generally well received by participants and in some cases clearly had a positive impact. They believed the project provided opportunities to share ideas and contact with “friends for life”. The challenge, obviously, is maintaining the network and the motivation of those who will not engage without ‘prompts’. A participant noted that the network and Freedom House have been very quiet.

Theme: Community activism

Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, United Republic of, Zambia, Zimbabwe network, sustainability

Project: Women in Democratic Transition in Egypt
Evaluation Date: July 2015
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

A key success behind the project was the grantee’s dense network of local NGOs outside the capital. Over the years, the grantee has selected individuals from these NGOs and trained them, after which they have returned to their homes to serve as trainers and advocates. Through its in-house training manager, the grantee ensured that curricula were fit for the purpose, the audience, and the location, leading to more women standing as representatives. Consequently, an impressive number of activities were implemented at a high level of quality.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Egypt network, sustainability, training

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

Lesson Learned:

There was a gap between the smaller and less-established members and the core group of better-resourced organizations. For its long-term viability, the network will be well-advised to seek to close this gap. What the Anti-Corruption Alliance should build national-level activities, which are beyond the capabilities of any individual member.

Theme: Rule of law

Moldova, Republic of inclusion, network

Project: Civic education and empowerment for more women in leadership, from villages to parliament in Fiji
Evaluation Date: July 2016
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The project was managed on a somewhat ad-hoc basis. The grantee was working with reduced human resources and there were weaknesses in the management capacity of the team. Lack of SMART key-indicators and, of a formal monitoring system was another problem. The grantee board members and project manager also had scarce and irregular contacts with the implementing organizations, a situation that jeopardizes achievement of expected outcomes and sustainability of the grantee’s goal of building a network.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Fiji monitoring, network, sustainability

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

Brazil corruption, democratization, network

Project: Promoting the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance
Evaluation Date: June 2012
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The regional project to promote the African Charter on Democracy was an example of how a closely related bundle of activities can function well as a logically-structured project, however, the implementing partner had very high capacity and the network infrastructure relating the players was already in place.

Theme: Community activism

Burundi, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa capacity, network

Project: Helping Teenagers to Transform their Communities in Ukraine
Evaluation Date: September 2020
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Support a connected alumni network to expand their reach and increase sustainability.

Theme: Youth engagement

Ukraine Coordinate, network, support, sustainable

Project: Learning Democracy DemoLab in Hungary
Evaluation Date: September 2020
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Creating networks and achieving ‘network effects’ takes a lot of time that is often difficult to realize within the short period of time of a project. Therefore, projects need to build on

existing networks; or follow-up activities (with a focus on strengthening networks) could be considered. Similarly, peer-to-peer dissemination (e.g. school-to-school; teacher-to-teacher) is

challenging especially beyond presenting outcomes at events. Related activities need timely planning and targeting.

Theme: Youth engagement

Hungary high school, network, peer-to-peer, planning, target, teacher

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