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Lessons

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Underpinning and developing the democratic electoral processes in Azerbaijan

Pairing with a more adversarial and higher-capacity NGO would have greatly leveraged project accomplishments and contributed to sustainability by better building capacity. No Memoranda of Understanding setting forth expectations and responsibilities were ever signed between the grantee and partners. The evaluators’ opinion is that these partnerships appear to have been based more on acquaintanceships and familiarity rather than strategic considerations. Neither partner organization had ever been involved in an elections project before.
Project Partner
Center Women and Modern World (CWMW)
Project Description
The project was conducted by Center Women and Modern World (CWMW) in partnership with Baku Volunteer Center (BVC), and New Shamakhi Foundation (NSHF). The project was directed promote democratic values and mobilize women for participation in elections. I’s primary focus was on involving women in elections with journalists and local NGO heads as secondary beneficiaries. The project was carried out in 10 regions located close to Shamakhi, which is three hours’ drive outside the capital Baku.
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening transitional justice processes in Burundi

There was no explicit commitment on the part of the partners to achieving the project’s objective and results - as opposed to implementing the activities - and no formal agreement on operational standards. A formal Memorandum of Understanding between the three partners would have helped ensure more consistent implementation and follow-up of the activities regarding transitional justice in Burundi.
Project Partner
International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
Project Description
The project was related to the establishment in Burundi of a National Consultation Steering Committee (NCSC) made up of government, UN and civil society representatives and tasked with addressing issues of national reconciliation and accountability for past large-scale human rights violations. The overall goal of the project was “to help the NCSC to achieve its mandate and promote transitional justice”
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Human rights training and capacity-building for indigenous people

Impact was also hampered due to the lack of any coordination and collaboration mechanisms between the project activities taking place in Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and Peru. Useful modes of collaboration could have included peer-to-peer monitoring, and exchange of experience between the four countries. If such a mechanism had been available, lessons learnt could have been distilled and analysed, thus enhancing the project’s impact.
Project Partner
International Indian Treaty Council
Project Description
The project aimed to expand the awareness of and ability of indigenous groups to use international human rights standards and mechanisms. The project particularly targeted skilled community leaders who could replicate the training courses. Ultimately the grantee sought to build the indigenous peoples’ ability to participate and organize themselves so that they could challenge discrimination and oppression. The training of trainers succeeded in empowering community leaders and increasing their knowledge of international instruments for the defense of their rights, of which they were previously unaware. Methodological and pedagogical support for disseminating human rights knowledge in indigenous communities was, however, not provided and there is no evidence of any analysis being made of the results and lessons learned during the training, which would contributed to the sustainability of the project and the future usefulness of the training documents.
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Underpinning and developing the democratic electoral processes in Azerbaijan

The decision to work in rural districts in Azerbaijan located reasonably close to Baku was a good one, as the needs for women’s empowerment outside the capital are greatest. Directly supporting a local NGO with no Baku base represented an innovative move
Project Partner
Center Women and Modern World (CWMW)
Project Description
The project was conducted by Center Women and Modern World (CWMW) in partnership with Baku Volunteer Center (BVC), and New Shamakhi Foundation (NSHF). The project was directed promote democratic values and mobilize women for participation in elections. I’s primary focus was on involving women in elections with journalists and local NGO heads as secondary beneficiaries. The project was carried out in 10 regions located close to Shamakhi, which is three hours’ drive outside the capital Baku.
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening transitional justice processes in Burundi

Victims’ groups were established as a direct result of the project – for example groups of women who suffered from politically motivated sexual violence and survivors of the 1972 killings in Burundi.
Project Partner
International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
Project Description
The project was related to the establishment in Burundi of a National Consultation Steering Committee (NCSC) made up of government, UN and civil society representatives and tasked with addressing issues of national reconciliation and accountability for past large-scale human rights violations. The overall goal of the project was “to help the NCSC to achieve its mandate and promote transitional justice”
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Human rights training and capacity-building for indigenous people

Training was effectively leveraged because it allowed participants to go on to organize additional human rights training courses within their own community. Knowledge about how to indigenous peoples’ rights was disseminated more widely at the local level and allowed people to make the links between their own situation and international norms.
Project Partner
International Indian Treaty Council
Project Description
The project aimed to expand the awareness of and ability of indigenous groups to use international human rights standards and mechanisms. The project particularly targeted skilled community leaders who could replicate the training courses. Ultimately the grantee sought to build the indigenous peoples’ ability to participate and organize themselves so that they could challenge discrimination and oppression. The training of trainers succeeded in empowering community leaders and increasing their knowledge of international instruments for the defense of their rights, of which they were previously unaware. Methodological and pedagogical support for disseminating human rights knowledge in indigenous communities was, however, not provided and there is no evidence of any analysis being made of the results and lessons learned during the training, which would contributed to the sustainability of the project and the future usefulness of the training documents.
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Defence of Vulnerable People and Democracy Restoration for Workers in the Exploitation of Mines in Democratic Republic of Congo


Steps must be taken to ensure the effective participation of public officials. Activities involving the intervention of the public authorities must be planned ahead of time because of their possible unavailability related to their positions. The activities targeting public officials require the involvement of their leaders in their implementation, otherwise there is no guarantee of their participation, especially when it comes to activities organized by public associations related to the defense of human rights. Lastly, for greater impact, training activities should target as many leaders as possible in different localities.


Project Description
This project aims to increase the effectiveness and protection of economic, social and cultural rights of local communities and traditional miners in relation to the exploitation of mineral resources, in the DRC. This will be achieved through a legal reform, the popularization of legal texts, awareness raising of local community leaders, of the judiciary and mine administration officials on their rights and obligations; in support of mining diggers rights and the monitoring of human rights related to the exploitation of natural resources.
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Female and Youth Domestic Workers in Uganda

Door to door engagements may be the most time consuming and expensive way of doing engagement, but for this face-to-face interaction is the most effective outreach approach.
Project Partner
Platform for Labour Action
Project Description
The project aims to promote the recognition of domestic work as decent work and domestic workers (WDs) contribution to society. 3500 domestic workers reached will be positioned to take individual and collective actions to improve working conditions. Two Associations of existing 61 mutual support groups of the domestic workers will be established to build solidarity and support for each other, develop advocacy strategies and represent themselves with support from PLA in influencing change. This project will also further the participation of female and youth DWs in claiming their rights, accessing services including legal aid and inclusion in decision making in policy, local and national government processes.
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Citizen’s Participation in the Constitutional Reform Process in Ghana

Only 10 of those MPs who followed the advocacy seminars and expressed their support were recently re-elected into parliament, which gives additional reason for concern.
Project Partner
Institute of Economic Affairs
Project Description
The project facilitated the participation of marginalized and vulnerable groups of citizens in the constitutional reform process in Ghana. This process was initiated by the Ghanaian government when it established a Constitution Review Commission (CRC). The project aimed to consult the country’s marginalized populations on key constitutional issues and considered their recommendations in conjunction with the results of field surveys and thematic research papers. The project organized workshops with participants. On average 21 new relevant recommendations were made by each participant. This improved the quality of submissions - compared to the officially conducted CRC consultations – and prompted various Members of Parliament (MPs) to declare their support. Over 80% of the Constitution Review Commissions’ recommendations were informed by the project’s input, which demonstrates the impact the project had.
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening transitional justice processes in Burundi

While the main project objective was to help build the capacity of transitional justice mechanisms, there was little analysis in the project document of the kind of capacity that needed building in Burundi. The three project outcomes offered only general guidance on this point, prioritizing inclusiveness, gender sensitivity and victims’ concerns, but not explicitly translating these priorities into specific competencies or skills that needed developing at other institutional levels.
Project Partner
International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
Project Description
The project was related to the establishment in Burundi of a National Consultation Steering Committee (NCSC) made up of government, UN and civil society representatives and tasked with addressing issues of national reconciliation and accountability for past large-scale human rights violations. The overall goal of the project was “to help the NCSC to achieve its mandate and promote transitional justice”
Theme
Country