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Lessons

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Vulnerable People through Internet: E-Learning Initiative for Young Migrant Workers in China

In the sphere of social media, the grantee assisted the trainees in establishing micro-blog and instant messaging accounts with well-known service providers in China. A small number of the trainees, drawn from the ranks of the Focal Points, emerged as young labour leaders, playing important roles in organizing their colleagues to petition employers and local government on specific labour grievances, and, at times, mobilizing other YMWs to take part in strike or protest action.
Project Partner
ICO Institute for Social Agenda
Project Description
The project succeeded in meeting its targets in its final phase, including the development of 20 proposals and petitions by young migrant workers and CSOs working with them, concerning desired improvements in working and living conditions. Of these, eight described practical initiatives or small projects. Each of the eight was awarded a small grant to implement the plans proposed. While some students gained valuable experience, many of those involved lacked the commitment to taking an active role in support of the young migrant workers. Further, the role assigned to the students in “assisting young migrant workers using social media” was vague, and they lacked guidance on what to do and how to do it. In addition, the students, as well as the academic coordinators and the CSO representatives interviewed, all commented on the wide social gap between students and the young workers, which made communication difficult.
Evaluation Date
April 2015
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Vulnerable People through Internet: E-Learning Initiative for Young Migrant Workers in China

Student participants seem to have learned a great deal about the experience of migrant worker life in China. Around 30 students became thoroughly engaged and met frequently. Once the training was completed, the students who remained involved pursued two lines of activity: to work with CSO partners in support groups to assist workers groups with effective use of social media, and, secondly, to assist the grantee with running the web-site dedicated to young migrant workers.
Project Partner
ICO Institute for Social Agenda
Project Description
The project succeeded in meeting its targets in its final phase, including the development of 20 proposals and petitions by young migrant workers and CSOs working with them, concerning desired improvements in working and living conditions. Of these, eight described practical initiatives or small projects. Each of the eight was awarded a small grant to implement the plans proposed. While some students gained valuable experience, many of those involved lacked the commitment to taking an active role in support of the young migrant workers. Further, the role assigned to the students in “assisting young migrant workers using social media” was vague, and they lacked guidance on what to do and how to do it. In addition, the students, as well as the academic coordinators and the CSO representatives interviewed, all commented on the wide social gap between students and the young workers, which made communication difficult.
Evaluation Date
April 2015
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Vulnerable People through Internet: E-Learning Initiative for Young Migrant Workers in China

The project tried to do too much with too many beneficiaries in too many locations. A more focused project would have been both more efficient and more effective. For the most part, project resources were deployed well in support of the project plan. However, in retrospect, given the limited success of the E-Learning and social media components, as well as the limited duration of the engagement that the project had with most youth trainees, there are questions as to whether project resources were utilized in the most efficient way to support the designated beneficiaries.
Project Partner
ICO Institute for Social Agenda
Project Description
The project succeeded in meeting its targets in its final phase, including the development of 20 proposals and petitions by young migrant workers and CSOs working with them, concerning desired improvements in working and living conditions. Of these, eight described practical initiatives or small projects. Each of the eight was awarded a small grant to implement the plans proposed. While some students gained valuable experience, many of those involved lacked the commitment to taking an active role in support of the young migrant workers. Further, the role assigned to the students in “assisting young migrant workers using social media” was vague, and they lacked guidance on what to do and how to do it. In addition, the students, as well as the academic coordinators and the CSO representatives interviewed, all commented on the wide social gap between students and the young workers, which made communication difficult.
Evaluation Date
April 2015
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Vulnerable People through Internet: E-Learning Initiative for Young Migrant Workers in China

In developing future projects, in consultation with its partners and associates, the grantee should ensure that detailed guidelines are developed to ensure that partners and beneficiaries have a road map on: what to do; how to do it; with whom; where; when; and, how frequently.
Project Partner
ICO Institute for Social Agenda
Project Description
The project succeeded in meeting its targets in its final phase, including the development of 20 proposals and petitions by young migrant workers and CSOs working with them, concerning desired improvements in working and living conditions. Of these, eight described practical initiatives or small projects. Each of the eight was awarded a small grant to implement the plans proposed. While some students gained valuable experience, many of those involved lacked the commitment to taking an active role in support of the young migrant workers. Further, the role assigned to the students in “assisting young migrant workers using social media” was vague, and they lacked guidance on what to do and how to do it. In addition, the students, as well as the academic coordinators and the CSO representatives interviewed, all commented on the wide social gap between students and the young workers, which made communication difficult.
Evaluation Date
April 2015
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Vulnerable People through Internet: E-Learning Initiative for Young Migrant Workers in China

The grantee may wish to consider including a mix of government-supported (or government-approved) partners, along with independent CSOs in its projects. It is also recommended that it consider cooperation with CSOs and local agencies with a social service orientation, injecting a rights-based agenda into a broader approach to meeting the needs of young migrant workers.
Project Partner
ICO Institute for Social Agenda
Project Description
The project succeeded in meeting its targets in its final phase, including the development of 20 proposals and petitions by young migrant workers and CSOs working with them, concerning desired improvements in working and living conditions. Of these, eight described practical initiatives or small projects. Each of the eight was awarded a small grant to implement the plans proposed. While some students gained valuable experience, many of those involved lacked the commitment to taking an active role in support of the young migrant workers. Further, the role assigned to the students in “assisting young migrant workers using social media” was vague, and they lacked guidance on what to do and how to do it. In addition, the students, as well as the academic coordinators and the CSO representatives interviewed, all commented on the wide social gap between students and the young workers, which made communication difficult.
Evaluation Date
April 2015
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Vulnerable People through Internet: E-Learning Initiative for Young Migrant Workers in China

Three of the problems encountered, which arose from mistaken assumptions about three of the principal set of participants in the project, were rather basic, suggesting gaps in the initial needs analysis and feasibility assessment conducted by the project team. The first concerned the primary beneficiaries, the young migrant workers, and a lack of fit between the character of planned project activities and their way-of-life. It was discovered that they had limited time availability and an unpredictable schedule of working hours. Given what is widely known about the conditions of work and living of migrant workers, this should not have been a surprise.
Project Partner
ICO Institute for Social Agenda
Project Description
The project succeeded in meeting its targets in its final phase, including the development of 20 proposals and petitions by young migrant workers and CSOs working with them, concerning desired improvements in working and living conditions. Of these, eight described practical initiatives or small projects. Each of the eight was awarded a small grant to implement the plans proposed. While some students gained valuable experience, many of those involved lacked the commitment to taking an active role in support of the young migrant workers. Further, the role assigned to the students in “assisting young migrant workers using social media” was vague, and they lacked guidance on what to do and how to do it. In addition, the students, as well as the academic coordinators and the CSO representatives interviewed, all commented on the wide social gap between students and the young workers, which made communication difficult.
Evaluation Date
April 2015
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Vulnerable People through Internet: E-Learning Initiative for Young Migrant Workers in China

The grantee was caught out by the rapidity of social and technological change which made internet cafes redundant as a site for social communication, based on computer-based email and file or photo exchange, among young migrant workers. The project vision was of young migrant workers sitting in neighbourhood cafes, taking part in substantive discussions through micro-blogs and chat groups, and taking part in E-learning courses, uploaded to the project web-site. Internet cafes were going out of business because of dwindling numbers of customers.
Project Partner
ICO Institute for Social Agenda
Project Description
The project succeeded in meeting its targets in its final phase, including the development of 20 proposals and petitions by young migrant workers and CSOs working with them, concerning desired improvements in working and living conditions. Of these, eight described practical initiatives or small projects. Each of the eight was awarded a small grant to implement the plans proposed. While some students gained valuable experience, many of those involved lacked the commitment to taking an active role in support of the young migrant workers. Further, the role assigned to the students in “assisting young migrant workers using social media” was vague, and they lacked guidance on what to do and how to do it. In addition, the students, as well as the academic coordinators and the CSO representatives interviewed, all commented on the wide social gap between students and the young workers, which made communication difficult.
Evaluation Date
April 2015
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Vulnerable People through Internet: E-Learning Initiative for Young Migrant Workers in China

There was little incentive for the CSOs in China to invest in developing the student connection. The project made no financial provision to assist the partner CSOs, most of which were struggling to survive.
Project Partner
ICO Institute for Social Agenda
Project Description
The project succeeded in meeting its targets in its final phase, including the development of 20 proposals and petitions by young migrant workers and CSOs working with them, concerning desired improvements in working and living conditions. Of these, eight described practical initiatives or small projects. Each of the eight was awarded a small grant to implement the plans proposed. While some students gained valuable experience, many of those involved lacked the commitment to taking an active role in support of the young migrant workers. Further, the role assigned to the students in “assisting young migrant workers using social media” was vague, and they lacked guidance on what to do and how to do it. In addition, the students, as well as the academic coordinators and the CSO representatives interviewed, all commented on the wide social gap between students and the young workers, which made communication difficult.
Evaluation Date
April 2015
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Involving women and youth CSOs in strengthening democratic debate and public news media around elections in Afghanistan

The grantee intended to engage with local civil society organizations and its radio network to develop a new system of reporting that would be informed by youth and women’s voice and monitoring efforts, and produced public awareness messages to increase their targeted groups’ understanding of the Afghan democratic context. This was extremely relevant to the needs of the Afghan electoral and democratization processes. Although women and youth have gained significant rights in the democratic system, they are still marginalized by tradition and culture.
Project Partner
Development Humanitarian Services Afghanistan / The Killid Group
Project Description
Involving women and youth CSOs in strengthening democratic debate and public news media around elections in Afghanistan sought to strengthen the voice of civil society and foster sustainable democratic practices within Afghanistan by generating a deeper public debate among women and youth groups around the 2014 presidential electoral process. The project lost relevance however in implementation. Only a few activities were done in the pre-electoral period and only a portion of the intended CSO-journalist elements were done. In addition, the predominate use of Pashto in the round tables and reporting, narrowed its relevance to the two-thirds of the country that use Dari.
Evaluation Date
March 2015
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Involving women and youth CSOs in strengthening democratic debate and public news media around elections in Afghanistan

There was a large turnover of project managers considering the short duration of the project. This likely contributed to delays in implementation and the lack of programmatic synergies between the different project elements.
Project Partner
Development Humanitarian Services Afghanistan / The Killid Group
Project Description
Involving women and youth CSOs in strengthening democratic debate and public news media around elections in Afghanistan sought to strengthen the voice of civil society and foster sustainable democratic practices within Afghanistan by generating a deeper public debate among women and youth groups around the 2014 presidential electoral process. The project lost relevance however in implementation. Only a few activities were done in the pre-electoral period and only a portion of the intended CSO-journalist elements were done. In addition, the predominate use of Pashto in the round tables and reporting, narrowed its relevance to the two-thirds of the country that use Dari.
Evaluation Date
March 2015
Theme
Country