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Lessons

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening the Political Participation of Communities of Former Slaves

The project was supported by a project manager based in Nouakchott (around 1,000 km away from the zone of intervention) and had a team of two facilitators in Aîoun, the capital of the region, located about 100 km from the villages targeted. Given the limited human resources available for the project, it did not sufficiently consider the geographical challenges of the region, in which villages are widely dispersed and difficult to access given the lack of roads. Remote project management and external consultants caused an imbalanced budget, which was to the detriment of beneficiaries.
Project Partner
Agence de Coopération et de Recherche pour le Développement
Project Description
The project’s objective was to reinforce the political participation of former slaves, by promoting the equality of rights between former slaves (Harratines) and former masters (Bydhanes) in order to maintain inter-community peace in the region of Hoch El Gharbi, desert areas located in the South-East of Mauritania. The project was implemented in 40 villages including 120 Adwabas (isolated areas populated by former slaves), and focused on Harratines’ literacy, civic education, community capacity building and inter-community dialogue between them and the Bydhanes. Various factors that remained unaddressed limited the project’s relevance: including attitudes towards slavery and lack of engagement from authorities on this issue. In addition the Harratines do not have the operational and institutional capacity to represent their own interests in the political arena.
Evaluation Date
January 2015
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening the Political Participation of Communities of Former Slaves

The dialogue and exchange of knowledge amongst women’s CSOs from different communities were effective in bringing together both communities.
Project Partner
Agence de Coopération et de Recherche pour le Développement
Project Description
The project’s objective was to reinforce the political participation of former slaves, by promoting the equality of rights between former slaves (Harratines) and former masters (Bydhanes) in order to maintain inter-community peace in the region of Hoch El Gharbi, desert areas located in the South-East of Mauritania. The project was implemented in 40 villages including 120 Adwabas (isolated areas populated by former slaves), and focused on Harratines’ literacy, civic education, community capacity building and inter-community dialogue between them and the Bydhanes. Various factors that remained unaddressed limited the project’s relevance: including attitudes towards slavery and lack of engagement from authorities on this issue. In addition the Harratines do not have the operational and institutional capacity to represent their own interests in the political arena.
Evaluation Date
January 2015
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening the Political Participation of Communities of Former Slaves

The grantee combined the project activities in Mauritania with its other food security activities to improve the beneficiaries’ participation in the project. The emphasis on women, community leaders and youth was effective in reaching a wide audience.
Project Partner
Agence de Coopération et de Recherche pour le Développement
Project Description
The project’s objective was to reinforce the political participation of former slaves, by promoting the equality of rights between former slaves (Harratines) and former masters (Bydhanes) in order to maintain inter-community peace in the region of Hoch El Gharbi, desert areas located in the South-East of Mauritania. The project was implemented in 40 villages including 120 Adwabas (isolated areas populated by former slaves), and focused on Harratines’ literacy, civic education, community capacity building and inter-community dialogue between them and the Bydhanes. Various factors that remained unaddressed limited the project’s relevance: including attitudes towards slavery and lack of engagement from authorities on this issue. In addition the Harratines do not have the operational and institutional capacity to represent their own interests in the political arena.
Evaluation Date
January 2015
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civil Society to Monitor and Contribute to Transparency and Anti-Corruption Policies in Moldova

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.
Project Partner
East Europe Foundation - Moldova
Project Description
The project sought combat corruption – one of the major barriers to effective governance in Moldova - by strengthening civil society and enabling it to become an active participant in shaping of public policy on the subject. At the core of the project was building the capacity and reach of the previously established Anti-Corruption Alliance and related civil society organizations. Through intensive training, ongoing coaching and financial assistance with small sub-projects, the project also offered valuable support in building the knowledge and practical skills of smaller NGOs, both members and non-members, in the anti-corruption field.
Evaluation Date
January 2015
Theme
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civil Society to Monitor and Contribute to Transparency and Anti-Corruption Policies in Moldova

Disappointingly, neither the grantee nor the Anti-Corruption Alliance took the initiative to build on what might be learned from the ten sub-projects and ten organizations. An opportunity to share and jointly build on experience was lost, in particular in areas which are beyond the capabilities of individual members to organize and deliver.
Project Partner
East Europe Foundation - Moldova
Project Description
The project sought combat corruption – one of the major barriers to effective governance in Moldova - by strengthening civil society and enabling it to become an active participant in shaping of public policy on the subject. At the core of the project was building the capacity and reach of the previously established Anti-Corruption Alliance and related civil society organizations. Through intensive training, ongoing coaching and financial assistance with small sub-projects, the project also offered valuable support in building the knowledge and practical skills of smaller NGOs, both members and non-members, in the anti-corruption field.
Evaluation Date
January 2015
Theme
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civil Society to Monitor and Contribute to Transparency and Anti-Corruption Policies in Moldova

The project’s initiative in providing assistance to the mass media through training and support to local and national coverage of corruption-related topics facilitated an increase in media coverage of the issue. The quality and number of media products delivered by the project was impressive.
Project Partner
East Europe Foundation - Moldova
Project Description
The project sought combat corruption – one of the major barriers to effective governance in Moldova - by strengthening civil society and enabling it to become an active participant in shaping of public policy on the subject. At the core of the project was building the capacity and reach of the previously established Anti-Corruption Alliance and related civil society organizations. Through intensive training, ongoing coaching and financial assistance with small sub-projects, the project also offered valuable support in building the knowledge and practical skills of smaller NGOs, both members and non-members, in the anti-corruption field.
Evaluation Date
January 2015
Theme
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civil Society to Monitor and Contribute to Transparency and Anti-Corruption Policies in Moldova

A centrepiece of the grantee’s efforts to build the capacity of smaller NGOs - both members and non-members of the Anti-Corruption Alliance in Moldova - was the small grants programmes. By providing preliminary training, financial and advisory support to NGOs, the project assisted in enhancing their skills in project design and implementation, while also contributing to their self-confidence in undertaking advocacy with local government. Some valuable ideas and approaches to local level anti-corruption work were piloted in the course of the sub-projects, and many of these could be considered as the basis for future initiatives.
Project Partner
East Europe Foundation - Moldova
Project Description
The project sought combat corruption – one of the major barriers to effective governance in Moldova - by strengthening civil society and enabling it to become an active participant in shaping of public policy on the subject. At the core of the project was building the capacity and reach of the previously established Anti-Corruption Alliance and related civil society organizations. Through intensive training, ongoing coaching and financial assistance with small sub-projects, the project also offered valuable support in building the knowledge and practical skills of smaller NGOs, both members and non-members, in the anti-corruption field.
Evaluation Date
January 2015
Theme
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civil Society to Monitor and Contribute to Transparency and Anti-Corruption Policies in Moldova

The project demonstrated how civil society could contribute to public policy on corruption. For example, the preparation and publication of three monitoring reports on progress made between late 2012 and December 2014 on the implementation of the government’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) in Moldova were very effective. The reports facilitated more comprehensive, precise and reliable reporting on the progress made during the reporting period by the 36 state institutions responsible for implementation of the Strategy. It also encouraged and produced improved performance in achieving the benchmarks set out in the official national Action Plan.
Project Partner
East Europe Foundation - Moldova
Project Description
The project sought combat corruption – one of the major barriers to effective governance in Moldova - by strengthening civil society and enabling it to become an active participant in shaping of public policy on the subject. At the core of the project was building the capacity and reach of the previously established Anti-Corruption Alliance and related civil society organizations. Through intensive training, ongoing coaching and financial assistance with small sub-projects, the project also offered valuable support in building the knowledge and practical skills of smaller NGOs, both members and non-members, in the anti-corruption field.
Evaluation Date
January 2015
Theme
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Creating a Network of Young Reporters in Armenia

The project lost relevance in implementation to achieving its development objectives as it focused on media skills and products and did not directly address the issues of youth participation, rights or democratization issues in Armenia. Although some youth showed full ownership and were substantially integrated into the project activities, others were not due to the intermittent nature of the contact. The grantee should increase focus on developing the links between skills training and producing media products and the democratic development outcomes sought.

UNDEF/Armenia
Project Partner
Manana Youth Educational Cultural Center
Project Description
The project sought to empower youth and increase their civic participation and the building of a more democratic society through the development of their media skills. Its intended outcomes were to: 1) increase civic and media literacy among regional youth; and, 2) increase the participation of youth in information creation, production and distribution. Its activities intended to 1) increase the capacity of 300 youth in media and journalism through workshops, mentoring and peer teaching; 2) use media as a tool for empowerment by combining social media with professional journalism to strengthen the voice of participating youth; and, 3) connect the youth through a young reporters’ network to organize joint projects and serve as role models.
Evaluation Date
December 2014
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Creating a Network of Young Reporters in Armenia

The biggest impact is likely with the core youth in Armenia whose work was featured by the grantee in the different exhibitions, and uploaded to the website and/or You Tube. This gave them a feeling of accomplishment and empowerment.

Project Partner
Manana Youth Educational Cultural Center
Project Description
The project sought to empower youth and increase their civic participation and the building of a more democratic society through the development of their media skills. Its intended outcomes were to: 1) increase civic and media literacy among regional youth; and, 2) increase the participation of youth in information creation, production and distribution. Its activities intended to 1) increase the capacity of 300 youth in media and journalism through workshops, mentoring and peer teaching; 2) use media as a tool for empowerment by combining social media with professional journalism to strengthen the voice of participating youth; and, 3) connect the youth through a young reporters’ network to organize joint projects and serve as role models.
Evaluation Date
December 2014
Theme
Country