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Lessons

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Judicial Reform: empowering magistrate-civil society collaboration for Guinea’s new democratic future

The project was efficiently managed and the budget was appropriately allocated. The grantee proved to be highly committed to delivery of results: 80 per cent of the budget was allocated to project activities, with a minimum amount on overheads.
Project Partner
The BEFORE Project in Guinea
Project Description
The project aimed to contribute to the judiciary reform process in Guinea through establishing a new social contract on justice linking CSOs, magistrates and auxiliaries of justice. Strategically, the project was based on two outcome components, to support increased capacity for advocacy, monitoring and judicial oversight, and enhanced capacity for dialogue and collaboration between civil society and the judiciary on ways to improve the judicial system in order for it to become more responsive to the needs of civil society. This strategic approach appropriate for the limited scope of the project; its key points of strength were the acknowledgement that training was a first step before the setting up a platform for dialogue and the inclusion of a mini-grant scheme. The project was ambitious but realistic. However, the methodology did not include a mechanism to replicate project experiences beyond the target areas of Conakry and Kankan - the most important judicial districts in Guinea - once the project ended.
Evaluation Date
August 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Judicial Reform: empowering magistrate-civil society collaboration for Guinea’s new democratic future

The long-term impact of the project is not clear since the activities have not been deployed across the country. The project design could have included plans to replicate the project experiences in beyond the target areas of Conakry and Kankan.
Project Partner
The BEFORE Project in Guinea
Project Description
The project aimed to contribute to the judiciary reform process in Guinea through establishing a new social contract on justice linking CSOs, magistrates and auxiliaries of justice. Strategically, the project was based on two outcome components, to support increased capacity for advocacy, monitoring and judicial oversight, and enhanced capacity for dialogue and collaboration between civil society and the judiciary on ways to improve the judicial system in order for it to become more responsive to the needs of civil society. This strategic approach appropriate for the limited scope of the project; its key points of strength were the acknowledgement that training was a first step before the setting up a platform for dialogue and the inclusion of a mini-grant scheme. The project was ambitious but realistic. However, the methodology did not include a mechanism to replicate project experiences beyond the target areas of Conakry and Kankan - the most important judicial districts in Guinea - once the project ended.
Evaluation Date
August 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering the Voice of a New Generation in Pakistan

The project attracted educated male youth who were able to take advantage of the activities offered but the project did not put in place measures to increase the number of female participants and bring in the less educated and poorer youth. This led to an imbalance in the representation of youth in the project’s groups.
Project Partner
Civil Society Support Programme
Project Description
The project’s objective was to increase the role of youth in public affairs and policy development in 20 locations in Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: a strengthened networking and institutional capacities of the programme; enhanced understanding of the Voice of New Generation youth on social, political and development issues; and increased participation of Voice of New Generation groups in research and advocacy for policy making on youth issues.   The project design addressed issues directly relevant to youth and incorporated community based organizations into programme delivery which helped ensure an effective intervention and continuity of efforts. However, it assumed all participants were literate, had internet access, and the time and drive to develop and sustain a Voice of a New Generation effort within their area. This was the case for only a small minority of the targeted youth. This significantly reduced the relevance of the project.
Evaluation Date
August 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering the Voice of a New Generation in Pakistan

Project implementation was centralized in Hyderabad in spite of the fact that the project design allowed for a decentralized approach. This led to activities not being properly followed up which impacted on the effectiveness of the programme.
Project Partner
Civil Society Support Programme
Project Description
The project’s objective was to increase the role of youth in public affairs and policy development in 20 locations in Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: a strengthened networking and institutional capacities of the programme; enhanced understanding of the Voice of New Generation youth on social, political and development issues; and increased participation of Voice of New Generation groups in research and advocacy for policy making on youth issues.   The project design addressed issues directly relevant to youth and incorporated community based organizations into programme delivery which helped ensure an effective intervention and continuity of efforts. However, it assumed all participants were literate, had internet access, and the time and drive to develop and sustain a Voice of a New Generation effort within their area. This was the case for only a small minority of the targeted youth. This significantly reduced the relevance of the project.
Evaluation Date
August 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering the Voice of a New Generation in Pakistan

The usefulness of the baseline study that was used to select the CBO partners in 20 locations in Pakistan, was uncertain as it assessed CBOs and their attributes rather than their qualifications. Some of the CBOs seemed extremely competent, but others might not have been the most appropriate choices. For instance, at least two did not appear to have offices where the Voice of a New Generation groups were expected to meet and the Information Resource Centres to be housed.
Project Partner
Civil Society Support Programme
Project Description
The project’s objective was to increase the role of youth in public affairs and policy development in 20 locations in Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: a strengthened networking and institutional capacities of the programme; enhanced understanding of the Voice of New Generation youth on social, political and development issues; and increased participation of Voice of New Generation groups in research and advocacy for policy making on youth issues.   The project design addressed issues directly relevant to youth and incorporated community based organizations into programme delivery which helped ensure an effective intervention and continuity of efforts. However, it assumed all participants were literate, had internet access, and the time and drive to develop and sustain a Voice of a New Generation effort within their area. This was the case for only a small minority of the targeted youth. This significantly reduced the relevance of the project.
Evaluation Date
August 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering the Voice of a New Generation in Pakistan

The outcome data that would be needed to determine impact was not collected, despite a good monitoring and evaluation plan in the project document. The planned knowledge, attitude and practices surveys could have provided impact information on participating youth in Pakistan but they were not completed.
Project Partner
Civil Society Support Programme
Project Description
The project’s objective was to increase the role of youth in public affairs and policy development in 20 locations in Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: a strengthened networking and institutional capacities of the programme; enhanced understanding of the Voice of New Generation youth on social, political and development issues; and increased participation of Voice of New Generation groups in research and advocacy for policy making on youth issues.   The project design addressed issues directly relevant to youth and incorporated community based organizations into programme delivery which helped ensure an effective intervention and continuity of efforts. However, it assumed all participants were literate, had internet access, and the time and drive to develop and sustain a Voice of a New Generation effort within their area. This was the case for only a small minority of the targeted youth. This significantly reduced the relevance of the project.
Evaluation Date
August 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering the Voice of a New Generation in Pakistan

Links were made with some universities that contributed to several project events, such as a national conference, but there were no links demonstrated with other youth or democratic governance efforts underway in Pakistan, including a similar UNDEF funded project for youth done in some of the same locations as this project.
Project Partner
Civil Society Support Programme
Project Description
The project’s objective was to increase the role of youth in public affairs and policy development in 20 locations in Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: a strengthened networking and institutional capacities of the programme; enhanced understanding of the Voice of New Generation youth on social, political and development issues; and increased participation of Voice of New Generation groups in research and advocacy for policy making on youth issues.   The project design addressed issues directly relevant to youth and incorporated community based organizations into programme delivery which helped ensure an effective intervention and continuity of efforts. However, it assumed all participants were literate, had internet access, and the time and drive to develop and sustain a Voice of a New Generation effort within their area. This was the case for only a small minority of the targeted youth. This significantly reduced the relevance of the project.
Evaluation Date
August 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering the Voice of a New Generation in Pakistan

A website was created which included a blog section for the youth. The site was easy to use and attractive, with places provided for participants where they could post their photos and news. It also provided a spot where newsletters were posted through to the end of the project. Little analytical data was available on the use of the website but the grantee reported it was underutilized, stating not all of the youth in Pakistan had access to the internet.
Project Partner
Civil Society Support Programme
Project Description
The project’s objective was to increase the role of youth in public affairs and policy development in 20 locations in Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: a strengthened networking and institutional capacities of the programme; enhanced understanding of the Voice of New Generation youth on social, political and development issues; and increased participation of Voice of New Generation groups in research and advocacy for policy making on youth issues.   The project design addressed issues directly relevant to youth and incorporated community based organizations into programme delivery which helped ensure an effective intervention and continuity of efforts. However, it assumed all participants were literate, had internet access, and the time and drive to develop and sustain a Voice of a New Generation effort within their area. This was the case for only a small minority of the targeted youth. This significantly reduced the relevance of the project.
Evaluation Date
August 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering the Voice of a New Generation in Pakistan

The CBO partners were primarily used for logistical support by the grantee who implemented the project from its office in Hyderabad in Pakistan. The anticipated capacity building for partners did not appear to have taken place. Given their limited programmatic involvement, positive changes among CBO partners are unlikely.
Project Partner
Civil Society Support Programme
Project Description
The project’s objective was to increase the role of youth in public affairs and policy development in 20 locations in Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: a strengthened networking and institutional capacities of the programme; enhanced understanding of the Voice of New Generation youth on social, political and development issues; and increased participation of Voice of New Generation groups in research and advocacy for policy making on youth issues.   The project design addressed issues directly relevant to youth and incorporated community based organizations into programme delivery which helped ensure an effective intervention and continuity of efforts. However, it assumed all participants were literate, had internet access, and the time and drive to develop and sustain a Voice of a New Generation effort within their area. This was the case for only a small minority of the targeted youth. This significantly reduced the relevance of the project.
Evaluation Date
August 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Municipal Capacity for Access to Public Information in El Salvador

The grantee created strategic alliances with three institutions of complementary capacities and competencies in an attempt to maximize impact. This allowed the issue to be raised in public educational centres, thereby significantly multiplying knowledge, and it enabled a more efficient deployment of resources. The grantee was a particularly important ally for the governmental Institute for Access to Public Information (IAPI) in El Salvador. However, IAPI’s institutional fragility kept it from capitalizing on the aid provided by the grantee by the end of the project. This could have been a key element to ensure a relevant and high-quality education process in other municipalities.
Project Partner
Fundacion Dr. Guillermo Manuel Ungo
Project Description
The grantee sought to improve the fundamental conditions for democracy in El Salvador by helping municipal governments enforce the Law on the Access to Public Information. The project strategy focused on strengthening the capacities of public and private stakeholders to publicize, implement and enhance citizen oversight of enforcement of the law. The project successfully contributed to improving the cultural and institutional conditions required for transparency and the participation of citizens in democratic institutions. At the same time there was an increase in the knowledge of citizens about the importance of the right to public information and of citizen oversight. It is worth stressing the relevance and good design of the proposed methodology which was based on training multipliers and carrying out an in-depth analysis of the needs of the actors involved.
Evaluation Date
August 2014
Theme
Country