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Lessons

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

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

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: Narrowing the Gender Gap in Flood Affected Areas of Pakistan

Participants felt that the project had an abrupt ending and some were waiting for it to continue. The mobile phones that were given to the participants as part of the project were also returned to the grantee at the end so that the beneficiaries were not automatically able to continue to use the tools they had learned.
Project Partner
Pattan Development Organization
Project Description
The objective of the project was to reduce gender disparity and gender-based violence in eight flood affected districts of Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: increased awareness of gender issues; increased progress towards certain Millennium Development Goals (MDG 3: gender equality and empowerment of women; MDG 4: reduced child mortality; and, MDG 5: improved maternal health); and increased capacity of women to counter gender discrimination and to hold government accountable. The project objectives were directly relevant to the needs to strengthen gender rights and equity within Pakistan and especially within rural, marginalized flood prone areas The grantee took a rights based approach that integrated men as well as women into the project activities and structures. This increased project relevance for the communities and helped to ensure that the women were able to participate in these male dominated areas.
Evaluation Date
July 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Narrowing the Gender Gap in Flood Affected Areas of Pakistan

The monitoring and evaluation plan was admirably comprehensive as was the baseline survey. However, the impact survey only repeated a portion of the baseline questions which makes determination of impact difficult.
Project Partner
Pattan Development Organization
Project Description
The objective of the project was to reduce gender disparity and gender-based violence in eight flood affected districts of Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: increased awareness of gender issues; increased progress towards certain Millennium Development Goals (MDG 3: gender equality and empowerment of women; MDG 4: reduced child mortality; and, MDG 5: improved maternal health); and increased capacity of women to counter gender discrimination and to hold government accountable. The project objectives were directly relevant to the needs to strengthen gender rights and equity within Pakistan and especially within rural, marginalized flood prone areas The grantee took a rights based approach that integrated men as well as women into the project activities and structures. This increased project relevance for the communities and helped to ensure that the women were able to participate in these male dominated areas.
Evaluation Date
July 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Narrowing the Gender Gap in Flood Affected Areas of Pakistan

The project should have put in place stronger follow-up activities with the communities after the workshops as well as with the government officials, specifically on the findings of the Governance Performance Scorecards and mobile phone reporting. The Gender Reform Committee structures were underutilized as project implementation remained centralized and driven by the grantee.
Project Partner
Pattan Development Organization
Project Description
The objective of the project was to reduce gender disparity and gender-based violence in eight flood affected districts of Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: increased awareness of gender issues; increased progress towards certain Millennium Development Goals (MDG 3: gender equality and empowerment of women; MDG 4: reduced child mortality; and, MDG 5: improved maternal health); and increased capacity of women to counter gender discrimination and to hold government accountable. The project objectives were directly relevant to the needs to strengthen gender rights and equity within Pakistan and especially within rural, marginalized flood prone areas The grantee took a rights based approach that integrated men as well as women into the project activities and structures. This increased project relevance for the communities and helped to ensure that the women were able to participate in these male dominated areas.
Evaluation Date
July 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Narrowing the Gender Gap in Flood Affected Areas of Pakistan

The project developed and used a Gender and Governance Performance Scorecard to monitor governance and service delivery. It also used mobile phones to communicate instances of corruption and violence against women. Community members marked the scorecards and sent text messages to the authorities drawing attention to corrupt practices as well as violence against women. The grantee aggregated the data and the findings were discussed with local officials in quarterly Gender Reform Committee district meetings. However, resolving these issues required more than sharing the information with officials, and without follow up most of the problems remained unresolved.
Project Partner
Pattan Development Organization
Project Description
The objective of the project was to reduce gender disparity and gender-based violence in eight flood affected districts of Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: increased awareness of gender issues; increased progress towards certain Millennium Development Goals (MDG 3: gender equality and empowerment of women; MDG 4: reduced child mortality; and, MDG 5: improved maternal health); and increased capacity of women to counter gender discrimination and to hold government accountable. The project objectives were directly relevant to the needs to strengthen gender rights and equity within Pakistan and especially within rural, marginalized flood prone areas The grantee took a rights based approach that integrated men as well as women into the project activities and structures. This increased project relevance for the communities and helped to ensure that the women were able to participate in these male dominated areas.
Evaluation Date
July 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Narrowing the Gender Gap in Flood Affected Areas of Pakistan

The grantee worked with existing government policies and structures to promote gender equity, which grounded its activities within local governance and service delivery systems. For example, its work to promote registrations for birth and the Computerized National Identity Card addressed the basic preconditions for civil and political rights - the ability to be recognized by the State as a citizen. The participants who subsequently registered then became eligible for public services as well as gained the right to vote.
Project Partner
Pattan Development Organization
Project Description
The objective of the project was to reduce gender disparity and gender-based violence in eight flood affected districts of Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: increased awareness of gender issues; increased progress towards certain Millennium Development Goals (MDG 3: gender equality and empowerment of women; MDG 4: reduced child mortality; and, MDG 5: improved maternal health); and increased capacity of women to counter gender discrimination and to hold government accountable. The project objectives were directly relevant to the needs to strengthen gender rights and equity within Pakistan and especially within rural, marginalized flood prone areas The grantee took a rights based approach that integrated men as well as women into the project activities and structures. This increased project relevance for the communities and helped to ensure that the women were able to participate in these male dominated areas.
Evaluation Date
July 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Narrowing the Gender Gap in Flood Affected Areas of Pakistan

One challenge for the project was that the grantee did not provide material incentives to participants which had become expected in the flood affected areas after years of relief efforts. They were able to mitigate this to a large extent through socializing efforts that introduced the project and its activities; first to the male decision makers and then to the rest of the community.
Project Partner
Pattan Development Organization
Project Description
The objective of the project was to reduce gender disparity and gender-based violence in eight flood affected districts of Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: increased awareness of gender issues; increased progress towards certain Millennium Development Goals (MDG 3: gender equality and empowerment of women; MDG 4: reduced child mortality; and, MDG 5: improved maternal health); and increased capacity of women to counter gender discrimination and to hold government accountable. The project objectives were directly relevant to the needs to strengthen gender rights and equity within Pakistan and especially within rural, marginalized flood prone areas The grantee took a rights based approach that integrated men as well as women into the project activities and structures. This increased project relevance for the communities and helped to ensure that the women were able to participate in these male dominated areas.
Evaluation Date
July 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Narrowing the Gender Gap in Flood Affected Areas of Pakistan

The project introduced Gender Reform Committees as representational grassroots structures. These started in the communities at the district level and then grew to the provincial and national levels. This extended the project's reach and built community ownership for gender rights activities.
Project Partner
Pattan Development Organization
Project Description
The objective of the project was to reduce gender disparity and gender-based violence in eight flood affected districts of Pakistan. Its intended outcomes were: increased awareness of gender issues; increased progress towards certain Millennium Development Goals (MDG 3: gender equality and empowerment of women; MDG 4: reduced child mortality; and, MDG 5: improved maternal health); and increased capacity of women to counter gender discrimination and to hold government accountable. The project objectives were directly relevant to the needs to strengthen gender rights and equity within Pakistan and especially within rural, marginalized flood prone areas The grantee took a rights based approach that integrated men as well as women into the project activities and structures. This increased project relevance for the communities and helped to ensure that the women were able to participate in these male dominated areas.
Evaluation Date
July 2014
Country