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Lessons

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Groups to Promote and Protect Civic Space in Uganda

WhatsApp can be a key project management tool that delivers support to both cost-effective monitoring of implementation and the building of networks and structures. But this is most effective when combined with occasional in-person meetings or visits, to ensure personal relationships are built offline, before they are maintained, sustained, and developed online.
Project Name
Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Groups to Promote and Protect Civic Space in Uganda
Project Partner
All in One Womens Association
Project Description
The project goal is to empower 6,000 women by raising awareness of their gender specific rights, promoting women’s political participation, and addressing all forms of injustices that affect women’s wellbeing; strengthen the capacity of 100 unregistered women’s groups to become registered under the NGOs Act 2016; and support 100 registered women’s groups in advocating, promoting and protecting civic space in Uganda. Project activities will incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis, as it impacts women, including gender-based violence as well as social and economic pressures.
Report
Evaluation-Report-UDF-19-845-UGA_final.pdf
Evaluation Date
July 2023
Theme
Women's empowerment
Country
Uganda
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Groups to Promote and Protect Civic Space in Uganda

It is incorrect to just assume that what people learn from training will then be applied in practice. There is another step in supporting them to feel confident to start believing and acting on what they now know and this needs to be better captured in project designs, such as through sub-granted small projects, to ensure that outputs contribute to the achievement of outcomes.
Project Name
Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Groups to Promote and Protect Civic Space in Uganda
Project Partner
All in One Womens Association
Project Description
The project goal is to empower 6,000 women by raising awareness of their gender specific rights, promoting women’s political participation, and addressing all forms of injustices that affect women’s wellbeing; strengthen the capacity of 100 unregistered women’s groups to become registered under the NGOs Act 2016; and support 100 registered women’s groups in advocating, promoting and protecting civic space in Uganda. Project activities will incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis, as it impacts women, including gender-based violence as well as social and economic pressures.
Report
Evaluation-Report-UDF-19-845-UGA_final.pdf
Evaluation Date
July 2023
Theme
Women's empowerment
Country
Uganda
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Groups to Promote and Protect Civic Space in Uganda

The volume of activities proposed by a project does not always equate to a greater impact. Sometimes giving more focus, either in terms of geographic spread or to the activities being undertaken, can generate more sustained and involved engagement and more substantive change.
Project Name
Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Groups to Promote and Protect Civic Space in Uganda
Project Partner
All in One Womens Association
Project Description
The project goal is to empower 6,000 women by raising awareness of their gender specific rights, promoting women’s political participation, and addressing all forms of injustices that affect women’s wellbeing; strengthen the capacity of 100 unregistered women’s groups to become registered under the NGOs Act 2016; and support 100 registered women’s groups in advocating, promoting and protecting civic space in Uganda. Project activities will incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis, as it impacts women, including gender-based violence as well as social and economic pressures.
Report
Evaluation-Report-UDF-19-845-UGA_final.pdf
Evaluation Date
July 2023
Theme
Women's empowerment
Country
Uganda
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Groups to Promote and Protect Civic Space in Uganda

Empowering women when it comes to realizing their rights, not just learning about them, requires the support of men – both in their family and in the community at-large – and they should be brought on board to champion wider societal transformation around gender.
Project Name
Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Groups to Promote and Protect Civic Space in Uganda
Project Partner
All in One Womens Association
Project Description
The project goal is to empower 6,000 women by raising awareness of their gender specific rights, promoting women’s political participation, and addressing all forms of injustices that affect women’s wellbeing; strengthen the capacity of 100 unregistered women’s groups to become registered under the NGOs Act 2016; and support 100 registered women’s groups in advocating, promoting and protecting civic space in Uganda. Project activities will incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis, as it impacts women, including gender-based violence as well as social and economic pressures.
Report
Evaluation-Report-UDF-19-845-UGA_final.pdf
Evaluation Date
July 2023
Theme
Women's empowerment
Country
Uganda
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Groups to Promote and Protect Civic Space in Uganda

Associations supported by paying members, more so than local NGOs, can benefit from projects that expand their areas of operations by adding members and thus improving their financial sustainability.
Project Name
Strengthening Grassroots Women’s Groups to Promote and Protect Civic Space in Uganda
Project Partner
All in One Womens Association
Project Description
The project goal is to empower 6,000 women by raising awareness of their gender specific rights, promoting women’s political participation, and addressing all forms of injustices that affect women’s wellbeing; strengthen the capacity of 100 unregistered women’s groups to become registered under the NGOs Act 2016; and support 100 registered women’s groups in advocating, promoting and protecting civic space in Uganda. Project activities will incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis, as it impacts women, including gender-based violence as well as social and economic pressures.
Report
Evaluation-Report-UDF-19-845-UGA_final.pdf
Evaluation Date
July 2023
Theme
Women's empowerment
Country
Uganda
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens: empowering local communities, improving local governance

The following were the factors for a well-designed and effectively implemented youth engagement project:

  • The project design with a theory of change that was shared and assimilated by the implementation team and the implementing partners.
  • The strategy used to enter new communities, which was pragmatic, culturally sensitive, and politically neutral.
  • The choice of implementing partners (they were from within the communities, credible, and well-known at the local level).
  • The partnership strategy, which was based on empowering implementing partners and building their capacity.
  • The adequate approach for positive youth engagement (recognition, accountability, and exploring their potential).
  • The quality of the training programme and the diversity of learning formats.
  • Well thought-out communication.


UDF-807-PAL

Project Name
Citizens: empowering local communities, improving local governance
Project Partner
Zimam for Creativity and Development
Project Description
Zimam’s Leadership Incubator wants to inspire young leaders and give them the confidence and training to inspire their communities. The program offers policy and problem-solving workshops, engagement and meetings with business, political, and social leaders, and opportunities for youth to implement their own initiatives aimed at social transformation. In doing so, we can empower young people to realize their potential as confident and capable change-makers who can lead their communities. Project activities also incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis as it impacts youth.
Report
palestine_udf-18-807-pal.pdf
Evaluation Date
July 2023
Theme
Youth engagement
Interaction with government
Country
Palestine
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens: empowering local communities, improving local governance

The case of the grantee Zimam demonstrated that even though the organisation did not have a significant track record, the quality of the project proposal submitted by the grantee’s finance team could demonstrate their capability to manage funds. Indeed, UNDEF showed audacity and open-mindedness in agreeing to fund this young organisation.
Project Name
Citizens: empowering local communities, improving local governance
Project Partner
Zimam for Creativity and Development
Project Description
Zimam’s Leadership Incubator wants to inspire young leaders and give them the confidence and training to inspire their communities. The program offers policy and problem-solving workshops, engagement and meetings with business, political, and social leaders, and opportunities for youth to implement their own initiatives aimed at social transformation. In doing so, we can empower young people to realize their potential as confident and capable change-makers who can lead their communities. Project activities also incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis as it impacts youth.
Report
palestine_udf-18-807-pal.pdf
Evaluation Date
March 2023
Theme
Youth engagement
Interaction with government
Country
Palestine
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens: empowering local communities, improving local governance

This project has demonstrated that even in the complex and difficult context of Palestine, setting realistic objectives in terms of the number of beneficiaries and communities of intervention, and adopting a pragmatic approach that includes relevant and useful activities such as training and community services, can engage different target groups, regardless of their political affiliations and sensitivities, and generate impact at both the individual and community levels.

Project Name
Citizens: empowering local communities, improving local governance
Project Partner
Zimam for Creativity and Development
Project Description
Zimam’s Leadership Incubator wants to inspire young leaders and give them the confidence and training to inspire their communities. The program offers policy and problem-solving workshops, engagement and meetings with business, political, and social leaders, and opportunities for youth to implement their own initiatives aimed at social transformation. In doing so, we can empower young people to realize their potential as confident and capable change-makers who can lead their communities. Project activities also incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis as it impacts youth.
Report
palestine_udf-18-807-pal.pdf
Evaluation Date
March 2023
Theme
Youth engagement
Interaction with government
Country
Palestine
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens: empowering local communities, improving local governance

Given the numerous challenges of the Palestinian context, it is increasingly relevant to engage Palestinian youth in order to increase their individual resilience and help them cope with the stress they face. Youth in Gaza face double exclusion compared to their peers in the West Bank as a result of settlements and internal conflict, which makes engaging them more difficult and therefore requires additional funding, effort, and monitoring to achieve meaningful change and results.
Project Name
Citizens: empowering local communities, improving local governance
Project Partner
Zimam for Creativity and Development
Project Description
Zimam’s Leadership Incubator wants to inspire young leaders and give them the confidence and training to inspire their communities. The program offers policy and problem-solving workshops, engagement and meetings with business, political, and social leaders, and opportunities for youth to implement their own initiatives aimed at social transformation. In doing so, we can empower young people to realize their potential as confident and capable change-makers who can lead their communities. Project activities also incorporate actions in response to the Covid-19 crisis as it impacts youth.
Report
palestine_udf-18-807-pal.pdf
Evaluation Date
March 2023
Theme
Youth engagement
Interaction with government
Country
Palestine
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Democracy Academy for Young Adults in El Salvador

The adoption of a coordination strategy between the project and other relevant actors (mostly from the Academic arena) would have been key in order to optimize resources and avoid duplication, while strengthening coordination. It is therefore important that UNDEF continues to require such strategies for all its projects.
Project Name
Democracy Academy for Young Adults in El Salvador
Project Partner
Fundación Salvadoreña para el Desarrollo Económico y Social
Project Description
The Democracy Academy for Young Adults (DAY) is a project that contributes to the strengthening and the promotion ofe democracy through the formation and active participation of young leaders in spaces of dialogue, social control, and defense of the democratic system with civil society and key political actors. The digital platforms used are essential to deepen and expand the exercise of democratic practices in this time of technological revolution.
Report
udf-evaluation_783-els_final.pdf
Evaluation Date
March 2023
Theme
Youth engagement
Interaction with government
Country
El Salvador