design

Project: Strengthening Municipal Capacity for Access to Public Information in El Salvador
Evaluation Date: August 2014
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

A major part of the project’s success rested on its timing: El Salvador had recently adopted the Law on the Access to Public Information which required a greater degree of openness from public institutions at all levels. However, the law’s quick entry into force required institutional, human and financial capacities which local governments, citizens and the Institute for Access to Public Information did not have. The project was therefore responding to a genuine and timely need and helped raise awareness of the issue of access to public information at the local level. Thus, by designing the intervention around the political context, the project was relevant for both the government and local communities.

 

Theme: Rule of law
El Salvador   , , ,
Project: Women in Democratic Transition in Egypt
Evaluation Date: July 2015
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

While the project’s media component was successful judged on its own terms, it was something of an add-on to the overall project strategy. Media training and outreach could have been mainstreamed into the other elements of the project – policy advocacy or second capacity building, or treated as an entirely separate project.

Theme: Women's empowerment
Egypt   ,
Project: Strengthening Democratic Participation Among Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico
Evaluation Date: May 2014
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

Legal establishment of the association of Mixe authorities and the association of Zapotec authorities could not be carried out. While this had its roots in the electoral process and was beyond the control of grantee, these were specific outcomes directly related to the project’s objective. To anticipate this situation, the NGO would probably have had to fine-tune its risk analysis of certain foreseeable events during the project formulation phase.

Theme: Community activism
Mexico   ,
Project: Civil society advocating for quality education & healthcare in Mexico
Evaluation Date: February 2012
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

The electoral process was blamed by the grantee for delays and difficulties in implementation. It apparently politicized the CSOs affiliated with the network in Guerrero and disrupted project coherence during large periods of time. In Hidalgo and Chiapas, project implementation did not appear to be affected by the political processes. Participants referred to the need to “start over” when new officials came into office because they felt that each party had different agendas and would not necessarily continue the work started under a previous administration.

Theme: Tools for knowledge
Mexico   , ,