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Project: Jeunesse et participation électorale au Burkina Faso
Evaluation Date: May 2022
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

When supporting electoral processes there is clear value in working “upstream” to cover, and connect, key aspects of the full electoral cycle (e.g. registration, awareness raising, monitoring, conflict prevention and resolution) before the election event itself. Where possible, this can also include linkages with initiatives promoting access to information and freedom of speech – i.e. ensuring that electoral choices are as well informed as possible and contribute to community dialogue and improving social cohesion. A new civil society platform for the Sahel, the Coalition citoyenne pour le Sahel, appears to be a promising forum just such interaction.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Burkina Faso credibility, democracy, elections, Electoral, participation, transparency

Project: Fostering the Electoral Participation of Internally Displaced Persons in Georgia
Evaluation Date: November 2021
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

This project, as designed and presented had the potential to develop into a forward-looking program with a far-reaching positive impact on increasing the target population’s participation in elections as voters and as candidates. Though most of the expected outputs were successfully delivered, their impact was rather limited. LAG put efforts into producing the outputs in quantity, but due to the lack of programmatic approach and appropriate followup missed an opportunity to ensure their long-term applicability. In some cases, especially as regards the two main assets developed within the project’s framework – the Trainers’ Pool and the capacitated CSOs, this resulted in insufficient performance. Applying the mechanisms and capacity developed within the project’s framework during the 2021 municipal and subsequent elections would be instrumental in increasing the sustainability of the project’s results and its longer-term impact.

Theme: Community activism

Georgia candidate, capacity, elections, impact, long-term, output, participation, project design, result, sustainable, target, training, voter

Project: Fostering the Electoral Participation of Internally Displaced Persons in Georgia
Evaluation Date: November 2021
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Along with the multiyear experience and expertise in the field, the two main preconditions for the successful accomplishment of the project were the team’s political impartiality and decentralization of efforts. In transitioning societies, where democratic institutions are not yet fully mature and division between public administration and the ruling force is still not clear, being politically unaffiliated is crucially important for a project team to ensure the project’s success, especially when it regards projects promoting participation in elections.

Theme: Community activism

Georgia credibility, decentralize, democracy, elections, participation, political, reform

Project: Improving Maya Women's Access to Justice in Rural Guatemala
Evaluation Date: March 2022
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Strategies should be embedded in the project design to foster linkages wherever possible between key actors and participants in the project. This could mean co-creation, networking, and/or joint activities between community-level promoters, local leadership, and institutional networks that strengthen their capacity and motivation for a desired behavior change.

Theme: Women's empowerment, Rule of law

Guatemala approach, attitudes, beneficiaries, collaborate, collaboration, connection, engagement, impact, improve, motivate, participation, partnership, reform, relationship, results, stakeholder, transform

Build communication channels across all regions, not just capital cities

Project: Strengthening CSO Engagement with Defence Institutions to Reduce Corruption and Strengthen Accountability in Mali
Evaluation Date: February 2021
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Primary victims of conflict and insecurity in post-conflict and fragile states are often located far away from capital cities – where decision-making and consultation processes are centralised – and their voices are too often overlooked. There was an appetite amongst both Civil Society Organisations and uniformed personnel to take part in joint focus group discussions, and there was a constructive dialogue around improving communication between civil society and defense and security forces at the local level

Theme: Interaction with government

Mali decentralize, decision making, dialogue, inclusion, inclusive, local, participation, relevant, transparency

Project: Youth local councils for civic engagement and social change in Palestine
Evaluation Date: December 2013
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The young participants not only learned about democratic processes and the roles and responsibilities deriving from them, they were able to put these into practice. From drawing up roles and responsibilities of the Youth Local Council to participating in elections, campaigning and then representing their constituents, the young people knew that they were creating something new and important in their lives and in the lives of their communities in Palestine.

Theme: Youth engagement

Palestine empowerment, participation

Project: Democracy for Women’s Rights in Sindh, Pakistan
Evaluation Date: October 2011
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Evidence collected during interviews and group discussions, and as self-reported by the grantee, indicated that women’s new-found confidence to exercise their democratic rights was sensitive to the attitudes and decisions of their male relatives. If this confidence does not get translated into actual democratic participation the motivation of the women involved may weaken.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Pakistan men, participation

Project: Strengthening Arts as an Action to Stand up for Women´s Rights in Nicaragua
Evaluation Date: January 2016
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The young people involved have repeated the performances in their schools and communities. The response by the audience was highly positive and the use of debates and forums fostered public participation and led to greater awareness of and respect for the status of women in Nicaraguan society.

Theme: Women's empowerment

Nicaragua participation, theatre, youth

Project: Strengthening Governance and Democratization Processes in Kenya and the East and Central Africa Region
Evaluation Date: November 2013
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

The grantee undertook an open and rigorous selection process for its training participants. This helped ensure they represented a mix of community based organizations and were suitably qualified to benefit from the training.

Theme: Community activism

Kenya participation, training

Project: Coalition against Poverty: Oil Revenue under Public Oversight
Evaluation Date: April 2013
Report: [report link]

Lesson Learned:

Round-table discussions were felt to be an especially useful approach and proved effective in helping participants increase their understanding of transparency and accountability and their ability to affect change. Stakeholders commented that this approach would continue to have value for a wide variety of participatory and learning activities.

Theme: Community activism

Kazakhstan CSR, participation

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