Avaliação Externa Final do Programa de Violência Baseada no Género e VIH

Background

The evaluation of the GBV and HIV programme implemented by NCA in the period 2011-2015, was done from October 17th 05 to November 5th 2016, for a total of 18 working days in Luanda and Benguela. The evaluation was carried out by a team of external consultants, Delma Monteiro and Roque Umbar. The team jointly worked together with NCA and partners. In Luanda province, the team evaluated the work carried out by partners CICA, FMJIG, UCF, IECA, IEBA while in the of Benguela by PMA.

Methodology

In addition to documents review (NCA strategic plans, progress monitoring reports) the evaluation included 13 direct informants and 6 NCA partner organizations, 28 beneficiaries that participated in the survey and 3 focus groups. The evaluation organized a workshop to revise and approve the preliminary results with NCA partners and a person from NCA, Mr Jordao Antonia and Ms Stephanie French, Programme Officer and Country Representant respectively.
From the methodological point of view, the evaluation followed 5 main criterias: relevance, efficiency efficacy, sustainability, impact and NCA added value.

Key Findings

Main findings are:

• Relevance: both programmes implemented by NCA were implemented in a context characterized by the active involvement of different actors (public, civil society) in direct and transversal approaching the issues related to the programmes, in line with the results framework and the national and international regulations and polices.
• The GBV programme has supported churches and believers to bring out the reflexion of equality between women and man and stimulated the process to deconstruct harmful cultural practices against women, both among beneficiaries and religious leaders.
• The beneficiaries opinion on the importance of the programme is positive, 89% of the beneficiaries claimed that the GBV/HIV SIDA programme were extremely pertinent.
• The training AIN conducted with partners to teach them how to work on these issues was relevant as it included organizations with strong mobilization power (FBOs), opinionmakers, (FMJIG- Midea) and human rights defenders with strong advocacy and social capacity (PMA).

Efficacy

• The baselines collected in July 2011 produced enough quality data but it did not produce baselines data for each indicator.
• The consolidated report presents an important outcome indicator in a controversial way. In the logframe, the indicator nr 2 of outcome 1 looks like: Nr of religious and traditional leaders that publicly denounce harmful practices like domestic violence, early pregnancy and discrimination of young women. In the consolidated report, the same indicator looks like: Reported cases that does not allows a correct measurement of the results.
• NCA established not very ambitious targets compared to the indicators and the achieved results, taking into account that some indicators performed 2-3 times higher than the pre-defined targets. For example, it was set as target to accompany 100 cases of PLWHIV but the project accompanied 321 people. It was set as target to train 150 religious leaders in how to defend against stigma and discrimination PLWHIV in their communities. The project reached 400 leaders active in the defense of PLWHIV.
• The activities realized by the organizations have allowed a wide knowledge on different topics, but it is needed to deepen the dimension of collective rights and awareness among beneficiaries.

Efficiency

• NCA assisted partners in gaining technical capacities. However, needs prevailed.
• The tasks and responsibilities between parties have always been clear, at least at contract level. However, the communication process showed challenges, overcame during the process
• The joined work between FBOs and secular organizations was a challenge in what concerned the kid of actions implemented and the modus operandi. But the same organizations claim this was a learning and mutual growing process.

Sustainability

• FMJIG boosted the institutionalization of self-censorship in different organs of the communication sector in the treatment of topics related to GBV.
• Even if the GBV and HIV/SIDA programmes ended in 2015, partners continue to carry on activities with the reference group
• The increase number of women in leadership positions in churches is a sign of continuity and possible extension of the programme.
• The working in partnership applied by NCA continues being a platform for mutual growth
• The work done with the leaders and the choice of working with FBOs are a guarantee of sustainability, independent from external funds, thanks to a solid social structure

Impact

• Today there is a greater journalistic attention to cases of violence, without secondary victimization and increased identity protection (camouflage of faces, changing voices, fictitious name….) when neded
• The programme stimulated more women’s leadership inside churches structures and generated capacity building at different levels (partner organizations, local level etc)
• Increased and still increases every day the frequency and number of religious leaders that approach gender equality and HIV/AIDS during church celebrations.

Added value of NCA

• NCA
• AIN led partners to include in their strategic plans and in the internal culture of the organization topics related to gender, HIV and AIDS.
• The articulated and coordinated strategy done introduced by NCA, brought the organization to exchange positive experience and to reduce points of disaccord or different ideas, working procedures, advocacy actions, institutional values etc.
• The accompaniment to partners in support to internal policies and procedures like the preparation of finance and descriptive reports, showed there is still need to reinforce this area
• The continue monitoring done by NCA, based on a own methodology in order to accompany and produce results, helped partners to grow
• The capacity and competency of NCA team, in terms of mobilization of funds and the role of the HIV advisor in Oslo

Recommendations

Based on the findings, it is advisable to:
a) Concerning NCA:

• Include in the standard agreement with partner gender and HIV/AIDS as cross cutting issue
• Keep the follow up dynamic of training process in order to assess competency acquired after the trainings
• Invest in capacity building of partners in the area of project proposals, monitoring and financial strategy, with emphais to the requirements of different donors (more exigent donors like USADI and EU) and eligibility criteria etc. This can be realized through a baseline that allows to identify the institutional needs in terms of technical capacity building needs, a realistic supporting plan and end line to measure the impact.
• Map, together with partners, funding opportunities every year, especially for partners that will not be funded by NCA anymore
• Long term partnership is extremely important and allows institutional growth of the partners, but is important that the financial contract is of one/two years in order to stimulate partners to produce results and to increase their implementing capacity and generate impact

b) Related to partner organizations:

• Establishment of internal monitoring systems to ensure and effectively implement projects and realize the objectives. The capacity of producing and manage data is essential for the partner organization and it supports the image of institutional credibility, capable to attract potential donors.
• Capability to negotiate which technical support is needed and can be realized
• Continue to capitalize and create synergies in order to maximize the gains of the programmes so that the church of Apostolic faith IEA, churches members of CICA, open the space for women’s participation at the high hierarchy sphere of their churches.
• Diversify funding sources to strengthen sustainability of the ongoing processes. They have to be proactive in looking for funding opportunities, both for new as well as for ongoing projects, and always be able to fulfill legal, administrative and financial requirements, especially for the most exigent donors.