The long road to justice: Supporting women’s access to security and justice in Guatemala

Background

Since 2015 FOKUS has implemented the program “Strengthening gender and indigenous women´s perspective in the National Civil Police (PNC), Guatemala (2015-2018)”.

The program works to improve access to justice for victims of gender-based violence (GBV) in Guatemala, through an innovative model where civil society organizations cooperate closely with institutions and entities in the Guatemalan National Police to improve their institutional approach and services to victims of gender-based violence.

Purpose/objective

The aim of the evaluation was to analyze the program´s results, assess the way it is organized (managed) and provide recommendations for future development.

Methodology

The approach taken combined the use of document review and the collection of original data through interviews and focus groups; and was anchored on four different but complementary approaches. These included utilisation-focused evaluation, equity-focused evaluation, feminist evaluation, and the human rights-based approach.

Following data collection, and discussions with the client, it was jointly decided that the synthesis document should take a forward-looking view and focus its attention on learning and constructive critique rather than on the strict response to evaluation questions.

Key findings

First, there is a clear need to support women, and indigenous minorities, in aspects related to their victimization through gender-based violence and access to justice. Thus, the programme is highly relevant.

However, the degree to which individual interventions may be able to successfully lead to the expected results was unclear. A key lesson that emerges from this is the fundamental need for both a log frame and a theory of change which are detailed and leave limited room for interpretation. Second, an overall finding has been that consortium members by and large did not capitalize on the collective knowledge held by the consortium. Third, there are clear questions regarding the institutional commitment by the National Civilian Police.

This shortcoming is one that cannot be ignored. However, recognising it should not mean no longer working with the Police, but rather finding effective ways of doing so. Fourth, it was apparent that the focus on multiculturalism was underdeveloped. It is important to underscore that the challenges encountered are not at implementation level, but rather at conceptual level. These shortcomings aside there is clear potential for this programme and noted opportunities to resolve noted shortcomings.

Recommendations

1.  Establish political dialogue, lobbying, and discussion – as well as a space for intra- and inter-institutional coordination – between the PNC and the consortium. Meaning that consortium partners should approach the PNC with a single voice, that the PNC (at all levels engaged) is aware that the consortium exists.
2. Carry out an assessment of the level of success needed for individual interventions in order to achieve the programme’s overall objective.
3. Clearly examine advocacy efforts and the degree to which they have been able to, or have the potential to, generate change.
4. Develop a clear ToC and define objectives that are narrower and less open to interpretation.
5. Ensure that M&E tools are developed and used that measure not only the individual activities conducted but also their respective impact.
6. Ensure that the coordinator has the time and authority required to effectively coordinate activities.
7. Bring together consortium partners to analyse the data collected on activities undertaken and develop a results framework and ToC that respond to the realities on the ground, provide a clear vision on and path to success, and capitalise on every institution’s skills and knowledge.
8. Ensure that all efforts and deliverables use the wealth of knowledge existing within the consortium.
9. Reassess the partnership model to allow parties to the consortium to more effectively collaborate. The above recommendations can lead to this process, but it will be important that FOKUS recognise collaboration amongst partners as an outcome in its own right.
10. Conduct a sector-specific activity mapping to assess the FOKUS intervention’s positioning and ensure that the work by the consortium complements, not duplicates, other efforts.

Comments from the organisation

Since the first draft of the evaluation, the team of FOKUS Norway, the foru local partners and the local coordinator have arranged a workshop to assess some of the findings and recommendations in evaluation.

Together with our colleagues in the Colombian FOKUS´s office have we decided to respond to the challenges by revising the partnership model, partners and approach to improve access to justice for women in Guatemala.

A second workshop has been conducted by the local coordinator together with the head of office in Colombia in order to invite both old and new organization in a new application (2019-2021) directed though 4 strategic objectives:

• Accompaniment and attendance for women survivors of violence, from a more holistic focus and incorporating elements of the Maya cosmovision for indigenous women.
• Work on the prevention of different kinds of violence against women on a community and territorial level involving relevant stakeholders.
• Advocacy towards institutions involved in prevention and attendance such as the National Civil Police and the Public Ministry through an active participation in the derivation networks for victims existing in all departments in Guatemala.
• Capacity building of the partners that work with women survivors of violence.