Expanding Human Capacity for Response to HIV and AIDS- the Local Community as Change Agent. (An Integrated Evaluation Report on the work of the Upper Myanmar HIV/AIDS Programme (PD1930), Philippines Cross Cultural HIV/AIDS, Health and Development Project

Background

The evaluation report was commissioned by the Salvation Army, Asia Pacific Regional Facilitation Team (RFT) on behalf of Bistandsnemnda (BN) and NORAD to look at the work of the three projects, in particular relation to how the two country-level projects interact with the RFT. The Salvation Army is in the process of shifting from a welfare-provision paradigm towards a facilitative approach, where the main focus is to facilitate communities to deal with the problems they experience. This evaluation looks specifically on how far the organization has come in this process, particularly in the three projects under evaluation.

Purpose/objective

The purpose of this evaluation is to see to which degree the paradigm shift has been successful, and to give recommendations as to how the Salvation Army can further strengthen the facilitative approach to development.

Methodology

The principal methodologies used were semi-structured interviews, informal discussions in small groups, focus group discussions, and plenary feedback and discussions with several of the focus groups together.

Key findings

The evaluation team finds evidence in both Myanmar and Philippines that the programmes are having an impact on the attitudes and behaviour of local people towards HIV/AIDS, particularly that the programmes have helped people to accept HIV+ people with less stigmatization than what used to be the case.

The role of the RFT in championing and supporting the embedding of a facilitative approach is appreciated by local staff in both countries. However, there is need to strengthen and institutionalize the approach.

At the grass roots, the facilitative approach is starting to be embraced by local volunteers and activists. The approach however needs further unpacking and explanation, especially in terms of how local community members themselves can be animated to find and resource their own solutions to local problems.

There is also a need to better document and describe the impact of the facilitative approach.

The report further raises the wider issue for the Salvation Army as a Movement, noting that by equipping local communities to respond to local problems as is required with the facilitative approach, there will be tangible and far reaching implications for the organizations culture and structure.

Recommendations

Agree how the accompaniment/facilitation process initiated by the RFT will cascade down from international levels to local levels through an open and clear design process which includes key Salvation Army leaders at the Territorial level and below, formalise the role and mandate of the RFT within this overall process and ensure that capacity of the RFT is sufficient for the task by deploying enough of the right people (skills, aptitude and leadership style) in appropriate positions at each level.

Whilst there is evidently some understanding within Territorial, Division, Cluster and Corps personnel, it needs to deepen through dialogue with members of the International Facilitation Team and the RFT. In doing this, it is important that senior leadership in Territorial and Divisional commands are able to reflect on structural and cultural aspects of the movement in relation to the integrated mission paradigm. Discussions about the role and modus operandi of the RFT should be supported by exposure of more senior leaders to programme areas where communities are starting to respond effectively to local needs.

Mainstream the RFT's place in the movement and its role at the Zonal and Territorial levels.

In the context of the Salvation Army leadership training, assess potential leaders in terms of their leadership styles and ability to think and make decisions collaboratively, giving space and opportunity to others (and especially those in the local community who are not members of the Salvation Army Corps) to share their experience and skills. Assess existing leaders for their need of support and training to change their approach to leadership.

In regard to their preparation for deployment, ensure leaders at all levels but particularly local Corps leadership receive training in the concepts of development generally and integrated mission specifically. In addition, train leaders in basic facilitation skills. The theological implications of these approaches are significant and worthy of thorough exploration.

Ensure that experienced and skilled leaders in the area of integrated mission are moved on to new postings only after thorough consideration of the possible impact on the sustainability of programmes.

Ensure that the processes and resources agreed at Territorial and other levels down to the grass roots level for the support of effective facilitation (accompaniment) of community volunteers and local leaders are implemented and monitored.

Ensure that the basic concept of facilitation is understood by volunteers at the grass roots level and provide practical training in active listening, asking open questions, exploring the root causes of problems (e.g. how to use the 'problem tree' tool), how to facilitate the process of prioritising options and decision making.

Develop training for increasing awareness of the importance of and skills in measuring mission impact at the local level which effectively captures both quantitative and qualitative evidence (Participative Action Research).

Establish basic and easy to use means of collecting baseline information on local people's awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS and attitudes towards people affected by HIV and train volunteers to collect data as they seek to expand the work into new areas.

Training in how to gather and document evidence of change to be provided to local volunteers on a regular basis. The training to include the study of evidence collected both within the local area and from other project areas.