External review of the Core Programme of Church Auxilliary for Social Action

Background

Born as a relief organisation in the aftermath of partition of India in 1947, CASA today is one of the foremost relief and development organisations in India representing the concern and commitment of the Indian Protestant and Orthodox Churches. The long-term development programme of CASA (Core programme) covers approximately 30 localities in 13 states.

Purpose/objective

-To analyse the premises, concepts, strategy and approach of Core Programme of
CASA in order to assess its relevance, efficiency and effectiveness in the current
socio-economic and political context. And to assess the relevance of the objectives of the Core Programme of CASA in particular.

-To assess the organisational pre-conditions (existing and required) and status of
interventions (programme) for integrating a rights-based approach to development
and empowerment in relation to an articulated perspective for the current decade.

-To review the outcome of the intervention and consequent transformation process that has taken place within the programme against the articulated objectives.

Methodology

In the process leading to the evaluation, it was decided that the exercise would be "external" in nature, but with an active involvement of CASA-staff, community and other stakeholders.

Key findings

- The core programme units have encouraged community groups and people's
organisations to pursue the objective of self-reliance. The cumulative achievement is indeed impressive. However, apart from strengthening the rights of people through activism at micro level, not much organised effort appears to have been made to deal with the policies that impede people's rights at meso- and macro level.

- Self Help Groups for women and village development associations, youth groups and social action cells are the main organisational forms that have been promoted by CASA at the village level. There is perceptible change in the lives of women belonging to Self Help Groups.

- CASA has played a critical role in organising Tribals and Dalits into strong village
development groups. The strength of CASA's approach has also been around organising youth (often ignored in development strategies).

- CBOs have a variety of achievements spanning social and economic issues to their credit, including political empowerment through representation at the ward, Panjajat Raj Institution and Counsillor levels. Economically and politically, the CBOs have become empowered to a considerable extent. The Rights Based Approaches are gaining ground slowly and steadily.

- The programme has made several efforts to ensure that its development actions are gender inclusive. However, it must be realised that while participation of women has enabled them to create a space for themselves, it has not necessarily ensured addressing the gender-based discrimination at the community and household level.

- In terms of lobby and advocacy it is generally observed that CASA and CBOs are
involved mostly in grassroots campaigns and people's mobilisation on issues, such as land rights, house sites and basic needs which can be termed as components of rooted and people centred advocacy at local level, which itself is appreciable. These are yet to scale-up to well-planned, broad-based and sustained advocacy.

- With regard to the organisational set-up of the programme, the major observation is the ability of CASA to change its strategic focus in view of the changing development scenario in India, though there still are organisational challenges.

Recommendations

- The concept of people's organisations needs to be revisited within the framework of the new Rights Based Approach

- The position of CASA in the Indian civil society needs to be explored a bit more in depth: What is the position that CASA would like to take within the Indian civil society; what are the options given the character and institutional set-up of CASA?

- The issues of linkages and relationships with other stakeholders require further attention. This relates especially to the relationship between issues at micro-, meso- and macro level and strategic alliances and relationships beyond the direct "CASA family."

Comments from the organisation

Follow-up:

CASA has prepared an action-plan as to the planned measures to follow-up
recommendations of the review.