Final report of the evaluation of the project IEPADES-OXFAM G. B. “Children and Youth, generating secure initiatives in Guatemala City”

Background:
IEPADES implemented the project from January 1st, 2004 to December 31st, 2007. The project was supported mainly by OXFAM UK and some activities by NCA. The external evaluation was planned as a process for the following up actions. Both donors supported this exercise and participated in it.

Purpose/ Objective:
To evaluate the results and the main impacts obtained in the implementation of the project, as well as to systematize the most relevant lessons learned of the process, which will contribute to define the follow-up.

Methodology:
Due to the fact that this was a final evaluation of the project, the methodology was addressed to measure final results, impacts achieved, the revision of lessons learned and the documentation of those most relevant aspects of the implementation.

Based on a participatory approach, the evaluation techniques used were:
a) Revision of approximately 50 documents;
b) Elaboration of the necessary instruments like guidelines and questionnaires;
c) Meetings and interviews with all those people and groups involved in the project, like young women and men of the groups, IEPADES staff, OXFAM and NCA programmatic officers, teachers of the public schools attended, justice operators that received the technical training, young women and men members of the Youth Alliance for Life and Peace and representatives of the National Commission for the Control of Illegal Small Arms in Guatemala.
d) Elaboration of the draft and final report; and
e) The socialization of the findings by the consultant to the partner and donors involved.

Key Findings:
A) IEPADES aims to develop the leadership capacity of children and youth for the reduction of violence and small arms proliferation with this project. This purpose was partially achieved, and the project established the basis for a long term work regarding this issue.
B) The work with children and youth are one of the most successful outcomes of the project, especially in the sense that these vulnerable sectors are not regarding violence as a natural situation anymore. The drawing and painting contests are one of the most successful results of the project. IEPADES trained 1023 youths between 13 to 18 years (456 girls and 567 boys) in the prevention of armed violence in six secondary public schools during this period.
C) IEPADES has elaborated and edited good educational material about armed violence prevention. The quality of these materials is appreciated by involved people and other similar organizations. Calendars, puzzles, guidelines, manual and other game materials are included in the training package.
D) A legal research regarding the identification of the failures in the justice system in all those cases were small arms are linked to violent crimes was carried out, and IEPADES elaborated a training process for judges. The training of judges was also successful, as the goal was to train 40 judges and at the end IEPADES trained 600 judges around the country.
E) IEPADES needs to strengthen its capacity to incorporate the gender and diversity approach in their work. IEPADES did not elaborate a gender and diversity policy, neither a cross cutting strategy for these issues in their work.
F) IEPADES did not achieve totally the expected results, due to internal problems with the staff of the project, as some of them left the organization and the recruitment processes affected the implementation.
G) The work with women in the rural area was not completed and strengthened.

Recommendations:
IEPADES must re-define their strategy taking into account their few human resources, including the incorporation of the gender and diversity analysis and approach.

IEPADES needs also to define a monitoring and documentation process to systematize and learn from the results, impacts and lessons achieved during the implementation of the next phases of the project.

IEPADES has a big challenge to strengthen and consolidate the work constructed and to continue with the processes created.

Comments from Norwegian Church Aid (if any):
OXFAM and NCA will support the follow up process during 2008. NCA will impulse in IEPADES the incorporation of gender and diversity analysis into their work.