Integrated Programme for the Community Development for Youth and Children living in disadvantage and high vulnerability. Brisas de San Pedro Ayampuc, 2005/2009

Background:
As part of the work plan of the project, TROCAIRE proposed an intermediate external evaluation of the project during 2007. Although NCA's cooperation with CEIBA has been limited to only one component of the total project (Central American Youth Parliament), NCA accepted to be involved in this process.

Purposes/ Objectives:
To identify the impact and achievements of the project and the capacities of CEIBA for the continuation of the actions planned for the next two years.

Methodology:
The evaluation was based on a participatory methodology, which meant focus on democratic values to build knowledge on the basis of the opinions and perceptions of the involved actors. A methodology called "orientation toward impacts: hypothesis and impact chains" was applied as operative guide.

Field visits and participatory observation were done. The combination of various information sources was established to measure the achieved impacts of the project. Several stakeholders were involved: target groups, CEIBA's staff, staff of other civil society and Government institutions involved in the project and donors' representatives. Due to general elections process and other specific problems, some key actors did not participate in the evaluation.

Key Findings:
A) The work of CEIBA offers an alternative and coherent strategy for social inclusion and integrated development for young people in poor and high risk communities. For that reason, the project evaluated and its preventive approach are appropriate to the necessities of the young people and the national and Central American context. It has contributed to decriminalization of groups and movements of youths, and to dignify the involved individuals, who due to their condition as excluded and marginalized, are at the same time exposed to the influence of organized crime and drug-trafficking and victims of direct persecution by national institutions.

B) The Central America Youth Parliament is considered a very important political initiative in the region. This arena has also generated some coordination among the organizations that are involved in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Colombia, but the coordination has been weak in the daily work and it lacks a strategic concept and direction of the regional process.

C) Due to the innovations of its methodology and their achievements, CEIBA has diversified their funding resources, generating a good level of sustainability at programmatic and financial levels.

Recommendations:
A) It is necessary to reformulate the project for the years to come. A logic frame matrix with clear impact indicators, activities and objectives should be redefined.

B) Specific country agendas are needed to improve the advocacy and coordination work in each country.

Comments from Norwegian Church Aid (if any):
TROCAIRE will finance a consultancy to follow up the recommendations and work in the capacity building process and NCA will impulse the consolidation of the regional process.