Relevance, impact, results and sustainability in a Red Zone

Purpose/objective:
the main purposes of the evaluation were to examine:
 
1. The achievement of project’s goals and results in the period 2008-2010;
2. The relevance of the chosen vocational training and income-generating activities for the target group;
3. Compliance with the FOKUS strategy and policy documents;
4. Cooperation between the Debora Foundation and the White Ribbon;
5. Cooperation between the Debora Foundation and the FOKUS Guatemala Consortium (Program).

Methodology:
This evaluation employed three different methodologies for data gathering: semi-structured interviews, focus groups and document review. The report primarily followed simple triangulation as a data quality assurance mechanism. This means that no information, unless purely factual (i.e., funding amounts, registrations, etc.), was used unless there are three different corroborating sources.  In order to ensure that information of a more anecdotal nature is also captured it too was included, but noted as uncorroborated.  Perception data from interviews and focus groups with beneficiaries is clearly attributed so that perception is not confused with factual attributes.

Key findings:
Without a doubt, the Foundation is made up of staff with the best intentions and the work they do has a positive impact on the women who are the direct beneficiaries.  This impact includes the provision of medical attention, educational courses of different types, and childcare facilities.  All these services are beneficial for the individuals who use them. Nevertheless, there are a number of areas requiring attention.

The current administration does not have the systems and documentation necessary to ensure its effectiveness and transparency.  The administration is also weakened by the lack of a clear division of roles between the director of the Foundation and the provision of medical care. In general, the Foundation operates in a way that impedes the empowerment of the beneficiaries (staff, students etc.). The lack of integration of members of family groups in the trainings on intra-family violence limits the impact of those trainings.

In terms of the curriculum, the courses on Rights and Gender, both in the Foundation and in schools, are considered to be a positive step. Nevertheless, they would benefit from the curriculum being given a clearer logic, determining the continuous advance of knowledge. In schools this curriculum would also benefit from being linked to the normal educational curriculum.

Finally, both the formal educational programs and the Academy offer possibilities to the individual participants, however, in order to maximize their impact they should be based on a socio-economic study of the local context.  Although the efforts made are positive, there is a need to modify the Foundation's administrative approach so that the work be rights-based rather than assistencialism.

Recommendations:
Key recommendations for FOKUS
1. Organize a meeting between all the counterparts to clearly discuss the roles of each organization.
2. Asses whether the Norwegian counterpart organization has the necessary capacity to offer the support the Foundation needs, in order to ensure adequate reporting of projects and funding applications.
3. Establish a legal agreement under Guatemalan law for the building.
4. Work on the Debora Foundation and the White Ribbon's, understanding of the meaning of rights-based work in general, and the FOKUS policies in particular.  Alternatively, seek another counterpart in Guatemala that has an understanding of these concepts that meets the requirements.
5. Ensure that the Foundation clarify those elements of its administration necessary for transparency.

Key recommendations for White Ribbon
1. Support the Debora Foundation with accompaniment and assistance in administrative capacity building, so that the Foundation becomes capable of competing for funding,  and providing adequate reporting on the work they do.
2. Acquire staff who can liaise  with the  Foundation in Spanish, In order to be able to offer the necessary support.  If the White Ribbon is not able to do this, seek alternatives.
3. Support the Foundation in ensuring the incorporation of transparent administrative Systems and daily working practices which serve to support the empowerment of the women beneficiaries.
4. Support the Foundation in building an administrative system based on rights and on the empowerment of both beneficiaries and employees.
5. Support the Foundation in diversification of funders.

Key recommendations for the Foundation
1. The Foundation should reorganize itself to create a transparent, clear and effective system that empowers both staff and the   beneficiaries of the services provided.
2. A study and/or research needs to be undertaken in order to clearly identify effective ways of working with the population in order to increase the impact of the work.
3. Training on Gender should be regularly assessed and other key family members (men) should be included.
4. The Values Education program in schools should include parents and other family members and be extended to younger students.
5. The medical attention should be made more regular with timetables that enable the Foundation to be duly administered and ensure that there is no overlap between these two tasks.
6. The Foundation should focus on strengthening its areas of experience and not try to expand its areas of work for the time being.

Comments from the organisation, if any:

On a very general note; in some parts of the report the language is a bit “harsh” and the use of the words “asistencialista” and “paternalista” not very nuanced. This does not indicate any disagreement with the findings and conclusions on our part – just an observation.