Assessment of Prottoy Pilot Project

1. Project Description and Background to Evaluation:
Prottoy is a small pilot initiative for adolescent boys ageing from 11-19 years. This project is a by-product of Shonglap, an ongoing project for adolescent girls being implemented from 2006. In the mean time, Shonglap project has created a tremendous demand among the communities of Stromme Foundation working area. Realizing the usefulness of Shonglap knowledge, the girls demanded the same program for boys as they will be the future husband/father of their families. Based on the demand primarily from the Shonglap girls, Strømme Foundation (SF) conducted a feasibility study in existing Shonglap areas with the help of an external consultant who was involved actively in designing Shonglap program. Based on the study findings the pilot project was initiated in a small scale to see its impacts in the society especially the changes of stereotyped patriarchal attitude of the boys. Similar to Shonglap, Prottoy also is a one year’s project. As a pilot initiative the project started in October 2010 and continued up to October/November 2011 among 04 PNGOs those are implementing Shonglap program. Every PNGO implemented 05 centers within Shonglap areas.

2. Purpose/objective:
The main objectives of the present study are (1) To what extent program Participants are respectful to girls and women; (2) To what extent program participants changed their stereotyped patriarchal attitude towards girls and women and become proactive activist to establish gender equality in the community; (3) To what extent program participants are active in curving eve-teasing, violence against girls and women and promoting their rights in the community; (4) To what extent program participants are involved in family and community development activities restraining from evil activities like: drug use, unproductive and evil activities.
3. Methodology: As part of the methodology, the existing secondary documents: reports, documents, guide books, training documentation etc. in relation to the present study were reviewed. The consultant conducted field visits to observe activities implemented by the partner PNGOs with the participants of the project and collected case studies, organized FGDs, interviews with program participants, parents, CMCs and partner staffs. The consultant also visited other programs with relevant needs, like, Shonglap and later facilitated discussion meeting with the SF-Partners and took feedbacks from all concerned to validate findings of the study.

4. Key findings:
Key findings of the study include: (1) further efforts are to be made to enhance information and knowledge base of the animators on different issues of the project, (2) Process documentation of methodologies & techniques followed conducting sessions of the basic training is presently absent in the project, (3) Prottoy partners did not properly follow recommendations of the need assessment study conducted before starting the pilot project, (4) IGA training provided under the project are fully or partially appropriate for livelihood development of the adolescents, (5) Except some isolated efforts, no serious efforts were made by the PNGOs of the project to establish linkage with appropriate entrepreneurs for mainstreaming trained adolescents in the world of economy, (6) Result monitoring, at this stage limits only to few indicators like, (a) observing whether participants exercise and practice what they learnt, (b) observing changes of the behaviour of the adolescent etc. Although partners are to follow the tools similar to that of Shonglap for this purpose but in reality PNGOs didn’t pay due importance to this in the pilot project, (7) Understanding of LFA was found satisfactory among the staff of the PNGOs but application of LFA was not quite prominent in the pilot project, (8) Responses gathered with regards to the complimentary roles between Shonglap and Prottoy concluded that — (a) there can be joint meeting of Shonglap and Prottoy on issues of common interest; (b) Shonglap and Prottoy participants can organize cultural function, drama, competitions etc. jointly on issues discussed in the centre, (9) Many CMCs are found to be able to contribute to continue and follow up the program, generate resources, extend networking for employment, ensure parental involvement for strengthening future program etc., (10) In some cases, there is a scarcity of candidates with adequate qualification and willingness to work with a remuneration package of Bdt. 2,000. As a result, often less qualified candidates were found to be involved in the project as animators (RDRS), (11) Suggestions of the respondents to strengthen future project include: (a) Introduce skill training on more marketable trades as suggested in the need assessment study; (b) operate IGA training throughout the course with longer duration; (c) Introduce provision of providing loan to the participants; (e) Introduce one or half day orientation for the CMCs and the guardians; (f) Conduct bi-monthly orientation at the local high school; (g) Inclusion of first aid treatment in the centre; (h) Organize drama, popular theatre, open discussion etc.; (i) involve and contact govt. officers in the project activities regularly; (j) Exchange visit among the organizations with similar project etc., (12) Organizing IGA training during off the season was a demand of a particular community of particular region, (13) Many of the high school students are found interested to the awareness issues discussed in the Prottoy centres, (14) The respondents commented: (a) there was no follow-up of learning during the pilot phase of the Prottoy project for sustaining the results of learning; (b) use of flip chart, flash cards, visual demonstration etc. during elaboration of awareness issues was limited, (c) issue based discussion can be more meaningful if it is done through some visual presentation and storytelling; (d) provision of recreation should be increased (more game materials etc.) and (15) No significant efforts were made by any PNGO during pilot phase, to explore potential donors who are willing to fund the project.

5. Recommendations:
(1) Information and knowledge base of the animators on different issues need to be enhanced further through providing issue-based additional materials. Demonstration classes by the supervisors/trainers, will be useful for the animators learning much on how to conduct Prottoy session properly; (2) Process documentation of different methodology & techniques of the basic training need to be developed maintaining quality standard of the base training; (3) Awareness issues can be more attractive to the participants provided drama, popular theatre, open discussion etc. are organized in the centre; (4) The project needs further attention in selecting more market driven skill training as recommended in the need assessment study to get adolescents involved in better earning and livelihood; (5) Meaningful linkage with the existing and the potential entrepreneurs needs to be strengthened; (6) More indicators can be included as part of result monitoring, like: (a) changes of income and expenditure of the adolescent after having IGA skills, (b) changes of livelihood pattern of the graduates of the project, (c) changes in attitude and behaviour of the participants towards women and girls etc. Besides, participatory monitoring between Prottoy and Shonglap can be introduced. Prottoy participants can also be involved monitoring learning centres; (7) As a separate project, Prottoy should have separate LFA like Shonglap; (8) There can be sharing of common issues, organization of cultural function, drama, competitions etc. among girls and boys of the two projects. Besides, some sort of competitive arrangements on common issues can be organized in agreement with the CMCs and parents of the two projects; (9) CMC can be oriented on how to continue and follow up the program, generate resources, extend networking for employment, parental involvement for future course of action etc. One or half day orientation for the CMC and the parents can be organized at the outset to make them more inclined towards the project; (10) More quality service can be obtained from the animators provided their remuneration package is increased. In particular case where qualified animators are not available, on-the-job supervision and guidance must be strengthened; (11) More marketable IGA training as suggested in the need assessment study should be introduced in the future project. Scope and opportunity of introducing loan provision, similar to that of Shonglap, can be explored for the participants of the project. PNGOs having micro-credit program can also explore opportunities of enrolling Prottoy graduates into their existing programs. Govt. officers, who are committed and willing to participate to the development initiatives, can be invited to visit the project. Exchange visit by the managers and supervisors within the organizations to share innovations and successes of different partners can be more meaningful to improve quality of the project; (12) Timing of IGA training needs to be scheduled in agreement with the timing of the participants; (13) An informal assessment from the PNGOs can be done to study the feasibility of conducting meeting and orientation with the high schools students and then, an option of conducting orientation sessions for the local high school students can be organized in future project. Where possible, Prottoy sessions can also be organized using adjacent high schools as venue for the learning centres where students of the very schools, who are interested, can join and be benefited; (14) Some follow-up of learning is necessary in order to sustaining the results of learning of the participants better in the future project. Use of some flip chart, flash cards, visual demonstration etc. during elaboration of awareness issues would be more useful for retention of learning; (15) Issue based discussion in the learning centres can be more meaningful if it is done through some visual presentation and storytelling. Some pictorial supplementary reading materials on different issues of the project can be developed and distributed to the learners. Project based work with the issues discussed in the learning centres can be organized by the participants of Prottoy independently /jointly with Shonglap throughout the year while results and impacts of these events should be published regularly from the project, better in the form of a newsletter; (16) The project still requires supports from SF but PNGOs should also extend their efforts to explore potential donors for future funding of the project.

6. Comments from the organisation, if any: (this section to be filled by the staff responsible in SF’s Regional Office)
Strømme Foundation has reviewed the recommendations with the Partner organization.  It has in 2012 annual plan included a few Prottoy centers for all the partners (the pilot phase was done by 4 partners) to see further the effect of the program.  SF will further review the total program with partners and see if further remodelling the Prottoy would be necessary before going for full scale expansion.