Evaluation Learnings Search

Learning Description

A project approach that builds on existing knowledge, capacity, and structures can provide a springboard for success. The project made important progress in increasing the capacity of targeted stakeholders because the implementation approach seeks to build on existing knowledge, capacity, and structures (including indicators, manuals, protocols, etc.) that are aligned with the principal activities of these key stakeholders across sectoral and national contexts.

Learning Description

Another Lessoned from the project has been its ability to simultaneously engage actors across policy, technical, and operational levels. This helps to mainstream forced labor issues across all the key institutions and areas.

Learning Description

Working to obtain acceptance and buy-in from national level project stakeholders can often be time consuming and challenging. However, the project approach demonstrates that broadening and maintaining healthy relationships with such key stakeholders creates space for acceptance and participation of those stakeholders who have a mandate on forced labor and trafficking issues in Ghana. The rapport built by the project team has been a key success factor, which enabled the team to work with national stakeholders to begin plans to introduce forced labor indicators into existing operational plans and manuals of stakeholders.

Learning Description

Effective project design can lead to increased acceptance, support, and progress. A consistent narrative gathered from targeted stakeholders was that they were willing to learn more about the forced labor indicators and how they intersect with their work—an area that has received little attention so far in their lines of work. Thus, it is a telling example of how the very design of a project and what it promises to achieve can promote its acceptance and participation among local actors.

Learning Description

Measuring outputs and outcomes related to gender and equity considerations are increasingly important to the United States Department of Labor, which requires integrating gender and equity-sensitive indicators into monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks. Conducting an early gender and equity analysis establishes a baseline for targets. The CAPSA project commissioned multiple needs assessments but did not explicitly look at cultural and social norms contributing to gender inequities and workplace discrimination. While the CAPSA project did engage in activities that address disparities among informal workers, there have been no activities that address gender-based violence and the prevalence of sexual and worker abuse in sectors dominated by female workers. The heightened awareness of gender equity presents opportunities for worker and employer organizations to develop mitigation strategies and accelerate compliance.

Learning Description

Measuring outputs and outcomes related to gender and equity considerations are increasingly important to the United States Department of Labor, which requires integrating gender and equity-sensitive indicators into monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks. Conducting an early gender and equity analysis establishes a baseline for targets. The All Hands In Kenya project commissioned multiple needs assessments but did not explicitly look at cultural and social norms contributing to gender inequities and workplace discrimination. While the All Hands In Kenya project did engage in activities that address disparities among informal workers, there have been no activities that address gender-based violence and the prevalence of sexual and worker abuse in sectors dominated by female workers. The heightened awareness of gender equity presents opportunities for worker and employer organizations to develop mitigation strategies and accelerate compliance.

Learning Description

Workers may fear retaliation as a result of openly discussing workplace violations, which makes it imperative to establish a safe environment when encouraging workers and employers to engage directly. Therefore, consulting and working directly with both parties is important to ensure that do no harm principles are closely followed. Direct engagement with the private sector and workers can contribute to understanding how to address challenging and underreported or hidden child labor, forced labor, and violations of labor standards and acceptable conditions of work. The All Hands In Kenya project has been able to work primarily through employers’ organizations and workers’ organizations. While this has provided insight, the project team has not had an opportunity to fully reflect the direct voices of workers who are most impacted by violations of international labor standards and acceptable conditions of work.

Learning Description

The comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan is very detailed. It has been implemented with high fidelity and enjoys the confidence of those who have interacted with it. In addition, insights from the plan have provided support in monitoring and adapting the project, such as changing the content of the trainings and offering them in local languages.

Learning Description

Community monitors are using their skills to sensitize other farmers to the dangers of child labor, as well as helping to identify and refer cases of child labor. That farmers are engaged enough to share the information suggests that aspects of the project may be sustained through networks.

Learning Description

The project has cultivated strong relationships with many government actors, cooperative and community members and successfully brokered collaboration between these groups that have historically not worked closely together. Project staff noted the project’s close coordination in particular with government bodies such as the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and the Ghana Cocoa Board, private sector organizations including the Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade, and community organizations like district child protection committees and community child protection committees.