Evaluation Learnings Search

Learning Description

Partnering with existing networks of organizations supporting women's economic empowerment for leveraging reach and resources toward achieving the toolkit’s adaption and adoption by the broadest possible stakeholders. The project strategically partnered with networks of organizations supporting women small and medium sized enterprises in the Philippines (for advocacy) and Nigeria (for the technical experts committee and advocacy), as well as large global networks such as the Social Performance Task Force and the Social Performance Task Force's Work Group. Such organizations have a strategic influence on their members which was helpful to reach more potential toolkit users. The microfinance institution association in the Philippines has committed to promoting the harmful child work risk assessment in their members’ social performance management, while the Nigerian association is looking into leveraging its policy development engagements with the government to also forward the use of the tools.

Learning Description

Government partnerships for high-impact policy-level adoption. In the Philippines, the project made headway with key government agencies to develop various ways of adopting the toolkit, despite the significant effects of the pandemic on the government agencies’ capacity for timely responses. At the project’s end, the project reached an understanding with the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry to show the project videos in its 1,363 business centers nationwide, which ensures that all small and medium-sized enterprises registering or renewing their licenses or seeking training will be exposed to the videos as advocacy materials. The project has also pipelined virtual technical reviews with the Philippines Department of Labor and Employment to identify strategic ways to integrate the tools with policy and programs of the national agency, though there was no formal agreement in place.

Learning Description

Critical assumptions for the theory of change and their level of risk need to be identified in project documents when the theory of change is presented. Identifying these later, when the comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan is developed, exposes the project to an unknown level of risk.

Learning Description

The results and sustainability of development projects are often constrained by the limits to the implementation period. If a significant amount of time is lost due to the need for the grantee to make an agreement with the government of the country concerned, then this is likely to have a negative impact on the outcomes.

Learning Description

A blended approaches to training, where there is a mix of online training and face-to-face practical teaching and coaching, is a cost-effective approach, although overall effectiveness may be reduced.

Learning Description

Regular mentoring and coaching are required in order to develop, finalize and endorse new policies and guidelines within institutions, whether it is civil society organizations or local government.

Learning Description

The project structure, with a coordinating institution and three implementing partners, resulted in time-consuming reporting and coordination for the local partners (non-governmental organizations).

Learning Description

Strategic selection of partner non-governmental organizations. The selection of partner non-governmental organizations, who in this project were also the main beneficiaries, provided an opportunity to embed certain project priorities and principles within the structure of the project. Partner non-governmental organizations were purposefully selected with one or more of these characteristics: 1) Non-governmental organizations with strong identification with the locality and with solid community-based organization networks in the community, 2) Non-governmental organizations that are strongly embedded in districts/communities with large numbers of factories or home-based workshops, 3) Non-governmental organizations that work in child labor source districts/communities of child labor for prevention awareness-raising activities, 4) Non-governmental organizations led by and with a high membership of marginalized and/or minority groups, and 5) Non-governmental organizations led by and with a high membership of women.

Learning Description

Non-governmental organization capacity assessment tool. The externally facilitated self-assessment of different facets of organizational capacity has been a very effective intervention for capacity building. The benefits of this include promoted self-realization of strengths and weaknesses, increased understanding of what knowledge and competencies are required to become proficient in a capacity, provided a benchmark so that all those involved can recognize change when it occurs, and gave a basis for preparing an action plan to address issues and develop improved capacity.

Learning Description

Non-governmental organization capacity development process. The engine of change in this project was a repeated cycle of, ‘Capacity self-assessment – action planning – receiving training –practice with mentoring – capacity re-assessment – action planning,’ etc. This was a very intensive process, with practice in the real world producing real results that provided real benefits in addition to building capacity.