Joint Programme Evaluation final evaluation report august 2016 DanChurchAid (dca) Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur Nepal Dr. Prakash Bhattarai and Dr. Dhruba Gautam

2. Key Findings

Key findings of this evaluation are clustered under relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability and presented separately under the four thematic areas of intervention of DCA.

2.1 Relevance

This section presents an overview of the relevance of four thematic programme of DCA

2.1.1 Migrant Rights Programme

DCA supported MRPs are implemented through different national organisations who are considered as champion in the field of migrant rights advocacy in Nepal, Bangladesh, and India. Likewise, regional and global advocacy on migrants rights are implemented through the recognised regional networks such as MFA and GAATW on issues around migrant rights and the prevention of human trafficking. MRP implemented through its national and regional partners is found quite relevant at the local, national, as well as international level, as it has contributed to address different needs (such as pre-departure, legal aid, psychosocial counselling, entrepreneurship skills and so on) of migrant workers and members of their families.
The evaluation team found four pertinent reasons behind the relevance of DCA supported MRP in the region. First, MRP has attempted to provide comprehensive and holistic support to migrant workers, such as pre-departure information, access to justice, psychosocial counselling, as well as reintegration support once they come back to home country. No other agencies have provided such extensive supports to migrant workers and members of their families under a human rights based framework.
Second, DCA has provided support to diverse activities implemented by partners such as awareness raising, advocacy, partners’ capacity building, establishment of Migration Information Centre (MIC), formation of Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and community based Returnee Migrant Workers’ (RMW) associations, livelihood and skills development programmes for RMW, access to justice programme, and cross-country linking, learning, and sharing opportunities. Such a comprehensive and holistic approach of the project has worked well to most extent.
Third, not many donors and international agencies active in South and South East Asian region are funding migrant rights programmes. DCA is one of the pioneering international agencies supporting multi-level (local, national, regional, and international) and multifaceted migrant rights advocacy initiatives led by a number CSOs. DCA has provided support to national level partners for national and international advocacy, local level awareness raising and service driven initiatives, and for its regional partners for regional and international advocacy on migrants’ rights.
Finally, DCA’s support to various programmes and initiatives implemented by national and regional partners supplement to the national government’s migration programming and also fills the gap to most extent.

2.1.2 Inclusive Citizenship for Accountable Governance Programme

The evaluation team has found that DCA’s ICAG programme implemented through various NGO partners in Nepal, Bangladesh, and India seems quite relevant to uplift women’s, Dalit’s and marginalised communities’ participation in civic and political affairs. There are five particular reasons to justify this assertion. First and foremost, ICAG programme has been instrumental for creating civic and political space and engagements for women (particularly young female leaders from marginalised communities), Dalits, and marginalised communities and such spaces are created mostly at the local level, and partly at the national and international level. The evaluation team found that targeted groups from project-launched communities are highly benefited from ICAG programme. However, project has included only a limited number of women, Dalits and marginalised people from project implemented communities, thus it is difficult to observe the broader impact of ICAG programme.
Second, the evaluation team also found that ICAG programmes are conducted in those communities in Nepal and Bangladesh where civic and political spaces are utterly needed for women, Dalits and marginalised communities.
Third, like the Migrant Rights Programme, ICAG programme also follows a multifaceted and multi-level intervention approach and this is found to be a relevant approach to address different needs of targeted group. Networking and group formation approach, capacity building, publication and dissemination, lobby and advocacy are some of the key areas of intervention under this intervention approach.
Fourth, appreciations from the stakeholders and beneficiaries of ICAG programme further justify its relevance among the targeted group. For example, one of the government officials in Sunsari district of Nepal said, “DCA partners have done a tremendous job to enhance the capacity of women to be involved in local level political and development process. In fact it was supposed to be the responsibility of government.”
Finally, the ICAG programme also directly supports government’s policy framework for ensuring women, Dalits, and other marginalised groups’ participation and representation in decision-making structures from local to national level. The relevance of ICAG programme is found more at the local level rather than the district and national level.

2.1.3 Resilient Livelihood and Sustainable Food Security Programme

RLSFS is highly relevant issue in the existing policy context. Two particular reasons justify the relevance of RLSFS programme throughout the region. First, the objectives of RLSFS programme and activities formulated correlate well with national and regional policies. At the national level, RLSFS programme contributes to Nepal’s 20 years’ Agriculture Development Strategy, key spirit of the Constitution of Nepal 2015, Right to Food (RtF) strategies, and National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management (2009). The programme is also in line with Bangladesh’s National Food Policy 2005 and National Food Policy and Action Plan 2008-2016. At the regional level, the RLSFS programme contributes to achieve the SAARC Development Goals (goal 1 to 8). Its objectives are also compatible with the spirit of 18^th SAARC summit declaration (2014) and SAARC comprehensive framework on disaster management 2005.
Selection of geographical areas and the target groups is another factor behind the relevance of DCA’s RLSFS programme. This programme aims to uplift the economic condition of poor, Dalits, poor Janajatis, Hindu minority, and poor Muslims in the region, thus it has worked closely with this population in selected locations of programme countries. DCA’s target groups are found to be relevant as they are excluded and marginalised groups in the society and they are still not fully mainstreamed in the development process. There is a well balance between ‘hardware’ and ‘software’ components in the programme which is also in line with Nepal government’s focus/priorities. Moreover, the evaluation team has found that the needs and priorities of right-holders have been addressed timely and appropriately and programmes are delivered as per the objectives and indicators.