GFP Programming Framework 2013.04 - UNESCO · To guide our M&E, we will use the “M&E Grid” on...

Programming Framework

Version 10/04/2013

GFP Programming Framework 2013.04.10.docx

1

Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 M&E Grid template .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 1. BEFORE ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

1.1 Programme Info .................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Conflict Analysis ................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Theory of Change ................................................................................................................................................................................. 7 1.4 Programme Logic ................................................................................................................................................................................. 9

2. DURING ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

2.1 Monitoring ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 3. AFTER ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18

3.1 Evaluation ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 3.2 Using the Participatory Evaluation Process ........................................................................................................................................ 19 3.3 Tips for completing the Grid ............................................................................................................................................................... 21 3.4 Submitting your EValuation Report to GFP Headquarters ................................................................................................................. 22

4. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER ................................................................................................................................................................. 23 5. ANNEXES ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 24

5.1 Definitions ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 5.2 Frequently Asked Questions .............................................................................................................................................................. 26 5.3 Completed Example M&E Grid ........................................................................................................................................................... 29


2

Introduction All Generations For Peace programmes are guided by a desire to have positive impact and sustainability in addressing issues of conflict and violence in communities. To achieve this, we need to have:

• A deep understanding of the local context and conflict situations • A clear and precise focus on what issue the programme address • A strong programme design that uses resources effectively to achieve the desired

results • A good way to monitor what is happening during the programme • A good way to look back at the end of a programme year, to evaluate what

happened and why, and to plan improvements for the next phase of the programme This Programming Framework document provides a guide to help you do all of these things, step by step. Integrated into our Programme Framework at every step are processes for good Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). Monitoring (gathering evidence of what is happening on your programme) and Evaluation (understanding what happened and why, and planning improvements) are part of a constant learning cycle that is central to the successful planning, implementation and improvements of your programmes (see fig.1). Building good M&E into our programmes will help us maximise our innovation, quality, impact, and sustainability. To guide our M&E, we will use the “M&E Grid” on page 3 as we go through your programme cycle over the course of a year:

• You use one M&E Grid for the whole programme cycle (not separate forms for each activity within the programme).

• There are three stages in the programme cycle: ‘Before,’ ‘During’ and ‘After’. To help

you fill out the M&E Grid, this guide explains each stage section by section, one row at a time, from top to bottom, box-by-box.

• To help you, there is a fully completed example M&E Grid in section 5.3.

• There is also a list of Definitions in section 5.1 that will help explain terminology

used, and a list of Frequently Asked Questions in section 5.2.

1. Monitoring (Gathering

evidence of what is happening)

2. Evaluation (Understanding what happened and why, and

planning improvements)

3. Improvement (Applying

improvements to the programme)

The constant learning cycle (fig 1.)

Generations For Peace (GFP) | M&E Grid | Version 10/04/2013

PROGRAMME INFO:

Country: City/Town: Lead Delegate / Pioneer name: Programme Name: Baseline Date: Evaluation Date:

BEF

OR

E

CO

NFL

ICT

AN

ALY

SIS

Conflict Context: • What is the issue of conflict/

violence that you want to address?

• Who are the different “sides” to the conflict?

What dimension(s) of conflict are you focused on in this programme? Is your focus on Personal dimension? (Consider individual feelings of weakness or empowerment, attitudes and individual behaviour)

Is your focus on Relational dimension? (Consider quality of relationships, interactions, cooperation, and conflict management between people and groups)

Is your focus on Structural dimension? (Consider inequality, unfairness, exclusion, discrimination, lack of transparency or access, or restrictions of rights)

Is your focus on Cultural dimension? (Consider values promoted and demonstrated in a community; what behaviour and language are acceptable or not, what labels are used, what is celebrated, who are role models)

THEO

RY

OF

CH

AN

GE

If: (we do something…) (eg: if we bring youth from these two communities together for ongoing SPPY activities each week over six months…)

Then: (something will change…) (eg: then we will see reduction in violence between youths from these communities…)

Because: (of something…) (eg: because the SPPY activities will allow them to gain new perspectives of each other, break down stereotypes, build greater understanding and trust.)

Target Group: (the people you want to involve directly in as participants in the Training and the regular Ongoing Activities)

Beneficiary Community: (the people you want to benefit from the change created by the programme)

PRO

GR

AM

ME

LOG

IC

Key Stakeholders and the Inputs they will provide:

Planned Activities and Dates: (Events: SPE; ADPE; Training: SPT, ARPT, EPT, ADPT, DPT, TTT; Ongoing Activities: SPPC, SPPY, ARPP, EPP, ADPP, DPP)

Planned Outputs: (number of people trained and levels of participation in ongoing regular activities)

Expected Outcomes in the Target Group: (describe expected changes in frequency and quality of interactions: for example, changes in attitude or behaviour)

Expected Impacts in the Beneficiary Community: (describe expected changes in broader community: for example, improved relations or reduced violence)

Evidence Indicator of Outcomes: (What one thing will you measure to show Outcomes and how will get that information?)

Evidence Indicator of Impacts: (What one thing will you measure to show Impacts, and how will get that information?)

Risks and Assumptions: Risks and Assumptions:

DU

RIN

G

MO

NIT

OR

ING

G

athe

ring

evid

ence

of w

hat's

ha

ppen

ing

Learning and Reflection Process: • In what ways is learning and

reflection happening: o Amongst the Delegates/

Pioneers? o Amongst the Target Group?

• What is the process to ensure

lessons-learned are being used?

Total # of volunteers (Delegates & Pioneers) active this year:

Total # of hours this year spent volunteering:

# of people Trained in this year’s programme cycle:

Outcomes Indicator Baseline situation and Date measured: (how the indicator looks when you start, and the date you measured it) Change from Baseline at the end of the year, and Date measured: (how the indicator looks at the end of the programme year, and the date you measured it)

Impacts Indicator Baseline situation and Date measured: (how the indicator looks when you start, and the date you measured it) Change from Baseline at the end of the year, and Date measured: (how the indicator looks at the end of the programme year, and the date you measured it)

Male Female hours Male Female

Ongoing Activities in programme cycle:

# of Participants in regular Ongoing Activities this year:

Do participants come from all “sides” of the conflict?

Total # of sessions

Total # of hours

Age 6-15

Age 16-24

Age 24+

M F M F M F YES / NO

AFT

ER

EVA

LUA

TIO

N

Und

erst

andi

ng w

hat h

appe

ned

and

why

, th

en le

arni

ng a

nd p

lann

ing

impr

ovem

ents

(1) Understanding what happened and why:

• What worked well and why?

• What didn’t work well and why not?

• What evidence is there to show outcomes/ impacts?

(2) Most Significant Changes:

• What do people in the Target Group and Beneficiary Community, consider the most important changes over the last year, and why? (note their first response, then prompt to consider personal, relational, structural, cultural dimensions)

• What do they believe caused

these changes? • Why are these changes

considered the most important?

(3) Unexpected, unwanted, and unconnected changes:

• Were there any unexpected or unintended outcomes/ impacts?

• Have there been any negative outcomes/impact?

• What else was happening

that could have caused the changes?

(4) Looking Forward:

• Are the changes sustainable? (will the changes be lasting or will things return to the way they were)

• Is the programme cost-

effective? (consider time, effort, and resources put in)

• Should this programme be

replicated or scaled-up? (should it be continued, or increased in size, or taken to a new place, or not?)

(5) Action Points:

• What changes should we make to update our understanding of the Conflict Context?

• What changes should we make to our

Theory of Change? • What changes should we make to our

Programme Logic or Activities? • For Pioneers/Delegates: What changes

should we make to improve our indicators and our processes for M&E and Learning?


4

1. BEFORE Before you begin to implement your programme you must plan. You must think carefully about: • the specific conflict you are going to try to address in your community • the different dimensions of that conflict • what improvements to those dimensions you believe your GFP programme can achieve • the Key Stakeholders you will need to help you, and how they can help • the Outcomes you want to achieve in your Target Group and the Impacts you hope to see eventually in the Beneficiary Community • what GFP activities you will organise in order to achieve your expected Outcomes and hoped-for Impacts • what you will choose as Indicators to measure the situation at the start of your programme year and at the end of that year that shows if you are achieving those

Outcomes and Impacts. This sounds like a lot, but don’t worry: using the M&E Grid takes you through it easily, row by row. There is a row for each of these planning stages in the ‘Before’ section of the M&E Grid. This section will show you how to complete each row step-by-step: 1.1 Programme Info

PROGRAMME INFO:

Country: City/Town: Lead Delegate / Pioneer name: Programme Name: Baseline Date: Evaluation Date:

The first row is used to record programme information. Only one Grid is needed per programme cycle over the year (which will contain several different activities). It is possible that you could have two completely different GFP programmes operating at the same time in the same place, for different objectives with different target groups; if so, use a separate Grid for each one. Write the name of country and town where you are going to run the programme in the first box. In the second, write the name of the lead Delegate or Pioneer in charge of the programme. In the third box, write the name of your programme, for example the "The Generations For Peace Kumasi Political Peace Programme”. Leave the final box blank until you have done your Baseline (see page 15). Here’s a completed example:

PROGRAMME INFO:

Country: Ghana City/Town: Kumasi Lead Delegate / Pioneer name: Mohammad Bun Bida

Programme Name: The Generations for Peace Kumasi Political Peace Programme

Baseline Date: Evaluation Date:


5

1.2 Conflict Analysis

CO

NFL

ICT

AN

ALY

SIS


violence that you want to address? • Who are the different “sides” to the

conflict?

What dimension(s) of conflict are you focused on in this programme? Is your focus on Personal dimension? (Consider individual feelings of weakness or empowerment, attitudes and individual behaviour)




Conflict Context The first step to planning a GFP programme is to understand the context and sources of conflict in your community. Then you can plan how to address them. To do this, speak to as many people as you can, representing as wide a section of your community as possible, to get their view on the local issue of conflict or violence that they feel needs to be addressed. Also, make sure you identify whom the different ‘sides’ to the conflict are. Make sure you are really clear on these questions and then enter your answers in the first box. What dimension(s) of conflict are you focused on in this programme? When you are thinking about the Context of Conflict or violence you want to address in your community, it’s useful to think more deeply about different aspects, or “dimensions” that you might choose to focus your programme on. There are four dimensions to consider: Personal: consider this if you are focused on changing individual feelings, attitudes and behaviour. For example, transforming feelings of weakness/helplessness into feelings of confidence/empowerment; transforming attitudes of frustration/anger/fear into hope/contentment/security; or transforming levels of trauma into greater physical well-being and self-esteem. Relational: consider this if you are focused on changing the quality of relationships, interactions and cooperation between people, and within and between groups. Include consideration of ways to change how people manage disputes and respond to conflict when it arises between them. Consider how the people can gain greater clarity and understanding about each other, and feelings of tolerance, trust and respect between people and groups. Consider power relations between people, and dependency. Consider who takes decisions and who decides who decides. Structural: consider this if you are focused on changing social, political, economic, or legal structures that seem to be causing or reinforcing inequality, unfairness, exclusion, discrimination, lack of transparency or access, or restrictions of rights. Consider who has access to and control over resources and services. Cultural: consider this if you are focused on changing cultural values, and the cultural patterns, symbols, behaviour, labels, language, stories, and other artefacts that demonstrate those values and which communicate what behaviour is acceptable or not, and which people are seen as role models or not. IMPORTANT: It is perfectly OK for your programme to focus on just one or two dimensions, rather than trying to cover all four. So, just enter information for the dimensions that are most relevant for your programme, and leave the other dimensions blank. This may only be one or two, it’s up to you. See below for two completed examples for programmes that focus on different dimensions of conflict:


6

CO

NFL

ICT

AN

ALY

SIS


violence that you want to address? Political violence, especially during election years • Who are the different “sides” to the

conflict? The different sides to the conflict are the two major political parties – the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP)

What dimension(s) of conflict are you focused on in this programme? Is your focus on Personal dimension? (Consider individual feelings of weakness or empowerment, attitudes and individual behaviour) We would like to empower youth in positive ways, for example to have individual capacity to respond to conflict without violence, and to trust in dialogue and tolerance instead of violence.

Is your focus on Relational dimension? (Consider quality of relationships, interactions, cooperation, and conflict management between people and groups) Our focus will be on fixing the broken relationships between people from different political groups, especially at the volatile youth level.

Is your focus on Structural dimension? (Consider inequality, unfairness, exclusion, discrimination, lack of transparency or access, or restrictions of rights) N/A

Is your focus on Cultural dimension? (Consider values promoted and demonstrated in a community; what behaviour and language are acceptable or not, what labels are used, what is celebrated, who are role models) It would be nice if some of the youth we work with became positive role models for others in their communities, and started leading by example. This might change community values.

CO

NFL

ICT

AN

ALY

SIS


violence that you want to address? Violence against women

• Who are the different “sides” to the

conflict? The different sides to the conflict are the women who have experienced violence; the men who have committed violence; those that advocate for it to stop; and those that do not help end it.

What dimension(s) of conflict are you focused on in this programme? Is your focus on Personal dimension? (Consider individual feelings of weakness or empowerment, attitudes and individual behaviour) We would like to empower women to believe that change is possible, and educate men to understand that violence is cruel and unacceptable.



Our focus will be on changing the structural inequality of women in society. They are excluded, subjected to violence and are not listened to when they go to the police to complain. We need to ensure their rights to protection are upheld by legal structures.


We must change the way our whole community behaves towards women, not just the men who are violent.


7

1.3 Theory of Change

THEO

RY

OF

CH

AN

GE

If: (we do something…) (eg: if we bring youth from these two communities together for ongoing SPPY activities each week over six months…)

Then: (something will change…) (eg: then we will see reduction in violence between youths from these communities…)

Because: (of something…) (eg: because the SPPY activities will allow them to gain new perspectives of each other, break down stereotypes, build greater understanding and trust.)

Target Group: (the people you want to involve directly in as participants in the Training and the regular Ongoing Activities)

Beneficiary Community: (the people you want to benefit from the change created by the programme)

After identifying the conflict you would like to address and thinking about its different dimensions, you now have enough information to design your Theory of Change. A Theory of Change is simply stating what you believe your programme can achieve, and why. Every action we take at Generations For Peace, from the overall goal of the organisation to every single activity session on every programme, has a Theory of Change behind it. Designing a Theory of Change is very easy. You simply use “IF…THEN…BECAUSE…” to make a sentence that states what you believe will improve if you do something, and why. You only design one Theory of Change for your whole programme year, not one for each activity. When thinking about your Theory of Change, it really helps to identify your Target Group and Beneficiary Community, to keep your programme focused: Target Group Consider who are the people you want to involve directly as participants in your programme Activities. They could be participants in training, or at your events, or in your ongoing regular activities. These people directly involved in your Activities are your Target Group. It’s important to consider whether your Target Group includes people from different “sides” of the conflict. Beneficiary Community The Beneficiary Community is the people in the wider community you want to benefit from the changes created by your programme. (This may include your Target Group people, as well as lots of other people who do not necessarily participate directly in your Activities). Again, it’s important to consider whether your Beneficiary Community includes people from different “sides” of the conflict.


8

Here are two completed examples for different programmes to help you complete the Grid:

THEO

RY

OF

CH

AN

GE

If: (we do something…) If we use GFP peace-building sessions and sport-based games to bring youth from different political sides together…

Then: (something will change…) Then there will be less political violence in Kumasi…

Because: (of something…) Because the sessions and games will provide opportunities to increase understanding, trust and tolerance between youth from different political parties

Target Group: (the people you want to involve directly in as participants in the Training and the regular Ongoing Activities) An equal number of youth from the two main political parties, who are either known to have been involved in political violence, or who are at risk of becoming violent in the future.

Beneficiary Community: (the people you want to benefit from the change created by the programme) The families, friends, and peers of the Target Group, and hopefully their families, friends, and peers too in the broader community of Kumasi.

THEO

RY

OF

CH

AN

GE

If: (we do something…) If we use GFP programmes to educate people about the growing levels of gender based violence in Amman…

Then: (something will change…) Then there will be less violence against women in Amman…

Because: (of something…) Because the sessions will increase people’s understanding of how serious the issue is, and educate them that gender violence is unacceptable.

Target Group: (the people you want to involve directly in as participants in the Training and the regular Ongoing Activities) An equal number of men and women who have experienced or have used gender violence in the past, and also influential community leaders who can help spread anti-violent messaging in the future.

Beneficiary Community: (the people you want to benefit from the change created by the programme) The families, friends, and peers of the Target Group, and hopefully their families, friends, and peers too in the broader community of Amman.


9

1.4 Programme Logic

PRO

GR

AM

ME

LOG

IC Key Stakeholders and the Inputs

they will provide: Planned Activities and Dates: (Events: SPE; ADPE; Training: SPT, ARPT, EPT, ADPT, DPT, TTT; Ongoing Activities: SPPC, SPPY, ARPP, EPP, ADPP, DPP)

Planned Outputs: (number of people trained and levels of participation in ongoing regular activities)

Expected Outcomes in the Target Group: (describe expected changes in frequency and quality of interactions: for example, changes in attitude or behaviour)

Expected Impacts in the Beneficiary Community: (describe expected changes in broader community: for example, improved relations or reduced violence)

Risks and Assumptions: Risks and Assumptions: Evidence Indicator of Outcomes: (What one thing will you measure to show Outcomes and how will get that information?)

Evidence Indicator of Impacts: (What one thing will you measure to show Impacts, and how will get that information?)

Key Stakeholders and the Inputs they will provide Stakeholders are the people or organisations providing the Inputs needed to make your Activities actually happen. They are usually involved in either helping you run your programme by providing access to resources, venues, or they provide the people who are your Target Group. Some examples of Key Stakeholders and what Inputs they can provide are:

• Local school head teacher: they can give permission or access for children or youth to participate in your programmes, and maybe can provide access to a venue for training, and access to students on a regular basis.

• Community leaders, such as traditional tribal leaders, religious leaders or political leaders: they can give permission or access for your programme, can help you make contact with and get support from other people and organisations, and they may themselves even encourage parents to allow children or youth to attend, and perhaps also spread peace messages to their followers.

• A local NGO or civil society organisation: they can help with deep local knowledge about the community, with their networks and contacts, with their experience of what has been tried and worked well or failed before, and with their staff or volunteers and their skills and resources. You may even share the same Target Group with them. They may even be your Local Partner Organisation.

• Sports club manager: they can provide access to a venue for GFP programmes. They can also help attract children and youth to attend events, training, and activities.

• Local journalists and media: they can help with advocacy and publicity for wider reach of your messages in the community, which may lead to better attendance, more support, and other partnerships.

• Local business: they may provide some support for basic needs, such as refreshments for a training workshop, or some branded items to attract participants or reward volunteers helping you to organize your activities.

• Sport shops: they can provide sports equipment needed for your activities. • Stationery and printing shop: they could print GFP handbooks and other materials that might help with learning or your publicity activities. • Local authorities, such as the police or local court: they may have good knowledge or issues of violence in the community, and may help you to identify possible

Target Groups. They may also provide you with data (for example statistics about violent crime) to assist with your M&E.

The more support you have from such local Stakeholders, the greater the impact and sustainability of your programme. In the grid, list the Key Stakeholders who you will need to help your programme, and briefly state what Inputs they will provide. Risks and Assumptions Underneath, write what risks exist that might stop you attracting these stakeholders and them providing the inputs you need. Perhaps one particular stakeholder’s support is critical to your whole programme? How could you prevent or prepare for these risks?


10

Planned Activities and Dates This diagram describes different categories of GFP programmes. The categories and abbreviations help us to be precise about what activities we are planning. This is useful for GFP HQ staff, Delegates and Pioneers to refer to; but is not suitable language when communicating to the public or to media:

Age of Target Group

Generations For Peace Programmes Categories Version 01.03.2013

Important: these categories and abbreviations are to assist GFP HQ, Delegates and Pioneers; they are not suitable language for public or media communications.

Purpose Children Youths Adults

To attract potential: •  Volunteers •  Participants •  Stakeholders/Partners

To provide capacity (knowledge, skills, practice, confidence) to be able to implement the Ongoing Activities:

To support behaviour change outcomes in the Target Group (leading to impacts in the broader Beneficiary Community):

Events:

Training:

Ongoing Activities: (series of regular programme activities over a sustained period of time)

Programme Cycle

SPE = Sport For Peace Event

SPT = Sport For Peace Training

SPPC = Sport For Peace Programme for Children

SPPY = Sport For Peace Programme for Youth

ADPP = Advocacy For Peace Programme

ADPE = Advocacy For Peace Event

ADPT = Advocacy For Peace Training

ARPT = Arts For Peace Training

ARPP = Arts For Peace Programme

DPT = Dialogue For Peace Training

DPP = Dialogue For Peace Programme

TTT = Train The Trainer Providing knowledge in adult learning and the skills to train people to train other adults (not simply run activities). TTT may include a focus on one or more of the above training components.

Choose one or more components needed to provide capacity to deliver the desired Ongoing Activities

EPP = Empowerment For Peace Programme

EPT = Empowerment For Peace Training


11

What GFP activities are you planning to organise this year, and when? Activity options include: • Events:

o SPE = Sport for Peace Event: an event often used at the start of a programme, intended to show people a demonstration of GFP sport-based games in action, because 'seeing is believing'; can also be used at the end of any of the other training programmes below.

o ADPE = Advocacy for Peace Event: an event often used at the start of a programme, intended to spread awareness of GFP and programme intentions, to attract stakeholders and partners, and also to attract and recruit potential Delegates.

• Training: Choose one or more components needed to provide the capacity to deliver the desired Ongoing Activities: o SPT = Sport for Peace Training: training people to be able to run good quality sport-based games activities for children and youth of different age groups,

integrating peace-building education for conflict transformation objectives. o ARPT = Arts for Peace Training: training people to be able to run good quality arts-based activities (painting, drama, music, dance, cooking, etc!) for children

and youth of different age groups, integrating peace-building education for conflict transformation objectives. o EPT = Empowerment for Peace Training: training people to be able to run good quality activities which provide empowerment through capacity-building and

development of life skills (which don’t fit into other categories sport/arts/advocacy, etc). The empowerment must be for a specific conflict transformation objective. o ADPT = Advocacy for Peace Training: training people to implement good advocacy activities (engaging with local stakeholders including media) to promote

messages for behaviour change and conflict transformation. o DPT = Dialogue for Peace Training: training people to be able to organise and facilitate effective dialogue with adults and older youths to transform conflict in the

community. Different dialogue approaches can be used, including transformative dialogue, debates, etc. o TTT = Train The Trainer: providing knowledge in adult learning and the skills to train people so they are ready to train others (not simply run activities). The TTT

component can be combined with any one or more of the above training components, depending on the focus for the desired Ongoing Activities.

• Ongoing Activities: o SPP = Sport for Peace Programme: this is our core programme and involves an ongoing regular series of activities (week in, week out,) over a sustained period

of months, bringing participants together for GFP classroom and sport-based games activities to foster greater cooperation, acceptance, responsibility, inclusion, respect, understanding, tolerance, trust, and, ultimately, positive behaviour change. If the Target Group are Children, then the activity category is SPPC = Sport for Peace Programme for Children; if the Target Group are Youths, then the activity category is SPPY = Sport for Peace Programme for Youth.

o ARPP = Arts for Peace Programme: an ongoing regular series of activities (week in, week out,) over a sustained period of months, bringing participants together for GFP classroom and arts-based activities (painting, drama, music, dance, cooking, etc!) to foster greater cooperation, acceptance, responsibility, inclusion, respect, understanding, tolerance, trust, and, ultimately, positive behaviour change.

o EPP = Empowerment for Peace Programme: an ongoing regular series of activities (week in, week out,) over a sustained period of months, empowering participants by developing their capacities and their life skills and/or vocational skills. The empowerment must be for a specific conflict transformation objective, to enable the Target Group to break out of a conflict cycle. (For example, empowerment of girls and women could only be supported by GFP if it is to support reduction of violence against women and gender inequality; perhaps by providing skills for a sustainable livelihood that is an alternative to sex-work or other work with high risk of gender-based violence. Empowering youth with skills to give them an alternative to crime may lift them out of cycles of violence and gang crime.)

o ADPP = Advocacy for Peace Programme: an ongoing advocacy campaign or regular activities sustained over a period of months, through print or broadcast media, social media, rallies, marches, demonstrations or parades, or other means, to promote messages for behaviour change and conflict transformation.

o DPP = Dialogue for Peace Programme: organising and facilitating effective dialogue sessions with adults and older youths to deepen understanding and support empowerment and connection shifts to transform conflict in the community. Different approaches can be used, including transformative dialogue, debates, etc.

A typical GFP programme may include one or more Events, followed by some Training, in order then to be able to deliver an effective series of Ongoing Activities over a sustained period of several months. For example, it makes good sense to begin with an ADPE and perhaps an SPE, to generate awareness and interest in your programme and attract volunteers to be trained, and partners to support you. Then you might run a Training activity. And then you will be ready to begin your series of Ongoing Activities on a weekly basis for your Target Group children or youth.


12

Your Ongoing Activities must be directly linked to achieving your planned Outcomes (changes/improvements in the Target Group on your programme) and Impacts (changes/improvements in the wider Beneficiary Community). Consider your resources (time, effort, and cost). In the grid, list the Activities and the dates when they are planned to happen. Risks and Assumptions What risks exist that might stop you organising and running these activities. How could you prevent or prepare for the risks? What assumptions have you made about your capacity to implement the Activities? – What can you do to check your assumptions? Planned Outputs Outputs are the immediate products created by your Activities. They are countable things that happen as a direct result of your time and effort. Planned Outputs include: • the number of trained people your training activities will create; and • the number of people you plan to regularly participate in your activities.

In thinking about these people, it’s important to consider your Target Group again and to consider their age and gender, and whether the participants will be from different "sides" of a conflict.

In the grid, list the Planned Outputs expected from each of the Planned Activities. Expected Outcomes in the Target Group Expected Outcomes are changes you expect to see in your Target Group as a result of their direct involvement in your Activities. Consider changes in the frequency or quality of interactions between people, or changes in their attitude or behaviour. For example, if you were running a peace-building programme for violent youth from two conflicting political groups, you might expect to see more trust; more cooperation; or less willingness to fight amongst the people directly on your programme (‘the Target Group’). In the grid, describe the Expected Outcomes you expect to see in your Target Group. Expected Impact in the Beneficiary Community Expected Impacts are bigger changes you expect to see emerging over time in the Beneficiary Community as a result of your programme. Consider changes in relations, or levels of violence. Refer back to your Conflict Context and your Theory of Change to help you identify this. For example, if you were running a peace-building programme for violent youth from two conflicting political groups, the Expected Impact might be “reduced levels of political violence in the community”. In the grid, describe the Expected Impact you expect to see in your Beneficiary Group. Evidence Indicators of your Outcomes and Impact To know if you are achieving your Expected Outcomes and Expected Impact, you must decide what you will look for as Evidence of them. Like a good detective or scientist, your evidence needs to be something precise which you can measure and which will be sufficient to show whether your Expected Outcomes or Expected Impact has happened or not. This thing you choose to measure is called an “Indicator”, and by measuring it at the start of your programme year, and again at the end of programme cycle year, you will be able to show evidence of the changes happening over the period of your programme.

IMPORTANT: Keep things simple - choose just one indicator for Outcomes and one indicator for Impact. Don’t get bogged down trying to measure lots and lots of indicators: just pick the best ones you can. The best indicators are “SMART”:


13

• Simple and Specific: it’s a clear and specific piece of information • Measurable: it’s easy to measure without too much cost (time or effort) and gives information that you can compare in order to see changes over time • Achievable and Agreed: it’s achievable for you to get this information; and the indicator has been agreed by all those (Delegates/Pioneers) leading the programme • Realistic and Relevant: it’s realistic to expect the expected changes to happen; and the indicator is directly relevant to it and really goes to the essence of your

programme • Time Bound: it relates to a change you do expect to see within the timeframe of your programme.

When choosing your indicator, you must plan what one thing will you measure to show Outcomes and how will get that information? For example, if your Expected Outcome is to see “less desire for political violence amongst youth in the Target Group”, you need an Indicator that shows you whether this change is happening. A good Indicator would be: • Evidence Indicator you will measure: “The percentage of people in the Target Group who said they thought it was acceptable to respond to political differences

with violence.” • How will get this information: You could ask the Target Group members each individually the question “Do you think it is acceptable to respond to political

differences with violence?” By asking them at the start of your programme, and again at the end of your programme cycle year, you will be able to show the change over that period.

Some examples of Indicators you could try are listed below. They are very broad and not related to any one programme. Some are for Outcomes and some for Impacts. Some indicators could be used for either Outcomes or Impacts: if used in relation to the Target Group it is an Outcomes Indicator; if used in relation to the Beneficiary Community it is an Impacts Indicator.

• The percentage of people in the Target Group (or the Beneficiary

Community) who trust people from other ethnicities/tribes/political groups etc. more or less than 6 months ago?

• The number of people in the Target Group who are friends with people from the other side of the conflict?

• How many people in the Target Group say they are more tolerant of people from the other side of the conflict?

• Where do people feel safe and where do they feel unsafe? • The number of people from different groups (in your Target Group/ or in

the Beneficiary Community) who attend each other's social events (weddings, funerals, celebrations, parties etc.)?

• What are seen as the main labels of identity used to describe people from different sides of the conflict, and have the labels changed to be more or less about ethnicity/religion/other polarising conflict divide issues?

• What do taxi drivers tell you about where they feel safe to take people and where not?

• Are services provided to all people or only certain groups? • What evidence of vandalism, graffiti, damage to property is there in the

community? Is it directed towards a certain group? • Are things getting better or worse in the local economy? • Are there more or fewer jobs? Is there more or less investment? How

many business leaders say they are investing more as they have more hope because of reductions in violence?

• Do police reports show that levels of violence are going down? And who is the violence between?

• What language do the media use to describe the current situation and any instances of violence? Are there more or fewer media stories of violence, or more or less language focused on ethnicity/tribe/religion/etc. than six months ago?

You don’t have to choose any of these example indicators, but they may give you some good ideas for Indicators you could choose for your own programme: To get information to measure your indicator, you will often have to find the right person to ask. Sometimes, though, you can get information by simply observing or counting something by yourself, or by gathering data form another source on the internet or public record. In the grid, provide one Evidence Indicator of Outcomes, and one Evidence Indicator of Impact, and describe how you will get the information you need to measure them.


14

Here’s a completed example:

PRO

GR

AM

ME

LOG

IC

Key Stakeholders and the Inputs they will provide: • Bright Generation Community

Foundation – our Local Partner Organisation with excellent community links. They will help us approach the Target Group.

• Police – they will provide access to

figures that measure rates of violent crime in Kumasi.

• Sports Club manager – he will

provide a venue for our sessions. • NDC & NPP Political leaders – will

advocate for our programme and encourage local youth to attend.

• Sports shop – they will provide

equipment for the games.

Planned Activities and Dates: (Events: SPE; ADPE; Training: SPT, ARPT, EPT, ADPT, DPT, TTT; Ongoing Activities: SPPC, SPPY, ARPP, EPP, ADPP, DPP) January 10th: Start with Advocacy for Peace Event (ADPE) to spread awareness of GFP and programme intentions, to attract stakeholders and partners, and also to attract and recruit potential Delegates. February 15th: Run SPT training to train enough volunteers to run the SPPY activities. April 1st to October 1st: Run SPPY activities at the Sports Club every week for the Target Group youth over a 6 month period. November 15th: After 6 months consider another SPT or a TTT so more people are able to train others to expand the Activities.

Planned Outputs: (number of people trained and levels of participation in ongoing regular activities) 6 youth selected and trained as Delegates in the SPT training, confident and able to run good quality SPPY activities each week. 30 youth (15 youth from each of the two main political parties, ‘NDC ‘and ‘NPP’) regularly participating together in 1 SPPY session a week. Each session is planned to last for 2 hours.

Expected Outcomes in the Target Group: (describe expected changes in frequency and quality of interactions: for example, changes in attitude or behaviour) Increased trust between groups; less desire for political violence amongst youth

Expected Impacts in the Beneficiary Community: (describe expected changes in broader community: for example, improved relations or reduced violence) Reduced levels of physical political violence in Kumasi

Risks and Assumptions: • Really need support of political

leaders so Youth have permission to participate.

• Need to ensure equal

participation of NDC and NPP youth.

Evidence Indicator of Outcomes: (What one thing will you measure to show Outcomes and how will get that information?) The percentage of people on the programme who said ‘it is acceptable to respond to political differences with violence’

Evidence Indicator of Impacts: (What one thing will you measure to show Impacts, and how will get that information?) The number of incidences of physical political violence reported at the police station

Risks and Assumptions: • Need neutral location not deemed

to favour NDC or NPP.

Having completed the “Before” section, you have a clear Conflict Analysis, Theory of Change, and Programme Logic, including “SMART” indicators for your Expected Outcomes and Expected Impact.

Now send your completed “BEFORE” section to GFP HQ Programmes Team. You are now ready to start implementing your Planned Activities! - Turn to the “During” section of the M&E Grid.


15

2. DURING During the period whilst you implement your Planned Activities, you will be Monitoring what is happening. This section of the M&E Grid guides you on what information to record.

2.1 Monitoring

DU

RIN

G

MO

NIT

OR

ING

G

athe

ring

evid

ence

of w

hat's

ha

ppen

ing




• What is the process to ensure

lessons-learned are being used?




Outcomes Indicator Baseline situation and Date measured: (how the indicator looks when you start, and the date you measured it) Change from Baseline at the end of the year, and Date measured: (how the indicator looks at the end of the programme year, and the date you measured it)

Impacts Indicator Baseline situation and Date measured: (how the indicator looks when you start, and the date you measured it) Change from Baseline at the end of the year, and Date measured: (how the indicator looks at the end of the programme year, and the date you measured it)

Male Female hours Male Female

Ongoing Activities in programme cycle:



Total # of sessions

Total # of hours

Age 6-15

Age 16-24

Age 24+

M F M F M F YES / NO

Baseline Situation: The very first thing you do at the very start of your programme, before your first Trainings or Ongoing Activities, is to measure your Outcomes Indicator and Impacts Indicator. This will capture the “Baseline Situation”, i.e. the situation before your programme begins to cause changes. Collect the information to measure your Outcomes Indicator and Impacts Indicator, and insert the data in the table, together with the Date you measured them. Measuring the indicator may require you to observe or count things, conduct a survey, interviews, or get statements from people about their feelings or attitudes; or perhaps collect data from another public source, such as getting statistics about violent crime from the local police or court. (You will have planned how you are going to measure you indicator in the Programme Logic row in the evidence indicator boxes). Having got your Baseline done, we now look at the other boxes in the Grid to help you with Monitoring what’s happening in your programme: Learning and Reflection: Learning and reflection is very important for GFP. We believe that positive transformational change in a community only actually happens if people have good opportunities for learning and reflection, both individually and collectively together. Processes that give people the space to stop and think help them to develop more independence, confidence and responsibility. This box asks you to consider two things. Firstly, in what ways learning and reflection is happening, both amongst the Delegates/Pioneers, and amongst the Target Group? For example, are there specific times when they gather to meet? Do they have “debrief” discussions, or “review” meetings, or keep a journal or diary or notebook, or use “feedback” forms? Secondly, if learning and reflection is happening, what is the process to ensure lessons-learned are actually being used? Are lessons-learned actually feeding through into decisions and future plans and therefore leading to changes in the programme or in the community? Or perhaps things are being discussed but then nothing really follows from the discussion? - Perhaps notes are taken or feedback forms collected but it doesn’t lead to decisions or actions being taken? During your programme, please describe in the Grid what learning and reflection processes are actually happening.


16

Quantitative Data Recording numbers, also known as quantitative data, is very important for GFP. It is very powerful for GFP to know and communicate how many participants, sessions, volunteers and volunteering hours are involved in your programme this year so we can recognise all of your hard work. You should capture this data in the grid after each session and update it as you go along. During your programme, please record the following quantitative as you go along, whenever activities happen, so the table is kept up to date: Total # of volunteers (Delegates & Pioneers) active this year In this box you note the number of male and female GFP volunteers (whether Delegates or Pioneers) who are actively involved in this particular programme. Total # of hours this year spent volunteering We really want to recognise the enormous amount of time dedicated by our Delegates and Pioneers. In this box you keep adding up all the hours all the volunteers have spent on any aspect of the programme. This includes the hours spent running activities with the Target Group of course, but also includes all those hours spent planning and preparing, meeting stakeholders, and learning and reflecting together after a session. For example, if today you and two other Delegates had a one hour meeting with the Head Teacher of the School to get his permission to run GFP activities in the school with the children, and you travelled thirty minutes each way to get there, you would add 6 hours to the cumulative total of volunteer hours already recorded in this box. # of people Trained in this year’s programme cycle After each Training you implement (whether SPT, ARPT, EPT, ADPT, DPT, or TTT) just add the number of people (male and female) successfully completing the training to the cumulative total of people already recorded in this box. Ongoing Activities: Total # of sessions and Total # of hours After each session of your Ongoing Activities, add 1 to the cumulative total number of sessions for the year, and add the number of hours of that session to the cumulative total number of hours for the year. # of Participants in regular Ongoing Activities this year After each session of your Ongoing Activities, add the numbers of participants in the relevant boxes by age and gender, to the cumulative total numbers already recorded. Do participants come from all “sides” of the conflict? – Yes/No At the end of your programme cycle year, you can summarise whether the participants on your programme come from all “sides” of the conflict (as identified in your Conflict Analysis), because this is important to know since our main objectives are to build greater understanding across conflict divides. IMPORTANT: it really helps if you keep inserting numbers and adding to your totals as you go along during your programme, after each session, so the table is kept up to date.


17

Changes from Baseline in the Outcomes Indicator and Impacts Indicator At the end of your programme cycle, once all your Ongoing Activity sessions have come to an end, allow a pause of about two months of no GFP activities in the community. This pause is important, to allow things to settle and to see if changes in behaviour are going to “stick” or whether things will go back to the way they were. After the pause, you must re-measure your Outcome and Impact Indicators in the same way as you did to get your original Baseline. Record them in the Grid and write the Date you measured them. The Grid will now show clearly the change in your selected Indicators over the period of the programme. When you have completed the During section at the end of the Programme Year, please send a copy to GFP Head Office. Here is a completed example:

DU

RIN

G

MO

NIT

OR

ING

G

athe

ring

evid

ence

of w

hat's

hap

peni

ng




• What is the process to ensure lessons-learned are being used?

Pioneers and Delegates held regular discussions with each other to plan activities and consider their progress. This is leading to small improvements being made on the activities. At the end of each SPPY session the Target Community reflect together on the lessons of the day. This helps them take their knowledge away with them and remember what they have learnt for next time.




Outcomes Indicator Baseline situation and Date measured: (how the indicator looks when you start, and the date you measured it) In a survey, 85% said ‘it is acceptable to respond to political differences with violence’ Measured 5th March 2013 Change from Baseline at the end of the year, and Date measured: (how the indicator looks at the end of the programme year, and the date you measured it) In a survey, 30% said ‘it is acceptable to respond to political differences with violence’ (decrease of 55%) Measured 12th December 2013

Impacts Indicator Baseline situation and Date measured: (how the indicator looks when you start, and the date you measured it) There were 51 reported incidences of physical political violence at the police station over the preceding 6 months. Measured 5th March 2013 Change from Baseline at the end of the year, and Date measured: (how the indicator looks at the end of the programme year, and the date you measured it) There were 31 reported incidences of physical political violence at the police station over the preceding 6 months (= decrease of 39%) Measured 12th December 2013

Male 5

Female 3 384 hours Male

4 Female

2 Ongoing Activities in programme cycle:



Total # of sessions

48

Total # of hours

48

Age 6-15

Age 16-24

Age 24+

M 5

F 2

M 19

F 2

M 2

F 4

Yes 6 youth from ‘NDC’; 8 from the ‘NPP’ regularly participating together; 6 youth trained as Delegates (4 NDC; 2 NPP)


18

3. AFTER At the end of your programme cycle year, it is important to carry out your Evaluation. We only do this once a year because the behavioural changes we want to see take time to develop. Try to do schedule your Evaluation to be done immediately after re-measuring your Indicators. If you don’t do an Evaluation, then all of your hard work and effort is wasted, because you can’t actually capture and communicate (and celebrate!) all the changes that you have achieved with your programme. It’s important to go the extra mile and finish your programme year with an Evaluation. You’ll be amazed at how much you learn, how valuable people in the community find it, and how interesting and fun the process can be too!

3.1 Evaluation

AFT

ER

EVA

LUA

TIO

N

Und

erst

andi

ng w

hat h

appe

ned

and

why

, th

en le

arni

ng a

nd p

lann

ing

impr

ovem

ents


• What worked well and why?

• What didn’t work well and why not?

• What evidence is there to show outcomes/ impacts?



• What do they believe caused

these changes? • Why are these changes

considered the most important?



• Have there been any negative outcomes/impact?

• What else was happening

that could have caused the changes?



• Is the programme cost-


• Should this programme be


(5) Action Points:


• What changes should we make to our

Theory of Change? • What changes should we make to our

Programme Logic or Activities? • For Pioneers/Delegates: What changes

should we make to improve our indicators and our processes for M&E and Learning?

Evaluation is pausing to ask big questions that help you understand what exactly happened on your programme and why. By asking these questions, you can see the Impacts and Outcomes your programme has had so far, and learn where you need to improve in the future. GFP uses a method called Participatory Evaluation. This type of evaluation involves bringing together the GFP Delegates and Pioneers, representatives of the Key Stakeholders, people from your Target Group, and people from the wider Beneficiary Community members (from all “sides” of the conflict). It then facilitates discussion, guided by the questions in the Evaluation row of the M&E Grid. Together, they can voice their opinions about the Impacts and Outcomes of the programme, and identify how to make it even better. Trust the Grid and Participatory Evaluation process. Let them show you the changes you need and the impacts and outcomes you are causing. Most often, the Participator Evaluation will be led by the same lead Delegate or Pioneer who was leading the programme overall. However, sometimes it may be useful to invite an experienced Pioneer from another Programme to come and help with the Evaluation, to provide a useful objective viewpoint, and sometimes a GFP HQ Programmes Team staff member or a researcher from the Generations For Peace Institute may be available to help. This section will first explain the process of how to conduct a Participatory Evaluation and then how to complete the different boxes in the last row of the M&E Grid. A fully completed example of the Grid can be found in section 5.3. The ‘After’ Evaluation section is the largest and is best presented as a separate page.


19

3.2 Using the Participatory Evaluation Process Participatory Evaluation involves bringing together the GFP Delegates and Pioneers, representatives of the Key Stakeholders, people from your Target Group, and people from the wider Beneficiary Community members for one full day of discussion. The aim is to gather as broad a sample of people as possible (men/women/youth/children) from all 'sides' of the conflict. There is no minimum or maximum number, just be realistic and consider your resources. This flow chart (fig 2.) shows the 5 steps to completing a Participatory Evaluation, and the estimated time needed for each step:

Participatory Evaluation Flow Chart (fig 2.)

The whole Participatory Evaluation day is very energising and engaging for all the participants because they are given a chance to voice their opinion, and everyone learns a lot about each other and different perspectives. It is a very valuable process. Step 1 – Preparation (prepare at least 2 weeks before the Evaluation day) The total time needed for the actual Participatory Evaluation session is one day, including breaks. However, it is very important to make your preparations at least two weeks beforehand, in order to generate maximum participation in the Evaluation. To prepare, you will need to: • Invite Delegates and Pioneers • Invite members of the Target Group • Invite people from the Beneficiary Community • Organise a venue, time and date that suits as many people as possible • Arrange some food and refreshments for them whilst they participate

(food/refreshments are important encouragement for people to attend!) • Decide who will be giving the Introduction on the day

• Plan what Focus Groups you will arrange. • Decide which Delegates and Pioneers are facilitating each focus group

(if several Delegates/Pioneers are facilitating the Evaluation together, then you can decide to split up and run different Focus groups simultaneously to save time).

• Make copies of the Evaluation Grid to use for asking questions and writing down answers.

Step 2 - Introduction to the gathered Community (allow 45 minutes for this) When all the people have arrived on the day of the Participatory Evaluation, you should introduce yourself and explain the processes and aims of the day. • Introduce yourselves and explain to the whole group what you want to do. You can use this introduction to help you:

“Today we will be organising Focus Groups and a large Group Discussion to listen to each other and to understand what happened during our GFP programme this year and why. We want to know everyone’s thoughts on what changes have happened: changes to people who participated directly in the programme activities, and also changes to people in the broader community who may not have participated directly. We don’t just want to hear the nice things; please do tell us if things didn’t work or could be improved. We really want to learn from each other and share ideas for how we can improve the programme going forward. We also want to reflect on how we have each contributed, how we have each learned and changed, and what more we can do individually and together to create a better future for our community.”

• One of the Pioneers or Delegates should explain some ground-rules for the day. For example, allowing each person to speak and not interrupting anyone speaking; using respectful language at all times. Remember your Facilitator Guide for other ideas of facilitator best practice!

Preparation (at least 2 weeks

before the Evaluation Day)

Introduction to the gathered Community

(45 minutes)

Focus Groups (2-3 hours)

Big Group Discussion (1.5 hours)

Write-up and Sharing (1 day: the very next

day!)


20

• One of the Pioneers or Delegates running the programme should then describe the whole programme (10 to 15 minutes maximum) to help everyone remember it. • Explain how you would like to divide them into Focus Groups for discussions (see ‘Focus Groups’ below for suggestions) and where each Focus Group will be. • Explain the timings for the rest of the day, and arrangements for food and refreshments. Emphasise what time the “Big Group Discussion” will be, and where, to

ensure everyone comes back to the room to participate in that. • When everyone is ready, ask people to move into their Focus Groups with their facilitator to get started.

Step 3 - Focus Groups (allow 2 to 3 hours for these) You need to arrange people into several different Focus Groups, but the numbers and types of people participating in each of them will vary according to your conflict issue and Target Group. As a guide, the following Focus Groups should be considered: • Focus Group 1 - the Delegates and Pioneers involved in organising the activity (as many of them as possible) • Focus Group 2 - the Target Group people who participated in the Activities directly themselves (as many of them as are available on the day to attend the

discussion). If this is a large group or you think it useful, split them into Group 2A - women; Group 2B - men; or Group 2A - from one side of the conflict; 2B from other side etc. If your Target Group was very young children, then you may want to have their Parents in a Focus Group.

• Focus Group 3 - people from the Beneficiary Community who were not in the Target Group (i.e. did not directly participate in Activities) but may be able to offer a view on Impacts in the community. Again, if this is a large group, split them into Group 3A - women; Group 3B - men; or Group 3A - from one “side” of the conflict; 3B from other “side” etc.

IMPORTANT: the number of Focus Groups you attempt, and whether they are done consecutively or simultaneously, depends on the total number of participants; the numbers of Pioneers/facilitators you have to run a Focus Group; and the physical space available to hold such meetings. IMPORTANT: the evaluation is only useful if it is honest and open and allows people to give their heart-felt views. Any Pioneer or Delegate facilitating a Focus Group should emphasise again that they don’t just want to hear nice things, but want to encourage people to speak up also about what didn’t work and what can be improved. In each Focus Group, you will ask the same set of questions: these questions are already prepared for you in the boxes numbered (1) to (5) in the Evaluation row of the M&E Grid. As a facilitator, you should take with you into the focus groups a laptop with the Evaluation grid, or printed versions of it large enough so you can write answers to these questions. Consider recording or filming it, too, so you can capture actual quotations from people in their actual words, but only if people agree to it. Step 4 - Big Group Discussion (allow 1.5 hours for this) The Big Group discussion brings everyone back together and allows community members themselves to represent each Focus Group and summarise what was discussed. Facilitation is as follows: • Ask representatives from each Focus Group in turn to present a summary of their main points to the whole group • Then ask Delegates and Pioneers to add their own comments or clarifications if needed • Then facilitate discussion within the whole group (summarise main points, ask for ideas as to why there might be differences between different Focus Groups if

relevant, etc.) • Summarise the things that have been learned, and address any questions • Plan improvements for the future. Ask only the first three questions in the Action Points box (5). Give people a chance to question and plan what they can do to

make the programme better in the future. Explain that the Pioneers and Delegates will meet after the Evaluation to plan improvements, but be careful and realistic in what you promise to implement

• Explain that the Pioneers and Delegates will meet tomorrow to turn all these points into the proposed plan for the future programme activities, to submit to GFP HQ. • Thanks and farewells


21

Step 5 – Write-Up and Sharing (allow one day - plan to do this the very next day!) On the Write-Up Day the Delegates/Pioneers who organised the programme gather together. Ideally it should be the very next day, while everything is still fresh in your minds. The Write-Up involves typing short precise answers neatly into each of the boxes (1) to (5) in the Evaluation row, summarising the different views of the Focus Groups and the Big Group Discussion, noting especially where opinions were different. Please make a special note of any powerful quotations - people's actual words - if they say something that is a clear soundbite or statement expressing something important about the programme. These quotations will really help with future advocacy and communications. The answers you insert in Box (5) should be clear enough for you to be able immediately to complete your new updated Conflict Analysis; updated or new Theory of Change; adjusted or new Programme Logic and Activities; and any changes to your processes for M&E and Learning. This means that your Write-Up Day effectively completes your Programme Planning for the next phase of your programme, building on what you have already achieved and learned. 3.3 Tips for completing the Grid

Box (1) - Understanding what happened and why This gets people in the Focus Groups talking and gives them a chance to say what they think worked well and what didn’t work so well in the programme. Note down everything, not just the “positive” comments – it’s very important to learn what may not have worked well so we can keep improving. You should then explain to the Focus Groups the difference between Outcomes (changes in the Target Group as a result of participating in your Activities) and Impacts (changes in the Beneficiary Community as a result of your Outcomes), and then ask what changes they think have happened, and what is the evidence that proves it? Show them the indicators you used and the Outcomes and Impacts you measured at the start and end of the programme year. Do they agree with your results? Do they have comments on them? Do they have other evidence? Write their answers in box (1). Box (2) - Most Significant Changes This asks people to decide what has been the most important changes over the last year. When asking this question, note down their first response, then encourage people to think about the personal, relational, structural, and cultural dimensions of the conflict you are trying to address, to see if that helps them identify other significant changes. Then ask what they think caused the significant changes they have mentioned? And ask them why they consider these changes to be the most important? Write their answers in box (2).

Box (3) - Unintended, unwanted, and unconnected changes Having discussed what worked well or not, evidence of outcomes and impact, and the most significant changes, in this box you ask the Focus Groups to think and discuss whether there were any unexpected or unintended outcomes/impacts, and whether there were any negative outcomes/impact which they may not have mentioned so far. Then ask them to think and discuss what else was happening at the same time as your GFP programme that could have caused the changes? This helps them consider whether the changes were caused by the GFP programme or by other factors or other things happening in the community. Write their answers in box (3).


22

Box (4) - Looking Forward These questions allow people in the Focus Groups to give their own opinions about the sustainability of the changes (whether the changes will be lasting or things will return to the way they were) and the cost-effectiveness of the programme, considering all the time and effort and resources put into it. Then ask the people in the Focus Groups for their opinions and ideas about whether the programme should be replicated or scaled-up: do they think it should be continued or not? – do they think it should be increased in size or not? – do they think it should be taken to a new place or not? – do they think in fact this programme should be stopped and something different tried instead?

Asking this questions allows everyone in the Focus Groups to reflect, individually and collectively, on what they have learned about the programme and its results, and to voice their opinion on what should be done next. This is important. Giving people this opportunity and supporting their capacity to reflect and learn is crucial to supporting the adaptive changes needed for addressing conflicts in complex contexts. All these questions will help you consider what direction to take your programme in next, and to ensure your focus on the four Generation For Peace “drivers of change”: innovation, quality, impact, and sustainability. You can also plan how to address any unintended or unwanted changes that you might have identified in box (3). Write their answers in box (4). Box (5) - Action Points Finally, as part of the Write-Up Day, the Delegates/Pioneers involved in running the programme should meet to discuss the findings from the Focus Group and the Big Group Discussion, and agree what actions may be needed. These discussions will essentially be the programme planning for the next phase of the programme, and will ask:

• Is your programme still as relevant as it was a year before? Is the Conflict Context the same or has it changed? Or has your understanding of it deepened or changed? – now fill out the Conflict Context section for the next phase of your programme.

• With your new-found knowledge form the Evaluation, is your Theory of Change still strong, or do you need to adjust it, or perhaps design a completely new Theory of Change? Is your Target Group the right one, or do you need to switch focus? – now fill out the Theory of Change section for the next phase of your programme.

• Do you need to change your Activities? – find more or different Stakeholders? – change the Inputs? – change the design of the Activities themselves, or their timing? Were the Outcome and Impact Indicators useful or do you now have a better idea of Indicators that will be more “SMART” for your programme? – now fill out the Programme Logic section for the next phase of your programme.

• (Pioneers/Delegates only:) How could your learning and reflection processes be improved? How could your Monitoring processes be improved? How could your Evaluation process be improved? – make notes in the Grid so you can get even more value out of these processes next time around.

The Action Points are designed so they lead your evaluation straight into planning again: preparing the Conflict Analysis; Theory of Change; Programme Logic and Activity design; and M&E steps for the next phase of the programme. Use what you have learnt on the Evaluation to fill out a new M&E Grid and begin again - even better than before. 3.4 Submitting your Evaluation Report to GFP Headquarters Your Final Report to GFP HQ Programmes Team will include:

• Your fully completed M&E Grid, including fully completed “Monitoring” row and the write-up of your “Evaluation” row • Your final financial report • Selected photos and video of programme activities or interviews, good quotations, partner/stakeholder testimonials, any local media coverage, etc. to support your

M&E reports.

Please share all the above as widely as possible amongst all the Delegates and Pioneers involved in your programme, as soon as possible. Please also share them with the Target Group and any key stakeholders. This is a really powerful way to get their continued participation and support for the next phase of your programme.


23

4. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER You can see now that M&E is not something to start thinking about at the end of your programme; it really starts with your very first thoughts about the conflict context and possible design of your programme. Hopefully, by explaining the M&E Grid step-by-step, box-by-box, you can be confident in your planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of your programme. M&E is easy, enjoyable, and engaging - and it is crucial in tying together every phase of your GFP programme. The steps involved in constant M&E, learning, and improving can be seen in the Programme Cycle in fig.3 and the Annual Programme Cycle timeframe below: Annual Programme Cycle The precise timeframe for your Programme Cycle over a year will vary for each programme, but the timeline below is a useful guide:

Conflict Analysis

Theory of

Change

Programme Logic

measure Baseline

conduct Events

Training Ongoing Activities Participatory Evaluation

Re-measure Indicators

preparation pause! Start

again!

1. Conflict Analysis

2. Theory of Change

3. Plan Programme

Logic 4. Implement and Monitor

5. Evaluate and plan

improvements

6. Start again, even better than

before

Programme Cycle over 1 year

(fig 3.)


24

5. ANNEXES 5.1 Definitions Baseline This is the measurement of your Outcomes Indicator and Impacts Indicator at the very start of your programme, before your activities begin to cause any changes. Beneficiary Community The people in the wider community you want to benefit from the changes created by the programme. Constant Learning Cycle The constant collection and analysis of information to learn and improve the innovation, quality, impact, and sustainability of your programme:

Evaluation Evaluation is pausing to understand what happened in your programme and why. By analysing data and asking questions you can see the outcomes and impacts your programme is having, and learn where you need to improve in the future. Indicator A single piece of evidence that when measured again and again will show you changes in Outcomes or Impacts. Monitoring Monitoring is a continuous process of collecting and reporting evidence of what's happening in your programme.

1. Monitoring (Gathering evidence of

what is happening)

2. Evaluation (Understanding what happened and why, and

planning improvements)

3. Improvement

(Applying improvements

to the programme)


25

Peace building There are many definitions of peace building, but Generations For Peace uses the following: “Peace building is understood as a comprehensive concept that encompasses, generates, and sustains the full array of processes, approaches, and stages needed to transform conflict toward more sustainable, peaceful relationships. The term thus involves a wide range of activities that both precede and follow formal peace accords. Metaphorically, peace is seen not merely as a stage in time or a condition. It is a dynamic social construct.”1 Planned Activity The activities you organise on your programme for your Target Group participants to take part in. Programme Impacts The changes in the Beneficiary Community that are caused by the changes in your Target Group, for example, “less violence in town because youth are more educated about the importance of peaceful conflict resolution.” Programme Name The name of the programme you are organising. For example, “The Generations For Peace Kumasi Political Peace Programme” Programme Outcomes The changes in your Target Group that are caused by your Planned Activities. These are usually behavioural changes, for example, “youth are more educated about the importance of peaceful conflict resolution.”

Programme Outputs Outputs are the countable things that happen as a direct result of your time and effort inputs into your Planned Activities. Outputs include the number of sessions you arrange; the number of people you trained as Delegates; and the number of people who regularly participate in your activities. Programme Year One calendar year, from the baseline and the first implementation of activities, to measuring your indicator again and conducting an Evaluation. Replicated Copied in a different location. Scaled-up Increased in size, either in terms of the number of people in the Target Group, or the number of sessions held. Target Group The people involved directly as participants in your Planned Activities.

1 Lederach, John Paul, Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press States Institute of Peace Press, 1997


26

5.2 Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does this form replace the other forms you ask me for? No. This compliments existing forms and provides an even better process for improving your programmes. GFP HQ Programmes Team staff will advise you want other forms are needed.

2. Why do I need to do this? Because M&E is essential for quality programmes. The planning lets you think clearly about the direction, aims and needs of your programme; Monitoring lets you keep track of what changes you are causing and measure your progress through the simple use of Indicators; and Evaluation provides the evidence to let you understand why these changes are happening and plan for even better quality programmes in the future.

3. Do I need to complete a separate M&E Grid for each one of my Events and each of my Trainings, and then each ongoing session? (See page 4) No, you do not complete a form for each activity. You complete just one M&E Grid for your whole programme cycle. A programme cycle will take a year, and will include your planning then your activities which might include an Advocacy for Peace Event and perhaps a Sport for Peace Event; then some Training; then your Ongoing Activities with your Target Group. You should list all your Planned Activities in the “Programme Logic” row of the Grid, and all of these should be working together towards your one “Theory of Change” for the whole programme.

4. How often do I fill this in? (See page 23) You fill this out gradually throughout the programme year, as follows: Before: You complete the Before section whilst you are planning your programme and before you start your Planned Activities. During: The first thing you complete is the ‘Baseline Situation’ section in the During section. This is when you first measure your Indicators at the very start your programme year. Write the date in the ‘Baseline Date’ box in the Programme Info row at the top of the Grid. You complete the ‘Change from Baseline at the end of the year’ when you measure your Indicators one year later at the end of the programme year. You also complete the quantitative data table at the end of each session and update it as so go along so that it’s correct at the end of the programme year. You complete the Learning and Reflection box as you go along, too. At the end of your programme cycle year, you re-measure your Outcomes Indicator and Impacts Indicator. After: You hold an Evaluation at the end of the programme year, immediately after re-measuring your Outcomes Indicator and Impacts Indicator. You write-up the After row immediately after the evaluation and send your responses back to GFP HQ.


27

5. My programme has been running for a while already. Do I enter the numbers of volunteers and people trained from before? (See page 16) No. Each M&E Grid collects data regarding one Programme Cycle year. Data from a previous programme cycle should not be added into the quantitative boxes that ask for ‘Total # of volunteers (Delegates & Pioneers) facilitating programme’ or anywhere else in that section.

6. What is an indicator? (See pages 12 &13) An Indicator is a single specific piece of evidence that you choose to measure again and again in order to show you changes in Outcomes or Impacts. By measuring your indicator at the start of your programme year and again at the end of the year, you will be able to show evidence of the changes happening over the period of your programme.

7. Can I use more than one indicator? (See pages 12 &13) Keep it simple. Choose just one indicator for Outcomes and one indicator for Impacts. Don’t get bogged down trying to measure lots and lots of indicators: just pick the best ones you can. The best indicators are “SMART”: • Simple and Specific: it’s a clear and specific piece of information • Measurable: it’s easy to measure without too much cost (time or effort) and gives information that you can compare in order to see changes over time • Achievable and Agreed: it’s achievable for you to get this information; and the indicator has been agreed by all those (Delegates/Pioneers) leading the

programme • Realistic and Relevant: it’s realistic to expect the expected changes to happen; and the indicator is directly relevant to it and really goes to the essence of your

programme • Time Bound: it relates to a change you do expect to see within the timeframe of your programme.

8. Do I use an indicator for each different activity? (See pages 12 &13) No. Just one indicator for Outcomes and one indicator for Impacts for your whole programme. You do not need to choose an indicator for each activity, as all of your activities are working towards the same expected Outcomes and Impacts and using the same Theory of Change.

9. What is a Baseline? (See pages 15 & 17) This is the value of your Outcomes Indicator and Impacts Indicator at the very start of your programme, before your first Planned Activities begin to cause any changes. By comparing your Baseline to measurements of the same Indicators a year later, you will be able to see changes over time.


28

10. What is the difference between Outcome and Impact? (See pages 12 & 13) Outcomes are changes you can see in your Target Group as a result of their direct involvement in your Planned Activities. Consider changes in the frequency or quality of interactions between people, or changes in their attitude or behaviour for example. Impacts are bigger changes you can see emerging over time in the Beneficiary Community as a result of your Outcomes. Consider changes in relations, or levels of violence for example.

11. What is the difference between the Target Group and Beneficiary Community? (See page 7) The Target Group are the people involved directly as participants in your programme Activities. They could be participants in Training, or in your regular Ongoing Activities. It’s important to consider whether your Target Group includes people from different “sides” of the conflict.

The Beneficiary Community are a broader group of people in the wider community, whom you want to benefit from the changes created by the programme. The Beneficiary Community does not need to be the entire population of a geographical community; it may be a subset group within the community. The Beneficiary Community will usually include your Target Group people, as well as lots of other people who do not necessarily participate directly in your Planned Activities. Again, it’s important to consider whether your Beneficiary Community includes people from different “sides” of the conflict.

12. How do I collect data?

(See page 13) You can collect data in many different ways, but the most important thing is that you collect information that is SMART (see question 7 above). To give a few examples, you can make surveys/questionnaires to get statements from people about their feelings or attitudes; or by interviewing people; or collect data about violent crime from the police or court; or gather quantitative information by, for example, observing behaviour or analysing the media; or even simply by counting people, sessions, number of volunteering hours etc. There are many ways, but, again, always think what way will give you data that is SMART.

13. What is Most Significant Change? (See page 21) Most Significant Change is an Evaluation tool that asks people for stories of change, rather than quantitative data. It asks people to decide what has been the most important changes over the last year. It is a useful tool to elicit stories and understand what Impacts and Outcomes people think you are really having. Ideally, when asking this question note down peoples’ first response, then encourage them to think about the personal, relational, structural, and cultural dimensions of the conflict you are trying to address. This can help them identify other significant changes, too. Afterwards, you can ask what they think caused the significant changes they have mentioned? And then ask them why they consider these changes to be the most important?


29

14. How do I measure the Impact the programme is having on indirect beneficiaries? (See page 21) Given the limited resources at your disposal as a volunteer, we advise only selecting one Outcomes Indicator and one Impacts Indicator. However, you will find that you learn a lot about the impact of your programme on your Beneficiary Community, and perhaps even about unexpected impacts on others, when you ask the set of questions in the Participatory Evaluation. In particular, Box (3) in the Evaluation row asks people to consider the ‘unintended, unwanted and unconnected changes’. Box (5) asks people to plan future actions and they might decide to change the Target Group and the Beneficiary Community in order to have a more direct impact on a certain group.

15. How do I deal with unexpected changes? (See page 21) Having identified unexpected changes in Box (3) of the Evaluation row, ask what unexpected changes people say has caused them. Are they significant? Are they worrying, or just inconsequential? Use the ‘Looking Forward’ Box (4) to decide whether to plan to address the unexpected changes more directly in the future, and the ‘Action Points’ Box (5) to set future plan for the next phase of your programme.

16. When do we use Participatory Evaluation, and how many people do I invite?

(See pages 19, 20, & 21) You use Participatory Evaluation at the end of each Programme Year. One Participatory Evaluation per year is enough. You must allow a pause between the end of your Ongoing Activities, and re-measurement of your Outcomes Indicator and Impacts Indicator, and you then want to hold your Participatory Evaluation immediately after that. The “pause” is important because the behavioural changes we want to investigate take time to emerge, and we also want to see if the changes are sustained and “stick” after the end of our activities, or whether everything goes back to the way it was before. Participatory Evaluation involves bringing together the GFP Delegates and Pioneers, representatives of the Key Stakeholders, people from your Target Group, and people from the wider Beneficiary Community members for one full day of discussion. There is no set number of people to invite. The aim is to gather as broad a sample of people as possible (men/women/youth/children) from all 'sides' of the conflict. The main thing is to be realistic and consider your resources when making preparations.

5.3 Completed Example M&E Grid On the next page is a fully-completed example of the entire M&E Grid. Together with the guidelines above, it should help you conduct your own M&E and fill out the Grid for your own programme.


30

Generations For Peace (GFP) | M&E Grid | Version 10/04/2013 – COMPLETED EXAMPLE

PROGRAMME INFO:

Country: Ghana City/Town: Kumasi Lead Delegate / Pioneer name: Mohammad Bun Bida

Programme Name: The Generations for Peace Kumasi Political Peace Programme

Baseline Date: 05/03/2013 Evaluation Date: 12/12/2013

BEF

OR

E

CO

NFL

ICT

AN

ALY

SIS


violence that you want to address?

Political violence, especially during election years • Who are the different “sides” to

the conflict? The different sides to the conflict are the two major political parties – the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP)

What dimension(s) of conflict are you focused on in this programme? Is your focus on Personal dimension? (Consider individual feelings of weakness or empowerment, attitudes and individual behaviour) We would like to empower youth in positive ways, for example to have individual capacity to respond to conflict without violence, and to trust in dialogue and tolerance instead of violence.

Is your focus on Relational dimension? (Consider quality of relationships, interactions, cooperation, and conflict management between people and groups) Our focus will be on fixing the broken relationships between people from different political groups, especially at the volatile youth level.

Is your focus on Structural dimension? (Consider inequality, unfairness, exclusion, discrimination, lack of transparency or access, or restrictions of rights) N/A

Is your focus on Cultural dimension? (Consider values promoted and demonstrated in a community; what behaviour and language are acceptable or not, what labels are used, what is celebrated, who are role models) It would be nice if some of the youth we work with became positive role models for others in their communities, and started leading by example. This might change community values.

THEO

RY

OF

CH

AN

GE

If: (we do something…) If we use GFP peace-building sessions and sport-based games to bring youth from different political sides together…

Then: (something will change…) Then there will be less political violence in Kumasi…

Because: (of something…) Because the sessions and games will provide opportunities to increase understanding, trust and tolerance between youth from different political parties

Target Group: An equal number of youth from the two main political parties, who are either known to have been involved in political violence, or who are at risk of becoming violent in the future.

Beneficiary Community: The families, friends, and peers of the Target Group, and hopefully their families, friends, and peers too in the broader community of Kumasi.

PRO

GR

AM

ME

LOG

IC

Key Stakeholders and the Inputs they will provide: • Bright Generation Community

Foundation – our Local Partner Organisation with excellent community links. They will help us approach the Target Group.

• Police – they will provide access to figures that measure rates of violent crime in Kumasi.

• Sports Club manager – he will provide a venue for our sessions.

• NDC & NPP Political leaders – will advocate for our programme and encourage local youth to attend.

• Sports shop – they will provide equipment for the games.

Planned Activities and Dates: (Events: SPE; ADPE; Training: SPT, ARPT, EPT, ADPT, DPT, TTT; Ongoing Activities: SPPC, SPPY, ARPP, EPP, ADPP, DPP) • January 10th: Start with

Advocacy for Peace Event (ADPE) to spread awareness of GFP and programme intentions, to attract stakeholders and partners, and also to attract and recruit potential Delegates.

• February 15th: Run SPT training to train enough volunteers to run the SPPY activities.

• April 1st to October 1st: Run SPPY activities at the Sports Club every week for the Target Group youth over a 6 month period.

• November 15th: After 6 months consider another SPT or a TTT so more people are able to train others to expand the Activities.

Planned Outputs: (number of people trained and levels of participation in ongoing regular activities) 6 youth selected and trained as Delegates in the SPT training, confident and able to run good quality SPPY activities each week. 30 youth (15 youth from each of the two main political parties, ‘NDC ‘and ‘NPP’) regularly participating together in 1 SPPY session a week. Each session is planned to last for 2 hours.

Expected Outcomes in the Target Group: (describe expected changes in frequency and quality of interactions: for example, changes in attitude or behaviour) Increased trust between groups; less desire for political violence amongst youth

Expected Impacts in the Beneficiary Community: (describe expected changes in broader community: for example, improved relations or reduced violence) Reduced levels of physical political violence in Kumasi

Evidence Indicator of Outcomes: (What one thing will you measure to show Outcomes and how will get that information?) The percentage of people on the programme who said ‘it is acceptable to respond to political differences with violence’

Evidence Indicator of Impacts: (What one thing will you measure to show Impacts, and how will get that information?) The number of incidences of physical political violence reported at the police station

Risks and Assumptions: • Really need support of political

leaders so Youth have permission to participate.

• Need to ensure equal participation of NDC and NPP youth.

Risks and Assumptions: Need neutral location not deemed to favour NDC or NPP.


31

Generations For Peace (GFP) | M&E Grid | Version 10/04/2013 – COMPLETED EXAMPLE, Continued

DU

RIN

G

MO

NIT

OR

ING

G

athe

ring

evid

ence

of w

hat's

hap

peni

ng




• What is the process to ensure lessons-learned are being used?

Pioneers and Delegates held regular discussions with each other to plan activities and consider their progress. This is leading to small improvements being made on the activities. At the end of each SPPY session the Target Community reflect together on the lessons of the day. This helps them take their knowledge away with them and remember what they have learnt for next time.




Outcomes Indicator Baseline situation and Date measured: (how the indicator looks when you start, and the date you measured it) In a survey, 85% said ‘it is acceptable to respond to political differences with violence’ Measured 5th March 2013 Change from Baseline at the end of the year, and Date measured: (how the indicator looks at the end of the programme year, and the date you measured it) In a survey, 30% said ‘it is acceptable to respond to political differences with violence’ (decrease of 55%) Measured 12th December 2013

Impacts Indicator Baseline situation and Date measured: (how the indicator looks when you start, and the date you measured it) There were 51 reported incidences of physical political violence at the police station over the preceding 6 months. Measured 5th March 2013 Change from Baseline at the end of the year, and Date measured: (how the indicator looks at the end of the programme year, and the date you measured it) There were 31 reported incidences of physical political violence at the police station over the preceding 6 months (= decrease of 39%) Measured 12th December 2013

Male 5

Female 3 384 hours Male

4 Female

2 Ongoing Activities in programme cycle:



Total # of sessions

48

Total # of hours

48

Age 6-15

Age 16-24

Age 24+

M 5

F 2

M 19

F 2

M 2

F 4

Yes 6 youth from ‘NDC’; 8 from the ‘NPP’ regularly participating together; 6 youth trained as Delegates (4 NDC; 2 NPP)


32

Generations For Peace (GFP) | M&E Grid | Version 10/04/2013 – COMPLETED EXAMPLE, Continued

AFT

ER

EVA

LUA

TIO

N

Und

erst

andi

ng w

hat h

appe

ned

and

why

, the

n le

arni

ng a

nd p

lann

ing

impr

ovem

ents


• What worked well and why? The programme has become more popular each month, and numbers are above our Planned Outputs. Youth from different backgrounds and political sides are attending together and learning about peace, tolerance and cooperation. The Outcome indicator shows that 55% less people think political violence is acceptable since we started. This is very encouraging. The 6 youth trained as Delegates are planning more programmes for this year and are volunteering more time on this project too. The girls are fully participating alongside the boys, but the number of girls is not as high as planned. Stakeholders are happy with our work. The police are happy to provide figures for our Impact baseline (‘The number of incidences of physical political violence reported at the police station’) and even refer youth arrested for violence to my GFP programme. We are very proud of this. The Sports Club manager and staff like having us associated with them. The Club is also centrally located and helps attract new youth participants. As GFP’s profile increased over the year, we’ve now been approached to run programmes in a school where political violence is high amongst students. We have also been asked to run a programme in another district outside of Kumasi. Parents of youth on the programme report that the youth show better behaviour at home and are thinking and talking about less violent ways to show their political allegiance. Local teachers report higher attendance at school for youth, and less physical violence at school.



Responses from the Target Group showed that the Most Significant Changes were: 1. They are more trusting in

dialogue and the political process to deliver social changes, instead of violence.

2. That people understand violence undermines any chance for collaboration and ‘win-win’ agreements between the parties.

3. Before, they would fight over anything. Now they remember to ‘walk in someone else’s shoes’ and see their perspective before they resort to violence.

4. That they feel guilty when they cause violence. They understand now that everyone has a stake in the community, not just youth, and their violence hurts everyone.

5. They have more friends from opposite sides of town.

The Beneficiary Community people said the Most Significant Changes were: 1. They felt safer in their

neighbourhoods. 2. There was more freedom of

movement and less fear to go to other parts of Kumasi.

3. They saw less violence, and the violence they did see was verbal rather than physical.

4. They trusted the police more. 5. The youth seemed calmer.



We have seen children copying some of the games they have seen us use. People in the Focus Groups confirmed this, too. We’ve seen much quicker understanding and adoption of peaceful conflict resolution techniques, not just a growth in ‘trust’ between people on the programme. Other organisations have started-up peace and sport activities since we began. • Have there been any negative

outcomes/impact? A partnership with a Sports Shop gave us balls for the first time. Since then, the SPPY sessions have grown in popularity but fewer girls have come as a result of the programme becoming too competitive and ‘sporty’. This gender divide is not helpful to building tolerance on the programme or peace in the wider community. We have also seen the popularity of programmes not be as high amongst NPP youth as we had planned.



Yes. But the activities must reinforce the peace-building education and not bee too sporty, and more Delegates must be trained to ensure the messaging cascades as far and as deeply as possible. We also need to be careful that we don’t suffer volunteer fatigue. • Is the programme cost-


Yes. Partnerships with various stakeholders have helped us get a venue, equipment and some advocacy materials for free as “Value-In-Kind” support. As we get more Delegates, we’ll be able to share the volunteer workload more. • Should this programme be


We are receiving requests to start other similar programmes both in Kumasi and outside the town. A school has approached us, as has a village to the east of Kumasi where political violence is a very serious problem. Scaling up is something the community and the target group would like to see. The issue with both scaling up and replicating is resources. We need to plan properly, make contacts with necessary stakeholders, and conduct a proper Conflict Context before we start growing in a way that may not be sustainable or impactful.

(5) Action Points:


None. We are making progress but political violence remains an issue in Kumasi, with very similar personal, relational, structural and cultural dimensions. We will research more the situation in the village outside town to check it is the same. • What changes should we make to

our Programme Logic? The activities have been successful, but have recently become more competitive and about ‘sport’ rather than peace and sport. Delegates and Pioneers agreed they need to ensure this trend ends, and it is felt that more mature sport-based games designed for older youth, rather than young children, would better satisfy the needs of the Target Group. Run another SPT to train more Delegates to spread the workload and ensure sessions can take place and the message cascades. We should also include more youth from the NPP party. We will advertise the programme better to them next year and also consider moving to a venue in a more neutral area.


33

Continued…

As our profile grew, a local Sports Shop donated us some balls. We have worked very hard to keep up to date with M&E, and as a result we are learning a lot and we can now see where we can make improvements on the programme. • What didn’t work well and why

not? We have not attracted enough girls to the programme. Some say they are unhappy and the sessions become too much like competitive sport rather than fun games. Especially since the balls donation. We need more volunteers/ Delegates as sometimes we can’t all attend the weekly SPPY session. Sometimes the peace messaging has not always been clear enough, so the sessions become too sporty. NDC party are well represented, but we are attracting less NPP youth than we hoped. This may be because the venue we use for activities is in a majority NDC area. Community members say a less biased venue is needed. • What evidence is there to show

outcomes/ impacts? 55% decrease in # of youth on the programme saying ‘it is acceptable to respond to political differences with violence’ (85% falling to 30%) Questionnaires showed that 80% of Target Group trusted youth from opposing political groups ‘more’ than before they started the GFP programme; 18% said ‘the same’; and 2% said ‘less’. Decrease of 39% in incidences of reported political violence in a six month period (51 reported in the 6 months before GFP programming, and 31 in the most recent 6 months of the programme cycle)

Continued…

• What do they believe caused these changes?

Target Group participants said the increased trust built during the GFP Activities changed their perspectives and behaviour. They have now built relationships with previous adversaries and this made violence against each other very difficult to justify. Beneficiary Community people thought the changes were in part caused by GFP, but also caused by it not being an election year. They also thought that there seemed to be more cooperation between rival gangs, and more work with the police. The police representative confirmed they were working more with groups like GFP to educate rather than punish youth who had been convicted of political violence. • Why are these changes

considered the most important? Because all these changes contribute to a general feeling of being more safe in Kumasi. By youths and gangs fighting less and cooperating with the police more, the streets are less dangerous and movement much easier. Each of the changes describes or contributes to a general easing of tension between the political groups.

Continued…

• What else was happening that could have caused the changes?

Other Sport for Peace organisations in Kumasi may have helped decrease violent incidences in the beneficiary community. There was no election this year - this may have helped decrease political violence, too. The National Peace Council also asked political parties to reaffirm their commitment to the peace pact, ‘The Kumasi Declaration,’ signed on 27 November 2012, (prior to the 2012 elections). The Council also advised the parties to educate their members on the tenets of the pact, which was signed by the eight presidential candidates of the 2012 Elections. This led to a national TV campaign urging youth to put aside political differences and work together as one - it’s called ‘One Ghana, One People.’ It has been endorsed by celebrities and may also have helped change attitudes of youth towards violence.

Continued…

• What changes should we make to our Theory of Change?

None. Our theory of change has been proved correct. Political violence has decreased both amongst the Target Group and in the boarder Beneficiary Community, as a result of trust and tolerance built through GFP peace building and conflict transformation activities • What changes should we make to

improve our processes for M&E and Learning?

This was our first Participatory Evaluation session and the discussions were really useful but it was hectic! We did it, but we could have planned earlier and better so it was less of a rush. Ensuring the Target Group stops to reflect and learn after each session will be an even bigger focus next year (and will help make the sessions less “sporty”). We need to understand better how they use what they learned at GFP away from the programme.

GFP Programming Framework 2013.04 - UNESCO · To guide our M&E, we will use the “M&E Grid” on...

Documents

Transcript of GFP Programming Framework 2013.04 - UNESCO · To guide our M&E, we will use the “M&E Grid” on...