Integrated Community Livelihood Development Program 2013-2016

Background

The Salvation Army (TSA) was implementing the Integrated Community Livelihood Development Programme (ICLDP) in the time frame of 2013-16 in TSA Myanmar’s five districts; Tamu, Kalay, Matupi, Central and Southern.

The overall development goal of the program was to increase the resilience of communities by strengthening livelihoods systems of families, and to strengthen management and leadership capacities in the targeted communities and in TSA in Myanmar.

Purpose/objective

As this was the last year of the project period (2013-2016) it was important for The Salvation Army to carry out an evaluation of the project that was implemented to assess the efficiency, effectiveness, outcomes and impact based on the intended objectives, and also to learn from this experience for future programming.

Methodology

The evaluator used qualitative methods to answer the research questions. The key elements used by the evaluator consisted of the following:

• Desk studies of relevant project key documents
• Field visits and interview with beneficiaries
• Interview with staff, both group interviews, discussions were used
• The baseline and internal evaluation reports were analysed

Key findings

The project was found relevant in health promotion of hygiene and sanitation, awareness of general health, reduction of stigma and discrimination of HIV towards migrant most vulnerable population there, facing the realistic income to foster children education and strengthen infrastructure of business, backed up by cross cutting GAD (Gender and Development) gender disaster management skills.

Project activities were seen as effective to reach its objective 1 and 2, whereas objective 3, 4 and overall goal of community resilience were regarded as more related to ongoing mission approach making it too early to measure during this project term. However, much behaviour intentions and community commitments were seen in the field.

Costing budgeting of project activities and assets were seen efficient, while community labour and materials inputs should be put into the 20 per cent community contribution in self-help groups (SHG) and community project initiative (CPI). At the activity level, HIV continuum of care was seen as highly synergized in strong support of Wesley hospital with significant reduction of stigma, where staff recommended nutrition to again supporting the most needed families.

Community SHGs were most applicable mechanism under the overall control of village development committees (VDC); its microloan recipients were evident of starting new ventures, generating champion business choices, run regular meetings, repayments and saving for expansion, share kitchen and child schooling expenditures.

CPI could successfully establish bridges, ponds, wells, roads, graveyard fencing lanes, reinforced walls, oxygen tanks, school furniture and teacher houses, play grounds, water container tanks, tube surface wells, hand and machine pumps, saw mills, craft and furniture workshops while only few initiatives destroyed by last year flooding.

Few assets were seen destroyed such as thatch covering latrines and old water resources in Dala (from other projects). Commitment, ownership and sense of belonging was clearly seen while meeting the communities showing impact, with precise set up of guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures, Terms of Reference with careful monitoring reporting illustrates sustainability when funding stops.

Conflict of ethnic groups was not directly seen though Chin National Front and Tamil Nehru insurgent presence nearby, as sparks influenced by ongoing tension and fighting in other areas of country in Shan, Kachin and Rakhine States.

Recommendations

• Continued focus on project assets such as water and sanitation, health awareness, learning from disaster and preparation is important.
• Vendors need to convert into more stable business line by forecasting the marketing trend and consumer behaviour than expanding on popularities.
• Youth mobilization to be incorporated into hospitality, resort, eco tour, income generating factory. Youth are in need to involve at camping, training, outside job hunting and enterprising stages as income generating job will lead them into careers. Project will work to link trained youth volunteers with local job hunts and opportunities.
• In regards to gender it will be important for the project to think male led livelihoods in some areas: Trishaw, motorcycle, taxi services, male nurse, Security securing role and new business ventures. To assign two female and one male, for female dominant activities (training, nursing, community health work, activities with Wesley) when staff touring into remote areas.
• Improve computer, English, Dialect, Communication, and other technical skills over existing skills amongst staff.
• Creating Wat san in Matupi is more complex, and project should consult with Township development council engineer if necessary. Planning for water resources is important as to get baseline water levels seasonally.
• SME, First Aid, Food security and nutrition, Art and Craft are important both for project services and microcredit activities
• Clinical understanding to Oxygen supplier SHG is important as they should be able to explain how to use and things to be careful
• Yeni township sould be advocacy and good practice site.
• TSA to participate more at township district state meetings, see more of rural development department, GAD, other faith based donation and activities, at least other Christian derivatives
• It was recommended to further plan primary prevention of stimulants and drugs, and just include few on overview of conflict in Rakhine, Kachin and how impact on neighbours

Comments from The Salvation Army Myanmar

• Very good to see community participation on interviews and FGD discussions.
• Evaluation tools has not developed for interview and FGD discussion but the consultant asked them the questions upon what he wanted to know.
• The consultant has no background knowledge about TSA, it took time to explain him about TSA and its mission and also project background.
• Took time with Micro-credit members in Khampat and Pyin Taw Oo and well understand about their situation.
• No youth group interview during field visit but some VDCs mentioned about the participation of youth group for the community activities, youth group participation in the community development are strong in Tahan, Bokkan Village, Pyin Taw Oo village and Letpanchaung village.
• Internal evaluation, which has done by Dr. Mirriam Cepe in 2014 was more details than the external evaluation now but there are many valuable information could see in the external evaluation.
• The External consultant did not have enough time to prepare the method and tools for evaluation data collection.
• Time was very limited, Officers and community members were very busy for Christmas/December.
• In general, we are satisfy upon the external consultant and the report.