Evaluation report of the development program in Mopti phase II-ELMM region for the fight against excision and the empowerment of women and youth. Mid-term Report

Summary of the evaluation:
Evaluation report of the development program in Mopti phase II-ELMM region for the fight against excision and the empowerment of women and youth. Mid-term Report

Background:

The work against female genital mutilation (FGM) and the promotion of women is an important area of support in Norwegian development aid to Mali since 2009. A Mid-Term Review of the PDRM Programme was conducted in 2011. From 2009 to 2012, PDRM, coordinated three different projects in separate geographical locations: two integrated rural development projects with a focus on natural resource management (NRM) in the southern parts of the rural municipalities in the Seeno area (communes of Dallah, Kerena and Haïre), and a project dedicated to the fight against FGM, accompanied by development projects in the municipality of Konna. The invasion by Islamist rebels in early 2012 forced the Programme to abandon the Seeno-based project and relocate its resources to the other project, which were subsequently expanded to four other municipalities. PDRM phase I worked in 46 villages in 6 communes in Mopti region. The evaluations 2011 and 2015 have proven the relevance of these actions and have positively appreciated the results obtained during these years. However, given the illiteracy of the Malian population, many communities are still resistant to abandoning the practice of female circumcision.

To continue the process, the Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Mali (ELMM) initiated a second phase of the project. Phase II of the project, which began in 2017, intervenes in some municipalities in the region of Mopti for the fight against excision and the economic promotion of women and young people.
The project has undertaken large awareness and advocacy campaigns on practices harmful to the health of women and girls. It has thus made the fight against the practice of excision its hobbyhorse for all the actors involved. Unfortunately, the growing security situation in Konna and Borondougou has led those responsible for the project to redirect actions towards the communes of Socoura and Mopti. Within these communes, the project also made changes in the intervention villages. Thus, the least dangerous villages in terms of security were preferred in favour of those qualified as dangerous. The project has currently a total of 36 villages and intervention districts.

Purpose/objective:

The main objective of this evaluation is to identify the results according to the indicators established in the 2017-2021 document and in the GRF results framework developed; the relevance of the approach, the impact and sustainability of the actions carried out. The evaluation process is by itself to be seen as a learning tool for the project workers, MELM and NMS. The evaluation report will also serve as a foundation for making decisions in MELM and NMS concerning further project work in Mali.

Methodology:

The methods of work by the Review Team have been mainly qualitative with a participatory and gender-sensitive approach. Given the focus upon evaluating the operational aspects of the program, a significant amount of time was spent visiting villages and interviewing a representative selection of key stakeholders and beneficiaries. The assessment was carried out through documentary review (plans and reports); the state of implementation of activities and achievements in the field; interviews with beneficiaries, project staff, administrative, municipal and local authorities, ELMM officials and technical services

Key findings 2017-2020:

The Evaluation Team concluded that PDRM is a well-conceived, strategic and innovative programme, which represents a significant contribution to the fight for the abandonment of FMG, to women empowerment, to the enforcement of local democracy and civil society, to rural development and improved living conditions in the intervention zone.

The Programme has established effective administrative and financial procedures, and innovative and successful working methods. It is well lead and the management team has responded to challenges in a timely, creative and constructive manner. An important asset of the Programme for the Development of the Mopti Region (PDRM) is its particular innovative holistic development approach, which aims to build upon local initiatives and local decision-making. The Programme’s integrated cooperation with the Malian government and its structures and agents on regional and local level represents a pioneer effort in the context of development work.

Recommendations from previous evaluation has been carefully followed up. Partially implemented and to be folloewd up; Develop systems for sharing good practices (ideas, skills, collaboration) both between the different Communes in the program, and between the different local communities in a Commune.

Major highlights presented;

- A very fruitful partnership developed with technical structures, civil society organizations as well as communities in the localities of intervention.

- All the communities visited (men, women and young people) know the objectives of the program and recognize that the practice of excision has sharply declined in their localities thanks to the interventions of the MRDP II-ELMM.

- The Pedagogical Animation Centers (Mopti and Sevare) and schools acknowledge having been strongly involved and provide modules on excision.

- During this phase (2017-2020) 12 villages have signed FGM abandonment agreements, which are the first signs of accepting a possible law in case it is passed. From preceding period a total of 21 agreements were signed.

- Significant profits were made on a starting fund of 300,000 to 600,000 per consortium. All the groups, at the time of the evaluation, passed the 700,000 F CFA mark for those who received support of 300,000 and more than one million for those who received 500,000 or 600,000 F CFA. Fund management documents are well kept, which implies good training for beneficiaries. The sustainability of the actions of the MRDP II-ELMM is possible because the groups save on their own funds

- Local human volunteer resources (Relais, religious leaders, etc.) actively participate in project activities. In each community involved, voluntaries have been mobilized and trained as voluntary animators engaged in sensitization. Religious leaders have been mobilized to engage.

- Action committees for the abandonment of harmful practices exist in all the villages visited and are functional. All recognize that they are the top management body at the village level.

- Women's groups participate in the operation of the Village Action Committees for the Abandonment of Harmful Practices through financial participation after each deadline. Gender is respected in the composition of committees and women and young people are listened to in decision-making affecting the life of communities. The communities of the villages visited attest to having been made aware of the Covid 19 and received hand washing kits for all the mass gathering places.

PDRM is a well-structured program whose impact for the promotion of the abandonment of the practice of excision as well as the empowerment of women and young people is visible in the intervention areas. This performance is mainly attributable to the dynamism and competence of the Program team who made themselves very available throughout the duration of the project.

The partnership with the other partners with the administrative and political authorities as well as the actors intervening in the same field is to be encouraged. The program is a coherent program with its modest financial means

The system for coordinating the activities of the Program which has been set up responds to aspirations. The data capitalized at the grassroots level is fed back to the Program Management through the various committees are very functional. However, the lack of a communication unit constitutes a handicap to the visibility of the Program throughout the country.

Recommendations:

MRDPII-ELMM is one of the few programs in the Mopti region to be recognized by almost all partners as a Pilot Program in the areas of reproductive health and women's empowerment. The work initiated by the MRDP must be continued and should be supported by Norway as it has an important contribution to the fight against FGM, and to the improvement of living conditions and reproductive health for women in Mali. Given the immense work done by the Program, given the geographical area not entirely occupied, it is more than advisable to continue the actions. It is advised to increase the budget allocated to the next phase;

- Pursue advocacy against religious leaders who are sensitive and essential layers in the areas of intervention.

- Intensify the monitoring of ex-excisors so that they fully play their roles as intermediaries or resource persons.

- Review the tools for monitoring and reporting.

- Develop a capacity building strategy for project staff on Gender-Based Violence and case management.

- Extend the scope of the program to other forms of Gender-Based Violence; Maintain IGA as an important part of the Program. However, for a new program, consider integrating these activities within the framework of a holistic integrated development approach (Create cereal banks, saponification, dyeing and food processing, market gardening, drinking water, etc.).

- Provide emergency aid for communities to cope with natural disasters.
Comments from NMS/Digni:

- The work initiated by PDRM needs to be continued and should be supported as it has an important contribution to the fight against FGM in the region. Experiences gained through its innovative holistic approach have potentials to benefit efforts also in a larger national context.

- Pursue and elaborate the participative, innovative and inclusive approach.

- The Programme should build on experiences made so far to systematically develop methods for how traditional, cultural and experiential knowledge may be transformed into a resource for development. Working through existing cultural systems may facilitate social change.

- Develop systems of sharing models of good practice (ideas, competence, cooperation) both between the different municipalities in the Programme, and between the different local communities within a municipality.

- The role, position and organization of development work within MELM and collboration with PDRM should be revisited before initiating a new phase.

- Explore synergies and link with the Embassy in Bamako and the Sahel Plan 2021 ff ( Strategy for Norways efforts in the sahel region)