Evaluation of WAT capacity-building project

Background

The Development Fund (DF) has supported capacity-building of the Women's Association of Tigray (WAT) since the mid-1990s. DF believes that economic and social empowerment of women is an essential part of development. WAT is a women-led, community based association, working to improve the socio-economic situation of women in Tigray. The goal of WAT is to find a solution to the prevailing social, political and economic problems of the women in the region. The association's membership is steadily increasing and is currently at approx. 450.000 people.

Purpose/objective

The general objective of the evaluation is to identify capacity-building constraints and recommend future actions.

Methodology

Information was collected mostly via semi-structured interviews with woreda, zonal and regional representatives of WAT, as well as with representatives of regional government agencies, local non-governmental organisations, and other donors. The evaluation is also based on a review of written materials, including recent external evaluations and internal WAT documents.

Key findings

• WAT is considered as a genuine representative of women in Tigray and has a very high reputation among its external stakeholders
• WAT has a dual character; it operates as a women's rights organisation as well as a non-governmental development organisation
• Most of the members demand an extension of WAT's activities, mainly regarding skills training and loan programs
• For most trainings and credit schemes, WAT accepts only members as participants
• WAT has limited internal capacity in terms of planning and implementation of additional activities

Recommendations

• It should be reflect upon giving more structural liberty to the two 'branches' of WAT
• There should be a stronger decentralization from regional to zonal level regarding the decision making, implementation and monitoring of projects
• It is recommended to continue and if possible intensify the advocacy and lobbying activities on central level
• Capacity building of the organization as such, its leaders and employed staff should be the main focus of WAT in the near future
• Additional specialists for income generating projects, entrepreneurship trainings and vocational training should be recruited
• In those locations where WAT is the only organization offering trainings for poor women, WAT should not restrict the access to members only

Comments from the organisation

Any evaluation is produced within a very limited framework with regards to the composition of the evaluation team, its time available, its access to information and how it analyses the information received. Furthermore, any social reality can be analysed and presented in many different ways, among which an evaluation represents only one. Hence while this evaluation report may be useful as a tool for general learning, it has limited value as a source of information about the particular projects and partners in question. We urge any reader do consult the partners involved or Development Fund before applying this information in a way that may affect the partners and the project.