Gender and Poverty Sensitive Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

Since its inception, ARECOP has been actively trying to integrate gender-related issues into ICS programs. While this has helped in making the CCP's and their member organizations more aware of the importance of gender in relation to stoves as well as kitchen improvement there is still a lack of clear and practical guidelines on how to mainstream and/or integrate gender in ICS and biomass energy development programs. To facilitate the process and to assist the ARECOP network members, guidelines and tools in the form of Gender and Poverty Sensitive Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of ICP methodology has been prepared based upon the Methodology for Participatory Assessment on Water Supply and Sanitation (used by the World Bank Water and Sanitation Group in collaboration with the International Resource Center).

When the first guidelines/methodology was prepared, a "Training cum workshop" was organized by ARECOP in Cambodia where the staff from network members were introduced and guided in becoming familiar with the methodology used e.g. the use of indicators sensitive to gender and poverty, self-scoring systems by stakeholders, linking community, institutional and policy level and visualizing the sustainability as a goal that must be pursued in a concerted manner at all the three levels. The workshop had generated a number of comments for improvement of the guidelines. One of the most important comments were the fact that the guidelines should also be able to be used for planning.

Upon improvement of the second version, in order to allow the trainees to apply their new-gained skills, in particular within the context of planning of ICP programs, while at the same time guiding their national colleagues in using the methodology, three national trainings respectively in Cambodia , Indonesia and Vietnam were organized.

After the trial run in the three countries, ARECOP also conducted "Training of Trainers" to the network members in the efforts of disseminating the expertise that dependence on ARECOP secretariat expertise is lessened.

During phase III, seven national trainings using the methodology developed but now basically within the context of monitoring ICS programs are being planned (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Philippines, and Vietnam). In addition, in each of the sic countries, there should be one pilot action implemented by using the methodology especially for the monitoring, and or evaluation.

After the completion of the national pilot actions, a regional evaluation workshop will be held to a) evaluate the completeness of the guidelines and the appropriateness of the methodology when locally applied, and b) share the experiences gained during the national trainings and the pilot actions, c) to improve the necessary parts of the guidelines for the application of the methodology.

The outcome of the regional workshop will be used to update the manual (if required) and methodology which will help and assist to enhance the monitoring and evaluation skills of staff involved in ICS programs with a long term aim to improve the process of selecting appropriate stove designs, carrying out need assessments, develop effective program planning and monitoring the results.

article :

  Records 1 to 0 of 0