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Lessons

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civic Education and Civil Society Empowerment in Remote Areas in Myanmar

Research that addresses local concerns and brings them to the forefront of national debate is greatly needed. Although policy papers were drafted by September 2012, the papers' quality was low, and the lack of dissemination wasted potential impact at states/regions level. The only distribution was a compendium of policy papers without foreword or explanation of the aim and the process which led to their drafting. Papers should be presented directly to local government, with abstracts published in local newspapers, and distributed widely to CSOs and political parties.
Project Partner
Myanmar Egress/Network Activities Groups (NAG)
Project Description
The project general objective was to support the development of good governance in Myanmar through civic education and building advocacy skills of civil society. Activities included civic education trainings and township level meetings to support good governance; organization of core leader meetings; training in how to write policy papers to strengthen policy advocacy; and the creation of a website for civil society to exchange experience and knowledge. All quantifiable targets were reached or surpassed, and the participants interviewed spoke highly of the training. The project implementation team overcame significant bureaucratic and logistical obstacles, as well as difficult operating conditions. The project appears to have had a great deal of positive 'knock-on effects’. Although the training program attracted a large number of participants, participation was dictated by informal networks and affinities. The township-level forum did not succeed in soliciting initiatives and brainstorming on regional/local issues. Likewise, the policy papers exhibited significant weaknesses in particular a lack of readers. The website was also not used as an effective tool for knowledge and information sharing by any of the participants interviewed.
Evaluation Date
December 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civic Education and Civil Society Empowerment in Remote Areas in Myanmar

The greatest hindrance to efficiency was receiving government permission. In many instances the grantee received approval from higher-level government authorities to conduct training only a few days before the planned sections. In some instances, trainings were then postponed, cut short, or cancelled because permissions were revoked at the last minute or local officials had not been notified.
Project Partner
Myanmar Egress/Network Activities Groups (NAG)
Project Description
The project general objective was to support the development of good governance in Myanmar through civic education and building advocacy skills of civil society. Activities included civic education trainings and township level meetings to support good governance; organization of core leader meetings; training in how to write policy papers to strengthen policy advocacy; and the creation of a website for civil society to exchange experience and knowledge. All quantifiable targets were reached or surpassed, and the participants interviewed spoke highly of the training. The project implementation team overcame significant bureaucratic and logistical obstacles, as well as difficult operating conditions. The project appears to have had a great deal of positive 'knock-on effects’. Although the training program attracted a large number of participants, participation was dictated by informal networks and affinities. The township-level forum did not succeed in soliciting initiatives and brainstorming on regional/local issues. Likewise, the policy papers exhibited significant weaknesses in particular a lack of readers. The website was also not used as an effective tool for knowledge and information sharing by any of the participants interviewed.
Evaluation Date
December 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civic Education and Civil Society Empowerment in Remote Areas in Myanmar

The project website was well organized and regularly updated but fell short of 'promoting social mobilization'. None of the training participants interviewed ever used the website or were aware of its existence. While the content may be valuable, internet usage is lower in Myanmar than any other South East Asian country. The website has not been functional for a long period of time due to problems with the webhost supplier.
Project Partner
Myanmar Egress/Network Activities Groups (NAG)
Project Description
The project general objective was to support the development of good governance in Myanmar through civic education and building advocacy skills of civil society. Activities included civic education trainings and township level meetings to support good governance; organization of core leader meetings; training in how to write policy papers to strengthen policy advocacy; and the creation of a website for civil society to exchange experience and knowledge. All quantifiable targets were reached or surpassed, and the participants interviewed spoke highly of the training. The project implementation team overcame significant bureaucratic and logistical obstacles, as well as difficult operating conditions. The project appears to have had a great deal of positive 'knock-on effects’. Although the training program attracted a large number of participants, participation was dictated by informal networks and affinities. The township-level forum did not succeed in soliciting initiatives and brainstorming on regional/local issues. Likewise, the policy papers exhibited significant weaknesses in particular a lack of readers. The website was also not used as an effective tool for knowledge and information sharing by any of the participants interviewed.
Evaluation Date
December 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civic Education and Civil Society Empowerment in Remote Areas in Myanmar

The township-level forums provided a space for free discussion, rather than a structured half-day session with solid results leading to a potential action plan and capacity to formulate initial issues for future policy papers. Participants were asked to state their mission, vision and goals, but no concrete deliverables or written action plans were produced. Much of the impetus built up during the training session was lost at the very moment where it would have been appropriate to draw up a concrete action plan. Also, there was no systematic support to the participants after the forums.

Project Partner
Myanmar Egress/Network Activities Groups (NAG)
Project Description
The project general objective was to support the development of good governance in Myanmar through civic education and building advocacy skills of civil society. Activities included civic education trainings and township level meetings to support good governance; organization of core leader meetings; training in how to write policy papers to strengthen policy advocacy; and the creation of a website for civil society to exchange experience and knowledge. All quantifiable targets were reached or surpassed, and the participants interviewed spoke highly of the training. The project implementation team overcame significant bureaucratic and logistical obstacles, as well as difficult operating conditions. The project appears to have had a great deal of positive 'knock-on effects’. Although the training program attracted a large number of participants, participation was dictated by informal networks and affinities. The township-level forum did not succeed in soliciting initiatives and brainstorming on regional/local issues. Likewise, the policy papers exhibited significant weaknesses in particular a lack of readers. The website was also not used as an effective tool for knowledge and information sharing by any of the participants interviewed.
Evaluation Date
December 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Civil Society to Monitor Development Programmes in Tanzania

The civil society organizations in Tanzania networked with each other and were prepared to coordinate development priorities when lobbying for development planning at the district level. Members of the local community advocated for their needs during village-level meetings and through lobbying at district government levels. There is also evidence demonstrating early stages of participation in the monitoring of development programme processes.

Project Partner
Dodoma Environmental Network
Project Description
The project in Tanzania targeted civil society in the Dodoma region. Most of the population depends on agriculture. The grantee worked with farmers and pastoralists as well as local NGOs, local government officials and community members, to develop more inclusive and responsive development policies, strategies and programmes. The grantee combined awareness raising activities focusing on development programmes to enhance the local population’s engagement in policy dialogue and advocacy with capacity building in development programme process monitoring.
Evaluation Date
December 2012
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Civil Society to Monitor Development Programmes in Tanzania

The project’s baseline needs assessment revealed that development projects at the local level depended on external support. This dependence on external resources could undermine self-initiative in the villages that the grantee was unable to reach.
Project Partner
Dodoma Environmental Network
Project Description
The project in Tanzania targeted civil society in the Dodoma region. Most of the population depends on agriculture. The grantee worked with farmers and pastoralists as well as local NGOs, local government officials and community members, to develop more inclusive and responsive development policies, strategies and programmes. The grantee combined awareness raising activities focusing on development programmes to enhance the local population’s engagement in policy dialogue and advocacy with capacity building in development programme process monitoring.
Evaluation Date
December 2012
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Civil Society to Monitor Development Programmes in Tanzania

Only two thirds of the targeted 180 civil society organization members in Tanzania completed the training on policy dialogue and advocacy of development programme issues. To ensure impact the grantee should have made a greater effort to involve a higher number of civil society organizations in lobbying of government.
Project Partner
Dodoma Environmental Network
Project Description
The project in Tanzania targeted civil society in the Dodoma region. Most of the population depends on agriculture. The grantee worked with farmers and pastoralists as well as local NGOs, local government officials and community members, to develop more inclusive and responsive development policies, strategies and programmes. The grantee combined awareness raising activities focusing on development programmes to enhance the local population’s engagement in policy dialogue and advocacy with capacity building in development programme process monitoring.
Evaluation Date
December 2012
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowering Civil Society to Monitor Development Programmes in Tanzania

The annual CSO forum, which was expected to become the Dodoma region’s future driver of advocacy and lobbying for local development planning and implementation, did not take place. The grantee in Tanzania was unable to ensure ongoing coordination to secure the participation of district-level government representatives.
Project Partner
Dodoma Environmental Network
Project Description
The project in Tanzania targeted civil society in the Dodoma region. Most of the population depends on agriculture. The grantee worked with farmers and pastoralists as well as local NGOs, local government officials and community members, to develop more inclusive and responsive development policies, strategies and programmes. The grantee combined awareness raising activities focusing on development programmes to enhance the local population’s engagement in policy dialogue and advocacy with capacity building in development programme process monitoring.
Evaluation Date
December 2012
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Active Participation of Civil Society in Environmental Governance

The project led to changes in the perception of civil society participation among the Vietnam Institute of Human Rights graduates and senior student. This led the participating journalists to encourage their colleagues to investigate environmental topics. The projects workshops and field trips raised awareness among future political leaders, decision makers, journalists and the local population about the benefits of the joint identification and development of solutions for environmental issues in Vietnam.

Project Partner
International Union for Conservation of Nature - Vietnam
Project Description
The project aimed to improve environmental conditions in Viet Nam. The grantee worked with the Vietnam Institute of Human Rights (VIHR) of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration (HCMPA) to prepare a curriculum for high-level government officials designed to provide a better understanding of the benefits of civil society participation in environmental policy. The grantee also worked with the Center of Environmental Training and Communications (CETAC) of the Vietnam Environmental Administration (VEA) to train journalists in the use of independent research methods and sources of investigation. In addition, the project supported the capacity building of local NGOs in the areas of strategic planning, financial management, and communications, in order to help them address key donor expectations.
Evaluation Date
December 2012
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Promoting Active Participation of Civil Society in Environmental Governance

Despite the existence of an integration plan, no official decision had been taken by the Vietnam Institute of Human rights and the Academy of Politics and Public administration about the launch of a human-rights based environmental protection course. Both the grantee and officials were unable to present evidence that the achievements made by the UNDEF project are politically supported, either by the Party’s Central Committee or the Board of Academy of Politics and Public Administration. This experience highlights that applying an all-inclusive partnership approach, to the extent possible, is vital for the achievement of democracy development project objectives.
Project Partner
International Union for Conservation of Nature - Vietnam
Project Description
The project aimed to improve environmental conditions in Viet Nam. The grantee worked with the Vietnam Institute of Human Rights (VIHR) of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration (HCMPA) to prepare a curriculum for high-level government officials designed to provide a better understanding of the benefits of civil society participation in environmental policy. The grantee also worked with the Center of Environmental Training and Communications (CETAC) of the Vietnam Environmental Administration (VEA) to train journalists in the use of independent research methods and sources of investigation. In addition, the project supported the capacity building of local NGOs in the areas of strategic planning, financial management, and communications, in order to help them address key donor expectations.
Evaluation Date
December 2012
Country