Mary Picard, Consultant CARE USA, Gender Unit 31 Jan   WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IMPACT MEASUREMENT INITIATIVE

Who and what is WEIMI? Progress on developing theories of change for a women’s empowerment program Progress on testing theories of change Progress on measuring theories of change Spotlighting Common challenges Common issues Next phase

Core objective: to develop the necessary capacity, tools, guidance and practice to measure and demonstrate the impact of CARE’s work on women’s empowerment First developed by the Program Impact Unit; moved to the Gender Unit

During this period, 4 COs – Niger, Bangladesh, Egypt and Tanzania – were directly assisted through CO visits and considerable work done on their theories of change and indicators Each of these countries has peripheral learning partners

Measurability depends on the completion of these elements: Sub-impact groups Impact Group Impact Goal Impact + DOC- level indicators Pathways of Change Domains of Change Critical Hypotheses Breakthroughs Contextual Analysis A Coherent Set of Initiatives

IMPACT GROUP IMPACT GROUP: Marginalized and vulnerable women and girls living in rural underserved and environmentally restricted areas at critical life stages Sub-impact groups Sub-impact groups: Who are agriculture and forest-dependent Mining or industry-dependent or living adjacent to mines Fisheries-dependent Pastoralist and agro-pastoralist

Impact GoalMarginalized and vulnerable women and girls, at critical life stages, in rural under- served and environmentally restricted areas are empowered to live sustainable, healthy and secure lives. IndicatorPrevalence of underweight children under 5 years of age (MDI impact under Food Security) Domain of Change (DOC) DOC 1: The Impact Group (IG) has access to basic services, resources, skills, knowledge and confidence to diversify their livelihoods, and become resilient to economic, political and environmental shocks. DOC 2: Cultural and social norms recognize and uphold rights of the impact group, enabling them to participate equally in family and community decision- making. DOC 3: Civil society, private sector, local and national governance systems and institutions are responsive to the needs and rights of the IG. DOC 4: Critical ecosystems and natural resources (forest, marine, watersheds, agricultural and range lands) on which marginalized and vulnerable women & girls depend are healthy and intact. Indicators per Domain % households that do not rely solely on agriculture for their livelihood, by sex of the head of household (MDI outcome #3) % men and women reporting meaningful participation of women in decision- making in a domain previously held by men (domain__________) (MDI outcome #11) Number of effective spaces in which the IG participations meaningfully (planning, budgeting, monitoring) (place holder for governance indicators; current draft #8) % local actors with meaningful participation in productive, natural resource management at community level, by sex (MDI outcome #31) CARE TANZANIA THEORY OF CHANGE

Pathways under DOC 1: The IG has access to basic services, resources, skills, knowledge and confidence to diversify their livelihoods, and become resilient to economic, political and environmental shocks. Indicator: P1: IG is using quality basic services (education, health, ). % of rural population reporting to be satisfied with basic services disaggregated by sex (adjusted from MKUKUTA II, Cluster 3/goal 2 Indicator) P2: IG implements sustainable integrated land use plans and practices. Proportion of households implementing integrated sustainable land use plans disaggregated by sex of the head of the household. P3: IG is utilizing opportunities for the IG for on- and off-farm economic activities as a result of accessing and controlling productive resources. % of IG who have one or more profitable on- farm and off-farm economic activities (MKUKUTA cluster 1 indicator # 22, does not exist in MKUKUTA II any more) P4: IG is able to predict and prepare for economic, political and environmental shocks. % households with capacity to cope with environmental shocks without depleting their assets, by sex of household head. (MDI + outcome #4)

Other elements of a program are not conditional to testing the theory of change but complete the development of the program: A Situational analysis Identification of target groups Identification of stakeholder groups Strategies or promising practices

Where are pilot countries now in developing the theory of change?  Still transitioning towards testing the ToC

All countries have undergone some sort of matrix exercise to link the current set of initiatives to the theory of change, usually to pathways. It is one level of hypothesis testing.

Establishing an impact measurement system includes attention to: Data Management A knowledge management & learning strategy Harmonization of M&E systems between projects and programs A set of guidelines on M&E to align projects to programs A central database that is rationalized to the program Ongoing Analysis, Reflection and Learning Staff Capacity and Systems

Progress on Data Management All 4 COs have had an Impact Measurement Readiness Assessment (IMRA) done by Tom Barton Increasing overlap and synergy between projects contributing to the same program Niger has developed a KM & L strategy at CO level and progressed much further in data mgt Some headway on IT front to facilitate shared access to documents

Ongoing Analysis, Reflection & Learning Which involves (a) structuring and systematizing the process of gathering people for reflection “in action” and “on action”; and (b) a process for routine documentation of learnings The IMRA is a foundation for making needed changes. COs are aware of what needs to change and are in the process of adapting their behaviors or routines.

Staff Capacity and Systems Almost all have re-aligned their staffing structure Most are still working hard to re-align program support systems to the program approach Most are aligning their design or new business with program theories of change

Good exchange between pilot country and learning partners, e.g., Niger with Benin and Mali Niger measured “self-efficacy” as an impact indicator in its baseline study for its CO ToC Bangladesh will be testing a methodology for contextual analysis

Tanzania finalized critical hypothesis: Women in VSL groups build the self-esteem, social and economic capital that enables/shifts in gender roles in HH and community, which makes them to [sic] raise their voices and participate in the community decision-making. Both Niger and Egypt have a similar hypothesis to this

Domains of change that appear commonly: Increased access to basic services and skills Access to economic opportunities Change in socio-cultural norms or practices Civil society and/or government institutions are responsive Common indicators: % of men and women reporting ability of women to effectively control productive assets % of men and women with changed attitudes towards gender-based violence % of men and women reporting meaningful participation of women in public sphere (in adapted forms)

These appear explicitly at different levels of the theories of change: Importance of laws that support gender equity Women’s access to land (and other natural resources) Gender relations in the household Women’s access to SRH rights The role of civil society actors in the social change process Women and girls’ access to education services Women’s participation in the public sphere

Not enough time to focus on this Getting focus – e.g., prioritizing and validating one or two critical hypotheses for testing Finalizing and validating indicators Understanding breakthroughs Rationalizing pathways of change Refining and prioritizing “critical hypotheses” Facilitating a shared understanding of the work across the Country Office Funding for this work

Include and capture the experience from learning partners Finding points of connection with other initiatives in CARE (e.g., Pathways, WE-RISE) in order to consolidate experiences Generating exchange based on common interest, within and beyond WEIMI COs / partners Documenting the experience Finding creative funding opportunities

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