Review of the dfat ending Violence Against Women (evaw) Program in Afghanistan

Executive Summary

The evaluation was undertaken based on OECD-DAC criteria identified as priority to DFAT at the midterm stage: effectiveness, sustainability, monitoring and evaluation, and efficiency. The review began with a desk review of program documents conducted remotely, followed by a ten-day in-country visit in January 2016 in which the review team conducted interviews with DFAT, program implementing partners, local partners, government stakeholders, beneficiaries, and EVAW sector stakeholders in Afghanistan. The review was conducted utilizing a mixed-methods approach, with primary data collection conducted through qualitative methods, combined with a review of secondary quantitative data provided by the implementing partners and triangulation of findings with additional secondary sources. The in-country visit faced a number of limitations in terms of time, access, and security as well as issues related to the availability of data.

Generally, the midterm review found the DFAT EVAW program to be highly effective. In consideration of the contextual challenges including security, social and cultural factors, and political will, the midterm review found the program to be making notable progress towards achieving its objectives. Under the first planned outcome of the program, women affected by violence having increased access to better services in target areas, the review found that the direct service provision to survivors of Violence Against Women (VAW) through Women’s Protection Centres (WPCs) and Family Guidance Centres (FGCs) is making effective contributions. These institutions have provided direct services to survivors of VAW and constitute a critical access point for protection and referral to further services such as healthcare and legal aid.

However, service gaps for VAW survivors were noted in a few key areas, especially psychosocial support and emotional care for staff, collecting forensic evidence, and transition and exit strategies for WPC residents. There are ongoing efforts to address economic empowerment options and exit strategies by UN Women, to which DFAT has also contributed an additional 2 million AUD. In terms of service quality, a wide range of institutions have received support through the DFAT EVAW program, including police, justice actors, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), WPCs, FGCs, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), civil society, and informal justice actors. Generally, the midterm review found ample evidence that the activities undertaken and outputs achieved have contributed to increased effectiveness in service provision among these various EVAW actors, though further improvements are still needed.

In terms of service quality, a wide range of institutions have received support through the DFAT EVAW program, including police, justice actors, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), WPCs, FGCs, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), civil society, and informal justice actors. Generally, the midterm review found ample evidence that the activities undertaken and outputs achieved have contributed to increased effectiveness in service provision among these various EVAW actors, though further improvements are still needed.

Under the second planned outcome—women affected by violence having increased access to justice in target provinces—the review found that progress has mostly been through engagement with the police sector and through community-based justice mechanisms, with direct engagement with the formal justice sector being a more limited component. In the police sector, there is clear demonstration of progress, with considerable training activities undertaken and the adoption and awareness raising of police on standard operating procedures for response to GBV cases. Evidence suggests that the standardization of processing GBV cases in the police sector has contributed to increased access to justice, where cases are being properly registered and referred instead of being sent back to the community or family.

Outputs to date suggest progress in terms of increasing access to justice through the informal justice sector, with particularly the effectiveness of approaching EVAW through Islamic perspectives supported by the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs (MoHRA) and religious leaders at this level. Information provided by stakeholders for this review suggests that some activities have created an environment at the community level that has made traditional dispute resolution (TDR) bodies more supportive of women in cases regarding VAW, though this should be a key focus of evaluation at the endline stage in terms of assessing participant and community experiences and perspectives.

Under the third outcome—improved violence prevention practices and more effective community awareness—output targets regarding awareness raising suggest progress, though there is considerable further need in this area. Feedback from key stakeholders suggests that these activities have been effective in increasing knowledge on VAW and particularly progressive interpretations of women’s rights in Islam. Additionally, the networking activities supported through the program at the provincial level demonstrate effectiveness in extending coordination among civil society organizations (CSOs) engaging on women’s issues at the national level to the local level, providing a platform for such organizations to meet and coordinate on local issues facing women.

The policy engagement component of the program was found to be less effective to date. Though there is evidence of change in knowledge, attitudes and practice in the program, there were fewer cases of policy initiatives and uptake and outcomes in policy through the DFAT EVAW program. There have been some cases of effective policy engagement such as the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) adopted by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and incorporation of the training manual into MoI trainings and Police Academy curriculum. Additionally, there has been technical support in the establishment of monitoring systems, particularly MoWA oversight to WPCs. The program has also provided support to civil society advocacy initiatives, but these were found to generally lack strategic focus with a particular emphasis on activities such as meetings and high-profile events, with inadequate follow-through and focus on outcomes.

The program has been effective in reaching a holistic range of direct and indirect beneficiaries, and the program has had considerable geographic reach and is coordinated geographically with other donor support, though stakeholders nearly universally noted a need to expand such programming to remote districts. Risk management is adequately considered, and do no harm principles were included in the program design. Though the risk register is completed semi-annually by implementing partners and DFAT, potential unintended consequences and do no harm principles are not consistently revisited and reconsidered throughout program implementation at present. Some areas for concern were noted regarding risks and threats to participants and inadequate response procedures in place to address such issues.

A wide range of challenges persist posing limitations to the potential effectiveness of the program and constituting continued obstacles for achieving the outcomes and goal. At the social level, these generally included lack of public awareness regarding the consequences of VAW and women’s rights, persistent social and cultural norms that facilitate VAW, harmful traditional practices, misinterpretations of Islam, and continued reliance on and trust in traditional dispute resolution mechanisms. This challenge is furthermore compounded by the lack of coordination mechanisms between the formal and informal justice sectors. Constraints in terms of government capacity, information management systems, and GIRoA budgeting capacity and donor dependency were further noted as challenges. At the macro level, a weak economy and the challenging operating and security context and remote management mechanisms for the program also pose challenges.

In terms of sustainability, the program is generally aligned with the larger EVAW priorities and objectives of the government, and implementing partners noted that government partners have been largely supportive of program activities. Still, there is less evidence of ownership and progress towards on-budget solutions to facilitate long-term sustainability. However, public finance management capacity and identifying clear and effective exit strategies remains a challenge for actors across the EVAW and all development sectors in Afghanistan.

At the programmatic level, implementation arrangements and particularly the materials developed and disseminated through the DFAT EVAW program are contributing to the sustainability of the program, with several instances of materials produced being utilized beyond the scope of program activities by government actors, community-level participants, and even incorporation into formal systems and procedures at the institutional level. Generally, the sustainability of the program is supported through cost-effective activities that focus on time-limited activities designed to achieve specific outcomes that can be sustained beyond the activity itself through training, capacity building, and dissemination of information and resource materials. However, some activities were found to face more critical sustainability issues—particularly challenges in terms of long-term financial self-sufficiency of WPCs and FGCs and support to the AIHRC if on-budget funding is not secured.

The review found evidence that the capacity of DFAT EVAW implementing partners and their local partners that has been developed will likely be sustained beyond the duration of the program, though at present such developments appear to be ad hoc rather than strategically targeted. The program has provided support in developing formal policies and systems as well as facilitating opportunities for strengthened coordination and engagement, particularly of local partners, which supports long-term strengthening of Afghan civil society capacities. However, specific partners were found to have persistent capacity gaps that require more targeted and focused technical support to ensure both effectiveness and sustainability of the program.

In terms of monitoring and evaluation (M&E), the current M&E system for the project is currently highly output-focused, and a number of indicators in the Performance Assessment Framework (PAF)—both quantitative and qualitative—are not supported by routine data collection to inform them. Overall, to date the monitoring data is adequately documenting progress in terms of outputs, but does not provide sufficient information to monitor whether these outputs are contributing to outcomes as planned. Furthermore, the lack of a uniform reporting template and the lack of alignment in M&E and reporting systems among partners presents a challenge in terms of an effective shared measurement system.

The overall PAF for the program was also found to need refinement and realignment to reflect progress and implementation experience to date. Some outcomes are not fully aligned with the overall goal of the program, and the current PAF does not adequately reflect the collective impact of the projects under the program. Several outcomes and intermediate outcomes are not fully aligned with activities, and the balance of indicators representing all partners’ activities is currently skewed. At this stage in the program, it is necessary to revisit the PAF collectively with all implementing partners to follow on this midterm review. Revising the PAF through a facilitated participatory learning process with face to face interaction between all partners would likely support the development of a more relevant and coherent PAF.

In terms of efficiency, implementing partners largely expressed satisfaction with the governance and management arrangement of the program under DFAT. Partners felt that the CSG has been a useful platform for coordination and development of relationships among partners and has promoted coordination and shared learning for the program. However, the review identified a need for more ownership among partners and a focus in the CSG on not only coordination and reporting of activities, but also utilizing the forum as a platform for regularly reviewing and assessing the outcomes and collective impact of the program among partners.

Overall the program is consistent with national and international frameworks supporting the EVAW sector, and coordination and dialogue between implementing partners and key sector stakeholders was largely evident at the central level across all projects. Coordination of the program with key government stakeholders has been formalized through a series of MoUs that support the projects. However, the findings of the review also suggest less effective coordination with government stakeholders at the provincial level. Issues of insecurity, and corruption were noted as impeding smooth coordination at this level. Though these challenges were noted, further efforts in this regard are critical to the sustainability of the activities and their outcomes.

In terms of harmonization of the program with other donor and government activities, limited duplication was observed in the midterm review. Various coordination mechanisms related to gender are in place, but coordination specifically on EVAW support is generally ad hoc. Stakeholders and partners noted that DFAT is active and engaged in the various platforms for coordinating activities, and the need for a coordination mechanism specifically for donors specifically on VAW was noted, rather than this being a component of wider gender coordination activities.

Overall, the review found that there have been considerable investments in the EVAW sector in Afghanistan, to which DFAT has provided critical support. The contributions of development partners, international organizations, and Afghan civil society in this area are currently critical, particularly in the context of the continued need to develop government capacities to deliver key services to survivors of VAW. The elimination of VAW is critical not only for women, but also for Afghan society and the peacefulness and stability of Afghanistan. The DFAT EVAW program is making important contributions in this regard, which should be sustained and continued over the long-term, with enduring support required to see the actualization of ending violence against women in Afghanistan.