Assess the options and resources required to facilitate programming in more remote districts. These could include resources for program staff to deliver programming within these districts, or to allocate resources to facilitate the travel of participants from remote districts to other locations. Though it is necessary to balance such efforts with contextual factors such as security and access, these areas are also among the areas with the most considerable need.
Undertake a thorough assessment of service gaps for survivors and coordinate with other donors to ensure that programming is complementary and that the wide range of EVAW sector programming is addressing these gaps, particularly related to gaps identified in this review in terms of psychosocial support, referral mechanisms, services from forensic departments, and building the capacity of protection service providers. Previous assessments undertaken within the EVAW sector as well as by DFAT EVAW program partners should inform such an analysis.
Clarify key concepts and agreeing on terminology and use of language throughout program activities, such as “victim” versus “survivor,” or “consumers” versus “beneficiaries.” Considering and discussing language used to convey more considered messages will help ensure partners are working with a common agenda and ensure that consistent messaging is applied throughout program activities among the different partners in a manner that is targeted and considered.
Undertake an assessment of service bottlenecks for services to VAW survivors. The issue of requiring a letter from CID for collection of forensic evidence emerged as a critical bottleneck in this review, and should be a focus for advocacy and efforts to facilitate coordination and reforms that ensure survivors have timely access to key services. Particularly coinciding with the implementation of the GBV Treatment Protocol, EVAW sector stakeholders working directly with survivors such as WPCs and FGCs should focus on this aspect of coordination and promoting improved health sector responsiveness to VAW. Considering the scope of programming under the DFAT EVAW program and wider programming being undertaken, UN Women and UNFPA are well-positioned to initiate efforts at further coordination on the issue of timely collection of forensic evidence in VAW cases.
Incorporate a stronger psychosocial support training component into UN Women capacity support to WPC implementing local partners, which was identified as an area where further support and capacity building is needed by stakeholders. Additionally, look at options for utilizing civil society organizations providing psychosocial services rather than only trainings to augment the capacity of WPCs.
Involve Police Academy trainers at provincial level as well in addition to MoI trainers.
Establish and support a mechanism for women and girls trained through the Young Women Leaders Program (YWLP) to facilitate their access to positions in relevant government institutions. This young force for change could be mobilized to support the integration of women’s rights and EVAW issues through sector activities. An MoU with relevant government institutions for an internship program with government institutions could help to encourage young leaders to explore their options within both civil society and the government. The mechanism would help to support the original aim of the program of increasing the representation of qualified young women in governance and political processes and contributing towards the overall outcomes and goal of the DFAT EVAW program.
Require a case review mechanism in program components that work with traditional dispute resolution (TDR) bodies for case resolution to ensure that cases are resolved in accordance with the law and that referrals to government institutions are made when necessary. Potential for ad hoc cooperation between TDR bodies engaged through the program and formal justice and police institutions should be explored and encouraged.
Improve coordination and support to local partners, particularly in facilitating effective coordination with provincial stakeholders and government institutions such as AGO offices, DoWA, police, and AIHRC, CSOs including AWN, and other relevant stakeholders.
Sustainability
Identify and assess options for building linkages between program activities and efforts to build the government’s capacity to undertake gender-responsive programming, particularly the ongoing Gender Responsive Budgeting reform, and to work not only with Gender Units within key stakeholder ministries but to also ensure the involvement of Budget Units to facilitate an understanding of key services and promote further progress towards on-budget solutions within the EVAW sector.
Identify and support the utilization of activities that help to promote sustainable access to resources and materials provided through the program, particularly in consideration of high levels of illiteracy and retention issues related to training activities over the long term. Through other programming, TAF has developed audio pens to accompany the 18 booklets, which allows participants to have the booklets read aloud to them when pointing the pen at specific lines of the booklets. These types of inputs, while costlier, could also represent an important investment in sustainability and long-term utilization of resources and materials. However, it is important to first undertake an assessment of audio-visual options to complement written training materials such as the audio pens utilized by TAF to determine to what extent they are accessible for illiterate and low literate individuals and the added value of investing in these resources.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Revise the PAF with the participation of all program IPs, with particular emphasis on refining the intermediate outcomes and indicators. Rather than developing indicators independently, indicators should be revised responsively and aligned with the data that partners have collected to date to ensure that there is data available for measuring progress under each indicator in the PAF. The peace process component should be removed as it is generally inconsistent with the rest of the PAF and the program goal.
A data collection plan should be developed that specifies which information will be collected by whom and at which frequency for each indicator to ensure that the PAF is aligned with the M&E systems of each partner and that each partner is aware of which monitoring data they should collect. Based on this, a specific reporting form should be developed for each partner with the data they are responsible for collecting to be attached as an annex to each partner’s semi-annual reporting.
Efficiency
Develop a formal security incident reporting mechanism, and protocols for the steps that should be taken when a participant or staff member is under threat. Consultations with partners suggested that these systems are currently informal, and at present such incidences are not always communicated to DFAT in a timely and proactive manner. DFAT assessed the internal security processes of implementing partners before supporting them under the program and is not prescriptive in how partners should manage and respond to security, and this recommendation does not suggest a change to this approach, but rather a mechanism for ensuring communication and continued review of security processes. A simple reporting form, including the date, location, nature, and target of the threat, as well as risk response measures taken, should be developed with a clear timeframe in place in which such incidents must be reported. This measure would further fulfil DFAT’s commitment to ensuring that the safety of participants is reasonably protected under all programs being supported through acting as an informal check to ensure that situations are being monitored and appropriate risk response actions have been taken.
One CSG meeting each year should be dedicated to reviewing the PAF, and each partner reporting on their progress on each indicator and utilizing the forum to reflect on progress at a programmatic and outcome level.
Rather than incorporating local partners into the CSG, an annual mechanism that facilitates direct interaction of local partners with DFAT should be established. This would facilitate program-level interaction and information sharing, as well as providing a potentially useful vehicle for supporting further capacity development of local partners.
Develop a ToR for the CSG and assign responsibilities to members in developing agendas and proactively engaging in providing input on meeting content.
Take a role in developing an effective platform for donor coordination specifically in relation to the EVAW sector. Potential was perceived in developing this as a follow-on to the Gender Donor Working Group with a specific sub-group dedicated to coordination on EVAW issues. Other stakeholders noted previous successes hosting coordination meetings on an ad hoc basis for EVAW development partner stakeholders, and a similar forum could be explored through initiation from DFAT.
Improve coordination with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). At present, MoJ is largely involved as a secondary focus in the program, and the review found evidence that as such their needs and priorities have not been as thoroughly solicited and considered as other partners.
