Endline Study Sakcham - III Project Endline Evaluation Report Submitted by Nepal Evaluation & Assessment Team (NEAT) Kathmandu, Nepal Submitted to CARE Nepal February, 2016 Kathmandu Endline Evaluation of Sakcham - III Project Page | 1 Table of Contents List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 5 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................10 1.1 Background.................................................................................................................10 1.2 Context .......................................................................................................................11 1.3 Study Objectives .........................................................................................................13 2. Methodology ......................................................................................................................14 2.1 Study Design ..............................................................................................................14 2.2 Study Scope ...............................................................................................................17 2.3 Methodology ...............................................................................................................17 2.4 Data Quality Assurance ..............................................................................................20 2.5 Study Limitations ........................................................................................................21 3. Key Study Findings ............................................................................................................22 3.1 Expected Result 1: Women have equitable access and control over productive assets to ensure their livelihood security. ..........................................................................................22 3.2 Expected Result 2. Policy advocacy for meaningful representation and participation of women at all levels. ...............................................................................................................28 3.3 Expected Result 3. Transforming key socio-cultural norms, relations and attitudes of women and men, girls and boys for gender equality. .............................................................34 3.4 Expected Result 4. Learning and Impact Measurement to leverage impact on women’s empowerment ........................................................................................................................42 3.5 Expected Result 5. Institutionalization of achievements related to structure and relations. ................................................................................................................................43 3.6 Expected Result 6. Mainstreaming gender and social inclusion in CARE Nepal .........45 3.7 Overall assessment ....................................................................................................46 3.7.1 Assessment of Objectives ....................................................................................46 3.7.2 Relevance ............................................................................................................46 3.7.3 Efficiency .............................................................................................................46 3.7.4 Overall assessment of performance .....................................................................47 3.7.5 Sustainability........................................................................................................49 4. Conclusion and Recommendations ....................................................................................51 4.1 Lessons Learned ........................................................................................................51 4.2 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................51 4.3 Recommendations ......................................................................................................52 References ...............................................................................................................................54 Annex 1. Brief Terms of Reference ..........................................................................................55 Annex 2. Socio-economic background of study participants ......................................................60 Annex 3. Output Indicators ........................................................................................................63 Annex 4. Baseline vs. Endline Comparison ...............................................................................67 Annex 5. Field study team members .........................................................................................76 Annex 6. Process Report ..........................................................................................................77 Annex 7. Study tools .................................................................................................................80 Endline Evaluation of Sakcham - III Project Page | 2 List of Abbreviations CBS Central Bureau of Statistics CBSW Community Based Social Worker CFUG Community Forest User Group DAC Development Assessment Committee DDC District Development Committee DPAC District Project Advisory Committee ER Expected Result FGD Focus Groups Discussion GBV Gender based Violence GDP Gross Domestic Product GESI Gender Equality and Social Inclusion HFOMC Health Facility Operation and Management Committee HH Household IDI In-Depth Interview KII Key Informant Interviews LPC Local Peace Committees MOF Ministry of Finance MOPR Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction NAP National Action Plan NEAT Nepal Evaluation and Assessment Team NFOWRC National Forum for Women Right Concern OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development PEC Popular Education Centre PNGO Partner Non Governmental Organization PSCG Psychosocial Coordination Group PSSC Psychosocial Support Committees PSU Primary Sampling Unit PVSE Poor Vulnerable and Socially Excluded People SEA Sexual Exploitation and Abuse SMC School Management Committee TOC Theory of Change TOR Terms of Reference UNSCR United Nations Security Council Resolution VDC Village Development Committee VPAC Village Project Advisory Committee Endline Evaluation of Sakcham - III Project Page | 3 Acknowledgements ‘Sakcham - III’ is a continuation of efforts and initiatives to contribute to empowerment of women through structural arrangements and institutional mechanisms. Since the country is in the phase of political and socio-economic transformation, an initiation such as Sakcham - III offers wide range of learning for the planners and implementers in Nepal. Nepal Evaluation and Assessment Team (NEAT) would like to thank CARE Nepal for entrusting us with the opportunity to conduct Endline Evaluation Study for Sakcham - III. This study was conducted with support from various institutions and individuals. First of all, we would like to acknowledge the guidance and support provided by CARE Austria team especially Elizabeth Brezovich, Gender Advisor, and Pablo Torija, Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor. We would like to thank Ms. Indu Pant, Knowledge, Policy and Campaign Manager, Ms. Bandana Khand, Project Manager, Mr. Gupta Bahadur KC, Project Officer, and other officials from CARE Nepal for their continuous guidance and feedback during the study design and analysis process. We are indebted to field based partner NGOs from three districts and the surveyors for rigorous and painstaking work in collecting qualitative and quantitative data from the field. We would also like to thank NEAT colleagues especially Mr. Vikas Acharya, Senior Researcher, and Ms. Jyoti Jha, Finance Officer and the entire data entry and management team for their support in data processing and logistics arrangements. The Study Team Jeevan Raj Lohani, Principal Researcher Kamana Upreti, Research Manager Sunil Poudel, Data Manager Ajeeta Sigdel, Researcher Upasana Shakya, Researcher Endline Evaluation of Sakcham - III Project Page | 4 Executive Summary Context Sakcham III is a women rights focused project which was implemented as continuation to two earlier similar interventions of CARE in the Churia region. This phase of the project anticipated in building up and to conclusively wrap up activities undertaken by SAKCHAM I and II projects. The project was funded by Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and CARE Austria, and is part of the multi-country framework program. The project anticipated to provide direct benefits to poor, vulnerable and socially excluded women, and indirect benefits to the men, children and civil society organizations and also government agencies. Based on figures shared by the project, the intervention anticipated to reach about a total of 10,660 beneficiaries (9,160 women and 1,500 men). The goal of project was to contribute towards gender equality for equitable and just society. The main objective of the project was to empower women; enabling them politically,