Reconciliation and Development Program (REDES)
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Sida Evaluation 07/37 Reconciliation and Development Program (REDES) Sida – UNDP Partnership for Peace in Colombia 2003–2006 t Elisabeth Scheper Anders Rudqvist María Camila Moreno Department for Latin America Reconciliation and Development Program (REDES) Sida – UNDP Partnership for Peace in Colombia 2003–2006 Elisabeth Scheper Anders Rudqvist María Camila Moreno Sida Evaluation 07/37 Department for Latin America This report is part of Sida Evaluations, a series comprising evaluations of Swedish development assistance. Sida’s other series concerned with evaluations, Sida Studies in Evaluation, concerns methodologically oriented studies commissioned by Sida. Both series are administered by the Department for Evaluation and Internal Audit, an independent department reporting directly to Sida’s Board of Directors. This publication can be downloaded/ordered from: http://www.sida.se/publications Authors: Elisabeth Scheper, Anders Rudqvist, María Camila Moreno. The views and interpretations expressed in this report are the authors’ and do not necessarily refl ect those of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida. Sida Evaluation 07/37 Commissioned by Sida, Department for Latin America Copyright: Sida and the authors Registration No.: 981-586 Date of Final Report: December 2006 Printed by Edita Communication AB, 2007 Art. no. SIDA40234en ISBN 978-91-586-8164-4 ISSN 1401— 0402 SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AGENCY Address: SE-105 25 Stockholm, Sweden. Offi ce: Valhallavägen 199, Stockholm Telephone: +46 (0)8-698 50 00. Telefax: +46 (0)8-20 88 64 E-mail: [email protected]. Homepage: http://www.sida.se Table of Content Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................3 1. Introduction .....................................................................................................................................7 1.1 Rationale ....................................................................................................................................7 1.2 Evaluation Methodology ............................................................................................................8 2. Conflict and REDES Response ..................................................................................................10 2.1 Confl ict Statement ....................................................................................................................10 2.2 REDES Response .....................................................................................................................12 3. Findings ..........................................................................................................................................16 3.1 Regional REDES Development and Peace Programs .............................................................16 3.2 Role of REDES the Peace Processes at a National Level ........................................................28 3.3 REDES’ Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Systems (PMES) and Knowledge Management Systems ....................................................................................35 4. Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................43 4.1 Relevance ..................................................................................................................................43 4.2 Effi ciency ..................................................................................................................................45 4.3 Coordination and Collaboration with Local and International Partners.................................47 4.4 Lessons Learned .......................................................................................................................48 5. Recommendations .......................................................................................................................50 5.1 Recommendations to UNDP and REDES Management ........................................................50 5.2 Recommendations to REDES in Relation to Other Players ....................................................53 Annex 1 Terms of Reference ...........................................................................................................54 Annex 2 List of Persons/Agencies Met .........................................................................................61 Annex 3 Methods of Evaluation of REDES ....................................................................................65 Annex 4 Characterization and Dynamic of the Regions ...........................................................67 Annex 5 Youth Networks and Small Farmers’ Network Case Studies ...................................70 Annex 6 SURF Urban Security Indicators .....................................................................................77 Annex 7 Content of the Right to Development ............................................................................78 Annex 8 Relevant Millennium Declaration Objectives Regarding Deadly Conflict Prevention, Vulnerable Group Protection and Gender Equality .................81 Annex 9 REDES Stakeholder Matrix ...............................................................................................82 Executive Summary In November 2003, Sida and UNDP signed a Partnership for Peace in Colombia for a period of three years to support the Reconciliation and Development Program (REDES). The partnership aims to address eight impediments to sustainable development and peace in Colombia, which perpetuate violent confl ict, inequality and exclusion of vulnerable groups: i) armed confl ict, ii) unequal distribution of economic and political power; iii) weak democratic institutions; iv) increasing poverty; v) unequal distribution of land; vi) impunity and human rights violations; vii) humanitarian rights violations and viii) traffi cking of illegal drugs. REDES’ philosophy is to promote reconciliation and development initiatives in violent confl ict zones involving all stakeholders, with the aim of rebuilding fragmented communities, strengthening weakened democratic institutions, reviving traditional social networks, restoring relations between local govern- ment and civil society, countering corruption, ending practices of coercion and impunity, and providing viable economic livelihood alternatives. REDES: acts in partnership with civil society, government and the private sector; promotes human rights and public policy and changes in practice in all its programs; and works simultaneously at local, regional and national level. The purpose of this evaluation was to provide UNDP, Sida and other REDES donor agencies with an assessment and recommendations vis-à-vis REDES’ focus, progress, organizational and structural issues, as well as to distil lessons learned and best practices. The review assessed whether the REDES interventions have contributed to reducing the impact of violence on communities and the most vulnerable groups and how development and peace building projects could be successfully initiated in two confl ict ridden regions, Montes de Maria and Meta. The evaluation process served as a platform for dialogue for all REDES benefi ciaries and stakeholders to infl uence future agenda and cooperation areas for the Sida/UNDP Colombia partnership (2007–10). The evaluation concluded that the REDES program is highly strategic with a clear focus on fi nding solutions to the key problems and bottlenecks impeding sustainable development and peace in Colom- bia. REDES creates new spaces for multi stakeholder participation to promote regional and national development debates, in which the voices of the most vulnerable groups -historically excluded- are fairly represented. Its empowerment strategies for marginalized people consist of reviving traditional networks, building capacity and providing accompaniment, which facilitates their inclusion in new participatory governance processes. As a result, UNDP plays a unique role in the Colombian confl ict context, as REDES is the only UN program that champions a development and peace building ap- proach in poor zones deeply affected by the armed confl ict. REDES attempts to structurally transform public policies and practices at a local, regional and national level, whereas most aid agencies remain stuck in the humanitarian service delivery mode. REDES has laid out a series of strategies that have proved to be effective in initiating development and reconciliation projects in the midst of armed confl ict. This evaluation highlights fi ve REDES best practices that sum up the success of the program in the regions and that require more in-depth docu- mentation to provide possible models for UNDP programs operating in other confl ict environments: • A presence in the development and peace processes at local and regional level • Revival of local civil society organizations to (re)build social capital and cohesion • Fostering of alliances between local government–civil society to begin restoring confi dence • Facilitation of local dialogue and protection initiatives with vulnerable groups, particularly successful among youth and peasant farmers RECONCILIATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (REDES) – Sida EVALUATION 07/37 3 • Linking local initiatives to national public policy agendas and vice versa to promote structural transformation and CPR awareness (e.g. landmine awareness