Safe from the Start Initiative Evaluation [PDF]
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Safe from the Start Initiative Evaluation Evaluation Report Contract Number: 140D0419F0069 U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration November 11, 2019 SSG Advisors, LLC d/b/a Resonance POINT OF CONTACT Carrie Conway, Director, Secure Communities Email: [email protected] 1 Mill Street, Suite 201 2000 P St. NW, Suite 410 Burlington, VT 05401 Washington, DC 20036 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SSG Advisors d/b/a Resonance and its partner, the Navanti Group, carried out the evaluation research and prepared this report. The report’s principal authors and Evaluation Team include: • Dr. Lynellyn Dunstan Horne Long, Team Leader • Katherine (Kelly) Case, GBV Senior Subject Matter Expert • Amanda Ortega, Evaluation Methods/Implementation Specialist The Evaluation Team was supported by core members of the Resonance-Navanti team through project management, coordination, and data analysis: • Carrie Conway, Director (Task Order Program Manager) • Isabella Gallegos, Project Assistant • James Bowker, Analyst The Evaluation Team would also like to recognize and thank several key individuals who helped organize and coordinate the fieldwork, meetings, and interviews including: Jacqueline Aitken of the International Medical Corps, Diane Boulay with DOS/PRM Geneva, Christine Heckman wth UNICEF, Steven Hawkins with DOS/PRM in Washington D.C., Matthew Pagett with DOS South Sudan, Constanze Quosh from UNCHR, Maria Rowan with DOS/PRM in Washington D.C., Amina Saoudi with IOM, DeMark Shulze with DOS/PRM Uganda and all of those who work with them on the Safe from the Start Initiative. i LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AoR Area of Responsibility CBO Community-Based Organization CCC Core Commitment for Children CCCM Camp Coordination and Camp Management CoP Community of Practice DOS Department of State DRC Democratic Republic of Congo DTM Displacement Tracking Matrix ED Executive Director EQ Evaluation Question FGD Focus Group Discussion FCRs Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations GBV Gender Based Violence GBViE Gender Based Violence in Emergencies GWC Global WASH Cluster HQ Headquarters ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross IMC International Medical Corps IOM International Organization for Migration IDP Internally Displaced Person IP Implementing Partner IO International Organization IRC International Rescue Committee MGBViE Managing GBV in Emergencies M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MSC Most Significant Change NGO Non-Governmental Organization NRC Norwegian Refugee Council OFDA Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance OP Operating Procedure OPM Office of the Prime Minister POC Protection of Civilian PRM Population, Refugees, and Migration Bureau PRP Policy and Resource Planning (Office in DOS/PRM) PSEA Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse RCM Refugee Coordination Model SftS Safe from the Start Initiative SPO Senior Protection Officer SASA Start, Awareness, Support, and Action SGBV Sexual and Gender Based Violence UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNO United Nations Organization UNFPA United Nations Population Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development USG United States Government WASH Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene ii TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ iv II. Description of the DOS/PRM Safe from the Start Initiative .............................................................. 1 III. Evaluation Purpose and Scope............................................................................................................. 2 IV. Evaluation Structure ............................................................................................................................. 2 V. Data and Findings ................................................................................................................................... 6 A. Overview of Context ............................................................................................................................. 6 B. Contributions of Each Organization ................................................................................................... 10 VI. Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................... 22 A. Impact of SftS Investments on the Humanitarian Community ........................................................... 22 B. Humanitarian Organization Coordination ........................................................................................... 26 C. Additional Benefits ............................................................................................................................. 27 D. Challenges in Implementation and Structure ...................................................................................... 28 VII. Recommendations .............................................................................................................................. 29 A. Impact and Sustainability of SftS investments ................................................................................... 29 B. Summary of Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 30 VIII. Alignment to PRM Functional Bureau Strategy ........................................................................... 31 Annex A: Bibliography and References .................................................................................................. 33 Annex B: List of IPs funded by SftS from 2013-2019............................................................................. 35 Annex C: Figures ....................................................................................................................................... 36 Annex D: Fieldwork Schedules................................................................................................................. 41 Annex E: IO Staff Interviewees ................................................................................................................ 44 Annex F: Stories of Context and of Change ............................................................................................ 51 A. Leadership: Catalysts of Institutional Change .................................................................................... 51 B. Finding Shared Value: Integrating GBV Risk Mitigation Across Sectors ......................................... 53 C. Progress in the Professionalization of the GBViE Field ..................................................................... 56 D. The Challenge of Early Marriage ....................................................................................................... 58 E. Youth Engagement in GBV Prevention Through Drama ................................................................... 60 F. Livelihoods in Bentiu .......................................................................................................................... 62 Annex G: Data Collection Instruments ................................................................................................... 65 Annex H: Photo Essay ............................................................................................................................... 69 A. South Sudan ........................................................................................................................................ 69 B. Uganda ................................................................................................................................................ 75 iii I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. SAFE FROM THE START The United States Government (USG), with its “Safe from the Start” Initiative (SftS), has led the way internationally in providing funding and technical support to reduce and address gender-based violence (GBV) in humanitarian emergencies. From 2013 to the present time, the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (DOS/PRM) has provided $95,742,992 to 16 organizations to reduce GBV and/or provide quality services for survivors at the onset of emergencies. Underlying the SftS support is a theory of change that quality, timely and effective responses to GBV are lifesaving and will reduce GBV incidence over time. DOS/PRM’s program strategy has supported international humanitarian agency headquarters (HQs) to lead institutional change so as to ensure that addressing GBV becomes standard organizational practice at the onset of all emergencies. SftS further supports international coordination, knowledge sharing, training and technical assistance, expert deployments, and pilot interventions. B. EVALUATION STRUCTURE This evaluation addresses how the SftS investments are changing the international humanitarian response to GBV; and identifies ways to design, tailor, and increase their impact. Its scope was limited to: (1) the operations of four major SftS recipients – the International Medical Corps (IMC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); (2) interviews with headquarters’ (HQ) managers; and (3) field assessments of emergency operations in two countries. To carry out the evaluation, a team of three evaluators interviewed 162 humanitarian staff in 85 individual and group