i-TEC, 2011, Uganda Livelihoods And Enterprises For Agricultural Development (LEAD), Mid Term Evaluation

2.1 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

2.1.8 Organising informal economy groups

RECOMMENDATION: 5. Promote inter-producer IE group learning as opposed to only training from formal entities.

Reference: i-TEC, 2011, Uganda Livelihoods And Enterprises For Agricultural Development (LEAD), Mid Term Evaluation, Midterm or interim evaluation, USAID, Washington DC.

Sample evidence: producer Organization approach and the Farmer Field School (FFS) methodology have both been and still are instrumental in enhancing stakeholder interventions by reaching households through groups that facilitated joint learning directly from each other.

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2.1 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

2.1.9 Value Chains and adding value to value chain components

Recommendation: 3. When designing projects with women (and men) in home-based or other informal economy activities, include focus on the value chain. Incomes and working conditions can be improved when consideration is made of the means to strengthen informal economy products in the value chain.

Reference: i-TEC, 2011, Uganda Livelihoods And Enterprises For Agricultural Development (LEAD), Mid Term Evaluation, Midterm or interim evaluation, USAID, Washington DC.

Evidence sample: the project activities directed at the strengthening and development of POs through the approach of addressing gaps and bringing various actors along the value chain together has demonstrated immense potential for creating a sustainable environment toward reaching the program goal and objective.

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2.1.9 Value Chains and adding value to value chain components

Recommendation: 15. Verify whether projects are not over-extending themselves when working on different value chains and various interventions along the value chains. As there are many needs for value chain development with respect to people dependent on the informal economy, it may be tempting to wish to address all of them but quality of actions must be the priority as opposed to their quantity. Identify a mix of key value chains and gaps along these value chains that will maximize quantitative and qualitative impact, provide effective lesson learning and build a larger degree of sustainability.

Reference: i-TEC, 2011, Uganda Livelihoods And Enterprises For Agricultural Development (LEAD), Mid Term Evaluation, Midterm or interim evaluation, USAID, Washington DC.

Evidence sample: the evaluation found that the Livelihoods and Enterprises for Agricultural Development (LEAD) was focusing on too many value chains and interventions along the value chains, some of which are already supported by other agencies.

The evaluation thus recommended to identify a mix of fewer chains and key gaps along the value chain that will maximize quantitative and qualitative impact, provide effective lesson learning and build a larger degree of PO sustainability.

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2.1.11 Coordination and sustainability planning

Recommendation: 5. Work with governments to strengthen coordination between relevant ministries at national and/or subnational level (as appropriate)on the subject of the IE. Ensure that relevant government entities are involved from the project design and initiation phase. This may be accomplished through advocacy for the establishment of permanent coordinating committees and capacity strengthening of responsible persons/groups.

Reference: i-TEC, 2011, Uganda Livelihoods And Enterprises For Agricultural Development (LEAD), Mid Term Evaluation, Midterm or interim evaluation, USAID, Washington DC.

Evidence sample: the evaluation found that project management had limited interaction with central and local governments at all levels which means that project interventions will not be sustainable.

Leaving district, field, and grantee staff to determine the nature of the Local Government interaction is a manifestation of inconsistent implementation and management approaches. Integration of project activities in the Local Government planning processes was notably weak in all districts visited; this led to duplication of efforts. The key lesson is that Local Governments are critical to future sustainability of project interventions.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 17) Ensure that SBCC targeting both men and women is conducted in projects related to women dependent on the IE on issues of equity in control and decision-making of household resources. Ensure that training includes both female and male trainers on women entrepreneurship activities. This helps broaden understanding of the issues between men and women, including among the trainers

Reference: I-TEC, 2011, Uganda Livelihoods And Enterprises For Agricultural Development (LEAD), Mid Term Evaluation, Midterm or interim evaluation, USAID, Washington DC.

Evidence sample: it was found that, with regard to increased incomes for the vulnerable resulting from better productivity, the project should consider the development of sensitisation packages targeting both men and women beneficiaries of the program, focusing on control of and decision making on household resource. In addition, influencing the gender balance in POs to increase women participation will increase program benefits accruing to women.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 18) Ensure explicit attention to safeguard that women are included in group formation of associations / cooperatives.

Reference: I-TEC, 2011, Uganda Livelihoods And Enterprises For Agricultural Development (LEAD), Mid Term Evaluation, Midterm or interim evaluation, USAID, Washington DC.

Evidence sample: the evaluation determined that, although women have benefited from project interventions through support to various groups, women participation needs to be actively promoted by ensuring that gender is a key criterion for group formation during mobilisation.