USAID/Bangladesh - WEA Final Evaluation Final Evaluation Report - January 2018 1 Final Performance Evaluation Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity (WEA) FINAL EVALUATION REPORT January 3, 2018 Evaluation Team: Suvira Chaturvedi – Team Leader (International) Ashley Barr – Gender Specialist (International) Bazlur Rahman – Agriculture Extension Specialist (National) USAID/Bangladesh - WEA Final Evaluation Final Evaluation Report - January 2018 i Final Performance Evaluation EVALUATION REPORT Women’s Empowerment Activity (WEA) September 6, 2017 (Draft) January 3, 2018 (Final) AID-388-C-14-00001(USAID/Bangladesh Accelerating Capacity for Monitoring and Evaluation) DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. USAID/Bangladesh - WEA Final Evaluation Final Evaluation Report - January 2018 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments ………………………………………………………………………………….…........iv Acronyms ………………………………………………………………………………….…….…………v Executive Summary…………..……………………………………………………………………………..1 Project Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………….8 The Development Problem and USAID's Response…………………………………………………...... . 9 Evaluation Purpose and Evaluation Questions…………………………………………………………….13 Evaluation Methods and Limitations………………………………………………………………………14 Findings and Conclusions…………………………………...……………………………………………...15 Question 1. Women’s Empowerment ………………………………………………………………..15 Question 2. Training Effectiveness……………………………………………………………………..22 Question 3. Challenges ………………………………………………………………………………..26 Question 4. Links to Appropriate Training, Financing and Markets…………………………………..28 Question 5. Village Savings and Loans …………………………………………………….....................31 Question 6. Sustainabilty………………………………………………………………………………33 Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………………....35 Question 1. Women’s Empowerment………………………………………………………………....35 Question 2. Training Effectiveness………………………………………………………………...........36 Question 3. Challenges……………………………………………………………………………........36 Question 4. Links to Appropriate Training, Financing and Markets…………………………………..37 Question 5. Village Savings and Loans……………………………………………………………….....37 Question 6. Sustainabilty………………………………………………………………………………37 Lessons Learned ………………………………………………………………………………………….38 USAID/Bangladesh - WEA Final Evaluation Final Evaluation Report - January 2018 iii Annexes Annex I: Evaluation Statement of Work………………………………………………………………… 40 Annex 2: Evaluation Matrix …………… ……………………………………………………………,…..53 Annex 3. Evaluation Methodology…………………………………………………………………,…….56 Table A. Location of Evaluation Field Visits ………………………………………………,……56 Table B. Type and Numbers of Evaluation Data Gathering Methods…………………………..56 Table C. Summary of Evaluation Calendar…………………………………………………,…..57 Table D. Jessore Schedule………………………………………………………………………58 Table E. Khulna Schedule…………………………………………………………………….…63 Table F. Barisal Schedule ……………………………………………………………….….…....69 Annex 4. Evaluation Tools: KII Guides, FGD Guides & Mini-Survey…………………………………....74 Annex 5. Mini-Survey Data and Graphs ………………………………………………….………...…...90 Annex 6. Analysis of ELTE Curriculum……………………………………………………………….....93 Annex 7. WEA Performance Data Table (updated to July 2017)………………………………….......103 Annex 8. List of Persons and Organizations Consulted…………………………………………….....107 Annex 9. List of Documents Reviewed …………………………………………………………….....116 Annex 10. Disclosure of Conflict of Interest ……………………………………………………..…..120 Annex 11. Roles of the Evaluation Team Members………………………………………….………..123 FIGURES Figure 1. The Five Domains of Empowerement in the WEAI………………………………...……………9 Figure 2. Results Framework of WEA…………………………………………………………………….12 Figure 3. Mini-survey Results: Decisions about Food, Time and Money ……………………….…............23 Figure 4. Mini-survey Results: Linking Women to Traning, Finance and Markets ……………….……....29 Figure 5 Women’s ELTE Groups Partcipating in VSLs…………………………………………….……...31 USAID/Bangladesh - WEA Final Evaluation Final Evaluation Report - January 2018 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Evaluation Team would like to acknowledge all of the individuals who supported the WEA Final Performance Evaluation work in Dhaka and during the fieldwork in Jessore, Khulna and Barisal. In particular, we extend our sincere appreciation to the USAID/Bangladesh Mission in Dhaka for the valuable guidance and direction provided to the team. We acknowledge the excellent support provided by the Winrock International staff in Dhaka, the WEA field offices, sub-partners -- namely Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), Sheba Manab Kalyan Kendra (SMKK), Nabolok, SAINT Bangladesh -- and private sector partner Advanced Chemical Industries Ltd. (ACI), in facilitating the evaluation fieldwork. We thank them for their willingness to share information on WEA with the team and for their kind hospitality. We extend our deep appreciation to all stakeholders, government, private sector, women and men in the villages, at site visits and non-participants who engaged in key informant interviews and focus group discussions and gave generously of their time. Their insights and perspectives have greatly enriched the evaluation and are reflected in the findings, conclusion and recommendations. USAID/Bangladesh - WEA Final Evaluation Final Evaluation Report - January 2018 v ACRONYMS ACE Agriculture Community Equity (Scorecard) ACI Advanced Chemical Industries, Ltd. ACME Accelerating Capacity for Monitoring and Evaluation ADB Asian Development Bank AESA Agriculture Extension Support Activity AIN Aquaculture for Income and Nutrition AIP Agriculture Input Project ANGeL Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages AOR Agreement Officer’s Representative ATT Agricultural Technical Training BCC Behavioral Change Communication BRAC Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee CAA Community Asset Appraisal CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy COP Chief of Party COR Contracting Officer’s Representative CREL Climate-Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods DAE Department of Agricultural Extension DAM Dhaka Ahsania Mission DE Domains of Empowerment DLS Department of Livestock Services DOE Department of Education DOF Department of Fisheries DOWA Department of Women Affairs DYD Department of Youth Development DEC Development Experience Clearinghouse DFED DAM Federation for Economic Development DO Development Objective EDT Entrepreneurship Development Training ELTE Entrepreneurial Literacy Training for Empowerment FGD Focus Group Discussion FTF Feed the Future FY Fiscal Year GDP Gross Domestic Product GII Gender Inequality Index GOB Government of Bangladesh GPI Gender Parity Index HDI Human Development Index IBTCI International Business & Technical Consultants Inc. IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute IGA Income Generating Activity IR Intermediate Result IRRI International Rice Research Institute KII Key Informant Interview LAC Local Advisory Committee LfC Leadership for Change LPIN Livestock Production for Improved Nutrition M&E Monitoring & Evaluation USAID/Bangladesh - WEA Final Evaluation Final Evaluation Report - January 2018 vi MEL Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning MFI Micro-Finance Institution NGO Non-Governmental Organization RVC Rice Value Chain SDG Sustainable Development Goal SOW Scope of Work SMKK Sheba Manab Kalyan Kendra TEC Total Estimated Cost UNDP United National Development Programme UNO Upazila Nirbahi Officer USAID United States Agency for International Development VSL Village Savings & Loan WEA Women’s Empowerment Activity WEAI Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index ZOI Zone of Influence USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PROJECT PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND USAID/Bangladesh Development Objective (DO) 2: Food Security Improved is the flagship DO for the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future (FTF) initiative in Bangladesh. Within the DO2 portfolio, USAID is funding a three-year activity titled “Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity (WEA)” (Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-15-00001), implemented by Winrock International and sub-partners from December 1, 2014, to November 30, 2017 since extended to May 31, 2018 with a Total Estimated Cost (TEC) of $5,970,000. Other DO2 projects have gender components or involve women beneficiaries, but WEA is the only DO2 activity focused explicitly on the nexus of agriculture and women’s empowerment. WEA is a pilot activity implemented in five districts within the Feed the Future Zone of Influence (FTF ZOI), namely Jessore, Khulna, Barisal, Barguna and Patuakhali. WEA aims to reduce gender-based constraints to women’s full participation in agricultural production and food security, and is guided by and informs the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI). WEA works towards empowering women by strengthening women’s community leadership, improving women’s decision￾making over productive resources and agricultural production, improving control over income and time￾use, and increasing social acceptance of women’s empowerment. WEA has supported 30,000 women and 7,500 men through several training initiatives, including Entrepreneurial Literacy Training for Empowerment (ELTE), Agriculture Technical Training (ATT), and Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDT). PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION The purpose of the WEA final performance evaluation is to assess the extent to which WEA has achieved its overall performance goals. The primary goals of the evaluation are to assess the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of the approaches and models of WEA for promoting women’s empowerment and to identify and document good practices, lessons learned, and factors that influenced program effectiveness. The evaluation addresses six questions related to WEA’s success in increasing women’s empowerment; the effectiveness of WEA training; challenges WEA faced; the effectiveness of WEA’s approach for linking women to training, financing and markets for income generating activities (IGAs); the effectiveness of village savings and loan (VSL) activities; and sustainability. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY The evaluation team used a mixed-methods approach to gather both qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources, with attention to gender sensitivity and sex-disaggregated data. The team reviewed relevant documents and data provided by USAID and WEA, including reports from other USAID FTF activities in Bangladesh. Three districts were selected for data collection, namely Jessore, Khulna and Barisal. The team conducted 37 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with106 individuals and 22 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 180 individuals. In total, the evaluation team met with 286 people representing a range of stakeholders in Dhaka and selected districts. In order to avoid sampling bias, the evaluation team used a three-tier random selection of [1] upazilas, [2] women’s groups, and [3] participants from women’s groups. Six direct observation visits were carried out as well as a “mini￾survey” given to 62 women beneficiaries of WEA. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS Question 1: Success in increasing women’s empowerment Success in increasing women’s empowerment: WEA measures “success” in “women’s empowerment” against 24 WEA indicators and 5 Domains of Empowerment (five DEs, which map onto the five WEA Intermediate Results, IRs). In estimating WEA’s success in increasing women’s USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 2 empowerment, the evaluation team notes that during the nine FGDs held with women’s ELTE groups, at least two-thirds of the women participated enthusiastically.. Sixty percent of all stakeholders demonstrated an understanding of the concept of “women’s empowerment” (“nari khomotayan”) and were able to define and articulate in their own words how women are exercising empowerment in their lives. Their common responses can be grouped in categories according to WEA Indicators, including: Increased community life skills (Sub-IR.2); Strengthened decision-making in agricultural production (IR 4), Improved control of income and financial literacy (IR 3); Increased leadership in the community (IR 1); Increased social acceptance of women’s empowerment (IR 6); and Increased mobility, which is not a WEA indicator. Please refer to Annex 7 WEA Performance Data Table for a list of WEA indicators. Stakeholder interviewees comprised women beneficiaries, Local Advisory Committees (LACs), Peer Leaders, ELTE facilitators, NGO and private sector sub-partners, government officials, and community people (non-beneficiaries). Women and stakeholders consistently informed that women have been empowered through knowledge and skills in a range of life and community skills, in agricultural technologies, and in making joint decisions with husbands on their agricultural activities. Women are initiating income-generating activities (IGAs) though they face constraints in access to markets and finance. They are recognizing the power of their voice: one-third of women in FGDs said that they are increasingly speaking out in family gatherings, in school meetings, and participating as witnesses in Shalish (traditional village courts). 1 Women are increasingly self-confident, and have gained the respect of their families and communities and now have courage to interact with government extension services and other service providers. Social acceptance of women’s empowerment was rated by all stakeholders as partially satisfactory with three exceptions in which it was rated as excellent and very good. Success in women’s empowerment has been supported by other actors and interventions, including men, Local Advisory Committees (LACs), Behavior Change Communication (BCC), women ELTE Facilitators, and Peer Leaders. Some of the main project interventions have included Entrepreneurial Literacy Training for Empowerment (ELTE), Agricultural Technical Training (ATT), Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDT), Village Savings & Loan (VSL), partnering with the private sector namely Advanced Chemical Industries, Ltd. (ACI), partnerships with other FTF projects, linkages with Micro￾finance Institutions (MFIs), and capacity building of various actors supporting WEA implementation. Men are recognized as crucial to women’s empowerment. Two-thirds of the men in FGDs indicated learning new concepts on women’s empowerment. However, the effectiveness of ELTE training was constrained by attitudinal and logistical issues.2 LACs played a catalytic role in the initial stages as an entry point in the community and in supporting women’s empowerment and rights. The role and capacity of LAC members appeared more limited later in the course of the project due to inadequate capacity development by WEA and less focus on specific project activities. The potential and capacity of Peer Leaders as volunteers supporting women‘s empowerment was also inadequately captured by the WEA project. BCC activities were well received by the community, but WEA told the team such activities were limited by funding constraints. USAID told the team that funding had never been an issue for program implementation. The most effective intervention in achieving programmatic goals: Women beneficiaries and other stakeholders confirmed that ELTE was the most effective intervention. ELTE resonated with 70 percent of women beneficiaries, who were empowered through acquiring knowledge, skills and links to 1 Shalish is a “social system for informal adjudication of petty disputes both civil and criminal, by local notables, such as matbars (leaders) or shalishkars (adjudicators). http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Shalish. 2 This point is discussed in detail in Question 3 on Challenges. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 3 resources. Unanticipated impacts include the multiplier effect3 from women sharing their knowledge and skills with husbands and women neighbors. Women and men, LACs and other stakeholders also said WEA trainings led to decreased conflict4 within families. WEA made significant progress in a short period of time towards women‘s empowerment and IRs 1-6. Question 2: Training effectiveness for women’s empowerment WEA organized seven-month, community-based ELTE for 1,200 ELTE groups totaling 30,000 women and 240 ELTE groups totaling 6,000 men (according to WEA performance data as of July 24, 2017). The same groups of beneficiaries received either one or two days of ATT. A total of 421 women beneficiaries participated in an additional three-day residential EDT held in their district centers. The effectiveness of training in empowering women is reflected in the following four areas identified by USAID: Women’s Decision-making over Food Choice and Nutrition: Women’s decision-making over food choice and nutrition is not among the WEA Intermediate Result (IRs) or the 24 WEA Indicators. Among 62 women respondents in the evaluation mini-survey, two-thirds said they make decisions about what their family eats, and one-third said they make these decisions jointly with their husband. Women’s Control over Income: For FY 2016, WEA reports that 41 percent of surveyed women beneficiaries said they have sole or joint control over their income (IR 3, Indicator 12), such as decision￾making about saving and investing in children’s education, agriculture and other IGAs. WEA reports that 5,209 women beneficiaries have membership in 251 VSL groups5. However, among evaluation mini￾survey respondents, one-quarter said they make decisions about how to spend their income, and nearly three-quarters said they make these decisions jointly with their husband. Women’s Time Use: Women in each FGD noted that after their WEA training, their husbands, mothers￾in-law, and other family members now contribute to household chores (such as childcare or cooking) to enable them to attend ELTE classes, complete other household tasks, or devote time to their agricultural IGAs. Women’s Leadership in the Community: WEA IR1 relates to “increased leadership in community economic or social groups by women.” Indicator two tracks the number of “women beneficiaries who make at least one public presentation”, and Indicator three measures the number of “individuals actively participating in groups.” These performance indicators do not capture all of the ways in which beneficiaries are exercising leadership in local communities. At least two women in each of eight FGDs said that because of ELTE classes, they have more confidence and courage to speak to other people, including their husbands, visitors, neighbors, and in Shalish. Most effective training and cumulative effect: ELTE was the most effective training for women’s empowerment. Women in FGDs said that both ELTE and ATT (and EDT for the few who participated) added value such that the cumulative effect was increasingly positive. ATT was regarded by both women and men as being effective in teaching useful knowledge and skills related to agriculture. However, FGD participants consistently said that more ATT and EDT skills trainings are needed. Winrock and WEA 3 Multiplier effect- Activities initiated in a project that have spin-off activities and results with wider impact through sharing of knowledge, information and skills. 4 Decreased conflict: Women beneficiaries reported less discord and tension between spouses and family members on financial and other issues. This is contrary to findings in some studies showing increased family conflict as a result of women’s empowerment initiatives. Women beneficiaries explained that they have gained knowledge and skills and are increasingly contributing to family income, making joint decisions with spouses on financial issues and agricultural matters including sharing of household tasks. Spouses and family members also have increasing respect for the different ways in which women are supporting their families. This has helped reduce causes of intra-family conflict. 5 (Draft)Economic Empowerment of Women Report, Winrock Interntional Dhaka, August 7, 2017 USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 4 sub-partners agree that introducing these skills earlier within the ELTE curriculum could increase the cumulative effect for women’s empowerment, especially with applied learning methods. Whether ELTE could be shorter and have the same results: Women felt that ELTE could not be shorter, and most agreed they would prefer a longer period for ELTE classes. ELTE facilitators and representatives of WEA’s four non-governmental organization (NGO) sub-partners said that some of the success of ELTE for women’s empowerment requires a long period of time to build trust among participants and with the facilitator and to accumulate knowledge, skills and confidence. Nevertheless, the evaluation team’s analysis of the ELTE curriculum (see Annex 6, section C) suggests that as many as 14 lessons are not essential to increasing women’s empowerment in the rural agricultural context, and therefore could be eliminated without compromising the women’s empowerment training objective. Men in the FGDs as well as Winrock and WEA sub-partners indicated that a shorter duration and different approach for men’s ELTE could be effective for engaging men in women’s empowerment. Question 3: Challenges Four key challenges were identified by the evaluation team:  Social resistance in communities and among men: These are key barriers for a women’s empowerment program in rural communities. Strategies employed effectively included WEA inception workshops with government and community stakeholders, as well as LAC interventions to mobilize communities and husbands.  Men’s ELTE classes faced logistical and attitudinal obstacles: LACs successfully intervened to motivate men’s participation.  Budgetary constraints: According to Winrock, the project experienced budgetary constraints that required WEA to adjust and reduce its activities. USAID subsequently told the team that WEA received timely funding in line with its annual work plan.  Constraints in a short project period: WEA and partners said that time constraints were caused by delays in project start-up and signing a contract with the private sector partner ACI. Question 4: Links with training, financing and markets WEA and sub-partners facilitated women beneficiaries’ links with government departments (such as the departments of Agriculture Extension, Livestock Services, Fisheries, Education, Youth Development, Women’s Affairs and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer), the private sector, and NGOs to promote women’s sustainable IGAs. However, these links were only partially achieved; few women are linked with training, finance and markets, and there is limited synergy among sub-partners, NGOs and ACI to graduate women from traditional IGAs into profitable market-driven IGAs. In addition, the experience of and activities carried out by field team members of ACI were limited. Links to training: Results of the mini-survey with WEA women beneficiaries show that almost one-third said that WEA facilitated links to additional training but more than half said WEA did not link them with training. In instances where WEA facilitated links, it included linking women beneficiaries to government training opportunities such as with DYD (Department of Youth Development), which provided training to 110 women on cattle and poultry rearing. The USAID-funded International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Rice Value Chain (RVC) project provided training to 964 WEA women beneficiaries on rice production and management, and links were also made with several more FTF projects. Links to financing: WEA facilitated women’s linkages with Micro-finance Institutions (MFIs) such as Grameen Bank and Jagorani Chrakro Foundation, and NGOs such as Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) and WEA sub-partners to obtain loans for their IGAs. Based on FGDs with women beneficiaries, about a quarter reported that they were able to obtain loans of US $62-250. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 5 Links to markets: ACI conducted 26 familiarization workshops between women and local agro-inputs retailers, and seven workshops between women and local output traders. In total, workshops included 1,370 beneficiaries and 327 traders. However, buying of agro-inputs and sales of agro-products has progressed slowly, remaining more of an ad hoc process rather than one of long-term business relationships. Question 5: Effectiveness of village savings and loan activities WEA VSL activities included 251 ELTE women’s groups, representing 21 percent of the total number of 1,200 ELTE groups. In FGDs with women in four VSL groups, women reported that they learned for the first time the importance of saving money, how to save and how to use savings wisely. Women in FGDs said that they have saved only small amounts, which allowed only a few members to take small loans to finance their IGAs. As of August 3, 2017 when the evaluation team was in the field, VSL groups had not yet completed a one-year VSL cycle. Strengths of the VSLs: A VSL is a self-managed group; members decide among themselves how much they will save and who may take loans from their collective savings. This autonomy is empowering for the women participants. VSLs enable women in remote areas to obtain loans where MFIs are rare, charge lower interest than MFIs, and provide emergency loans with zero interest. The interest paid to VSLs is redistributed to the women rather than going to an external lender. Women in FGDs expressed that now they have stronger group cohesion and mutual support than before they started their VSLs. WEA was instrumental in forming and assisting VSL groups. ELTE facilitators trained by WEA presented the VSL concepts to each of the 1200 ELTE women’s groups at ELTE classes to create awareness. Those women interested in participating were invited to form VSL groups. The trained ELTE facilitators in turn conducted a one-day training for VSL group members and continue to provide technical assistance to VSL group’s fortnightly savings and loan meetings for one cycle, typically lasting 12 months to build institutional capacity for self-sustaining VSL groups. Challenges faced by VSLs: The VSL members have inadequate accounting skills and are dependent on ELTE-VSL facilitators for technical assistance. In addition, each of the VSLs has only a small amount of savings and therefore most of the members in VSL groups are unable to take loans. VSLs ideally should have been initiated earlier by WEA as part of the ELTE classes so they would have had time to benefit more women and have a greater chance of sustainability. VSLs also would have been an ideal mechanism to teach women numeracy and accounting skills in ELTE classes. Question 6: Sustainability At least three-quarters of women beneficiaries in FGDs reported that through WEA trainings they had gained new knowledge and skills, which are valuable permanent assets. Others who participated in a variety of WEA trainings have also gained new knowledge and capacities, including men who participated in ELTE and ATT; ELTE facilitators; LAC members who received Leadership for Change (LfC) training; Peer Leaders who received Tab-Based Data Collection (TBDC) training; and all WEA staff members at Winrock and NGO sub-partners. However, capacity building for LACs was inadequate for institutional sustainability and Peer Leaders were another under-capacitated and under-utilized resource. Women’s contributions to family income and their knowledge from ELTE about managing household finance are empowerment gains likely to be sustained beyond WEA. However women’s IGAs might not be sustainable without establishing better links to markets and other resources. Especially if their IGAs are sustained, women are likely to maintain increased confidence in both private and public spheres. Institutional Sustainability – VSLs might have the strongest potential for sustainability, if reinforced beyond the one-year fund disbursement. Consolidating VSLs requires more time, stewardship, and capacity building within women’s groups. Although the LACs might have the potential to help sustain WEAs USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 6 women’s empowerment gains, the evaluation team did not find evidence that the LACs per se have the information or tools to sustain themselves. WEA provided an orientation session for LACs, but did not support LACs in other ways, such as by attending or guiding the agenda of their meetings or by providing follow-up capacity building. Winrock and sub-partners agree that WEA could have done much more to strengthen and potentially sustain the LACs. WEA partners initiated links between some women’s ELTE groups and government extension officers but these relationships have yet to be solidified for sustainability. WEA also planned to establish strong linkages with local input and output markets for cost-benefits and sustainability, but did so relatively late and with limited success perhaps because of poor planning or weaknesses in Winrock’s management of private sector partner ACI. Solidifying women’s IGAs requires more and repeated agricultural technical training such as that offered in WEA ATT and EDT, and forging stronger market linkages. Other avenues for sustainability have been initiated but are somewhat weaker, such as with government, connections between ACI and NGOs, and among LACs and Peer Leaders. RECOMMENDATIONS The evaluation team offers the following 15 recommendations: Question 1 1. Integrate some aspects of the WEA approach, with its core element of women’s empowerment in agriculture, in other USAID/Bangladesh FTF programs where applicable. 2. Strengthen the role of LACs through facilitated hands-on learning opportunities to help women link with public and private sector services for sustaining empowerment. 3. Expand BCC to reinforce women’s empowerment messages in communities through the support of WEA staff and NGO sub-partners working in concert with LACs and community people to implement specific BCC community-based activities that can be undertaken within the remaining project period. Question 2 4. Provide additional, hands-on technical training for WEA women beneficiaries. 5. Incorporate technical training and VSLs into ELTE early and more effectively. 6. Decrease the length of ELTE training for men or find better approaches to reach men. 7. Include technical training for women in all USAID FTF programs. Question 3 8. Consider alternative vocabulary to “women’s empowerment” to reduce resistance. This may include terms such as “empowering women to strengthen families” or “women in agriculture.” 9. Engage men more effectively in women’s empowerment efforts. Question 4 10. Organize and facilitate additional workshops for women with market actors. 11. Facilitate women’s development of long-term business plans. Question 5 12. Enhance training on accounting systems for VSLs members and start a new VSL cycle. 13. Revise VSL guidelines in consultation with VSL members. Question 6 14. Consolidate WEA gains. 15. Gather and disseminate best practices and lessons learned. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 7 LESSONS LEARNED The evaluation team suggests the following six lessons learned from WEA:  Group-based strategies empower women.  Engaging men effectively in women’s empowerment is essential.  Technical training for women on agricultural and entrepreneurial skills is a good approach to women’s empowerment.  Earlier and more reinforced links to government, NGOs and private trader services are essential for the long-term success of women’s IGAs and for women’s full empowerment.  Women’s VSL groups have significant benefits for women’s empowerment and other development outcomes.  Private sector partners can significantly contribute to women’ empowerment, but present challenges for development partners because their primary focus is efficient use of human and other resources to ensure profit, rather than long-term investment in the development and empowerment of people and communities. The capacity of the private sector and its field teams also needs to be strengthened to work with poor rural women. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 8 INTRODUCTION Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with a population of 162 million people, expected to increase to 220 million by 2050, threatening to outpace food production.6 World Bank country data shows that more than 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas and most rural households (87 percent) rely on agriculture for at least part of their income.7 Agriculture is a key driver of economic growth in Bangladesh; it contributes almost 17 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and is the largest employer in the country, employing 47.5 percent of the population.8 World Bank data also shows that the country has made substantial progress in reducing poverty from 44.2 percent in 1991 to 18.5 percent in 2010, projected to decrease to 12.9 percent in 2016,9 supported by steady economic growth of 6 percent over the past decade.10 The UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) ranks Bangladesh 139 out of 188 countries and places it among countries considered to have achieved medium human development.11 Bangladesh aspires to reach Middle Income Country status by 2021.12 Despite declining poverty, UNDP finds that Bangladesh faces continued challenges to sustain its economic growth trajectory build on the achievements of the past decade and meet its targets under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These challenges include environmental issues and climate change, political and economic issues, and an increasingly competitive international trade environment, which impedes higher growth rates.13 Women comprise 49.5 percent of the Bangladeshi population.14 According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), “Women’s opportunities and public participation in Bangladesh have changed significantly and improved in recent decades such as in closing the gender gap in school enrollments and achieving parity at both primary and secondary levels; girls currently outnumber boys in enrollments.” 15 The 2011 USAID-funded Bangladesh Maternal Mortality and Health Care Survey results show a 40 percent decline in the maternal mortality ratio over the previous nine years.16 Notwithstanding important gains, Bangladesh continues to score poorly on gender indices. It ranks 119 out of 159 countries on the Gender Inequality Index (GII), which reflects inequalities in three dimensions -- reproductive health, empowerment and economic activity.17 Women are increasingly entering the labor force but their participation rates (43.1 percent) are much lower than their male counterparts (81 percent).18 With regard to the vital link between agriculture and women in Bangladesh, the Ministry of Agriculture is currently implementing a pilot project called “Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages” (ANGeL) funded jointly by the Government of Bangladesh and USAID.19 6 Bangladesh FY 2011-2015 Multi-Year Strategy, Feed the Future - a US Government Initiative (February 22, 2011), page 5. 7 World Bank Bangladesh Country at a glance. WB http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/bangladesh 8 Government of Bangladesh, Agriculture Sector Development Strategy: background paper for preparation of 7th Five Year Plan http://www.plancomm.gov.bd/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/17_-Agriculture-Sector-Development-Strategy.pdf, page 1. 9 The figures are based on international poverty line of $1.90 per person per day. http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/bangladesh/overview 10 Bangladesh Development Update: Breaking Barriers Shows Resilient Economic Growth Despite Headwinds, World Bank (May 14, 2017). http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2017/05/14/bangladesh-development-update-breaking-barriers 11 UNDP Human Development Report 2016. http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/BGD.pdf 12 Government of Bangladesh, Agriculture Sector Development Strategy, page 1. 13 UNDP - About Bangladesh http://www.bd.undp.org/content/bangladesh/en/home/countryinfo/ 14 https://tradingeconomics.com/bangladesh/population-female-percent-of-total-wb-data.html 15 County Gender Assessment Bangladesh (2010) Asian Development Bank, page viii. 16 USAID/Bangladesh Country Development Cooperation Strategy (September 2011) Bangladesh FY 2011- FY 2016, page 16. 17 UNDP Human Development Report 2016. The GII can be interpreted as the loss in human development due to inequality between female and male achievements in the three GII dimensions. 18 UNDP Human Development Report 2016. 19 World Food Programme, Strategic Review of Food Security and Nutrition, Bangladesh 2016, pages 43-44. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 9 THE DEVELOPMENT PROBLEM AND USAID’S RESPONSE THE DEVELOPMENT PROBLEM Bangladeshi women play a vital role in agriculture, which is crucial to livelihoods, nutritional outcomes and well-being. However, women “face persistent obstacles and economic constraints limiting [their] inclusion in agriculture.”20 The commonly held view is that women are not involved in agricultural production outside the homestead and are not “farmers”21 . “Food insecurity is further complicated by gender-related factors, as women have very low levels of land and asset ownership, and do not have access to extension services or other inputs, such as seeds and fertilizer.”22 Figure 1. The Five Domains of Empowerment in the WEAI Domain Indicators Weight Production Input in productive decisions 1/10 Autonomy in production 1/10 Resources Ownership of Assets 1/15 Purchase, sale or transfer of assets 1/15 Access to and decisions on credit 1/15 Income Control over use of income 1/5 Leadership Group member 1/10 Speaking in public 1/10 Time Workload 1/10 Leisure 1/10 Source: https://www.feedthefuture.gov/tags/weai An ADB report further indicates that economic opportunities for women are “limited by labor market discrimination, high levels of illiteracy, limited access to market oriented training, and basic services and a heavy household burden.” 23 Gender inequalities in the agriculture sector mean that women in relation to men lack the necessary information about new technologies and services in agricultural extension even when these may relate to areas in which they predominate, such as vegetable growing.24 USAID’s RESPONSE The Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) is the first-ever standardized measurement to directly capture and track women's empowerment and inclusion levels in the agricultural sector in an effort to identify ways to overcome obstacles and constraints. It was developed in partnership between USAID, the International Food Policy Research Institute, and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, and is comprised of two sub-indexes. Figure1 shows the five Domains of Empowerment (5DE) in the WEAI. The Gender Parity Index (GPI) measures women’s empowerment 20 Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (booklet) (2012), USAID Feed the Future, The US Government’s Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative, USAID, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), page 2. (file:///C:/Users/admin/Downloads/127148.pdf) 21 Esha Sraboni, Hazel J. Malapit, Agnes R. Quisumbing and Akhter U. Ahmed, (2014) “Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture: What Role for Food Security in Bangladesh?” IFPRI, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and IFPRI, Washington, DC, USA, World Development, Volume 61, September 2014, page 12. 22 Hazel J. Malapit, et al, Measuring Progress Toward Empowerment: Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index: Baseline Report, USAID, IFPRI and OPHI, 2014, page 8. (https://www.feedthefuture.gov/sites/default/files/resource/files/ftf_progress_weai_baselinereport_may2014.pdf). 23 Country Gender Assessment Bangladesh, Asian Development Bank (ADB), 2010, page ix. 24 Kelkar, Govind, The feminization of agriculture in Asia: Implications for women’s agency and productivity. UNIFEM South Asia Regional Office. 2009, page 3. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 10 Development Hypothesis: “If decision-making by women in agricultural resources, production, and income use improves and they have increased leadership roles underpinned by balanced time management, then women will be empowered to actively participate in and benefit from economic growth and move toward gender parity.” relative to men within their households. A woman is defined as empowered in the 5DE if she reaches the threshold of empowerment in 80 percent or more of weighted indicators25 . Results from the WEAI study piloted in southwestern Bangladesh in 2011 showed that about 25 percent of women have achieved adequate empowerment, and that 39 percent of women have achieved gender parity26 . Among the 5 WEAI domains, those that contributed most to women’s disempowerment are: lack of control over resources, weak leadership and influence in the community and lack of control over income. Research by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Bangladesh shows that “an increase in women‘s empowerment in agriculture helps to move people out of poverty; improves household, child, and maternal dietary diversity; and increases agricultural diversity.”27 In the above context, USAID provided a three-year Cooperative Agreement with a Total Estimated Cost (TEC) of US$5,970,000 from December 1, 2014, to November 30, 2017, since extended to May 31, 2018 for the Feed the Future (FTF) Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity (WEA). The project is implemented by Winrock International in collaboration with sub-partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs), namely DAM, SMKK, Nabolok and SAINT Bangladesh, and private sector partner ACI. According to the USAID Final Performance Evaluation Scope of Work (SOW): The overall goal of WEA is increased empowerment of women and gender parity in WEA targeted areas in the FTF Zone of Influence (ZOI). WEA works towards empowering women by strengthening community leadership, improving decision-making among women over productive resources and agricultural production, improving control over income and time-use, and increasing social acceptance of women’s empowerment. Through these efforts, WEA aims to reduce gender-based constraints to women’s full participation in agricultural production and food security. The activity uses community￾driven approaches in agricultural production and income generation to achieve women’s empowerment.” WEA also engages men and local leaders to support gender equality. The USAID SOW states that “The WEA is a pilot activity and contributes to ‘Development Objective (DO) 2: Food Security Improved,’ of USAID/Bangladesh’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). In particular, WEA is intended to inform the WEAI under DO2, which is the flagship DO for the FTF strategy and its objective in Bangladesh, namely ‘Availability, Access, and Utilization of Domestically Produced and Nutritious Foods Increased.’ ” WEA uses the following development hypothesis: The WEA objective, according to the USAID SOW, is “increasing women’s empowerment and gender parity in five districts within the FTF ZOI,” namely Khulna, Jessore, Borguna, Barisal, and Patuakhali. “WEA aims to support 30,000 women [and 7,500 men] in 1,350 communities through increased contributions to production, market access and improving household wellbeing.” WEA includes several 25 WEAI booklet (2012), page 3. 26 WEAI Baseline Report (2014), page 8. 27 Akhter Ahmed, Julie Ghost law And Nusrat Hossain, “Empowering women in Bangladesh by strengthening the agriculture￾nutrition-gender nexus,” IFPRI Research Blog, March 10, 2017 (http://www.ifpri.org/blog/empowering-women-bangladesh￾strengthening-agriculture-nutrition-gender-nexus) USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 11 training initiatives, including Entrepreneurial Literacy Training for Empowerment (ELTE), Agriculture Technical Training (ATT), and Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDT). To achieve this goal and support the development hypothesis, the project has five intermediate results (IRs), one cross-cutting result and 10 Sub IRs, which are represented in Figure 2. The project measures the overall achievements in women’s empowerment through changes in the FTF WEAI scores. The project tracks further measures of success over time in women’s decision-making, women’s empowerment through group formation and participation, and women’s income-generating activities. 28 Gender is not a new agenda in the agriculture sector, and USAID has many agriculture (DO2) programs in Bangladesh that include gender components involving small numbers of women. However, WEA is the only program that focuses explicitly on the issue of women’s empowerment in agriculture. 28 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s’ Empowerment Activity Baseline Report, Verulam Associates Bangladesh Limited for Winrock International, December 2015, page 7. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 12 Figure 2: Result Framework of WEA USAID DO2: Food Security Improved roved DO2-IR 2.1: Sustainably increase agricultural productivity WEA objective: Increased empowerment of women and gender parity in targeted areas of the Feed the Future Zone of Influence Sub IR 5.1 Balanced/shar ed household responsibilitie s within the family members Sub IR 1.1 LAC established and strengthened Improved Sub IR 1.2 Increased community life skills Sub IR 3.1 Increased financial literacy Sub IR 3.2 Improved income generation Improved Sub IR 4.1 Improved knowledge of agricultural production Sub IR 4.2 Increased adoption of appropriate agricultural technology Critical Assumptions 1. Government of Bangladesh is supportive of WEA and its implementing partners 2. Government of Bangladesh policies and legislation are applied consistently and effectively across all Divisions and Districts of Bangladesh 3. Current levels of political stability will persist in Bangladesh during the life of project 4. Ongoing USAID projects are open and willing to cooperate with WEA 5. Women would like to more actively participate in public and economic spheres in rural Bangladesh IR5: Improved time use by women IR4: Strengthened decision-making by women in agricultural production IR3: Improved women’s control over income IR 1: Increased leadership in community economic or social groups by women IR 2: Improved decision making by women over productive resources Sub IR 2.1 Increased ownership of productive resources by women Sub IR 2.1.1 Increased access to market for productive assets, resources and agricultural products by women Sub IR 2.1.2 Increased access to credit for productive resources and assets Cross -Cutting: Increase social acceptance of women’s empowerment USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 13 EVALUATION PURPOSE AND EVALUATION QUESTIONS EVALUATION PURPOSE The purpose of the WEA final performance evaluation is to assess the extent to which the Women’s Empowerment Activity (WEA) has achieved its overall performance goals. In keeping with USAID’s 2011 Evaluation Policy, the goals of the evaluation are to: ● Assess efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability29 of the approaches and models employed by WEA to promote women’s empowerment, especially with regards to social acceptance, leadership development, decision-making, time-use, and control over their incomes. ● Identify and document good practices and lessons learned, and factors that influenced program effectiveness. EVALUATION QUESTIONS USAID/Bangladesh articulated the following questions for the WEA final evaluation: 1. To what extent has WEA been successful in increasing women’s empowerment in the community? What interventions were the most effective in achieving the programmatic goals? Were there any unanticipated impacts? 2. How effective were the WEA trainings (ELTE, ATT, and EDT) in terms of increasing women’s empowerment, specifically in the areas of decision-making over food choice and nutrition, control over income, leadership in the community, and time use? - What training (of the ELTE, ATT, and EDT) has been most effective in achieving outcomes? What is the cumulative effect of receiving all three trainings? - How successful has been the long-term (7 month) training in achieving the WEA outcomes? Could the same results have been obtained with a shorter period of training? 3. What have been some of the key challenges affecting the achievement of WEA’s desired outcomes? What strategies were employed to overcome the challenges and how effective were these? 29Effectiveness, Efficiency and Sustainability are among the standard criteria used in evaluations by development organizations. Effectiveness: This criterion measures the extent to which a project achieved its objectives or is likely to attain its objectives, and the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives. Effectiveness also assesses the extent to which results were achieved both qualitative and quantitative, the progress made and the changes that occurred. Efficiency: Efficiency is a measure of how economically resources such as inputs, funds, expertise and time are translated to producing project results (outputs and outcomes) both qualitative and quantitative. The efficiency criterion assesses whether the objectives were achieved in a timely manner, and if the project was implemented in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Sustainability: It analyzes the likelihood of services, processes, or benefits being sustained and or continued for a reasonable period past the project period once the original sources of funding, materials and training have been decreased or phased out. It includes assessing institutional, financial and environmental sustainability, and factors that influence sustainability achievements and non - achievements. The above evaluation criteria definitions are adapted from the following sources: http://www.oecd.org/dac/evaluation/daccriteriaforevaluatingdevelopmentassistance.htm, http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnado820.pdf, http://web.undp.org/evaluation/handbook/documents/english/pme-handbook.pdf USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 14 4. How effective has the WEA approach of linking beneficiaries to appropriate training, financing, and markets been for creating long-term income generating activities? 5. How effective have the village savings and loan (VSL) activities by WEA been? What are the greatest strengths of the VSLs and what have been some of the challenges faced by the VSLs? 6. Will the achievements by WEA sustain beyond the life of the activity? How successful has WEA been in planning and ensuring the sustainability? EVALUATION METHODS & LIMITATIONS The evaluation team used a mixed-methods approach to gather both qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources, with attention to gender-sensitivity and sex-disaggregated data. This approach enabled the team to integrate data from multiple sources and develop a richer understanding of each evaluation issue. Evaluation questions were linked to particular data collection approaches and sources (see Evaluation Matrix in Annex 2), including the following: Document Review - See Annex 9 for a full list of the documents reviewed by the evaluation team. The team reviewed all available documents and data provided by USAID and WEA to understand activity goals and objectives, outputs, results and the M&E system. The team also consulted secondary sources that provided the context for WEA, including reports from other USAID FTF programs and from other relevant projects in Bangladesh. Insights gained from the document review informed the development of the evaluation tools as well as the analysis of evaluation findings. Site and Participant Selection - In order to avoid sampling bias, the evaluation team used a combination of convenience30 and random sampling. Three districts for data collection were selected in order to include: a) districts with longer and shorter periods of project operation; b) districts that collectively included participation of all sub-partner NGOs; and c) districts with logistical accessibility issues, including security and weather considerations. Within the selected districts, the evaluation team identified a three-tiered random selection of [1] upazilas, [2] women’s groups, and [3] participants from women’s groups. See Annex 3 (Table A) for a list of the three districts, 10 upazilas, 14 Union Parishads and 17 villages visited by the team, Annex 3 (Table C) for the summary evaluation calendar, Annex 3 (Tables D-F) for the full schedule of meetings in each district, and Annex 8 for a list of organizations and persons consulted. Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) - The team conducted 37 in-depth KIIs with a range of stakeholders in Dhaka and selected districts to ask about their perceptions and insights on WEA performance and results. See Annex 3 (Table B) for the types and number of KIIs. Interviews with a diverse range of informants exposed the evaluation team to varied perspectives and enabled triangulation of responses to each of the evaluation questions. Interviews were semi-structured, including standardized questions, but permitting flexibility. The team’s approach combined close-ended questions (to ensure comparability of answers among respondents) with open-ended and tailored questions (to take advantage of different insights and roles in WEA). See Annex 4 for the Evaluation Tools, including KII Guides. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) – The evaluation team also conducted 22 facilitated FGDs with small groups of 6-10 persons. This method engaged an array of stakeholders and enabled the team to reach larger numbers of interlocutors, including women and men beneficiaries. See Annex 3 (Table B) for the types and number of FGDs. In each district, the evaluation team held three FGDs with women’s group members and one FGD with men’s group members (3:1), approximating the ratio of female-to-male 30 https://research-methodology.net/sampling-in-primary-data-collection/convenience-sampling/ USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 15 Evaluation mini-survey in Barisal district WEA beneficiaries (4:1). FGDs were semi-structured, guided by standardized questions, but permitting flexibility. See Annex 4 for the Evaluation Tools, including FGD Guides. Direct Observations / Site Visits – Following some FGDs with women beneficiaries of WEA, the evaluation team visited poultry farms and other agricultural income generating activities being undertaken by women beneficiaries. Five direct observation visits gave the evaluation team a glimpse of how women beneficiaries are applying the training they received. Another planned site visit in Barisal district was cancelled due to sudden heavy rain. The site visits are included in the district schedules in Annex 3 (Tables D-F) and the list of organizations and persons consulted (Annex 8). Mini-survey - The evaluation team developed a 10-question mini-survey (originally in English and translated to Bangla) for women beneficiaries of WEA before they participated in FGDs. See Annex 4 for the Evaluation Tools, including the mini-survey, and Annex 5 for the full mini-survey dataset. Although the sampling size of 62 women was not statistically significant, data gathered from the mini-survey was useful in triangulating information collected through other methods. The team administered the mini-survey beginning on the third day of fieldwork in Jessore. The data collectors were members of the evaluation team, and the Gender Specialist provided data collectors with a short training. Limitations - Constraints included time and geographical distances, which made it impractical to conduct the evaluation in all five project districts. The evaluation team visited three districts of the five, namely Jessore, Khulna and Barisal. Accessing women’s groups and other key stakeholders in villages in the selected districts required significant travel time by road. In addition, language interpretation (Bangla￾English) was necessary in each meeting in which the two international team members participated. The interpretation process under time pressure might not have always fully captured the nuances of what stakeholders stated. Finally, the evaluation took place during the monsoon season, with heavy rains in some locations. One site observation visit in Barisal was cancelled due to a sudden downpour. Another heavy rain prevented the team from crossing a slippery bamboo footbridge to meet a men’s group. Instead, six members of the group met the evaluation team in the village clinic on the main road. FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS QUESTION 1 To what extent has WEA been successful in increasing women’s empowerment in the community? What interventions were the most effective in achieving the programmatic goals? Were there any unanticipated impacts? FINDINGS Sub-question 1.1 Success in increasing women’s empowerment WEA measures “success” or progress in “women’s empowerment” against 24 WEA Indicators and 5 Domains of Empowerment (5 DEs, which map onto WEA’s 5 Intermediate Results, IRs). WEA has invested in empowering 30,000 women by implementing interventions across all 5 DEs. IR1 and IR6 (Cross-cutting) are directly relevant to women’s empowerment “in the community”; other IRs are primarily relevant to women’s empowerment for themselves and in their families. WEA IRs are interrelated and mutually reinforcing [See Annex7 for WEA Performance Data as of July 2017]. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 16 In estimating WEA’s success in increasing women’s empowerment, the evaluation team notes that out of nine FGDs31 held with women’s ELTE groups, one women’s group was less forthcoming and articulate than the others. In each of the other eight FGDs, two to three women were less articulate than their peers.32 The remaining two-thirds or more of the women participated enthusiastically in the evaluation FGDs. Women in eight FGDs said that because of WEA they have had new opportunities to exercise empowerment at the family, household, and community level. At least five to six women in each FGD, and sometimes all, articulated in turn what they had learned in WEA and what had been most important in empowering them. These articulations closely match some of the 24 WEA Indicators and are organized according to these Indicators in the analysis that follows. When asked by the evaluation team what “women’s empowerment” means, 60 percent of all stakeholders in the FGDs and KIIs, including women in ELTE groups, demonstrated some understanding of the concept of “women’s empowerment” (“nari khomotayan”). They were able to articulate it in their own words, in different ways from their personal experience and within their local context and social environment. The most common responses can be grouped in the following categories: 1. Increased community life skills (Sub IR 1.2 - Indicator 6) 2. Strengthened decision making by women in agricultural production (IR 4 - Indicator I5) 3. Improved control of income (IR 3 - Indicator I2) and financial literacy (Sub IR 3.I - Indicator 13) 4. Increased leadership in the community (IR1 - Indicator 2) 5. Increased social acceptance of women’s empowerment (IR 6 Cross-cutting) 6. Increased mobility (not included among WEA Indicators) Each of these definitions of “women’s empowerment” as stated by women beneficiaries and other stakeholders is highlighted below. 1. Increased community life skills (Sub IR 1.2 - Indicator 6): According to WEA FY 2016 performance data, 90 percent of beneficiaries report, “using community life skills acquired through ELTE.” Women in FGDs explained that they have acquired a wide range of life skills from ELTE, which has contributed to their self￾confidence and empowerment and is also discussed in Question 2. They are able to sign their names on documents such as school registration forms, help their children with schoolwork, and use basic accounting skills for their small IGAs. They have increasing courage to engage with government officials such as with the agricultural sub-assistant officers and others. In one FGD, four women pointed out that they were teaching their husbands accounting for businesses, which contributed to their self-esteem. Husbands acknowledged that the learning and skills acquired in ELTE has in tangible ways benefited their families and livelihoods and they now regard their wives with greater respect. Husbands are now more supportive of women attending ELTE than they were at the start of the project. Other stakeholders said the same, including LACs, Peer Leaders, WEA sub-partners, and ELTE facilitators. 31 A total of 76 women participated in nine FGDs, with an average of eight women per FGD. 32 According to WEA field staff in Khulna, beneficiary selection for the project was facilitated by WEA sub-partners and guided by criteria that included wealth ranking and Community Asset Appraisal (CAA). WEA required that at least 30 percent of women beneficiaries must be poor or disadvantaged, including divorced and disabled women and women from marginalized families, including religious and ethnic minorities. “No one calls me an illiterate anymore; people respect me because they know I have taken ELTE classes and learned a lot.” (Woman in an FGD in Barisal) USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 17 WEA EDT participant at her aquaculture pond in Barisal district 2. Strengthened decision-making in agricultural production (IR 4 - Indicator I5): Half (49 percent) of women beneficiaries report “having input into agricultural production decisions as a result of WEA,” according to WEA performance data for FY 2016. Women in FGDs said they have acquired technical knowledge and skills through ATT in agricultural technologies, such as vegetable production and poultry farming, and technical self-confidence in improved agricultural practices, such as buying higher-quality seeds. At least five out of eight women in each of eight FGDs said that they were increasingly exercising joint decision-making with their husbands on agricultural IGAs, including making decisions together on sharing of household tasks in order that women can pursue their own agricultural activities. After receiving EDT, one woman is working with her husband in pond aquaculture in Babugonj, Barisal and expects to earn US $500 net profit in one year. ELTE Facilitators (e.g. in Sujapur village, Jessore) observed that because women have increased knowledge on agricultural techniques, they are more empowered and better able to be involved in joint decision-making with their husbands on these activities. WEA field staff in Khulna said that they had noted dramatic change in women’s increased self-confidence and use of agricultural technology. 3. Improved control of income (IR 3 - Indicator I2) and financial literacy (Sub IR 3.I - Indicator 13): Women beneficiaries said that their capacity to earn income has increased their value in the household. ELTE has helped women learn about decision-making on income they earn and making joint decisions with husbands on the use of household income. Not all women articulated this evenly. In one FGD in Barisal, four out of nine women explained that their husbands are now turning over their own income to the women to manage and plan for family savings. In WEA’s 2016 Annual Sample Survey, 41 percent of women reported “sole or joint control over income” compared to the baseline of 23 percent. With regard to financial literacy, women in VSL groups said they had learned the importance of savings and how to obtain VSL loans and make repayments, and had greater self-confidence in these activities. They also recognized the importance of savings in their own names and ability to use these funds (discussed in Question 5). WEA data says that 68 percent of beneficiaries report having savings accounts, compared to 59 percent in the baseline (Note: these data seem surprisingly high, as only about 6,000 WEA beneficiaries (20 percent) participated in VSLs, and no women in FGDs mentioned having bank or other savings accounts.. 4. Increased leadership in community economic or social groups (IR 1 - Indicator 2): About a third of women beneficiaries in FGDs said they now have an increased voice in the home, in family gatherings and in the community, such as speaking up in parent-teacher meetings about their children’s education and girls going to school, and at meetings in the Union Parishad. The WEA Agriculture Community Equity (ACE) Scorecard data for FY 2016 shows that 2,283 women reported making at least one public presentation. Women in an FGD in Madobpasha Union in Barisal said they recognized the power of their voice when 9-10 women from an ELTE group together with members of the LAC approached local authorities to successfully stop a child marriage in their community. Three women in an FGD in Rupsa Upazila (Khulna) said they have participated in Shalish (traditional village courts; refer also to footnote1) “Before we could not speak to strangers, but now we can speak in front of everyone.” (FGD woman beneficiary in Sujapur village) Jessore) USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 18 as witnesses. Other women have spoken to local authorities about poor road conditions, resolved conflicts for their neighbors, and taken on leadership roles in managing VSLs. 5. LACs, Peer Leaders and sub-partners pointed to women increasingly speaking in public fora as a significant new development in their rural communities. Women are not only making public presentations, but are initiating action in their communities on social issues. It has made women visible in the public arena in rural communities covered by WEA interventions. Additionally, women ELTE facilitators, with one exception, have demonstrated their capacity and leadership as effective trainers at the community level. Based on FGDs with women ELTE facilitators and women beneficiaries, as well as KIIs with WEA staff and sub-partners, the evaluation team found that women facilitators effectively conducted the ELTE training curriculum on a wide range of topics. More than 60 percent of women ELTE participants reported that they acquired knowledge and skills from ELTE that they did not have previously, were increasingly using and applying these in their daily lives and were more empowered. The facilitators also demonstrated competence as articulate individuals, strong advocates of women’s empowerment and well respected women leaders in the communities. Increased social acceptance of women’s empowerment (IR6 Cross-cutting): According to WEA’s Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Plan, “Social acceptance of women’s empowerment requires changes in attitudes, perceptions and views among a critical mass of individuals, [which] can lead towards greater social acceptance of women’s empowerment.”33 WEA’s Annual Sample Survey 2016 shows that 90 percent of respondents expressed “agreement with the concept that males and females should have equal access to social, economic, and political opportunities” compared to the baseline of 74 percent (Indicator 22). When asked to rate the level of social acceptance for women’s empowerment, almost all stakeholders including women rated this as partially satisfactory. Exceptions include LAC members in Ichali (Jessore), a women’s group in Barisal, and women ELTE Facilitators in Khulna who rated social acceptance as being excellent or very good. WEA and sub-partners pointed out that the process of changing social perceptions, attitudes and norms takes time and needs a long-term view. An example of social acceptance identified by the evaluation team was women’s increased mobility and confidence in public places, such as going to the markets to purchase improved seeds, and community acceptance of this. 6. Improved mobility is not included among WEA indicators. The evaluation team views women’s mobility as critical to women’s empowerment since it gives women greater visibility and access to markets and allows participation in the public sphere. At least three women in each of eight FGDs and all women in an FGD in a Hindu community spoke of improved mobility, including freedom to go to the market to buy agricultural inputs, or to their children’s schools or to visit friends. These women are not as restricted as before and welcomed the change resulting from their participation in ELTE. Success in women’s empowerment – contributions of other actors and interventions Success in women’s empowerment cannot be achieved by women alone. The evaluation team found that this empowerment has been supported by the contributions of multiple actors and interventions. WEA attempted to generate an enabling environment for women to exercise empowerment and gain the support of the community, community leaders, women, and men towards this end. Men: Changes in men’s attitudes and behaviors are crucial to women’s empowerment. WEA women beneficiaries have influenced their husbands by demonstrating the benefits of ELTE not only for themselves but also for the family. More than half of the participants in three FGDs with men’s ELTE groups (one in a Hindu community) said that gaining practical skills in ATT was a motivating factor for 33 WEA Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan, Performance Reference Sheet (22), page 45, (April 14, 2017). “Women have rights, women should have equal opportunities as men, and gender equity is essential for women’s active role in the community. Husbands now listen to and respond to their wives, and share household tasks.” (LAC member, Ichali, Jessore) USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 19 their participation in ELTE. In two of the FGDs, men also said they had learned new concepts about gender equality and the importance of sharing of household responsibilities and working together for the benefit of the family. However, ELTE was less effective for men, which will be discussed in Question 3. Local Advisory Committees (LACs): WEA established 225 LACs, each comprised of 11-13 local community leaders. A little more than half of LAC members are women. The role of the LACs is to assist the community mobilization process and support women’s empowerment. They served as a key entry point into communities, playing a vital catalytic role in mobilizing families and in motivating men for ELTE participation. In cooperation with NGO sub-partners, LACs assisted in the selection and mobilization of women participants for ELTE classes and in ensuring women’s attendance. LACs were instrumental in facilitating links between women in ELTE groups and government services. WEA provided a one-day orientation and three-day Leadership for Change (LFC) training, which included gender equality topics. The evaluation team found that the LACs’ role appeared more limited later in the project perhaps because there was little follow up on capacity building after their initial orientation in LFC training, or in developing a strategy with LACs for amplifying and further strengthening their role in the project. According to SAINT Bangladesh and the WEA field office in Barisal, LACs have prepared Action Plans, but these were not shared with the team, nor did LACs mention that they had any such plan. In FGDs with LACs, the evaluation team found that about half the members expressed interest in continuing to be involved in women’s empowerment activities. This interest needed to be captured by WEA. The team observed that LACs’ capacity needed to be strengthened and their role enhanced for undertaking specific activities in the community. Behavior Change Communication (BCC): BCC has been an important WEA strategy for engaging with the broader community to create awareness on gender equality, women’s empowerment, and women’s involvement in agriculture as farmers and producers. WEA has used media events, radio broadcasting, folk songs, drama and communication with households, local government officials, and community leaders. These activities were organized in project upazilas by NGO sub-partners, with the assistance of LACs and Peer Leaders, although the latter were minimally involved. Peer Leaders, three non-WEA participants, and a woman ELTE member who attended BCC events in Rupsa Upazila (Khulna), said that the events were popular and messages were very well received by the community. WEA staff told the team that BCC activities were limited and constrained by funding. USAID on the other hand, averred that funding had never been an issue for program implementation. Women ELTE Facilitators: Women ELTE Facilitators (with one exception) demonstrated a strong understanding of women’s empowerment in KIIs and effectively conveyed information and skills to their trainees on empowerment and other topics in the ELTE curriculum. They had received training and refresher training for implementing the seven-month course. Facilitators are selected from the community and are familiar with the local milieu and situation of women beneficiaries, which contributed to their effectiveness as trainers. They are a strong resource in these communities. Peer Leaders: WEA recruited about 1,500 young women and men volunteers to support women’s empowerment initiatives, including BCC. Peer Leaders were given a two-day training d on WEA and women’s empowerment issues. About 950 Peer Leaders received a three-day Tab-Based Data Collection Training (TBDC) to conduct community-based monitoring for the project. The data Peer Leaders collect from women and men in the households is sent to WEA for inclusion in the web-based Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) System. The evaluation team found that Peer Leaders, despite their commitment, had been minimally involved in BCC. Their potential, skills and capacity had not been sufficiently utilized, because of limited follow-up by WEA in developing a longer-term strategy for these volunteers to support women’s empowerment and community activities. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 20 Sub-question 1.2: Most effective interventions in achieving programmatic goals Almost all women in eight of the nine FGDs expressed enthusiasm for the seven-month ELTE and the need to continue. All other stakeholders interviewed during the evaluation identified the ELTE classes as the most effective intervention in achieving programmatic goals. The exceptions were two KIIs in Barisal, one with Peer Leaders and another with a Field Trainer of an NGO sub-partner who said that while ELTE forms the basis of learning new concepts and skills, they perceived that ATT is the most effective intervention for women’s economic empowerment, although ATT had not been adequate. Stakeholders offered the following reasons why ELTE is the most effective WEA intervention:  ELTE is the center point and major focus of the project and is naturally considered the most effective intervention. ELTE resonated with women: 70 percent of the women found that the knowledge and skills they learned gave them self-confidence and empowered them to navigate their daily lives in the family, household, and community.  NGO sub-partners, WEA district staff at district level and LAC Ichali (Jessore) pointed out that the ELTE curriculum is holistic and comprehensive, consisting of 32 different topics encompassing both the social and economic dimensions of women’s empowerment. These topics enhanced women’s and men’s understanding on a sensitive subject.  ELTE is the foundational element in the project for women to acquire further technical knowledge and skills as in ATT and EDT or other higher-level skills.  ELTE classes served as a platform for bringing women together as a group around a common theme, and the group strategy employed worked successfully for ELTE. It was also an entry point to engage with men in the community.  Women in ELTE have been empowered to link with and access government services and resources. Local government finds it easier to establish linkages with and provide services to ELTE women’s groups, such as training in agriculture or livestock, rather than working with scattered individual women. Sub-question 1.3: Unanticipated impacts Multiplier effect: Women in ELTE groups who acquired literacy and accounting skills said they had taught their husbands accounting and other topics learned in ELTE. Women also said their increased literacy impacts children’s education, including girls. Women shared their knowledge and skills with other non-participant women in their communities, such as the value of good quality seeds for homestead gardening and other agricultural practices. WEA beneficiaries also are encouraging their neighbors to access services from local government offices, including social safety net programs. Furthermore, interviews with non-participants in the targeted communities revealed that the project has had a broader impact in the communities. Three male non-participants and the headmistress of a kindergarten interviewed in Digulia Upazila in Khulna spoke of the value of the WEA project in creating a positive impact on women and men in the community by providing learning opportunities. Reduced conflict: Women, men, and LAC members said WEA trainings led to decreased conflict over money and other issues within families (more “peace” in families). This finding is contrary to other evidence that women’s work can sometimes unintentionally trigger tensions between women and men in families, leading to an increase in intimate partner violence.34 Reasons for tensions lessening, especially over financial matters, may be that women ELTE participants can express themselves more effectively to their husbands, are contributing to family income, and are maintaining savings. 34 See, for example, “Women, Work and Violence in South Asia Newsletter”, Issue 2 (2016), IMC Worldwide, University of Portsmouth and the International Centre for Research. (http://www.gendersouthasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VAWG￾Newsletter-No.2-Final.pdf) USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 21 Government support forthcoming: NGO sub-partners and LACs facilitated linking of women beneficiaries with social safety net programs and other government resources. All WEA stakeholders indicated that local government representatives have provided women beneficiaries their phone numbers in case women have questions, a response that was not anticipated. The Agricultural Extension Officer in Rupsa Upazila (Jessore) was pleased to inform the team of the 10-12 presentations he had provided to ELTE classes on agriculture themes. The Education Officer in Terokhada Upazila (Khulna) was enthusiastic about WEA and had spoken at ELTE classes and interacted with women participants. The Sub-assistant Agricultural Officer in Jessore said that he travelled to villages and followed up women’s agriculture activities. WEA field staff and sub-partners will need to take a proactive role to sustain the initial positive relationships and links established with government agencies and officials. The aim should be to formalize/ institutionalize the collaboration over the long run such as through Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with specific government departments at the Upazila level. It requires continued dialogue, communication and sharing information on WEA progress to ensure that government is fully informed, involved and contributing to project progress. Regular quarterly meetings between WEA and government at the district or Upazila level called by District Deputy Commissioners or the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) would be effective. Given that government officials are often transferred, WEA may also want to request a focal point in the UNO to be a formal link with WEA for the sake of continuity. Mutual support among women: Most women’s ELTE groups (but not all) apparently fostered strong connections and mutual support among the women. In one FGD, women said they used to fight a lot among each other; after ELTE they are friends and support each other. More broadly, ELTE classes seem to have given a large number of women an opportunity over many months to build relationships of trust and to discuss personal issues not necessarily related to ELTE. Women seem to have valued this experience of shared private time and may continue to maintain informal contacts. Evidence of inter-communal harmony – One ELTE women’s group in Barisal consisted of women from Hindu and Muslim families. They worked together well, with no indication of conflict. WEA did not create this harmony, but this WEA example is valuable evidence of the ability of people from different religious groups in Bangladesh to be mutually supportive. CONCLUSIONS The WEA project and approach has effectively contributed to increasing women’s empowerment in the targeted communities, particularly in the context of a short pilot project implementation period. Significant progress was made towards women’s empowerment and IRs 1-6. ELTE resonated with 70 percent of women. Groups bonded and women were empowered with a substantive body of knowledge, life skills, agricultural skills, attitudes, and practices that have tangibly benefited the family and gained women respect in the household and community. Project interventions at the community level – including LACs, Peer Leaders, BCC, engaging men in ELTE, capacity building on women’s empowerment and gender equity – effectively laid the foundation to ensure support for ELTE, thus avoiding backlash from the community. Increased social acceptance of women’s empowerment in the community is only partially satisfactory and more remains to be done in the project extension period, including more BCC. Women’s empowerment is a work in progress. While LACs played an important catalytic role in the early stages of the project in ensuring family and community support for women’s empowerment, their role seemed more limited over the project period and could have been further strengthened with specific activities by WEA and sub-partners. Similarly, the capacity of Peer Leaders needed to be strengthened and their potential appropriately captured. More BCC activities were needed, but were limited, including (according to WEA) by budgetary constraints. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 22 QUESTION 2 How effective were the WEA trainings (ELTE, ATT, and EDT) in terms of increasing women’s empowerment, specifically in the areas of decision-making over food choice and nutrition, control over income, leadership in the community, and time use? What training (of the ELTE, ATT, and EDT) has been most effective in achieving outcomes? What is the cumulative effect of receiving all three trainings? How successful has been the long-term (7 month) training in achieving the WEA outcomes? Could the same results have been obtained with a shorter period of training? All WEA beneficiaries participated in a seven-month, community-based ELTE course. Groups of 25 women met with a trained female ELTE facilitator for two hours daily, five days per week. Each class included 30 minutes for discussion of a pre-determined topic (see Analysis of ELTE curriculum in Annex 6.) followed by 30 minutes each for reading, writing, and numeracy skills. Groups of 25 men met with a male facilitator two days per week for two hours each session. WEA organized 1,200 ELTE groups for 30,000 women and 240 ELTE groups for 6,000 men (according to WEA performance data as of July 24, 2017). The men were all husbands of women beneficiaries. The same groups of beneficiaries received either one or two days of ATT, led by ACI facilitators, on themes including crop production, poultry farming, cattle farming, and aquaculture. A total of 421 women beneficiaries participated in additional three-day residential EDT by ACI in the district town on one of the four ATT topics. ELTE included several stages of knowledge assessment tests among participants to measure their progress; ATT and EDT participants took tests before and after the training sessions. FINDINGS Sub-question 2.1 Effectiveness of WEA trainings for increasing women’s empowerment ELTE directly addressed the topics of women’s empowerment in the areas of decision-making over food choice, control over income, leadership in the community, and time use. ATT and EDT had indirect focus on these issues based on new practical knowledge and skills that women could apply at home. About three-quarters of the 76 women who participated in nine FGDs (about 7 out of an average of 8 women in 8 out of 9 women’s ELTE groups) were able to articulate at least one way in which their participation in ELTE classes enhanced their empowerment as discussed in Question 1. Among the men who participated in three FGDs with men’s ELTE groups, about two-thirds (16 out of 24 men)35 were able to convey some ideas related to women’s empowerment, but these ideas were often stated in abstract terms, such as “women are equal to men.” Men offered a few specific examples, such as helping with household chores so that women can engage in income-generating activities, but women’s empowerment did not seem to be the primary topic discussed in men’s ELTE classes. Men also complained that that it was difficult for them to attend ELTE classes during the working day; evening timings were acceptable but not desirable after a long day of work; and convenient venues with lighting were hard to secure or not available. WEA NGO partners in each district suggested that requiring men from various villages to travel twice per week at night to a central location for ELTE classes might not be the best strategy. They said that other more convenient approaches, including less frequent meetings and more practical learning, could be more effective in promoting women’s empowerment among men. Women’s Decision-making over Food Choice and Nutrition - WEA women beneficiaries never mentioned the topic of food choice and nutrition in FGDs unless the evaluation team specifically asked, and this theme is in only one lesson of the ELTE curriculum (Lesson 29). Women’s decision-making about food choice and nutrition also is not among the WEA IRs or the 24 WEA Indicators. However, the importance of women’s empowerment for family nutrition in Bangladesh is well documented.36One or two women in FGDs noted that women have primary control over food choices in their households, but ELTE classes 35 This ratio represents all men in one men’s ELTE group in Barisal, three-quarters of men in Khulna in a Hindu community, and one-third of men in a Jessore group. Note that the names of a few FGD participants are missing from Annex 9. Persons and Organizations Consulted. 36 See, for example, Strategic Review of Food Security and Nutrition in Bangladesh, World Food Programme, September 2016, page 43. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 23 gave them information about healthy foods and kitchen gardening skills that helped them improve food choices for better nutrition. Among 62 women respondents in the evaluation mini-survey (see Figure 3); nearly two-thirds (63 percent) said they make decisions about what their family eats, and one-third (32 percent) said they make these decisions jointly with their husband, but it was not clear whether ELTE classes had an impact on who made these decisions in the family. Women’s Control over Income – Women’s control over income and expenditures is the topic of one lesson in the ELTE curriculum (Lesson 52) and is reinforced in several other lessons. Women in 8 of 9 FGDs said that because of their participation in ELTE classes, they now have joint decision-making control with their husbands about how to spend family income. At least one woman in each FGD said her husband now gives her all the family income to hold and manage because of her new accounting skills and increased understanding of the value of saving money and how to do it. However, the evaluation team did not hear any examples of women having a mobile account, micro finance account or bank account to demonstrate greater control over their income. For FY 2016, WEA reports that only 41 percent of surveyed women beneficiaries said they have sole or joint control over their own income, compared to a baseline of 22.8 percent (IR3, Indicator 12). However, among evaluation mini-survey respondents (see Figure 3.), one-quarter (26 percent) said they make decisions about how to spend their income, and nearly three-quarters (71 percent) said they make these decisions jointly with their husband. Only 3 percent said their husband makes these decisions alone. Women’s Time Use - When asked what they learned in ELTE classes, women in FGDs did not mention time use, although this topic is the focus of one lesson in the ELTE curriculum (Lesson 13) and reinforced in others. However, at least one women in each group noted that, because of ideas she has shared with her family from her ELTE training, her husband, mother-in-law or other family members now contribute to household chores (such as childcare or cooking) to enable her to attend ELTE classes, complete other household tasks, or devote time to her agricultural IGAs. Among evaluation mini-survey respondents (see Figure 3), one-third (34 percent) said they make decisions about how to spend their time, and almost two-thirds (61 percent) said they make these decisions jointly with their husband. In addition, at least one woman in each FGD said that women now have more freedom to leave their homes to attend ELTE classes or go to the market, for example. WEA performance data are supportive of those evaluation team findings: about one-third of WEA beneficiaries (9,971 as of July 2017) report that they get “child care support from other family members … to improve time use,” compared to the baseline of only 284 women (Indicator 19). One-half of women WEA beneficiary with her poultry IGA in Jessore District USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 24 report being “satisfied with time available for leisure,” according to WEA performance data, compared to just over t one-third (36.6 percent) in the WEA baseline survey (Indicator 20). Women’s Leadership in the Community – WEA IR1 relates to “increased leadership in community economic or social groups by women.” Indicator 2 tracks the number of “women beneficiaries who make at least one public presentation” at Union Parishad level or higher,37 which was almost one-fifth of beneficiaries by FY 2016 (5,784 women, or 19.3 percent). Indicator 3 measures the number of “individuals actively participating in groups (women’s groups, LACs) as a result of WEA.” These performance indicators do not capture all of the ways in which WEA beneficiaries are exercising more leadership in their local communities. At least two women in each of eight evaluation FGDs said that because of ELTE classes they have more confidence and courage to speak to other people, including their husbands, visitors such as the evaluation team, neighbors (for example, to convince a family not to arrange an early marriage for their daughter or to give advice about agricultural approaches), and in community forums such as Shalish (traditional village courts). Sub-question 2.2 Most effective training and cumulative effect As discussed above, ELTE was the most effective training for women’s empowerment. ATT or EDT alone (without the foundational learning from ELTE) would not be effective, according to most stakeholders in KIIs and FGDs. Women in FGDs indicated that both ELTE and ATT (and EDT for the few who participated) added value such that the cumulative effect was increasingly positive. Other stakeholders agreed, including especially ELTE facilitators and WEA sub-partners. With regard to the effectiveness of ATT, participants in all women’s and men’s groups said that ATT was effective in teaching useful knowledge and skills related to agriculture, including “new technology,” such as packaged seeds. However, FGD participants consistently said that ATT was too short. NGO sub-partners (especially DAM and SAINT Bangladesh) also noted the following about ATT:  ACI resource people who delivered ATT classes were mostly recent graduates without significant practical experience in agriculture, training, or working with rural women;  ATT method was primarily lecture, with limited discussion and no practical application;  ATT included at least four broad topics compressed into two days (or, for some groups in Barisal and other districts, one day), so trainers had to move quickly and omit details; and  ATT was offered to ELTE groups at different stages of their evolution, some mid-course and some towards the end or after ELTE had concluded. Several FGDs with women beneficiaries and six observation visits to women’s IGAs revealed weaknesses in their understanding or application of best agricultural practices. One beneficiary lost all of her poultry to disease, and several poultry farms were not set up with appropriate attention to the health of the animals or humans living nearby. These problems with some women’s IGAs might be the result of limited or weak ATT, lack of follow-up by agricultural experts (whether from ACI, NGO sub￾partners, or government), and/or lack of printed materials with visual depictions of best practices. The six women the evaluation team met who attended EDT all said it was effective for learning entrepreneurial skills that they could apply to the improvement or expansion of their IGAs. Women said that overcoming family resistance to be able to stay overnight at residential EDT also was empowering. However, only 1.4 percent of WEA beneficiaries attended EDT, and training methods were primarily lectures, discussion and videos. In addition, the evaluation team notes that the six EDT participants had not developed business plans, and most said they got help from other family members for record- 37 Performance Indicator Reference Sheet (02), WEA Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan, revised April 14, 2017, page 25. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 25 keeping and accounting. Several women said they used EDT learning to support their husbands’ IGAs, which was valuable, but did not increase their independence or self-reliance. Winrock personnel and WEA NGO sub-partners in the districts responded positively to the suggestion that WEA could have woven ATT (and potentially also EDT) information and skills more effectively into the ELTE curriculum in order to amplify the cumulative effect of training further. For example, if ATT were introduced to ELTE classes earlier, then women could start IGAs earlier, use their IGAs as mechanisms for practicing numeracy and accounting skills within the ELTE classes, and reap the benefits of the resulting increased empowerment earlier, both at home and in their communities. Sub-question 2.3 Whether ELTE could be shorter and have the same results Women FGD participants said that at the beginning they thought the ELTE period of seven months was too long, but now they feel that ELTE definitely could not be shorter, and most agreed they would prefer a longer period for ELTE classes. However, this consistently expressed point might be because, as several women said, “We can never be finished with learning” and “There is always more to learn.” Neither WEA nor any of the women’s groups had taken any proactive steps to continue the collective learning process or discuss how to do so. ELTE facilitators and WEA NGO sub-partner representatives said that some of the success of ELTE for women’s empowerment requires dedicating a long period of time in order to:  build relationships of trust among participants and with the facilitator;  accumulate knowledge and skills (especially literacy, numeracy and financial skills);  allow attitudinal changes to evolve, especially on sensitive topics;  share experiences and speak openly with other women; and  build confidence, including the courage and ability to speak to others. Nevertheless, the evaluation team’s analysis of the ELTE curriculum suggests that as many as 14 lessons are not essential to increasing women’s empowerment in the rural agricultural context, and could be eliminated. (See Annex 6 for an analysis of the ELTE curriculum.) Examples include HIV/AIDS and fair wages in the workplace. The content of another 12 lessons (of two days each) overlaps significantly with other lessons, and could potentially be combined. These changes would reduce the ELTE schedule to 4.5-5.5 months. Also relevant for consideration are other projects in Bangladesh that claim to enhance women’s empowerment based on much shorter trainings on agricultural income-generating activities that enable women to contribute to their families’ income and reportedly have other benefits similar to WEA.38 ELTE includes relatively esoteric empowerment themes, such as women’s constitutional rights. Data from various projects might reveal approaches that could be implemented in a shorter time frame. With regard to the length of time for men’s ELTE classes, men in FGDs as well as Winrock and WEA sub-partners indicated that a shorter duration could be effective for engaging men in women’s empowerment. For example, men could meet once or twice a month, rather than twice a week for seven months. This issue is discussed in response to Question 3 on challenges faced by WEA. CONCLUSIONS Effectiveness - Three-quarters of WEA’s women beneficiaries report being empowered by ELTE, ATT and EDT, primarily because their new knowledge and skills enable them to contribute to family income, 38 See, for example, “Sowing seeds of empowerment: effect of women’s home garden training in Bangladesh,” Marie Antoinette Patalagsa, et al, Agriculture & Food Security (2015) 4:24, page 1. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 26 to more effective family decision-making, and to the well-being of their families and communities. In other words, the impact of WEA training for women’s empowerment has come from women’s tangible contributions, rather than abstract persuasion about women’s rights and equality. Participation in WEA training has enhanced women’s empowerment by increasing their sole or joint control with husbands over income, primarily because women are contributing to family income and have new financial management skills. WEA training also has increased women’s engagement (and some leadership) in their local community; improved women’s time use as husbands and other family members help with housework and enable women’s mobility; and increased knowledge about healthy food choices to enhance nutrition. ELTE classes were less effective for men than for women. Men could learn the importance of women’s empowerment and how to promote it through less time-intensive approaches. Technical training for men (such as ATT) is valuable, but does not contribute directly to women’s empowerment. Cumulative Effect - WEA’s women beneficiaries say they want more ATT and EDT skills. Winrock and WEA sub-partners agree that introducing these skills earlier within the ELTE curriculum could increase the cumulative effect for women’s empowerment, especially with more applied learning methods. Training Duration - The ELTE curriculum includes themes that could be eliminated or combined, creating a slightly shorter training that would likely have similar results. Evidence from other projects suggests that shorter trainings emphasizing practical information and skills with more hands-on learning methods can enhance women’s technical capacities and empowerment. QUESTION 3 What have been some of the key challenges affecting the achievement of WEA’s desired outcomes? What strategies were employed to overcome the challenges and how effective were these? FINDINGS The evaluation team identified four key challenges as described below. 1. Initial Social Resistance from Communities and Men WEA field staff and NGO sub-partners pointed out that they faced initial resistance from the community and men in starting up the project. Women and men beneficiaries in FGDs also mentioned this initial resistance to WEA. The very term ‘women’s empowerment’ is challenging and perceived as a threat or disruption in traditional rural communities. It is a sensitive issue as it touches on changing existing social and cultural norms and attitudes. Men were resistant to what women’s empowerment would mean in their relations and family life. Strategy employed: LACs played a significant role in assisting WEA to overcome the challenge effectively. They were catalytic in mobilizing the community and religious leaders, families and men to support women’s empowerment and allow women to attend the ELTE training. LAC members went door to door to meet husbands and families. The strategy was effective in overcoming community resistance and avoiding community backlash. WEA developed community-based approaches to involve the community from the beginning in the project through Community Asset Appraisals (CAA), small community/village-level meetings to gain ‘buy in’ on women’s empowerment. WEA also held inception workshops at all levels of government, from the national level to the district, Upazila and union level to inform and orient government and seek support and cooperation in project implementation. These inception workshops, according to WEA and field staff, were well attended. The strategy was effective in bringing government on board, gaining support for the implementation of WEA and in further addressing community resistance. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 27 2. Logistical and Attitudinal Obstacles to Men’s ELTE Classes The need to actively engage men in women’s empowerment was considered critical by all stakeholders, including women beneficiaries. The project used ELTE classes for men as an entry point, but faced challenges in fully gaining the interest of men. Men were skeptical of the value of ELTE given other livelihood concerns. Social attitudes and pressure from male peers was another important obstacle, since the classes apparently did not provide any direct benefits to the participating men. In three FGDs with men’s ELTE groups, examples were cited by a few (2-3) that at times they faced ridicule from their peers, which they countered by explaining what they learned in the training. In addition, men often faced challenges in attending ELTE classes because of their on-farm and non-farm responsibilities and the time needed to attend the training. Training had to be held at the end of the day, and WEA encountered logistical difficulties in identifying proper venues for meeting and proper lighting, factors that did not contribute to a conducive learning environment. Some men had to travel considerable distances to come to the training sites because WEA combined men from multiple villages together to form some ELTE men’s groups. Strategy employed: LAC members successfully intervened in motivating men’s participation in ELTE and went from door to door to talk with men. WEA recognizes that approaches other than long-term ELTE classes would have been more effective in engaging with men on women’s empowerment. 3. Budgetary Constraints WEA managers, field staff and sub-partners told the team that budgetary constraints were an important challenge to project implementation. According to WEA, the project experienced interruptions in the flow of funds from USAID. The Financial Summary of Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 points out that costs increased in accelerating Year 2 implementation. Winrock requested an increase in the obligation, but funds available were not sufficient to continue with the planned scale-up of activities. The budget was very tight and uncertainty about the timing and amount of the next obligation increase led WEA to adjust activities beginning in July 2016. The project had to scale back activities, reprogram and adjust the Work Plan. This in turn hampered planned project activities and affected program implementation. USAID officials indicated that it was not their understanding that there were budget constraints, but rather that USAID had asked Winrock to amend its work plan to more effectively achieve project goals. The evaluation team understood from USAID that there were other delays during the startup of the project, which may have affected smooth and successful program implementation. Strategy employed: Winrock and sub-partners adjusted and reduced their activities in Annual Work plans to address this challenge and meet project targets. 4. WEA Constraints within a Short Project Period WEA managers, field staff and sub-partners repeatedly pointed out that an important challenge to implementation were time constraints, given the short project period of three years and the multi￾dimensional nature of the WEA program and interventions. The project focus on bringing about attitudinal, behavior and perceptional changes in favor of women’s empowerment, according to WEA, takes time and thus requires a longer project time frame and perspective. WEA constraints also included some delays experienced in the first year with staff recruitment and opening field offices due to Men’s ELTE group in a Hindu Community in Khulna district USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 28 security, heavy rains and other issues39. Challenges were also encountered in negotiating and signing a contract with WEA’s private sector partner, ACI, resulting in delays to some key activities. Strategy employed: Winrock adjusted activities in the Annual Work plans to address this challenge and meet project targets. Winrock requested and USAID granted a no-cost six-month extension to allow completion of specific activities related to VSLs, improved market linkages, EDT, LACs, and BCC.40 CONCLUSIONS • Social and cultural barriers are the most significant challenge for any women’s empowerment program. Winrock and sub-partners addressed these challenges effectively by engaging early with communities and enlisting district and local government support for the project. • Engaging men in support of women’s empowerment is essential, but challenging. Tailored approaches are needed that provide incentive and motivation for men’s participation. WEA involved LACs to meet this challenge, but did not fully succeed. • Budget and time constrains are common to most development programming, and are especially relevant for projects that aim to change traditional attitudes and behaviors. WEA realigned its work plan as required, but was not fully successful in completing planned activities to ensure maximum impact and sustainability. QUESTION 4 How effective has the WEA approach of linking beneficiaries to appropriate training, financing, and markets been for creating long term income earning activities? FINDINGS To help women beneficiaries create long-term income generating activities, WEA’s approach included linking beneficiaries to appropriate training, financing and markets through the private sector, government, NGOs, or other sources. These links contribute to WEA IR2 Improved decision-making by women over productive resources, including Sub-IR2.1.1 Increased access to market for productive assets, resources and agricultural products by women and Sub-IR 2.1.2 Increased access to credit for productive resources and assets. They also contribute to WEA IR4 Strengthened decision-making by women in agriculture production, including Sub-IR4.1 Improved knowledge of agricultural production and Sub-IR 4.2 Increased adoption of appropriate agricultural technology. As part of this strategy, WEA has set as one of its conditions in the partnership arrangements with sub￾partners that they should facilitate linking beneficiaries to relevant service providers in their local area. Indeed all the sub-partners have tried to make these linkages in areas where they are operating. With regard to government services, for example, WEA sub-partners invited Block- and Upazila-level41 officers from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Department of Livestock Services (DLS), Department of Fisheries (DoF), Department of Youth Development (DYD), and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) as guest speakers to brief the participants at ELTE classes about the services available from their departments. WEA field staff informed that all the 1500 ELTE groups received some of these visitors during the opening and closing ceremonies of ELTE classes and during the distribution of literacy materials. Women in six FGDs said that they had requested government officials to share their cell phone numbers at ELTE classes. In turn, government officials offered women participants their cell phone numbers so that they could follow up for any other information and technical services. These interactions were intended to help women beneficiaries access services not provided by the WEA 39 WEA Annual Performance Report FY 2016. 40 USAID granted a no-cost six-month extension to the WEA project to May 31, 2018. 41 Block: This is the grassroots level unit for providing agriculture extension services to farming communities. Upazila: An Upazila is a sub-unit of a district in Bangladesh in the country’s administrative structure . There are 491 Upazilas in Bangladesh as of January 2017 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_geography_of_Bangladesh USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 29 project, such as training, loans, good quality vegetable seeds, vaccinations, and deworming. For example, seven women across three FGDs in Khulna said that they are utilizing the training received on pit making for vegetable seed sowing and received good quality vegetable seed packets from the DAE in their district. Thirteen women across nine FGDs engaged in poultry/cattle rearing also said that they communicate with the Veterinary Surgeon of the DLS for vaccination or treatment if their poultry/cattle are infected with disease. Other examples include organizing workshops for women with input and output traders, facilitating women’s relationships with finance institutions, and linking women with other USAID projects. Links to appropriate training - According to WEA beneficiary respondents in an evaluation mini-survey, (See Annex 5 Figure 4-“Mini-Survey Result”) almost one-third said that WEA facilitated a lot of links to additional training (3 percent) or some links (27 percent), but more than half (58 percent) said WEA did not link them with training. As an example of government training DYD facilitated 110 WEA women beneficiaries to receive additional training on cattle, poultry rearing and aquaculture in Jessore and Khulna. According to WEA42, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) that WEA facilitated with other USAID- funded FTF programs led to additional training for 1,797 WEA beneficiaries, including 964 women who received training on rice production and management from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Rice Value Chain (RVC) project, and two women who received training on agronomy, business management and safe use of pesticides from the Agro-Input Project (AIP). Links to financing - WEA performance monitoring data for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 indicates that 18,500 women beneficiaries are accessing credit for productive resources/assets through WEA assistance (Indicator 11). However, this figure seems surprisingly high, as according to the evaluation mini-survey (see Figure 4), only half of respondents said that WEA facilitated a lot of links to finance for their IGAs (10 percent) or some links (39 percent), and nearly half (48 percent) said WEA did not link them with finance for their IGA at all. The evaluation mini-survey data with a small sample of 62 women beneficiaries may not provide as comprehensive a picture as one that could be obtained from a larger survey. It would be useful for WEA to gather fresh data from beneficiaries to ascertain accuracy. Based on interviews with WEA NGO sub-partners, on average 30 percent of women had access to capital through loans from Micro-finance Institutions (MFIs) such as Grameen Bank or NGOs, such as Jagoroni Chrakro, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), DAM, SMKK and Nabolok. Beneficiaries most frequently mentioned Jagoroni Chakro and DAM in Jessore, Nabolok in Khulna, and Caritas in Barisal. Loans from Grameen Bank and BRAC were mentioned by women in all 3 WEA districts the evaluation team visited. WEA sub-partner NGOs stated that their staff assists women to initiate loan proposals for IGAs. The staff also communicates with MFIs over the cell phone to make recommendations for extending loans to women who are eligible to obtain loans for investing in IGAs in order to increase household income. After receiving the loan proposal from women beneficiaries, MFIs verify over the cell phone with nearby and other NGOs whether the same women submitted loan proposals to them to avoid duplication. 42 (Draft) Economic Empowerment of Women report, Winrock International, Dhaka, August 7, 2017. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 30 Site visit-A woman’s small scale cattle farm in Khulna In FGDs with women, approximately one quarter of them reported that they were able to take loans of US$62-250 from MFIs for IGAs. Borrowers bought fish fingerlings, chicks, goats, and cattle for extending IGAs, and managing grocery shops. Only three women in FGDs said that they diverted some percentage (10 to 25) of the loans for buying food, paying for dowry, and other items. The WEA NGO sub-partners have worked to ensure that the loans are spent as stipulated in the loan proposals. DYD facilitated 40 WEA women beneficiaries to receive interest-free loans of US$125 each for investing in poultry farming, goat and cattle rearing in Batiagatha Upazila in Khulna. Links with markets - According to WEA performance monitoring data for Fiscal Year 2016, 65 percent of women beneficiaries are purchasing agricultural inputs through WEA linkages (Indicator 9) and 26 percent of women beneficiaries are selling agricultural products through WEA linkages (Indicator 10). As a result of WEA and sub-partner NGOs technical assistance and ACI support in hosting introductory meetings to familiarize women beneficiaries with local agro-input sellers, women were able to buy improved seeds, fertilizers, chicks and other agricultural inputs. WEA partnered with MFIs and improved women beneficiaries’ access to credit. This assistance and facilitation combined with ELTE classes contributed to increasing women beneficiaries’ confidence to purchase agro-inputs and sell agro-inputs in the markets, with increasing independence over time. Among women respondents in the evaluation mini-survey (see Figure 4), three-quarters (73 percent) said that WEA facilitated a lot of links to markets (8 percent) or some links (65 percent), but another quarter (24 percent) said WEA did not link them with markets for their IGAs. As per the WEA Annual Report 2016, there were delays in signing a contract with ACI, which delayed implementation of key activities related to linking women to markets. The WEA team indicated that it has been very challenging to get the private sector on board for implementing development projects. ACI, for example, refused to share any background information with WEA and required a lot of hand￾holding and work to get started. Ultimately, ACI conducted 26 workshops for women beneficiaries with local agro-inputs retailers and 7 workshops with local output traders (traders who purchase agricultural produce) in chickens (broilers) and fresh vegetables. A total of 1,370 beneficiaries and 327 traders attended the familiarization workshop. Traders shared their cell phone numbers so that the women could call them to check on seed availability and the demand and price of agro-products such as broilers and eggs. The buying of agro-inputs and-sales of agro-products has progressed slowly in an ad hoc manner among WEA beneficiaries rather than in terms of development of long-term business relationships. Based on interviews with output traders, the team understood that the workshop did not provide an opportunity to discuss the needs of both output traders and beneficiaries, so that beneficiaries did not have ideas on the kind of produce needed to satisfy the demand of traders. Based on FGDs with women beneficiaries, a quarter of women said they bought good quality packet vegetables seed from agro￾input retailers and 16 percent women were able to sell their broilers and vegetables to output traders at 5 to 8 percent higher prices than in the market. Both women and traders reported that they received no reports on workshops from ACI to communicate and move forward for establishing profitable business. About two-thirds of women in FGDs who could not participate in WEA ACI-led workshops requested additional workshops with agro-input retailers and output traders. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 31 Source: Draft Economic Empowerment of Women Report, Winrock International, Dhaka, August 7, 2017 CONCLUSIONS Linkages to training, finance, markets and local extension service providers are crucial to women’s IGA success, empowerment and to ensure effectiveness and sustainability. The attempt to link beneficiaries to all these essential services for promoting IGAs was only partially achieved, because across WEA activities, few women are linked with training, finance and markets, and there is little synergy among sub-partners NGOs and ACI to graduate women from traditional income generating activities into profitable market-driven IGAs. In addition, the competency, experience, and performance of field team members of ACI were limited. Six observation visits to women’s small scale- farms with chickens, ducks, quail, cattle and aquaculture demonstrated the progress WEA is making in helping improve women’s IGAs and incomes. It was not possible to observe vegetable gardens because it was not the growing season. QUESTION 5 How effective have the village savings and loan (VSL) activities by WEA been? What are the greatest strengths of the VSLs and what have been some of the challenges faced by VSLs? FINDINGS Effectiveness of the VSL activities-The VSL model introduced by WEA provides its members a common place to save their money, to access loans and to obtain funds in case of an emergency. VSLs contribute to WEA IR3 Improved women’s control over income and Sub-IR 3.1 Increased financial literacy. Indicator 13 tracks the percentage of women trained by WEA who have savings accounts as a result of WEA assistance. The baseline of 59 percent seems high for rural women, as does WEA data for FY 2016 indicating that 68 percent of women have savings accounts because of WEA. According to WEA’s 2nd Quarterly Report for FY 2017, a total of 223 women ELTE groups had started VSL activities by October 2016. WEA now reports43 that 251 women’s groups are involved in VSL activities, which represents one-fifth (21 percent) of the 1,200 ELTE groups (see Figure 5). Among 6,275 ELTE members in these 251 ELTE groups, 5,209 (80 percent) are taking part in VSL activities. Each VSL group is comprised of 18-25 members, each of whom is provided with an individual passbook. Members attend fortnightly meetings, where they make savings deposits by purchasing between one and five shares at each meeting, based on their ability to save that fortnight. To ensure the security of funds in the VSL group, savings are kept in a locked box with three keys. The keys are held by members of a 5-person committee elected at the start of the cycle to manage the transactions of the group. The locked box is kept by the box-keeper, a member of the committee. VSLs allow members to take small loans from group savings with only 5 percent interest (zero percent interest for “welfare” or emergency loans). Loans are paid back to the group with interest within three months, thus giving members a positive return on their savings. VSLs run in ‘cycles’ of 12 months, after which the accumulated savings and profits are shared out among the members according to the amount they have saved. WEA conducted three days of training for ELTE-VSL Facilitators, who in turn provided one day of orientation to VSL group members and continue to provide technical 43 (Draft) Economic Empowerment of Women Report, Winrock International, Dhaka, August 7, 2017. “Previously we might have an extra taka 20, but we spent it in an unplanned way, which did not bring any results for the family. Now we spend our money more profitably,” said a beneficiary, whose comments were echoed in other women’s FGDs. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 32 assistance to the groups at meetings. Based on FGDs with women in four VSLs, women reported that they learned for the first time in VSL groups the importance of saving money, how to save, and how to use savings wisely. According to data gathered by WEA44, VSL groups’ total savings as of August 7, 2017were US$25,822 and average savings amount per VSL was US$103. In FGDs, women confirmed that their collective VSL savings range from US$88 to US$175. These small savings enabled only one-fifth of the women to take loans. WEA indicates that of 5,209 members in VSL groups, 1,095 women (21 percent) were able to take loans of US$19,204 from their group savings (an average loan amount of US$17.50). FGDs with women in four VSLs confirm that 10-20 percent of women in each VSL group were able to take small loans of US$12-37 against their savings of US$4-5 (leveraging 3-7 times their individual savings). Loans are mainly used to finance existing poultry farms, for example, by adding more chickens or ducks and buying poultry feed. In addition, according to WEA, VSL group’s emergency fund savings are currently US$1,785 and 324 women in VSL groups have taken welfare loans totaling US$939 to cover expenses such as medical bills, school fees, and other emergency items without selling their productive assets. Strengths of the VSLs - The VSL activities enable women to save small amounts of their own funds. A VSL is a self-managed group that does not depend on any external funding; members decide among themselves who may take loans from their collective savings. This independence and autonomy is empowering for the women participants. VSL enables women in remote areas, where MFIs are rare, to access loans. VSLs also charge lower interest than MFIs, and provide emergency loans with zero interest. VSLs provide smaller loans than MFIs, which is most appropriate for the women’s needs. VSLs also do not have strict criteria for loans, so that women can access funds without husbands. In addition, interest paid to VSLs is redistributed to the women rather than going to an external lender. Women in FGDs expressed that now they have stronger group cohesion and mutual support than before they started their VSLs. The VSL activities also have strengthened the position of women in their families and communities. Women report that their husbands now recognize the value of the women’s ability to help their families save money and have access to small loans. Communities see the effectiveness of what women have been able to do with the loans they have taken. Challenges faced by VSLs - The accounting skills of VSL Management Committee members and other VSL group members are inadequate, according to VSL group members in FGDs. Therefore, VSL groups are still dependent on their ELTE-VSL facilitators for technical assistance, but WEA said this is because the VSLs as of start-August 2017 had not yet completed a full12-month cycle. Numeracy lessons in ELTE classes were not adequate to learn practical accounting systems for financial management of VSLs. In addition, each of the VSLs has only a small amount of savings and therefore most of the members in VSL groups are unable to take loans. WEA explained that WEA’s policy is not to impose anything on the women participants, giving them autonomy to make decisions, such as the amount of funds to be saved. CONCLUSIONS: VSL activities are effective for teaching the importance and skills of savings, which has been beneficial for women’s IGAs, ability to respond to emergencies, confidence and mutual support, and respect within their families and communities. VSLs need more time, and participants need enhanced accounting skills. Ideally, VSLs should have higher rates of savings to enable more women to take small loans. VSLs should have been initiated earlier by WEA as part of the ELTE classes so they would have had time to benefit more women and have a greater chance of sustainability. VSLs also would have been an ideal mechanism to teach women numeracy and accounting skills in ELTE classes. 44 Ibid. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 33 QUESTION 6: Will the achievements by WEA sustain beyond the life of the activity? How successful has WEA been in planning and ensuring the sustainability? FINDINGS Sub-question 6.1: Sustainability of WEA achievements beyond the life of the activity Knowledge and Skills – Among the WEA women beneficiaries with whom the evaluation team met, at least three-quarters reported that through WEA trainings they had gained new knowledge and skills, which are permanent valuable assets. In particular, women’s literacy, numeracy, and basic accounting skills will continue to be a foundation for further empowerment. Women also learned useful information about agricultural and entrepreneurial topics in their WEA training sessions. Everyone else who participated in a variety of WEA trainings has also gained new knowledge and capacities. These secondary beneficiaries of WEA include 7,500 men who participated in ELTE and ATT; about 750 ELTE facilitators, including about 600 women and 150 men who attended Training-of￾Trainers; at least 2,600 LAC members who received Leadership for Change (LfC) training; about 950 Peer Leaders who received Tab-Based Data Collection (TBDC) training; and all WEA staff members at Winrock and NGO sub-partners. However, capacity building for LACs was inadequate for institutional sustainability (see below); Peer Leaders were also insufficiently trained and under-utilized. Women’s IGAs and Income - With regard to women’s IGAs, many are very small-scale and could be vulnerable to events such as floods or disease, especially as women had limited ATT and technical follow-up support. Six observation visits indicate that poultry farms were not set up very effectively or based on best practices. Links to input and output market traders facilitated by ACI were also limited, in part because of delays in WEA implementation and challenges WEA faced in collaborating with a for￾profit private sector partner, according to WEA senior management. Women’s IGAs might not be sustainable without establishing better links to markets and other resources. Local government could potentially contribute to the sustainability of WEA achievements. Some government representatives (including agricultural, livestock, and fisheries extension officers) attended some WEA events and made presentations to some ELTE classes. A few women reported that government representatives shared their phone numbers, and some women said they had contacted government officials for advice. However, the links WEA created between women and extension officers did not seem strong, based on KIIs with government officials and FGDs with women. Nevertheless, women and men beneficiaries in FGDs reported that husbands value their wives’ contributions to family income and their knowledge from ELTE about managing household finances. At least one woman in each FGD said she and her husband now make decisions together about household spending and saving. A few women said they now manage all of the family income. These empowerment gains are likely to be sustained, especially if women’s contributions to family income continue. Women’s Confidence and Leadership – Based on the factors above, at least three women in each FGD reported increased confidence and courage, which embolden them to be more vocal and active at home and in their immediate communities. Especially if their IGAs are sustained, women are likely to maintain this increased confidence in both private and public spheres. Other factors relevant to women’s community engagement are greater control over their use of time and freedom of movement, both of which women in FGDs reported as resulting from WEA interventions. Communication and problem￾solving skills were also included in the ELTE curriculum and mentioned by FGD participants as helping to reduce conflict at home, such as fights about family finances, and giving them courage to speak in public. Institutional Sustainability - LAC members and most WEA sub-partners believe that LACs are sustainable, and sub-partner SAINT Bangladesh said that all LACs have developed “action plans” for the future. However, the evaluation team did not find evidence that the LACs per se have the information or tools to sustain themselves, and no LAC members mentioned any action plan for the future. LACs met USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 34 quarterly, but WEA partners did not provide an agenda, facilitate the meetings, or guide LACs in any activities. LACs were primarily tasked with helping to ensure that women and men attended ELTE classes, and at least half of LAC members could not articulate other meaningful purposes of their group or anything specific about women’s empowerment. Winrock and sub-partners agree that WEA could have done much more to strengthen and potentially sustain the LACs. Women in five non-VSL women’s groups said that they do not continue to meet as a group since the end of their ELTE class, but that they continue interacting on an ad hoc and individual basis. Women in four VSL groups said they will continue meeting as a group. VSLs might have the strongest potential for sustainability, if reinforced beyond the one-year fund disbursement, according to WEA partners. Sub-question 6.2: Success of WEA in planning and ensuring sustainability Knowledge and skills Winrock and sub-partners planned for the sustainability of WEA achievements in various ways and with varying degrees of success. Based on pre- and post-training tests as well as FGDs with women, WEA’s investment in building individual capacities was highly successful, especially in providing 30,000 women with new knowledge and skills as permanent assets. WEA also required all staff to attend ELTE Training-of-Trainers sessions and built substantial capacities among NGO staff, based on KIIs with sub-partners, but less so among ACI personnel. Capacity building for LACs and Peer Leaders was much more limited and, based on FGDs and KIIs with these stakeholders, less successful. Connections among sub-partners: WEA district offices housed all sub-partners together, enabling them to work in proximity and meet regularly. However, links between ACI and NGO staff in each district seem weak, based on KIIs with sub-partners and observations of their interactions. As NGOs and ACI will be present in project districts after WEA ends, stronger links among these development sector and private sector institutions could have helped with sustainability. WEA could use the extension period to facilitate weekly coordination meetings, longer-term planning sessions, and joint activities between each of the NGO partners and their ACI colleagues in the districts In addition, ACI managers in Dhaka mentioned the need to hire thousands of agricultural extension workers in rural areas, and they should be encouraged to consider hiring some of the WEA women beneficiaries who received ACI training. Government: WEA planned to establish formal MoUs with various government departments, especially at the Upazila level, to provide sustained support to women beneficiaries. WEA held inception workshops with government officials at all levels, but the MoUs were not formalized. KIIs with government officials revealed that they were not very knowledgeable about or involved in WEA activities. WEA partners initiated links between some women’s ELTE groups and government extension officers who gave ad hoc presentations to the groups, but these relationships were not solidified and there was little follow-up. Links to training, finance and markets: WEA signed MoUs with several other USAID-funded FTF projects and facilitated about 1,800 women to benefit from those projects. Other WEA beneficiaries were linked to government training opportunities, bolstering the sustainability of WEA impact. With regard to linking women to additional financing for greater sustainability of IGAs, WEA originally planned for women to “graduate” to a level of IGA success that would enable them to access loans from MFIs. However, WEA later realized that more onerous MFI loan conditions were not appropriate for most women. Instead, WEA started 251 VSL groups. WEA also planned to connect women to local input and output markets for cost-benefits and sustainability, but did so relatively late and with limited success. CONCLUSIONS WEA contributions to women’s empowerment with regard to knowledge, skills, household decision￾making and community engagement are likely to be sustained beyond WEA for many women beneficiaries. This ongoing impact is not primarily related to institutional sustainability of the women’s groups or LACs. Rather, the sustainability of women’s empowerment benefits is most likely for women USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 35 who are now contributing to their household income through IGAs and household savings through VSLs. Other avenues for sustainability have been initiated but are somewhat weaker, such as with government, connections between ACI and NGOs, and among LACs and Peer Leaders. Solidifying women’s IGAs requires more technical training and forging stronger market linkages. Consolidating VSLs also requires more time, stewardship and capacity building within women’s groups. RECOMMENDATIONS Question 1 Recommendations 1. Integrate some of the WEA approach, with its core element of women’s empowerment in agriculture, into other USAID/Bangladesh FTF programs where applicable. WEA is the only program in the USAID-supported portfolio of FTF projects in Bangladesh with a specific focus on women’s social and economic empowerment in agriculture measured against the 5DE. Although not fully matured, WEA did achieve significant progress in empowering beneficiaries (about 60 percent) with knowledge and skills, including skills in new agricultural technologies and self-confidence. Consistent with the USAID policy on Gender Equality and Female Empowerment, parts of the WEA model and approach and lessons learned could be integrated and replicated in current and future USAID FTF programs where and as appropriate and applicable, to provide similar opportunities and benefits to other women. 2. Strengthen the role of Local Advisory Committees (LACs) to help women link with public and private sector services for sustaining empowerment LACs played a vital and effective role in the project in mobilizing the community, families and husbands in support of women’s empowerment and initially linking women with government services and resources. Based on this valuable experience, the LAC role should be strengthened to further interface with local technical services, including government agricultural extensions services (going beyond social safety nets) and market actors, to better inform and facilitate women’s linkages with appropriate public and private sector institutions. LACs should also continue to promote and enhance social acceptance of women’s empowerment in the wider community through community mobilization efforts. WEA partners should develop concrete activities in consultation with LACs, orient LACs in practical ways to follow through with these activities, and both facilitate and monitor progress. Such activities could include assisting LACs to acquire the know-how for facilitating joint meetings between LACs, government agencies, market actors, and other technical services to plan for better coordination and support for women’s empowerment activities and ways to sustain this, including through information sharing. WEA could also assist LACs in crystallizing a strategy whereby LACs would continue to provide leadership in the communities on women’s empowerment activities building on their WEA experience. 3. Expand BCC to reinforce women’s empowerment messages in communities BCC has significant potential to enhance women’s empowerment by reinforcing positive messages repeatedly to broad audiences in local communities. WEA BCC events were well attended and well received, according to project photos, WEA sub-partners and a few women and men in FGDs who attended. WEA and future USAID projects should incorporate more BCC using a variety of media, including potentially Public Service Announcements (PSAs) or call-in shows on radio and television, leaflets and posters, “street theater” in markets and other public places, as well as more community￾based events similar to those hosted by WEA. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 36 Question 2 Recommendations 4. Provide additional, hands-on technical training for WEA women beneficiaries WEA should provide more agricultural and entrepreneurial technical skills training (such as ATT and EDT) for women beneficiaries, and other USAID programs could consider doing so also, whenever feasible. Training should include more hands-on learning methods, visual materials about agricultural best practices, and practical business planning to strengthen women’s enterprises. Technical training should be led by facilitators who use contemporary training methods and understand the practical realities rural women face. Ideally, trainers or other technical experts should follow-up with training participants to ensure they are applying what they learned effectively and to offer practical advice. 5. Incorporate technical training and VSLs into ELTE earlier and more effectively If ELTE is offered again in the future, amending and shortening the core ELTE curriculum could create time in the schedule to include more training on technical information and skills. ATT and EDT themes, as well as VSLs, should be included early in the curriculum so that women can initiate IGAs, begin saving, and use these tools for early empowerment progress and for practicing literacy and numeracy skills. 6. Amend the ELTE training approach for men To engage men more effectively in women’s empowerment, WEA and/or future USAID programs as applicable should use approaches other than ELTE classes twice a week for seven months. Men could meet once or twice per month in tea stalls or other convenient venues, for example. Meetings/trainings should focus directly on women’s empowerment themes, but should also include practical skills and perhaps be framed with the goal of strengthening families to provide incentive and reduce resistance. 7. Include more technical training for women in other USAID FTF programs Whenever appropriate, other USAID FTF programs could include training for large numbers of women beneficiaries on agricultural and other technical skills, and could incorporate women’s empowerment themes in training for both women and men. USAID FTF programs could consider whether training for women on larger-scale agricultural activities that are not home-based, such as field crop cultivation, could further contribute both to women’s empowerment and to agricultural development in Bangladesh. Question 3 Recommendations 8. Consider alternative vocabulary to “women’s empowerment” to reduce resistance To decrease resistance from communities and men, and to reflect more fully the intended benefits of any future project, USAID might consider alternatives to the vocabulary of “women’s empowerment” in project and training titles. Examples might include simply “Women in Agriculture” or a hybrid approach such as “Empowering Women to Strengthen Families” Training titles might be better framed as a single word in Bangla to avoid resistance and to make names easier to say and remember. 9. Engage men more effectively in women’s empowerment efforts Programming focused on women’s empowerment should seek ways to create incentives that motivate participation by men. Using a consultative approach at the outset to gain men’s insights on their specific needs and interests would help to engage them in the most effective ways within their context and environment. FGDs with male groups indicated that men were interested in more practical training such as ATT, which was useful for their livelihoods. This could well be an important entry point and motivating factor for engaging men in a sustained manner, and at the same time integrating women’s empowerment issues in such practical training. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 37 Question 4 Recommendations 10. Organize and facilitate additional workshops for women with market actors WEA should organize additional workshops with agro-input retailers and output traders for women beneficiaries who were unable to attend previous workshops. The workshops should address issues of market demand from buyers and women’s ability to match this demand with their production. At the end of workshops, a report should be produced and distributed with contact information for traders and beneficiaries and an action plan of agro-input procurement and agro-products supplying schedules. 11. Facilitate women to develop long-term business plans WEA should facilitate women beneficiaries to develop business plans for three to five years for their IGAs. This could be carried out through a systematic process that addresses key aspects required in planning for businesses and builds on the experience gained in WEA such as:  Market assessments: to determine the market demand for agriculture- based products/IGAs feasible in the local context and with potential for increasing incomes and profitability; analyzing market demand from buyers and the ability of women to match production demand; selection of potential inputs and output traders and consultations with them on product specification;  Technical requirements: technical knowledge and skills required for enhancing IGAs productivity;  Selection of appropriate technologies and where these could be sourced locally; and  Financing requirements for IGAs and identifying sources of finance; Based on the above information, business plans could be prepared for IGAs to be managed by a group of interested women beneficiaries in order to promote economies of scale. Business plans should emphasize the development of long-term business relationships with market actors and financial and technical service providers rather than ad hoc transactions. Question 5 Recommendations 12. Enhance training on accounting systems for VSLs members and start a new VSL cycle Skills training on accounting systems should be organized or enhanced for VSL members and especially for the women nominated to VSLs management committees. WEA should enable ELTE-VSL facilitators to help all existing VSL groups start a second cycle of savings in order to practice the accounting skills and to show women how to transition from one cycle to the next. This supplementary capacity building will help ensure that women VSL members are not dependent on their facilitators in the future and therefore are more likely to complete a second VSL cycle independently and begin a third cycle. 13. Revise VSL guidelines in consultation with VSL members WEA should revise VSL guidelines in consultation with women members in VSL groups in order to give women ownership of the process and make the guidelines more user-friendly for women. WEA should facilitate consultations with representatives of VSL groups in all five WEA districts in order to reach a participatory consensus on VSL guidelines. Question 6 Recommendations 14. Consolidate WEA gains Suggestions for consolidating WEA’s women’s empowerment gains that have been articulated in earlier recommendations above include:  Strengthening LACs and their linkages to local government and market actors for the benefit of women (Recommendation 2);  Organizing additional BCC to bolster community acceptance (Recommendation 3); USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 38  Providing additional technical training for WEA beneficiaries on agricultural and entrepreneurial themes to reinforce these skills (Recommendation 4);  Arranging additional workshops for women with input and output market traders (Recommendation 10);  Helping women create business plans for the sustainability of their IGAs (Recommendation 11);  Enhancing VSL group members’ accounting skills and continuing through a second VSL cycle (Recommendation 12); and  Consulting with VSL groups to improve VSL guidelines (Recommendation 13). All of these activities could help consolidate WEA’s achievements for greater sustainability of women’s empowerment. WEA’s newly approved no-cost extension provides an opportunity to do so. 15. Gather and disseminate best practices and lessons learned Given the uniqueness of WEA’s focus on women’s empowerment in the agricultural sector, WEA should host a lessons learned conference among its field staff and sub-partners to document what has worked well and the challenges the project has faced. The results of this effort should be professionally documented in ways that can be disseminated within USAID, among other FTF project teams, and to other development partners. A second event with all of these stakeholders would enable USAID to showcase its flagship initiative on women’s empowerment in agriculture and would provide another chance to continue the learning process towards greater sustainability of all such efforts. LESSONS LEARNED Group strategy empowers women on specific issues - Evidence from WEA indicates that a group strategy such as ELTE groups worked very well in bringing together women from diverse socio￾economic backgrounds (including minority groups) around thematic areas, facilitated bonding and cooperation between them, fostered peer learning, and built social capital. Groups provide an important space and platform to empower women in a group context that is non-threatening and confidence￾building. The ELTE group structure enabled women to access information, and provided an institutional base with which resources and linkages with government social services are more feasible. Beyond this, WEA could apply group/collective action as a strategy for improved market linkages for women through facilitating collective purchase of inputs and marketing of products. Group organization for specific activities can be a powerful strategy for women’s empowerment but needs to be well facilitated. Engaging men in women’s empowerment is essential - Engaging men is critical to women’s empowerment and gained greater currency in the WEA project for the positive effect it had on relations between women and men, family life and the community. However, strategies to engage men in the household and community could be better achieved with a consultative approach, linked with activities of high interest and by gaining men’s perspectives and insights on the most appropriate entry points and activities to support women’s empowerment. Linking such activities with moments of male socialization such as at tea stalls or in other settings where men gather, and taking into account time and logistical issues, would encourage men in taking the lead in planning their own engagement for women’s empowerment with some facilitation and support. Technical training for women on agricultural and entrepreneurial skills is a good approach to women’s empowerment - Despite decades of development interventions in Bangladesh, women in at least some rural locations still lack basic information and skills that would enable them to do homestead gardening and/or small-scale agricultural IGAs. Training on these practical skills can have significant impact for women’s empowerment as well as their families’ income, nutrition and other development outcomes. Group-focused training for women is effective, especially when empowerment themes and technical skills are woven together in the curriculum in ways that reinforce each other. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 39 Earlier and more reinforced links to government, NGOs and private trader services are essential for the long-term success of women’s IGAs and for women’s full empowerment - Government departments, NGOs, MFIs and other institutions providing credit and other services for rural populations are essential in assisting women to establish sustainable IGAs. The success of women’s IGAs contributes to household income, women’s empowerment, and other development goals. Links to the private sector and through NGOs to additional training, finance and markets are equally important. Such links should be initiated earlier in the project cycle for all beneficiaries, with opportunities to enable repetition and relationship building and solidification of connections. Women’s VSL groups have significant benefits for women’s empowerment and other development outcomes – WEA initiated VSLs for sustainability of women’s empowerment achievements, but not until relatively late in the WEA project period. Early indications of VSLs’ success suggest that VSLs should have been initiated earlier by WEA as part of the ELTE classes so that the VSLs would have had time to benefit more women and have a greater chance of sustainability. VSLs also would have been an ideal mechanism to teach women numeracy and accounting skills in ELTE classes. Private sector partners can significantly contribute to women’s empowerment, but they present challenges for development partners – ACI senior managers told the evaluation team that they need tens of thousands of people in their local sales force to meet public demand. Women in rural areas could fill some of these positions, and certainly could be new customers for ACI, which seems to indicate that ACI would have strong profit-based incentives to collaborate on development programs like WEA. Nevertheless, WEA managers faced an uphill battle in negotiating a workable partnership with ACI, and WEA was only partially successful in getting ACI to deliver what was needed for women beneficiaries. Forging public-private partnerships for development projects has the potential to be a very strong approach, both for women’s empowerment and other goals, but is challenging and requires significant additional research and pilot efforts. Private sector partners’ profit motive will need to be part of a broader political economy analysis in order to identify effective strategies. Initiatives should try to identify profit-seeking incentives to attract long-term corporate interests, such as ACI’s articulated need to hire many more trained rural agricultural extension workers. Another challenge is to strengthen the capacity and ability of private sector partners and their field teams to interact with and address the needs of poor rural women. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 40 Annex 1: EVALUATION STATEMENT OF WORK Scope of Work (SOW) for the Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity (WEA) activity Final Performance Evaluation I. BACKGROUND: Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity (WEA) is being implemented by Winrock International for a three-year period starting from December 1, 2014. WEA’s overall goal is increased empowerment of women and gender parity in WEA targeted areas in Feed the Future Zone of Influence (FTF ZOI.) WEA works towards empowering women by strengthening community leadership, improving decision-making among women over productive resources and agricultural production, improving control over income and time-use, and increasing social acceptance of women’s empowerment. Through this effort, WEA aims to reduce gender-based constraints to women’s full participation in agricultural production and food security. WEA approach uses community-driven agricultural production and income generation to achieve women’s empowerment. This is a pilot activity and contributes to the “Development Objective (DO) 2: Food Security Improved,” of USAID Bangladesh’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). ”In particular, WEA will inform the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) under DO2.DO2 is the flagship DO for the Feed the Future (FTF) strategy and its objective in Bangladesh: “Availability, Access, and Utilization of Domestically Produced and Nutritious Foods Increased. The premise or development hypothesis for WEA is as follows: “If decision-making by women in agricultural resources, production, and income use improves and they have increased leadership roles underpinned by balanced time management, then women will be empowered to actively participate in and benefit from economic growth and move toward gender parity.” The objective of WEA is increasing women’s empowerment and gender parity in five districts within the FTF ZOI. To achieve this goal, WEA aims to support 30,000 women in 1,350 communities through increased contributions to production, access to markets, and improving household wellbeing. Below is the Results Framework of the activity and description of the major interventions. Project Name Women’s Empowerment Activity (WEA) Award Number Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-15-00001 Duration of Project December 1, 2014, to November 30, 2017 Total budget $5,970,000 Implementing Partner Winrock International Point of contact Marian Parsons, Agriculture officer, WEA AOR Farzana Yasmeen, Program Management Specialist, ACME COR USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 41 Figure 1: Result Framework of WEA II. ACTIVITY COMPONENTS: IR 1.Increased leadership in community economic or social groups by women To achieve this result, WEA implements several activities. The first of these activities is the formation of the Local Advisory Committees (LAC) which is comprised of local elites (such Union Parishad chairman, USAID DO2: Food Security Improved DO2-IR 2.1: Sustainably increase agricultural productivity WEA objective: Increased empowerment of women and gender parity in targeted areas of the Feed the Future Zone of Influence Sub IR 5.1 Balanced/shared household responsibilities within the family members Sub IR 1.1 LAC established and strengthened Improved Sub IR 1.2 Increased community life skills Sub IR 3.1 Increased financial literacy Sub IR 3.2 Improved income generation Improved Sub IR 4.1 Improved knowledge of agricultural production Sub IR 4.2 Increased adoption of appropriate agricultural technology Critical Assumptions 6. Government of Bangladesh is supportive of WEA and its implementing partners 7. Government of Bangladesh policies and legislation are applied consistently and effectively across all Divisions and Districts of Bangladesh 8. Current levels of political stability will persist in Bangladesh during the life of project 9. Ongoing USAID projects are open and willing to cooperate with WEA 10. Women would like to more actively participate in public and economic spheres in rural Bangladesh IR5: Improved time use by women IR4: Strengthened decision-making by women in agricultural production IR3: Improved women’s control over income IR 1: Increased leadership in community economic or social groups by women IR 2: Improved decision making by women over productive resources Sub IR 2.1 Increased ownership of productive resources by women Sub IR 2.1.1 Increased access to market for productive assets, resources and agricultural products by women Sub IR 2.1.2 Increased access to credit for productive resources and assets Cross -Cutting: Increase social acceptance of women’s empowerment USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 42 members, school teachers, retired persons, and businessmen) who are willing to work for women’s empowerment. Partner NGOs select LAC members (50% women) based on selection criteria and then provide training to them with the help of the WEA team. LAC serves as a change agent in their communities, resolves community impediments of women’s empowerment, and helps in conducting Community Asset Appraisals (CAA) to identify peer leaders and potential beneficiaries of the Entrepreneurial Literacy Training for Empowerment (ELTE). WEA provided Leadership for Change (LfC) training to LAC members, orienting them on roles and responsibilities in relation to WEA project objectives. After selection of the Peer Leaders, partner NGOs provide them with training and give them responsibility for conducting Behavior Change Communication (BCC) in their community with primary focus on women’s empowerment, gender, awareness raising on gender-based violence, and basic leadership skills. The Peer Leaders played a vital role in advocating and motivating men and women to participate in ELTE sessions and other project activities. They help the ELTE graduates to be involved in different income-generating activities and link them to savings, credit, inputs, and market opportunities. They also support WEA partners in data collection of beneficiary information and other project activities. ELTE is a seven-month training course provided by ELTE facilitators who are selected through the CAA process. After selection, WEA partners train the facilitators on the ELTE curriculum, teaching methodologies, and key concepts of women’s empowerment and gender equality. After training, ELTE facilitators take responsibility of conducting ELTE sessions for the project beneficiaries. WEA targeted 30,000 beneficiaries to receive ELTE, followed by Agriculture Technical Training (ATT), and Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDT) for some women, which could include non-farm activities. ELTE sessions enhance women’s public speaking ability and increase their understanding of women’s rights, time use, and more equitable sharing of household responsibilities. In addition, WEA provides a shorter version of the entrepreneurial literacy training, short-term agriculture trainings, and program support to the male and other family members of the ELTE participants for awareness raising on women’s empowerment and to be involved in income generating activities. IR 2.Improved decision-making by women over productive resources WEA sub-partner ACI has conducted a market value chain analysis comprising of a qualitative and quantitative study to explore the entry point of women, families, and entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector. The findings of the market analysis are integrated into technical training curriculum to ensure agribusiness concepts are appropriate and applicable to target geographical areas under the agriculture subsectors: white fish, vegetables, shrimp, poultry jute, rice, and dairy and meat cattle. ACI developed four modules for WEA grounded on the findings of the subsector analysis and made the existing curriculum more gender sensitive and need-based. ACI selected lead farmers (male and female) as trainers and provided them a two-day long Training of Trainers (ToT) on specific subject matter relevant for the communities. These trainings aim to increase knowledge and skills of the lead trainers to effectively deliver training to beneficiaries. In order to establish a mechanism for women to purchase inputs directly, WEA organizes workshops with agricultural input retailers and dealers to increase women’s access to quality inputs on time and at a fair price. ACI has also recruited a commission-based buying and collecting agent, an aggregator, from beneficiaries (men and women), who comes directly to beneficiaries’ homes. ACI also works with WEA staff to select potential sites for collection centers, which are located near farmer’s fields, farms or homes where farmers can aggregate their produce for potential buyers. The USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 43 women beneficiaries of ELTE training groups receive credit individually or collectively from DAM Federation for Economic Development (DFED) or other micro-finance institutions (MFIs) which they use to buy inputs from ACI or other available suppliers recommended by the community and/or LAC to ensure quality product. This increased access to credit helps women start new and expand existing IGAs and businesses. IR3. Improved women’s control over income As a part of ELTE, partner agencies provide financial literacy training to the beneficiaries, which enable them to open and operate individual savings accounts under MFI from where they will be able to get credit WEA introduced a Village Savings Loan (VSL) program to ELTE groups to start self-help IGAs. These trainings help women understand the importance of having savings accounts that can be used for household expenses and in times of economic hardship. In this sense, these trainings enhance women’s ability to make decisions about income. Under this IR, WEA provides Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDT) to ELTE and ATT trainees who expressed interest in order to help women beneficiaries start up enterprises. IR4. Strengthened decision-making by women in agricultural production WEA sub partner ACI conducts training sessions on ‘household nutrition and dietary diversity’ to female beneficiaries with the aim that women and other family members will choose and cultivate nutrition-rich food in their homestead gardening, livestock rearing, and aquaculture and integrate this into their daily diet. The training covers various agriculture products, seed varieties, homestead gardening, soil fertilizer, machineries, and production technologies relevant to employment and income generating opportunities. These trainings help to increase technical knowledge on agriculture production and the nutrition of women beneficiaries, and increase their confidence and involvement in decision-making in agricultural activities. ACI provides input, support, and training for demonstration plots on appropriate agricultural technology at the community level to demonstrate homestead vegetable production, cattle farming, poultry farming, aquaculture, etc. This results in improved knowledge on technology and agriculture production of the female beneficiaries which changes the existing mindset of traditional gender division of labor in a society. It also increases acceptability of women’s role changes in off-farm and on-farm sector. IR5. Improved use of time by women ELTE trainings also include sessions on improved and balanced use of time in the household. Male and female beneficiaries learn about time-use analysis by measuring satisfaction and its positive impact in family life through these sessions. These initiatives will also help to change family’s perceptions regarding traditional gender roles in households and communities. Crosscutting: Increase social acceptance of women’s empowerment WEA follows a social marketing approach to Behavior Change Communication (BCC) using community events, radio broadcasting, engagement with journalists, distribution of communications materials, and direct communications with households, local government officials, and community leaders through WEA staff and LAC volunteers. BCC activities sensitize community members’ perception and behavior towards gender equality, women’s empowerment, and ingrained harmful gender norms. WEA engages women, men, and institutions at different levels of society to have greater impact. WEA’s sub partners – DAM, Nabolok, SMKK, and Saint Bangladesh, organize street dramas and folksong programs at the community level in WEA project areas. The communities are entertained by the performances and also USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 44 learn more about issues relevant to women’s empowerment such as women’s legal rights, literacy, gender equity, and the consequences of early marriage, dowry, and sexual harassment. Additionally, the events focus on equal participation of men and women in household decision-making and control over income, leadership qualities, self-help approaches for individual and community, and socio-economic and political empowerment. A quiz on these issues is also conducted at each event and the winners receive small prizes, encouraging participation. III. EVALUATION OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the WEA final performance evaluation is to assess the extent to which the WEA activity has achieved its overall performance goals. Consistent with USAID’s 2011 Evaluation Policy, the primary goals of this evaluation are to:  Assess efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the approaches and models of WEA for promoting women’s empowerment, especially with regards to social acceptance, leadership development, decision-making, time-use, and control over their incomes.  Identify and document good (or best) practices and lessons learned, and factors that influenced program effectiveness. With the exclusion of procurement sensitive sections, USAID intends to disseminate the report widely to stakeholders such as USAID/ Bangladesh implementing partners, different Government of Bangladesh (GOB) agencies, universities, other sector-specific donors, and the Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC). IV. EVALUATION QUESTIONS: The final evaluation of WEA should address the following questions: 1. To what extent has WEA been successful in increasing women’s empowerment in the community? What interventions were the most effective in achieving the programmatic goals? Were there any unanticipated impacts? 2. How effective were the WEA trainings (ELTE, ATT, and EDT) in terms of increasing women’s empowerment, specifically in the areas of decision-making over food choice and nutrition, control over income, leadership in the community, and time use? - What training (of the ELTE, ATT, and EDT) has been most effective in achieving outcomes? What is the cumulative effect of receiving all three trainings? - How successful has been the long-term (7 month) training in achieving the WEA outcomes? Could the same results have been obtained with a shorter period of training? 3. What have been some of the key challenges affecting the achievement of WEA’s desired outcomes? What strategies were employed to overcome the challenges and how effective were these? 4. How effective has the WEA approach of linking beneficiaries to appropriate training, financing, and markets been for creating long-term income generating activities? 5. How effective have the village savings and loan (VSL) activities by WEA been? What are the greatest strengths of the VSLs and what have been some of the challenges faced by the VSLs? USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 45 6. Will the achievements by WEA sustain beyond the life of the activity? How successful has WEA been in planning and ensuring the sustainability? V. EVALUATION METHDOLOGY Based on the SOW from USAID, the evaluation team will develop a detailed evaluation methodology and work plan for review and approval by USAID. The detailed evaluation methodology will include a data collection matrix that will explicitly link evaluation questions to particular data collection approaches and data sources. The evaluation team must use a mixed-method approach utilizing both quantitative (including non-experimental design and mini-surveys) and qualitative analysis (such as key informant interviews, stakeholder interviews, and focus group discussions). The evaluation team should develop the best evaluation design methodology in light of the evaluation questions, timeframe, budget, data collection requirements, quality of existing data sources, and potential biases. The evaluation team should utilize several different, yet complementary and inter-related forms of gathering information/data such as those described below. The evaluation team is expected to utilize its expert judgment and evaluation best practices in selecting which methodological components to include in the evaluation design. Document Review: Evaluation team members will review documents throughout the evaluation process including program reports, relevant studies to ensure that comprehensive and grounded best practices will be identified (see Section VI). Key Informants Interview: The team will conduct one-on-one interviews with a variety of stakeholders including the most relevant GOB ministries and agencies, WEA sub partners, relevant DAE officials and other stakeholders involved in promoting women empowerment in agriculture. This will be done administering a semi-structured or structured questionnaire. Self-assessment: The IPs will respond to a self-assessment either through a questionnaire or standard interview checklist put together by the evaluation team and approved by USAID before use. Expert Opinion Survey: Utilizing expert opinion is a technique used increasingly in the market system sector. The Evaluation team, with approval of USAID, can apply this method as well. Focus Group Discussions (FGD): FGD (small group of six to 10 people) will be used to lead open discussion through a skilled moderator to gather semi-structured qualitative data. The preselected participants (balanced to the extent feasible by gender, age, and any other relevant factors) will discuss issues and concerns based on a list of key themes drawn up by the moderator. No more than 10 questions will be addressed by a group. These sessions will encourage free flowing discussion about the activity. Mini Survey: This type of survey is small (30-40 participants) and can be performed rapidly in the field without analytical software such as SPSS or a large questionnaire. The sample size is not statistically significant; however, this type of analysis can be used to triangulate with other methods. Because of the small sample size this type of survey can be implemented quickly when time and resources are constrained. Social and Economic Analysis: This type of analysis might require a sample survey. Due to time and resource constraints, the survey should be kept to a manageable size since it is neither possible nor desirable to carry out a complete census for social and economic analysis. The team should select a sample that is representative of the beneficiary population and triangulate the findings from this survey with other sources. Regardless of data collection and analysis methods, USAID requires qualitative and quantitative data disaggregated by gender. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 46 Methodological limitations and challenges for this evaluation are expected to include:  Ensuring that samples of interview sources are sufficient to support evaluation findings;  Taking systematic actions to counter any biases in (a) reporting by data collection sources and (b) interpretations of collected data by the evaluation team; and ensuring “actual” results can be measured, which will only be possible if data can be gathered and analyzed beyond respondent perceptions. All the methodological strengths and weaknesses should be explicitly described in the evaluation report. The methodology must include a process for sharing draft findings and conclusions with key stakeholders, including beneficiaries and GOB officials, and incorporating a second round of their feedback in the final report, to be agreed upon by USAID. Prior to the start of the evaluation, the evaluation team shall meet with EG office to refine the evaluation methodology, and address any other concerns the EG office may have. VI. EXISTING SOURCES OF INFORMATION The evaluation team should consult a broad range of background documents apart from project documents provided by USAID/Bangladesh. These should include, but are not limited to, documents such as the Bangladesh 6th& 7th Five Year Plans, Country Investment Plan, Bangladesh Feed the Future Multiyear Strategy as well as other relevant national strategies and policies. USAID, ACME, and the WEA project will provide the evaluation team with a package of briefing materials, including: 1.Program description 2.Approved M&E plan 3.Approved Work Plan of each year 4.Final version of all Annual reports 5.Final version of all Quarterly reports 6.All DQA reports 7.Any other relevant reports (inception, expo, fare etc.) 8.Case studies and success story- if any (e.g. USAID FFP report) 9.Any research/study reports (e.g. sector study, BCC study etc.)- if any 10. Name of partners with contact details - International & National NGOs 11. MOU signed with any GoB wings and Partners- if available 12. Feed the Future Zone of Influence survey reports 13. GIS Maps- demonstrated the zone of influence (ZOI) 14. Beneficiary database 15. Training database 16. Training modules 17. Training reports – if any 18. Field visit report- if any 19. Mid-term Evaluation report- if any 20. Component & Year-wise project expenditure 21. One pager/brochure/Pamphlet- if available 22. Staff list of WEA VII. EVALUATION TEAM COMPOSITION The team will include one international team leader with community led development expertise, one international gender specialist and one national agriculture extension specialist, preferably with knowledge and experience in nutrition. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 47 Team Leader (Evaluation Specialist – International): The Team Leader will have a postgraduate degree in economics, agricultural economics, gender studies, development studies or other relevant social sciences field. The team leader will be an international professional and should have a minimum of 10 years of work experience. S/he should have demonstrated experience of leading at least two evaluations of projects with similar scope and complexity within the last 5-6 years, preferably with USAID. S/he should have extensive experience in conducting evaluations with quantitative and qualitative methodologies and strong familiarity with general agriculture and livelihoods programs, gender equality and women empowerment programs, women entrepreneurship programs, and small and medium enterprises programs. The Team Leader must be familiar with USAID regulations and systems including performance monitoring and evaluation guidance, especially for Feed the Future, gender policies and guidance, project management, budgeting, and financial analysis and reporting. Experience in international donor development program management is preferred. Excellent oral and written skills in English are required. Relevant experience in Bangladesh or South Asia is preferred. The Team Leader will provide overall leadership for the team and will be responsible to conduct and manage the evaluation and submit deliverables to USAID/Bangladesh. S/he will be responsible for supervision of team members; quality control and timeliness of all deliverables; preparation or supervision of evaluation methodology, planning logistics, data collection, and report preparation; consolidate individual input from team members, and coordinate the process of assembling the final findings and recommendations into a high-quality document. The Team Leader will serve as a primary point of contact for the evaluation team to USAID. S/he will lead the preparation and presentation of the key evaluation findings and recommendations to the USAID/Bangladesh team and major stakeholders. Gender Specialist (International): The Gender Specialist will have a post-graduate degree in development studies, gender studies, sociology, economics or other applicable social sciences field. S/he will be an international specialist with a minimum of 8 years of progressive professional experience in the areas of gender analysis and programming for international donor projects. She will have excellent understanding of gender issues in the developing countries, preferably in South Asia, with strong knowledge of the latest developments in advancing good/best practices in promotion of women’s empowerment. Knowledge and experiences with gender inclusive agriculture and/or community-led development is required. Experience in training curriculum development and delivery, focusing on Behavioral Change Communication (BCC), is preferred. Knowledge on and/or experience with Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) is preferred. Experience in serving in an evaluation team is preferred and strong knowledge in monitoring and evaluation is desirable. S/he will contribute to the development of evaluation methodology and will participate in team meetings, key informant interviews, group meetings, site visits, and draft the sections of the report relevant to his/her expertise and role in the team. S/he will also participate in presenting the report to USAID or other stakeholders and be responsible for addressing pertinent comments provided by USAID/Bangladesh or other stakeholders. Agriculture Extension Specialist (National): The Agriculture Extension Specialist will have a postgraduate degree in agriculture, agriculture economics, agriculture extension, business administration or other relevant subject. S/he will be a Bangladeshi national with a minimum of 10 years of experience in the areas of agricultural programs, agriculture extension, community and livelihoods development, curriculum development, training and outreach strategies, agricultural extension systems, income generating activities and behavior change USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 48 programs in and outside Bangladesh. S/he will have strong understanding about gender integration, women empowerment, nutrition and small business development. The agriculture extension specialist contributes to the development of evaluation methodology will participate in team meetings, key informant interviews, group meetings, site visits, and draft the sections of the report relevant to his/her expertise and role in the team. S/he also will participate in presenting the report to USAID or other stakeholders and be responsible for addressing pertinent comments provided by USAID/Bangladesh or other stakeholders. Conflict of Interest All evaluation team members will provide a signed statement attesting to a lack of conflict of interest, or describing an existing conflict of interest relative to the project being evaluated. USAID will provide the conflict of interest forms. VIII. SCHEDULE, LEVEL OF EFFORT, and LOGISTICS Schedule Work is to be carried out over a period of approximately 10 weeks, beginning in July, 2017 with field work completed by early August, 2017 and final report and close out concluding by early September, 2017. See Annex-1 for Bangladesh Mission Holiday Schedule. A six-day work week (Saturday-Thursday) is authorized for the evaluation team while in Bangladesh. The evaluation team will submit a work plan as part of the evaluation methodology proposal with timeline and develop a Gantt chart displaying the time periods during which activities occur. Pre-departure arrangements should include: travel approval; airline tickets; visa; lodging; work facility and vehicle transport arrangements; dates for meetings with USAID/Bangladesh EG staff and key contacts; in-country travel agenda; and accommodations. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 49 Estimated Level of Effort (LOE) Level of Efforts of Team Members by Task Deliverables Task/Deliverable Duration / LOE Days Team Leader Gender Specialist Agriculture Extension Specialist Review background documents and home-based preparation work 5 5 5 Travel to Bangladesh 2 2 0 Team planning meeting and meeting with USAID 2 2 2 Development of Evaluation Work Plan (concurrent with document review and initial meetings) 2 2 2 Development of data collection instruments 2 2 2 Information and data collection. Includes interviews with key informants (stakeholders and USAID staff) and site visits 14 14 14 Discussion, analysis, and preliminary draft evaluation report in country including discussion with USAID 5 5 5 Debrief meetings with USAID (preliminary draft report due to USAID) 1 1 1 Debrief meetings with key stakeholders 1 1 1 Depart Bangladesh/Travel to U.S. 2 2 0 Finalization of draft and internal review (out of country) 10 5 5 USAID provides comments on draft report 0 0 0 Team revises draft report and submits final to USAID (out of country) 5 0 0 USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 50 IX. DELIVERABLES: All deliverables are internal to USAID and the Evaluation Team unless otherwise instructed by USAID. Evaluation deliverables are indicated below: Evaluation Team Planning Meeting: During the meeting, the team should review and discuss the SOW in its entirety, clarify team member roles and responsibilities, prepare the work plan, develop data collection methods, review and clarify any logistical and administrative procedures for the assignment and instruments, and prepare for the in-brief with USAID/Bangladesh. Work Plan: Prior to initiation of the evaluation activities, the evaluation team will provide a detailed initial work plan to the ACME COR. The ACME COR will provide any necessary feedback or edits to the work plan, after which the evaluation team will have three days to submit a final version of the document. The initial work plan will include a task timeline, a description of the methodology to answer each evaluation question, team responsibilities, document review process, key informant and stakeholder meetings, site visits, survey implementation (if applicable), data analysis, travel time, debriefings (for USAID, implementing partner, and relevant GOB officials, and draft and final report writing. The work plan will be submitted to the ACME COR and WEA AOR at USAID/Bangladesh for approval no later than the 5th day after the evaluation team arrives in Bangladesh. In-briefing Meeting: The evaluation team will meet with USAID/Bangladesh within two working days of the international team members’ arrival in Bangladesh. Evaluation Design Matrix: A table that lists each evaluation question and the corresponding information sought information sources, data analysis methods, and limitations. The matrix should be finalized and shared with USAID/Bangladesh before evaluation fieldwork starts. It should also be included as an annex in the evaluation report. Data Collection Instruments: Development and submission of data collection instruments to USAID/Bangladesh during the design phase and after the evaluation is completed. Regular Updates: The Evaluation Team Leader will brief the ACME COR, ACME COP (Chief of Party), the WEA AOR, and any other designated evaluation POC on progress with the evaluation on at least a weekly basis, in person or by electronic communication. Any delays must be quickly communicated to USAID/Bangladesh as early as possible to allow quick resolution and to minimize any disruptions to the evaluation. Emerging opportunities to strengthen the evaluation should also be discussed with USAID/Bangladesh as they arise. Preliminary Draft Evaluation Report: The evaluation team will submit a Preliminary Draft Evaluation Report to the ACME COR, WEA AOR, and ACME COP five working days before the Mission debriefing. Within three working days after receipt, USAID staff will provide preliminary comments prior to the Mission debriefing. Debriefing with USAID: The evaluation team will present the major evaluation findings to USAID/Bangladesh through a PowerPoint presentation before the team’s departure from Bangladesh. The debriefing will include a discussion of achievements and issues as well as any preliminary findings. The team will consider USAID comments and incorporate them as appropriate in the Draft Evaluation Report. Total Estimated LOE 51 41 37 USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 51 Draft Evaluation Report: A draft report on the findings and recommendations should be submitted to USAID/Bangladesh and ACME within 10 business days after departure of the international team members from Bangladesh. The written report should clearly describe findings, conclusions, and recommendations. The draft report must be of high quality with no grammatical errors or typos. USAID will return the report if this requirement is not met. A report is high quality when it represents a thoughtful, well-researched, and well organized effort to objectively evaluate what worked in the project, what did not and why. The draft report must have well-constructed sentences that are presented in a way that clearly presents findings, conclusions and recommendations. The report should answer all the evaluation questions and the structure of the report should make it clear how the questions were answered. The draft report must meet the criteria set forth under the Final Report section below. Final Evaluation Report: The evaluation team will submit the Final Evaluation Report that incorporates Mission comments and suggestions no later than 10 working days after USAID/Bangladesh provides written comments on the Draft Evaluation report. The format of the final report is provided below. The report will be submitted electronically in English. The final report should meet the following criteria to ensure the quality of the report:  Evaluation report shall address all evaluation questions included in the scope of work.  The evaluation report should include the scope of work as an annex. All modifications to the scope of work, whether in technical requirements, evaluation questions, evaluation team composition, methodology or timeline need to be agreed upon in writing by the ACME COR and WEA AOR.  Evaluation methodology shall be explained in detail and all tools used in conducting the evaluation such as questionnaires, checklists, and discussion guides will be included in an Annex in the final report.  Limitations to the evaluation shall be disclosed in the report, with particular attention to the limitations associated with the evaluation methodology (selection bias, recall bias, etc.).  Evaluation findings should be presented as analyzed facts, evidence and data and not based on anecdotes, hearsay or the compilation of people’s opinions. Findings should be specific, concise and supported by strong quantitative or qualitative evidence.  Sources of information need to be properly identified and listed in an annex.  Recommendations need to be supported by a specific set of findings.  Recommendations should be action-oriented, practical and specific, with defined responsibility for the action. X. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS The total pages of the final report, excluding references and annexes, should be no more than 30 pages. The following content (and suggested length) should be included in the report:  Table of Contents  List of Acronyms  Executive Summary – concisely state the project purpose and background, key evaluation questions, methods, most salient findings and recommendations (2-3 pp.);  Introduction – country context, including a summary of any relevant history, demography, socio￾economic status, etc. (1 pp.); USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 52  The Development Problem and USAID’s Response – brief overview of the development problem and USAID’s strategic response, including design and implementation of the WEA and any previous USAID projects implemented in response to the problem, (2-3 pp.);  Purpose of the Evaluation – purpose, audience, and synopsis of task (1 pp.);  Evaluation Methodology – describe evaluation methods, including strengths, constraints, and gaps (1 pp.);  Findings and Conclusions – describe and analyze findings for each evaluation question using graphs, figures, and tables, as applicable, and also include data quality and data sources, issues, and outcomes. Conclusions should be credible and should be supported by the findings (12-15 pp.);  Recommendations – prioritized for each evaluation question; should be separate from conclusions and be supported by clearly defined set of findings and conclusions. Include recommendations for future project implementation or relevant program designs, as well as synergies with other USAID projects and other donor interventions as appropriate (3-4 pp);  Lessons Learned – provide a brief of key technical and/or administrative lessons on what has worked, not worked, and why for future project or program designs (2-3 pp.);  Annexes – to include statement of work, documents reviewed, bibliographical documentation, evaluation methods, data generated from the evaluation, tools used, interview lists, meetings, FGDs, surveys, and tables. The Evaluation Design Matrix must be presented as an annex to the report. Annexes should be succinct, pertinent, and readable. Annexes should also include, if necessary, a statement of significant unresolved differences of opinion by funders, implementers, or members of the Evaluation Team on any of the findings or recommendations. The report format should be restricted to Microsoft products and 12-point type font should be used throughout the body of the report, with page margins one-inch top/bottom and left/right. The final report will be edited and formatted by the evaluation team and provided to USAID/Bangladesh 5 working days after the Mission has reviewed the content and approved the final revised version of the report. A second, public version of the evaluation report, excluding any potentially procurement￾sensitive or host country-sensitive information, will be submitted (also electronically, in English) to the Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC) and disseminated among implementing partners and other stakeholders within 10 days following approval from USAID. All quantitative data, if gathered, should be (1) provided in an electronic file in easily readable format; (2) organized and fully documented for use by those not fully familiar with the project or the evaluation; (3) owned by USAID and made available to the public barring rare exceptions and excluding procurement￾sensitive information. A thumb drive with all the data could be provided to the ACME COR. XI. LOGISTICS USAID/Bangladesh’s ACME project will be responsible for all off-shore and in-country administrative and logistical support, including identification and fielding appropriate local staff. ACME/BD team (Evaluation coordinator, Finance manager, Security coordinator and Administrative associate) will take care of arranging and scheduling meetings, international and local travel, hotel bookings, arranging findings sharing meeting with stakeholders’ security briefing, working/office spaces, computers, printing, and photocopying. ACME will be responsible for hiring a Note Taker who will assist the team in the field in conducting FGDs, KIIs, mini survey by taking notes as appropriate. In addition, if surveys are required as part of the evaluation, ACME will hire the local research/survey firms. XII. BUDGET (estimate) The evaluation has been budgeted for and will be carried out under the ACME contract. Below is budget estimate for this task. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 53 Annex 2. EVALUATION MATRIX Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment (WEA) - Final Performance Evaluation Evaluation Questions Information Sought /Sub Questions Methodology Data Sources Methods/Tools Question 1. To what extent has WEA been successful in increasing women’s empowerment in the community? What interventions were the most effective in achieving the programmatic goals? Were there any unanticipated impacts? - What are the key women empowerment achievements? - How did the project measure women’s empowerment results? - Perceptions of stakeholders and community of the level of social acceptance of women’s empowerment? - Identify which of the interventions have been most effective in achieving women’s empowerment and why? - What are the unanticipated impacts of WEA? Secondary sources Project description, Project Baseline report, Annual & Quarterly reports, Annual Work Plans Project Results Framework, Training reports M& E Plan, July 2016, Other studies and reports KIIs and FGDs GOB, USAID, WEA project staff, LACs, local government, NGOs, ACI, BCC partners women & men beneficiaries ▪ Document review: ▪ Focus group discussions, ▪ Key Informant interviews Evaluation Questions Information Sought /Sub Questions Methodology Data Sources Methods/ Tools Question 2. How effective have the WEA trainings (ELTE, ATT, and EDT) been in terms of increasing women’s empowerment, specifically in the areas of decision-making over food choice and nutrition, control over income, leadership in the community, and time use? Perceptions and experience of facilitators / trainers and participants about the ways in which ELTE, ATT and EDT trainings have increased women’s empowerment in their families / households in terms of input and control over decision-making related to: ▪ agricultural production ▪ productive resources ▪ use of income ▪ food choice and nutrition ▪ Time use and division of labor? Perceptions and experience of facilitators / trainers and participants about the ways in which the trainings have increased women’s leadership in the community. Document review: WEA Quarterly and Annual Reports FGDs: Facilitators/Trainers Participants KIIs: WEA Team and ACI team Document review, FGDs and KIIs USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 54 - What training (of the ELTE, ATT, and EDT) has been most effective in achieving outcomes? -What is the cumulative effect of receiving all three trainings? - How successful has been the extended period of training (7 months) to achieve the WEA outcomes? Could the same results have been obtained with a shorter period of training? Which kind of training has been most and least effective? Why? Do women benefit from any cumulative effect by receiving all three trainings? How? Are the trainings too long, too short, or the appropriate length of time? Could women (and men) get the same positive results with a shorter period of training? Evaluation Questions Information Sought/ Sub Questions Methodology Data Sources Methods/ Tools Question 3. What have been some of the key challenges affecting the achievement of WEA’s desired outcomes? What strategies were employed to overcome the challenges and how effective were these? -Evidence of key challenges that affected WEA achievements as identified by the project. - Perceptions of stakeholders of the types of challenges in implementation of WEA (technical, institutional, social or others?) ▪ - Evidence of effectiveness of strategies to overcome challenges in a timely manner. ▪ ▪ - Is there an Action Plan to address risks and challenges? Secondary sources Project description, WEA Annual and Quarterly reports, M&E plan, KIIs and FGDs GOB, USAID, WEA project staff and partners, LACs, local government, NGOs, ACI, BCC partners Women & men beneficiaries Document review: key informant interviews, Focus group discussions Evaluation Questions Information Sought / Sub Questions Methodology Data Sources Methods/ Tools Question 4. How effective has the WEA approach of linking beneficiaries to appropriate training, financing, and markets ● Prior to WEA project, how did women establish linkages for training, finance and markets? ● What are the WEA approaches for linking beneficiaries to appropriate training, financing, and markets for income earning activities? ● To what extent are women linked to training? ● To what extent are women linked to financing? Secondary sources Program description and work plans, Base line report, Annual and Quarterly reports, M&E Plan WEA team, ACI, Document review: key informant interview, focus group discussions, observation of IGA activities USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 55 been for creating income earning activities? ● To what extent do women link to markets? ● How have linkages helped women strengthen existing IGAs or create new IGAs? ● Perception of beneficiaries about benefits reaped by them and sustainability of IGAs? What are the risks and how will these be managed? women and men beneficiaries, lead farmers (women and men), retailers and dealers, collecting agents, DFED / MFIs Evaluation Questions Information Sought / Sub Questions Methodology Data Sources Methods/ Tools Question 5. How effective have the village savings and loan (VSL) activities by WEA been? What are the greatest strengths of the VSLs and what have been some of the challenges faced by the VSLs? Examine how VSL function ● To what extent have women been involved ingroup savings? ● To what extent have women accessed loans for IGAs, basic needs of family? ● Major problems faced by the community groups in managing VSLs? ● How can VSLs be strengthened? Base line report, Project document, Annual and quarterly reports, M& E Plan, Training reports Women and men beneficiaries, DFED, MFIs, ACI, WEA staff, LAC Document review: key informant interviews, FGDs with beneficiaries Question 6. Will the achievements by WEA sustain beyond the life of the activity? How successful has WEA been in planning and ensuring the sustainability? What specific actions has WEA taken in program design and implementation to promote sustainability? Which specific results (outcomes) are sustainable and why? Can WEA point to any specific institutional or systemic changes? Do female beneficiaries think they can continue with any progress they have made? Why or why not? To what extent do other stakeholders believe that any of WEA’s progress is sustainable? If yes, in what ways and why / how? If not, why not? What could enhance the potential for sustainability of WEA’s contributions? WEA program description, quarterly and annual reports FGDs with beneficiaries and LACs KIIs with WEA sub partners other stakeholders Document review, KIIs and FGDs USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 56 Annex 3. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY Table A - Locations of Evaluation Field Visits Districts (3) Upazilas (10) Union Parishads (14) Villages (17) Jessore Chaugachha Sadar Monirampur Keshabpur Patibila Ichali Khanpur Keshabpur Mangalkot Muktadoh Purbopara Gobindapur Mukamtola Sujapur Kandarpopur Khulna Dighalia Terokhada Rupsa Dighalia Barakpur Barasat Ajogara Noihati Dighalia Barakpur Goshgati Uttarpara Harikhali Dakhinpara Ajogara Hullorpara Debipur Mollapara Natun Bazar Barisal Banaripara Uzirpur Babugonj Chakhar Banaripara Bamrail Madhobpasha Gave Hostisundo Joyosree Kalihata Uttorpara North Madhobpasha Table B - Types and Numbers of Evaluation Data Gathering Methods KIIs (37) FGDs (22) Other Winrock & sub-partners = 12 KIIs Women’s Groups = 9 FGDs Men’s Groups = 3 FGDs Mini-surveys: 62 women Government officials = 5 KIIs Peer Leaders = 5 KIIs Local Advocacy Committees (LACs) = 7 FGDs Site visits / Observations = 5 Input & Output Traders = 5 KIIs Non-WEA participants = 4 KIIs Facilitators = 3 FGDs + 2 KIIs Master/Field Trainers = 4 KIIs USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 57 Table C - WEA Evaluation Calendar Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesda y Thursda y Friday J U L Y 15 Team planning begins 16 Document review, ACME meeting 17 USAID In-brief and drafting Workplan 18 WEA Meeting and drafting Workplan 19 Draft Workplan to USAID and document review 20 Document review, and meetings 21 22 KIIs in Dhaka 23 KIIs in Dhaka 24 KIIs in Dhaka 25 Fly to Jessore; Fieldwork 26 Fieldwork in Jessore 27 Fieldwork in Jessore 28 Drive Jessore to Khulna 29 Fieldwork in Khulna 30 Fieldwork in Khulna 31 Fieldwork and fly to Dhaka 1 Fly to Barisal; Fieldwork in Barisal 2 Fieldwork in Barisal 3 Fieldwork in Barisal; fly to Dhaka 4 A U G U S T 5 Drafting Preliminary Draft Report 6 Drafting Preliminary Draft Report 7 Drafting Preliminary Draft Report 8 Drafting Preliminary Draft Report and PPT 9 Drafting Preliminary Draft Report and PPT 10 Submit Preliminary Draft Report and PPT 11 12 Writing sections for draft report & PPT practice 13 Writing more sections for draft report & PPT practice 14 Public holiday; writing and document review 15 USAID Out-brief and de-brief meeting with WEA team 16 17 18 Table D: Jessore Schedule Table E: Khulna Schedule Table F: Barisal Schedule USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 58 Table D: Field Visit Schedule for WEA Final Evaluation Team Location: Jessore Date: July 25th to 28th, 2017 Four-Day Visit Program Main Contact Person: Md. Obaidul Haque, Field Coordinator, WI-WEA, 01711590156 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival July 25 th 2017, Tuesday 9:00 10:00 Travel to Upazila Chaugachha DAM Nitay Chandro Roy, 01712529774 10:00 11:00 Government -Nargis Parvin, UNO￾Chaugachha, 01760460099; -K.M Shahabuddin Ahmed, UAO￾DAE, 01912770880; -Kbd. Provash Chandra Goswami, ULO-DLS, 01715171541; -Md. Waliur Rahman, UFO-DoF, 01705141743; -Mst. Taslima Begum, UWAO￾DC&WA, 01712424778 DAM Upazila: Chaugachha UNO Office Nargis Parvin, 01760460099 KII 60 Minutes 11:00 11:15 Travel to Union Patibila DAM Nitay Chandro Roy, 01712529774 11:15 12:45 Muktadoh Purbopara ELTE Women Group DAM Para/Vill.: Muktadoh Purbopara, Union: Patibila, Upazila: Chaugachha Muktadoh CRC Mst. Arzina Begum, 01718060316 FGD 90 Minutes ELTE+ATT+VSL+ED T 12:45 13:00 Site visit -Doly Begum (A cattle farmer) -Jasmin Akter ( Vegetable producer) DAM Para/Vill.: Muktadoh Purbopara, Union: Patibila, -Doly Begum’s cattle farm -Jasmin Akter Jasmin, 01775306833 Visit 15 Minutes USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 59 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival Upazila: Chaugachha 13:00 13:30 Break 13:30 14:30 Peer Leader DAM Union: Patibala, Upazila: Chaugachha Muktadoh CRC Mst. Halima Khatun, 01703263525 KII 60 Minutes Patibila LAC DAM Union: Patibila, Upazila: Chaugachha Muktadoh CRC Md. Mahazzel Hossen, 01731906943 FGD 60 Minutes 14:30 15:50 Travel to Union Ichali, Upazila Sadar Nitay Chandro Roy, 01712529774 15:50 17:20 Ichali LAC DAM Union: Ichali, Upazila: Sadar Ichali union Parisad. Md. Harun Ur Rashid, 01723843515 FGD 90 Minutes 17:20 17:40 Travel back to Jessore Nitay Chandro Roy, 01712529774 July 26th 2017, Wednesda y 9:00 9:10 Travel to Input Retailer Shop ACI Sabuj Kumar Saha, 01710887914 9:10 10:10 Input Market Actors ACI Norail Road, Upazila: Sadar Kapotakkho Seed Shop Mr. Ashraful Alam, 01714478914 KII 60 Minutes 10:10 10:25 Travel to DW&CA Office Winrock Md. Obaidul Haque, 01711590156 10:25 11:25 Government: -Sakina Khatun, DWAO-DW&CA, Jessore, 01716210588l Winrock, DAM, SMKK Jessore DW&CA Office Sakina Khatun, 01716210588 l KII 60 Minutes 11:25 12:30 Travel to Upazila Monirampur SMKK Md. Waliullah, 01762692151 12:30 13:00 Break USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 60 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival 13:00 13:30 ELTE Facilitator SMKK Para/Vill.: Gobindapur Union: Khanpur Upazila: Monirampur Josna`s house, one of the LAC member. Rokeya Begum, 01743145685 KII 30 Minutes 13:30 15:00 Gobindapur notunhat ELTE Women Group SMKK Para/Vill.: Gobindapur Union: Khanpur Upazila: Monirampur Josna`s house, one of the LAC member. Hira Begum, 01724160403 FGD 90 Minutes ELTE+ATT+EDT 15:00 16:00 Peer Leader SMKK Para/Vill.: Gobindapur Union: Khanpur Upazila: Monirampur Josna`s house, one of the LAC member. Mahfuj Alom Sumon, 01933135381 KII 60 Minutes 16:00 16:30 Travel to Mukamtola Md. Waliullah, 01762692151 16:30 17:30 Mukamtola ELTE Male Group SMKK Para/Vill.: Mukamtola, Union: Khanpur, Upazila: Monirampur Mukamtola Primary School Gofur Moral, 01778533406 FGD 60 Minutes 17:30 18:45 Travel back to Jessore SMKK Md. Waliullah, 01762692151 July 27th 2017, Thursday 9:00 10:30 Travel to Upazila Keshabpur DAM Nitay Chandro Roy, 01712529774 10:30 12:00 Mollapara ELTE Women Group DAM Para/Vill.: Sujapur, Union: Keshabpur, Upazila: Mst. Rebaka Khatun`s house, one of the ELTE group Mst. Rebaka Khatun, 01952325690 FGD 90 Minutes ELTE+ATT USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 61 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival Keshabpur member 12:00 12:15 Travel to Kandarpopur Nitay Chandro Roy, 01712529774 12:15 13:45 ELTE Facilitator DAM Para/Vill.: Kandarpopur , Union: Mangalkot, Upazila: Keshabpur Kandarpopur Primary School Shima Rani Kar, 01734139654 FGD 90 Minutes 13:45 14:15 Site visit: -Anwara Begum (Quail farmer) -Rozina Begum (Poultry Farmer) DAM Para/Vill.: Kandarpopur , Union: Mangalkot, Upazila: Keshabpur Anwara Begum Rozina Begum Anwara Begum, 01943818630 Visit 30 Minutes Head Mistress and Assistant Headmaster DAM Para/Vill.: Kandarpopur , Union: Mangalkot, Upazila: Keshabpur Kandarpopur Primary School Kolpona Rani, 01757992585 KII 30 Minutes 14:15 14:30 Travel to Keshabpur Bazar and Sujapur ACI Sabuj Kumar Saha, 01710887914 14:30 15:30 Sujapur LAC DAM Para/Vill.: Sujapur, Union: Keshabpur, Upazila: Keshabpur Islamic Foundation Gonoshikhkh a Kendro Saifuzzaman, 01730823222 KII 60 Minutes Collecting Agents/Output Market Actors ACI Union: Keshabpur Upazila: Keshabpur Zahid Enterprise Md. Abdullah, 01713403348 KII 60 Minutes 15:30 17:00 Travel back to Jessore ACI Sabuj Kumar Saha, 01710887914 USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 62 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival 28th July 2017, Friday 8:30 8:50 Travel to WEA Office WinrocK Md. Obaidul Haque, 01711590156 8:50 9:50 -Md. Manjur Kader, ED, SMKK, 01740912416; -Md. Waliullah, PM, SMKK, 01762692151; -Binu Philip Penheiro, M&EO, SMKK, 01762692206. SMKK Bashundhara , Dhaka Road, Dharmatola, Jessore WEA Office Md. Manjur Kader, 01740912416 KII 60 Minutes 9:50 10:50 -Sabuj Kumar Saha, MDO, ACI, 01710887914 -Asma Begum, FA, ACI, 01756391906 ACI Bashundhara , Dhaka Road, Dharmatola, Jessore WEA Office Sabuj Kumar Saha, 01710887914 KII 60 Minutes -Nitay Chandro Roy, CFC, DAM, 01712529774 -Ziaur Rahman, MISO, DAM, 01722574430 DAM Bashundhara , Dhaka Road, Dharmatola, Jessore WEA Office Nitay Chandro Roy, 01712529774 KII 60 Minutes 10:50 11:20 -Md. Obaidul Haque, FC, Winrock, 01711590156 Winrock Bashundhara , Dhaka Road, Dharmatola, Jessore WEA Office Md. Obaidul Haque, 01711590156 KII 30 Minutes 11:20 13:20 Travel to Khulna USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 63 Table E: Field Visit Schedule for WEA Final Evaluation Team Location: Khulna Date: July 28th to 31st, 2017 Three-Day Visit Program Main Contact Person: Mrinal Kanti Das, M&E Officer, WI-WEA, 01718613947 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival July 28th 2017, Friday 15:00 16:00 - Azmir Hossain, CFC, DAM, 01733806583 -A.S.M Musa, MISO, DAM, 01711- 047571 DAM House 71 (1st floor), Road 14 Sonadanga R/A (2nd Phase), Khulna WEA Office Azmir Hossain, 01733806583 KII 60 Minutes 16:00 16:15 Travel to Nabolok Office Nabolok Md. Mostafizur Rahman, 01711965593 16:15 17:15 -Kazi Razib Iqbal, ED, Nabolok, 01745884488; -Md. Mostafizur Rahman, PC, Nabolok, 01711-965593; -Khan Md. Sayfur Rahman, M&EO, Nabolok, 01712-238194. Nabolok Nabolok, House No. 163, Road No 11, Nirala R/A, Khulna Nabolok Head Office Kazi Razib Iqbal, 01745884488 . KII 60 Minutes 17:15 17:30 Travel to Hotel City Inn July 29th 2017, Saturda y 9:00 9:45 Travel to Upazila Dighalia Nabolok Md. Mostafizur Rahman, 01711965593 9:45 11:15 Goshgati Uttarpara ELTE Women Group Nabolok Para: Uttarpara, Village: Goshgati, Union: Barakpur, Upazilla: Monju Ara’s House, One of the LAC member Monju Ara, one of the ELTE group member 01941349330 FGD 90 Minutes ELTE+ATT USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 64 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival Dighalia Community School Teacher:  Eti Rani Kundu Nabolok Para: Uttarpara, Village: Goshgati, Union: Barakpur, Upazilla: Dighalia Al Hera Kindergarte n School, Goshgati, Dighalia Eti Rani Kundu KII 20 Minutes Non ELTE Participants (Community People):  Al-Mamun Shohagh  Kallan Kumar Dey  Dilip Chandra Das Nabolok Para: Uttarpara, Village: Goshgati, Union: Barakpur, Upazilla: Dighalia Monju Ara’s House, One of the LAC member Al-Mamun Shohagh, 01913436868 KII 30 Minutes 11:15 11:30 Travel to Barakpur Md. Mostafizur Rahman, 01711965593 11:30 13:00 Barakpur LAC Nabolok Village: Barakpur, Union: Barakpur, Upazilla: Dighalia Shirina Nasir’s house, one of the LAC member Shirina Nasir, 01724263105 FGD 90 Minutes Collecting Agents/Output Market Actors ACI Village: Barakpur, Union: Barakpur, Upazilla: Dighalia M/S Tanha Traders, Barakpur Bazar, Barakpur Shake Md. Golam Rasul, 01921172412 KII 60 Minutes 13:00 13:15 Travel to Goshgati Nabolok Md. Mostafizur Rahman, 01711965593 13:15 14:15 ELTE Facilitator Nabolok Para: Monju Ara’s Reba Akter, FGD 60 USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 65 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival Uttarpara, Village: Goshgati, Union: Barakpur, Upazilla: Dighalia House, One of the LAC member 01935785968 Minutes 14:15 15:15 Peer Leader Nabolok Para: Uttarpara, Village: Goshgati, Union: Barakpur, Upazilla: Dighalia Monju Ara’s House, One of the LAC member Poli Rani Kundu, 01916567003 KII 60 Minutes 15:15 15:30 Travel to Dighalia ACI Sabuj Kumar Saha, 01710887914 15:30 16:00 Site Visit: Tanzila Begume, (A cattle & poultry farmer) ACI W/O Faruk Shake, Village, Union & Upazilla: Dighalia Tanzila’s House, one of the ELTE group member Tanzila Begume, 01682588191 KII 30 Minutes 16:00 16:45 Travel to WEA Khulna Office Mrinal Kanti Das, 01718613947 16:45 17:30 -Mrinal Kanti Das, M&EO, Winrock, 01718613947 Winrock House 71 (1st floor), Road 14 Sonadanga R/A (2nd Phase), Khulna WEA Office Mrinal Kanti Das, 01718613947 KII 45 Minutes 17:30 17:40 Travel to Hotel City Inn July 30th 2017, 8:15 9:45 Travel to Upazila Terokhada DAM Azmir Hossain, USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 66 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival Sunday 01733806583 9:45 11:15 Harikhali Dakhinpara ELTE Women Group DAM Para: Dakhinpara , Vill.: Harikhali, Union: Barasat, Upazial: Terokhada Romana’s house, one of the ELTE Facilitator Junu Begume, 01930183953 FGD 90 Minutes ELTE+ATT+EDT+VS L 11:15 11:30 Travel to Upazila Parishad DAM Azmir Hossain, 01733806583 11:30 12:00 Government -Md. Kamrul Islam, UEO-DoE, 01716611505 DAM Upazila Parisahd, Upazila: Terokhada Upazila Education Office Md. Kamrul Islam, 01716611505 KII 30 Minutes Collecting Agents/Output Market Actors ACI Terokhada Bazar Zilani’s Shop, Terokhada Bazar Md. Zilani, 01940268051 KII 20 Minutes 12:00 12:15 Travel to Harikhali DAM Azmir Hossain, 01733806583 12:15 13:15 Peer Leader DAM Village: Harikhali, Union: Barasat, Upazilla: Terokhada Asroyon Program, A community club, Harikhali Borni, 01913316411 KII 60 Minutes 13:15 14:15 Harikhali LAC DAM Village: Harikhali, Union: Barasat, Upazilla: Terokhada Asroyon Program, A community club, Harikhali Mofizul Islam, 01850335933 FGD 60 Minutes 14:15 14:30 Travel to village Hullorpara DAM Azmir Hossain, USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 67 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival 01733806583 14:30 15:30 Hullorpara ELTE Male Group DAM Para: Hullorpara, Vill.: Ajogara, Union: Ajogara, Upazila: Terokhada Sitala Temple, Ajogara Sonaton, 01936033269 FGD 60 Minutes ELTE+ATT 15:30 16:15 Travel to Alaypur Bazar, Ghatbhog ACI Sabuj Kumar Saha, 01710887914 16:15 16:30 Collecting Agents/Output Market Actors ACI Alaypur Bazar, Ghatbhog, Upazila: Rupsa Shahed Ali’s Shop, (Vegetable shop at Alaypur Bazar) Md. Shahed Ali, 01856440261 KII 15 Minutes 16:30 17:15 Travel to Hotel City Inn, Khulna DAM Azmir Hossain, 01733806583 17:15 18:15 Sumon Hossain, FA, 01739384219 Sabuj Kumar Saha, MDO, 01710887914 ACI Hotel City Inn, Majid Sharoni, Khulna Hotel City Inn Sabuj Kumar Saha, 01710887914 KII 60 Minutes July 31th 2017, Monday 8:45 9:30 Travel to Upazila Rupsa DAM Azmir Hossain, 01733806583 9:30 11:00 Mollapara ELTE Women Group DAM Para: Mollapara, Village: Debipur, Union: Noihati, Upazial: Rupsa Sume Begume’s house, one of the group member Hosneara, 01958202536 FGD 90 Minutes ELTE+ATT+EDT+VS L 11:00 11:15 Site Visit:  Sume Begume (A cattle DAM Para: Mollapara, Sume Begume’s Sume Begume, KII 15 Minutes USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 68 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival farmer) Village: Debipur, Union: Noihati, Upazial: Rupsa house 01997255450 11:15 11:20 Travel to Natun Bazar DAM Azmir Hossain, 01733806583 11:20 12:20 Samontasena LAC DAM Village: Natun Bazar, Union: Noihati, Upazila: Rupsa Water Mgt. Office, Noihati Md. Aiub Ali, 01748521104 KII 60 Minutes Non ELTE Participants (Community People):  Md. Belal Shake  Md. Ismail DAM Natun Bazar, Union: Noihati, Upazila: Rupsa Their Own Shop, Natun Bazar, Noihati Md. Belal Shake KII 30 Minutes 12:20 12:30 Travel to Rupsa Upazilla Parishad DAM Azmir Hossain, 01733806583 12:30 13:15 Government -Md. Robiul Islam, UAO-DAE DAM Upazilla Parishad, Rupsa Upazilla Agriculture Office Md. Robiul Islam, 01710125570 KII 45 Minutes 13:15 14:00 Back to Khulna DAM Azmir Hossain, 01733806583 Lunch & Travel to Jessore USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 69 Table F: Field Visit Schedule for WEA Final Evaluation Team Location: Barisal Date: August 1st to 3rd, 2017 Three-Day Visit Program Main Contact Person: Niloy Chakrobarty, M&EO, WI-WEA, 01715148024 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival August 1st 2017, Tuesday 15:00 15:30 Travel to Upazila Banaripara SANIT BD and ACI Augustine Boiragi, 01733124767 ; Md. Shohel Sikder, 01710211598 15:30 16:00 Input Market Actors ACI Sonjib, Mayer Ashirbad Store, Sener Hat Bazar Union: Chakhar, Upazila: Banaripara Ashirbad Store, Sener Hat Bazar Sonjib, Ashirbad Store, 01766817571 KII 30 Minutes Peer Leader SANIT BD Village: Gave Union: Banaripara Upazila: Banaripara Gava Primary School Nondita Roy, 01790739300 KII 30 Minutes Field Trainer SAINT BD Village: Gave Union: Banaripara Upazila: Banaripara Gava Primary School Istiaque Mahamud 01723848882 KII 30 Minutes 16:00 17:30 Gave Deuri Bari ELTE Women Group SANIT BD Para/Vill.: Gava Union: Banaripara Upazila: House of Parvin Begom, One of the ELTE Parvin Begon, ELTE Group Member, 01951102014 FGD 90 Minutes ELTE+ATT USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 70 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival Banaripara member 17:30 18:15 Travel to Barisal SANIT BD Niloy Chakrobarty, 01715148024 18:15 18:45 -Niloy Chalkrobarty, M&EO, Winrock, 01715148024 Winrock New 36, Aziz Residence, Osman Khan Road, South Alekanda, Barisal WEA Office Niloy Chalkrobarty, 01715148024 KII 60 Minutes August 2nd 2017, Wednesda y 8:00 9:00 Travel to Uzirpur Upazila DAM Md. Morshed, 01723129569 and Md. Shohel Sikder, 01710211598 9:00 10:30 Hostishundo ELTE Women Group DAM Para/Vill: Hostisundo, Union: Bamrail, Upazila: Uzirpur, Child Education Centre, Unique 2 Project by DAM, Hostisund o Sumi Begom, 01766873679 FGD 90 Minutes ELTE, ATT, EDT Master Trainer DAM Para/Vill: Hostisundo, Union: Bamrail, Upazila: Uzirpur, Child Education Centre, Unique 2 Project by DAM, Hostisund o Shahnaz Parvin 01715368929 KII 30 Minutes 10:30 12:00 Dokhin Hosti Sundo LAC DAM Para/Vill: Hostisundo, Union: Bamrail, Upazila: Uzirpur, Child Education Centre, Unique 2 Project by DAM, Humayn Kabir Talukder, 01727248228 FGD 90 Minutes USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 71 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival Hostisund o 12:00 12:25 Travel to Location DAM 12:25 13: 55 ELTE facilitators DAM Village: Joyosree Union: Bamrail Upazila: Uzirpur Hasirbari, Village: Joyosree Union: Sikerpur Upazila: Uzirpur Rikta Begom, 01980687749 FGD 90 Minutes Male and Female mixed group 13: 55 15:00 Break 15:00 16:30 Uttor Para ELTE Men Group, Kalihata DAM Village: Kalihata, Uttor Para Union: Bamrail, Upazila: Uzirpur, House Shahin, Village: Kalihata Uttor Para, Union: Bamrail, Upazila: Uzirpur Shajah Sikder FGD 90 Minutes 16:30 17:45 Travel to Barisal DAM and ACI New 36, Aziz Residence, Osman Khan Road, South Alekanda, Barisal WEA Office 17:45 18:45 -Md. Morshed, CFC, DAM, 01723129569 -Md. Abdus Salam, MISO, DAM, 01715016876 DAM New 36, Aziz Residence, Osman Khan Road, South Alekanda, Barisal WEA Office Md. Morshed, 01723129569 ; KII 60 Minutes Separate 2 meeting at a time -Md. Shohel Sikder, MDO, ACI, 01710211598 -Md. Aminul Islam, FA, ACI, 01761101779 ACI New 36, Aziz Residence, Osman Khan Road, South Alekanda, Barisal WEA Office Md. Shohel Sikder, 01710211598 KII 60 Minutes 18:45 19:00 Travel to Hotel Winrock Hotel Grand Hotel Niloy USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 72 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival Park, Band Road, Barisal Grand Park Chakrobarty 01715148024 August 3rd 2017, Thursday 8:30 9:00 Travel to Upazila Babugonj SAINT BD and ACI Augustine Boiragi, 01733124767 ; Md. Shohel Sikder, 01710211598 9:00 11:00 North Madhobpasha ELTE Women Group SAINT BD Village: North Madhobpash a Union: Madhobpash a Upazila: Babugonj House of Kohinur Begom, Molla Bari, One of the ELTE member Moni Begom, 01742483950 / 01611711779 FGD 90 ELTE+EDT+VSL+AT T Field Trainer SAINT BD Village: North Madhobpash a Union: Madhobpash a Upazila: Babugonj House of Kohinur Begom, Molla Bari, One of the ELTE member Majeda Akter Mukta 01705610690 KII 30 ELTE Facilitator SAINT BD Village: North Madhobpash a Union: Madhobpash a Upazila: Babugonj House of Kohinur Begom, Molla Bari, One of the ELTE member Susoma Halder 01740232543 01931387339 KII 30 11:00 11:30 Site visit: -Parul Rani (A Fish Farmer) SAINT BD Village: North Madhobpash a Union: Madhobpash a House of Parul Rani Parul Rani, One of the ELTE member of North Madhobpash a ELTE KII 30 USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 73 Day/ Date Time Stakeholder/Organization/Perso n Responsible Organizatio n Address Venue Contact Person Metho d Duratio n Remarks Starting / Depart Closing / Arrival Upazila: Babugonj Women Group 11:30 12:00 Travel to Location SAINT BD and ACI 12:00 12:30 Travel to Barisal DC Office SAINT BD Barisal DC Office DC Office Md. Zahangir Kabir, 01711132351 -Mr. Abul Kalam Azad, ADC, Barisal Distrct -Mr. Hasan Habib, Deputy Director-Local Government, Barisal Winrock and SAINT BD Barisal DC Office DC Office Md. Zahangir Kabir, 01711132351 KII 30 12:30 12:45 Travel to Location SAINT BD Ohi Bhaban, CNB Road, Barisal SAINT Head Office Kazi Zahangir Kabir, 01711132351 12:45 13:15 -Kazi Zahangir Kabir, ED, SAINT BD, 01711132358 -Augustine Boiragi, PC, WEA￾SAINT BD, 01733124767 -Sunil Baroi, M&EO, WEA-SAINT BD, 017166715398 SAINT BD Ohi Bhaban, CNB Road, Barisal SAINT Head Office Kazi Zahangir Kabir, 01711132351 KII 60 13:15 14:15 Break 14:15 14: 45 Travel to Barisal Air Port Winrock Babugonj, Barisal Barisal Airport Niloy Chakrobarty 01715148024 USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 72 Annex 4 : EVALUATION TOOLS: KII GUIDES, FGD GUIDES & MINI-SURVEY Discussion Guide for Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) This Interview Protocol sets out: 1) A list of key stakeholders who will participate in the data collection process 2) A brief introduction to the evaluation and procedures 3) Questions to guide semi-structured discussions for Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with stakeholders 1. Key Stakeholders and Informants 1. Government of Bangladesh officials at local levels: Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) (and Livestock), Department of Women’s Affairs (DOWA), UNOs, Union Parishad officials 2. WEA sub-partners – ACI, DAM, Nabolok, SMKK, Saint Bangladesh 3. Local Advisory Committees (LACs) (Chairpersons and members) 4. Facilitators (trainers) for ELTE, ATT and EDT 5. Women and men beneficiaries of WEA (ELTE, ATT, EDT, Village Savings & Loans (VSLs), etc.) 2. Introduction to the Evaluation and Procedures Introduction by the Evaluation Team members For each KII or FGD, the evaluation team member will begin by greeting the respondent(s), introducing herself/himself and providing a brief explanation of the purpose of the meeting/discussion and its emphasis on a participatory and learning-oriented approach. The evaluation team will assure all stakeholders, interviewees and participants that the team will maintain full confidentiality in recorded notes and reports of all the interviews and discussions. The team will express appreciation for the respondent’s/s’ participation in the interview/ discussion and thank all respondents. S/he will begin as suggested, e.g.: My name is __________________. I am a member of the team conducting the Final Performance Evaluation of the Women’s Empowerment Activity (WEA) Project. The goal of the WEA project is increasing women’s empowerment in five districts: Khulna, Jessore, Barisal, Patuakhali, and Barguna. The purpose of evaluating the WEA project is to assess its results and make recommendations for the future. Note: The KIIs and FGDs that follow use the same list of questions for stakeholder groups but administer different parts of these same questions based on their relevance to a particular stakeholder group. Therefore some questions may not be included for each KII or FGD as observed in their numbering. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 73 Key Informant Interview (KII) Guide Government of Bangladesh (GoB) Officials at National and Local Levels Introduction ▪ Brief introduction of evaluation team members ▪ Purpose of the evaluation and interview ▪ Main discussion topics of the interview (evaluation questions) ▪ Confidentiality in responses - Request for and receipt of permission to interview ▪ Extend a note of thanks to participant at end of interview Please complete the information below: INTERVIEW CODE # Participant name Gender Title Department National/District / Upazila/Union 1 2 3 4 Date: __________________________ Time of Interview: _______________________________ Name of Interviewers: __________________ Name of Note taker: ____________________ Opening Questions – Overview 0.1 What is your role or link with the WEA project? 0.2 How often have you or your staff been able to visit the project? (Once----Twice ----More _____) Evaluation Question 1: Women’s Empowerment in the Community 1.1. Since the beginning of the WEA project, have you observed any changes in the empowerment of women in the community? What key changes have you observed? 1.2. Which of the WEA activities (or interventions) have been the most effective for making those changes and increasing women’s empowerment? How and why? 1.3. What is the level of social acceptance of women’s empowerment in your community? (Excellent – Good ---Satisfactory – Not satisfactory) Why? Any examples? 1.4. How well have LACs supported the WEA program? (Very well – Satisfactory –Poorly) How and why? USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 74 1.5. How well has the Behavior Change Communication (BCC) strategy contributed to women’s empowerment? (Very well – Satisfactorily –Poorly) How and why? 1.6. Has the WEA project had any unexpected results, either positive or negative? How and why? 1.7. What more could the WEA project do to strengthen women’s empowerment? Evaluation Question 3: Challenges 3.1. What are some of the key challenges the WEA project has faced? 3.2. How has the WEA project addressed these challenges? 3.3. How effective are the WEA strategies in overcoming the challenges? (Very effective—Effective – Not effective) Why? Evaluation Question 6: Sustainability 6.1. To what extent can WEA project results continue after the project ends? (Highly sustainable – Sustainable ---- Not sustainable) How and why? 6.2. Which specific WEA activities (or results) can continue after the project? 6.3. What could WEA (or GOB) do to help the activities (or results) continue in the future? 7. Lesson Learned 7.1. What lessons and good practices can we learn from the WEA project? 7.2 What are the key factors that influenced program effectiveness? 7.3 How satisfied are you with the project performance? (Highly satisfied –Satisfied ---- Partially satisfied – Not satisfied) Why? 7.4 How well has the WEA project coordinated with other partners/departments/organizations on women’s empowerment? (Very well -----Satisfactorily---- Not well) How and why? 8. Recommendations and future directions 8.1. What recommendation do you have for the WEA project? 8.2. What suggestions do you have for future directions for USAID support of women’s empowerment? Would you like to add any other comments? Do you have any questions for our evaluation team? Thank you for your kind participation. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 75 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) Guide WEA Sub-Partners (ACI, DAM, Nabolok, SMKK, Saint Bangladesh) Introduction (Also refer to the introductory section of this protocol) ▪ Brief introduction of evaluation team members ▪ Purpose of the evaluation and interview ▪ Main discussion topics of the interview (evaluation questions) ▪ Confidentiality in responses - Request for and receipt of permission to interview ▪ Note of thanks at end of interview Please complete the table below including all individuals present during the FGD INTERVIEW CODE # Participant name Gender Company /Organization Title Location: Dhaka or District Name 1 2 3 Date: __________________________ Time of Interview: _______________________________ Name of Interviewers: ___________________ Name of Note taker: ____________________ Opening Questions 0.1 What is the role of your company (ACI) / organization (all others) in the WEA project? 0.2 What type of support do you provide to the project? Evaluation Question 1: Women’s Empowerment in the Community 1.1 According to your understanding, what does “women’s empowerment” mean? 1.2. Since the beginning of the WEA project, have you observed any changes in the empowerment of women in the community? What changes have you observed? 1.3. Which of the WEA activities (or interventions) have been the most effective for making those changes and increasing women’s empowerment? How and why? 1.4. What is the level of social acceptance of women’s empowerment in WEA project communities? (Excellent – Good ---Satisfactory – Not satisfactory) Why? Any examples? 1.5 To what extent has the WEA project developed the capacity of LAC members? (Fully—Satisfactorily – Partially – Capacity not developed) How and why? 1.6. How well has the Behavior Change Communication (BCC) strategy contributed to women’s empowerment? (Very well – Satisfactorily –Poorly) How and why? Examples? USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 76 1.7. Does local government provide any support to your work with WEA? How? Any gaps? 1.8. Has the WEA project had any unexpected results, either positive or negative? How and why? 1.9. What more could the WEA project do to strengthen women’s empowerment? Evaluation Question 2: Training Effectiveness 2.1 To what extent are WEA trainings for women (ELTE, ATT and EDT) effective in increasing women’s input about family income? Time use? Decisions about nutrition? Leadership in the community? 2.2 Which training (ELTE, ATT or EDT) has the best results for women’s empowerment? Why? 2.3 Do beneficiaries get more benefits when they take all the trainings? 2.4 What about WEA trainings for men (ELTE, ATT)? (Very effective -- Effective -- Not effective) Why? 2.5 What do you think about the duration of ELTE? (Too long – Too short – Appropriate duration) Why? 2.6 Would it be possible to have the same benefits in a shorter period of time? How long? Evaluation Question 3: Challenges 3.1 What are some of the key challenges your company/org has faced during the WEA project? 3.2 How has the WEA project addressed these challenges? 3.3 How effective are the WEA strategies in overcoming challenges? (Very —Somewhat – Not) Why? Evaluation Question 4: Linkages with Training, Finance, Markets 4.1 How does the WEA project link women beneficiaries to resources (training, financing, markets) to strengthen their income-generating activities or create new IGAs? 4.2 What role does your company/organization play in linking women to these resources? 4.2 In your opinion, how effective has the WEA project been in linking women to these resources? (Very effective – Effective – Not effective) Why? Examples? 4.3 What types and numbers of linkages have been established in this community? 4.4 How much have women’s income generating activities increased from these linkages? (A lot – Somewhat – Not increased) Why? Examples? Evaluation Question 5: Village Savings and Loans (VSL) 5.1 What role does your company/organization play related to the VSLs? 5.2 How useful are the VSLs for women? (Very Effective – Somewhat – Not effective) Why? 5.3 How many women in this community have increased their savings as result of VSLs? _______ 5.4 What are the main strengths (benefits) and weaknesses (problems) of the VSLs? 5.5 How could the VSLs be improved? Evaluation Question 6: Sustainability 6.1 To what extent can WEA project activities (or results) continue after the project ends? (Highly sustainable – Sustainable ---- Not sustainable) How and why? 1.2 Which specific WEA activities (or results) can continue after the project? 1.3 What could WEA (or your company/org) do to help the activities (or results) continue in the future? 2. Lesson Learned USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 77 2.2 What lessons and good practices can we learn from the WEA project? 2.3 What are the key factors that influenced program effectiveness? 2.4 How satisfied are you with WEA? (Highly –Satisfied --Partially satisfied – Not satisfied) Why? 3. Recommendations and future directions 3.2 What recommendation do you have for the WEA project? 3.3 What suggestions do you have for future directions for USAID support of women’s empowerment? Would you like to add any other comments? Do you have any questions for our evaluation team? Thank you for your kind participation. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 78 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) Guide Local Advisory Committees (LACs) Introduction (Also refer to the introductory section of this protocol) ▪ Brief introduction of evaluation team members ▪ Purpose of the evaluation and interview ▪ Main discussion topics of the interview (evaluation questions) ▪ Confidentiality in responses - Request for and receipt of permission to interview ▪ Note of thanks at end of interview Please complete the table below including all individuals present during the FGD INTERVIEW CODE # Participant name Gender Title Department /Organization Location: District/Upazila/U nion 1 2 3 Date: __________________________ Time of Interview: _______________________________ Name of Interviewers: ___________________ Name of Note taker: _____________________ Opening Questions 0.1 What is the role of your LAC in the WEA project? Evaluation Question 1: Women’s Empowerment in the Community 1.1. According to your understanding, what does “women’s empowerment” mean? 1.2. Since the beginning of the WEA project, have you observed any changes in the empowerment of women in the community? What changes have you observed? 1.3. Which of the WEA activities (or interventions) have been the most effective for making those changes and increasing women’s empowerment? How and why? 1.4. What is the level of social acceptance of women’s empowerment in your community? (Excellent – Good ---Satisfactory – Not satisfactory) Why? Any examples? 1.5 To what extent has the WEA project developed the capacity of LAC members? USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 79 (Fully—Satisfactorily – Partially – Capacity not developed) How and why? 1.6. How well has the Behavior Change Communication (BCC) strategy contributed to women’s empowerment? (Very well – Satisfactorily –Poorly) How and why? Examples? 1.7. Does local government provide any support to your work with WEA? How? Any gaps? 1.8 Has the WEA project had any unexpected results, either positive or negative? How and why? 1.9. What more could the WEA project do to strengthen women’s empowerment? Evaluation Question 2: Training Effectiveness 2.1. To what extent are WEA trainings for women (ELTE, ATT and EDT) effective in increasing women’s input about family income? Time use? Decisions about nutrition? Leadership in the community? 2.2. Which training (ELTE, ATT or EDT) has the best results for women’s empowerment? Why? 2.3. Do beneficiaries get more benefits when they take all the trainings? 2.4. What about WEA trainings for men (ELTE, ATT)? (Very effective -- Effective -- Not effective) Why? 2.5. What do you think about the duration of ELTE? (Too long – Too short – Appropriate duration) Why? 2.6. Would it be possible to have the same benefits in a shorter period of time? How long? Evaluation Question 3: Challenges 3.1 What are some of the key challenges you (the LAC) has faced during the WEA project? 3.2 How has the WEA project addressed these challenges? 3.3 How effective are the WEA strategies in overcoming challenges? (Very —Somewhat – Not) Why? Evaluation Question 4: Linkages with Training, Finance, Markets 4.1 How does the WEA project link women beneficiaries to resources (training, financing, markets) to strengthen their income-generating activities or create new IGAs? 4.2 What role does the LAC play in linking women to these resources? 4.3 In your opinion, how effective has the WEA project been in linking women to these resources? (Very effective – Effective – Not effective) Why? Examples? 4.4 What types and numbers of linkages have been established in this community? 4.5 How much have women’s income generating activities increased from these linkages? (A lot – Somewhat – Not increased) Why? Examples? Evaluation Question 5: Village Savings and Loans (VSL) 5.1. Does the LAC play any role related to the VSLs? 5.2. How useful are the VSLs for women? (Very Effective – Somewhat – Not effective) Why? 5.3. How many women in this community have increased their savings as result of VSLs? _______ 5.4. What are the main strengths (benefits) and weaknesses (problems) of the VSLs? 5.5. How could the VSLs be improved? Evaluation Question 6: Sustainability 6.1 To what extent can WEA project activities (or results) continue after the project ends? (Highly sustainable – Sustainable ---- Not sustainable) How and why? 6.2 Which specific WEA activities (or results) can continue after the project? USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 80 6.3 What could WEA (or the LAC) do to help the activities (or results) continue in the future? 7 Lesson Learned 7.1 What lessons and good practices can we learn from the WEA project? 7.2 What are the key factors that influenced program effectiveness? 7.3 How satisfied are you with WEA? (Highly satisfied –Satisfied -Partially satisfied Not satisfied) Why? 8 Recommendations and future directions 8.1 What recommendation do you have for the WEA project? 8.2 What suggestions do you have for future directions for USAID support of women’s empowerment? Would you like to add any other comments? Do you have any questions for our evaluation team? Thank you for your kind participation. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 81 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) Guide Training Facilitators (ELTE, ATT and EDT) Introduction (Also refer to the introductory section of this protocol) ▪ Brief introduction of evaluation team members ▪ Purpose of the evaluation and interview ▪ Main discussion topics of the interview (evaluation questions) ▪ Confidentiality in responses - Request for and receipt of permission to interview ▪ Note of thanks at end of interview Please complete the table below including all individuals present during the FGD INTERVIEW CODE # Participant name Gender Type of Training (ELTE, ATT, EDT) Location: District/Upazila/Union 1 Date: __________________________ Time of Interview: _______________________________ Name of Interviewers: ___________________ Name of Note taker: _______________ Evaluation Question 2: Training Effectiveness 2.1 Which kind and how many WEA training sessions have you facilitated? With how many participants? 2.2 What preparation did you receive as a facilitator/ trainer? Was your preparation sufficient? 2.3 What support have you received from WEA after your started working as a facilitator / trainer? Was this support sufficient? If no, what else did you need? 2.4 What kind of pre-training and post-training tests of trainees’ knowledge do you conduct? In your opinion, to what extent and how have the trainings increased women’s empowerment within their families / households and in their communities? o If not yet mentioned, have the trainings increased women’s empowerment in terms of control or input within their families / households over: ▪ agricultural production? How? Examples? ▪ productive resources? How? Examples? ▪ use of income? How? Examples? ▪ food choice and nutrition? How? Examples? ▪ time use and division of labor? How? Examples? o Have the trainings increased women’s leadership in the community? How? Examples? 2.5 For achieving desired outcomes, has ELTE, ATT or EDT been most effective? Why? Which training USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 82 has been least effective? Why? 2.6 Do women benefit from any cumulative effect by receiving all three trainings? How? Examples? 2.7 Has ELTE training for men had any benefit for women’s empowerment? How? Examples? 2.8 What is your opinion of the length of time of the various trainings? Are they too long, too short, or the appropriate length of time? Why? 2.9 Is the 7-month ELTE training period beneficial for achieving the desired outcomes? Could women (and men) get the same positive results with a shorter period of training? USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 83 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) Guide Women Beneficiaries Introduction (Also refer to the introductory section of this protocol)  Brief introduction of evaluation team members  Purpose of the evaluation and interview  Confidentiality in responses - Request for and receipt of permission to interview  Women will introduce themselves  Note of thanks at end of interview Date: __________________ Time of Interview: ________________ CODE #: ________________ District: ____________ Upazila: ________________ UP: _______________ Village: __________ Name of Interviewers: _________________________ Name of Note taker: _________________ Please complete the table below to obtain background information of women beneficiaries in the FGD Evaluation Question 2: Training Effectiveness 2.1. Please tell us ONE change within your family/home because of your participation in the WEA trainings? (Big changes – some changes – not much change?) (Good changes or bad?) Which training contributed most to these changes? What was the reaction of men? 2.2. Please tell us ONE change in your life in your community because of WEA trainings? Big changes – some changes – not much? Which training contributed most? How did men react? 2.3. Please tell us ONE change in your personal feelings from WEA trainings? Big changes – some changes – not much? Which training contributed most? How did men react? 2.4. Did WEA trainings for men bring any changes? Big – some – or not much? What specific changes? 2.5. Was ELTE too long or too short? What about ATT? What about EDT? All 3 together are important? Evaluation Question 4: Linkages with Finance, Markets and Additional Training 4.1 How much did WEA link you to any resources (finance, markets, additional training) to strengthen No. Name Age Occupation Education Marital Status 1 2 3 USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 84 your income-generating activities? (A lot – Some – No links) 4.2 What types and number of links did WEA help you make? Examples? 4.3 How much have your income generating activities increased from these linkages? (A lot – Somewhat – Not increased) How / why? Examples? Evaluation Question 5: Village Savings and Loans (VSL) 5.1. Who initiated the VSL and how does it function? 5.2. How much money did this women’s VSL group save together in total? ____________ 5.3. How many women in this group increased their savings as result of VSL? _______ 5.4. How many women in this group got a loan from the VSL? ______ 5.5. What did you do with the loan money? How did it help you? 5.6. What are the benefits (positive aspects) of the VSL? What are the problems? 5.7. How could the VSLs be improved or strengthened? Evaluation Question 6: Sustainability 6.1 Will any of the benefits from WEA continue after the project is finished? (Definitely – Possibly -- No) 6.2 What specific benefits will continue? Why/how? Evaluation Question 3: Challenges 3.1. What are some of the key challenges you faced in participating in the WEA project? 3.2. Was WEA helpful in solving (overcoming) the challenges? (Very —Somewhat – Not) How/why? Evaluation Question 1: Women’s Empowerment in the Community 1.1 What are the two most important things you have learned/gained from participating in WEA? 1.2. What does empowerment mean to you? 1.3 What changes have you observed in attitudes towards you of: household members, husbands/male relatives, and community (comparing before the project and now)? 1.4. Did the LAC contribute to the success of the WEA project? Government? Peer Leaders? NGOs? 7. Lessons Learned and Recommendations 7.1. What parts of the WEA project could have been improved? 7.2. What could help empower women in the future? Thank you for your kind participation. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 85 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) Guide Men Beneficiaries Introduction (Also refer to the introductory section of this protocol)  Brief introduction of evaluation team members  Purpose of the evaluation and interview  Confidentiality in responses - Request for and receipt of permission to interview  Men will introduce themselves  Note of thanks at end of interview Date: __________________ Time of Interview: ________________ CODE #: ________________ District: ____________ Upazila: ________________ UP: _______________ Village: __________ Name of Interviewers: _________________________ Name of Note taker: _________________ Please complete the table below to obtain background information of men beneficiaries in the FGD No. Name Age Occupation Education Marital Status 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 86 Evaluation Question 2: Training Effectiveness 2.1 Please tell us ONE thing you learned in ELTE. And ONE thing you learned from ATT. 2.2 Did your opinions / attitudes change because of ELTE? What opinion / attitudes changed? 2.3 Is there any change within your family/home because of your participation in these WEA trainings? (Big changes – some changes – not much change?) What specific changes? 2.4 In your opinion, did anything change for women in this community because of women’s participation in WEA trainings? Big change – some change – not much? Which training contributed most? 2.5 How have you (and other men in this community) supported these changes for women? 2.6 Was ELTE for women too long or too short? Was ELTE for men too long or too short? Evaluation Question 4: Linkages with Finance, Markets and Additional Training 4.1 Do you help the women in your family link to markets (and/or finance, training)? How? 4.2 Can women now use these links by themselves? How could you support their independence? Evaluation Question 5: Village Savings and Loans (VSL) 5.1 Did a woman in your family get any VSL loan? If so: 5.2 How do you support her with this loan? Did you get to use any of the money yourself? Evaluation Question 6: Sustainability 6.1 Will any of the benefits from WEA continue after the project is finished? (Definitely – Possibly -- No) 6.2 What specific benefits will continue? Why/how? Evaluation Question 3: Challenges 3.1 What are some of the key challenges you faced in participating in the WEA project? 3.2 Was WEA helpful in solving (overcoming) the challenges? (Very —Somewhat – Not) How/why? Evaluation Question 1: Women’s Empowerment in the Community 1.1 What are the two most important things you have learned/gained from participating in WEA? 1.2. What does women’s empowerment mean to you? 1.3. Did the LAC contribute to the success of the WEA project? Government? Peer Leaders? NGOs? 8. Lessons Learned and Recommendations 8.1. What parts of the WEA project could have been improved? 8.2. In your opinion, what could help empower women in the future? Thank you for your kind participation. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 87 Mini-Survey for Women Beneficiaries I would like to ask you a few questions. It will take about 10 minutes. There is no right or wrong answer. I will not tell anyone else about your answers. May I ask the questions? _______ First, I will ask you a few questions about “women’s empowerment.” I will give you a few possible answers. Please only give one of those short answers. Me Husband Both NA 1 In your family, who makes the decisions about what food your family eats?: you, your husband, or both of you together? 2 In your family, who makes the decisions about how you spend your time in the house and out of the house?: you, your husband, or both of you together? 3 In your family, who makes the decisions about how to spend money?: you, your husband, or both of you together? Most Some Few NA 4 In this community, do men think women should be able to make decisions about nutrition, time, income and other things?: most men, some men, or only a few men? 5 In this community, do other women think women should be able to make these kinds of decisions?: most women, some women, or only a few women? Now I will ask you a few questions about your income-generating activities - IGAs. I will give you some possible answers. Please only give one of those short answers. A Lot Some None NA 6 For your IGAs, how much has the WEA project facilitated you to get financing (loans)?: a lot, some, or none? 7 For your IGAs, how much has the WEA project introduced you to markets (such as agricultural input sellers and collecting agents)?: a lot, some, or none? 8 For your IGAs, how much has WEA project referred you to additional training opportunities?: a lot, some, or none? Myself Together Man NA 9 For your IGAs, do you buy agricultural inputs (such as seeds) by yourself, together with other women, or with help from a man (such as your husband or a neighbor)? 10 For your IGAs, do you sell your agricultural products by yourself, together with other women, or with help from a man (such as your husband or a neighbor)? Thank you very much for answering these questions. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 88 Mini –survey (Bangla) WEA মহিলা সুহিধাভ াগীভের জহরপ হমহি-সাভ ে হিভেেশািলী: 1. কাগভজ হলহিত প্রভতকক শ্দ প়ুুি োকাি তহতহর্ত শ্দ োগাগ করভিি িা 2. একটি প্রশ্ন প়ুুি এিং উত্তভরর জিক তভপক্ষা করুি সঠিক িক্স টিক্ হেি 3. গহে মহিলার একটি েীর্ে িকািকা হেভত চায়, তািভল তাভক থামাি (তার কথায় িাধাভেি) 4. গহে একজি মহিলার প্রশ্নটি িুঝভত িা পাভর, তভি প্রশ্নটি আিার প়ুুি 5. োকাি কারভে তিক োকাি শ্দ িা িকািকা োগাগ করভিি িা 6. গহে একজি মহিলা িভল, "আহম জাহি িা," িা গহে োস উত্তর িা োেয়, তািভল এিএ োত টিক্ হেি 7. প্রহতটি প্রভশ্নর জিক একই রকম করুিহক 8. গত দ্রুত সম্ভি প্রশ্নগুহল পূরে করুি এিি আহম আপিাভক কভয়কটি প্রশ্ন হজজ্ঞাসা করভত চাই প্রশ্ন করভত 10 হমহিট সময় লাগভি োসিাভি োকাি ঠিক িা ু ল উত্তর োিই. আহম আপিার উত্তর সম্পভকে তিক কাউভক িলি িা আহম হক প্রশ্ন করভত পাহর? প্রথমত, আহম আপিাভক "িারীর ক্ষমতায়ভির" ধারো সম্পভকে কভয়কটি প্রশ্ন হজজ্ঞাসা করি আপিার উত্তভরর জিক আহম আপিাভক কভয়কটি পছন্দ োেি েয়া কভর শুধুমাত্র আপিার পছন্দগুহলর মধক োথভক একটি সংহক্ষপ্ত উত্তর হেভিি আহম স্বামী স্বামী- স্ত্রী উ য় অপ্রয়য়োজনীয় ১ আপিার পহরিার হক হক িািার িাভি োস সম্পভকে আপিার পহরিাভর োক হসদ্ধান্ত োিয় ?: আপহি, আপিার স্বামী, তথিা আপিারা উ য় একসভে? ২ িাহ়ুর িাইভর এিং হ তভর আপিার সময় কাটাভিার হিষভয় আপিার পহরিাভরর োক হসদ্ধান্ত োিয়? আপহি, আপিার স্বামী, তথিা আপিারা উ য় একসভে?? ৩ টাকা পয়সা িরচ করার িকপাভর োক আপিার পহরিাভর হসদ্ধান্ত োিয়? আপহি, আপিার স্বামী, তথিা আপিারা উ য় একসভে? সিাই হকছু তল্প হকছু অপ্রয়য়োজনীয় ৪ আপিার এলাকার পুরুষ োলাভকরা হক মভি কভরি, মহিলারা পুহি, সময়, আয় এিং তিকািক হিষয় সম্পভকে হসদ্ধান্ত হিভত সক্ষম িভি? তহধকাংশ পুরুষ, হকছু পুরুষ িা শুধুমাত্র কভয়কজি পুরুষ? ৫ আপিার এলাকার তিকািক মহিলারা হক মভি কভরি, মহিলাভের এই ধরভের হসদ্ধান্ত োিয়ার সক্ষমতা আছ হক? োিহশর াগ মহিলা, হকছু িারী, িা শুধুমাত্র কভয়কজি মহিলা USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 89 এিি আহম আপিাভক আপিার আয় উত্পােক কাগেক্রম সম্পভকে কভয়কটি প্রশ্ন হজজ্ঞাসা করি – IGAs. আপিার উত্তভরর জিক আহম আপিাভক কভয়কটি পছন্দ োেি েয়া কভর শুধুমাত্র আপিার পছন্দগুহলর মধক োথভক একটি সংহক্ষপ্ত উত্তর হেভিি প্রচু র হকছু োমাভটইিা অপ্রয়য়োজনীয় ৬ আপিার আইএহজএগুহলর জিক ঋে পাওয়ার োক্ষভত্র WEA প্রকল্পটি আপিাভক কতটা সিায়তা কভরভছ ?: তভিক, হকছু, িা োমাভটইিা 7 আপিার IGA এর জিক WEA প্রকল্পটি িাজাভর (ভগমি কৃহষ উপকরি হিভক্রতারা এিং সংগ্রিকারী এভজন্ট োেরভক) আপিভক কতটা পহরচয় কহরভয় হেভয়ভছ ?: তভিক, হকছু, িা োমাভটইিা? ৮ আপিার আইএহজএর সাভথ সম্পহকে ত তহতহর্ত োকাি প্রহশক্ষভের সুভগাগ সম্পভকে WEA প্রকল্পটি কতটা সুপাহরশ কভরহছল?: তভিক, হকছু, িা োমাভটইিা? আহম হিভজ মহিলারা সিাই হমভল পুরুষ োলাক অপ্রয়য়োজনীয় ৯ আপিার আইএহজএর সাভথ সম্পহকে ত োকাি কৃহষ পিক (ভগমি িীজ)আপহি হক হকভিভছি, আপহি হিভজ, তিক মহিলাভের সাভথ, তথিা একজি মািুভষর কাছ োথভক সািাগক হিভয় (ভগমি আপিার স্বামী িা প্রহতভিশী)? ১০ আপহি আপিার IGAs োথভক আপিার কৃহষ পেক হিহক্র কভরভছি, হিভজর দ্বারা, তিক িারীভের সাভথ, িা একজি মািুভষর সািাগক হিভয় (ভগমি আপিার স্বামী িা প্রহতভিশী)? এই প্রভশ্নর উত্তর োেওয়ার জিক আপিাভক তভিক ধিকিাে USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 90 Annex 5. MINI-SURVEY DATA AND GRAPHS Data from Evaluation Mini-survey of 62 WEA Women Beneficiaries No. Question Answer Choices Women’s Decision-Making Me Husband Both NA 1 In your family, who decides about what food your family eats?: you, your husband, or both of you together? 39 3 20 0 Percent 63% 5% 32% 0% 2 In your family, who decides about how you spend your time in the house and out of the house?: you, your husband, or both of you together? 21 3 38 0 Percent 34% 5% 61% 0% 3 In your family, who decides about how to spend money?: you, your husband, or both of you together? 16 2 44 0 Percent 26% 3% 71% 0% Social Acceptance Most Some Few NA 4 In this community, do men think women should be able to make decisions about nutrition, time, income and other things?: most men, some men, or only a few men? 6 32 21 3 Percent 10% 52% 34% 5% 5 In this community, do other women (not in this group) think women should be able to make these kinds of decisions?: most women, some women, or only a few women? 27 18 16 1 Percent 44% 29% 26% 2% Links to Training, Finance and Markets A Lot Some Never NA 6 For your IGAs, how much has the WEA project facilitated you to get financing (loans)?: a lot, some, or never? 6 24 30 2 Percent 10% 39% 48% 3% 7 For your IGAs, how much has the WEA project introduced you to markets (such as agricultural input sellers and collecting agents)?: a lot, some, or never? 5 40 15 2 Percent 8% 65% 24% 3% 8 For your IGAs, how much has WEA project referred you to additional training opportunities?: a lot, some, or never? 2 17 36 7 Percent 3% 27% 58% 11% Access to Markets By Myself Women Together Help from Man NA 9 For your IGAs, do you buy agricultural inputs (such as seeds) by yourself, together with other women, or with help from a man (such as husband or a neighbor)? 47 4 11 0 Percent 76% 6% 18% 0% 10 For your IGSs, do you sell your agricultural products by yourself, together with other women, or with help from a man (such as your husband or a neighbor)? 35 1 21 5 Percent 56% 2% 34% 8% USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 91 Graphs from Evaluation Mini-survey of 62 WEA Women Beneficiaries USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 92 USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 93 Annex 6. ANALYSIS OF ELTE CURRICULUM A. General Notes  Accomplishing WEA empowerment results with a shorter course o It would be possible to eliminate as many as 14 ELTE topics (28 days) that are inessential (such as HIV/AIDS and trafficking in women). (See Section B of this annex.) Adding four days on agricultural topics, four days on entrepreneurial and market-link topics, and two days on VSLs would create an ELTE course of approximately six months (120 days). o It would be possible to combine additional ELTE topics in order to eliminate as many as 12 more topics (for a total of 26 topics and 52 days eliminated). Adding six days on agricultural topics, six days on entrepreneurial and market-link topics, and six days on VSLs would create an ELTE course of approximately five months (100 days). o Repetition is valuable for learning. However, the review days in the schedule already allow for repetition, and adding more days to the curriculum focused on agriculture, entrepreneurship and VSL topics could be used to reinforce other learning.  Integrating ATT, EDT and VSLs into the ELTE curriculum o The ELTE curriculum (see Section C of this annex) includes ATT topics such as fish farming, flower cultivation (relevant only in Jessore district), and kitchen gardening. Non-agriculture income-generating topics are included (such as handicrafts and repairing mobile phones). However, other agricultural topics that are highly relevant for WEA beneficiaries are completely neglected in the ELTE curriculum, such as poultry and cattle rearing. o Entrepreneurship topics are prominent in the ELTE curriculum, providing a foundation for additional EDT themes to be incorporated in the ELTE course. o The importance of savings and credit are introduced early in the ELTE curriculum, but VSLs were not initiated to reinforce this lesson.  Empowering women through literacy and numeracy o Each ELTE class day allocated 30 minutes for reading and 30 minutes for writing. However, many women in FGDs seemed to indicate that their literacy is limited to signing their names, suggesting that they spent half of the ELTE course time learning how to read and write, but emerged with very limited literacy skills. o Some substantive ELTE themes could be reinforced through literacy and numeracy skills￾building. Examples include learning how to read and write vocabulary words about various substantive topics (especially useful words related to household management, agriculture and entrepreneurship), and using record-keeping and marketing themes to reinforce numeracy skills. o Similarly, initiation of IGAs and VSLs much earlier in the ELTE process would provide women with practical opportunities (and needs) to enhance literacy and numeracy skills. USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 94 B. Suggestions for Reducing ELTE Curriculum Timeframe OPTION 1 LESSON DISTRIBUTION PLAN ELIMINATING 14 LESSONS Total Number of Days: 110 (92 for basic lessons + 12 review lessons + two mid-way assessments + two preparation lessons for evaluation + two evaluation days) (Add 10 days for six months total) Basic lessons (two days each): 46 x 2 days = 92 days Review lessons: 12 x 1 day = 12 days First midway assessment (after the third review lesson of first part) = 1 day Preparation of evaluation (at the end of first part) = 1 day Midterm evaluation = 1 day Second midway assessment (after the third review lesson of second part) = 1 day Preparation of course end evaluation = 1 day Course end evaluation = 1 day OPTION 2 LESSON DISTRIBUTION PLAN ELIMINATING 26 LESSONS Total Number of Days: 82 (68 for basic lessons + eight review lessons + two mid-way assessments + two preparation lessons for evaluation + two evaluation days) (Add 18 days for five months total) Basic lessons (two days each): 34 x 2 days = 68 days Review lessons: 8 x 1 day = 8 days First midway assessment (after the second review lesson of first part) = 1 day Preparation of evaluation (at the end of first part) = 1 day Midterm evaluation = 1 day Second midway assessment (after the second review lesson of second part) = 1 day Preparation of course end evaluation = 1 day Course end evaluation = 1 day USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 95 C. Suggestions for Reducing ELTE Curriculum Content Lesson 1 - Introduction of ELTE 1.1 Rules and regulations in learning centers 1.2 Need for learning literacy 1.3 Learners’ topics of interest 1.4 Applications of literacy 1.5 Concept of literacy 1.6 Concept of empowerment 1.7 Necessity of women’s empowerment 1.8 The qualities of men and women that empower in family and society 1.9 Importance of literacy for empowerment Lesson 2 - Decision-making Power 2.1 Present situation of women’s decision-making power 2.2 Areas of decision-making 2.3 Necessity of having decision-making power for women 2.4 Strategy to achieve decision-making power by women 2.5 Positive role of men, family and community for women’s participation in decision-making Lesson 3 – Equality [combine with Lessons 23 & 54] 3.1 Concept of gender equality 3.2 Present situation of gender equality (case study) 3.3 Importance of gender equality within household and society 3.4 Effective role of all to promote and ensure gender equality Lesson 4 - Equal Distribution of Household Responsibilities [combine with Lesson 13] 4.1 Making list of household work 4.2 Who is responsible to do which task? 4.3 Ensuring equality with equal distribution of household responsibilities between men and women 4.4 Necessity of negotiation about household responsibility Lesson 5 - Entrepreneurship [combine with Lessons 22 & 55] 5.1 Concept of entrepreneurship 5.2 Some qualities and skills of a successful entrepreneur 5.3 Examples of some income generating activities/entrepreneurship Lesson 6 - Necessity of Savings and Credit for Entrepreneurship [introduce VSLs] 6.1 How can we make savings? 6.2 Where and how can we get credit? 6.3 Why savings and credit is important for business? Lesson 7 - Local Agriculture and Agricultural Products [introduce IGAs] 7.1 Making list of local agricultural products 7.2 The kinds of agricultural activities that we are engaged with 7.3 Scope to engage/involve with new type of agricultural activities Lesson 8 - Women’s Participation in Agriculture [combine with Lesson 42] 8.1 Present condition of women’s participation in agriculture 8.2 In agriculture, women’s decision-making skill and its social recognition USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 96 Lesson 9 - Self-awareness, Empathy & Unity 9.1 Concept of life skill 9.2 Meaning of self-awareness and its importance 9.3 Meaning of empathy and its importance 9.4 Meaning of mutual understanding and its importance 9.5 Story about unity 9.6 Participants’ experience sharing on unity Lesson 10 - Effective Interpersonal Communication 10.1 Meaning of effective communication and its importance 10.2 Meaning of interpersonal communication and its importance 10.3 Story on effective communication 10.4 Participants’ experience sharing on effective interpersonal communication 10.5 Different problems that we face in our personal lives and ways to solve the problems Lesson 11 - Access to Resources [combine with Lessons 51 & 53] 11.1 What is a resource? 11.2 List of personal and family resources 11.3 Present situation of women’s access to resources 11.4 Necessity of women’s rights to access to resources 11.5 Creating opportunities for women’s access to resources Lesson 12 - Women’s Effective Participation in Decision-making in the Community 12.1 Present situation of women’s participation in decision-making in the community 12.2 Necessity of women’s participation in decision-making in the community 12.3 Creating opportunities for women’s participation in decision-making 12.4 Positive role of men, family and community in creating opportunities for women’s participation in decision-making Lesson 13 - Time Allocation for Daily Tasks [combine with Lesson 4] 13.1 Making a list of daily tasks (along with leisure, entertainment, mealtime) 13.2 Who does which task, when? 13.3 In absence of the responsible person, who does the task? 13.4 In the present situation, who does most work in the family? 13.5 The negative aspects in the family for over workload of woman 13.6 Equal time allocation in household responsibilities for male and female Lesson 14 - Women’s Rights 14.1 Concept of women’s rights 14.2 Present situation of women’s rights (are women enjoying equal rights with men or not?) 14.3 Positive role of man and community members for establishing women’s rights 14.4 Existing women’s right in the constitution (article 28 of Bangladesh Constitution) 14.5 Existing various social institutions who are working for establishing women’s rights 14.6 Present situation of women’s active participation in different institutions and organizations Lesson 15 – Women’s Enterprises (Individual) [combine with Lesson 56] 15.1 Introduction of a successful woman-entrepreneur 15.2 Participants’ experience-sharing about their known successful woman entrepreneur USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 97 Lesson 16 – Women’s Enterprises (Group/Joint) [combine with Lesson 25] 16.1 Success story of group/joint enterprise 16.2 Identification of obstacles/barriers in group/joint enterprise 16.3 Principles/rules needed for a successful group/joint enterprise 16.4 Participants’ experience sharing about successful group/joint enterprise Lesson 17 - Use of Information and Technology in Agriculture [combine with Lesson 41] 17.1 Concept of information and technology 17.2 At present, what kind of information and technology do women use in agricultural activities? 17.3 Importance of using information and technology by women in agriculture 17.4 Sources/services of information and technology Lesson 18 - Modern Agriculture 18.1 Concept of modern agriculture 18.2 At present, what kind of modern technology do the women use in agriculture? 18.3 For woman, importance of using modern technology in agriculture 18.4 Training and services for woman to use modern technology in agriculture 18.5 Different modern technology in agriculture Lesson 19 - Coping with Indignation, Grievance & Emotion, and Acquainting with Stressful Situations and Innovative Thinking 19.1 Consequences of indignation, grievance and emotion (examples—experience-sharing) 19.2 Importance of acquainting with indignation, grievance and emotion 19.3 Importance of acquainting with stressful situation 19.4 Meaning and importance of innovative thinking. How does it help us? 19.5 Case study Lesson 20 - Innovative Thinking, Decision-making, Problem-solving 20.1 Importance of innovative thinking 20.2 Achieving decision-making capacity 20.3 Achieving ability to solve problem 20.4 Case study Lesson 21 - Leadership 21.1 Concept of leadership 21.2 Who has the leadership power in present society? 21.3 Necessity of women’s leadership in society 21.4 Challenges in women’s leadership 21.5 Positive role of men, family and community to create opportunities for women’s leadership Lesson 22 - Entrepreneurship [combine with Lessons 5 & 55] 22.1 Concept of entrepreneurship 22.2 Family benefits of being an entrepreneur for women’s empowerment 22.3 Family and self benefits, if a woman becomes an entrepreneur 22.4 Necessary initiatives to be a successful woman-entrepreneur Lesson 23 - Discrimination against Women [combine with Lessons 3 & 54] 23.1 Areas of discrimination against women 23.2 Reasons for discrimination against women 23.3 Negative effects of discriminations against women (within family, society and state) USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 98 23.4 Importance of eliminating the discrimination against women 23.5 Necessary steps to eliminate discrimination against women Lesson 24 - Family Laws in Bangladesh 24.1 Concept of family laws 24.2 Benefits of family laws in family and social life 24.3 Beneficiaries of family laws 24.4 Service centers and other resources to get legal support 24.5 Taking initiative for having easy access to legal support Lesson 25 - Men and Women’s Joint/Group Enterprise [combine with Lesson 16] 25.1 Success story of group/joint initiatives for joint enterprise (man and woman) 25.2 Identification of obstacles/barriers in group/joint enterprise (man and woman) 25.3 Principles/rules needed for a successful group/joint enterprise (man and woman) 25.4 Participants’ experience sharing about successful group/joint enterprise Lesson 26 – Market 26.1 Concept of market and types of market 26.2 Introduction of seller and buyer 26.3 Qualities of an ideal seller/trader 26.4 Women’s access to market (situation analysis) Lesson 27 - Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture [combine with Lesson 28] 27.1 Concept of climate change 27.2 Effects of climate change on agriculture in our area 27.3 How to minimize / mitigation of the effects of climate change on our agriculture 27.4 Effects of salinity in water and agricultural lands 27.5 Effects of water-logging 27.6 What is natural disaster? Necessary steps to protect from natural disaster Lesson 28 - Environment Friendly Agriculture 28.1 Concept of environment friendly agriculture and organic fertilizer 28.2 Different types of materials/substances used in agriculture 28.3 Negative impact of chemical substances used in agriculture 28.4 Benefit of using organic fertilizer in agriculture 28.5 Women’s participation to use organic fertilizer in environment friendly agriculture Lesson 29 - Nutritious and Healthy Food 29.1 Concept of nutritious and healthy food 29.2 Importance of nutritious and healthy food 29.3 Making a list of nutritious and healthy foods 29.4 Importance of nutritious and healthy food for women, children and other family members 29.5 How healthy food habits reduces women’s engagement and improves time use Lesson 30 - Adolescent Health (Mental and Physical) 30.1 Who are adolescents? 30.2 Physical and psychological changes during adolescent period 30.3 Physical health care for adolescents and why it is important 30.4 Mental health care for adolescents and why it is important 30.5 Negative effects of ignorance and negligence of adolescents USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 99 Lesson 31 - Participation in Social and Political Activities 31.1 Present situation of women’s participation in social and political activities 31.2 Necessity of women’s participation in social and political activities 31.3 Creating opportunities for women’s participation in social and political activities 31.4 Positive roles in creating opportunities for women’s participation in social & political activities Lesson 32 - Positive Self-image and Self-esteem to Overcome Obstructions 32.1 Identification of obstacles in women’s empowerment 32.2 Identification of root causes which create barriers in women’s empowerment 32.3 Strategy to overcome the obstructions 32.4 Apply positive attitude to overcome obstructions of women’s empowerment Lesson 33 - Fair Wage 33.1 Concept of fair wage 33.2 Discrimination to women on fair wage (case study) 33.3 Law/policy/act on fair wage 33.4 Taking initiatives to lobby for fair wage Lesson 34 - Women Friendly Workplace 34.1 Concept of woman friendly workplace 34.2 Present situation of women’s workplace 34.3 Taking initiatives for ensuring women friendly workplace 34.4 Day-care centers and access of day care centers Lesson 35 - Marketing 35.1 Concept of marketing 35.2 Steps/phases of marketing 35.3 Importance of marketing in business/trade 35.4 Basic principles of marketing 35.5 Women’s role in marketing Lesson 36 - Feasibility Assessment of Enterprise 36.1 Among the participants, who are engaged with any enterprise and what type of enterprise? 36.2 What kind of enterprises are there/here in the local community? 36.3 Scope/sectors to develop an enterprise in the local market 36.4 What should be considered for an enterprise? 36.5 Planned enterprise and unplanned enterprise (case study/story) Lesson 37 - Homestead Vegetable Gardening and Benefits for Family Nutrition 37.1 Vegetables that we grow in our homestead /yard 37.2 Role & responsibilities of male and female member in homestead gardening 37.3 Scope of homestead vegetable gardening to increase family income 37.4 Equal participation/ time allocation of man and woman in vegetable gardening 37.5 Floating vegetable gardening Lesson 38 - Flower Farming [relevant in Jessore only] 38.1 Women’s participation/role to increase income through flower farming 38.2 Women’s participation in marketing of flowers 38.3 Having knowledge about flower farming/culture and essential trainings USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 100 Lesson 39 - Women’s Consent to Pregnancy [combine with Lesson 40] 39.1 Proper age of woman to conceive a baby (as per medical science) 39.2 Mental preparation of woman to conceive baby 39.3 Mind set and expectation of having gird baby or boy baby 39.4 Mutual understanding between couple to conceive baby 39.5 Impact to family and women’s health on disagreement in a couple about conceiving a baby 39.6 Case study Lesson 40 - Reproductive Health [combine with Lesson 39] 40.1 Concept of reproductive health 40.2 Health care [and nutrition] for pregnant mother 40.3 Health care [and nutrition] for the mother after delivery 40.4 Building awareness on different female-disease 40.5 Local service provider about RH 40.6 Case study Lesson 41 - Access to Agricultural Information [combine with Lesson 17] 41.1 Agricultural information 41.2 Necessity of having access to agricultural information 41.3 Sources of information and linkages 41.4 Importance of having information in women’s empowerment 41.5 Introduction of agricultural (crops) calendar Lesson 42 - Women’s Decision-making Power in Agriculture [combine with Lesson 8] 42.1 Identification of phases/steps in cultivation 42.2 Opportunities for women to exchange opinions & take decisions in agricultural production 42.3 Obstacles in women’s decision-making in agriculture 42.4 Removal of obstacles and creating opportunities for women’s decision-making Lesson 43 - Women Trafficking 43.1 Reasons behind trafficking 43.2 Various deceitful techniques used in women trafficking 43.3 Negative impact of trafficking on family and society 43.4 Necessary initiatives need to take to prevent women trafficking 43.5 Awareness building to prevent women trafficking Lesson 44 - Gender Equality in Education 44.1 Girls’/women’s right to education 44.2 Present situation of girls/women in education 44.3 Importance of girls’/women’s education 44.4 Present facilities/ services of Government and non-Government for girls’/women’s education 44.5 Necessary steps to ensure gender equality in education Lesson 45 - Planning an Enterprise 45.1 Concept of planning for enterprise 45.2 Concept of enterprise planning structure 45.3 Key to success and reasons for failure of an enterprise (story/case study) 45.4 Importance of systematic planning in an enterprise USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 101 Lesson 46 – Record-keeping and Calculation of Profit and Loss in Business 46.1 Do we keep the record in our business? How do we do that? 46.2 Importance of record keeping in business 46.3 Proper method of records keeping in business Lesson 47 - Integrated Fish Culturing 47.1 Principles to form a team together with men and women to start integrated fish culturing 47.2 Women’s leadership in integrated fish culturing 47.3 Experience sharing on integrated fish culturing 47.4 Having knowledge on techniques of fish culturing 47.5 Women’s active participation in fish culture and marketing Lesson 48 - Handicrafts and Other Off-farm Activities 48.1 Making list of handicrafts and off-farms related trades 48.2 Types of handicrafts and off-farm trades we can do ourselves and increase our income 48.3 Available trainings on handicrafts and off firms related trades 48.4 Collection of essential materials for producing handicrafts and off firms related trades 48.5 Women’s participation in production and marketing Lesson 49 - Care for Persons in Special Need 49.1 Who are the members in our family or society who needs special support? 49.2 Duties/responsibilities to special need members/ persons 49.3 Success of special need persons 49.4 A special need woman is discriminated in two ways Lesson 50 - Care for Aged Members of the Family 50.1 Duties/responsibilities of family members to aged members 50.2 Necessity of care for aged persons 50.3 Equal responsibilities of male and female for caring aged people of family Lesson 51 - Women’s Control over Productive Resources [combine with Lessons 11 & 53] 51.1 Making a list of productive resources 51.2 Who have more control over the productive resources 51.3 Problems due to/for lack of women’s control over productive resources 51.4 Discrimination of gender equality over productive resources 51.5 Taking initiatives for establishing women’s control over productive resources Lesson 52 - Women’s Control over Income and Expenditure 52.1 Earning able members in the family 52.2 Identification of income sources in the family 52.3 Identification of areas of family expenditure and who spend the money 52.4 Present situation of women’s opinion on expenditure (how the income would be spent) 52.5 Importance of women’s opinion on income and expenditure 52.6 Benefits of taking women’s opinion on income and expenditure Lesson 53 - Women’s Right to Assets [combine with Lessons 11 & 51] 53.1 Present situation of women’s access to assets/property 53.2 Importance of women’s access to productive resources and assets 53.3 Laws/policies/acts on rights to property 53.4 Necessary initiative need to take to increase women’s access to productive resources and assets USAID/Bangladesh WEA Final Performance Evaluation, Final Evaluation Report, January 2018) 102 Lesson 54 - Opportunities and Provisions for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality [combine with Lessons 3 & 23] 54.1 Making a list of opportunities and provisions/facilities for women 54.2 Necessary initiatives to ensure equal opportunity for women by family members Lesson 55 – Micro-enterprise and Commercialization [combine with Lessons 5 & 22] 55.1 Concept of micro-enterprise 55.2 Making a list of micro-enterprise 55.3 Introduction of a successful micro-entrepreneur (case study/story) 55.4 Experience sharing Lesson 56 - Successful Women Entrepreneurs [combine with Lesson 15] 56.1 Introduction of a successful woman entrepreneur in rural area 56.2 Introduction of a successful and established woman entrepreneur at district/subnational/national level (case study/story) 56.3 Initiatives needs to be taken to become a successful entrepreneur Lesson 57 - Small Shop 57.1 Success story about woman’s participation in running a small shop 57.2 Is there any woman in our community who runs a small shop? 57.3 Necessary initiatives for women to run small shop Lesson 58 - Small Business on Mobile Phone Servicing and Repairing 58.1 Mobile phone servicing and repairing business is a profitable business with small capital 58.2 Necessary steps to start a mobile phone servicing and repairing business 58.3 Different services through mobile phone business 58.4 Women’s participation in mobile phone servicing and repairing business Lesson 59 – Common Diseases and First Aid 59.1 Making list of common diseases 59.2 Prevention and cure of common diseases 59.3 Sanitation/hygiene/cleanliness, pure drinking water 59.4 Identify the relevant resources/institutions in the community for support services 59.5 Concept of first aid 59.6 How to provide first aid Lesson 60 - HIV/AIDS 60.1 What is HIV/AIDS? 60.2 Causes of HIV/AIDS 60.3 Symptoms of HIV/AIDS 60.4 Social approach to a HIV/AIDS patient 60.5 Building social awareness against HIV/AIDS 60.6 Linkage with HIV/AIDS services providers 103 Annex 7. WEA PERFORMANCE DATA TABLE (Update to July 2017) SI Indicator Baseline Value FY 15 Target FY 15 Actual FY 16 Target FY 16 Actual FY 17 Target FY 17 Actual LOP Target LOP Actual Data source Goal: Increased empowerment of women and gender parity in targeted areas of the Feed the Future Zone of Influence 1. Change in the Women in Agriculture Empowerment Index in targeted areas of Feed the Future Zone of Influence 0.30 NA NA NA NA NA Evaluation IR 1. Increased leadership in community economic or social groups by women 2. # of women beneficiaries who make at least one public presentation at local level with the assistance of LAC or other groups directly benefiting from WEA intervention (Total base=30,000 women only) 0 0 4,500 2,283 6717 5,784 9,000 8067 Agriculture Community Equity Scorecard (ACES) 3. # of individual actively participating in groups (women’s groups, Men group LACs) as a result of WEA (Total base= 40,135) Where ELTE group =37,500 LAC members=2,635 0 8,900 ELTE= 8,500 (Women =7170 Men= 1330) LAC= 400 Women =280 Men= 120) 4,624 ELTE= 3,975 ( Women=3 000 Men=975 ) LAC= 649 Women =362 Men= 287) 18,824 ELTE= 18,007 (Women= 13,903 Men= 4104) LAC=817 (Women= 365 Men=452) 29,963 ELTE= 28,912 (Women= 24,412 Men= 4500) LAC= 1,051 (Women= 631 Men= 420 ) 32,156 ELTE= 30,000 (Women =24,000 Men=6000) LAC=2,156 (Women= 1205 men=951) 30,085 ELTE= 27,450 (Women =24,300 Men=3150) LAC= 2,635 (Women= 1470 men= 1165) 32,156 ELTE= 30,000 (Women= 24,000 Men=6000) LAC=2,156 (Women= 1205 Men=951 30,085 ELTE= 27,450 (Women =24,300 Men= 3,150) LAC=2,635 (Women= 1470 men=1165) Performance Monitoring data of WEA Sub-IR 1.1. LAC established and strengthened 4. # LACs established at Union level 0 75 47 171 178 0 225 225 225 WEA 5. # of women beneficiaries receiving support services related to women’s rights, victim support and access to resources from LAC members 0 0 2,000 490 2510 3,388 3,000 3,878 ACES 104 SI Indicator Baseline Value FY 15 Target FY 15 Actual FY 16 Target FY 16 Actual FY 17 Target FY 17 Actual LOP Target LOP Actual Data source (Total base=30,000 women only) Sub-IR 1.2. Increased use of community life skills 6. % of surveyed WEA beneficiaries who report using community life skills acquired through ELTE training (Total base=37,500 men &women) 0 0 F: 40% M: 30% F: 90% ( men have not been included ) F: 100% M: 60% TBD after ASS 2017 F: 100% M: 100% Annual Sample Survey (ASS) IR 2. Improved decision-making by women over productive resources 7. % of surveyed women beneficiaries who report participating in decisions to buy, sell or transfer productive resources (Total base=30,000 women only) 19.34% 0 30% 42% 40% TBD after ASS 2017 40% ASS Sub-IR 2.1. Increased ownership of productive resources by women 8. % of surveyed women beneficiaries who reports owning productive assets as a result of WEA intervention (Total base=30,000 women only) 29.8% 0 30% 7% 30% 46% 30% 46% ACES Sub-IR 2.1.1. Increased access to market for productive assets, resources and agricultural products by women 9. % of women beneficiaries purchasing inputs through WEA linkages (Total base=30,000 women only) 0 0 7.5% 65% 70% TBD after ASS 2017 70% ASS 10. % of women beneficiaries selling agricultural products through WEA linkages (Total base=30,000 women only) 0 0 5% 26% 30% TBD after ASS 2017 30% ASS Sub-IR 2.1.2. Increased access to credit for productive resources and assets 11. # of women beneficiaries accessing credit for productive resources/assets through WEA assistance(Total base=30,000 women) 0 0 4,000 18,500 19,500 TBD after ASS 2017 19,500 ASS IR 3. Improved women’s control over income 12. % of surveyed women beneficiaries who report sole or joint control over income 22.76% 0 25% 41% 45% TBD after ASS 2017 45% ASS 105 SI Indicator Baseline Value FY 15 Target FY 15 Actual FY 16 Target FY 16 Actual FY 17 Target FY 17 Actual LOP Target LOP Actual Data source (Total base=30,000 women only) Sub-IR 3.1. Increased financial literacy 13. % of women trained by WEA who have savings accounts as a result of WEA assistance (Total base=30,000 women only) 59.34% 0 40% 68% 70% TBD after ASS 2017 70% ASS Sub-IR 3.2. Improved income generation 14. Value of sales in US$ attributed to WEA supported income generation projects (Total base=30,000 women only) O 0 $115,000 $126,971 $270,000 TBD after ASS 2017 $385,000 ASS IR 4. Strengthened decision-making by women in agricultural production 15. % of women beneficiaries surveyed who report having input into agricultural production decisions as a result of WEA interventions (Total base=30,000 women only) 21.45% 0 25% 49% 55% TBD after ASS 2017 55% ASS Sub-IR 4.1. Improved knowledge of agricultural production 16. % of women training participants who attain an increase (Post test score> pretest score) in the post test score administered after completion of the training (Total base=37,500 women& men) 0 0 20% 97% 97% 99% 97% 99% WEA Sub-IR 4.2. Increased adoption of appropriate agricultural technology 17. EG.3.2-1: Number of individuals who have received USG-supported short-term agricultural sector productivity or food security training (Total base=37,500 women& men) 0 688 F: 600 M: 88 0 20,000 F: 16,000 M: 4,000 10,199 F: 9,914 M: 285 17,500 F: 14,000 M: 3,500 25,427 F: 19,066 M: 6,361 37,500 F: 30,000 M: 7,500 35,626 F: 28,980 M: 6,646 WEA 18. EG.3.2-17: Number of farmers and others who have applied improved technologies or management practices with USG assistance (Total base=30,000 women only) 0 500 0 4,500 28,667 5,000 TBD after ASS 2017 10,000 ASS IR 5. Improved time use by women 106 SI Indicator Baseline Value FY 15 Target FY 15 Actual FY 16 Target FY 16 Actual FY 17 Target FY 17 Actual LOP Target LOP Actual Data source 19. # of women beneficiaries getting child care support from other family members/alternative arrangement for childcare to improve time use (Total base=37,500 women& men) 284 600 0 5,400 1,926 5574 9,971 7,500 11,897 ACES 20. % of women who are satisfied with time available for leisure (Total base=30,000 women only) 36.58% 0 40% 50% 60% TBD after ASS 2017 60% ASS Sub IR 5.1 Balanced/shared household responsibilities within the family members 21. # of beneficiary families who have balanced share of household responsibilities among family members (Total base=37500 women & men) 156 0 7,000 2,371 11,630 14,840 14,000 17,211 ACES IR 6. (Cross-cutting) Increased social acceptance of women’s empowerment 22. GNDR-4 % of participants reporting increased agreement with the concept that males and females should have equal access to social, economic, and political opportunities (Total base=37,500 women & men) 74.23% 0 80% 90% 80% TBD after ASS 2017 90% ASS 23. GNDR-7 % beneficiary household members who agree that violence against women is not acceptable under any circumstances (Total base=37,500 women& men ) 64.90% 0 80% 100% 90% TBD after ASS 2017 90% ASS 24. EG.3-1 Number of households benefiting directly from USG assistance under Feed the Future (Total base=30,000 women only) 0 7,000 3,000 27,000 30,000 Continue with previous Continue with previous 30,000 30,000 WEA Data source: Agriculture Community Equity Score (ACES) Card -5 indicators, WEA-performance Monitoring data for -5 indicators and Annual Sample Survey-13 indicators. 107 Annex 8. LIST OF PERSONS/ORGANIZATIONS CONSULTED, July15 – August 15, 2017 No. Date Name Title F M Organization Location/Email Dhaka ACME/USAID in Dhaka 1 July 15 Dr. Thomas P Carson Chief of Party √ ACME/USAID tcarson@ibtci.com 3 Ms. Farin Islam Evaluation Coordinator √ fislam@ibtci.com 2 July 16 Mr. Md. Nazrul Islam Senior M&E Specialist √ nislam@ibtci.com 4 Mr. Anowar Hossain Security & Logistics Coordinator √ ahossain@ibtci.com 5 Ms. Farjana Admin Associate √ farjana@ibtci.com 6 Mr. Imran Khan ICT Coordinator √ Ikhan@ibtci.com 7 Ms. Sharmin Sultana Knowledge Management Coordinator √ ssultana@ibtci.com 8 Ms. Moumita Hossain Senior Financial Analyst √ mhossain@ibtci.com 9 Mr. Zakariya Muhammadu Zakari Data Quality Assessment Specialist √ zzakari@ibtci.com USAID/Bangladesh in Dhaka 10 July 17 Ms. Farzana Yasmeen Program Management Specialist √ USAID/Bangladesh fyasmeen@usaid.gov 11 Mr. Nazmul Bhuiyan Project Management Coordinator √ nbhuiyan@usaid.gov 12 Ms. Marian Parsons Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR), WEA √ mparsons@usaid.gov Winrock and Sub-partners in Dhaka 13 July 18 Ms. Zainab Akther Chief of Party √ Winrock International Gulshan, Dhaka 14 Ms. Nilufar Sultana Deputy Chief of Party √ 15 Mr. Md. Mahabubur Rashid Enterprise Development Manager √ 16 Mr. A K M Saiful Islam MIS Manager √ 17 Ms. Nujulee Begum Gender Specialist √ 18 Mr. Morshedur Rasheed Reza Senior Manager, Finance and Administration √ 19 Mr. Shahjahan Hossain MEL Specialist √ 20 Mr. Mohammad Amirul Islam Capacity Building Specialist √ 21 July 22 Dr. M. Ehsanur Rahman Executive Director √ 22 Mr. Khawja Shamsul Huda Director Programs √ DAM Dhanmondi, Dhaka 23 Mr. Md. Asaduzzaman Team Leader, WEA Project √ 108 24 Ms. Zeba Afroza Project Coordinator, WEA √ 25 Mr. Md. Khirul Islam M&E Specialist, WEA √ 26 July 23 Mr. Shamim Murad General Manager √ ACI Tejgonj, Dhaka 27 Mr. Md. Shafiqur Rahman Project Manager, Agribusiness √ 28 Ms. Arifa Parvin Sohani Market Development Officer √ Jessore Winrock and Sub -partners in Jessore 29 July 28 Mr. Manjur Kader Executive Director √ SMKK Sadar, Jessore 30 Mr. Waliullah Program Manager √ 31 Mr. Binu Philip Penheiro M&E Officer √ 32 Mr. Sabuj Kumar Shah Market Development Officer √ ACI 33 Ms. Asma Begum Finance and Administration √ 34 Mr. Nitay Chandro Roy Community Field Coordinator √ DAM 35 Mr. Ziaur Rahman MIS Officer √ 36 Mr. Md. Obaidul Haque Field Coordinator √ Winrock International FGDs in Jessore 37 July 25 Ms. Farida Yasmin WEA beneficiaries (women’s ELTE group) √ DAM Chaugachha, Jessore 38 Ms. Sharmin Akter √ 39 Ms. Jesmin Akter √ 40 Ms. Salma Akter √ 41 Ms. Jesmin Akter √ 42 Ms. Morium Akter √ 43 Ms. Yasmin Akter √ 44 July 25 Mr. Mohjjel Hossain LAC members √ DAM Chaugachha, Jessore 45 Ms. Zarna Khatun √ 46 Ms. Roksaha Begum √ 47 Ms. Lipi Akter √ 48 Ms. Nurun Nahar √ 49 Ms. Monju Ara Begum √ 50 Ms. Komla Begum √ 51 Mr. Khoda Box √ 52 July 25 Mr. Harun -Ur Rashid LAC members √ DAM Sadar, Jessore 53 Ms. Sammi Akter √ 54 Mr. Shohidul Islam √ 55 Ms. Bulbuli Akter √ 56 Mr. Rafiz Uddin √ 57 Mr. Jakir Hossain √ 58 Ms. Sumana Akte √ 109 59 Ms. Ayesha Khatun √ 60 July 26 Ms. Taslima Akter ELTE facilitators √ SMKK Monirampur, Jessore 61 Ms. Rokeya Akter √ 62 Ms. Rohima Akter √ 63 Mr. Abdul Mannan √ 64 July 26 Ms. Aleya Akte WEA beneficiaries (women’s ELTE group) √ SMKK Monirampur Jessore 65 Ms. Sharmin Sultan √ 66 Ms. Hira Khatun √ 67 Ms. Fatima Akhter √ 68 Ms. Priya Akter √ 69 Ms. Nazma Akhter √ 70 Ms. Kahinur Begum √ 71 July 26 Mr. Gafur Morol WEA beneficiaries (men’s ELTE group) √ SMKK Monirampur Jessore 72 Mr. Sattar Morol √ 73 Mr. Sohidul Sarder √ 74 Mr. Alomgir √ 75 Mr. Babu Kazi √ 76 Mr. Rohim Morol √ 77 July 27 Ms. Hafija Khatun WEA beneficiaries (women’s ELTE group) √ DAM Keshabpur, Jessore 78 Ms. Beauti Begum √ 79 Ms. Rina Begum √ 80 Ms. Hafiza Begum √ 81 Ms. Sonia Begum √ 82 Ms. Urmikhatun √ 83 Ms. NasimaKhatun √ 84 Ms. Rebeka Begum √ 85 July 27 Ms. Sonjib Dash ELTE facilitators √ DAM Keshabpur, Jessore 86 Ms. Seuly Khatun √ 87 Ms. Nilufa Yeasmin √ 88 Ms. Sarmin Akter Rima √ 89 Ms. Parvina Khatun √ 90 Ms. Chytali Dash √ 91 Ms. Salma Begum √ 92 Ms. Sima Kar √ 93 July 27 Mr. Saifuzzaman LAC members √ DAM Keshabpur, Jessore 94 Ms. Sima Akter √ 95 Ms. Rohima Akter √ 96 Ms. Zinat Ara √ 110 97 Ms. Morjina Katun √ 98 Ms. Feroja Begum √ 99 Ms. Parvin Akter √ KIIs in Jessore 100 July 25 Ms. Nargis Parvin Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) √ Government of Bangladesh (GoB) Chaugachha, Jessore 101 Mr. K M Shahabuddin Ahmad Upazila Agricultural Officer (UAO), Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) √ 102 Mr. Provash Chandra Goswami Upaliza Livestock Officer (ULO), Department of Livestock Services (DLS) √ 103 Mr. Md. Waliur Rahman Upazlia Fishery Officer (UFO), Department of Fishery √ 104 Ms. Taslima Begum Upazlia Women’s Affairs Officer (UWAO), Department of Women’s Affairs (DWA) √ 105 July 25 Mr. Uzzal Hossain Peer Leaders √ DAM Chaugachha, Jessore 106 Mr. Maruf Hossain √ 107 Ms. Shelpe Khatun √ 108 Ms. Halima Khatun √ 109 July 26 Mr. Ashraful Alon Input Market Trader √ ACI 110 Sadar, Jessore July 26 Ms. Sakina Khatun District WAO, DWA √ GoB 111 Ms. Anjum Ara Mahmud Program Officer, DWA √ 112 July 26 Mr. Mahfuj Alom Peer Leaders √ 113 Mr. Sagor Ahmad √ SMKK Monirampur Jessore 114 Ms. Poly Akter √ 115 July 27 Ms. Kalpona Rani Teachers (non-WEA) √ DAM Keshabpur, Jessore 116 Ms. Firoz Ahmed √ 117 July 27 Mr. Md. Abdullah Output Market Trader √ ACI Keshabpur, Jessore Site visits in Jessore 118 July 25 Ms. Doly Begum Cattle farmer √ DAM Chaugachha, Jessore 119 Ms. Jesmin Akter Vegetable producer √ 120 July 27 Ms. Anwara Begum Quail farmer √ Keshabpur, Jessore 121 Ms. Rozina Begum Poultry farmer √ Khulna Winrock and Sub-partners in Khulna 122 July 28 Mr. Azmir Hossain Community Field Coordinator √ DAM Sadar, Khulna 123 Mr. A S M Musa MIS Officer √ 111 124 Mr. Kazi Razib Iqbal Executive Director √ 125 Mr. Mostafizur Rahman Program Coordinator √ Nabolok 126 Mr. Saifur Rahman M&E Officer √ 127 July 29 Mr. Mrinal Kanti Dash M&E Officer √ Winrock International FGDs in Khulna 128 July 29 Ms. Monjuara Begum WEA beneficiaries (women’s ELTE group) √ Nabolok Dighalia, Khulna 129 Ms. Mithu Kundu √ 130 Ms. Inara Begum √ 131 Ms. Laboni Begum √ 132 Ms. Anjura Begum √ 133 Ms. Sahinur Begum √ 134 Ms. Monira Begum √ 135 Ms. Parul Begum √ 136 Ms. Mazeda Begum √ 137 July 29 Mr. Sirajul Islam LAC members √ Nabolok Dighalia, Khulna 138 Mr. Saifur Rahman √ 139 Ms. Manjura Begum √ 140 Ms. Fatema Akter √ 141 Ms. Sabina Akter √ 142 Ms. Sonia Akter √ 143 Ms. Parvin Sultana √ 144 Ms. Serena Nasrin √ 145 July 29 Ms. Libia Khatun ELTE facilitators √ Nabolok Dighalia, Khulna 146 Ms. Madira Khatun √ 147 Ms. Sabina Yasmin √ 148 Ms. Rabeya Khatun √ 149 Ms. Irany Begum √ 150 Ms. Tarana Begum √ 151 Ms. Hima Hasan √ 152 Ms. Sultana Parvin √ 153 Ms. Reba Akter √ 154 July 30 Ms. Hani Begum WEA beneficiaries (women’s ELTE group) √ DAM Terokhada, Khulna 155 Ms. Sima Begum √ 156 Ms. Junu Begum √ 157 Ms. Marzan √ 158 Ms. Reshma Begum √ 159 Ms. Sumi Begum √ 160 Ms. Sania Begum √ 112 161 July 30 Mr. Mofidul Islam LAC members √ DAM Terokhada, Khulna 162 Ms. Samima Nasrin √ 163 Mr. Akser Uddin √ 164 Ms. Lipika √ 165 Ms. Sekeron √ 166 Ms. Anjumoni √ 167 Ms. Molina √ 168 Mr. Akter Sheck √ 169 July 30 Mr. Moniboti WEA beneficiaries (men’s ELTE group) √ DAM Terokhada, Khulna 170 Mr. Cherongit Dash √ 171 Mr. Selal √ 172 Mr. Sonaton Ray √ 173 Mr. ProdibKayar y √ 174 Mr. Idrajid Dash √ 175 Mr. Basu Deb Mollik √ 176 Mr. Kali Dash √ 177 July 31 Ms. Selpe WEA beneficiaries (women’s ELTE group) √ DAM Rupsa, Khulna 178 Ms. Rashida √ 179 Ms. Rehena √ 180 Ms. Rabeya √ 181 Ms. Nilima √ 182 Ms. Sahina √ 183 Ms. Ayesha √ 184 Ms. Hasnaara √ 185 Ms. Nargis Akter √ 186 Ms. Rumana √ 187 July 31 Mr. Ohib Ali LAC members √ DAM Rupsa, Khulna 188 Mr. Anoggo Chatargi √ 189 Mr. Niamat Ali √ 190 Ms. Rebeka Begum √ 191 Mr. Harunar Rashid √ 192 Ms. Nahar Begum √ 193 Mr. Nurmohammad Shek √ 194 Ms. Nasima Khatun √ 195 Mr. Shohid Fakir √ KIIs in Khulna 196 July 29 Ms. Eti Rani Kundu Teacher (non -WEA) √ Nabolok Dighalia, Khulna 197 Mr. Al-Mamun Shohag Businessmen (non-WEA) √ 113 198 Mr. Kallan Kumar Dey √ 199 Mr. Dilip Chandra Das √ 200 July 29 Mr. Shake Golam Rasul Output Market Trader √ ACI Dighalia, Khulna 201 July 29 Ms. Poly Rani Kundo Peer Leaders √ 202 Ms. Mita Rani Dash √ Nabolok Dighalia, Khulna 203 Ms. Sonia Akter √ 204 July 30 Mr. Kamrul Islam Upaliza Environment Officer (UEO), Department of Environment (DoE) √ GoB Terokhada, Khulna 205 Mr. Bikash Chandro Dash Additional UEO √ 206 Mr. Zilani Output Market Trader √ ACI Terokhada, Khulna 207 July 30 Mr. Mizanur Rahman Peer Leaders √ 208 Mr. Asadul Galib √ DAM Terokhada, Khulna 209 Ms. Monirani Datto √ 210 July 30 Mr. Shahed Ali Output Market Trader √ ACI Rupsa, Khulna 211 Mr. Sumon Hossain Field Assistant √ 212 July 31 Mr. Belal Shake Businessmen (non -WEA) √ DAM Rupsa, Khulna 213 Mr. Ismail √ 214 July 31 Mr. Robiul Islam UAO -DAE √ GoB Rupsa, Khulna Site visits in Khulna 215 July 29 Ms. Tanzila Begum Cattle farmer √ ACI Dighalia, Khulna 216 July 31 Ms. Sume Begum Cattle farmer √ DAM Rupsa, Khulna Barisal Winrock and Sub -partners in Barisal 217 August 1 Mr. Niloy Chalkrobarty M&E Officer √ Winrock International Sadar, Barisal 218 August 2 Mr. Morshed Community Field Coordinator √ DAM Sadar Barisal 219 Mr. Abdus Salam MIS Officer √ 220 August 2 Mr. Shohel Sikder Market Development Officer √ ACI Sadar Barisal 221 Mr. Aminul Islam Field Assistant √ 222 August 3 Mr. Kazi Jahangir Kabir Executive Director √ 223 Mr. Augustine Boiragi Program Coordinator √ SAINT Bangladesh Sadar Barisal 224 Mr. Sunil Baroi M&E Officer √ FGDs in Barisal 225 August 1 Ms. Mukul Deori WEA beneficiaries (women’s ELTE group) √ SAINT Bangladesh Banaripara, Barisal 226 Ms. Kobita Hawlader √ 227 Ms. Nupur Deori √ 228 Ms. Reba Goslami √ 229 Ms. Kamla Debe √ 114 230 Ms. Rina Debe √ 231 Ms. ChabitaDebe √ 232 Ms. SayaMoye √ 233 August 2 Ms. Lijuy WEA beneficiaries (women’s ELTE group) √ DAM Uzirpur, Barisal 234 Ms. Mahamuda Begum √ 235 Ms. Nurjahan Begum √ 236 Ms. Samoly Begum √ 237 Ms. Masuda Begum √ 238 Ms. Rehana Begum √ 239 Ms. Nilu Begum √ 240 Ms. Ranu Begum √ 241 August 2 Mr. Monasef Talukder LAC members √ DAM Uzirpur, Barisal 242 Mr. Humayan Kabir √ 243 Mr. Saiful Alom √ 244 Mr. Noman Shorif √ 245 Ms. Shahinur √ 246 Ms. Rina Akter √ 247 Ms. Nilufa √ 248 Ms. Parvin √ 249 Ms. Bilkis √ 250 Ms. Anju √ 251 August 2 Ms. Shanaj Parvin ELTE facilitators √ DAM Uzirpur, Barisal 252 Ms. Archona Rani √ 253 Ms. Taslima Khatun √ 254 Ms. Doli Akter √ 255 Ms. Sharmin Akter √ 256 Ms. Eati Khatun √ 257 Ms. Sultana Khatun √ 258 Ms. Thamina Khatun √ 259 Ms. Rekta Akter √ 260 Mr. Tarun Gharami √ 261 August 2 Mr. Belal Shekder WEA beneficiaries (men’s ELTE group) √ DAM Uzirpur, Barisal 262 Mr. Aminul Islam √ 263 Mr. Jahirul Alom √ 264 Mr. Sajahan Shikder √ 265 Mr. Abdul Jalil Shikder √ 266 Mr. Tayub Ali √ 267 August 3 Ms. Zarna Rani WEA beneficiaries √ SAINT Bangladesh Babugonj, Barisal 115 268 Ms. Parul Rani (women’s ELTE group) √ 269 Ms. RipaMondol √ 270 Ms. Mukul Begum √ 271 Ms. Dulupa √ 272 Ms. Tania √ 273 Ms. Moni Begum √ 274 Ms. Chaina Rani √ 275 Ms. Farida Begum √ 276 Ms. Kamla Rani √ KIIs in Barisal 277 August 1 Mr. Sonjib Input Market Trader √ ACI Banaripara, Barisal 278 August 1 Mr. Rasel Howlader Peer Leaders √ 279 Ms. Bonchita Mondol √ SAINT Bangladesh Banaripara, Barisal 280 Ms. Sahanur Begum √ 281 August 1 Mr. Istiaque Mahmud Field Trainer √ SAINT Bangladesh Banaripara, Barisal 282 August 2 Mr. Shahnaz Parvin Master Trainer √ DAM Uzirpur, Barisal 283 August 3 Ms. Majeda Akter Mukta Field Trainer √ SAINT Bangladesh Babugonj, Barisal 284 August 3 Mr. Abul Kalam Azad Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) √ GoB Sadar, Barisal 285 Mr. Hasan Habib Deputy Director, Local Government √ Site visits in Barisal 286 August 3 Ms. Parul Rani Fish farmer √ SAINT Bangladesh Babugonj, Barisal 116 Annex 9. LIST OF DOCUMENTS REVIEWED WEA Documents A success story, women in Bangladesh increase influence at home and in the public sphere (undated). A success story, economic solvency increases women’s dignity in their family and community (undated). A success story, males champion women’s empowerment in Bangladesh (undated). BCC Strategy for WEA (undated). Collaborating Agreement, the USAID funded Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia-Mechanization and Irrigation (CSISA-MI) project and The USAID funded feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, (WEA) project in Bangladesh. Course Outline on Leadership for Change for Women Empowerment, by Winrock International (undated). Entrepreneurial literacy training for empowerment curriculum developed by FIVDB and implement by feed the future Bangladesh women’s empowerment activity (WEA), Winrock, Funded by USAID. Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Annual Sample Survey Design (undated). Feed the future Bangladesh women’s empowerment activity, justification paper: WEA-ELTE, sustenance through village savings and loan (VSL) (undated). Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity Annual Performance Report: FY 2016, Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-15-00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity Quarterly Performance Report: FY 2017, Q1, Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-15-00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Quarterly Performance Report: FY 2017, Q2 January – March 2017, Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-15-00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plan: February 28, 2015 – Draft, April 8, 2015 – Revised, July 27, 2016 –Revised, April 14, 2017- Revised, Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388- A-15- 00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Annual Work Plan – Year 2, October 1, 2015 – September 30, 2016, Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388- A-15- 0000l Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Annual Work Plan – Year 1, December 1, 2014- September 30, 2015, Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388- A-15- 00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Annual Work Plan – Year3, October 1, 2016 - September 30, 2017. Cooperative Agreement No AID-388- A-15- 00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Annual Performance Report: FY 2015. Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-15-00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Annual Performance Report: FY 2016. Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-15-00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity. Quarterly Performance Report: FY 2015, Q2. Cooperative Agreement No AID-388-A-15-00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity. Quarterly Performance Report: FY 2015, Q3. Cooperative Agreement No AID-388-A-15-00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity. Quarterly Performance Report: FY 2016, Q1. Cooperative Agreement No AID-388-A-15-00001 117 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity. Quarterly Performance Report: FY 2016, Q2. Cooperative Agreement No AID-388-A-15-00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity. Quarterly Performance Report: FY 2016, Q3. Cooperative Agreement No AID-388-A-15-00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Quarterly Performance Report: FY 2017, Q1. Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-15-00001 Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Quarterly Performance Report: FY 2017, Q2. Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-15-00001 Feed the future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Baseline Report: December 2015. Feed The Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Booklet. Feed The Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Brochure. Feed The Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, Fact Sheet. Feed The Future Bangladesh Women’s Empowerment Activity, News Letter, April - June, 2016. IRRI & Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development, Memorandum of Agreement. 15 April, 2016. Performance Data Table, Final draft (Update up to July 2017) Data source: Agriculture Community Equity Score (ACES) Card-5 indicators, WEA-performance Monitoring data for -5indicators and Annual Sample Survey-13 indicators. Progress Review Meeting of DQA recommendations, 25 August 2016. Data Quality Assessment Report of the Women’s Empowerment Activity (WEA), May, 2016. Role & Responsibility and Guideline for Data Collection April 2016, Prepared by Winrock M&E Team (in Bangla). This Memorandum of Understanding {MOU) is made on this "June 2, 2016. Between USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity {Ag Extension Project and Winrock international institute for Agricultural Development, through its USA|O-funded Feed the Future Bangladesh Women's Empowerment Activity . Training manual for peer leader developed by Winrock international (undated). Training handout village saving and loan: gender and women empowerment (main terminologies: equality, equal opportunity, gender relation, empowerment) (undated). USAID, Verulam Associates Bangladesh Limited, Winrock International, Bangladesh, Feed the Future Bangladesh Women’s’ Empowerment Activity. Baseline Report, December 2015. Value Chain Analysis Report, Feed the Future Bangladesh: Women’s Empowerment Activity 9/30/2015. Women’s empowerment activity, housewife rises to become people’s champion (undated). WEA Behavior Change Communication for Gender Equality in the Agriculture Sector, Training of Trainers Manual (undated). WEA- Performance Narrative Report-FY 16 Women’s Empowerment Activity (WEA) Project Description, AID-388-A-15-00001 Other USAID and Feed the Future (FtF) Documents Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan, Feed the Future Bangladesh Livestock Production for Improved Nutrition Project :June 15, 2015 to June 14, 2020 , Version 2: Updated on April2017. 118 Agro-inputs project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (M&E Plan) USAID Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-12-00005, Agro-Inputs Project in Bangladesh, implemented by CNFA. 1st Revision, September, 2014, 2nd Revision, September, 2015. Ahmed Akhter, Naeem Farria , Quabili Wahid , Sraboni Esha, Feed the Future Zone of Influence Baseline Report International Food Policy Research Institute Policy Research and Strategy Support Program for Food Security and Agricultural Development in Bangladesh , June 2012.USAID Grant Number: EEM-G-00-04-00013-00. Akhter U. Ahmed*, Kaikaus Ahmad, Victoria Chou, Ricardo Hernandez, Purnima Menon, Farria Naeem, Firdousi Naher, Wahid Quabili, Esha Sraboni, and Bingxin Yu , The Status of Food Security in the Feed the Future Zone and Other Regions of Bangladesh: Results from the 2011–2012 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey: International Food Policy Research Institute In collaboration with Hassan Zahidul, Data Analysis and Technical Assistance Limited, April 2013, Grant Number: EEM-G-00-04-00013-00. Akhter U. Ahmed,* Ricardo Hernandez, Zeeshan Abedin, Julie Ghostlaw, Nusrat Hossain, Wahidur Quabili, Farha Sufian, and Salauddin Tauseef, Selected indicators for the feed the future zone of influence in Bangladesh: changes from 2011/12 baseline to 2015 midline. International Food Policy Research Institute Bangladesh Policy Research and Strategy Support Program for Food Security and Agricultural Development, USAID Grant Number: EEM-G-00-04- 00013-00. Alkire, Sabina et al., IFPRI Discussion Paper The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index.” December 2012, and IFPRI Discussion Paper 01297, “Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture: What role for Food Security in Bangladesh?” October 2013. Bidyuth K. Mahalder, USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan 23 October 2016 – 22 October 2017: AID-388-A-13-00001 Climate-Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods (CREL) Annual Progress Monitoring Report , October 1, 2013 – September 30, 2014. AID-388-A-12-00007 Data Quality Assessment Report of the Aquaculture for Income and Nutrition (AIN), December 2016, Accelerating Capacity for Monitoring and Evaluation Activity in Bangladesh. Esha Sraboni, Agnes Quisumbing, and Akhter Ahmed, The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index for Bangladesh’s Feed the Future Zone of Influence , International Food Policy Research Institute Policy Research and Strategy Support Program for Food Security and Agricultural Development in Bangladesh: October 6, 2012 USAID Grant Number: EEM-G-00-04-00013-00. Feed the Future Goal: Sustainably Reduce Global Poverty and Hunger (undated). Feed the Future Indicator Handbook: Definition Sheets, Updated July 2016, US Government Working Document Feed the Future Guide, May 2010. Final performance evaluation final report Aquaculture for income and nutrition February 3, 2017, Original Submission: December 1, 2016, AID-388-C-14-00001 (USAID/Bangladesh Accelerating Capacity for Monitoring and Evaluation. Final Performance Evaluation, final report aquaculture for income and nutrition, (AIN) February 3, 2017. Follow-up Data Quality Assessment Report on the Agro Input Project (AIP), October 13, 2016. Midterm performance evaluation climate-resilient ecosystems & livelihoods finalreport december 15, 2015, (USAID). It was preparedby International Business and Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI) under the , Accelerating Capacity for Monitoring Evaluation (ACME) contract (Contract No. AID-388-C-14-00001). Najnin Samsad, Daily time use tool for the Farmer Producer Groups (FPGs) of the USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity (AESA) Project, Dhaka, April 2015. USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity Study on Gender Impact December 2016, Project Implementation: Dhaka Ahsania Mission, CARE Bangladesh and mPower Funded by: USAID. USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity, Annual report 2016 October 2015 – September 2016. 119 USAID Agro-Inputs Project in Bangladesh Annual Performance Report Year 4: October 1, 2015 September 30, 2016 USAID Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-12-00005 Implemented by CNFA. USAID, ACME, Report of the Follow-up Data Quality Assessment of the Livestock and Nutrition Project, May31, 2017. USAID /Bangladesh Country Development Cooperation Strategy FY2011- FY2016, September 2011. USAID, IBTCI, ACME, Gender learning workshop, January 25, 2017. Winrock International and farmer to Farmer, John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program Asia F2F End of Assignment Report (undated). Other Research Documents Esha Sraboni, Agnes R. Quisumbing, Akhter U. Ahmed, How Empowered are Bangladeshi Women in the Agricultural Setting? Empirical Evidence using a New Index Bangladesh Development Studies Vol. XXXVII, September 2014, No. 3. Esha Sraboni, Agnes R. Quisumbing, and Akhter U. Ahmed, The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index: Results from the 2011-2012 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey, International Food Policy Research Institute IFPRI research blog, empowering women in Bangladesh by strengthening the agriculture-nutrition-gender nexus: March 10, 2017 Prepared by the SOFA Team and Cheryl Doss The role of women in agriculture , ESA Working Paper No. 11-02 , March 2011, Agricultural Development Economics Division The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations www.fao.org/economic/esa Esha Sraboni, Hazel J. Malapit, Agnes R. Quisumbing And Akhter U. Ahmed, Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture: What Role for Food Security in Bangladesh? International Food Policy Research Institute, Dhaka, Bangladesh International Food Policy Research Institute, DC, USA https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262147966 The state of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, 2011 ISSN 0081-4539, Website: http://www.fao.org/catalog/inter-e.htm W. M. H. Jaim and Mahabub Hossain, Women’s Participation in Agriculture in Bangladesh 1988-2008: Changes and Determinants, Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 120 121 122 123 Annex 11. Evaluation Team Composition The evaluation is conducted by a three-person team consisting of the Team Leader, an International Gender Specialist and a Bangladeshi Agriculture Extension Specialist. The Team Leader will provide overall leadership for the team and will be responsible to conduct and manage the evaluation and submit deliverables to USAID/Bangladesh. Team Roles and Responsibilities The roles of the team members were discussed by them, and are based on the USAID SOW. The evaluation team will be responsible for timely and effective execution of the evaluation process as well as the timely submission of assignment deliverables, as agreed upon in the Work Plan (this document). An overview of the roles and responsibilities of individual Evaluation Team Members is provided in the table below. Evaluation Team Members and their Roles and Responsibilities Title Name Responsibilities Team Leader Ms. Suvira Chaturvedi ▪ Provide overall leadership for the team; supervision of team members, and be responsible to conduct and manage the evaluation and submit deliverables to USAID/Bangladesh. ▪ Serve as a primary point of contact for the evaluation team to USAID and ACME. Gender Specialist Ms. Ashley Barr ▪ Contributes to and assists in the development of the evaluation methodology; participate in evaluation meetings and site visits. ▪ Draft sections of the report relevant to her expertise and role in the team. Agriculture Extension Specialist Mr. Md. Bazlur Rahman ▪ Contributes to and assists in the development of the evaluation methodology; participate in evaluation meetings and site visits. ▪ Draft sections of the report relevant to his expertise and role in the team. [Source: WEA Evaluation Final Work Plan, July 28, 2017, approved by USAID] Evaluation Team Bios Suvira Chaturvedi the Team Leader, has over 22 years of Team Leadership experience as well as Senior Consultant work. This includes, conducting structured interviews, capacity building, research, strategic planning, program design, report writing, and knowledge of international instruments. Ms. Chaturvedi has had extensive experience with Gender Equality, Women Empowerment programs, and Women entrepreneurship programs. This includes work with: gender analysis, gender mainstreaming in policies and programs across sectors, poverty reduction, economic empowerment, vocational training, governance and leadership, and gender-based violence. Ashley Barr the Gender Specialist, is a gender expert with 20 years’ of extensive experience in the areas of gender issues and programming related to women’s empowerment, rights, representation, and advancement. Due to her length of technical experience in gender issues, she has maintained great working relationships by implementing projects from the following international donors: Australian Aid, Canada, DFID, EU, the Netherlands, Norway, SDC, USDRL and USAID. She has country experience in Ethiopia, Liberia Sierra Leone, Guatemala and Guyana, with her most notable work in Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. She has served as Deputy Chief of Party, Team Leader, Gender Specialist, and Independent consultant for international development projects focused on gender issues. Bazlur Rahman, the Agriculture Extension Specialist, has had over 25 years’ experience with agricultural programs, specifically with group training, women empowerment, enterprise development, research, and measurement of training outcomes. Mr. Rahman has had over 20 years’ experience working with women empowerment and gender equality, leaving him with a good understanding about gender integration, women empowerment, and small business development. Through his experience, Mr. Rahman has designed impact studies that follow the status of women empowerment in communities, included women in training and counseling programs to be able to increase their integration in the community, and addressed gender inequality.