March 2009
This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International 
Development. It was prepared by DevTech Systems, Inc. for the STTA&T project, task 
order number GEW-I-01-02-00019.
ASSESSMENT OF THE
GREATER ACCESS TO TRADE 
EXPANSION (GATE) PROJECT 
USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Assessment of the 
Greater Access to Trade Expansion 
Project 
Submitted by: 
Joseph Lieberson, Consultant, DevTech Systems, Inc. 
Danka Rapic, Gender Analyst, DevTech Systems, Inc. 
DISCLAIMER 
The authors’ 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 GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................... i
Acronyms ........................................................................................................................... ii
I. Executive Summary ..............................................................................................1
II. Assessment Methodology .....................................................................................3
III. The Positive Effects of Gender Equality on Poverty and Economic Growth..........4
IV. GATE Overview ....................................................................................................6
V. GATE Design and Implementation Approach........................................................7
VI. GATE Assistance Approach..................................................................................9
VII. How GATE Assistance Changed USAID Mission Programs...............................10
VIII. USAID Mission Commitment...............................................................................17
IX. How to Disseminate GATE Findings and Lessons Learned................................18
X. Findings and Lessons Learned ...........................................................................19
Annex 1: List of GATE Assessment Interviews .............................................................22 
Annex 2: Interview Questionnaire for USAID Washington and Other Donors ...............30
Annex 3: Interview Questionnaire for USAID Missions and Partner Field Staff ............32
Annex 4: List of GATE Analytical Studies and Publications..........................................34
Annex 5: List of GATE Activities and Results ...............................................................39
Annex 6: Scope of Work...............................................................................................42
i USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
Acknowledgments 
This report was written by the team leader, Joseph Lieberson, Economist and 
Evaluator, and Danka Rapic, Gender Analyst, with valuable input from Misrak 
Brhane, Program Analyst, USAID/WID office and Daniela Wiener, Education 
Specialist. Sincere thanks go to the GATE staff for responding to our requests 
for information and resources in a speedy manner, and to the Mission staff at 
USAID/Kenya, USAID/Bangladesh, USAID/Albania, USAID/Peru, USAID/South 
Africa, and USAID/Dominican Republic for participating in our interviews. In 
addition, thanks are extended to implementation partners who agreed to be 
interviewed and to provide feedback about the GATE project. Their collaboration 
and assistance greatly contributed to the completion of this assessment.
 
ii USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Acronyms 
AAC Albania Agriculture Competitiveness
CAP Country Action Plan
COSATU South African trade union
dTS Development & Training Services, Inc.
EG Economic Growth
GATE Greater Access to Trade Expansion
GDP Gross domestic product
ICT Information and communications technology
IQC Indefinite Quantity Contract
IR Intermediate Result
IWID Investing in Women in Development
LDC Least Developed Country
MARKETS Maximizing Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites 
M&E Monitoring & Evaluation
MFA Multi Fiber Agreement
MYPE Micro and Small Enterprise Facilitation Program
NGO Non-governmental organization
PAF Policy Action Framework
PPP Purchasing power parity
PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
RFPs Requests for Proposals
SME Small and medium enterprises
SO Strategic Objective
TIPS Trade and Industry Policy Secretariat
UNDP United Nations Development Program
USAID United States Agency for International Development
WID Women in Development
WTO World Trade Organization
1 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
I. Executive Summary 
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) implements 
trade capacity building programs to promote economic growth and poverty 
reduction in developing countries. Although increased trade can have positive 
effects on a country’s economic growth, poor women and men are frequently ill￾positioned to take advantage of trade-related opportunities. Lack of education, 
access to resources and gender inequalities are some of the factors that 
contribute to the disadvantages the poor face when participating in global 
markets. 
USAID’s Greater Access to Trade Expansion (GATE) project, implemented by 
Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), worked with seven USAID 
Missions to integrate the needs of the poor, particularly women, into their trade 
and economic growth activities. In each country it identified key constraints, best 
practices and knowledge gaps and provided gender training for USAID Mission 
staff and implementing partners. Building on gender and trade assessments, 
GATE identified practical policies and programs to expand trade opportunities 
and to help women overcome barriers to economic participation and generate 
greater income. It worked with Missions on relevant actions for government 
agencies, USAID and the donor community. 
GATE staff recognized that USAID’s Economic Growth (EG) trade economists 
may be skeptical of the value of gender analysis in program and activity design. 
To win their support, GATE employed a pro-poor approach, focused on 
increasing the incomes of both poor men and women, rather than making women 
the sole focus of the project. The GATE methodology did, nonetheless, target 
the unique social and economic barriers that reduce the productivity and income 
of poor women. 
Rigorous economic analysis undertaken by GATE economists showed USAID 
Missions the benefits of including gender considerations in their poverty 
reduction programs. Within the framework of a pro-poor approach, GATE used 
value chain analysis to examine how value is added at each stage of production, 
until a product is sold to the final customer. Value chain analysis identifies the 
distribution of actual and potential income at each stage of production and 
recognizes that market imperfections, information bottlenecks, and the scarcity of 
capital (financial, physical and human) confer unequal power and access to 
buyers and sellers. Identifying and addressing these problems can increase the 
ability of poor men and women to enter markets, scale-up their activities, and 
raise their productivity and bargaining power. GATE made recommendations for 
ways to improve efficiency, for instance, in three countries, Bangladesh, Kenya 
and Peru, based on sex disaggregated data generated from value chain analysis. 
The analysis made it possible to compare the differences in income and job 
2 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
security between men and women at each stage in the production process, 
toward improved opportunities for women. 
GATE had programs in seven countries. Peru, Kenya and Bangladesh were 
successful; Albania’s start-up was slow, but has potential; and South Africa, 
Nigeria and the Dominican Republic offered more limited results. GATE gender 
training programs were thorough and appropriate to USAID and implementing 
partner needs. All participants gave the training high marks for educating 
Mission and partner staff on poverty and gender issues. Mission staff recognized 
the quality of GATE analytical reports, value chain analysis and technical 
assistance. Most Missions said they would like additional GATE help in the 
future. 
In Peru, even with strong support from Mission management and with 
understanding of significance of gender prior to GATE, Mission and 
implementation partner staff were disengaged. However, changes in attitudes 
and commitment followed GATE training workshops on how gender roles affect 
project success and poverty reduction. USAID/Peru has incorporated the 
lessons from GATE into the design of two new EG activities. 
In Kenya, USAID and partner staff were aware of the importance of gender, but 
lacked knowledge and skills required for successful implementation. GATE 
training and technical assistance showed how to better address gender issues, 
and several partners appreciated GATE’s emphasis on financial efficiency and 
competitiveness. Some partners are confident enough to collect and analyze 
gender data for their design and Performance Management Plans, and to train 
their own staff on gender integration issues. 
 
In Bangladesh, GATE entered an environment where gender was already a 
Mission priority, and where gender integration was overwhelmingly present in 
procurement and implementation stages of EG activities. GATE training and 
research complemented ongoing Mission gender activities, contributed to the 
partners understanding of USAID’s gender approach, and increased 
collaboration between the Mission and the implementing partners. 
In Albania, GATE provided gender training and analysis to help the Mission 
develop its $10 million Albania Agricultural Competitiveness (AAC) Project and a 
new micro-entrepreneurs credit program. Absent the GATE intervention, gender 
would not have been seriously considered in those designs. Prospects look 
strong for gender considerations to be included in future Mission programs. 
In the Dominican Republic, gender awareness was raised through GATE 
training courses focusing on the unemployment problem facing women garment 
workers. Although the GATE study was well received, USAID was unable to fund 
an employment program. The government and other donors lacked interest in 
funding employment programs. Unemployment increased and little was done in 
the wake of GATE’s analysis. 
3 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
In Nigeria, GATE analysis was completed on one crop -- cowpeas. The USAID 
MARKETS project found the GATE study of the informal sector interesting 
although its own focus was on large farmers and processors. GATE 
recommendations were not used by USAID, other donors or the government. 
The departure of the Mission ―gender champion‖ may have contributed to the 
loss of interest in GATE’s recommendations. 
In South Africa, the research was done almost completely by local academics 
and was not appropriate to USAID or government needs. The GATE research 
also had the misfortune of being completed after a change in Mission EG officers 
and a new Mission strategy that moved sharply away from the GATE topics of
trade and micro-enterprise. 
GATE undertook to develop trade-capacity building programs that integrated 
gender perspectives in seven countries over a five-year period. A range of 
lessons were learned: 
 commitment to gender issues from senior Mission management and from 
local staff was important for sustainability; 
 gender trainings that targeted local staff enabled Mission commitment to 
gender integration to be sustained, despite the more rapid turnover of 
direct-hire staff; 
 the more all-encompassing pro-poor approach, whose focus extended 
beyond women, but placed gender at the analytic forefront, ensured 
greater buy-in; 
 support for gender-informed economic analysis appealed to trade 
economists and could be successfully combined with hands-on gender 
trainings for staff and implementers; and 
 GATE implementation strategies should be tailored to the circumstances 
of each individual country. 
II. Assessment Methodology 
This assessment analyzes the GATE project’s ability to improve USAID Mission 
and implementing partner approaches to trade and economic growth activities 
related to gender and poverty. It identifies lessons learned and best practices 
and covers both successes and challenges. 
Most of the work was done in Washington, through a review of 64 GATE program 
studies, reports and evaluations along with other project data. Since documents 
may not give the full flavor of an activity, it was necessary to collect information 
from a broad range of people familiar with GATE activities. This included GATE 
staff, USAID staff, consultants, and implementing partners. (Annex 1). They 
shared the same goals but each had a slightly different perspective on GATE and 
its implementation. Two different interview questionnaires were used: one for 
4 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
GATE staff and Washington contacts and the other for USAID Mission staff and 
partner field staff. A total of 62 interviews took place -- 9 were done in 
Washington, 44 were done overseas and another 9 overseas interviews were 
done by phone from Washington. (Annexes 2 and 3). Despite the fact that each 
country had unique circumstances, many similar statements were used to 
describe GATE and its effectiveness. When we heard the same points made by 
three or more people in different countries (and no strong dissent from others), it 
was reasonable to accept that point of view. USAID implementing partners at 
times had a different perspective from USAID staff. Their views were highlighted 
as long as three partners mentioned an issue. 
Due to cost considerations, a number of interviews were conducted over the 
phone. They included interviews with USAID staff, implementing partners and 
individuals no longer associated with the project, covering four out of seven 
countries. This type of data collection saves time and money, but it was still 
useful to ―ground-truth‖ the findings by visiting three GATE countries – Kenya, 
Bangladesh and Peru. Field visits provided an opportunity to receive additional 
feedback from USAID staff and implementing partners. The Assessment team 
consisted of two primary members – an economist (team leader) and a gender 
specialist. The team was supported by a Program Analyst from the WID office 
who accompanied the team leader to Kenya, and an Education Specialist, who 
did a short field survey in Peru. The team leader alone did the field work in 
Bangladesh. 
III. The Positive Effects of Gender Equality on Poverty and 
Economic Growth 
Although not approaching its implementation from a ―women in development‖ 
perspective, GATE has recognized the importance of gender equality and 
women’s participation in poverty reduction and economic growth activities. 
Micro-level activities where women are active participants have shown significant 
benefits. Women produce and consume, manage businesses and households, 
earn income, borrow and save, and are an increasing share of the world’s wage 
labor force. 1
 Understanding how women access markets as producers and 
wage laborers is critical for fostering pro-poor and inclusive economic growth. 
Analyzing where women are in the global supply chain and the resources they 
use provides information on how to strengthen local economies and maximize 
forward and backward linkages. Reducing barriers to market access and 
enhancing women’s productivity benefits both economies and households. 
Women also have an entrepreneurial role. Women-run businesses tend to be 
small- and medium-sized enterprises, usually in the informal sector. 
Entrepreneurship and investment influence their rate and pattern of growth, the 
 
1
 Gammage, Diamond and Packman, GATE dTS ,―Enhancing Women’s Access to Markets: An Overview of 
Donor Programs and Best Practices‖ (October 2005). 
5 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
types of forward and backward linkages that develop in an economy, the labor 
demanded, and the human capital investment required to meet labor demands. 
Women with little more than their labor to sell are likely to cluster in the informal 
economy in small production units. The small but growing group of women 
entrepreneurs faces new opportunities and constraints in scaling up their 
economic activities and entering new markets. Analyzing the factors that make 
women vulnerable, or less able to take advantage of opportunities to expand and 
upgrade their activities, is essential for the appropriate design and delivery of 
policy, programs, and projects. 
Additionally, there are economic benefits at the macro or national level related to 
gender equality. The World Bank recently analyzed data from a broad range of 
economic studies to identify the role of gender equity and women’s 
empowerment in increasing a developing nation’s overall economic growth rate.
2
The economic analysis examined women’s opportunities, rights and voice in 
relation to access to land, jobs and credit. 
Economists have long recognized that improved human capital (abilities, skills 
and knowledge) increases economic growth and income. Improved human 
capital depends in large part on improved welfare from better nutrition, health 
and education. An improved enabling environment of economic policies, laws, 
cultural practices and market access increases economic opportunities for poor 
men and women, which increases economic growth. Existence of gender-related 
barriers has a negative impact on overall economic growth. 
To test that theory, the World Bank analyzed studies done in 73 developing 
countries. To measure quality of life, it used the UNDP Human Development 
Index3
 for men and women in developing countries. The study compared the 
female-to-male Human Development Index ratios for each country. It found 
higher economic growth rates in countries where gender inequality was low. It 
then compared the female-to-male ratio to the percent of the total population 
living in poverty. When the Index ranking of women lagged far behind men, 
poverty was high. When the index for women was higher, poverty rates were 
lower. A good example is Kenya, where the World Bank4
 found that addressing 
gender-based inequalities could immediately increase GDP growth by 4.3 
percent, followed by an increase in GDP annual growth of 2-3 percent in future 
years, clearly demonstrating the linkage between macro economic growth rates, 
poverty and gender equality. 
 
2 Morrison, Raju, Sinha. ―Gender Equality, Poverty and Economic Growth.‖ World Bank Working Paper 4349 
(September 2007). 
3 The Human Development Index combines three elements: 1) life expectancy at birth, as an index of 
population health and longevity; 2) knowledge and education, as measured by the adult literacy rate and the 
combined primary, secondary, and tertiary gross enrollment ratio; and 3) standard of living, as measured by 
per capita gross domestic product (GDP), at purchasing power parity (PPP), in U. S. dollars. 
4
Ellis, A., et al., Gender and Economic Growth in Kenya, World Bank (2007).
6 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Since gender considerations had not always been prominent in USAID EG 
programs, GATE was a way to introduce these concepts into design and 
implementation of economic growth activities. 
IV. GATE Overview 
GATE’s overall objective was to help USAID Missions, Operating Units and 
USAID implementation partners integrate the needs of the poor, particularly poor 
women, into their trade and economic growth activities. To improve USAID’s 
institutional capacity, GATE provided training and technical assistance to USAID 
Missions to identify gender-based constraints in trade activities. GATE 
developed innovative analyses of gender-differentiated trade opportunities and 
the problems faced by the poor. It assisted with new approaches and 
interventions to remove gender-based impediments. It then disseminated this 
analysis. GATE also assisted the WID Office in meeting its own Strategic 
Objective (SO)5
 and Intermediate Results (IR).6
The GATE Program
Overall GATE program objectives:
Provide technical assistance or program development assistance to seven USAID Missions and
Operating Units.
Develop trade capacity-building programs that integrate a gender perspective.
Two major areas of focus are:
A. Identify gender-based constraints in labor intensive export industries and develop 
interventions to alleviate those constraints.
Gender sensitive trade risk assessments associated with elimination of the Multi Fiber
Agreement (MFA). This helps USAID understand the potential impact on jobs, wages and 
working conditions. Developing gender-sensitive assistance to mitigate the negative impacts of 
the end of the MFA.
Improve workforce skills to help workers advance to higher positions or to new work if they
become displaced.
Strengthen the capacity of non-governmental organizations and other partners to address issues
and policies affecting workers.
Building country level capacity to inform policy makers of the employment concerns associated
with export industries.
B. Identify gender-based constraints associated with trade and interventions to deal with those 
constraints.
Conduct gender assessments of technical assistance needs related to trade agreements and
trade participation constraints. Identify and set priorities for developing trade capacity 
assistance activities that will stimulate economic growth, reduce poverty and reflect gender 
needs.
Conduct research on the gender implications of macro-economic policy interventions aimed at
lessening negative impacts (e.g. regional common external tariffs).
Assess Mission trade facilitating mechanisms and design gender equitable interventions that can
be a model for replication by other USAID Missions.
 
5
 SO #8: Gender Considerations in USAID's Development, Humanitarian and Transition 
Work Better Reflected 
6
 IR #1: New knowledge/information on gender issues generated and disseminated; and IR #2: 
Organizational and technical capacity to apply gender-responsive approaches increased. 
7 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
V. GATE Design and Implementation Approach 
GATE’s first priority was to identify participating country Missions. 
USAID/Washington sent a cable to all field Missions describing the program and 
the selection criteria.7
 Eighteen Missions sent in proposals. Ten applicants 
faced problems from the start. For some, timing was a problem; one only wanted 
to support existing contractors; in another country there was no in-country USAID 
Mission; one lacked an EG Strategic Objective that included trade; while security 
and political conditions were a problem in others. Eight countries were selected: 
Peru, Albania, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Bangladesh, Vietnam and the 
Dominican Republic. Vietnam dropped out because the Mission was not fully 
staffed and had to devote full attention to an Avian flu outbreak. 
The GATE project worked in logical stages to increase gender awareness. In 
each country it started with an identification of key constraints, best practices and 
knowledge gaps. The project then collaboratively worked with each Mission to 
develop a Country Action Plan (CAP). The CAP established a set of 
GATE/Mission agreed upon activities through which to integrate gender concerns 
into the Missions’ economic growth and trade portfolio. The CAP was a 
collaborative, multi-year plan. GATE provided training, analytical studies and 
implementation assistance and the Mission agreed to support those efforts. 
While each country program was tailored to local needs, generally GATE tasks 
included an overall ―Economic Snapshot,‖ training sessions to build Mission and 
partner gender knowledge and skills, analytical studies of specific sectors or 
products and finally, assistance in implementing the new approaches. 
GATE recognized the need to win the support of economists who approached 
economic growth issues without taking gender into consideration. Rather than 
making this a ―Women in Development‖ project, a pro-poor approach was used 
to increase the incomes of poor men and women. Compared to poor men, poor 
women face additional social and economic barriers that reduce their productivity 
and income. GATE used the value chain approach as its analytical tool, 
examining how value is added at each stage of production, from the start until a 
product or service is sold to the final customer. Analyzing the total value chain 
provides opportunities to target assistance, inputs and incentives to reduce an 
excessive number of intermediaries, increase the bargaining power of low 
income producers, and ensure appropriate technology, storage, and transport 
facilities that enable the poor to capture more of the value added. 
 
 
7
 The selection criteria included six questions: 
 Does the Mission Strategic Plan include economic growth activities that could effectively use GATE assistance? 
 Does the Mission have ideas on how GATE could complement existing activities and suggestions for new research 
and interventions? 
 Are there EG trade-related activities involving women that GATE could build upon and strengthen? 
 Are there good data available for GATE research and analysis? 
Are there effective local women’s research, economic or job creation organizations, especially among USAID 
partners? 
 Is there a recent gender assessment done by USAID or another donor? 
8 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Value chain analysis was used by the GATE economists to map the proportion of 
women to men at each node of a value chain. The relative earnings of women at 
each node are compared to men’s earnings at that node and also compared to 
actors at other nodes. Increasing the presence of women in nodes where 
significant value addition occurs is one method of empowering women, as is 
improving the quality of their product at each stage, thus allowing them to reap 
added value. 
 
Value chain analysis examines ways to improve productivity and income along 
the chain while distributing increased benefits to a greater number of poor men 
and women. Within the pro-poor framework, it explores the economic, 
organizational and asymmetrical relationships that exist between the actors who 
participate in the various segments of the value chain. It analyzes income and 
value added at each stage in the chain, the purchase and sale prices obtained by 
actors along the chain, and potential economic spillovers for other sectors. It can 
present several forecasts to explore the potential absorption of labor under 
different expansion scenarios. 
GATE produced three gender value chain analyses – Bangladesh, Kenya and 
Peru, which identified key problem areas where improvements could be made in 
terms of gender balance and increased equality between men and women. 
USAID Missions need to know what type of changes should be considered, how 
they should be implemented, who is responsible for the changes, and what 
actions are critical to success. 
At the end of each GATE value chain analysis there was a Policy Action Matrix 
that laid out the necessary ―what, how and who.‖ In a concise table it identified: a 
set of problems; possible actions to consider; needed activities that USAID, other 
donors or the government could launch; indicators to measure accomplishments; 
specific gender indicators; and the responsible agencies in the government. 
Value Chain Example: Bangladesh Shrimp Value Chain Analysis 
The Bangladesh shrimp value chain analysis identifies key problems and a 
specific set of recommended actions in its Policy Action Matrix. The value chain 
analysis found that income generated from shrimp exports is not broadly shared 
throughout the chain—there are marked differences in the benefits accruing to 
middlemen and exporters in contrast to the returns realized by farmers and 
shrimp fry catchers. Moreover, gender disparities permeate the chain, reflecting 
occupational segmentation, wage inequality, and job insecurity for women. 
A Bangladesh GATE consultant pointed out: ―It is useful to understand the 
significance of sex of people actually making transactions at each node. This is 
where key decisions on price, inputs, and product quantity and quality are 
negotiated. In Bangladesh, for example, restrictions on the mobility of women 
mean that few rural women enter the market place as vendors or as purchasers. 
9 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
None of them are middlemen, the critical players between producers and 
retailers. Due to their distance from the consumer, women may lack a good 
understanding of consumer requirements. One way of increasing women’s say in 
negotiations is by ensuring accurate information flows to women at each node.‖ 
The most vulnerable actors in the value chain occupy the least secure 
employment, depend on resources they do not own, and have limited 
opportunities to upgrade their production or change the terms and conditions of 
their labor or product sales. Women are concentrated in the more flexible and 
insecure nodes of the value chain as shrimp fry catchers, farm laborers, and 
workers in shrimp processing plants. Insecurity in the chain is synonymous with 
low incomes and a greater vulnerability to poverty. 
In order to increase the opportunities and benefits from trade, there is an urgent 
need to raise productivity and improve production methods in the shrimp sector. 
A key problem is the excessive number of inefficient intermediaries. Significant 
losses and spoilage occur as the fry or shrimp pass through multiple 
intermediaries before reaching the shrimp farm or processing plant. Additional 
efforts need to be made to reduce indebtedness lower down the value chain to 
allow producers to sell in local markets without being tied to lenders. 
Indebtedness binds fry-catchers and farmers into contracts with intermediaries 
that reduce their incomes. Finally, there is environmental damage from the way 
shrimp fry are caught and the way shrimp are raised along with social costs for 
those who receive low income, limited benefits and little economic security. 
The Policy Action Matrix identified the following key problems: low shrimp farm 
productivity, indebtedness, too many inefficient intermediaries, environmental 
damage and social welfare costs. It recommended actions, activities, and 
indicators including gender indicators. It then identified key actors who can work 
to solve the problems: Government of Bangladesh Agencies, exporters, 
processing plants, USAID, other donors and NGOs. 
VI. GATE Assistance Approach 
The Assessment team studied the GATE training materials and analytical 
studies. It then interviewed 62 people from USAID Missions, GATE staff, and 
partners in all seven countries about the GATE program. It examined the 
technical rigor and appropriateness of GATE economic, poverty and gender 
analysis, and the relevance of the recommendations provided in each country 
and the results achieved. 
Gender training programs were thorough and appropriate to USAID and partner 
needs. All interviewed participants gave the training high marks for educating 
Mission and partner staff on poverty and gender issues. Mission staff recognized 
the high quality of GATE analytical reports, value chain analyses and technical 
10 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
assistance. Most Missions said they would like additional GATE help in the 
future. 
The GATE approach of using pro-poor and value chain analysis to identify 
strengths and weaknesses in the production process is logical and effective. 
Once bottlenecks, inefficiencies and gender-specific obstacles are identified, it is 
possible to make sound recommendations for ways to improve efficiency. Since 
value chain analysis generated gender-differentiated data, it was possible to 
compare the differences in income and job security between men and women at 
each stage in the production process. 
Even with training and economic analysis, results were minimal in Nigeria, South 
Africa and the Dominican Republic. Those USAID Missions were committed at 
the start, but a change in Mission staff, a change in funding priorities, or a new 
program approach harmed the GATE program. In the other four countries, 
USAID Mission staff confirmed the value of GATE assistance. 
VII. How GATE Assistance Changed USAID Mission Programs 
A key measure of GATE success is the impact it had on USAID EG trade 
programs. Below are discussions of the relative signs of GATE’s impacts. 
Generally speaking, however, the three country programs (Bangladesh, Peru and 
Kenya), visited by the Assessment team, showed significant changes, and it 
appears that gender considerations will have an important role in their future 
programs. The remaining four countries were not visited by the Assessment 
team, and showed mixed results. Albania’s GATE program started slowly, after 
most of the other country programs, and some progress is evident in the 
Mission’s EG activities. The three remaining programs had more limited 
success, due to a variety of factors including difficult country conditions (Nigeria), 
staff turnover (South Africa) and lack of stakeholder coordination (Dominican 
Republic). 
Peru 
In Peru, compared to other countries, GATE found better data and senior USAID 
Mission management strongly interested in applying gender to its programs. 
However, two new EG activities have had limited benefits from GATE assistance. 
GATE prepared an economic snapshot of the economy covering trade, poverty 
and labor markets. It provided analytical studies of the artichoke sector; a trade 
impact review; a gender training course; and a review of the information and 
communication technology sector to improve agricultural and handicraft market 
access. 
The Assessment team interviewed nine USAID and partner staff. Although there 
was gender awareness at the Mission prior to GATE’s arrival, staff were 
11 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
disconnected from the actual processes of gender integration in the Mission 
programming. Changes in attitudes came only after training workshops helped 
staff understand how gender roles affect project success and poverty reduction, 
and how gender fits into economic growth activities. Gender training was 
particularly important for partners and Mission Peruvian staff. 
A senior Peru Mission Officer noted that some Mission staff and partners 
approached GATE with skepticism. They expected the program to be solely 
focused on women’s roles, but were surprised that GATE had solid economists 
who used analytical tools to address poverty. Mission staff moved from gender 
compliance to actually seeing gender as being an integral part in the success of 
the Economic Growth Program. 
A USAID partner and USAID staffers noted that top Mission management made 
gender integration a priority. GATE staff were very responsive and professional, 
and tailored their program to address the needs of the Mission. USAID staff had 
high praise for GATE training and analytical studies. 
The value chain analysis of the artichoke sector was a useful tool to identify 
different roles and benefits for poor men and women. The artichoke activity 
generated jobs, but women were concentrated in processing with lower wages, 
short-term contracts and little job security. GATE analysis served as an opening 
for discussions with the government on artichokes as an excellent crop for poor 
farmers, particularly those living in the highlands. 
As per USAID requirements, the Mission includes gender analysis in all scopes 
of work and RFPs. USAID has incorporated the lessons from GATE into the 
design of two new EG activities: one on competitiveness and one dealing with 
alternative development. GATE documents are referenced in the RFP bid 
documents for the new activities. A final area where GATE helped USAID 
Mission staff was with training and guidance on design and evaluation of 
activities. 
Several problems were noted. (1) Artichoke value chain analysis identified 
market failures and collusion at various points in the value chain, but the 
problems have not been solved. As a result, highland artichoke producers are 
still receiving low prices and are reportedly cutting back on production. (2) A 
USAID partner noted the difficulty in using value chain analysis for other crops 
since Peruvians do not understand overseas markets and the quality and 
sanitary requirements needed for exports. Additional donor or NGO assistance 
is needed. (3) For two new projects gender impact is limited. The Alternative 
Development Program includes a gender specialist and deals with cross-sector 
issues that include women. The project is working to mainstream gender at all 
levels but so far, gender policy changes and results are minimal. Project staff 
attitudes about gender integration are a problem. The MYPE Competitiveness 
Program lacks a gender specialist. Senior staff doubt whether gender relates to 
12 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
their project or whether gender affects economic growth. Women are included in 
activities where they traditionally have a role, but the project has not worked to 
include them in new areas. 
Kenya
The GATE Assessment Team interviewed over 20 USAID and implementing 
partner staff from seven organizations who had worked closely with the GATE 
project. GATE was very responsive and professional in addressing the Mission’s 
needs. USAID and partner staff had high praise for GATE training and analytical 
studies. 
Senior USAID Mission staff supported gender integration. But even stronger 
support came from working level staff, including the WID officer, CTOs and 
USAID implementing partners. In contrast to the top-down support in Peru, in 
Kenya it came from the bottom and moved upwards. 
GATE prepared an economic snapshot of the economy covering key sectors and 
trade, poverty, labor markets and gender inequalities. It then completed a 
gender assessment of Sustainable Conservation-Oriented Enterprises along with 
analysis of prospects for small agricultural producers. It presented a three-day 
gender training course for 29 participants from USAID and USAID implementing 
partners, dealing with gender and policy issues along with recommendations on 
how to integrate gender into activity designs. The training participants were 
aware of the importance of including gender in project activities, but lacked the 
knowledge and skills on how to do it. That is where GATE training and technical 
assistance proved useful. All of the partners gave the training high marks for 
showing them how to address gender issues and incorporate it into their work. 
For example, staff from the Kenya Agriculture Research Institute and the Kenya 
Horticulture Development Program held a gender workshop for their own 
headquarters staff and plan similar training for field staff. Partners are also 
collecting and analyzing gender data on their own, and no longer require the 
services of hired outside gender experts; they include gender considerations in 
their surveys; and they have expressed an interest in a potential buy-in of any 
future GATE-type program, as long as it meets their needs and timetable. 
However, some concerns were voiced as well. Several partners noted the 
challenge of incorporating gender mid-activity; and proposed longer and more 
targeted trainings (which would include M&E), as well as a better system for 
dissemination of GATE studies. Additionally, there was concern about 
sustainability of gender inclusion in EG activities after GATE ends. Suggested 
elements of moving forward included using local gender experts or building a 
local gender institution which would require USAID ―seed capital‖ and funding for 
short-term assistance from gender experts; as well as involvement with the U.S. 
Peace Corps. 
13 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
GATE helped on the implementation questions after its in-country work ended. It 
set up an electronic virtual team to provide support from Washington for USAID 
and partners. The partners knew what they wanted but needed guidance and 
advice on the mechanics of specific questions for specific activities. A partner 
would prepare a draft of a document, send it by e-mail to the GATE Kenya 
manager in Washington, and then receive specific suggestions. Partners often 
sent in draft Performance Management Plans and Work Plans for comments. 
Bangladesh 
GATE began working in Bangladesh in 2005, at a time when the USAID Mission 
was looking for a better way to do gender analysis and integrate gender in their 
programming. An Investing in Women in Development (IWID) Fellow had been 
in-country in 2003-2004, providing gender training and working with USAID 
Mission staff. Senior management strongly supported gender and the GATE pro￾poor approach. 
GATE produced 13 reports including overview documents: an economic 
snapshot of the economy covering trade, poverty, and markets; donor strategies 
and opportunities in dealing with gender, migration, and remittances; and a 
gender handbook and training materials for a gender workshop held in Dhaka in 
2005. On the trade side were general studies which included a trade impact 
review; a study of gender and trade liberalization; a general equilibrium analysis 
of the gender effects of trade; and a legal and regulatory analysis of trade and 
gender. There were also gender sector studies of the shrimp sector; ready-made 
garments; and opportunities for women in information and communications 
technology (ICT). 
USAID and its partners agree that GATE’s overall approach was on target for 
Bangladesh. Appropriate topics were identified and the analytical studies were of 
high quality. USAID and its partners were already using a pro-poor approach in 
their programs. Women are the poorest of the poor and excluding them from 
employment opportunities has a large economic cost. GATE’s pro-poor 
approach of encouraging economic efficiency and competitiveness fit perfectly in 
Bangladesh. Value chain analysis identified both problems and opportunities at 
every point in the production process. 
GATE worked well with USAID and implementation partners and all stakeholders 
were involved. A typical comment was that gender training was practical and 
operational, not just theory. GATE research studies were an excellent way to 
identify policy issues that the government and stakeholders could deal with. 
While all agreed that the studies were needed and useful, there were some 
complaints. A partner noted that the GATE study it worked on was short on 
GATE funding, done too quickly and did not cover a large enough sample. The 
NGO put in its own staff time and money to close the gap, which demonstrated 
its commitment to the end result, despite obstacles. Another partner said that 
14 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
when activities were in mid-stream, it was hard to revise an activity to include 
new gender requirements. Making sure that gender was included was most 
successful with new activities. 
Almost all found GATE’s Policy Action Framework (PAF), at the end of each 
analytical study, a useful way to list needed reforms. A PAF critic said the 
recommendations were too general, including generic problems that affect many 
sectors of the economy. As a result, it often took years before changes occurred 
and many problems still exist. Donors, NGOs and the government need more 
specific and practical direction on what should be done for a specific sector. 
As a direct result of GATE assistance, USAID funding of new activities with the 
World Fish Center, cyclone reconstruction, and the competitiveness (PRICE) 
activity all include a strong gender component. The Fish Center found several 
GATE suggestions useful. Cyclone assistance is being targeted to female￾headed households and gender benefits are an important part of reconstruction. 
The executive director of the Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation worked 
closely with GATE as it started its program and then worked with the Ministry of 
Fisheries to prepare a pro-poor and women’s road map for the Bangladesh 
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). On the negative side, USAID’s 
environment and energy programs have faced challenges and the partner 
working on the USAID competitiveness project has been slow to include gender 
in its program. 
Since there is always staff turnover and new partners, it is important to spread 
and reinforce the gender ideas and approach GATE developed for Bangladesh. 
Not all of the partners attended the 2-day gender training session. Some within 
USAID had seen only one or two GATE studies. Most partners had not seen any 
GATE Bangladesh studies and both USAID staff and partners were unaware of 
GATE studies in other countries. To deal with that problem, the USAID Mission 
expressed an interest in disseminating the GATE Bangladesh studies and 
reports within USAID and to implementation partners. The field assessment 
team gave the Mission a list of GATE Bangladesh publications and the Mission 
has access to the GATE web pages at the WID Office website. 
Looking to the future, USAID/Bangladesh staff and most partners understand the 
importance of gender analysis in development programs. There is no need to 
create gender sensitivity with additional training programs -- it is already there. 
But it is important to keep the existing knowledge base strong, especially given 
staff turnover. Short refresher courses could keep knowledge from being lost. 
On the implementation side, it would be useful for partners to have expert help 
with practical application of gender theory to activity designs, work plans, M&E 
Plans, etc. In the future, the USAID Mission might be willing to fund follow-on 
assistance or buy-in to a GATE-type contract. The problem is not their 
willingness to fund gender experts, but a budget timing problem. The Mission 
budget locks things in at least two years in advance. USAID/Washington must 
15 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
let the Mission know well in advance if assistance will be available and the 
Mission might then reserve funds. 
Albania 
GATE worked on building gender awareness and labor market data in Albania. 
USAID local national staff and partner staff had a low level of gender awareness 
and there was no Mission gender officer. GATE prepared an economic snapshot 
of the economy covering trade, poverty and labor markets. Gender training was 
provided to help USAID and partner staff understand the essential underpinnings 
of sex versus gender, that is, the difference between socio-culturally determined 
and biological attributes. 
To help the government and USAID, there was a GATE research paper with 
recommendations on labor market gender information, data gaps and data 
needs. A research paper analyzed Albania’s micro and small entrepreneur’s 
financial skills, attitudes and behavior. GATE helped the Mission with gender 
training and analysis as it developed its $10 million Albania Agricultural 
Competitiveness Project and a new micro-entrepreneurs credit program. 
According to Mission staff, gender has already been integrated in an ongoing 
economic growth project’s performance monitoring plan.
Dominican Republic 
In the Dominican Republic, with the end of the Multi Fiber Agreement, future 
unemployment problems were correctly anticipated by the Mission. Dominican 
Republic garment exports to the U.S. would decline sharply, and women were 
the bulk of the workers in garment factories. The Mission was interested in a 
retraining program or other efforts for women workers who would lose their jobs. 
GATE provided the Mission with gender training and an ―Economic Snapshot‖ of 
the economy covering trade, poverty and labor markets. It prepared an analytical 
study of future unemployment in the free trade zone and supported meetings with 
USAID, the government, World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. 
While all actors were interested in the problem and found the GATE studies and 
recommendations relevant and potentially useful, no one came forward to 
champion a solution. Subsequently, a change in Mission management led to 
further disengagement from the issue and, in the end, no action was taken. 
Nigeria 
In Nigeria, GATE prepared an Economic Snapshot covering the economy, trade, 
poverty and labor markets, and produced a sector-specific analysis on one crop - 
cowpeas, with no indication that the recommendations were adopted. At the time 
of the GATE country visit, political problems made travel difficult. As a result, 
GATE did only the cowpea study, in response to interest from the USAID funded 
16 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
MARKETS project. The GATE study identified the major role of women in the 
value chain, and providing a list of recommendations. 
The MARKETS project found the study useful since it pointed out the importance 
of women in cowpea production and processing and the need to improve their 
business skills through training. However, the project did not use GATE 
recommendations as it dealt with the formal sector and large processors, rather 
than the informal producers and processors covered in the GATE study. The 
lack of USAID follow-up might also have been due to the departure of the USAID 
gender specialist who had been the GATE champion. 
South Africa 
South Africa Mission staff changes, a changing USAID program and research 
that lacked appropriate program recommendation meant limited impact. There 
was a GATE Economic Snapshot, a micro-enterprise paper, the Research Brief 
on the ―Gender Dimensions of the Incidence of Tariff Liberalization‖ and the
analysis of ―How Trade Liberalization in South Africa Has Affected Men and 
Women Differently.‖ The USAID Mission wanted the tariff and trade studies to 
meet the needs of the South African Government Trade and Industry 
Department, Trade and Industry Policy Secretariat (TIPS), COSATU (the trade 
union) and the Treasury. 
The trade liberalization study used a dynamic general equilibrium and micro 
simulation model. It was academic and not policy oriented. It provided analysis 
for government policymakers which the Mission viewed as the primary audience. 
It is not clear if the South African Government used the GATE studies. For 
USAID, there were almost no actionable recommendations. The Research Brief 
provided a good explanation of the winners and losers of trade liberalization, but 
offered only general recommendations rather than specific actions USAID might 
consider. There was also a GATE micro-enterprise paper, which was too 
academic and did not provide information in a form that USAID could use in its 
program and activity development. 
In other countries, GATE made a point of using a team of international experts 
familiar with USAID needs, along with local gender and trade experts. That type 
of team makes the best use of those who understand the host government and 
the local economy and society along with those who have worked on similar 
problems in other countries and understand USAID needs. In South Africa, the 
research was done almost completely by local academic experts and was not 
appropriate to USAID Mission needs. 
There was an additional problem. The GATE research had the misfortune of 
being completed after a change in Mission EG officers, when questions were 
being raised about the EG strategy and funding priorities. The Mission went 
through strategy reviews and developed a new Operations Plan. The new EG 
17 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
program centered on small and medium enterprise (SME) competitiveness and 
SME finance. Trade was no longer an EG priority. On the question of why 
GATE studies were not used, a USAID Mission economist noted that: 
“The GATE activities were not relevant to our program. We don't have 
micro-enterprise activities in South Africa, and we don't have trade policy 
liberalization activities either (which were both GATE research topics). 
We have a strong gender component in our SME development activity, but 
the design was based on other studies and assessments done specific to 
that program.” 
 
VIII. USAID Mission Commitment 
GATE provided excellent analytical studies and training. But that did not assure 
that proposed efforts would be fully implemented. In each Mission it depended 
on how gender ranks compared to other USAID priorities; whether Mission 
management has a strong interest in gender; and staff turnover and institutional 
memory. 
USAID Mission Funding of GATE Assistance 
GATE looked for Mission demand but was heavily supply-driven, as it had a 
product to deliver. The assistance it offered was free whereas, in general, a 
Mission requiring short-term assistance from the WID Office pays for a portion of 
the total costs. Free services result in high demand, but may be used 
ineffectively. For example, in several GATE countries results were limited. 
The Assessment team asked USAID staff in each of the seven countries whether 
they would have participated in the GATE program if there had been a required 
financial buy-in. All said that GATE provided useful services, but their budgets 
were tight and they doubted whether they could have found Mission funding. 
Training and research, especially when it comes to gender, often are low 
priorities when money is tight. In addition, at the start, they were not sure if 
GATE would be useful. Since GATE was new and unknown, they would not 
have requested GATE assistance, even if the buy-in was a small financial cost. 
In regards to paying for a follow-on GATE project, most said it might be difficult to 
get Mission funding. In addition, the USAID Mission budget process requires that 
money be allocated at least two years ahead of time. 
There was interest in operational assistance. Several countries said GATE 
helped them understand how to design EG programs that integrate gender 
considerations. They are now in the next stage where they need program and 
operational help. They probably could find funds if it could help them design a 
new strategy, new activities or do an evaluation. 
18 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
One person noted that it was difficult to get GATE staff to come on the dates they 
were needed in the field. In their view, it seemed that GATE had ad hoc funding 
and scheduling which made it difficult to meet Mission needs. They suggested 
that, if a new program is to be launched, there should be a multi-year agreement 
between GATE and the Mission. Also, they would be happy to provide funding if 
they could get the required gender skills when they needed them. 
Management Commitment 
Several stakeholders noted that a financial buy-in is one way to measure Mission 
commitment, but there are other ways. All agreed that when senior Mission 
management recognized and supported gender considerations, staff commitment 
followed. But management needs to make sure that a gender plan is in place 
and that performance is monitored to see if it is taken seriously. Gender should 
not be just an add-on but integrated at each stage of the process -- strategy, 
activity design, contract scopes of work and monitoring and evaluation. One 
Mission suggested that managers should recognize those who take gender 
seriously with awards and good annual performance ratings. On the negative 
side, a stakeholder noted, attention or inattention to gender rarely resulted in 
rewards or punishment for staff or managers. 
In some Missions, management recognized gender along with other priorities. 
They did not give gender special emphasis and there was limited support from 
the top. When working in that situation, GATE raised awareness and knowledge 
of the CTOs and line staff with a bottom up approach. 
Mission Institutional Memory 
Even with good gender training and assistance, knowledge dissipates rapidly. 
USAID direct hire staff turnover is a given, based on two- and four-year cycles. 
In that situation, it is hard to maintain an institutional memory when staff do not 
know what the Mission did a few years ago. Several people pointed out that 
continuity is helped by long-term local employees. 
There is also the problem of limited knowledge of what has been done in other 
countries. The Assessment team asked all country staff if they were aware of 
GATE reports from other countries. While there were different programs in 
different countries they all faced similar gender problems. Several people had 
seen one or two reports but most were unaware of other country research and 
lessons. They appeared to be unaware of the availability of GATE reports, per 
se, whether online or via Washington. 
IX. How to Disseminate GATE Findings and Lessons Learned 
In the assessment interviews, Mission and partner staff were asked whether they 
had seen materials produced for their country or other GATE countries. In 
19 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
general, the response was negative. Even if Mission staff had come across the 
studies, frequently, they had not read them. It was suggested that short 
summaries of each study be made available to participating countries; in fact, 
GATE has produced research briefs of some of their publications and these are 
available. (The GATE web pages on the WID Office website contain all 
publication deliverables, including summaries and tools produced by GATE over 
the course of the project.) 
Suggestions were made that the format for GATE web pages be made more 
user-friendly, in particular by cross-referencing materials not only by country, but 
by function/type (i.e., tools, studies, etc.). Functionality in the GATE web pages 
would also be enhanced by allowing GATE participants-- Mission staff, 
implementing partners, local NGOs-- from all seven countries to share their 
experiences with each other. 
Promoting conferences and workshops, both in Washington and overseas, is 
another way of disseminating key GATE messages, lessons learned, best 
practices, and policy and program implications related to its work. Indeed, this 
process has already begun: GATE organized and funded a December 2008 
regional workshop at USAID/Kenya with participation from Missions from 
Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda on gender and lessons learned from GATE. 
Going forward, during Spring and Summer 2009, the project will facilitate three 
Washington-based events on the following topics: 1) New knowledge/information 
on gender issues; 2) Organizational and technical capacity to apply gender￾responsive approaches; and 3) The launch of the GATE Gender in Value Chains 
Handbook. 
Additional hard copy and electronic distribution of GATE materials to USAID, 
partners, and other stakeholders will continue to be supported. Other channels 
for online dissemination might more systematically target existing clearing 
houses, such as USAID’s Global Development Commons, or other portals like 
www.awid.org , www.eldis.org, or www.developmentgateway.org. 
X. Findings and Lessons Learned 
As a result of GATE’s assistance, more than half of participating Missions have 
successfully integrated gender in their EG programming. GATE’s diverse 
approaches, including economic studies, trainings and provision of EG tools 
(especially the pro-poor and gender-oriented value chain analysis) have
contributed to a variety of lessons learned: 
Building Commitment 
 USAID staff respond when senior management makes it clear that an issue is 
important and management intends to monitor performance. GATE found 
20 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
that gender was given that type of support in some USAID Missions but not in 
others. 
 Most USAID Missions have a Woman in Development (WID) officer, who 
quite often has multiple responsibilities competing for attention. While GATE 
always worked closely with the WID officer, often an even stronger champion 
was found in the EG office or senior management. 
 USAID American staff rotate out of a USAID Mission every few years, which 
can lead to loss of institutional memory and continuity in programming. To 
deal with that problem, GATE included local national staff, contractors and 
partners in training programs and analytical research efforts. 
 GATE used a Country Action Plan (CAP), which created a collaborative 
agreement. It was not a legal contract but a joint written commitment. The 
USAID Mission and GATE each agreed on their individual responsibilities, 
activities and a timeline to achieve the objectives. The CAP was a good tool 
to keep everyone’s attention on getting the agreed job done. 
Integrating Gender - The GATE Approach 
 Mission technical specialists receive requests from a number of USAID 
special interest groups who have ideas on how to improve activities. They 
include a wide range of topics such as climate change, disaster 
preparedness, labor unions, faith-based and community groups, public private 
partnerships, volunteers for prosperity, White House initiatives, etc. Gender 
is often viewed warily as another special interest. USAID Missions agreed 
that GATE avoided being just another special interest group. It addressed 
gender through the more all-encompassing pro-poor approach, which may 
hold greater appeal to trade economists. 
 Many economists see relations between men and women as a given and 
work to improve economic growth with an emphasis on poverty reduction. 
They are wary of gender or cultural analysis. By using quantitative, pro-poor 
economic analysis GATE effectively used the language of economics to reach 
out to Mission economists, especially those skeptical of gender issues. 
 USAID economists need sound economic analysis with specific 
recommendations on how to support pro-poor trade programs. Gender is an 
important part of a pro-poor approach. GATE used a value chain to analyze 
production and marketing. It identified skill levels and value added along with 
the wages and profits at each stage. It made it possible to see at which 
stages women are concentrated and when both men and women work at the 
same tasks, what is the wage difference between men and women. A value 
chain provided a sound economic analysis of impediments to women’s 
access to jobs, finance and goods and services markets. 
21 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Implementation 
 GATE had a logical sequence in its country programs. A general overview of 
the economy and identification of key gender issues was the first step. 
Gender understanding was developed through workshops for USAID and 
partner staff. To make the training relevant, GATE tied it to specific technical 
issues or programs of importance to the USAID Mission. Crop or sector 
analysis followed and, finally, assistance with activity designs and RFPs. The 
sequence of awareness, training, sector studies and support for activities was 
not always followed since meeting Mission priorities and gaining Mission 
support was important. For example, doing sector analysis early on, rather 
than later, could be a way to gain Mission commitment. By demonstrating 
how gender issues could be identified and addressed, a Mission could see 
the value of what GATE was doing. 
 GATE assistance was keyed to the needs of USAID and its implementation 
partners. Partners needed to know how to integrate gender into the programs 
they were implementing with USAID funding. The partners were appreciative 
when they received gender training before they designed a new activity, as 
this then resulted in gender integration from design through implementation 
stages. On the other hand, it was difficult to incorporate gender 
considerations into an ongoing activity. 
 For the analytical studies, GATE used a team approach of local researchers 
and GATE experts. This included those who understand the host government 
and the local economy and society along with those who have worked on 
similar problems in other countries and understand USAID needs. That was 
an ideal approach. In South Africa, where that approach was not used, 
results were disappointing. 
 GATE set up a virtual electronic team to provide technical help to USAID 
Kenya and its partners as they implemented activities. A GATE analyst in 
Washington was available to answer e-mail inquiries from Kenya. This 
approach got off to a slow start and did not pick up speed until GATE took a 
more activist approach of offering assistance mainly on documents that 
required USAID approval, such as work plans, Performance Management 
Plans or evaluations. GATE provided suggestions that were useful for the 
preparation of the work plan for the Kenya Dairy Sector Competitiveness 
Program. An electronic virtual team could be useful in other countries, 
particularly as a way to support USAID partners. 
22 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Annex I: List of GATE Assessment Interviews 
Name Organization Connection to the GATE Project
Peter Davis Gate Project Director
Development & Training 
Services, Inc
Senior GATE Manager
Cristina Manfre GATE Program Manager 
Development & Training 
Services, Inc
Kenya gender training materials and 
training sessions/Kenya Gender 
Assessment of Sustainable Conservation￾Oriented Enterprises Report/Peru gender 
training materials and training sessions/ 
Peru Economic Snapshot/ Peru Artichoke 
Value Chain Analytical Report
Kara Nichols 
Barrett
GATE Research and 
Program Manager, 
Development & Training 
Services, Inc
Albania Economic Snapshot/ Albania 
Entrepreneurs Assessment Report/ 
Albania Gender Dimensions of the Labor 
Market Report/ Albania Gender Training 
Materials and Training Sessions/ 
Dominican Republic Economic Snapshot/ 
Kenya Economic Snapshot/ Women in the 
Economy: A Review of Recent Literature
Kristy Cook GATE Development 
Specialist Development & 
Training Services, Inc
Deborah Rubin Former GATE Consultant Albania Training Materials and Training 
Sessions on Agriculture and Agribusiness/ 
Kenya and Albania Value Chain Analytical 
Reports/ Kenya Gender Assessment of 
Sustainable Conservation-Oriented 
Enterprises Report
Edward Lijewski USAID Office of Women in 
Development 
GATE Contract Technical Officer
Sarah Gammage Former Gate Senior Analyst Worked with Marceline White on overall 
GATE program design/ Enhancing 
Women’s Access to Markets: An Overview 
of Donor Programs and Best Practices/ 
Bangladesh Economic Snapshot/ 
Bangladesh Pro-poor Analysis of the 
Shrimp Sector/ Bangladesh Trade Impact 
Review/ Nigeria Economic Snapshot/ Peru 
Economic Snapshot/ Peru Artichoke Value 
Chain Report
South Africa Economic Snapshot
23 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Name Organization Connection to the GATE Project
Marceline White Former GATE Deputy 
Director
Worked with Sarah Gammage on overall 
GATE program design/ Gender Training 
Materials and Gender Training Handbook/ 
Gender, Migration, and Remittances: 
Donor Strategies and Opportunities/ Peru 
Gender Training Materials and Training 
Course/ Bangladesh Training Materials 
and Training Course
Nancy Rockel USAID WID Office Former
GATE CTO 
Helped design the GATE project, Scope of 
Work and contract Request for Proposals 
(RFP)
Duty Green Economic Growth Team 
Leader, Dominican 
Republic USAID Mission
Point person for the GATE D.R. study
Kristaq Jorgji Agriculture Specialist, 
USAID Albania
Worked with GATE on the Albania 
Agriculture Competitiveness Project
So’n Nguyen Economic Growth Team 
Leader, USAID Albania
GATE helped the Mission include gender 
in a new Albania micro-credit activity. 
Niels Hanssens USAID Nigeria MARKETS 
Project
An agriculturalist who is aware of the 
GATE Nigeria Cowpeas Study
24 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
BANGLADESH
Name Organization Connection to the GATE Project
Rowshan Akhter USAID Gender Specialist, 
Economic Growth Office
Worked closely with GATE project from 
inception
Fahmida Khatun Additional Director for 
Research, Center for Policy 
Dialogue 
Managed the GATE study of garments and 
textile workers
Mahmudul Karim Executive Director 
Bangladesh Shrimp & Fish 
Foundation
Worked with GATE as it started up its 
research program and provided advice on 
shrimp industry
Nazneen Khan Program Officer 
Bangladesh Shrimp & Fish 
Foundation
S.M. Istiak Bangladesh Shrimp & Fish 
Foundation
Katalyst Project Coordinator
Stephen Wade Acting Chief of Party 
Chemonics PRICE Project
Chemonics Poverty Reduction by 
Increasing the Competitiveness of 
Enterprises (PRICE) Project
M. A. Hossain Aquaculture Specialist 
Chemonics PRICE Project
Gladys Villacorta Operations Manager 
Chemonics PRICE Project
Tarique Rizvee Horticulture Manager 
Chemonics PRICE Project
Anne Williams Director, USAID Bangladesh Economic 
Growth Office
Jo Lesser￾Oltheten
Deputy Director, USAID 
Economic Growth Office
Aniruddha Hom 
Roy
USAID CTO, PRICE 
Competitiveness Project
Mahmuda 
Rahman Khan
USAID Program Office, 
Gender Coordinator
25 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
BANGLADESH (cont.)
Name Organization Connection to the GATE Project
Alan Brooks Regional Director World 
Fish Center
Bangladesh & South Asian Office
Naseem Ahmed 
Aleem
Portfolio Coordinator World 
Fish Center
Bangladesh & South Asian Office
Williams Collis International Development 
Enterprises
Public-private partnerships 
Azharul Mazumder USAID Mission 
Environment Team Leader
Shahnaz A 
Zakaria
USAID Mission Senior Food 
and Disaster Management 
Specialist
Food, Disaster, and Humanitarian 
Assistance
Denise Rollins USAID Bangladesh Mission 
Director
26 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
KENYA
Name Organization Connection to the GATE Project
Allen Fleming Director, USAID/Kenya 
Agriculture, Business & 
Environment (ABEO) 
Beatrice Wamalwa WID Officer USAID Kenya, 
Agric. Business & 
Environment (ABEO)
Organized and managed GATE program 
in Kenya
Harrigan 
Mukhongo
USAID Kenya CTO for 
Horticulture and Water 
Julius Kilungo Economist, USAID Kenya, 
ABEO 
Jane Nieri Ngugi￾Kibue
Gender Coordinator Kenya 
Agric. Research Institute 
(KARI) 
KARI does field data collection including 
household data that now includes gender 
disaggregated data. Attended GATE 
training.
Jane Gathi Kibue KARI Project Manager for 
USAID projects
Approximately 80 percent of KARI data 
collection & analysis is done for USAID 
Kenya
Betty Kibaara Research Fellow, Tegemo 
Inst. Of Agric. Policy and 
Development
Attended GATE training, worked with 
GATE. GATE provided suggestions on 
how to improve gender parts of TEGEMO 
questionnaires
Daniel Kariuki Research Assistant 
Tegemo
Attended GATE training which changed 
his way of thinking about gender data 
collection
Steve Collins Country Director, Chief of 
Party, ACDI/VOCA
Kenya Maize Development Program
Sebastian Wanjala 
Oggema
Deputy Chief of Party, 
ACDI/VOCA
Attended GATE training, worked with 
GATE, Kenya Maize Development 
Program
Desmond Boi Monitoring & Evaluation 
ACDI/VOCA 
Attended GATE training, worked with 
GATE, Kenya Maize Development 
Program
27 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
KENYA (cont.)
Name Organization Connection to the GATE Project
Lydia Mbevi 
Nderitu
Program Officer Marketing 
ACDI/VOCA
Attended GATE training, worked with 
GATE, Kenya Maize Development 
Program
Ogeli Ole Makui Field Coordinator African 
Wildlife 
Foundation
Attended GATE training. Sent AWF 
questionnaires to GATE and received 
useful advice which helped AWF redesign 
its surveys.
Steve Sharp Kenya Dairy Sector 
Competitiveness Program 
Chief of Party (PACT)
Attended GATE training, worked with 
GATE 
Mulinge Mukumbu Country Director, Land O’ 
Lakes, Kenya Dairy Sector 
Competitiveness Program
Attended GATE training, worked with 
GATE
Mary Munene Value Chain Coordinator 
Land O’ Lakes Dairy, Kenya 
Dairy Sector 
Competitiveness Program
Attended GATE training, worked with 
GATE
Ben Kiragu Deputy Director, Kenya 
Horticulture Development 
Attended GATE training, worked with 
GATE
Tabitha Runyora Market Analyst, Kenya 
Horticulture Development 
Program 
Attended GATE training, worked with 
GATE
28 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
PERU
Name Organization Connection to the GATE Project
Gulliermo Rebosio Agricultural economist 
with Peruvian Center for 
Social Studies (CEPES)
Worked on the GATE Peru Artichoke value 
chain analysis
Steve Olive Economic Growth Team 
Leader, USAID Peru
Peru value chain proved to be an excellent 
way to see how gender works in the 
artichoke sector
Miriam Choy WID Officer 
USAID Peru
Peru Mission moved from compliance to 
seeing gender as essential to a successful 
EG program
Carla Quierolo USAID Alternative 
Development Program 
Communications Asst
Peru gender training relevant to program 
but staff attitudes make it difficult to 
implement changes
Edita Herrara Calle USAID Alternative 
Development Program 
Gender Specialist 
dTS sub-contractor. Did not attend GATE 
training but read GATE materials. Too 
early to see gender policy changes or 
results.
Juan Carlos 
Matthews
USAID MYPE 
Competitiveness 
Program 
Nathan contractor COP who did not attend 
GATE training 
Angelica Matsuda USAID MYPE 
Competitiveness 
Program 
 
Nathan contractor DCOP 
Rosa Ana Balcazars USAID MYPE 
Competitiveness 
Program 
Nathan contractor who attended GATE 
training. No follow-up help on 
implementation. 
Eduardo Albareda USAID MYPE 
Competitiveness 
Program 
Nathan contractor who attended GATE 
training. 
29 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
SOUTH AFRICA
Name Organization Connection to the GATE Project
Alan Hackner USAID South Africa 
Financial Sector Program 
Manager
GATE studies were provided to the South 
African Government. The studies were 
not used by the USAID Mission.
Maroqe Elikana USAID South Africa
Financial Sector Manager
Tina Dooley-Jones USAID South Africa
Regional Economic Growth 
Chief
30 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Annex 2: Interview Questionnaire for 
USAID Washington and Other Donors 
Introduction 
We are doing an assessment of the GATE project and its impact. It will analyze 
how GATE has worked with USAID Missions and partners in order to identify 
lessons-learned for future programs. Most of the work will be done in 
Washington using GATE reports along with telephone interviews with Mission 
staff. There may also be short field trips to ground-truth the findings. 
Why we’re meeting with you
We need to tap into your knowledge of the program. If you can point us in the 
right direction it will greatly help the analysis. 
First, what was your role with GATE? What is your overall impression of what 
GATE set out to do and its results? 
GATE approach 
USAID’s main interest is economic development, but there are special topics like 
environment, democracy and gender that support economic growth. Gender is a 
critical part of poverty alleviation and economic growth. But, USAID staff, and 
particularly economists, are suspicious of special interests. When it was 
designed, GATE did not use a strictly gender approach. It emphasized a pro￾poor approach that included gender. It used a production and marketing value 
chain to generate economic benefits. GATE used skilled economists rather than 
just gender experts. 
Is our understanding of the GATE approach correct? How well did it work? 
What were the successes or problems with the approach? 
Implementation 
GATE used an iterative process: 
 It selected countries with a strong Mission gender commitment, good data 
and important issues needing analysis. 
Identified a gender ―champion‖ within each Mission, which often was not the 
WID officer but an EG officer. 
Did an economic ―snapshot‖ and field analysis of key sub-sectors to generate 
a basis for pro-poor program development. 
 Provided training to Missions and partners to raise EG gender awareness and 
skills. 
 Helped with new activity designs and implementation questions. 
GATE sector studies 
Gate-sponsored studies covered a wide range of topics in 7 countries. Are you 
familiar with the studies? What do you think of the topics selected and the quality 
31 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
of the studies? Where they analytical sound? Did they offer the USAID Missions 
useful ideas for future programs? Were they used by any of the Missions? 
Incentives to build sustainability once GATE assistance ends. 
 GATE assistance was free. In the future, would it make sense to have 
Missions make a financial buy-in? Pros and cons. 
 How do you encourage Missions to include gender in their EG strategic 
planning and in their performance monitoring plans? 
 How do you ensure that gender is included in future EG activity designs? 
 How do you ensure that future EG contract RFPs include gender? 
Future programs 
We all learn from what works and what doesn’t. Tell us about particular country 
programs that demonstrate successful approaches. Much can be learned from 
cases where there were challenges. Which countries should be examined? 
It has been suggested that when we finish our desk study and key informant 
interviews we should ground-truth our findings by visiting USAID Missions. Is 
that something we should do? Which countries should we visit and why? 
We have a large stack of GATE documents. Are there any specific reports or 
studies that are essential reading? 
One of the uses of the study will be to help USAID identify future program 
options. Could you give us your ideas on future options and what should be 
emphasized. 
32 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Annex 3: Interview Questionnaire for 
USAID Missions and Partner Field Staff 
Introduction 
USAID’s Women in Development (WID) office, asked DevTech Systems to do an 
assessment of the GATE project and its impact. GATE has worked with 7 USAID 
Missions to identify and address gender-based constraints associated with 
economic growth and trade activities. This exercise is not an evaluation, but 
rather an assessment meant to analyze how GATE has worked with USAID 
Missions and partners in order to identify lessons-learned for future programs. It 
consists of analysis of GATE reports, telephone and e-mail interviews with the 
staff of 7 USAID Missions, and selected short field trips to ground-truth the 
findings. 
Why We Are Interested in Your Input 
We need to tap into your knowledge and experience with the GATE project. 
Your honest feedback is highly appreciated and it will greatly help our analysis. 
We thank you for taking the time to answer the questions below. 
1) What is/was your relationship to GATE? What is your overall impression 
of what GATE set out to do and its results? 
2) Why did your Mission ask for GATE assistance? How did it complement 
your EG programs? What kind of programs (competitiveness, policy, 
WTO readiness, etc.) were done by GATE? 
3) GATE’s approach is based on a pro-poor methodology, which focuses on 
the poor first and on gender second (primarily women). Do you think this 
approach made gender issues more apparent or covered them up? What 
were the successes or problems with the approach? 
4) GATE activities have ranged from economic studies and analyses on 
gender and trade to building Missions’ awareness of gender through 
hands-on gender assessments and trainings and assisting on policy and 
program implementation issues. Sequencing of these activities has 
largely been demand-driven, depending on needs of individual missions. 
Describe in what order GATE activities have been implemented at your 
Mission? 
5) GATE-sponsored studies covered a wide range of topics in 7 countries. 
Are you familiar with the studies relating to the other countries, besides 
the one you work(ed) in? What do you think of the topics selected and the 
quality of the studies? Were they analytically sound? How were they 
disseminated at your Mission? Did they offer the USAID Missions useful 
ideas for future programs? Were they used by your Mission? 
33 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
6) It is important to better integrate gender into Mission programs. GATE 
assistance was free. Some say that is not the way to build Mission 
commitment. In the future, would it make sense to have Missions make a 
financial buy-in? Is a buy-in a good indicator of Mission commitment? 
Would your Mission be willing to pay for it? Pros and cons (specifics). 
7) Has your Mission’s involvement with GATE contributed to inclusion of 
gender in the Mission’s EG strategic planning and performance monitoring 
plans? In what way? 
8) How will you build on GATE activities so that gender is included in future 
EG activity design and procurement? (i.e. additional technical assistance, 
training, working with local women’s groups and organizations).
9) One of the uses of our study is to help USAID identify future program 
options. Do you think that another GATE-type project should follow, or do 
you think GATE-type activities should be incorporated into already 
ongoing or future economic growth projects? Could you give us your ideas 
on future options. 
10) Are there any aspects of the GATE project that did not work, in your 
opinion? Please explain. 
11) Is there somebody else we should talk to about GATE? 
12) Please provide any additional comments as you see fit. 
34 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Annex 4: List of GATE Analytical Studies and Publications 
GLOBAL 
Gammage, Sarah, Nancy Diamond, and Melinda Packman. ―Enhancing 
Women’s Access to Markets: An Overview of Donor Programs and Best 
Practices.‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, 
VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), October 2005. 
Marston, Ama with Kara Nichols Barrett. ―Women in the Economy: A Review of 
Recent Literature.‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, 
Arlington VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), February 
2006. 
ALBANIA 
Nichols Barrett, Kara. ―Albania: An Economic Snapshot.‖ USAID Greater Access 
to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training 
Services, Inc. (dTS), December 2005. 
Nichols Barrett, Kara. ―Albanian Entrepreneurs: Assessment of Financial Skills, 
Attitudes, and Behavior.‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion 
Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), 
November 2006. 
Nichols Barrett, Kara. ―Gender Dimensions of the Albanian Labor Market: A 
Study of Existing Information, Gaps, and Needs.‖ USAID Greater Access 
to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training 
Services, Inc. (dTS), June 2007. 
Rubin, Deborah, Kara Nichols Barrett with Elona Dhembo. ―Gender Training 
Materials: 
Addressing Gender Issues in Albanian Agriculture and Agribusiness.‖ 
USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: 
Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), April 2008. 
BANGLADESH 
Diamond, Nancy K. and Marceline White, ―Gender Training Materials: Integrating 
Gender into Trade and Economic Growth Programs and Analysis.‖ USAID 
Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development 
& Training Services, Inc. (dTS), November 2005. 
Fontana, Marzia. ―The Gender Effects of Trade in Bangladesh: A General 
Equilibrium Analysis.‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, 
Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), March 2007. 
35 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Gammage, Sarah. ―Bangladesh: An Economic Snapshot.‖ USAID Greater 
Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & 
Training Services, Inc. (dTS), January 2005. 
Gammage, Sarah, Kenneth Swanberg, Mubina Khondkar, Md. Zahidul Hassan, 
Md. Zobair, and Abureza M. Muzareba. ―A Pro-poor Analysis of the 
Shrimp Sector in Bangladesh.‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade 
Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. 
(dTS), February 2006. 
Gammage, Sarah. ―A Trade Impact Review for Bangladesh‖ USAID Greater 
Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & 
Training Services, Inc. (dTS), June 2006. 
GATE. ―A Pro Poor Analysis of the Shrimp Sector in Bangladesh.‖ Research 
Brief, USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: 
Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), March 2006. 
GATE. ―A Trade Impact Review for Bangladesh.‖ Research 
Brief, USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: 
Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), August 2006. 
 
GATE. ―Gender and Trade in Bangladesh: The Case of the Ready-Made 
Garments.‖ Research Brief, USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion 
Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), June 
2007. 
Khatun, Fahmida, Mustafizur Rahman, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Khondker 
Golam Moazzem, and Afifa Shahrin. ―Gender and Trade Liberalization in 
Bangladesh: The Case of the Ready-Made Garments‖ USAID Greater 
Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & 
Training Services, Inc. (dTS), April 2007. 
McGill, Eugenia. ―Trade and Gender in Bangladesh: A Legal and Regulatory 
Analysis.‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, 
VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), March 2007. 
Packman, Melinda with Nidhi Tandon, ―Supporting Gender and ICTs: 
Opportunities for Women in Bangladesh,‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade 
Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. 
(dTS), November 2005. 
White, Marceline with Nancy K. Diamond. ―Gender and Training Handbook: 
Integrating Gender into Trade and Economic Growth Programs and 
Analysis.‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, 
VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), September 2005. 
36 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
White, Marceline. ―Gender, Migration, and Remittances: Donor Strategies and 
Opportunities.‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, 
Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), September 
2007.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
 Isa Contreras, Pavel and Consuelo Cruz Almánzar. “Dinámicas recientes de la 
Producción, el Comercio y el Empleo en las Zonas Francas de 
Exportación de la República Domincana.‖ USAID Greater Access to 
Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training 
Services, Inc. (dTS), March 2007. 
(Executive Summary available in English.)
Tejada Holguín and Associates. ―Dinámicas del Desempleo en el Sector Textil 
de las Zonas Francas de la República Dominicana entre el 2003 y el 
2005‖. USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: 
Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), June 2007.
Nichols Barrett, Kara. ―Dominican Republic: An Economic Snapshot.‖ USAID 
Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development 
& Training Services, Inc. (dTS), December 2005. 
KENYA
Diamond, Nancy with Mary McVay, Cristina Manfre, and Nduta Irene Gathinji. 
―Gender Training Materials: Integrating Gender into USAID/Kenya’s 
Programs for Agriculture, Business, and the Environment. USAID Greater 
Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & 
Training Services, Inc. (dTS), September 2007. 
Nichols Barrett, Kara. ―Kenya: An Economic Snapshot.‖ USAID Greater Access 
to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training 
Services, Inc. (dTS), January 2006. 
Rubin, Deborah, Cristina Manfre, and Smita Malpani. ―Gender Assessment of 
Sustainable Conservation-Oriented Enterprises: Preliminary Findings.‖ 
USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: 
Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), November 2007.
Rubin, Deborah, Cristina Manfre, and Smita Malpani. ―A Gender Assessment of 
Sustainable Conservation-Oriented Enterprises (SCOE): Final Report). 
USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: 
Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), March 2008.
37 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
NIGERIA 
Gammage, Sarah. ―Nigeria: An Economic Snapshot.‖ USAID 
Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development 
& Training Services, Inc. (dTS), July 2007. 
PERU 
Gammage, Sarah and Cristina Manfre. ―Peru: An Economic Snapshot.‖ USAID 
Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development 
& Training Services, Inc. (dTS), July 2007. 
GATE. ―A Pro-poor Analysis of the Artichoke Sector in Peru.‖ Research Brief, 
USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: 
Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), March 2007. 
GATE. ―Las TICs, las MYPES y el Género en el Perú: Una Primera
Aproximación.‖ Research Brief. USAID Greater Access to Trade 
Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. 
(dTS), May 2007.
GATE. ―Pro-Poor Growth, Gender, and Markets: Creating Opportunities and 
Measuring Results.‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, 
Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), April 2006.
GATE. ―Workshop on Identifying Gender-related Achievements in PRA Project:
 Training Materials.‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, 
 Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), March 2008.
Kuramoto, Juana, Néstor Valdivia and Juan José Díaz. ―TICS, MIPYMES y 
Género en el Perú: Una Primera Aproximación‖. USAID Greater Access to 
Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training 
Services, Inc. (dTS), January 2007.
Rebosio, Guillermo, Sarah Gammage and Cristina Manfre. ―La Cadena del Valor 
de Alcachofas en el Perú: Un Análisis a Favor de los Pobres.‖ USAID 
Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development 
& Training Services, Inc. (dTS), March 2007. 
White, Marceline, Rosa Mendoza and Cristina Manfre. ―Gender Training 
Materials: Integrating Gender into Economic Growth and Environment 
Programs and Analysis.‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion 
Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), 
March 2007. 
(Available in Spanish.)
38 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
SOUTH AFRICA 
Daniels, Reza C. ―Gender Dimensions of the Incidence of Tariff Liberalization.‖ 
USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: 
Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), December 2005. 
Gammage, Sarah. ―South Africa: An Economic Snapshot.‖ USAID 
Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development 
& Training Services, Inc. (dTS), July 2007. 
GATE. ―Gender Dimensions of the Incidence of Tariff Liberalization.‖ Research 
Brief, USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: 
Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), February 2006. 
GATE. ―Has Trade Liberalization in South Africa Affected Men and 
Women Differently?‖ Research Brief, USAID Greater Access to Trade 
Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. 
(dTS), May 2006. 
Thurlow, James. ―Has Trade Liberalization in South Africa Affected Men and 
Women Differently?‖ USAID Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, 
Arlington, VA: Development & Training Services, Inc. (dTS), March 2006. 
FORTHCOMING GATE PUBLICATIONS 
SOUTH AFRICA 
Valodia, Imraan and Myriam Velia. ―Gender Analysis of Trade Liberalization’s 
Impact on Small, Medium, and Microenterprises in South Africa.‖ USAID 
Greater Access to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development 
& Training Services, Inc. (dTS), forthcoming. 
NIGERIA 
Lowenberg-DeBoer, James, Germaine Ibro. ―Evaluation of a Value Chain 
Approach in the Cowpea Sector of Kano, Nigeria.‖ USAID Greater Access 
to Trade Expansion Project, Arlington, VA: Development & Training 
Services, Inc. (dTS), forthcoming. 
39 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Annex 5: List of GATE Activities and Results 
GATE worked in seven8
 countries: Bangladesh, Kenya, Albania, Peru, South 
Africa, Nigeria and The Dominican Republic. In each country it started by 
identifying key constraints, best practices and knowledge gaps. Next GATE 
prepared overview papers related to trade, economics and gender. GATE then 
worked with several Missions on a Country Action Plan (CAP) to establish a set 
of GATE/Mission agreed upon activities. GATE agreed to provide training, 
analytical studies and implementation assistance and the Mission agreed to 
support those efforts. 
GATE country reports typically included: an ―Economic Snapshot‖ of the 
economy covering trade, poverty and labor markets and analytical studies of key 
sectors. Gender and economic growth workshops were held for USAID and 
USAID partner staff in Peru, Bangladesh and Kenya. Three implementation and 
project training sessions were held in Peru, Albania, and Kenya for USAID and 
partner staff. USAID Missions and USAID partners found the training useful. 
They learned how to integrate the needs of the poor, especially poor women, into 
their trade and economic growth activities. Below is a summary of the main 
activities and results under the GATE project.
Activities and Results Achieved 
Developed ―economic snapshots‖ for Bangladesh, Kenya, Vietnam, 
Albania, South Africa, Nigeria, Peru and The Dominican Republic. 
 Developed Country Action Plans, with a detailed budget and 
implementation timelines, for countries with major programs. 
 As a result of GATE training, the Peru and Kenya Missions asked GATE 
for assistance on how to integrate gender into their economic growth and 
trade related programs. In Peru, GATE provided suggestions on how to 
include gender in the first year work plan for the MYPE Information and 
Communication Technology Market Access Program. In Kenya, GATE 
provided input and comments on how to integrate gender into the Activity 
Approval Document for the Kenya Dairy Sector Competitiveness Project. 
 As a result of GATE assistance, in June 2008, USAID/Albania included 
gender in a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Competitive Enterprise 
Development activity. One of the criteria for contractor selection was how 
well gender integration was included in the activity approach. 
GATE’s recommendations from its Bangladesh shrimp value chain report 
were adopted by the Bangladesh Shrimp Seal of Quality Program. 
 
8
 There were originally eight countries. Vietnam dropped out leaving a total of seven countries. 
40 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
 As a result of the GATE value chain study of the Bangladesh shrimp 
industry, the Mission started a training activity in July 2007 to break down 
barriers and misconceptions that inhibit the hiring of women by shrimp fry 
hatcheries. 
The World Bank used GATE’s value chain methodology to guide its 
gender approach to aquaculture in Nigeria and Vietnam. GATE 
documents were referenced in the World Bank’s ―Gender and Agriculture 
Sourcebook‖: Enhancing Women’s Access to Markets; A Pro-Poor 
Analysis of the Shrimp Value Chain in Bangladesh; and, A Pro-Poor 
Analysis of the Artichoke Value Chain in Peru. 
Training 
 A GATE team ran a 3-day gender and economic growth workshop in 
September 2007 in Nairobi, Kenya for 39 participants from USAID/Kenya’s 
Agriculture, Business and Enterprise Office (ABEO) and their 
implementing partners. This evaluation received very positive feedback 
those who participated in the workshop. 
 In late February and early March 2008, GATE developed and delivered 
gender and economic growth training in Peru for Business Managers from 
the Economic Service Centers (ESC). The training identified gender 
lessons from the Poverty Reduction and Alleviation project (PRA). Sixteen 
Business Managers from nine ESCs (6 women and 10 men) attended the 
workshop. In addition, one member of the PRA Monitoring and Evaluation 
team and the gender specialist of the Peru Alternative Development 
Program attended. 
 Fifteen Albania Agriculture Competitiveness (AAC) program staff attended 
a two day gender and agriculture training program in April 2008. As a 
result of the training, the AAC requested additional assistance to identify 
gender integration opportunities for the program’s second annual work 
plan. As a result of this request, the GATE/Albania program manager 
traveled to Albania to facilitate a workshop with the Opportunity Albania 
training team. The workshop reviewed lessons-learned from the first year 
of the financial education training program; how to develop more targeted 
evaluations; and additional financial literacy modules. 
Dissemination of Gate Findings 
 USAID economic growth and trade staff in three regions were asked about 
their interest in regional workshops on the findings from GATE case 
studies and tools for integrating gender into USAID programs. East 
African countries were interested so a workshop was held in Kenya in 
41 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
December 2008 with 30 participants --- 25 implementing partners from 
Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya and four USAID staff from Kenya 
and one from Tanzania. 
A GATE Report, ―Analysis of Donor-financed Initiatives to Identify and 
Address Impediments to Market Access for Women,‖ was presented for 
discussion and comments at the Private Sector Working Group of 
POVNET, meeting in Stockholm, Sweden. The Report received favorable 
comments and was seen as an important contribution to the dialogue on 
gender and market access. 
 
GATE prepared a ―Market Access Hot Topics Room Document‖ and 
―GATE Room Document‖ for the Development Assistance Committee 
GENDERNET meeting and conference in Istanbul, Turkey. GENDERNET 
appreciated GATE comments on the ―Trade and Gender‖ paper. In 
addition, the GATE Istanbul ―Market Access Paper‖ was disseminated at 
an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development conference 
in Cairo, Egypt, as well as at the Association for Women’s Rights in 
Development conference in Bangkok, Thailand. 
 The joint World Bank-FAO-IFAD Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook 
included a chapter drafted by a GATE staffer. Other chapters were 
reviewed by another GATE staffer. Where it was appropriate, they 
brought to attention gender work carried out by USAID, especially the 
work of the GATE project 
GATE Prepared and delivered a presentation entitled ―Why Gender 
Matters to Trade: Evidence from Jamaica, Mexico, and Bangladesh‖ to the 
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). 
 GATE developed and delivered a presentation on the importance of 
incorporating gender concerns into economic growth and trade policies to 
U.S. female state legislators at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. 
 At the request of the WID Office, GATE prepared a gender and trade fact 
sheet related to women’s role in supporting economic growth in Africa.
 
 GATE submitted an Abstract to the Human Development and Capability 
Association, and presented its value chain analysis methodology at a 
conference in New York in September, 2007. 
 
42 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
Annex 6: Scope of Work: 
Proposed Approach to an Assessment of the 
Greater Access to Trade Expansion (GATE) Project 
I. Introduction 
USAID’s Office of Women in Development (WID) has requested an assessment 
of the GATE Project (Contract # GEW-I-00-02-00018-00, Task Order No. 02) 
implemented by Development and Training Services, Inc. (dTS). Funded by WID, 
the GATE project supports USAID missions and partners to integrate the needs 
of the poor (particularly women) into their trade and economic growth activities 
through gender analysis, training and technical assistance. The duration of the 
project is five years (2004-2009). 
II. Background 
Working in Albania, Bangladesh, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, 
and South Africa (of which, Albania, Kenya and Peru remain active in 2008/9), 
GATE seeks to enhance existing USAID trade and economic growth activities by 
helping missions to address gender considerations in their programming and 
implementation efforts. Building on a gender assessment, GATE works with a 
Mission to design a Country Action Plan using GATE resources to develop 
innovative and pragmatic policies and programs that expand areas of opportunity 
and reduce adverse effects for poor women and men. 
GATE project activities have included: 
 Value chain analyses to document where men and women are located 
within the chain, the terms and conditions of work for men and women in 
each stage of the chain, the outcomes of employment and exchange, and 
to provide policy recommendations on how to move women to higher links 
within the chain. 
 Analyses of the impact of trade agreements, looking at how trade 
liberalization and integration have affected the poor, and recommending 
ways in which trade and economic integration can be harnessed to 
distribute gains more evenly throughout the society and achieve pro-poor 
economic growth. 
 Studies on the Ready-Made Garment industry to explore the ongoing 
restructuring and changes that are taking place within the sector, and to 
analyze the impact of the Multi Fiber Agreement (MFA) phase out in terms 
of prices, profit, jobs, work culture, market structure, product 
diversification, work informalization, adjustments at the enterprise level, 
and changes in policies. 
43 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
 A micro and small business (MSE) research study focusing on the gender 
constraints and opportunities to improving market access through the use 
of information and communication technology (ICT) in the Peruvian 
handicraft and agribusiness sectors. 
 A gender and trade handbook to assist stakeholders in understanding 
gender issues within the economic growth and trade portfolio, that 
includes the design of gender-sensitive programs and policy interventions, 
and develops qualitative and quantitative indicators to measure the 
success of the interventions. 
By incorporating gender concerns into program activities, the project will enable 
poor women and men to more fully participate in and benefit from global 
economic opportunities, thereby improving their own lives, their families’ lives, 
their communities, and their countries. 
III. Purpose 
The purpose of this assessment is to assist the WID Office in determining the 
impact of the GATE project. The consultant(s) will assess the type, quality, and 
extent of the project’s effects on USAID Mission programming, especially trade 
and economic growth sector activities related to gender and poverty. 
IV. Tasks 
The consultant(s) will undertake the following tasks: 
A. Review and catalogue the types of activities undertaken by the GATE project 
and identify best practices/lessons learned. This will include details on how the 
GATE model was chosen and developed; how it has worked or not worked; pros 
and cons of its replicability within USAID; and impact of GATE activities and 
products on USAID missions and host countries. 
B. Review and assess GATE analyses of gender and poverty issues in trade and 
economic growth in the seven project countries. 
C. Assess GATE’s impact, if any, on the broader development community. 
Comments from other development organizations and recipients of GATE’s 
assistance will be collected, where applicable. 
D. Identify and discuss issues including how well the project design worked in 
practice and, if any difficulties occurred, how GATE management adapted to 
them, and what lessons were learned from them.
44 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
V. Methodology 
The methodology for this assessment is as follows: 
A. Desk review of pertinent literature and documents, including: 
 GATE project SOW 
 GATE work plan 
 Solicited written feedback from USAID Missions that received GATE TA, 
including stakeholders and implementing partners that had worked with 
GATE. 
 Relevant GATE deliverables. There are 26 documents currently available 
on the USAID WID Office public website; 23 of these are on DEC, and 
date from September 2005 to December 2007. A review of these 
documents will be made and, in coordination with the WID Office and dTS, 
a sample will be identified for more detailed analysis; the analysis will be 
oriented toward capturing and understanding project challenges and 
successes. The consultant(s) will ensure that all three elements of GATE’s 
approach-- gender analysis, technical assistance and training-- as well as 
all regions in which GATE has worked are represented in this review. 
 Selected studies and assessments in trade and economic growth 
conducted by donors, NGOs, governmental organizations, regional 
organizations, and the academic community in GATE countries to 
determine whether/how GATE findings and recommendations were cited 
or otherwise used in this work. 
B. Meetings and discussions with the GATE Team in Arlington, VA. In order to 
appropriately prioritize and center the focus of the assessment, GATE 
implementers, including consultants, will be interviewed to gain perspective on 
the project. Questions will be oriented in the following general areas: 
What are GATE’s most important accomplishments, and what possibilities 
exist for adoption by other Missions, Regional Bureaus or other Operating 
Units? 
 What are the strengths/weaknesses of the Project? 
 What have been some of the challenges/obstacles in implementing the 
project? 
C. Meetings and discussions with key mission staff (including but not limited to 
Gender Focal Points and Economic Growth Officers). DevTech will visit selected 
project sites to receive feedback and recommendations from key mission staff. 
Questions may include: 
Were GATE’s activities (analysis, training, or TA) helpful? Did GATE 
produce sustainable recommendations? 
 Were the activities carried out by the GATE project sound and appropriate 
to USAID’s needs?
45 USAID GATE Project Assessment DevTech Systems, Inc. 
 
 Was there a discernible difference in strategies or programs in Missions 
that had received GATE assistance (i.e. before/after)? 
D. Interviews with key implementing partners and stakeholders in trade and 
economic growth areas, including other representatives of other donors and 
other development agencies, NGOs and resource groups who have received 
assistance from the GATE Project, and , where appropriate, direct beneficiaries. 
Questions may include: 
Were GATE’s activities (analysis, training, or TA) helpful? Did GATE 
produce sustainable recommendations? 
 From an outside observer's perspective, was there a discernible difference 
in strategies or programs USAID Missions that received GATE assistance 
(i.e. before/after)? 
VI. Estimated Level of Effort 
40 days of LOE for lead consultant and 16 days of LOE for gender specialists.
VII. Performance Period 
The period of performance for the Lead Consultant will start on 8/25/2008 and 
will end on 12/1/2008. 
VIII. Team Qualifications 
The lead consultant will be a senior economist with a background in trade, and 
monitoring and evaluation. He will be assisted by gender analysts from the 
STTA&T Task Order and by a staff person from the Office of Women in 
Development, as appropriate.
IX. Deliverables 
Deliverables will include: 
 A preliminary list of findings and recommendations shall be submitted to 
DevTech Systems upon completion of all phases of the assessment. 
 On a schedule to be negotiated with the WID Office, a draft assessment 
will highlight lessons learned and opportunities to build GATE’s 
successes, within USAID. The WID Office will provide written comments 
on the draft, with the final assessment to be submitted one week after 
comments are received.