ILAB facilitates opportunities for learning and reflection by publishing learnings documented in project evaluation reports. Lessons learned and promising practices found in these reports are presented here in a searchable database so that these valuable learnings may be considered in the development of new programming. To view the evaluation reports and other research from which these learnings are collected, please see our performance, monitoring and accountability page.
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Evaluation Learnings Search Results
Showing 51 - 60 of 1122Project Title | Evaluation Type | Learning Type |
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Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana’s Cocoa-Growing Communities Project's (MOCA’s) Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) model with open membership is an effective approach to strengthen women’s economic resilience in poor communities. The VSLA successfully engaged women community members from both participant and non participant households in savings and loans activities. It provides women from mostly poor households with a peer-based source of loans and savings, which is highly relevant to their needs as indicated in the evaluation team’s interviews. The benefits of belonging to the groups include making savings to invest in children’s education needs, investment in the group income generating activities (IGA), and to a limited extent, in individual IGA. It did not necessarily produce sufficient income for investment in individual IGAs. The evaluation team concludes that implementation of MOCA’s VSLA model works well due to its relevance to women’s needs, the mostly affordable and appropriate level of the contributions, the clear guidance provided by the VSLA manual, and the effective skills of the trained Model Farm School (MFS) facilitators. Click here to access the report |
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Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Community Action Plan Committees are an effective community-led approach for prioritizing action on child labor, promoting community ownership and the capacity to leverage community and district support for child labor initiatives. The establishment of Community Action Plan Committees (CAPCs) was effective in establishing community ownership across the range of Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana’s Cocoa-Growing Communities Project's (MOCA) interventions, and delivered a range of vital community improvements, supported by in-kind grants as well as leveraging community contributions of labor and construction materials, district support and private sector assistance. Click here to access the report |
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Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Garnering complementary support for agricultural diversity training by agricultural college interns, funded by Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana’s Cocoa-Growing Communities Project's (MOCA) through its Robert D. and Elizabeth Havener Fellowship, strengthens agricultural extension and provides role models for youth and adult women farmers. The project’s initiative in securing separate funding via the Havener Fellowship for an internship program in partnership with the Kwadaso Agricultural College, Kumasi, supplemented the agricultural expertise available to the project communities. The evaluation team observed that project’s agricultural diversification activities with female household members appeared to be particularly successful in the communities where the Havener Fellowship interns were placed. The interns acted as role models and inspired female farmers to become outstanding farmers in cocoa and other agricultural commodities. The partnership also provided gender role models for aspiring women farmers, and helped invigorate diversified agricultural production in the MOCA communities. It has also helped MoFA recruit talented and skilled new graduates to the agricultural extension service. Click here to access the report |
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Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description The availability of skilled staff is a key aspect of project start-up and implementation. Better due diligence at the proposal stage will result in higher quality staff being identified and approved at the time of award, reducing delays in receiving approvals for key positions post-award and avoiding gaps in staffing of key positions due to turnover of poor performing staff during project implementation. Competitive salaries and incentives are also important in order to avoid staff turnover and instability. Click here to access the report |
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Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Although communities display considerable interest and enthusiasm regarding the livelihood activities that are being introduced by the project, these can complement the income generated by cocoa farming but they will most likely not be a substitute for them. Click here to access the report |
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Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Short-term interventions (6 months onsite job training plus 6 months apprenticeship) in skillstraining are not likely to generate a significant impact. The full cycle of training-insertiontracking should also be taken into account and should therefore be adjusted accordingly. Click here to access the report |
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Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Certification in skills training is very important, as they prove that trainees have followed an instruction process to learn a trade. They can also provide future employers the guarantee that apprentices have the required abilities to take on a job, and will improve trainees’ chances of obtaining better jobs Click here to access the report |
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Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description It is important to reinforce the involvement of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations’ (MELR) at both central and regional levels, and also District Officers, in the follow-up monitoring of the project in order to ensure participation of relevant authorities in the implementation and monitoring of project activities, influence policy-making, and reinforce sustainability prospects. Click here to access the report |
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Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description The CAP design and execution, as well as the foundation of the CAP Committees (CAPCs) are having a noteworthy effect on community empowerment. In turn, these offer prospects of transforming into enhanced political participation and, consequently, further increasing the communities’ ability to engage and advocate with District authorities in community development and CAP implementation. Click here to access the report |
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Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Conducting thorough labor market studies is essential for skills and vocational training programs. These studies are indispensable for linking the trainings offered with actual livelihood opportunities. Click here to access the report |
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Project Title | Evaluation Type | Learning Type |
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Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana’s Cocoa-Growing Communities Project's (MOCA’s) Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) model with open membership is an effective approach to strengthen women’s economic resilience in poor communities. The VSLA successfully engaged women community members from both participant and non participant households in savings and loans activities. It provides women from mostly poor households with a peer-based source of loans and savings, which is highly relevant to their needs as indicated in the evaluation team’s interviews. The benefits of belonging to the groups include making savings to invest in children’s education needs, investment in the group income generating activities (IGA), and to a limited extent, in individual IGA. It did not necessarily produce sufficient income for investment in individual IGAs. The evaluation team concludes that implementation of MOCA’s VSLA model works well due to its relevance to women’s needs, the mostly affordable and appropriate level of the contributions, the clear guidance provided by the VSLA manual, and the effective skills of the trained Model Farm School (MFS) facilitators. Click here to access the report |
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|
Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Community Action Plan Committees are an effective community-led approach for prioritizing action on child labor, promoting community ownership and the capacity to leverage community and district support for child labor initiatives. The establishment of Community Action Plan Committees (CAPCs) was effective in establishing community ownership across the range of Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana’s Cocoa-Growing Communities Project's (MOCA) interventions, and delivered a range of vital community improvements, supported by in-kind grants as well as leveraging community contributions of labor and construction materials, district support and private sector assistance. Click here to access the report |
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|
Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Garnering complementary support for agricultural diversity training by agricultural college interns, funded by Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana’s Cocoa-Growing Communities Project's (MOCA) through its Robert D. and Elizabeth Havener Fellowship, strengthens agricultural extension and provides role models for youth and adult women farmers. The project’s initiative in securing separate funding via the Havener Fellowship for an internship program in partnership with the Kwadaso Agricultural College, Kumasi, supplemented the agricultural expertise available to the project communities. The evaluation team observed that project’s agricultural diversification activities with female household members appeared to be particularly successful in the communities where the Havener Fellowship interns were placed. The interns acted as role models and inspired female farmers to become outstanding farmers in cocoa and other agricultural commodities. The partnership also provided gender role models for aspiring women farmers, and helped invigorate diversified agricultural production in the MOCA communities. It has also helped MoFA recruit talented and skilled new graduates to the agricultural extension service. Click here to access the report |
|
|
Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description The availability of skilled staff is a key aspect of project start-up and implementation. Better due diligence at the proposal stage will result in higher quality staff being identified and approved at the time of award, reducing delays in receiving approvals for key positions post-award and avoiding gaps in staffing of key positions due to turnover of poor performing staff during project implementation. Competitive salaries and incentives are also important in order to avoid staff turnover and instability. Click here to access the report |
|
|
Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Although communities display considerable interest and enthusiasm regarding the livelihood activities that are being introduced by the project, these can complement the income generated by cocoa farming but they will most likely not be a substitute for them. Click here to access the report |
|
|
Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Short-term interventions (6 months onsite job training plus 6 months apprenticeship) in skillstraining are not likely to generate a significant impact. The full cycle of training-insertiontracking should also be taken into account and should therefore be adjusted accordingly. Click here to access the report |
|
|
Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Certification in skills training is very important, as they prove that trainees have followed an instruction process to learn a trade. They can also provide future employers the guarantee that apprentices have the required abilities to take on a job, and will improve trainees’ chances of obtaining better jobs Click here to access the report |
|
|
Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description It is important to reinforce the involvement of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations’ (MELR) at both central and regional levels, and also District Officers, in the follow-up monitoring of the project in order to ensure participation of relevant authorities in the implementation and monitoring of project activities, influence policy-making, and reinforce sustainability prospects. Click here to access the report |
|
|
Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description The CAP design and execution, as well as the foundation of the CAP Committees (CAPCs) are having a noteworthy effect on community empowerment. In turn, these offer prospects of transforming into enhanced political participation and, consequently, further increasing the communities’ ability to engage and advocate with District authorities in community development and CAP implementation. Click here to access the report |
|
|
Mobilizing Community Action and Promoting Opportunities for Youth in Ghana's Cocoa-Growing Communities (MOCA) Learning Description Conducting thorough labor market studies is essential for skills and vocational training programs. These studies are indispensable for linking the trainings offered with actual livelihood opportunities. Click here to access the report |
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