This decentralized evaluation was commissioned by the WFP Burkina Faso Country Office and covers Gender across WFP activities under the ICSP, PRRO 200793 and CP 200163 within 2016-2018. It was carried out from 2018 to 2020. The evaluation was commissioned with a formative intent to inform the gender transformative approach of the CSP implementation and was intended for both accountability and learning purposes. It focused on assessing the relevance, effectiveness/impact, efficiency, sustainability of the interventions with regard to Gender.
Overarching evaluation questions focused on:
- To what extent were WFP activities gender sensitive and provided coherent general objectives on gender issues able to respond to the needs of the targeted groups?
- To what extent the integration of gender contributed to changes (in the short and medium term) in the beneficiaries’ lives and in the way they relate to each other? How gender integration can be improved in future interventions?
- Among WFP interventions, which of the gender approach was the most and least efficient? What are the main obstacles to an efficient implementation of the activities that favour gender equality?
- Did the design and implementation of the gender integration approach take in consideration sustainability measures? What measures can WFP adopt to improve the sustainability of its results?
The evaluation covered all the components and activities of the Country Programme 200163, PRRO 200793 and ICSP and it also looked at the beneficiaries depending on the type of activities, age and sex of the beneficiary.
Key evaluation findings included:
- WFP Burkina Faso will not achieve the results and outcomes expected by the WFP Gender Policy without a systematic approach to institutionalise gender.
- The availability of tools and training on the online self-learning platform is not sufficient to ensure that WFP staff is automatically sensitised, trained and competent. A post-training monitoring is necessary.
- The objectives and guidance of the WFP Gender Policy are very cleared and based on human rights. Stakeholders need to be hold accountability to operationalise them in the field.
- It is not possible to aim at changing the relationships between men and women in the food and nutrition security sector while refusing to engage at the household level because it is there where gender inequalities happen, and the victims are.
Key recommendations from the evaluation included (add maximum 5 bullets):
- R1 on staff management: i) the implementation of the roadmap needs to be prioritised, ii) the recruitment of a higher percentage of women is necessary, iii) facilitate and increase the spaces where gender themes can be discussed among the staff
- R2 on the internal arrangements on functions and financial resources: i) strengthen M&E and transform it in Suivi, Analyse, Genre et Évaluation (SAGE), ii) strengthen the GRN and add a Gender Expert position, iii) allocate a gender specific and gender cross-cutting budget, iv) initiate these transformations as a pilot in the SO Fada.
- R3 on the relations with partners and beneficiaries: i) revise the contracts with partners, ii) strengthen the use of CBPP, iii) increase considerably the gender sensitisation activities with the beneficiaries
- R4 on the coordination with other development actors: i) consider establishing a strategic partnership with FAO and UNWOMEN, ii) facilitate the establishment of a sub-regional round table on gender and resilience
- R5 on how to integrate gender issue in WFP Burkina Faso resilience theory: i) move beyond the targeting quantitative approach, ii) systematically engage SAGE and GNR in the assessments, iii) promote the introduction of new information in the seasonal analysis of the Cadre Harmonisé, iv) review current programmes to increase focus on youth, v) launch study and analysis on the current and future risk of food insecurity in collaboration with FAO, vi) strengthen the efforts to ensure women access to land.
