Evaluation FindingsFinal for Phase I Peace III

Evaluation MethodologyEvaluation Methodology Formative Evaluation – overarching evaluation of all programmes

together and ongoing throughout lifetime of the Co Sligo Peace III Action Plan – Phase I.

External evaluators working with internal project evaluators - objectivity

Using Aid for Peace Approach Framework – required by SEUPB and comprising the key elements of:

Peace Building Needs Analysis – mapping the Conflict in Co Sligo (inc peace/conflict stakeholders)

Conflict External Risk Assessment Peace and Conflict Effects Assessment

Quantitative and qualitative measurement – quarterly progress reports and participants’ evaluation – through bespoke designed evaluation forms, focus groups and case studies – to give a 360º evaluation.

Ongoing support to deliverers throughout their project delivery

Purpose of PresentationPurpose of Presentation

Final Presentation of Findings from Phase I

Strategic and programmatic issues – Learning

Moving forward to Phase II – Recommendations

Aid for Peace ApproachAid for Peace ApproachPeace Building Needs Analysis - analysed the

conflict dynamics and peace building processes in the county.

Peace Building Relevance Assessment which considered how relevant the Peace Programme was to the peace building needs in Co Sligo.

Conflict Risk Assessment - assessed the effects of the conflict on the peace building project actions being implemented by the various project action promoters.

The Peace and Conflict Effects Assessment - examined the effects of the various project actions in having an impact on the conflict and peace situation in the county.

The AfP Approach in PracticeThe AfP Approach in PracticeStage 1 - meeting on a one-to-one basis with each

of the project action leads and delivery partners Stage 2 - creating an overarching evaluation

framework including data collection methods for all projects

Stage 3 - facilitating an Aid for Peace workshop in the early stages of the programme with programme implementers and small grants

Stage 4 - convening meetings (interim and final) of the Peace III Partnership to discuss the findings of the evaluation and take on board their issues, concerns, challenges and views on the overall project and its constituent project actions

Findings – Key Findings – Key AchievementsAchievementsBaseline and Interim Stages – already described Final Stage – Key Achievements - outputs

Participants have far exceeded the targets set – due to:

recruitment efforts of project action promoterscreative ways in which many project actions

appealed to the communities not forcing people into peace building but rather

taking the approach of where their interests lay

Findings - BalancesFindings - BalancesBy age group - good overall balance at project

level in terms of the various age groupsBy gender, overall women did outnumber men

and whilst this would be expected in the women-focused project action, nonetheless in all of the programmes with the exception of the Travellers and Urban Peace building, women’s participation was greater.Men attracted to the practically-focused work –

focus on good role models for young menReligious background – participation of minority

Protestant community in line with population size.Cross Border – 29% participation from North

Capacity Building for PeaceCapacity Building for PeaceContinuous emergence of new target groups –

minority faith communities, victims of the Conflict, immigrants, young people, women

Need for continued up-skilling, awareness raising and support for communities to address issues to do with understanding and taking action on sectarianism, racism and prejudice

Need for ongoing training – e.g. Good Relations – to raise awareness of new contexts of peace building; up-skill people in current peace building practices; providing valuable networking opportunities for staff and volunteers, particularly if they are working in isolation.

Accessing Target GroupsAccessing Target GroupsFear of engagement by some target groups

(despite successive peace programmes)Designing and implementing programmes –

need for sensitive approaches, need to take time to do this

Accessing ethnic minority and minority faith groups difficulties which competition for groups’ participation ethnic minority groups are not so readily availableminority faith communities - legacy of the past –

polite silencedifficulty in project actions recruiting from the

displaced people/Republican community

Enabling Understanding and Capacity to Enabling Understanding and Capacity to Engage – Sectarianism and RacismEngage – Sectarianism and RacismTackling the silence

how minority communities raise the issue;how the majority community acknowledges that it

existsestablished steering groups to guide and support the

work of the project actionpeace building is not a core priority and some groups

are ‘switched off’ by the termCreative and innovative methods to challenge

participantsBuilding sectarianism and racism into the mainstreamAddressing associated issues including anti-social

behaviour

Cross Border IssuesCross Border IssuesSometimes need for developmental phase - time-

consuming and at times was a ‘stop-start’ processRequires careful logistical planning and good

communicationpresented ongoing challenges:

seeing the North as being ‘separate’ and with few common issues

Need for definite cross-border partner and agreed/pre-determined specific areas of co-operation

Can be difficult to fund suitable partners, activities and a programme of work

Visa restrictions (asylum seekers and certain work permits)

Operational and Administration Operational and Administration IssuesIssuesTime taken to undertake particular activities

- research, design and developmental phases of project actions

Additional supports and requirements of the Phase I programme - Good Relations Training and the Aid for Peace Evaluation Framework

Publicity - ensuring good attendance at events

Administration of the project actions

Sustaining Peace BuildingSustaining Peace BuildingCreative in the engagement of communities Projects supported - not operating in

isolation Projects to be enabled to see how they are

contributing to a bigger and wider movement – e.g. billboard campaign - RAPID Urban Collective good relations training, mediation training

aimed at project action promotersCivil society level - various peace building

events weaved into specific public events

Added Value of ProjectAdded Value of ProjectEnhanced the chances of peace building becoming

a core part of community cohesion, integration and anti poverty work of council and its structures

collective workshops - creating relationshipslocal organisations - gained new skills and have

considered embedding the concept of peace building into their mainstream activities.

ongoing support through the support and workshop series initiative – sounding board for risks and difficulties

Bringing out the hidden and hard to discuss issues and unlocking

Added Value of Project Added Value of Project cont’dcont’d

unlocking of a more silent Protestant minority community

expertise (sometimes external) and marry this with local knowledge thereby creating partnerships

opening up of discussions around practical cross border actions

time to heal wounds and rebuild relationships and create new relationships

Capacity Building for PeaceCapacity Building for Peace• Appropriate level of ‘capacity building’ is built into

the terms of reference for the work – this gives credibility to the importance of the concept of capacity building for sustainable peace

• Geared not only at local communities but also throughout the various sectors including private sector, elected representatives and statutory bodies

Supports for Peace BuildingSupports for Peace Building

• Continue awareness, training and mentoring supports for peace building

• Communicate the opportunities for people in regard of peace building supports to boost volunteering potential for peace building• More creative use of the Co Sligo Peace

website

Tools for Peace Building Tools for Peace Building • Creative means - target groups which are fearful

of; perhaps do not see peace building as relevant to; and those who are most difficult to reach

• Build on what has been achieved in Phase I and reach back to those who accessed training - engaging their continued support for sustaining the peace building effort in the county

• Provide accessible information on peace building

• Peace website as a measure to provide support to communities

Cross Border Collaboration Cross Border Collaboration At individual level- research and develop

relationships with cross border partners before formal engagement; make sure they match the requirements of the project action

Build on special relationship with the CAN (Carrickfergus, Antrim and Newtownabbey) Peace III

Ensure that cross border partnerships are working to maximum effect - challenge themselves and their partners

Networking and CommunicationNetworking and CommunicationPeace Partnership Committee and Secretariat

provide networking opportunities to maximise opportunities for learning, sharing of practice and avoiding duplication/competition among project actions

continue to spearhead role as peace building leaders in providing and stimulating debate on ‘hard’ issues

embed the learning from peace building into the structures within the county

Peace Project Promoters – collaborate to create progression opportunities for target groups and areas

Leadership in Peace BuildingLeadership in Peace BuildingHighlight the learning from experiences

(peace building sectarianism, racism and prejudice) with a view to embedding the issues at the heart of local governance and decision making

Engage more fully with the decision-makers in the county - elected representatives to enable greater all round understanding of the relevance of peace building to the county

Continuation of ‘challenge events’ which create wider public awareness

Resources for Phase IIResources for Phase II

Upload resources onto the Co Sligo Peace website and promote their use for future peace building work

Build the use of these resources into the Terms of Reference for tenders in Phase II

Operations for Peace Operations for Peace BuildingBuildingBring together all new deliverers of Phase

II to learn from the experiences of Phase I Centralised recruitment process for the

project - menu basis what is on offer and engage new people as well as Phase I participants

Identify advocates from each of the previous programme to write a testimonial on the differences that the project made to them and their communities

DiscussionDiscussion Response to Findings Any issues to be discussed?