Showing papers in "IDS Bulletin in 2015"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a cross-case study analysis of three "connective businesses" that are facilitating direct trade relationships between smallholder farmers and speciality coffee roasters.
Abstract: Coffee has traditionally been a commodity product sold in a highly competitive and saturated global market. This lack of product differentiation has made coffee farmers very vulnerable to fluctuating prices. During the last decade, the coffee industry is undergoing a process of decommoditisation, offering an opportunity for farmers to differentiate their coffee in terms of sustainability and quality and to commercialise it more directly. However, smallholder farmers face productivity and transactional constraints that inhibit them from accessing these higher-value market segments. Intermediaries are needed to connect them with this new market. In this article, we present a cross-case study analysis of three ‘connective businesses’ that are facilitating direct trade relationships between smallholder farmers and speciality coffee roasters.
61 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that an emphasis on interrelationships is likely to bring only limited (prosaic) benefits to impact evaluation as a whole, and that a strong emphasis on perspectives and boundaries could result in profound changes to the way in which impact evaluation is conceived and delivered.
Abstract: All evaluation approaches have to address questions about their legitimacy, validity, relevance and usefulness. As the complexity of interventions is more widely acknowledged, impact evaluation appears to be especially vulnerable to these challenges. This article explores the potential of the systems field to address these vulnerabilities. The systems field is conceptualised as understanding interrelationships, engaging with multiple perspectives and reflecting on where boundaries are drawn in terms of those interrelationships and perspectives. This article argues that achieving a balance between these three elements is critical. An emphasis on interrelationships is likely to bring only limited (prosaic) benefits to impact evaluation as a whole. On the other hand, a strong emphasis on perspectives and boundaries could result in profound changes to the way in which impact evaluation is conceived and delivered. In particular, it could change the nature of the relationship between the evaluator and key stakeholders, especially funders and managers of interventions.
43 citations
TL;DR: It is identified which factors in terms of programme implementation and household characteristics can increase the likelihood of cash transfer programmes facilitating graduation from poverty, through increased productivity, income generation and resilience to shocks.
Abstract: In the last decade social cash transfer programmes have become extremely popular in sub-Saharan Africa, and are often portrayed as an instrument that can facilitate graduation out of poverty. The evidence on whether social cash transfers have had actual effects on graduation, however, is limited. This article provides a cross-country reflection of the potential effects of social cash transfers on graduation, drawing from impact evaluation results of cash transfer programmes in Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho and Zambia. We analyse whether social cash transfers have improved the likelihood of graduation, through increased productivity, income generation and resilience to shocks. We identify which factors in terms of programme implementation and household characteristics can increase the likelihood of cash transfer programmes facilitating graduation from poverty.
43 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose that beyond the intervention's theory of change (TOC), the complex system within which the intervention has taken place and intends to make an impact must also be examined, and specific elements of an intervention's TOC and the larger system must be understood to have a systematic basis for determining what evaluation questions need to be asked.
Abstract: An impact evaluation's primary task is to determine which impacts were caused by an intervention, distinguishing them from those produced by other causes. However, in complex systems, interventions may contribute towards less apparent forms of impact (such as negative, unintended, indirect and secondary) that are no less significant, but which require a different way of asking questions. Rather than advocating for a particular evaluation approach or methodology, we propose that (1) beyond the intervention's theory of change (TOC), the complex system within which the intervention has taken place and intends to make an impact must also be examined, and (2) specific elements of an intervention's TOC and the larger system must be understood to have a systematic basis for determining what evaluation questions need to be asked. Only then can the appropriate evaluation approaches and methods be identified, and adapted as this understanding increases over the course of the evaluation.
35 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an associated systemic triangulator is introduced as both a diagnostic and planning heuristic; a device for diagnosing symptoms of an evaluation-industrial complex and for prompting ideas towards a more benign evaluation-adaptive complex for impact evaluation.
Abstract: Ideas from complexity science and systems thinking are demonstrably helpful in a shift from exploring (systematic) linear net effects of an intervention towards exploring wider (systemic) effects occurring elsewhere. But where these ideas of ‘impact’ are coupled with a narrow use of the contingency approach, some less helpful ‘triangulated’ relationships might be evident. These relationships might be regarded in terms of an ‘iron triangle’, a metaphor used frequently to exemplify pernicious relations of power. The most notable expression of the iron triangle is the ‘military–industrial complex’. This article briefly outlines generic features of the iron triangle in terms of ‘systemic triangulation’ – an idea linking three core systems concepts of interrelationships, perspectives and boundaries. Drawing on a tradition of systems thinking in practice, an associated systemic triangulator is introduced as both a diagnostic and planning heuristic; a device for not only diagnosing symptoms of an evaluation–industrial complex but for prompting ideas towards a more benign evaluation–adaptive complex for impact evaluation.
26 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that a common set of constraints tends to inhibit markets from delivering nutrition and makes it difficult to reach populations at the bottom of the pyramid, and that a shift from working at the level of individual businesses to that of market and food systems is needed.
Abstract: Policymakers are increasingly seeking to use food systems to help reduce rates of chronic undernutrition and to use markets to deliver nutrient-rich foods to vulnerable populations. This article examines how this might be achieved, drawing lessons from three intervention types: ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs), mandatory fortification and voluntarily fortified products. We find that a common set of constraints tends to inhibit markets from delivering nutrition and makes it difficult to reach populations at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’. Overcoming these constraints requires a shift from working at the level of individual businesses to that of market and food systems. It also suggests a need for renewed focus on the effectiveness of products in reaching key groups, on the informal markets that serve the poor and on the inherent complexity of market systems. These findings suggest that food and nutrition policies and partnerships should be based on principles of experimentation and adaptive learning.
25 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a framework for social protection with a developmental approach can deepen socioeconomic impact at individual and household level and effectively address apprehension over dependency, which can sustainably promote dynamic outcomes, with inclusive economic expansion reinforcing poverty reduction, which contributes to further growth and development.
Abstract: The framework developed in this article illustrates how social protection with a developmental approach can deepen socioeconomic impact at individual and household level and effectively address apprehension over dependency. The starting point examines various definitions of ‘graduation’ within a social protection context – as exit from poverty, or from the social protection system, or alternatively as a process of continually strengthening household developmental outcomes. Appropriately designed and effectively implemented, a ‘graduation’ approach can sustainably promote dynamic outcomes, with inclusive economic expansion reinforcing poverty reduction, which in turn contributes to further growth and development. These micro-oriented initiatives will likely work best when embedded within a broader macro development framework that integrates and strengthens the range of social and economic policy instruments implemented by government. This article maps out a path for policymakers aiming to strengthen the pro-poor and inclusive economic growth and development impacts of social protection by incorporating a graduation approach.
23 citations
TL;DR: The work in this paper explores the ways in which volunteering for development is changing in the context of the shifting wider ecology of international development and draws on a two-year, action research project into the value of volunteering undertaken by volunteer researchers in Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal and the Philippines.
Abstract: This article explores the ways in which volunteering for development is changing in the context of the shifting wider ecology of international development. It draws on a two-year, action research project into the value of volunteering undertaken by volunteer researchers in Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal and the Philippines. The article frames this research and the articles in this IDS Bulletin in the key debates – past, current and emerging – around the role, identity and value of volunteers in development processes. It identifies critical characteristics of effective volunteering for development as: the insider–outsider relationship; participatory processes, long-term programming; and a sustained focus on the poorest and most marginalised. The authors draw attention to the relevance of volunteering to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and call for better understanding of indigenous informal volunteering and how ‘outsider’ volunteers can support it.
22 citations
TL;DR: The success of first generation ‘graduation model’ programs in Bangladesh has prompted pilot projects in several countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean as discussed by the authors, with the objective of facilitating their movement out of extreme poverty towards resilient and sustainable livelihoods.
Abstract: Graduation programmes aim to provide a sequenced and intensive package of support to very poor people, with the objective of facilitating their movement out of extreme poverty towards resilient and sustainable livelihoods. The package usually includes regular cash transfers, productive assets, access to savings facilities, livelihood training and coaching. The success of first generation ‘graduation model’ programmes in Bangladesh has prompted pilot projects in several countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. This Editorial Introduction reviews alternative conceptualisations of graduation, summarises the evidence on impacts from several project evaluations presented in this IDS Bulletin, and discusses key aspects of design and implementation, including targeting, monitoring, ‘asset-ness’, labour market linkages and the nature of political support for graduation. The editors conclude that graduation programmes are an important and valuable contribution to development policy, but they should not displace the core social protection functions of social assistance and social insurance.
20 citations
TL;DR: This IDS Bulletin is the second of two that follow an Institute of Development Studies event seeking to define an agenda for research and practice of development impact evaluation, exploring the potential of systems ideas and complexity concepts to meet the increasingly complex challenges of an increasingly ambitious development agenda.
Abstract: This IDS Bulletin is the second of two that follow an Institute of Development Studies event seeking to define an agenda for research and practice of development impact evaluation. It focuses on exploring the potential of systems ideas and complexity concepts to meet the increasingly complex challenges of an increasingly ambitious development agenda. In particular, the contributions seek to: (a) redefine ‘learning’ according to the number of ‘learning loops’ involved; (b) understand how to identify the most relevant impact evaluation questions; (c) simulate systems states in two sectors (leather and health) following the implementation of (combinations of) different policy options and other events; and finally, (d) shake the foundations of the impact evaluation institutional system, recommending that the notions of multiple perspectives and system boundaries are fully embraced, and that the system ultimately transitions from an ‘evaluation industrial complex’ to an ‘evaluation adaptive complex’. While the issue is a step in the right direction, much more work remains to be done.
19 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the case of Delhi where a complex interplay of competing approaches have accompanied efforts of urban local bodies, civil society and the private sector (informal and formal) at finding a sustainable working solution.
Abstract: Due to their size and rapid growth, large cities in developing countries are increasingly challenged by burgeoning waste generation. Waste management, however, has traditionally provided employment opportunities to the many urban poor in the informal sector. These traditional models, working largely in parallel with state-led interventions, are under pressure because they fail to address the waste management crisis. This failure, coupled with the lack of capacities of local governments, has paved the way for formal private sector participation. We examine the case of Delhi where a complex interplay of competing approaches have accompanied efforts of urban local bodies, civil society and the private sector (informal and formal) at finding a sustainable working solution. Our analysis of the complex relationship within the private sector players, and between private and public actors, provides novel insights into potential contribution of public–private partnerships for effective waste management in developing countries.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors look at what happens when volunteering goes well and point out three important qualities of volunteer relationships, which alter how people feel about themselves, others and their situation: informality, the act of doing together and networked reciprocity.
Abstract: This article looks at what happens when volunteering goes well. It provides a theoretical and empirical grounding for understanding how volunteers enable outcomes such as participation and cooperation in complex change environments. The findings point to three important qualities of volunteer relationships, which alter how people feel about themselves, others and their situation: informality, the act of doing together and networked reciprocity. When these relational styles foster three psychosocial experiences known to support human wellbeing – relatedness, competency and autonomy – they make it possible for marginalised and poor groups to participate, initiate and share ownership in the change process. When socially as well as personally rewarding, volunteer relationships can also strengthen solidarity, a knowledge of other's strengths and social commitment, strengthening the basis for social action to continue as a cooperative process with other people. Implications for how volunteering is utilised and strengthened as a strategy for community development are discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine issues arising from asset-based approaches to poverty reduction and introduce the idea of "asset-ness" -the qualities and characteristics of different assets -which have received little attention from those promoting or designing assetbased social protection programmes.
Abstract: Asset-based approaches – usually involving asset transfers and/or asset building – are increasingly central to thinking about poverty alleviation, social protection, graduation and livelihood resilience. Although the notion of assets is well established in the literature, the meanings of and relationships between asset(s), livelihood capital(s), risks(s), welfare and wellbeing, and graduation need further analysis. We examine issues arising from asset-based approaches to poverty reduction and introduce the idea of ‘asset-ness’ – the qualities and characteristics of different assets – which have received little attention from those promoting or designing asset-based social protection programmes. We argue that asset-ness provides a key to understanding differences in the impacts of asset-based social protection and associated processes and dynamics of graduation. As such the article aims to advance understanding of graduation theory. We develop this argument with reference to domestic livestock, which are commonly distributed to poor people as part of asset-based poverty alleviation and social protection programmes.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlight two issues related to targeting and graduation: (1) the difficulty in identifying the poor/non-poor and ranking the population using community participatory techniques; and (2) the sensitivity of eligibility criteria and graduation thresholds to different targeting modalities.
Abstract: Rwanda demonstrates how a process of community consultation and participation is able to identify and rank community members according to ‘social poverty’, drawing on the Ubudehe tradition which is considered a strength of Rwanda's social fabric. However, with the Ubudehe categorisation now the basis for determining eligibility to a range of social benefits, the process has come under some strain. This article highlights two issues related to targeting and graduation: (1) the difficulty in identifying the poor/non-poor and ranking the population using community participatory techniques; and (2) the sensitivity of eligibility criteria and graduation thresholds to different targeting modalities. Our primary interest is to establish whether improvements for identifying the poor and non-poor can be made without undermining community ownership and what these improvements would look like. This will be useful for policymakers in Rwanda as the new five-year development strategy places importance on graduating households out of extreme poverty.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the changing narratives of volunteering in development and the interplay of volunteering with global and local theories of how change happens, and conclude that the volunteering sector is at a crossroads; organisations working in meaningful partnerships with volunteers from local to global levels must remain at the forefront.
Abstract: This article explores the changing narratives of volunteering in development and the interplay of volunteering with global and local theories of how change happens. Firstly, we analyse the links between the evolution of mainstream development trends and changes in volunteering approaches and programmes. Secondly, we look at how changing conceptions of volunteering have repositioned international volunteering in relation to national and local contexts. Thirdly, we present the implications of shifts in understandings of knowledge creation, which happens from the ground up, on volunteering research and programming. This discussion is situated within pressure for ‘results’ within contemporary development discourse and practice. The article concludes that the volunteering sector is at a crossroads; organisations working in meaningful partnerships with volunteers from local to global levels must remain at the forefront – questioning mainstream trends and advocating people-centred development. This article draws on a literature review undertaken to inform the Valuing Volunteering project.
TL;DR: A conceptual framework is proposed which permits to explore and reflect on the connections between the three systems concepts with learning and values and which elaborates on the implications for evaluation and the use of systems concepts.
Abstract: The three core systems concepts – interrelationships, perspectives and boundaries – can be used for framing an impact evaluation (see Williams, this IDS Bulletin). But their use also has implications for the type of learning that an impact evaluation is likely to generate. Moreover, they can help to make the value base of evaluations more explicit. This article first outlines a typology for learning and elaborates on the implications for evaluation and the use of systems concepts. Then a similar typology for values is presented, together with their likely correspondence with learning types. These three aspects are usually dealt with separately in evaluation assignments, although they should be viewed together, as they mutually influence each other or can be seen as complementary. To this end a conceptual framework is proposed which permits to explore and reflect on the connections between the three systems concepts with learning and values.
TL;DR: The Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) in Bangladesh aims to lift households out of extreme poverty by providing a comprehensive package of support as mentioned in this paper, which is partly judged using the concept of graduation.
Abstract: The Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) in Bangladesh aims to lift households out of extreme poverty by providing a comprehensive package of support. As with other poverty reduction programmes in Bangladesh, CLP's success is partly judged using the concept of graduation. Defining graduation and how to actually measure it has generated significant debate. This article, prepared by members of the team responsible for implementing the programme, explains how CLP's thinking in terms of defining and measuring graduation has evolved over time. The programme finally arrived at an agreed set of graduation criteria and a measurement methodology in early 2014. This article presents graduation rates. It goes on to outline the factors that constrain and enable graduation and offers a set of conclusions and lessons learned, including the need to ensure alignment between programme design, operations and graduation criteria; and ensuring that sustainability of impacts/graduation is monitored and evaluated.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the role of social protection in contributing to sustainable employment in the context of the broader graduation debate and recognize that the feasibility and scale of graduation depend on wider factors such as labour demand and labour market structures, as well as on improving individual capacity and productivity.
Abstract: This article explores the role of social protection in contributing to sustainable employment in the context of the broader graduation debate. Many efforts to achieve graduation focus on the household or community level: helping households reach a certain asset and productivity level at which they are able to survive, and perhaps prosper, without support from cash transfer programmes; building assets at community level to provide public goods that increase economic productivity; and making communities more resilient to specific shocks and stress (for example, by supporting community soil and water conservation). However, it remains critical to focus on broader questions of employment and labour markets to understand how social protection programme design might impact on recipient households' wider job prospects, and to recognise that the feasibility and scale of graduation depend on wider factors such as labour demand and labour market structures, as well as on improving individual capacity and productivity.
TL;DR: A typology of critique approaches for gender mainstreaming can be found in this article, where the authors show how the central problem is diagnosed variously as the loss of the political dimensions of gender in the course of mainstreaming; or technical shortcomings; or the gendered nature of organisations as the causes of technical failure.
Abstract: An enduring legacy of the Beijing conference, gender mainstreaming has been widely implemented and widely critiqued since the 1990s. But the basis of these critiques has changed over time: this article charts a typology of critique approaches. It shows how the central problem is diagnosed variously as the loss of the political dimensions of gender in the course of mainstreaming; or technical shortcomings; or the gendered nature of organisations as the causes of technical failure. For others, the problem has been the failure to scrutinise the connection between gender mainstreaming and changes in gender relations in women's real lives. More recently, another group asserts that the trajectory of gender mainstreaming is simply part of the much broader logic of neoliberal governance. Understanding the technologies of power that shape a feminist practice suitable for the governance institutions into which it is inserted can help guide future feminist engagement.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the factors contributing to successful partnerships for health market innovations in Bangladesh and the extent to which these innovations can contribute to market systems changes that benefit the poor.
Abstract: The recent health service delivery achievements in Bangladesh have been attributed, in part, to partnerships between the government and non-state actors and the early and rapid adoption of innovations. Through the analysis of two case studies, this article examines the factors contributing to successful partnerships for health market innovations in Bangladesh and the extent to which these innovations can contribute to market systems changes that benefit the poor. The first case examines an innovation which aims to address maternal and child health issues by creating access to information on prenatal and post-natal care through mobile phones. The other case illustrates how Bangladesh's leading NGO partnered with one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh to develop a model for rural distribution of a micronutrient food supplement, ‘sprinkles’, to tackle the problem of micronutrient deficiency in young children.
TL;DR: The 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing was a pivotal moment for legitimating women's rights work in Ghana and served as a powerful framing for women's empowerment as mentioned in this paper, and significant work remains to be done in tackling the resistances and tokenism that continue to dominate public discourses and actions to advance gender equality.
Abstract: The 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing was a pivotal moment for legitimating women's rights work in Ghana and served as a powerful framing for women's empowerment. This article explores the Beijing conference and examines its influence on popular notions of and efforts to promote women's empowerment. We argue that the discursive context provided by the conference shaped popular narratives about women directly and also through its influence on the ideas and practices of public institutions and civil society. There is greater acceptance that women have rights that should be promoted and protected, and that there should be institutions and systems to which they have recourse. However, significant work remains to be done in tackling the resistances and tokenism that continue to dominate public discourses and actions to advance gender equality. Further efforts to advance women's empowerment and gender equality in Ghana must therefore build on the legacy of the Beijing conference.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose conceptual and programmatic considerations to ensure that graduation programs take full account of the situation of households with children and thereby work towards sustainable and intergenerational graduation.
Abstract: Despite the overall aim of graduation to lift people out of poverty in the long term, programmes remain largely focused on achieving short- to medium-term change. This article postulates that graduation programmes should be more aspirational as graduation can only be truly sustainable when it is an intergenerational process. This requires greater consideration of the role of children in graduation programmes as households with children face an inter-temporal decision-making dilemma that places them in a ‘twofold investment trap’; households are required to manage resources available from (1) adult household members and (2) children, and seek an optimal allocation of resources between investments in livelihoods and in child wellbeing. Available evidence shows that this is an almost impossible balancing act. This article proposes conceptual and programmatic considerations to ensure that graduation programmes take full account of the situation of households with children and thereby work towards sustainable and intergenerational graduation.
TL;DR: In this article, the status of households receiving benefits for the first time in 2014 against households which received benefits in previous years and against non-beneficiary households was compared by using the community assessment of poverty (Ubudehe), which showed that according to the assessment, the beneficiaries of both Direct Support and Public Works have improved their situation, including asset holdings, savings, the ability to withstand shocks and perceived food security, and therefore exited the programme.
Abstract: This article examines poverty reduction arising from the Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme (VUP) by comparing the status of households receiving benefits for the first time in 2014 against households which received benefits in previous years and against non-beneficiary households. Key findings are that according to the community assessment of poverty (Ubudehe), beneficiaries of both Direct Support and Public Works have improved their situation, including asset holdings, savings, the ability to withstand shocks and perceived food security, and have therefore exited the programme. Other factors affect the progress of a household, including the presence of elderly household members, literacy of household head and access to microfinance from the Financial Services component of VUP. The programme is currently exploring whether it is possible to define a ‘package’ which constitutes a base for sustainable graduation, which, in addition to cash transfer and asset acquisition, should include linkages to skills-building programmes and employment opportunities.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that poor people perceive their poverty and associated problems as "Allah's will", with not much to be done about it, and they engage in continuous innovative practices to survive.
Abstract: Millions of people in Bangladesh suffer from hunger, unpredictable and unstable livelihoods, precarious living conditions and social injustice. Yet they survive and become resilient. However, the resilience achieved by the poor is minimal and incremental in nature and does not result in their wellbeing. Based on three years of qualitative research, this article attempts to understand the nature of and pathways to ‘resilience of the poor people'. The article argues that poor people's approach to ‘resilience’ is twofold. First, they perceive their poverty and associated problems as ‘Allah's will', with not much to be done about it. At the same time, they engage in continuous innovative practices to survive. These two worldviews together ('fatalism’ and ‘self-help') make the poor ‘resilient'. This also ‘partially’ explains the absence of strong activism, collective action and protests within a context of state failure (in terms of ensuring rights and entitlements to its citizens).
TL;DR: The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) is 20 years old as discussed by the authors and the promises of the Beijing conference and reflects on how these have materialised amidst broader changes in the political economy of development Most significant is the shift in the role of the state, with the entry of new development actors into the development policy and practice arena and growing private sector engagement.
Abstract: The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) is 20 years old This introduction revisits the promises of the Beijing conference and reflects on how these have materialised amidst broader changes in the political economy of development Most significant is the shift in the role of the state, with the entry of new development actors into the development policy and practice arena and growing private sector engagement One consequence of this is that in the enthusiasm of corporate campaigns promoting women and girls as self-actualising individuals who can lift their communities out of poverty, effective implementation of progressive policies is getting lost An important legacy of Beijing is the buzz it created within women's organising and the opportunities offered for the creation of transnational and local alliances In conclusion we underline the hugely important part the energy of women's organisations continues to play in achieving positive and sustainable change
TL;DR: System dynamics modelling was used and process researched as a case to investigate its utility as a systems‐based evaluation (SBE) approach to evaluate the potential requirements and implications on the health systems of the ambitious antiretroviral therapy scale‐up strategy in Lusaka, Zambia.
Abstract: System dynamics modelling (SDM) was used and process researched as a case to investigate its utility as a systems-based evaluation (SBE) approach. A system dynamics (SD) model was developed to evaluate the potential requirements and implications on the health systems of the ambitious antiretroviral therapy (ART) scale-up strategy in Lusaka, Zambia. Research on SDM for strategic evaluation provided insights and principles for future application of SBE. The SD diagrams readily inspired new insights while practical constraints limited use of the model for action planning. Research suggests that utility of SBE begins with engaging stakeholders to share and align their views on a representation of the system and progresses to their reinterpretations of the system that they inhabit, ultimately moving towards transformative change. Evaluators must balance two purposes in managing for utility of SBE approaches: prod
TL;DR: The authors examines how girls' education since 1995 has emerged as a prominent symbol within the "rights" discourse coming out of the Beijing Platform for Action by highlighting the neoliberal and neocolonial processes during this time.
Abstract: This article examines how girls' education since 1995 has emerged as a prominent symbol within the ‘rights’ discourse coming out of the Beijing Platform for Action By highlighting the neoliberal and neocolonial processes during this time, particular shifts are traced which show how girls' education has been a symbolic part of the geopolitical canvas in Pakistan and Afghanistan alongside the ‘war on terror’ and universalisation of education The article refers to alternative voices which have attempted to disrupt the global narrative of the post-Beijing ‘rights’ agenda and points to the problems of this in the context of occupations, militarisation, and markets being used simultaneously as strategies for global governance and order
TL;DR: The Valuing Volunteering study demonstrated that volunteering has the potential to challenge power imbalances and strengthen ownership over change for individuals who are traditionally excluded from decision-making processes.
Abstract: The post-2015 development debates highlight that the experience of the poorest and most marginalised is one of exclusion due to power inequalities and discrimination. The Valuing Volunteering study demonstrated that volunteering has the potential to challenge power imbalances and strengthen ownership over change for individuals who are traditionally excluded from decision-making processes. However, this article also explores some of the barriers to this approach, such as paternalistic models of volunteering that seek to present the volunteer as the ‘silver bullet'; or the pressure to respond to the top-down agendas of governments and donors that are not aligned with the needs on the ground. The article will look at how participatory practice – reviewing existing mechanisms within VSO programmes as well as some new approaches trialled through the Valuing Volunteering research – can help to overcome some of these barriers and the opportunities and challenges of embedding participatory approaches within an international organisation.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the roles, dynamics and relationship between formal and informal volunteering in the Korogocho community and highlight the risks and opportunities associated with formal and non-formal volunteering.
Abstract: Taking the Korogocho community as its starting point, this article explores the respective roles, dynamics and relationship between formal and informal volunteering. Following an overview of the research's participatory systemic action research (SAR) methodology, the article outlines how the widespread use of stipends and allowances by external development organisations has blurred the distinction between formal volunteerism and low-paid work – something that disincentivises volunteering through local organisations who lack the resources to pay allowances. It examines informal volunteering, such as mutual aid and self-help groups, and highlights how they add significant value when they emerge in response to a directly experienced community need. Finally, it discusses the risks and opportunities associated with formal and informal volunteering. Issues include how volunteering can be used in complementary ways to address community needs, the scales at which they are most effective, and their potential in promoting greater inclusion and more equitable gender roles.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore how women's rights are being discussed within processes to develop a post-2015 sustainable development agenda and the parallel international disaster risk reduction framework and highlight how attempts to marry the environmental and development agendas reveal a continued problematic conceptualisation of sexual and reproductive rights.
Abstract: This article explores how, 20 years after the Beijing conference, women's rights are being discussed within processes to develop a post-2015 sustainable development agenda and the parallel international disaster risk reduction framework. It is based on analysis of documents produced to date from the various processes, and also personal experience of seeking to influence both the post-2015 development and disaster agendas. It highlights how attempts to marry the environmental and development agendas reveal a continued problematic conceptualisation of sexual and reproductive rights. It suggests that in gender terms, while the post-2015 development agenda and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are over-ambitious to the point of being mere rhetoric, gender rhetoric is yet to enter the international disaster risk reduction discourse. This, the article argues, coupled with the continued conceptualisation of disasters as outside mainstream development, has further negative implications for the recognition and fulfilment of women's rights.