About Empower@Scale Project

Oxfam Novib and Hivos with local partner CEFORD is delivering a mechanism for scaling up GALS by facilitating the professionalization of Empowerment Learning Centers (ELCs), and their constructive engagement with IFAD-supported projects and other actors for strengthening their capacities to apply HHM/GALS by linking the so far isolated HHM initiatives.

Scaling up household methodologies from thousands to millions (Empower @ Scale) is a four-year Multi-country project funded by IFAD and implemented consortium of Oxfam and Hivos in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria. In the Consortium, Oxfam Novib and Hivos provide supervisory and fiduciary functions related to financial management and administrative services for the project.

E@S’s ultimate objective is to scale up Gender Action Learning Systems (GALS) through establishing a network of self-sustaining Empowerment Learning Centers (ELCs). The objective of the ELCs and regional hubs is to provide the technical expertise and training required to support IFAD’s executing partner and other donor-funded value chains programmes and up-scaling GALS. IFAD is the donor of this project

Objectives of the project

To establish a self-sustaining network of national ELCs and regional hubs that provide the technical expertise and training required to support IFAD’s executing partners and other donor-funded value chain programs in developing and up-scaling GALS/HHM.

Key expected results / Outcomes

  • A network of ELCs is established and capable to provide capacity development services to public and private stakeholders on HHM
  • Governments and executing partners have affordable and prompt access to local and regional technical expertise needed for the implementation of GALS/HHM in value chain programs.
  • Individual HHM experts, practitioners, supporters and clients of HHM capacity development services are linked into the ELCs, regional hubs and a global platform for monitoring, experience and information sharing and knowledge management
  • New approaches are available to apply HHM in thematic areas and particular target groups such as youth and indigenous people

About GALS

GALS is a structured community-led empowerment methodology which aims at creating self-led economic, social and political transformation starting at community level. It works with women and men to develop their visions for change, appreciate their strengths, achievements and work collectively to address gender inequalities within the family and community. Using the power of symbols and principles of inclusion, GALS uses a set of tools that enable individuals and households to plan their lives, identify and negotiate their needs and interests for gender-equitable livelihoods thus enabling them to change the gender and power relations that would otherwise constrain them from achieving their visions.

Achievements thus far

Oxfam has not only been the frontrunner of the development, testing, piloting and promotion of GALS, over the years but has also played a crucial role in creating the demand for GALS in not only IFAD supported programmes but also other programmes.

Implementation of the Empower@Scale project has undergone 4 broad phases

Project Inception phase: Phase one (May 2018 to May 2019): This phase focused on setting up project management structures: project teams, strategic steering committee; engaging IFAD loan-financed programmes and reviewing current needs and priorities; contracting partners, assessments; baseline study; recruitment; establishing a core group of HHM experts, and drafting business models for the ELC and hubs.

Strengthening and consolidation phase for: Phase two (May 2019 to May 2020): This was a Strengthening and consolidation phase that focused on review and mobilisation of ELC for professionalization trajectories; establishment of two regional hubs and mechanisms for linking ELC with IFAD-supported programmes, quality assurance, monitoring, learning and knowledge management; exploring a revolving Capacity Development Fund; set up a global secretariat to develop codes of conduct and ethics and strengthen a multi-level and multi-stakeholder network; design of innovation trajectories for piloting.

Sustainability phase: Phase three (May 2020 to May 2021): This phase aimed at piloting and implementing capacity development / quality assurance mechanisms with clients of GALS/HHM support; test pilots for specific approaches with GALS/HHM are carried out. Pilot and implement capacity development / quality assurance mechanisms with clients of GALS/HHM support; test and consolidate business models for sustainability of ELC, hubs and the network; identify other ELC for programme development; pilots for specific approaches with GALS/HHM are carried out, reviewed and documented; approaches are disseminated and funds are leveraged for rolling these out. A larger alliance and consortia were developed for programme development scaling up.

Scaling up and replication phase”, Phase four (May 2021 to May 2022): During this phase, business models for sustainability of the ELC, regional hubs and the network are tested and reviewed; Capacity development trajectories with IFAD-supported projects refined for replication; wider profiling of the network and consortia, mobilizing resources for scaling up and knowledge management.

Successes

  1. Improved conflict resolution at family and community level resulting from integrating GALS in peace building initiatives.
  2. Reduction in domestic violence as a result of improved relations at Household level.
  3. Indicate an increase in productivity for agricultural value chains resulting from joint planning and decision making starting from the household level
  4. Observable changes in attitudes and behaviour at different levels through individual and collective activities. They include sensitive areas of gender inequality like property rights, gender-based violence and participation in economic decision-making.
  5. Improvement is savings culture among the youth owing to their engagement in Village savings and Loan Associations (VSLA), engagement in different livelihood interventions and GALS methodology

Approaches used for GALS scale up

The four approaches for scaling up the GALS/HHM methodologies are:

  1. Voluntary “pyramid marketing”: participants identify other participants in their own families and support networks with whom they have a self-interest in sharing the gender message and GALS methodology. GALS/HHM cannot be scaled up through top-down dissemination using conventional training of trainers or “step down” training models based on supply and demand since the methodology is community-led (bottom-up) and passed on by peers who have taken control and changed their lives. Therefore, change makers from the community – rather than paid extension workers – become the trainers.
  2. A network of qualified national ELCs and regional hubs with certified trainers and strong national training partners will be established to build capacities of implementing partners of IFAD- (and other donor-) funded value chain programs.
  3. It is vital that the ELC take responsibility together as a functioning network. A sound business model for the Network will be developed and implemented along with a functioning secretariat. During the life of the project, the regional hub will effectively function as the ELC network secretariat. After the completion of the project, the secretariat function can be taken up by one of the member ELCs, based on their interest and capacity to undertake this function.
  4. A Capacity Development Fund with a fee-for-services mechanism will be designed that can contribute to sustaining the ELC/hubs network as one of the options to be explored under the ELCs business models.

Partners

Hivos

Community Empowerment for Rural Development