What did the evaluation focus on?
This formative evaluation examines how current programmes and investment in adolescent girls’ leadership are shaping UNICEF’s gender transformative programming (GTP) approach in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESAR). It is purposely focused on adolescent-girl intentioned programming as part of a gender transformative approach1.
The objective of this forward-looking evaluation is to draw out learning and recommendations from UNICEF’s implementation of their Gender Action Plan GAP 2 (2018–2021) and GAP 3 (2022–2025) for future programming in the region and elsewhere, recognising that this is a new area of work for the region and a new priority introduced in the most recent GAP. This is a previously under-explored area of investigation for the region. The formative evaluation used the following definition of gender transformative programming and adolescent girls’ voice, agency and leadership
Scope and methodology
This evaluation was conducted in 2022–2023, and covers the period from 2018 to early 2023, using a country-case study approach examining programmes in a sample of the 21 countries in UNICEF’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region. Case studies were undertaken in three countries (Mozambique, Namibia and Uganda), with three additional desk-based reviews in Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
This evaluation took a feminist and participatory design and approach which engaged UNICEF staff and young people at key stages throughout the evaluation. The two core methodologies used were an adapted outcome harvesting against the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) continuum, and participatory, youth-friendly approaches. Through a range of both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, we explored the views and experiences of different stakeholders in different contexts:
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Key informant interviews and focus group discussions (73 KIIs and FGDs)
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Adolescent Panels composed by girls and boys collected the voices and views of 112 young people in the three case study countries.
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Document review (300 documents).
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Regional survey (166 respondents).
Adolescent Panel members also supported data collection and sensemaking, and a Regional Adolescent Advisory Group of 11 young people supported validation and fed into the recommendations.
Findings and recommendations are focused on the selected countries, with the hope of being relevant relevance to all 21 UNICEF Country Offices (COs) in the region and beyond and to other stakeholders and practitioners.
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