Considering gender issues in the project cycle

The target group in the focus of attention
 

Managing a project cycle (MPC) means controlling the project cycle by regulating and observing various activities undertaken in each of the phases: indicative planning, identifying, formulating, financing, implementing, evaluating. In each different phase there are different actors, for example, a target group, a donor, an organization which implements the project, consultants, etc. and they all have their responsibilities.

For a project to be successfully implemented, the most important thing, among the other things, is to be oriented towards the target group. This means that the project should treat the target group’s priorities and problems and to be adjusted to the socio-cultural environment of the target group.Involving women and other marginalized groups in these projects is of basic meaning for achieving sustainable social and economic development. This means that during the preparation phase and while implementing the project, special attention should be paid to directing towards the target group. The so far experiences have shown that not enough attention has been paid to these issues. 

The attitude of the Women in Development (WID), built as a part of the general approach of genders and development, particularly emphasizes the relation between men and women within a given socio-cultural context and it emphasizes that investing in women capacities is still necessary to decrease the gender imbalance. Implementation of projects as such does not change anything for women, if treating the gender factors does not start from the very identification of problems and priorities for further development. A gender-sensitive approach requires research of the relations between men and women in the society, taking into consideration the labor division and the socio-cultural limitations in each country in relation to the approach for controlling and managing the gains from a given project.

In this and the next issue we will consider some basic issues which are to be set during various phases of the project cycle. This is a kind of a review of instructions, but it is not large, in order to reach bigger gender balance during all the phases of the project cycle.

 
Indicative planning

Indicative planning means sector and thematic focusing of an organization, for intervention in a specific country or region and it is basis for planning the future activities. Involving the gender aspects can be considered on two levels – on a level of a state policy and on a level of an organization.

When we talk about a state policy the following questions can be asked in order to check the gender sensitivity:

- What is the state’s position in relation to the gender issue? Are there any official documents that define the position on a national level or in relation to specific sectors?;

- Is there any established policy of work in relation to the sectors that are of direct relevance for women?;

- To what degree is gender taken only as an analytical concept while defining the policy: gender pointing out the characteristics of men and women that are already socially defined?;

- Are there any general documents, for example national reports on the development indicators in the country and do they contain special data about men and women?;

- Are there any differences in opinion between the donor and the government or the organization bearer in the recipient country, in relation to the focusing of activities of gender issue?.

On organizational level

- Does the organization or the organizations that (co)finance the project pay enough attention to the gender issue and how do they carry it out: their concept; including the gender in all subjects and/or some special instructions and references for women’s support (referring to the target group and their own organization)?;

- What measures have been proposed for realizing the plans referring to the gender policy (internal organizations and in relation to the target group)?;

- Are there any organizations that work on specifically women issues, as women bureaus or specialized NGOs?

 

Identification phase

Identification is primary formulating the project’s ideas in relation to the objectives, results and activities, in order to determine if it is necessary at all to formulate the project. There can also be a research carried out in order to find out if the idea for a project is feasible.

In the identification phase the target groups are to be asked to express their problems, to discuss them and to set their priorities.

The following questions can be asked:

- Have there been enough consultations with the women (from the target group) while designing the project and have women been given a same space for discussing as men?;

- Are women explicitly or implicitly mentioned as a target group?;

- What kind of needs and opportunities exist for the increased: women productivity and/or production; women’s approach to resources and their control; women’s approach to gains and their control;

- How can these needs and opportunities be linked to the general and sector development needs of the country?;

- What women’s/men’s activities does the project influence: productive, reproductive, sustainability and/or socio-economic activities?;

- Do the project’s objectives reflect women’s needs to have an approach and to control the resources related to their usual roles in this area?;

- What are the possible positive and negative effects on gender relations in relation to the identified interventions (gender analysis of short-term and long-term consequences)?;

- Have there been any similar attempts for such interventions before and what was their result? Has this identification been built on these previous attempts?

 

On organizational level:

- Which organization has identified the project? Is the gender sensitivity known at all? Is there any gender policy? If there is, what does it say? If there is not any, why is it so?;

- What other organizations have been included in the project identification and are they known for their gender sensitivity?

- Is the planned component consistent with the national/regional policy in relation to the gender issues?

In the next issue we are going to present involving the concepts of gender equality in the phases of formulation, financing, implementing and evaluation in the project cycle. 

Prepared by Neda Maleska-Sachmaroska and Fatmir Bytiqy

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Glossary
 
Gender relations

The attitude of women in development, built as a part of the general approach of genders and development, emphasizes gender relation as a relation between men and women in a given socio-cultural context.

The gender-sensitive project approach requires research of relations between men and women in the society, taking into consideration the labor division and socio-cultural limitations in each country, in relation to the approach towards controlling and managing the gains of a given project.