New solutions to old problems: Digging deeper into innovative solutions for GBV measurement & evaluation

Have you ever had the time and to really dig into the challenges and barriers we face when we try to use Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) to inform and improve Gender Based Violence (GBV) programming?

If so, did you ever reach the point where you came up with ‘top notch’ solutions to solve your core M&;E problems? In close collaboration with the HIF we’re trying to do exactly that by running an adapted Design Sprint Workshop in May 2019 in Nairobi.

Design Sprint is a proven process to help answer critical questions and ensure that you are developing the right thing. The three-day workshop will take us through different steps to:

1. 
   
   1. properly identify the challenge,
   2. come up with appropriate solutions to the challenge(s), and
   3. develop ideas on how to move forward with the selected solutions.
   
   

The objective of this project is to collectively identify innovative opportunities to strengthen the measurement of GBV programming. We will do this through the creation a shared space where innovation specialists and GBV actors from different levels can discuss and learn from their respective experience.

East Africa has seen incredible development in both technology-based and non-technology-based innovations which has revolutionised ways of doing business. We are hoping to harness similar talents to help define innovative approaches to effectively measure success of GBV programmes.

While the workshop has not yet taken place, selected IRC country teams have kick-started the thinking process. They have started to complete individual surveys and have in-country meetings with relevant staff, sharing their experiences around M&;E and GBV programming.

Questions included:

• identification of some of the biggest barriers,
• data collection methods,
• activities that have worked well in the past, and
• creative ideas that could solve all our problems.

This information will form the foundation of the workshop activities.

At the adapted Design Sprint we will harvest the M&;E knowledge from across Tanzania, DRC and Burundi with IRC staff and GBV partner teams. This will be combined with motivational/inspirational speeches from regional innovation specialists, following the Sprint methodology.

Hopefully, we will leave the workshop on Wednesday May 15, with new ideas on how to measure GBV programming more effectively. This could lead to new partnerships within the humanitarian sector and greater involvement of East African innovators.

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Photo Credit: IRC