Gender-sensitive Monitoring and Evaluation What needs to be achieved? Ensure that performance monitoring and evaluation activities capture the distinct impacts of programmes on girls, boys, women and men Performance monitoring and programme evaluation efforts should capture the distinct impact of programmes on girls, boys, women and men of all ages. This can help provide humanitarian actors with critical information they need to address any barriers to access, inequalities or gaps, and to ensure that all population groups benefit from the response, including the most vulnerable. Key Actions Design humanitarian performance monitoring systems in a way that tracks distinctions between results for girls, boys, women and men. This entails looking at different approaches for monitoring systems at different levels, cluster/sector, programme, project and cross-sectoral. Ensure that monitoring indicators for high-frequency partner reporting are sex-disaggregated wherever possible. This high-frequency monitoring against 2-3 indicators per sector through partner reporting is a key element of UNICEF’s Humanitarian Performance Monitoring approach to allow rough coverage estimates on key result areas. This is equally relevant for UNICEF programmes and as a support to cluster performance monitoring. Given the constraints of high-frequency data collection in humanitarian contexts, many of these indicators will be based on extrapolations where sexdisaggregation is not possible; for example, population with access to safe water will be calculated in part using agreed standards on amount of water per person and data on water treatment materials distributed. However, wherever data is collected through records or counts of individual people, sexdisaggregation is possible and critical. The UNICEF Humanitarian Performance Monitoring Toolkit: Indicator Guide provides specific detail on recommended indicators. These indicators will be identified ideally at the time of preparing the humanitarian Appeal documents which is important in getting agreement with key partners. For UNICEF NGO partners, the reporting against priority indicators can be reinforced in Programme Cooperation Agreements. As a situation stabilizes, and with a shift towards lower frequency monitoring, it will be possible to change reporting to allow sex-disaggregation on more indicators. Ensure that the above coverage data is complemented by systematic field monitoring to get feedback on quality of programming on the ground and give voice to affected populations. This is a second key element of UNICEF Humanitarian Performance Monitoring approach. Field monitoring must be designed following standard guidance on gender-sensitive data collection and analysis to providean examination of gender differences and the underlying causes of these (see Steps 2 and 3 above). Field monitoring makes it possible to systematically probe gender differences in: • participation by girls, boys, women and men; • access to services, resources and activities; • progress in addressing priority humanitarian needs; and • the positive and/or negative impacts and benefits of an intervention on girls, boys, women and men. Advocate that partners adopt gender-sensitive data collection in their own performance monitoring systems at project level and services (e.g. primary health care centres, feeding programmes, child friendly spaces). This should include: collecting sex- and age- disaggregated data on beneficiaries of services; and tracking some key process indicators that contribute to gender-sensitive results; for example, levels of participation by girls, boys, women and men as project or activity coordinators, facilitators, trainers or trainees, and members of community-level committees, etc.). Ensure that any larger outcome level surveys are designed according to standard guidance on gendersensitive data collection and analysis (see Steps 2 and 3 above). Given the high cost and cross-sector relevance of these types of surveys, they are usually undertaken at Inter-Agency level using approaches such as adapted MICS or follow-up needs assessments surveys. These are critical opportunities to get more solid statistical data on gender differences in programme results. Undertake periodic focused gender analyses in order to interpret data from various monitoring systems, and use results to inform sector/programme/project-level revision (See Step 3 on Gender Analysis) Ensure that monitoring systems align with gender-sensitive programme standards and benchmarks, as found in SPHERE and INEE. Design evaluations in a way that assess distinctions between results for girls, boys, women and men. Ensure that evaluation efforts are gender-sensitive, consultative and participatory. Involve girls, boys, women and men of all ages in the provision of information, as applicable, to a program or project. Also consider involving representatives of community-based organizations involved in gender issues to participate in incountry reference groups. Routinely ask different groups to identify their distinct needs and priorities and the extent to which a project or programme is meeting them. See UNICEF’s How to design and manage Equity-focused evaluations, for more guidance in conducting evaluations that are sensitive to gender, as well as other sources of inequity. In projects involving gender-sensitive topics or lines of questioning (e.g., GBV, family planning), take appropriate measures to ensure that women and girls feel at ease to share their views freely and openly. Encourage the participation of girls, boys, women and men in evaluations as individuals or in groups including as: implementing partner representatives; project or activity coordinators; facilitators and animators; trainers or trainees; program or project committees, and; beneficiaries. Include women and men on evaluation teams. Use results to inform ongoing and future programmes Ensure that gender gaps or inequalities identified through performance monitoring and evaluations are shared with programmers and that measures are taken to address gaps in ongoing and future programmes. Ensure programme reporting captures gender dimensions of response Ensure that gender analysis and sex-disaggregated data are a routine part of reporting mechanisms. Ensure that progress reports, final reports and programme evaluations include information on the following: • presentation of sex- and age-disaggregated data and results of gender analysis • description of results including the impact of the programme on girls, boys, women and men, noting similarities and differences • changes in access, or gender equality gaps • information as to progress towards and/or achievement of gender equality objectives and outcomes. Remember the basics on Gender Sensitive Data Collection Collect sex- and age- disaggregated data Ensure that the data collected is disaggregated by sex and age to help indicate where there are differences between girls, boys, women and men in terms of the impact of the crisis, their access to essential and life-saving services, and their vulnerabilities, capacities, priorities and needs. Collect both quantitative and qualitative information Collect both quantitative and qualitative information about different population groups through a variety of methods including focus group discussions, interviews, direct observation, and community consultations, among others. Such data can reveal gender-based distinctions, for example, in access to services or of protection needs among different population groups and provide insight into what is driving those differences. Ensure data collection tools are gender-sensitive Ensure assessment, performance monitoring and evaluation tools reflect gender considerations including by prompting the gathering of sex- and age-disaggregated data and gender-sensitive qualitative information. Include both women and men on data collection teams. Ensure that the composition of data collection teams (including translators) accords with (i) the nature of the program or project, (ii) socio-cultural factors, and (iii) what is most comfortable for respondents. In some cases, it may be necessary for there to be both female and male evaluators working together, while in other circumstances, it may be Example: Experience shows that crisiscritical that female evaluators collect data among women affected women and girls may not feel and girls, and male evaluators among men and boys. comfortable speaking to males about certain Beginning with the recruitment process, build a data collection team whose members are gender-aware, meaning that they are capable of perceiving the influences and manifestations of gender roles in a crisis-affected population, and that they are capable of gathering gender-specific information. Consult directly with different population groups topics (i.e. reproductive health) or in certain circumstances. In some cases cultural factors may restrict women and girls from speaking to men who are not from their immediate family. Ensuring females are on assessment teams can help overcome these barriers. Carry out consultations with girls, boys, women and men, separately and together, in sex- and ageseparated groups. Ask questions that help determine any distinct risks, needs and priorities of different population groups, and identify any gender-based discrimination or key barriers to access. Be prepared to ask different questions in different ways to different population groups, taking into consideration age, gender and social norms, as well as cultural context in order to gain desired insight. Example: In Pakistan, IDP camps shelters were constructed in the absence of community consultations. UNICEF protection officers visiting the camps noted that women and girls were nowhere to be seen. Upon further investigation, they discovered that the IDPs were from Purdah communities, where women and girls faced restrictions on contact with men outside their immediate family. As a result, women and girls were confined to tents and were not accessing any services. In response, UNICEF consulted with male and female community members (separately and together) in order to come up with a way to address the cultural restrictions on mobility faced by women and girls. They agreed to construct female-only spaces where women and girls could walk around freely and access basic services. Be aware of power relations and ensure to get a diversity of viewpoints, moving beyond community leaders to gather information directly from community representatives, including of disadvantaged groups. Factor in the time, day and location of meetings when scheduling consultations with communities to ensure that different population groups can participate. Ensure that all processes of consultation with affected populations are designed and carried out safely and according to ethical standards.