Excel Evaluations International Limited undertook a baseline and rapid assessment for the Gender Accountability and Peace Project, establishing the evidence required to guide implementation and measure changes in gender-responsive governance, civic participation, accountability and peaceful community engagement.

The assessment examined the knowledge, attitudes, capacities and practices of civil society organisations, women, men and children regarding civic education, accountable leadership, gender equality, participation in decision-making, access to public information, engagement with duty bearers and the use of peaceful accountability mechanisms. It also explored underlying gender and power relations, barriers to participation and the capacity of local structures to support inclusive governance.

Our services included refinement of the assessment framework and indicators, desk review, stakeholder mapping, development and rapid pre-testing of data-collection tools, field-team orientation, quantitative and qualitative data collection, consultations with communities and duty bearers, data-quality assurance, analysis and preparation of the baseline report. The methodology combined participatory, gender-responsive and age-sensitive approaches to ensure that the perspectives of different population groups were adequately represented.

The assessment provided FOWODE with credible baseline values, a clearer understanding of the operating environment and practical recommendations for tailoring project activities to the realities of Kabale and Sheema. The evidence strengthened activity prioritisation, target-setting, stakeholder engagement, risk management and the project’s monitoring, evaluation and learning arrangements.