Evaluation of the Southern and Eastern Africa Regional Centre for ...

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10with and in a manner more pro-active for the marginalised sectors of society.Though there is no guarantee, the findings do show the indirect impact of morebeneficial interactions through the kinds of important legal and policy changes anddecision-making documented.There is clearly a major threat if funding arrangements alter. Scholarships, regionalteaching, top-up of SEARCWL salaries, and infrastructure maintenance would all bethreatened. Furthermore, the political and economic situation of Zimbabwecontinues to be uncertain in the run-up to elections in 2013. In effect, the fundinghas given the Centre a critical degree of autonomy, which makes them much lessdependent on the situation facing UoZ as a whole. That said, it is clear that fundingarrangements have precluded the need for exploring sustainability options.In conclusion, the SEARWCL has created solid foundations and an excellentproduct. Predictable long term funding has contributed greatly to these foundations.However, conversely, the solidity now requires a more dynamic response to tacklingprogrammatic assumptions and several areas identified here that might be improved.In spite of challenges to sustain funding this may well prove to be an occasion forinvigorating and exploring efforts for more innovatory means to establish the Centreas a genuine regional hub with a regional vision.RecommendationsThe SEARCWL should strengthen its profile and potential for impact:Academic and regional sustainabilityStrategic planning− The SEARCWL prioritise plans for its strategic vision (including a missionstatement for its website) and more strategic focus outside of the course itself,and also one that includes options for financial sustainability (see also underfinancial sustainability). The possibilities for outreach should be part of thestrategic planning, albeit with the understanding of possible trade-offs oradditional resource needs this may incur. Nonetheless, there should be morestructured discussion of the pros and cons of and contingencies for outreach.Regional collaboration− To encourage greater regional ownership, there should be an enhanced role forregional academic partners to co-supervise students from their sendingcountries. Furthermore, steps should be taken to explore a flag ship regionalresearch programme (not necessarily course-related).− The governing structure as a whole should be reassessed. One suggestion isthat it may be beneficial for someone from outside the University sector,perhaps with experience of regional research, dissemination and/or advocacyat a regional level, to be invited on to the board.− Steps to be taken to strengthen the Alumnae association. Though this processwould realistically need to be driven by Alumnae, it requires some facilitation,mentoring and support. SEARCWL, for example, could provide a country visitto be organised by Alumnae, perhaps an event once per year in a selectedcountry.
Profiling− There should be increased attention to dissemination and accessibility ofstudent research, in particular the dissertations. This is under discussion. Butone additional avenue could include a process of identifying dissertationsparticularly relevant to current policy debates and converting them to policybriefs. SEARCWL should consider a series for policy briefs, linked withdissertations that produce high quality but accessible information on highlyrelevant themes for both state and civil society.− Another means is by providing free open access to the Women & Law book ontheir website as well as past publications of the Centre. This would significantlybroaden the reach of the materials throughout the region. Another is toconsider the establishment of an academic peer-reviewed journal to furtherpromote the discipline. A journal would provide an avenue for increasedregional academic collaboration whereby members of the regional advisoryboard, teachers, and students can publish their ground-breaking research.− Though recognising capacity limitations some of the processes are in any caserelatively low cost and additional funding could be sought from other sourcesfor extra staffing as new initiatives are undertaken (for someone to establishand edit a journal for example). Furthermore foreign (or domestic) internscould be made use of as another option.Financial sustainability− The SEARCWL should prioritise proactive searches for alternative sources offunding. One obvious avenue is like minded donors, in which RNE can assist,to attract such donors to course related activities. Another is the Norwegianbased NORHED programme- which appears open for regional applications.− SEARCWL should strategies with regional board members concerninglobbying at these regional collaborating universities to dedicate one of theirMasters scholarships for a student attending the SEARCWL Mastersprogramme to create regional ownership.− With different financial governance systems over the years, it would appearadvisable to have a systems audit. This is not to suggest any irregularities butrather to safeguard against any potential threats that could be avoided inattracting new donors.− Cuts would inevitably impact on SEARCWL’s ability to run the regionalcomponent. It is therefore recommended that the regional component isallowed to function. One interim response could be to have fewer courses (e.g.to reconsider those less popular); or, to scale down number of studentsscholarships in the short term.Succession11−A clear statement and decision needs to be made by the University ofZimbabwe endorsing the succession process to provide a clear signal topotential donors concerning the governance of the Centre.
Page 1: Norad Report 5/2013 DiscussionEvalu
Page 6 and 7: 4AcknowledgementsThe Norwegian Inst
Page 8 and 9: 6Executive SummaryBackgroundThe pur
Page 10 and 11: 8Kenya and Zimbabwe. Another area o
Page 14 and 15: 121 Introduction1.1 Background and
Page 16 and 17: 14−−−at the Centre and cooper
Page 18 and 19: 16evaluation is how the 2010 MTR id
Page 20 and 21: 18and also any strategic planning d
Page 22 and 23: 20An important factor for impact al
Page 24 and 25: 223 Findings: Impact of the SEARCWL
Page 26 and 27: 24percent in 2008, 18 percent in 20
Page 28 and 29: 263.3 Women’s law as a discipline
Page 30 and 31: 283.4.2 Career impactOne of the mos
Page 32 and 33: 30A critical space for influencing
Page 34 and 35: 32A male senior law officer in the
Page 36 and 37: 34“massive knowledge. It has real
Page 38 and 39: 36group to do lectures, training, a
Page 40 and 41: 383.6.1 Sufficiently harnessed?Desp
Page 42 and 43: 40like with the lack of discussion
Page 44 and 45: 42to RNE for 2012 the centre ‘now
Page 46 and 47: 44• Regional Masters programmes 6
Page 48 and 49: 46of the Women’s Law Series entit
Page 50 and 51: 48development of new methods and ev
Page 52 and 53: 50There is clearly a major threat i
Page 54 and 55: 52to reconsider those less popular)
Page 56 and 57: 542008 Centre- end of phase report2
Page 58 and 59: 56SEARCWLProf. StewartProf. A. Tsan
Page 60 and 61: 58Annex 2:SWOT analysisName Positio
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60Annex 3:Zambia Field WorkOne of t
Page 64 and 65:
62Annex 4:Survey Responses1. Are yo
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645. Age of respondents50%45%40%35%
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6670%67%60%50%40%30%32%20%10%0%1% 0
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6818. Assess the quality of various
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70543211%1%5%29%64%0% 10% 20% 30% 4
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7224. Which components of the cours
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74Thank you for answering this ques
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76can share with you as they were a
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78office as a Consultant namely (a)
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80objective of the program was to e
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82Results of Assessments of Women
Page 86:
NoradNorwegian Agency for Developme
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