1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Pilot Program for Climate Resilience, Tajikistan (WB / PPCR)

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

06/07/2009

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

2.1 Short description of the Approach

The use of the government appointed District Womens Affair Officer to mobilise women throughout the community to implement technologies.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

Aims / objectives: The aim of the approach was to empower women through support from the government’s Women's Affairs Officer (WAO), to implement low cost energy efficient technologies within individual households. Women being the primary users of energy within the household, can become the main agents for change in applying more efficient methods to the use of natural resources to meet their cooking, heating and energy needs. Therefore, reducing fuel costs, and dependence upon local natural resources. The district local government employs a WAO, who is the government representative for women’s issues in the district. Once the WAO became supportive of the idea, she was able to engage the Women’s Affairs Officers at the Jamoat level.

Methods: This approach is fundamentally a training pyramid approach. An expert conducted a series of training sessions to interested women on the details of the technology. The training involves demonstrations of the technology, it's benefits, information on how to purchase or make the material required, and how to implement the technology. The first session is a ‘Training of Trainers’. The participants are then provided with training materials, and are invited to replicate the training in their own community. The process is continuously repeated, subsequently broadening the target audience. Zamzam, the local women’s association of the district helped suggest potential community candidates for trainers, and provided practical training sessions on energy efficiency measures through the TOT.

Stages of implementation: The implementation of the project started with an inception meeting with the District Women’s Affairs Officer to sell the idea, and to gain the local government’s support. Once she was supportive of the idea, a district level meeting was held with all the Women’s Affairs Officers at the local level (i.e. Jamoat) and two women representatives from each Jamoat. At this meeting the ladies were introduced to the technology i.e. cooking stove modification and heat exchangers. The meeting further discussed on how each jamoat would receive training, and what training materials were to be distributed to the communities. The meeting enabled issues with the technology, logistics, monitoring and overall set up of the approach to be discussed. Afterwards an expert trained a group of women from each Jamoat on the technology and provided them with materials so that the training could be repeated within their own communities.

Role of stakeholders: This is a women's led approach, the Women’s' representative within the government, who are also Women’s association members, were responsible for organisation of the trainers, logistics and government documentation support. With support from Zamzam, the active women in the community were selected as trainers to receive training from the experts and provide subsequent outreach training to their communities.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• governmental

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The Approach focused mainly on SLM with other activities (Energy Efficiency)

The aim of the approach was to mobilise the women within the community through the use of the government appointed District Women's Affairs Officer. Once the government appointee was engaged in the promotion of the technology, she was able to use her position to mobilise the Women's Representative at the local government level (Jamoat), and subsequently women's representatives within each village level. The approach exploits the existing government's women's network to empower women to implement technologies, whilst also gaining government support and assistance.

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: The average household in the Muminabad area uses several tonnes of tapak (dung and straw mix) and firewood each year for cooking, baking and heating. This puts excessive strain on the local natural resources, and significantly reduces the amount of organic fertiliser used in land management, as well as the removal of tree and shrubs that stabilise the land and help prevent erosion from wind, surface water run off and livestock grazing.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	self-mobilization	It was members of the local community that thought of the idea and approached the governments Women's Affair Officer.
planning	interactive	The local stakeholders organised a initial meeting to plan the implementation of the approach.
implementation	self-mobilization	Implementation was entirely through the local community, including government representatives at district and local level.
monitoring/ evaluation	external support	This was undertaken by the donor and at the district level.
Research	none	None

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:

• mainly land users, supported by SLM specialists

Explain:

The idea for the approach was developed by representatives of the local community, who were interested in implementing a technology that would improve the lives of women in the community.

Decisions on the method of implementing the SLM Technology were made by mainly by SLM specialists with consultation of land users. The technology of improved cooking stoves was already developed, tried and tested, the approach orginated from already knowing which technology to implement.

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:

• field staff/ advisers

• Women's groups

If relevant, specify gender, age, status, ethnicity, etc.

The project personnel provided the initial training to the women, who in turn then trained within their own communities.

Form of training:

• farmer-to-farmer
• demonstration areas

Form of training:

• Training was held within the communties.

Subjects covered:

The training was on energy efficiency measures, and how to reduce the amount of organic material used as fuel.

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

No

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• yes, greatly

Specify the level(s) at which institutions have been strengthened or established:

• local

Specify type of support:

• capacity building/ training

Give further details:

Local NGO Zam Zam, a women's network, was used to conduct the training.

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

Comments:

no. of land users involved aspects were regular monitored by project staff through observations; indicators: The quality of the training was observed.

no. of land users involved aspects were regular monitored by project staff through measurements; indicators: The number of women that received training was monitored.

There were no changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: None

There were no changes in the Technology as a result of monitoring and evaluation: None

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• 2,000-10,000

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

Approach costs were met by the following donors: government (Government covered costs related to workshop for women's groups): 10.0%; international non-government (Covered the expenses such as travel and materials.): 90.0%

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

Yes

If yes, specify type(s) of support, conditions, and provider(s):

The state provided personnel support and facilities for meetings

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• equipment

• other

If labour by land users was a substantial input, was it:

• voluntary

Comments:

It is a relatively low cost approach that required traing materials, transport and demonstration equipment. The main part of the finance was required for the implementation stage of the technology, whereby half the costs were met by the land user and the rest by the donor.

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

No

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• yes

If yes, describe how:

The approach needs minimal finance to continue.

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
It is easy to train a group of women, it is much harder to train men. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: The women could benefit from further instructions on how to train. )

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
The approach incorporates government support. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: It may mean that further approaches and endorsements will have government support and generate further interest from the authorites.)
The approach is easy to replicate and has the potential to reach many beneficaries. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: It could be replicated in other areas and regions. )
The approach is designed specifically for the target beneficaries. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Other technologies that specifically benefit women could adopt this approach.)

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Because the approach is specifically for women it could limit the uptake by men.	Maybe subsequent training sessions could be held for men.
Some of the poorer households were not in a position to contribute to buying the materials or to implement the technology. This, therefore, exclused the poorest in the community.	Other memebers of the community could provide support. It should be noted that any contribution no matter how small puts a financial worth on the technology.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information