Appendix 2 - minimum requirements for incorporating gender issues into IFAD's project cycle

For any project that contains livestock or range development as a component, project controllers should use this appendix, which sets out the minimum requirements to be included in mission reports for each stage of the project cycle. The following guidelines are intended to complement the draft, "IFAD’s Guidelines for Natural Resource Management: Livestock/Range Module". Much of the baseline data or supplementary information required (e.g., knowledge of the production system, national policies, natural resource base) and included in that document are not repeated here.

Project Inception Paper (PIP)

The project inception paper is a brief of 12-15 pages that covers: (i) the country situation and sectoral framework; (ii) IFAD’s previous experience in the country and lessons learnt; (iii) the justification for project selection; (iv) the project concept with an emphasis on objectives and rationale, a definition of the target group with an emphasis on its constraints and potential, the project area and a broad description of the components; (v) the suitability of the project for IFAD financing, potential for co-financing and an indication of the government's commitment to the project proposal. Limited fieldwork and a judicious use of IFAD’s institutional experience should be sufficient to prepare the PIP, which should normally analyse the major reasons, types and degrees of rural poverty and outline the main thrust, technology and impact of some development options on the basis of the natural resources and socio-economic conditions in the country. The results of screening and the scope of gender issues should be adequately reflected in the PIP.

Gender issues

The information required at this stage includes general descriptions of the role of women in livestock production and the contribution of livestock production to the income, status, nutritional level and productivity of the household generally. This should be done across agro-ecological zones and income classes. In addition, attention needs to be paid to women’s access to the means of production (land, labour, capital, technical inputs, etc.) and to their ownership of livestock and land. Furthermore, a preliminary assessment of the impact of existing technological packages on women livestock managers is required. These aspects will help to identify the major bottlenecks and areas for further intervention. It is also necessary to describe in general terms the implications and expected difficulties associated with introducing gender considerations into projects. Gaps in available information should also be identified.

Project impact

An indication should be given as to the expected impact of the intervention on women’s nutrition, income and status, and how this compares with the benefits that might be expected for men.

Project implementation

The PIP should describe the institutional arrangements, including a description of the existing authorities and institutions and traditional (community) leadership structure, which would be used to implement the proposed projects, and the assistance that would be required to build up their capacity, especially in terms of extension, research and administration. A brief description of the modalities for ensuring the participation of female beneficiaries in project activities should be included.

During this process relevant baseline information for a specific project needs to be assembled and the proposed project components need to be delineated. This includes an assessment of the technical and financial viability of various development options.

Gender issues

A detailed gender analysis of the production system in the project area should also be carried out. This should cover the following points:

Project impact

The financial attractiveness of the proposed interventions for participants needs to be assessed. This can be done through an analysis of the rates of return of the interventions, the portion that can be expected to accrue to women and whether these benefits are an improvement on the existing situation for women.

Project implementation

The PIP should also analyse the capacity of the different authorities (both local community and government) that would be involved in project implementation. This would also include an assessment of the training needs of local women through:

• Participatory processes. The report should define the modalities for enhancing the participation of the beneficiaries in project design, implementation and evaluation, in order to enhance communication between the local people and project staff, and to ensure ownership of the project by the community. Specific attention should be paid to the participation of the beneficiaries in designing and testing appropriate technologies. Throughout the process, special emphasis should be given to ensuring women’s involvement.
• Extension. The report would propose an extension process that avoided undertraining of women and avoided the possibility of undermining local initiatives. Focus would be on identifying the ‘most limiting factor’ and devising extension and technology packages to relieve constraints. Greater emphasis should be placed on functional literacy, management/leadership training for women and access to credit. The particular modality (individual, family or group approaches) used in approaching women farmers needs to be defined. Care will be taken to negotiate gains for men and women both. On the part of the government and project staff, the report will consider the need for strengthening ministries and women in development units and linking them to the technical livestock units. Provisions will be proposed for ensuring the presence of adequate numbers of women extensions agents and professionals in the project.

Project formulation process

Upon entry of the project into the pipeline, a project development team (PDT) will function collaboratively in developing the initial project concept into a comprehensive investment proposal. Formulation mission(s) need to define, quantify and phase each project component and its resultant benefits. Several development activities fitting into a coherent package will also be given. The project formulation process should follow a flexible participatory approach and should encourage the use of participatory rural appraisal techniques. It should maintain flexibility in design (and specifically allow for re-design during implementation) in order to ensure the full participation of local community and, particularly women.

Gender issues

Realistic estimates of the net value of project interventions to women, compared with those to men, should be provided. A social cost-benefit analysis that includes analysis of women’s workloads, income and decision-making control will ensure that the real opportunity costs for women are identified. Risks and uncertainties due to droughts, livestock disease and market/price fluctuations will be assessed in order to predict the response of participating beneficiaries.

The Preparation Report should provide details of the project sub-components designed to improve the income/status of women. Additional information supplementary to that collected during the project inception mission will be collected if and when required.

The details of the implementation modalities will be identified during the PRA exercise with the beneficiaries, with a particular emphasis on rural women.

Project impact

Project activities will be quantified and their expected benefits clearly defined in terms of the main gender categories: women’s role and control of livestock production; women’s workloads; the contribution of livestock to women’s overall portfolio; women’s access to the means of production and marketing; and the utilization of women’s ITK and production skills. An outline of the expected benefits to women as compared with those to men will be provided. For activities that require group efforts, the financial implications of the interventions, both to the group as a whole and to individual members, will be clarified.

Project implementation

If participatory rural appraisal or similar techniques are used during the formulation process, then the implementation arrangements should be more realistic and will be potentially necessary in ensuring the success of the project. Special attention needs to be paid to enhancing the participation of women during this process.

Project appraisal

The appraisal of a project should involve a critical and strategic consideration of the project’s design. An independent assessment of the project’s financial and economic viability should be undertaken with an explicit review of all aspects related to gender issues, without duplication of work already carried out during the formulation stage.

In addition to the points raised in the draft livestock/rangeland module, the appraisal report should also consider the following points:

• Does the project incorporate features of local women’s ITK in livestock production?
• Are the technological packages labour saving? What effect will they have on the prevailing division of labour in the household?
• Are the technological packages integrated into the overall production system? Are there linkages between the introduced and existing technologies?
• Do technologies actually assist in improving income and nutrition at the household level? What impact do they have on women’s income?
• How will the technologies affect women’s ownership of resources and control over their management?
• Does the technical package, and the process by which it was introduced enhance women’s participation and experimentation with technical knowledge?
• Does the technical package require low external inputs and is it within the means of the local community?
• Does the project enhance women’s access to extension and technical inputs?
• Does the project reduce women’s isolation? Does it enhance their access to technical information, market prices, prices of inputs, permits, government standards, and rules, etc.? Does the project encourage group work where appropriate? Does it encourage women extension agents and professional women in the livestock field?
• Does the project, through its technical packages, emphasize appropriate grass-roots objectives, particularly women’s own aims (milk-based strategy, smallstock production, income generation, etc.)?

Table of contents Preface Summary Women's role in livestock production Women's indigenous technical knowledge of livestock production Review of development efforts aimed at women in livestock production Recommendations Appendix 1 - case study - indigenous technical knowledge among Yemeni women in the Dhamar Montane Plains Appendix 3 - Terms of reference for a study of the ITK of women livestock managers in IFAD projects References