DVV International, in partnership with NCSED “SABR” and three regional NGO counterparts, implemented the 24-month EU/BMZ-funded initiative “Promoting Gender Transformative Communities through Civil Participation” across six districts in Uzbekistan. The project aimed to strengthen capacities of civil society organisations (CSOs), mobilise local citizens, and promote gender-transformative territories and communities by integrating organisational development, community mobilisation, and local advocacy.
This final evaluation assessed the project’s achievements using a utilisation-focused approach grounded in OECD DAC evaluation criteria. A mixed-methods and participatory methodology was applied, combining a comprehensive desk review with primary qualitative data collection and targeted quantitative validation where feasible. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted both in-person and online across all six target districts, Urgut, Akdarya, Vobkent, Gulistan, Peshku, and Altynkul, engaging a wide range of stakeholders, including government representatives, makhalla leaders, NGOs, participatory working groups, and members of vulnerable communities.
The evaluation was designed as a learning-oriented and forward-looking exercise, reflecting the project’s multi-level structure linking national, regional, and community actors, as well as the diverse socio-cultural contexts of the implementation areas. The analysis integrated several cross-cutting lenses, including gender-transformative change, civil society empowerment, inclusiveness and participation, capacity strengthening, collaboration with local governance structures, and social norm change.