Unit 3: How to mainstream gender in ILO operations

Gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation

Tool: ILO’s Checklist of Gender Considerations in Self-Evaluation Reports

1. Effectiveness
2. Relevance
3. Efficiency
4. Sustainability
5. International labour standards
6. Findings, conclusions, recommendations and lessons learned

[Note: This checklist is adapted from ILO’s "Guidelines for the Integration of Gender Issues into the Design, Monitoring and Evaluation of ILO Programmes and Projects", PROG/EVAL, ILO, January 1995, Geneva.]

1. Effectiveness

• Assess the effectiveness of the programme, i.e. the degree of the achievement of the objectives and the effects of the programme on the target groups.

• Describe the intended beneficiaries/participants. What are the differences between men and women and/or between women in the:
  • division of labour, their roles and participation patterns in the socio-economic sector(s) concerned
  • access to and control over resources and benefits
  • needs
  • constraints and/or opportunities in the economic, demographic, social, cultural, political, legal and institutional environment for the promotion of gender equality.

• If the programme is geared towards institutional development, describe the capacity of the direct recipients to address the needs of men and women and to promote gender equality. Describe:
  • the type of organisation, major areas of intervention and general capacity to plan and implement activities for women workers
  • the nature and extent of gender specific policies and activities, and experience with women workers’ issues
  • the organisational structure for addressing women workers’ issues
  • the concern with gender equality within the organisation and the perceptions on gender issues among the staff at various levels of the organisation and how these affect their work.
  Indicators of the above may be:
  • the type and scope of policies and programmes on women and gender issues
  • the proportion of male/female staff
  • the levels and occupations of men and women within the organisation
  • facilities and support systems for workers with family responsibilities.

• If imbalances exist between the position of men and women, have women-specific activities and/or positive action measures been designed and implemented to enable women to participate in and benefit equally from the programme?

• Describe the effects of the programme on the situation of men and women within the target groups. Describe whether men and women participate in and benefit equally from the programme.

• Describe any unanticipated positive and/or negative effects on the situation of men and women within the targeted groups.

• Describe any internal and/or external factors which have positively or negatively influenced the programme’s effects on the situation of men and women within the target groups.

• Describe ways to improve the effectiveness of the programme in addressing the needs of men and women, and promoting gender equality.

2. Relevance

• Assess the relevance of the programme, i.e. the usefulness of the programme’s results and its success in meeting the needs of the target groups.

• Describe whether the different needs of men and women have been identified and determine whether these needs still exist.

• Describe whether the programme addresses practical and strategic gender needs.

• Indicate the views of women and women’s organisations on the usefulness of the programme in meeting their needs.

• Describe alternative ways of meeting the needs of men and women within the target groups.

3. Efficiency

• Assess the efficiency of the programme, i.e. compare the allocated resources with the results obtained.

• Explain whether the programme has fully utilised and developed both men and women’s potential.

• Assess whether there are alternative ways of promoting gender equality in the programme.

4. Sustainability

• Assess the sustainability of the programme, i.e. its longer-term impact after withdrawal of external support.

• Identify the long-term commitment and the technical and financial capacity of local/national institutions and the target groups to continue the promotion of gender equality.

• Ensure that the required human and material resources will be made available to continue and further develop activities for the promotion of gender equality.

5. International labour standards

• Review whether the programme conforms with international labour standards, in particular those on human rights and the relevant technical fields.

• A number of standards specifically address subjects where many women workers face constraints. They explicitly address basic women’s rights and should be applied and promoted in all ILO programmes. These standards deal with:
  • equal remuneration
  • equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women in employment
  • workers with family responsibilities
  • maternity protection

6. Findings, conclusions, recommendations and lessons learned

• List the main accomplishments and/or drawbacks of the programme in addressing the needs of men and women and promoting gender equality.

• Provide guidance for planning and implementation of the ongoing programme and for future programme design.

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