CHOLOLO

ECOVILLAGE - FINAL EVALUATION

A BRIEF SUMMARY
1 BACKGROUND
1.1
Chololo Ecovillage is a climate change project in Dodoma region of central Tanzania. The aim
of the project was to empower vulnerable rural communities to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate
change (CC). This involved the establishment of an eco-village - a model of good practice - to increase the
communitys resilience through the implementation of an integrated and multidisciplinary range of
climate change adaptation activities in agriculture, livestock, water, energy and natural resources. The 32-
month project ran from 2011 to 2014.
1.2
The expected results of the project were:
Chololo community members are empowered with knowledge and skills of climate change adaptation and
mitigation
A range of innovative adaptation technologies are identified, tested, evaluated and shared
A framework of land use plans and natural resource management principles implemented
Women are empowered to act at the forefront of transformation, and
Household food security and incomes are increased, and livelihoods are improved.
1.3 The purpose of the external final evaluation was to review the quality and relevance of the
project design, project effectiveness, efficiency of planning and implementation, impact, and potential for
sustainability, replication and magnification of the project outputs and outcomes.

2.

RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION:

The project has shown a good level of overall performance.

Evaluation
Criteria

Ranking

Quality and

Very Good: The design is very good and has worked well based on the clear linkage
between the transformation process and key project outcomes. The project is in line with
community priorities and in line with the National Adaptation Program of Action.

Relevance of
Design

There has been a lot of data and information gathered and analyzed on the design, which
helps to improve implementation and achievement of results. However a clear
performance measurement framework and risk management framework needs to be in
place

Effectiveness

Good: Almost all short-term effects have been realized.

Chololo is recognized as ecovillage; and has attracted visitors from within and
outside Tanzania;
46% of farmers and livestock keepers are now using climate change adaptation
innovations (compared with 19% during baseline);
Additionally 25 adaptation interventions have been tested, evaluated and applied
(compared to 18 initially targeted);
97% of community members have good understanding of CC;


Efficiency of

The land use plan for Chololo Ecovillage is in place.

Planning and

Good: The project has a good and working partnership approach with implementing
partners working together based on their competency areas. It has a very active steering
committee. In terms of resources, project has utilized resources well.

Implementation

Impact

Good: There has been good progress towards realization of project outcomes. This can be
seen in high-level goals indicators:

Increased average yields from 234 kg per acre (2012) to 351 kg per acre (2014);
25 climate change adaptation innovations have been tested, evaluated and
applied;
50% (2014) of women are in leadership position compared to 40% previously
(2012);
Number of household eating 3 meals per day has doubled (from 29% to 62%);
Increased average household income 18% from Tsh 585,042 to Tsh 690,360;
Womens income increased 64% from Tsh 341,389 to Tsh 560,344;
Reduction by 62% of the period of food shortage from 7.3 months to 2.8 months.

Potential for
sustainability,
replication and
magnification

Good: There is evidence that sustainability, replication, and magnification are all possible
given the enthusiasm, increased awareness and goodwill all around. This is observed in the
link to the NAPA, the contribution in informing national policy on climate change, and the
involvement of DMC, which will assist in rollout to other villages in Dodoma. Clear resource
mobilization mechanisms would go a long way to ensure sustainability, replication and
magnification in the village and beyond.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1
On general project design and continuity of benefits: Systems of dealing more sustainability with
technology generation and adaptation, establishment of support/revolving funds in line with existing village
community banking, increasing off-farm employment opportunities, and clear linkage, coordination,
networking with other district social development mechanisms need to be put in place.
3.2
On effectiveness and efficiency of the project: A lot has been done to ensure that project effects are
realized through awareness creation, sensitization, training and technical support but we recommend that
mechanisms be added to this work which will guarantee a beyond the project success and impact.
3.3
On the impact of the project: Continue to enhance community capacities in harvesting available water
in ways that improve their water use efficiency; storing enough water to bridge the gap between seasons;
putting in place land resource planning systems that are flexible; use of several cultivars of the same crop with
differing maturing periods to capture moisture fluctuations during the season.
3.4

On sustainability, replication and magnification: An exit strategy should be developed:

Taking into consideration the economic value added to peoples livelihoods by the outputs of the
project;

 Strong integration of project costs and benefits into stakeholder expenditure budgets;
Strong monitoring and comparison of project actual performance vis--vis the planned performance;
Working to ensure there are systems in place that will manage and supervise all the infrastructure
(water pumps, dams) to ensure they are sustained
3.5
On advocacy, lobbying and visibility approach to collaboration, cooperation and networking: we
recommend the continuation of the visibility approach targeted at getting support clientele, focus
development partner attention; draw actors towards our interventions, and relate interventions to current
issues and development trends is critical.
3.6
On building institutional capacity and linking with resources beyond project time: Local institutions
are central to success of any development work at the grassroots. District and national institutions are
necessary for success of any development work at these levels. Agricultural/rural extension services need to be
bolstered and revamped to show individual farmers the benefit of improved farming techniques and other
innovations.

LESSONS LEARNED

4.1
Innovativeness of target group: Once stakeholders and beneficiaries have been exposed to the
necessary awareness, sensitization, and training they can on their own start initiatives to assist their people.
Several were doing on-farm experimentation on tree planting (sites and spacing), crop combinations etc.
4.2
Enhanced grassroots partnership: Collective action by individuals in the village community has
become the order of the day and this can lead to the integration of individuals in particular and the community
in general already existing social networks where people have developed trust are very useful in this regard
4.3
The visibility approach: Social events like drama, theatre, sports, and songs are useful for sensitizing,
informing, educating and opening up the community, sharing experiences, breaking down barriers to change
and addressing gender rights issues. Educational tours, newsletters, field days, print and electronic media,
websites, videos etc.
4.4
Need for clarity of rules of engagement and expectations: Participatory and partner-based
awareness, sensitization and training programs should have clear MOUs and agreements that commit actors
and partners to what they said they will deliver, timely delivery, and follow up of outputs and outcomes. This
enhances ownership, accountability, transparency and sustainability.
4.5.
Critical role of local leadership: The role of local political leadership (councilor, member of parliament
etc) in awareness creation and sensitization of communities is very useful and could be further exploited. The
local councilor is already doing a commendable job on these.
4.6
The central role of better incomes and nutrition: Sustainable income generating activities (on-farm
and off-farm) are the major concerns of women followed by good nutrition. Increasingly better ways of dealing
with these, without adding to already existing workload on women, need to be looked at especially where they
simultaneously deal positively with climate change adaptation issues.

The external evaluation was carried out by MS-Training Centre for Development Cooperation
(MSTCDC) P.O. Box 254, Arusha, Tanzania (www.mstcdc.or.tz).