2005 is now coming to an end, and Southern Hemisphere has been busier than ever! For this year, we have been involved in sixteen projects ranging from training (in various areas such as planning, monitoring and evaluation, diversity, and advocacy), to consulting, to doing research.
TRAINING & FACILITATION
Public Training Course in P,M & E - In November 2005, we held a public course in Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, attracting a vibrant group of people from all over Africa. This diverse group of 19 participants were from a number of sectors, including government, NGO’s, academic institutions, donor organisations, etc, which made for a very interesting and challenging 4 days!
The training was held at The Farm Inn in Pretoria, where participants accommodated at this venue enjoyed game drives and relaxing evenings in the restaurant or bar. The course was a great success, thanks to Nana Davies, who was the senior trainer, and Nadia Gain, who assisted in the organising of the course!
Southern Hemisphere plans to host another course in P, M & E early next year (around April) – in Cape Town this time! So please keep you ears and eyes open if you are interested in attending. Also be sure to secure your place as soon as possible, as we found this course to be in great demand and actually had to turn people away.
Please email us at info@southernhemisphere.co.za or see our training page for more details about the course!
In house training courses
Southern Hemisphere conducted training in P,M & E for GoLD (Generation of Leaders Discovered) Peer Education Project. Through a number of implementing organisations, GoLD focuses on equipping teenagers to become positive role models and agents of change in their communities. As this was a big group to train, three facilitators Dena Lomofsky, Andries Mangokwana and Nana Davies trained intensively for five days! We now have an ongoing consultative relationship with GoLD.
Dena also conducted training in Facilitation Skills for GoLD staff as well as staff in implementing organisations, in October this year. Because most of GoLD’s intervention takes place in the form of training teenagers, it was necessary for peer educators to gain some formal training in facilitation skills.
Diversity training – Southern Hemisphere facilitated the training of senior leadership of the New Apostolic Church in Diversity. The training took place over 2 days, and was a fun and exciting experience for participants as well as facilitators, Dena Lomofsky and Weziwe Xameni.
Advocacy and Lobbying - Nana Davies trained 20 staff at the Trauma Centre for Survivors of Violence and Torture in Advocacy and Lobbying. The purpose of the workshop was to clarify the concepts of Advocacy and Lobbying, as well as provide a model for how the Trauma Centre could initiate and remain focused on their advocacy issues.
Nana Davies also facilitated a 2-day strategic planning session for Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International.
PROJECTS
DanChurchAid - Southern Hemisphere, with Nana Davies as project leader, has been contracted by DanChurchAid to conduct an evaluation of the Gender Advocacy Programme’s projects, namely Women and the media, Domestic violence, Women and governance, Local government and Social Policy projects. The findings of the evaluation as well as an organisational assessment will be used to guide the future direction for the organisation’s implementation team and also to develop a comprehensive Programme plan with a monitoring and evaluation framework in place. Thus far an evaluation-planning workshop has been held together the project staff. Fieldwork will take place in Saldahna bay and Atlantis.
Department of Public Service and Administration – Southern Hemisphere in partnership with The Research Lampost conducted a readership study of the Service Delivery Review Journal, for the Integrated Provincial Support Programme of the DPSA. This journal, first published in November 2001, was intended to feature current issues through the use of articles, case studies and profiles to highlight best practices, and serve to foster knowledge exchange and debate between public officials on public service delivery issues. The aim of the evaluation was to assess the effectiveness and impact of the journal in achieving this objective. A total of 457 telephonic surveys and 30 qualitative interviews were conducted.
The Shuttleworth Foundation – We are now coming to the end of doing an evaluation into the usage and adoption of open source software in tertiary institutions. The Shuttleworth Foundation has funded five universities across South Africa, to establish labs running purely on open source software, which was aimed at accelerating the exposure to and use thereof. A mixed method approach was used, conducting 477 structured interviews with students from the five universities, and 65 qualitative interviews with other stakeholders at the institutions.
The Shuttleworth Foundation (TSF) – Another evaluation of a TSF funded open source software project, led by Dena Lomofsky, is simultaneously being conducted in primary and high schools. TuXlabs have been established in 163 schools in three provinces to showcase the ability of open source software and the tuXlab model to be a replicable and innovative ICT solution as well as a viable vehicle for curriculum delivery. Fieldwork is currently taking place – altogether 106 semi structured qualitative interviews will be conducted with a wide range of stakeholders involved in the project, and 420 structured questionnaires will be conducted with students at the schools.
HBD Investment – Dena Lomofsky facilitated the design and development of M&E framework, systems and tools for The Big Idea, an initiative to assist with equipping existing and potential entrepreneurs with business skills.
UNICEF (funded by ECHO) – Earlier this year, an evaluation was conducted of UNICEF’s Data Collection Project on the Impact of armed conflict on children in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dena Lomofsky and Nana Davies were two key experts involved in this evaluation.
European Commission - ARS Progetti was contracted together with Dena Lomofsky from Southern Hemisphere, to conduct a Programme design including monitoring and evaluation system for the European Commission: Programme of Assistance to the Victim Empowerment Programme for the Department of Social Development in the South African government.
Social Responsibility
Hannah Muthoni joined Southern Hemisphere in September this year as an intern. Hannah is from Kenya, and is finishing her MA in Peace and Development Studies though the Universitat Jaume I, in Spain. Her thesis is about education and underdevelopment in Kenya (her home country) between 1990 and 2000. Hannah will be with us until late next year.
We have also had two holiday interns with us this year, to gain some experience in the working world. This internship is aimed to give matriculants a head start in the world of work. One of the interns wrote:
“I found working at Southern Hemisphere was a great experience as well as working with all of you guys. You’ve been great with me and I appreciate your patience…. I loved helping you guys with everything I think it was a lank cool experience! I also think that the idea of giving somebody a chance like this is thoughtful!"
Well that’s all for this year!!! We would like to wish all of our colleagues, associates, clients, and readers a wonderful holiday and a happy New Year!!!
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