4.2. Applying a WEEGE Lens to Project Design

Project Design Process

The project design process offers opportunities to integrate WEEGE considerations in the PDD. During the project design process, USAID Missions define the proposed project’s parameters, present a high-level theory of change, and outline an adaptable plan for implementation, which results in the PDD. This overall process is intended to generate a roadmap, rather than a preliminary project design.

Planning a Project Design Process

Before initiating a project design process, Missions choose the project design team, including the Mission’s gender advisor, and identify the scope and process parameters for the design process.  During this planning phase, Missions outline the steps necessary to produce the PDD.

The key steps in planning a project design process include: defining the preliminary project purpose; outlining a plan for engaging local actors; and developing a plan for conducting analyses, including the required gender analyses. A description of each of these steps, along with instructions on how to incorporate WEEGE, are provided in Table 1.

The steps outlined in the table are: preliminary project purpose, plan for engaging local actors step, and plan for conducting analyses step.

See Unit 1, Resource 1: Data Sources.
See Unit 3, Toolbox: Part III: WEEGE Illustrative Questions. 

Analyses

A gender analysis is required in the PDD formulation process. The Mission must incorporate into the project design the findings and recommendations from the gender analysis, as well as recommendations from the gender analysis required for the CDCS. Specifically, Missions must outline plans to address disparities and reduce gaps and inequalities that are revealed, including:

  • gaps in the anticipated levels of women’s and men’s participation in project activities that could hinder the achievement of project outcomes (disaggregated by age, ethnicity, disability and location).
  • differences in the statuses of women and men (such as economic and political) that the project could address.
  • possible differential effects of the project on men and women.

Ideally, WEEGE was included in the CDCS gender analysis and continues through to the project gender analysis. See Sample: Integrating WEEGE in a Project-level Gender Analysis. Box 1 presents select WEEGE principles that apply to a project gender analysis incorporating WEEGE. Table 2 offers illustrative WEEGE questions organized around the ADS 205 gender analysis domains that can be used to integrate WEEGE into a project-level gender analysis. For more guidance, please refer to the Unit 3, Toolbox: Integrating WEEGE into a Gender Analysis. The example outlined in Table 2 illustrates WEEGE questions related to the health sector. By incorporating WEEGE into the gender analysis for a sector-specific PDD, USAID Missions can gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities for expanding WEEGE. These insights, in turn, enable USAID to more effectively address the systemic factors that prevent women’s full economic empowerment and gender equality.

Box 1: How to Apply the WEEGE Principles into Analyses Conducted for Project Design

Principle 4: Engage Men and Boys

  • Consider the restrictions and limitations of traditional male gender roles, affecting men and boys, that could be a barrier to WEEGE; recognize the role and impact of power dynamics in households, communities and the workplace.

Principle 6: Establish the Evidence

  • Review evidence of what works as well as unsuccessful initiatives to determine which interventions should be taken to scale and which may have produced unintended consequences.

Principle 8: Partner with Women

  • Identify women-led and women-owned organizations, networks and businesses for partnerships, including national and regional organizations with country-level influence; establish an annual target for the percentage of USAID funding that goes directly to such partners for design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, as well as for organizational and leadership capacity building, if needed.

Principle 10: Embrace Emerging Innovation

  • Review how well emerging innovations are meeting the needs of women and the promotion of WEEGE.
The table lists WEEGE Illustrative Questions for the Laws, Policies, Regulations, and Institutional Practices Domain; the Cultural Norms and Beliefs Domain; the Gender Roles, Responsibilities, and Time Use Domain; the Access to and Control Over Assets and Resources Domain; and the Questions for Patterns of Power and Decision-making Domain.

 

In addition to the gender analysis, other research and assessments may be required to prepare the PDD (refer to Box 2). Each of these analyses offers opportunities to incorporate a WEEGE lens.In accordance with ADS 205, USAID shall ensure that strategies, projects and activities of the Agency are shaped by a gender analysis. The following areas of investigation may be appropriate for these analyses:

  • the barriers to women’s entry and participation in specific value chains.
  • the challenges women face in accessing professional advancement opportunities.
  • women’s roles in conflict resolution and climate prevention and adaptation measures.
  • the constraints and opportunities for women to participate in the economy.
  • perceptions regarding the types of employment suitable for men versus women.
Box 2: Different Types of Analyses Conducted for a PDD
  • Gender (required)
  • Environment (required)
  • Climate-risk (required)
  • Cost-benefitRefer to USAID report: “Integrating gender in cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis: final report,” available at: https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00MQB2.pdf
  • Political economy

Formulating the Project Development Document

After the Mission has completed the required analyses and other tasks related to the project design process, findings are synthesized into a PDDThe PDD is a short document (ideally not more than 15 pages) that summarizes key decisions made during the project design process. The PDD is not intended to be a comprehensive plan or an exhaustive description of all design considerations; it is a management tool for facilitating an ongoing process of decision-making. for approval. The PDD comprises four parts, briefly outlining the following: the project overview; project description; project management approach; and a monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) plan (refer to the ADS 201 help document for the specific requirements). Box 3 outlines WEEGE principles to consider when developing each section of the PDD.

Box 3: How to Apply the WEEGE Principles into Sections of the PDD

Principle 2: Amplify Women’s Voices

  • Incorporate programming targets that require engagement with local women’s groups/networks/associations.

Principle 3: Be Specific

  • Design and document specific goals and intended changes and results related to WEEGE in your strategy/project/activity.

Principle 5: Collaborate

  • Identify constructive engagement options with private sector companies and academic institutions, as appropriate, in the planning and design of strategies, projects, and activities.

Principle 6: Establish the Evidence

  • Include WEEGE sex-disaggregated indicators at the strategy, project and activity level that align to specific development objectives and results; ensure that staff and local partners have the capacity and resources for proper data collection.

Project Overview

Women’s economic empowerment and gender equality should be incorporated explicitly into the PDD’s purpose as detailed in the project overview, explaining how the project will change and enhance women’s economic access, agency and leadership. This section often will align with IRs within the CDCS results framework.

Project Description

The project description presents the initial theory of change— an important area for WEEGE that needs to be identified explicitly and intentionally. It also describes the context in which the project operates and identifies the major approaches that will be used for implementation, the important knowledge gaps, and key risks and associated mitigation strategies. 

Project Management Approach

Specific WEEGE-related activities and interventions and the plan for implementing them are included in the component activities and project management sections, respectively. To make progress on WEEGE, activities should emphasize strengthening and linking to existing women’s organizations, women business owners and women’s business networks and associations as well as strengthening women’s leadership. For example, a citizen security project supporting police career reform to: increase women’s representation and leadership in the police force, and develop a career path that offers equal pay and equal opportunities to advance.

MEL

The PDD’s MEL plan should detail how WEEGE data will be collected, organized, analyzed and applied, and it should include WEEGE-related evaluation questions. Whenever possible and appropriate, include both output- and outcome-focused WEEGE indicators, as well as indicators to measure gender equality results. (Refer to Unit 6: Integrating Women’s Economic Empowerment and Gender Equality into Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning for detailed guidance.) In addition, a communications plan that summarizes WEEGE learning and feeds into the Mission’s communications strategy is recommended. By intentionally integrating WEEGE into the PDD, the forthcoming activities and implementation are well-positioned to address the barriers to—and seize opportunities for—advancing women’s economic empowerment and gender equality.