ECOPER has presented its final report on a cluster evaluation of UNCTAD support to ‘Capacity building on Trade and Gender Online Training’. The evaluation, which was conducted in collaboration with an expert on gender and human rights, assessed a series of interventions carried out between 2015 and 2020 which focused on the development and delivery of online courses on trade and gender. It included an in-depth analysis of data on course participants, including their background information and responses to trainee satisfaction surveys conducted following each of 13 iterations of the training. This was supported by an online survey of trainees conducted by the evaluation team in order to gather information on how trainees had assimilated and applied knowledge from the course, in addition to interviews and discussion groups with trainees and other stakeholders, and document reviews. The evaluation team used the Kirkpatrick approach to training evaluation aimed at assessing four levels of response in trainees: reaction, learning, behaviour and results.
The intervention was aimed at providing policymakers, academics and civil society actors with training on the links between trade and gender in order to fill significant knowledge gaps on the nexus and contribute to gender-sensitive policy making. The online training includes a standard course and a range of supplementary modules aimed at different geographical areas, including several regional economic communities (RECs). To date, one thematic module has also been developed. The primary donor for the interventions was the Government of Finland (GoF), who provided funds for the development of the initial course material and several iterations of the training. Subsequent funding has been provided by other donors, including RECs and regional organisations, and one of the goals of the evaluation was to assess the catalytic effects of the GoFs contributions, by considering the additional funding attracted from other donors.
