Palestina: Honey Production Evaluation

The Swedish Organization for Individual Relief – Individuell Människohjälp – SOIR has received funding from the Swedish Mission Council SMC to support an income generating project "Honey Production in West Bank 2005-2007", targeting some 30 women and their families having difficulties finding employment. The project was implemented by the local Non-Governmental Organization, Al Merage society for Relief and Development, who were to provide the equipment, train the women, provide technical support and market the honey produced in the project.

SOIR commissioned Robert Gustafson, Visuell Analys, Sweden in cooperation with Dr. Abdul-Hamid Barghouthi, Ramallah as an external independent evaluation team, to jointly with Fayez Radi appointed by Al Merage, carry out the evaluation that covers the projects life period 2005 - 2007.

The evaluation has found shortcomings in the design, planning and monitoring of the project. However, in general, the women involved were able to multiply the beehives and have a good control over their growth. Few participants have been able to make a living from bee keeping. They are very interested, committed and entitled to learn more and practice apiary management. 

The frequent change of supervisor, agronomist and the timing of that, after the harvest of honey, had negative implications on the women's ability to sustain their beehives. 

Action plans (monthly or annual), which translate the project’s logic into actions and tasks were not prepared by Al Merage and was not requested by SOIR. Reports were not well structured and financial information on the project difficult to follow.

However, the relevance of beekeeping was confirmed by the beneficiaries and is also relevant for the Palestinian society at large.

The failure by Al Merage to establish mutually beneficial networking relations among the participating women, with the organization, and more important between the women and the agronomist, extension agents and other beekeepers greatly undermines the sustainability of the project§.

The evaluation recommends that the project should be extended to the end of July 2008 for phasing out. An exit strategy should be implemented, based on three principles:  

• Clarify the ownership issue of the beehives,
  
• Village councils should be informed and involved,
  
• The Ministry of Agriculture should be informed and provide extension services to the women beekeepers targeted by the project.

 A number of general recommendations are suggested, such as the need to build managerial and administrative skills of Al Merage staff in project cycle management with particular emphasis on project planning and logical framework approach. 

More frequent evaluation visits and discussions are crucial for a successful implementation of rural development projects, particularly if experience is limited and risks are high.

In general, before venturing into a project like this, it’s important to study the socio-economic situation of the women, livelihood, capacity, skills and needs prior to intervention and to design the intervention accordingly.