IFCD | Results of the last cycle

Staging Who Diablesse

Project ID: 2022-9410

Name of applicant:

University of the West Indies Open Campus

Country of applicant:

Barbados

Type of applicant:

Party

Amount requested:

100.000,00USD

Beneficiary country(ies):

Barbados

Status:

Non Recommended

Total Score: 15.5

IFCD Submissions details

Preselection | National Commissions Review

IFCD Preselection form - - 08/04/2022 - 00:27

Submitted by on 04 Aug 2022

1. Name and contact details of officer from the National Commission for UNESCO

Title:

Family name:

Cummins

Given name:

Alissandra

Position:

Chairperson

Address:

No.11 St. Ann's Garrison

Postcode:

BB14038

Town:

Bridgetown

E-mail:

alissandra.cummins@gmail.com

2. Justification of pre-selection

What are the main reasons for having pre-selected this project proposal, as compared to other proposals received by the National Commission for UNESCO?:

This project provides some economic stimulation by way of creating employment for those within the cultural industries while providing valuable research. In addition, the project has the potential to facilitate cultural development, small business development, gender equality, practised based education and inclusion. Furthermore, a productive, inclusive and equitable environment would be created. Despite the mode of the performing arts or an arts education focus to deliver the project, the project does fit within a number of eligible project areas some of which are gender equality and strengthening participation cultural life including promoting access to cultural life with a specific focus on vulnerable groups allowing for the creation, production, distribution and access to diverse cultural expressions. The project generally meets the needs and priorities of the IFCD and the Government of Barbados

3. The applicant institution/organization

What elements demonstrate that the applicant institution/organization is a significant stakeholder in the culture sector (locally / nationally / internationally)?:

The applicant is a stakeholder in the culture sector from the perspective of its engagement with women. through the University of the West Indies Open Campus and the Women in Development Unit. The Women and Development Unit (WAND) was established in 1978 in the context of the UN Decade for Women. The work of the Unit has been traditionally committed to supporting and promoting women's development through training, research, documentation, and community outreach. WAND joined the University of the West Indies Open Campus in 2008 becoming a unit of the Consortium for Social Development & Research (CSDR).

4. Relevance of the pre-selected project proposal

4.1. What are the main current needs and priorities in your country in terms of cultural policies and/or cultural industries?:

Policy in Barbados including the cultural policy is geared towards creating jobs. In this regard, engaging creatives is a current need of the cultural industry. Additionally, there is a need to strengthen capacities of civil society focusing on policy participation, communication and/or networking. The performing arts sector suffers from significant feasibility issues relating to demand and facilities. The research component of this project is expected to highlight these issues as well as: i. aim to positively impact a marginalised section of the community; thus it can be considered inclusive; ii. contribute to inform policy making, including monitoring and evaluation activities to determine the impact of cultural policies and measures to promote the cultural industries; iii. strengthen participation in cultural life, including measures to promote access for vulnerable groups (including persons belonging to minorities and indigenous peoples) in the creation, production, distribution and access to diverse cultural expressions; iv. support activities that promote gender equality in the cultural and creative industries; Moreover, through documentation using a participatory research process, the project will provide recommendations and guidelines on how to produce stage productions in communities in a post covid environment; research on theatre and community engagement as a tool to stimulate discussion on gender based violence in communities; The proposal also offers as an output a policy paper that could be submitted to government.

4.2. How do the objectives of this pre-selected project proposal meet the current needs and priorities of the country in terms of cultural policies and/or cultural industries?:

The project runs concurrent with varied policies and plans including the key goals of the National Cultural Policy and Government’s National Development Policy. With the proposed mapping of the cultural industries and update of the national cultural policy; the proposal meets the current needs and priorities by: i. engaging creatives; ii. providing access to data on the theatre arts as well information on the relationship between theatre and underserved groups within society; iii. promoting South-South and North-South cooperation, while contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and gender equality; v. developing a framework that assists with the standardisation of industry processes; vi. Increasing the level of inclusiveness and diversity within the cultural and creative industries; vii. supporting local art forms and cultural expressions; and viii. facilitating community engagement Additionally, reports can help to inform policy making, and measures to promote the cultural industries.

4.3. To what extent do you expect this pre-selected project proposal to have an impact on the country’s cultural policies and/or cultural industries?:

The value and opportunities that cultural and creative industries contribute to sustainable development are clearly demonstrated in national development planning. The impact of the project will be evident with: i. more persons in the cultural sector being engaged; ii. a better balanced North-South and South-South flow of cultural goods and services; iii. the development of advocacy strategies and activities to raise awareness of the Convention among civil society organizations including those outside the culture sector; iv. the strengthening of the pedagogical and organizational capacities of educational, vocational and technical training institutes in the cultural industry sectors; v. the strengthening of participation in cultural life, including measures to promote access for vulnerable groups (including persons belonging to minorities) in the creation, production, distribution and access to diverse cultural expressions; and vi. the creation and implementation of measures or policies to promote gender equality in the cultural and creative industries. Information gathered from community engagement would be shared with the Cultural Policy Unit to contribute to the revision of the national cultural policy.

5. Other information

Please indicate other contextual information that the IFCD Panel of Experts should take into consideration when evaluating the pre-selected project proposal.:

The project uses a gateway approach utilizing theatre as the entry point to be able to extract key information to provide accurate information for further plays/scripts and at the same time provide valuable research that could inform approaches to engage at the community level and other development interventions. The project is transversal in that it intersects with theatre, audio-visual and education through its activities of the play, the film and the policy papers for both government and non-governmental organisations. It is therefore highly desirable t both in terms of engaging creatives of Barbados and having conversations and raising awareness of gender based violence and the vulnerability of the girl child.

6. The pre-selection process at the national level

Erica K Smith PhD

Full name:

Erica K Smith PhD

Organization:

Type of organization/Institution:

NGO

Position:

Chief Executive Officer

Sharon Drayton

Full name:

Sharon Drayton

Organization:

Film Censorship Board

Type of organization/Institution:

Party

Position:

Member

Sophia Greaves

Full name:

Sophia Greaves

Organization:

Pinelands Creative Workshop

Type of organization/Institution:

NGO

Position:

Chief Executive Officer

Elihu Wahid

Full name:

Elihu Wahid

Organization:

International Trade Specialist

Type of organization/Institution:

INGO

Position:

International Trade Specialist

Date:

2022

Full Name of the representative of the National Commission as Signature:

Alissandra Cummins

IFCD Submissions details

Eligibility | Technical Assessment

IFCD Eligibility form - - 09/29/2022 - 11:19

Submitted by on 29 Sep 2022

Eligibility Status:

Eligible

Technical Examination

Submitted by the deadline:

Yes

Application Form submitted either in English or French:

Yes

Maximum amount requested is US$ 100,000 or below:

Yes

Project implementation period is between 12 and 24 months:

Yes

All sections of the Form are completed:

Yes

Signature of applicant:

Yes

The applicant does not have an ongoing IFCD funded project:

Yes

Falls within the areas of intervention of IFCD:

Yes

IF PARTY OR NGO

Party to the 2005 Convention from developing countries:

Yes

National Commission Review Form:

Yes

Signature of National Commission:

Yes

Official document/ statutes (with English or French translation if necessary):

Yes

IFCD Submissions details

Experts Evaluations

EVALUATION GRID
8 points	The project proposal addresses perfectly all relevant aspect of the criterion under consideration. The answer provides all the information needed and there are no concerns or areas of weakness
6-7 points	The proposal addressed the criterion well, although some improvements could be made. The answer gives clear information on all or nearly all of the evidence needed.
5-4 points	The project proposal broadly addresses the criterion, but there are still some weaknesses. The answer gives some relevant information, but there are several areas where detail is lacking or the information is unclear.
3-2 points	The project proposal does not entirely address the criterion or cannot be judged properly due to missing or incomplete information. The answer does not necessarily address the question asked, or gives very little relevant information.
1 point	The project proposal barely addresses the criterion. There is a clear lack of relevant information that makes it extremely difficult to judge whether the question asked is addressed.
0 points	The project proposal fails to address the criterion or cannot be assessed due to the lack of pertinent information. The answer does not address the question asked, or does not provide relevant information.

Expert 1

Sub-Total Expert 1 : 7.5

IFCD Expert Evaluation form - L_RODRIGUEZ - 10/05/2022 - 02:12

Submitted by L_RODRIGUEZ on 05 Oct 2022

Brief summary of the project:

The Women and Development Unit (WAND), a dependency of the University of the West Indies Open Campus in Barbados, proposes the production and staging of a play, "Who Diablesse," by Luci Hammans's play, which addresses the issue of violence against women and families. This project will run for one year costing $202,320.00, of which UNESCO is expected to contribute $100,000. It has two objectives, to hire actors and cultural workers to stage the play, which will be filmed and used as a tool for a subsequent community version and reflection. This process is intended to be documented, and its result will adopt the format of a policy document that will provide guidelines and recommendations to produce theater in emergencies such as COVID. Another outcome will be a research report documenting how theater facilitates reflection on gender violence.

1. RELEVANCE AND APPROPRIATENESS OF THE PROJECT TO THE OBJECTIVES AND AREAS OF INTERVENTION OF THE IFCD

1.1 Please describe how the project objectives and proposed impact/long-term benefits are aligned with at least one of the IFCD’s outcomes and associated expected results.:

The project intends to influence the following results of the IFCD: ER 3.1., ER 3.2., ER 3.3. because it proposes an innovative business model with an inclusive approach, it also acknowledges working with small and micro-enterprises. As part of the process, a policy document is proposed to guide theater production after COVID. Although they recognize the need to meet critical needs related to production, in this case, UNESCO funding is seen, the present and another to which they aspire, without confirmation yet, as the source of resolving the hiring of actors and professionals of culture and the staging. Something that is expressly restricted by the IFCD guidelines. On the other hand, the development of capacities is restricted to improving equipment, goods and services and participation in the project. It seeks to support senior students at the Errol Barrow Center for Creative Imagination at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill through a stipend to take advantage of the project's learning and assessment opportunities. The most significant contribution in this regard is the expansion of participation in the creation, production and distribution of cultural goods and services to women, young people and LGBTQ+ people, collaborating, for example, with inclusive civil associations and the design of a guide to recruitment with an inclusive approach, which is incredibly innovative and necessary.

1.2 How do the objectives of this project proposal meet the current needs and priorities of the country/ region in terms of cultural policies and/or cultural industries?:

The project's objectives address the issue of gender violence through staging, awareness work, community appropriation and the development of guides for the authorities on how to handle future productions in pandemic contexts. However, it is not a project that addresses critical priority needs for the IFCD. His creative economy approach does not address the governance system but the actual practice of cultural production.

1.3 To what extent are the project’s objectives specific and measurable?:

The objectives are stated in terms and therefore make it difficult to measure their impact, for example, using the staging of the play as a pilot to develop and document an inclusive, technologically efficient and equitable business model” or using the theater as a vehicle to raise awareness about the reality and impact of gender violence in society.

1.4 To what extent does the project contribute to the promotion of gender equality, the empowerment of youth, South-South and North-South-South cooperation and/or the participation of various groups in the areas of intervention of the IFCD?:

The project has a vital purpose and focus on gender equality and has specific actions to include young people, for example, students. It does not present any proposal for cooperation that is not between nationals.

Score:

2. FEASIBILITY OF THE PROJECT, AS WELL AS THE RELEVANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ITS MODALITIES OF EXECUTION

2.1 What elements demonstrate the applicant’s organizational capacity (main activities of the institution/organization) and competence (skills and background of staff) to implement the work plan and manage the budget?:

There is a Special Projects Unit of the Finance Office at the University. The Women and Development Unit (WAND) was established in 1978 and has cooperated with the Barbados Artists Alliance on healing initiatives with women artists and technical advice for writing their grants. However, no concrete experience in obtaining international funding or skills for financial management is mentioned.

2.2 To what extent do the activities address relevant issues? Please explain how the methodology is appropriate to achieving the objectives?:

Ignoring the issue of the production and staging of the project, something for which the Fund could not contribute, the proposal to take on the project to highlight the working conditions and the potential of an inclusive and sustainable cultural action is significant.

2.3 To what extent is the time frame realistic and coherent with the activities?:

The project will run for a year, starting 3/4/2023 to 3/4/2024, which seems realistic in terms of the proposed activities.

2.4 Have the direct and indirect beneficiaries of the project been clearly identified? To what extent are the outputs/deliverables and main activities relevant to the target beneficiaries and address their needs?:

No, the beneficiaries of this project are confused with the implementation team itself, for example, the entire project team, women, men, youth, LGBTQ+ persons, and small & micro enterprises (25-30 persons). In other cases, 3-6 students from the Dept of Creative and Performing Arts are mentioned as beneficiaries. Therefore, there is no clarity about the beneficiaries of a project, both direct and indirect.

Score:

3. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

3.1 Does the budget provide for adequate resources (salaries, fees, equipment, travel, communication, etc.) necessary for success of the project? If the budget has been overestimated or underestimated, please explain how.:

The budget is not formulated in the terms required by the IFCD, a condition to be evaluated. A format is presented that does not correspond to the requirements, from which it is inferred that the request to UNESCO will be for $100,000.00. Another UNESCO fund is mentioned as “to be sought,” consisting of $62,000.

3.2 What proportion of the budget is allocated to project activities versus overhead costs? Does the budget seem adequate and overhead costs estimated in compliance with the limit to a maximum of 30% of the total project budget?:

No information provided.

3.3 Does the project proposal indicate any additional financial contributions to the project, such as co-funding and/or self- funding?:

Yes, a UNESCO Creative Caribbean contribution is expected to finance 62,000.00. It is difficult to make a comparative analysis of the contribution of the University or its counterparts.

3.4 What actions have been foreseen to ensure financial accountability (e.g. Involvement of a financial officer)?:

The financial mechanism of the University will be used through the Special Projects Unit of the Finance Office. Financial management software will be used. An expenditure supervision committee will be created among the counterparts.

Score :

4. IMPACT AND EXPECTED RESULTS, INCLUDING POTENTIAL FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGE

4.1 Are the project’s expected outputs and/or deliverables concrete, measurable and realistic? To what extent are they likely to achieve the objectives of the project?:

To a certain extent, they are concrete, a play, a film, and a debate with the communities. Still, they are not realistic in the sense of their relevance in the context of the discussion on cultural policies and creative economy, as indicated by the IFCD.

4.2 To what extent are the main activities and the budget relevant and appropriate to achieving the intended outputs and/or deliverables?:

The budget has serious formulation errors, considering that it was decided to use a format that does not conform to the conditions and criteria of the IFCD, which is inappropriate.

4.3 To what extent is it expected that this project will have an impact/long-term benefits on the country/region’s cultural policies and/or cultural industries?:

According to the proposal, the project will improve the economic viability of creatives and small businesses that work in the creative sector and are linked to the work. The disadvantaged people who participate are expected to acquire knowledge about equitable and inclusive production models, although this aspect is raised in general terms. There are no specific actions to guarantee that these groups without UNESCO funding will achieve adequate and fair livelihoods. Other impacts are identified, such as the improvement that this experience can bring to professional practices, research management, finance, etc., of various participating people and institutions.

4.4 To what extent does the project demonstrate potential for structural change (for example: changes in the policy environment; far-reaching changes in public and professional organizational structures; and changes in the way government and regulatory authorities do business)?:

To a very small extent the project demonstrates potential for structural change. It is a theatrical production with a central level in the implementation.

Score:

5. SUSTAINABILITY

5.1 To what extent are contractors and partners involved in the implementation of the project’s activities? Has the role of each contractor and/or partner been clearly described?:

Only three people are mentioned, and two to be confirmed. None of the roles in the project are described in detail.

5.2 How does the project relate to and/or complement the work that is already being carried out in the country/region in terms of cultural policies and/or industries?:

The institution has collaborative experience of using artistic tools to address gender-based violence and resilience. The project is defined as meeting the requirements of the Cultural Industries Development Law (2015) in terms of standardization. It is proposed to comply with the requirements of other national laws such as contracting.

5.3 What measures/steps are proposed to ensure that the project’s impact/long-term benefits can be achieved?:

The project, being focused on a staging, focuses on contracting conditions, and follow-up of agreements. There is no mention of specific actions to be deployed once the financing ends.

5.4 What measures/steps are proposed to follow up with the beneficiaries of the project after its completion?:

A database for monitoring to participate in future policy reform processes is mentioned in very general terms. A post-project evaluation and registration of all stakeholders and beneficiaries is planned two years after completion.

Score:

Overall evaluation:

In general terms, this project is a disruptive, innovative proposal committed to making culture a tool for inclusion, improving working conditions and decentralizing access and cultural creation. However, the format is presented in terms of event production, which does not correspond to the requirements to be able to be evaluated accordingly, in a fair manner, concerning other projects presented. Furthermore, the strict terms and format of the IFCD in the presentation of the budget have not been considered, which should have been an exclusion condition.

Expert 2

Sub-Total Expert 2 : 8

IFCD Expert Evaluation form - a_sekhar - 11/05/2022 - 04:08

Submitted by a_sekhar on 05 Nov 2022

Brief summary of the project:

The project, Staging Who Diablesse, seeks to produce and stage Luci Hammans's play "Who Diablesse" to engage communities in discussions around violence against women, while also creating livelihood opportunities for theatre professionals. The project seeks to stage and record the play for future pedagogical use as well as to develop a community version of the same play. Research and policy papers are also envisaged. An amount of USD 100,000 is requested from the IFCD.

1. RELEVANCE AND APPROPRIATENESS OF THE PROJECT TO THE OBJECTIVES AND AREAS OF INTERVENTION OF THE IFCD

1.1 Please describe how the project objectives and proposed impact/long-term benefits are aligned with at least one of the IFCD’s outcomes and associated expected results.:

The project is aligned with Outcome 3 (cultural and creative industries contribute to sustainable development), specifically ER 3.1 (innovation and new business models) in line with the project’s promotion of inclusive production models in theatre as well as with small and micro enterprises – although this aspect could have been developed further in the proposal; ER 3.2 (critical capacity development needs) in line with the project’s focus on critical capacity building in community-oriented theatre; and ER 3.3 (participation … widened to previously excluded regions and social groups) in line with the project’s focus on women, young people and LGBTQ+ people as well as its production in sign language.

1.2 How do the objectives of this project proposal meet the current needs and priorities of the country/ region in terms of cultural policies and/or cultural industries?:

The project promotes community-based theatre productions for social awareness; inclusive production models in theatre with cast and crew from diverse communities; as well as models for theatrical production in the context of the pandemic. However, these do not directly reflect the current needs and priorities of the country/ region in terms of cultural policies and/or cultural industries.

1.3 To what extent are the project’s objectives specific and measurable?:

The project’s objectives are expressed in broad terms (staging a play, theatre for awareness raising, inclusive production models); they could have been articulated in much more specific and measurable terms.

The project contributes to the promotion of gender equality (in that it seeks to employ theatre for raising social awareness on gender violence), empowerment of youth (in that it seeks to include young people in its outreach) and of marginalised social groups (in that it seeks to build inclusive production models that employ LGBTQ+ and other marginalised social groups).

Score:

2. FEASIBILITY OF THE PROJECT, AS WELL AS THE RELEVANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ITS MODALITIES OF EXECUTION

The applicant – Women and Development Unit (WAND) at the University of the West Indies Open Campus – promotes women's development through training, research, documentation, and community outreach. It has experience working in projects in the area of community outreach, youth empowerment, LBT women and arts for social awareness, in partnership with NGOs. A team of three directors and a project co-ordinator are mentioned but their roles could have been articulated better.

2.2 To what extent do the activities address relevant issues? Please explain how the methodology is appropriate to achieving the objectives?:

The main activities of the project are production based, which fall outside the scope of the IFCD. Taking that into consideration, the activities (production, recording, community outreach, preparation of research and policy papers) are relevant to the issues in focus, gender violence and post-pandemic revival of cultural productions. The methodology of the project could have been better designed in response to the issues to bring it in line with the IFCD’s guidelines.

2.3 To what extent is the time frame realistic and coherent with the activities?:

Project activities are listed from January 2023 to December 2024, but elsewhere in the proposal the dates mentioned are April 2023 to April 2024. Hiring of personnel is planned for January 2023 when the results of the IFCD would not have been declared. The timeframe is therefore not realistic and coherent with the activities.

The direct beneficiaries mainly appear to be the production and project teams as well as students; they could have been better articulated. Indirect beneficiaries are not detailed clearly (families, subcontractors).

Score:

3. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The budget is presented in alterative format that makes it challenging to understand the detailed breakdown of the requested amount of USD 100,000. The total project budget stands at USD 202,320, of which USD 53,600 is allocated to production costs and USD 90,808 to salaries. These costs are relatively high.

No clear information is provided in this regard.

3.3 Does the project proposal indicate any additional financial contributions to the project, such as co-funding and/or self- funding?:

Yes, the project proposal indicates additional financial contributions to the project in the form of USD 62,000 from UNESCO Creative Caribbean, which is yet to be confirmed as well some income from ticket sales.

3.4 What actions have been foreseen to ensure financial accountability (e.g. Involvement of a financial officer)?:

The University’s financial management framework and software will be used; the Special Projects Unit in the Office of Finance will be involved. No mention is made of an external audit.

Score :

4. IMPACT AND EXPECTED RESULTS, INCLUDING POTENTIAL FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGE

4.1 Are the project’s expected outputs and/or deliverables concrete, measurable and realistic? To what extent are they likely to achieve the objectives of the project?:

The project’s outputs are reasonably concrete and in line with the objectives of the project; however, the largely production-based nature of the project is not in line with IFCD priorities.

4.2 To what extent are the main activities and the budget relevant and appropriate to achieving the intended outputs and/or deliverables?:

Although the main activities are reasonably relevant to achieving the intended outputs, budget allocations are difficult to analyse given that they are not presented in the required template.

4.3 To what extent is it expected that this project will have an impact/long-term benefits on the country/region’s cultural policies and/or cultural industries?:

The project cannot be expected to have long-term benefits on cultural policies and/or cultural industries. Most of its benefits (employment opportunities for production teams, inclusive hiring model, access to culture for communities) are limited to the project period

The project demonstrates no potential for structural change.

Score:

5. SUSTAINABILITY

5.1 To what extent are contractors and partners involved in the implementation of the project’s activities? Has the role of each contractor and/or partner been clearly described?:

Two partners are listed and while their roles are defined, they are also described as contractors.

5.2 How does the project relate to and/or complement the work that is already being carried out in the country/region in terms of cultural policies and/or industries?:

The project does not demonstrate much complementarity with work being done in the country with regard to cultural policies and industries.

5.3 What measures/steps are proposed to ensure that the project’s impact/long-term benefits can be achieved?:

The recording of the play will be used for teaching purposes. Steps to ensure the long term benefits of research and policy papers could have been better articulated.

5.4 What measures/steps are proposed to follow up with the beneficiaries of the project after its completion?:

A database will be set up for follow up. Two years after the project period, follow up with the beneficiaries is planned.

Score:

Overall evaluation:

The project, Staging Who Diablesse, seeks to produce and stage Luci Hammans's play "Who Diablesse" is a production-based project seeking to create community awareness on gender violence. Relevant elements include inclusive hiring models and community engagement. The production-based nature of the project is not in line with IFCD requirements, and the proposal would also have been strengthened by a clear budget in the right template.

IFCD Submissions details

Recommandation review

IFCD Recommendation form - - 12/21/2022 - 15:13

Submitted by on 21 Dec 2022

Recommendation Status:

Non recommended

Recommended Funding:

0.00

Evaluation summary:

When assessed according to the criteria listed in the evaluations the experts did not consider this application suitable to be recommended for funding in this round.