Research Nathalie Holvoet

Abstract

This project aims at increasing the M&E capacity of actors in partner countries of Belgian development cooperation. The project particularly focuses on increasing organisational capacities of Voluntary Organisations for the Professionalisation of Evaluation (VOPE) and M&E capacity of individual evaluators. The project focuses on increasing knowledge, skills and networking in the area of organisational learning/strengthening, M&E policy and M&E methods. It organises training seminars in Belgium, Tanzania and Uganda and will set up a network (community of practice on inclusive evaluation).

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project website

Project type(s)

• Education Project
• Research Project

Abstract

The gender & participation sub-project aims at mainstreaming a gender and community perspective in ARU's training, research and outreach activities to ensure a higher level of gender & community sensitivity in academic outputs and impact. We apply a threefold strategy and focus on numbers, content and organizational issues. First, in terms of numbers, gender balance will be envisaged in all academic activities. The sub-project is expected to enrol 4 PhDs and 4 advanced masters, 500 participants in short course/outreach activities, reach 500 bachelor/master students, of 50% are expected to be female. Second, in terms of content, a gender and community perspective will be mainstreamed through increasing staff capacity in gender sensitive and community approaches. The sub-project will offer trainings and advice to project staff which is expected to have a trickle down effect on the overall project's gender and community sensitivity. The sub-project will develop new courses and/or contribute to the revision of existing curriculum contents. Short courses and outreach activities targeted at communities, civil society, government, etc. will be introduced to increase societal knowledge and skills on gender mainstreaming and community participation. At the project research site(s), an action research project on gender-sensitive community based monitoring/citizen science will be set up in which students, staff, communities and duty bearers engage in joint research with an immediate societal and sustainable impact. Research findings will be disseminated using different channels, including peer reviewed publications, conference contributions, policy briefs, policy seminars, posters and videos. Third, at the organizational level, the sub-project will review the existing ARU gender policy and sensitize the leadership to mainstream gender more robustly. In order to support (female) PhD and master students a mentorship system will be set up. A yearly career network event with stakeholders from government, donors, alumni, civil society will be organized to increase networking and employability. Throughout the sub-project synergies and complementarities will be explored and valorized with other sub-projects, previous vlir-uos projects and alumni, new initiatives of other (national and international) actors and stakeholders on similar topics.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This citizen science project addresses two major societal challenges of Tanzania, gender inequality, and the need for knowledge to address water scarcity and quality (also linked to climate change). The project will train women monitors in 5 Tanzanian villages situated around Bagamoyo to increase and broaden skills, confidence, and networks. Training (young) women can encourage them to pursue education and learning which might contribute to the improvement of their employability prospects. The project will also increase knowledge and awareness about water quality and availability in the communities, among specific target audiences (e.g. school children, farmers) and duty bearers. Besides, it has the potential to stimulate a change of water treatment behavior. Uploading the data on online databases will contribute to academic research and outreach. Finally, the project's activities will enhance community-science-policy interactions. In the long term, it sets out to contribute to the improvement of the water sector policy making and reduce water-borne diseases in communities through a better-informed community (women especially) and behavioral change (e.g. by promoting water treatment methods). The project also hopes to trigger an empowerment process by increasing women's agency to voice their concerns and claims in the policy arena.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This short assignment supports the integration of a gender dimension in the Joint Strategic Framework (JSF) Kenya. The JSF Kenya is elaborated by the non-governmental actors that are operational in Kenya and sets out the strategy and focus of collaboration between NGA and partners in the south.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Cash transfers are a common component of social security and poverty reduction policies. To date, positive effects have been registered on expenditures, investments and children's education and health outcomes while the evidence base as regards savings and production effects is somewhat smaller and less consistent. Drawing on intrahousehold allocation literature and the assumption that women tend to spend more on children's human capital and public goods, cash transfers are generally allocated to women in the household. However, while the expectation is that his might lower gender-based inequalities and increase women's empowerment, findings are mixed so far. While research on the topic is booming, there are gaps in the evidence base which we seek to address: (1) The scope of existing research has centred on individual and household effects. We broaden the scope to the community level by investigating the effects on social cohesion and networks, trust and collective action. Focusing on changes at the collective level is critical because social cohesion, in itself, is a desirable outcome and also a means to generate the public goods (e.g. schools, water, roads) needed to sustainably lift citizens out of poverty. Moving beyond the individual and intra-household level might also help us to understand the mixed effects of cash transfer interventions on gender equality, as gendered effects are often mediated through changes (or lack thereof) at the collective level. (2) There has been little attention paid to long term effects, something our study wants to correct by explicitly investigating to what extent cash transfer effects, both at household and individual level (first order & second & third order effects) and at collective level are sustainable after program closure. Drawing upon insights of social sciences and development studies, we hypothesize likely effects that will materialize and test hypotheses in rural western Uganda using a cross-sectional & longitudinal design and mixed methods approach. Our quasi-experimental impact study is linked to a recently finalized two-year experiment of universal unconditional mobile cash transfer (UCT) implemented by the Eight project in western Uganda (http://www.eight.world). Two rounds of data collection using a multitude of data collection tools (including conventional survey, network survey and focus groups) have been done so far and will be (partial) input for the currently proposed study. In addition to a substantive contribution, our study is also methodologically innovative as it applies social network analysis (SNA) to analyze cash transfer effects on social interaction patterns and structures, something which has, to the best of our knowledge, not been done before. Given the widespread use of cash transfers and the existing gaps in the evidence base, our study is obviously not only interesting for an academic audience but also for policy makers and practitioners. As to trigger the policy impact of our research, findings will be synthesized through infographics, policy briefs and will be presented during (policy) seminars and the European Development Days. Eight's substantial media-coverage (see http://www.eight.world for an overview), which is likely to get a new boost in the future as a documentary is in the making, also opens opportunities to reach a broader audience with vulgarized research findings, something which is increasingly high on the academic agenda. Also tailor-made feedback to local communities and duty bearers is part and parcel of the outreach plan.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie
• Fellow: Grisolia Filippo

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Million-dollar projects are implemented with little understanding. Indeed, the number of performance-based financing (PBF) interventions in the health sectors of low and middle-income countries has risen sharply over the last two decades. Yet, in spite of many interesting studies, we lack a comprehensive theory explaining how PBF interventions work. The main reasons are the multi-component nature of PBF (including financial incentives, increased supervision and new management tools), the various implementation contexts, and the different implementation modalities. This complexity can only be tackled by complexity-sensitive methodologies. This ResQ-study sets out to develop a multimethod approach that combines two such methods: realist synthesis (RS) and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). RS is a literature review method that focuses on the generative mechanisms underlying interventions and the conditions under which they are triggered (in contrast to the successionist approach). QCA is a technique that uses Boolean logic to discover the necessary and sufficient conditions for a certain outcome to occur, in this case the triggering of a mechanism. The research project uses the multimethod approach to investigate the mechanisms of PBF, to create an evidence-based theory of PBF and to simultaneously further develop the new multimethod approach. This will lead to a better understanding of PBF and the health sector in general, and will expand the innovative methods toolbox.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie
• Fellow: Renmans Dimitri

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This action research specificially focuses on the use of mobility technology in (community-based) monitoring of local public water points and its contribution towards learning and accountability with the final aim to improve (drinking) water service delivery and (health) outcomes. The main research questions are: 1) can ICT enhanced (community based) monitoring improve the existing M&E system in the rural water service sector? More specifically, can it improve the information flow and use for accountability and learning by different actors (water users, technical and political duty bearers at different levels), if so, why and in what way? 2) can ICT enhanced (community based) monitoring contribute to improving rural water services delivery (access, functionality, quality and use), if so, why and in what way? 3) can sharing of information between upstream and downstream water users potentially reduce conflicts among communities, if so, why and in what way? To answer these research questions our action research will use a cross-sectional longitudinal research design. More specifically, we will compare (over time) the effect of the existing system of water monitoring (control) with two slightly different modalities of mobile water monitoring being implemented in highly similar villages of Mvomero district. Data collection will rely upon mixed methods, including conventional survey, social network survey and qualitative data collection (observation, focus group discussions). Social network analysis will e.g. be particularly important in analyzing the (changes) in the characteristics of the information networks and the (changes) of the positions of stakeholders in the network as well as in the use of information by different actors involves (water users, technical staff, duty bearers at different levels). As water quality might also be affected between the collection at the water point and the final consumption of drinking water at home by a variety of environmental and human-based factors, we will also test drinking water quality in a random sample of 100 households. Based on test outcomes, sensitization/prevention activities will be done on water treatment and its effects will be measured and analysed over time. In the analysis of the findings, particular attention will be given to the way in which the effects materialize, and the degree to which (influence) networks are important. Both structural features of networks (e.g. density of the network, degree of centralization, etc.) will be analysed as well as the positions of actors in the networks (and the links with their background characteristics, including gender, educational status, marital status, age, etc.). Insights into how networks might be important in spreading information might be particularly useful for future sensitization/prevention activities.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Recognizing the impacts of climate change, several adaptation initiatives have been implemented in Ethiopia. However, many of the adaptation strategies tend to neglect the existing gendered differences in perceptions, vulnerabilities and adaptation preferences as well as possible intersections of gender with other variables of influence (i.e. intersectionality). This research project will be conducted in drought prone areas of Northwest Ethiopia, aiming at designing evidence-based gender sensitive agriculture related adaptation strategies so as to help in mainstreaming gender in the adaptation process. The project will have two components: i) Diagnosis and participatory designing of gender sensitive adaptation strategies; and ii) Documentation and dissemination of the project outputs to local communities, development practitioners, policy makers and scientific community so as to promote uptake the findings for future intervention, the project will contribute to the elaboration of an innovative methodological approach for analysing the gendered climate change adaptation strategies. It shall serve as a platform for institutional collaborations and contribute to build research capacities of the University of Gondar.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The incremental funding (IF) project is linked to the Advanced Master in Development Evaluation and Management. The aim of the IF-project is to increase the southern perspective of the Master. The project focuses on the nexus between education, research and service delivery, the two main partners are Mzumbe University (Tanzania) and de la Salle University (Philippines). One of the main nexus projects is the action research on mobile community based water monitoring, the Fuatilia Maji project, in which staff, students of Mzumbe University and IOB are involved together with communitors and duty bearers of villages around Mzumbe University. The action research is partially financed by IF and IUC (Antigone ID 41579).

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project website

Project type(s)

• Education Project

Abstract

This funding is linked to the ICP 'Development Evaluation and Management' of which I'm the promoter. This programme is one of the three advanced master programmes organised at the Institute of Development Policy, University of Antwerp.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project website

Project type(s)

• Education Project

Abstract

This research project will assess to what extent more participatory intra household decision making about production and resource allocation contributes to more sustainable, efficient and equitable household farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa, more specifically coffee farming systems in Uganda and Tanzania. An intervention in which household are intensely coached in participatory decision making about production, resource allocation and income expenditure will be randomly introduced among Ugandan and Tanzanian smallholder coffee farming household. A framed economic experiment will permit to appraise if provision and appropriation behaviour by spouses in households with more participatory intra household decision making, the treatment group, is more cooperative, than in control households. The impact of participatory intra household decision making on the sustainability, efficiency and equitability of the outcomes from provision and appropriation behaviour in household farming systems will be studied with using individual survey data collected among spouses in treatment and control households. Inspired by the methods and findings of this project, a practical monitoring tool will be developed to capture changes in intra household decision making about production and resource allocation and their effect on sustainable, efficient and equitable (coffee) farming in collaboration with one of the partner organisations.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie
• Fellow: Lecoutere Els

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The increasing significance of PBF in the health sector in developing countries necessitates more knowledge on assumptions and mechanisms at play. We will perform a theory-based evaluation of a BTC project in Uganda to study the effect of PBF on health worker motivation, rent seeking behaviour and the role of M&E.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie
• Fellow: Renmans Dimitri

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project represents a formal research agreement between UA and on the other hand VLIR. UA provides VLIR research results mentioned in the title of the project under the conditions as stipulated in this contract. This research project is implemented in rural Uganda (Mbarara district) and focuses on the interplay between intrahousehold relations, time use and the effect on education and health seeking behavior of different household members.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The project is built up around a comparative research studying the impact of different types of accountability mechanisms on the access to and quality of local service delivery, and the enabling (political) factors.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Molenaers Nadia
• Co-promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The research will focus in particular on budget support to the education sector (sector budget support or general budget support with an education focus) as this is one of key budget support sectors where over the past decade sex disaggregated targets have been introduced in PAFs and where also gender-sector working have been operational. Second, the researchers focus on countries where the EC was involved as a donor because of the fact that our earlier policy advisory work for the EC might facilitate primary data collection. Third, in order to increase internal validity, the researchers have opted to increase sample homogeneity by focusing on one specific region, i.e. Sub-Saharan Africa. The combination of these selection criteria leads to sample of 31 SSA countries.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The research project aims at contributing to the broad research question: How do developmental states, where formal institutions such as control over corruption, and/or voice and political rights are largely underdeveloped, manage the effective implementation of development policies and the achievement of developmental results? More particularly this research zooms in on the question if and how governments (and other stakeholders) in developmental states actually monitor policy implementation, if and how they monitor progress, if and how they evaluate policy implementation and impact, if and how the generated evidence is fed back into the policy cycle. How, in other words, are the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) arrangements operationalised in these states? And how different are these arrangements from the so-called ideal M&E systems which satisfy commonly agreed upon standards?

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie
• Co-promoter: Molenaers Nadia

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This research connects to one of the most pressing issue on the development agenda for the coming decades, i.e. climate change and more particularly the need to design effective coping and adaptation strategies in the south. It starts from the observation that thus far micro-level adaptation policies are generally targeted at households, and thus implicitly assume that households act as neutral intermediaries among policy-makers and individuals. This is in sharp contrast to intrahousehold allocation literature which has over the past decade demonstrated that the household does not typically function as a unit with one utility maximizing function where different members pool resources. In fact, it is more likely that the household functions as a locus of cooperation and conflict and that bargaining processes among different household members with different preferences and bargaining power determine whose preferences finally prevail. Strongly diverging preferences and behaviour, oftentimes structured along gender lines, have been recorded in many areas, including in how to adapt to climate change, and in how to manage and conserve natural resources. However, and somehow to our surprise, there has thus far been little cross-reading among climate change adaptation research and intra-household allocation literature. This is exactly what this research projects aims to do. We will in particular zoom into agricultural and water related adaptation interventions in the Rwenzori region in Uganda, an area which is strongly affected by climate change. We will compare the impact of interventions which use slightly different delivery modes that can be traced back to different assumptions about household decision-making. We will compare the impact of interventions targeted at households with interventions targeted at individuals, more specifically women. The study will use a quasi-experimental research design to arrive at conclusions regarding causal inferences, and combine this with qualitative methods to get insight into men's and women's perceptions of how they are affected by climate change, and how and why they respond in particular ways. This research will add to the relatively scarce robust impact studies on the topic and it is particularly relevant against the background of a growing acknowledgement that successful adaptation is not only influenced by technological innovation but also largely shaped by local norms and institutions.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie
• Co-promoter: Crabbé Ann
• Fellow: Van Aelst Katrien

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The project aims to ascertain whether citizen-led gender budget initiatives have enhanced economic efficiency and effectiveness of public healthcare service delivery; and contributed towards narrowing the gender gap in the health sector of Kabale District, with regard to access, utilisation and control over healthcare services and benefits.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The objective of the project isto provide highest quality expertise for integrating gender equality issues in the EU and - to the degree this is feasible in full respect of the human rights-based approach to development.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project represents a formal service agreement between UA and on the other hand the EU Commission. UA provides the EU Commissionresearch results mentioned in the title of the project under the conditions as stipulated in this contract.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This research studies the implications of changing aid modalities on the integration of a gender dimension in development aid. Case study for Dutch development cooperation in Tanzania.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie
• Co-promoter: Inberg Liesbeth

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The overall objectives of the O*platform are: -increased incorporation of insights on aid architecture and aid effectiveness in Belgian DC policy formulation and implementation -increased incorporation of insights on new aid architecture and aid effectiveness in development management in the South.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Molenaers Nadia
• Promoter: Renard Robrecht
• Co-promoter: Cassimon Danny
• Co-promoter: Holvoet Nathalie
• Co-promoter: Molenaers Nadia

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

With the aim to promote aid effectiveness changes in aid policies and instruments have been propagated over the last decade. The Paris Declaration (PD) and Accra agenda for Action (AAA) set out a reform agenda of ownership, harmonisation, alignment, results-orientation and mutual accountability. This article studies the ongoing processes through a gender lens. It highlights the opportunities and challenges for gender mainstreaming and ultimately gender equality of the different PD/AAA key principles. It assesses the extent to which these have materialised on the ground and seeks to explain the actual outcomes. Besides an international focus, we take stock and analyse how the Dutch development cooperation actors are handling gender issues in the realm of the ongoing changes in aid policies and instruments. Finally, we advance a number of suggestions to move forward.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie
• Co-promoter: Inberg Liesbeth

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This research is part of a multi-country research review entitled 'Effective Use of Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) Tools and Strategies in the Context of the Aid Effectiveness Agenda'. The research aims to assess the value added and benefit of using GBR as a tool in national level processes and instruments to support gender equality and women's empowerment. It is anticipated that the research will generate recommendations to donor and programme countries for mainstreaming gender into mechanisms and instruments used for planning, mananging and assessing budget support (GBS and SBS).

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

PRSP is to be understood as a shorthand for a far reaching and encompassing reform of multilateral and bilateral aid relations with low-income countries, initiated in 2000, and to which Belgium has subscribed. This project concerns policy advisory work for the federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate General of Development Cooperation, and has been granted for 4 years. The research group will concentrate its work on three dimensions of the PRSP, with gender as a crosscutting theme: the political economy of the PRSP; Monitoring and evaluating the PRSP, and fiscal and budgetary aspects. The activities that are envisaged in the framework of the project consist of (1) service delivery (output for the Belgian authorities), corresponding to 20% of the budget, in the form of drawing rights for training, advisory work, redaction of policy documents, and the like, and (2) scientific research (academic output) corresponding to 80% of the budget.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Renard Robrecht
• Co-promoter: Cassimon Danny
• Co-promoter: Holvoet Nathalie
• Co-promoter: Molenaers Nadia

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Holvoet Nathalie

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project