Viktoria Saxby

UKRAINE - SERVICE DELIVERY DURING WARTIME
Collaboration with PROSTO, Support to Services Accessibility in Ukraine during wartime Report: Gender and Vulnerable Populations Inclusion in ASC:s Service Provision - Priorities in Service Delivery during the Full-scale Invasion of Ukraine 

HopeComms was commissioned by SALAR International and  PROSTO, Support to Services Accessibility in Ukraine to conduct an intersectional analysis and write recommendations for the most acute needs of various citizens during wartime in Ukraine. 

HopeComms conducted an extensive desktop review of the current situation during wartime in Ukraine for various citizen groups. Next, in collaboration with the team in Kyiv, HopeComms identified 3 different regions in Ukraine with various needs, Kharkiv region, a recently unoccupied region, Rivne and Vinnytsia regions, regions with large influxes of IDPs (Internally displaced persons), but in different regions and with different needs. The leadership and Administrative Service Center personal were interviewed, as well as civil society organizations and local self-government representatives. 
 

The work resulted in a report listing the most urgent needs of various citizen groups (men, women, children, the elderly, disabled persons, rural populations, the LGBTQIA+ community, physical and mental unhealth, ethnic minority groups, and veterans, among others. HopeComms was also the keynote speaker at a digital workshop presenting the results and recommendations to ASC staff, LSG (local self-government representatives, and multilateral stakeholders.) 

UKRAINE - DECENTRALIZATION, LOCAL EMPOWERMENT & DEVELOPMENT
Collaboration with U-LEAD: Ukraine - Local Empowerment, Accountability, and Development Program. HopeComms’ work resulted both in a Gender Training Manual/Handbook, and training materials + a Trainer of Trainers workshop in Kiyv to be replicated at the 700 Administrative Service Centers throughout Ukraine. 
 

HopeComms was commissioned by SALAR International to conduct a Country Gender Analysis of Ukraine, as well as an assignment to Gender mainstream SALAR’s work together with the EU-led project U-LEAD: Ukraine - Local Empowerment, Accountability, and Development Program. One of U-LEAD and SALAR’s tasks was to support Ukraine in the decentralization process with local self-government and service delivery at the regional and municipal levels, including the creation of 700 ASCs, Administrative Service Centers (citizen offices), including over 60 citizen services. 

HopeComms task included gender mainstreaming the ASCs, from the construction of physical offices to the various 60 services offered, with an intersectional approach (how to ensure inclusion of all citizens, i.e., men/women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, various socio-economic groups, health status, IDPs, veterans, etc. 

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ARMENIA - INTERSECTIONAL INCLUSION, DECENTRALIZATION, AND LOCAL-SELF GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT
Collaboration with SALAR International’s Armenia team, with the goal of conducting an intersectional gender analysis of the Armenia project’s new 5-year strategy.

HopeComms conducted a thorough intersectional gender analysis of the challenges and opportunities relating to intersectional inclusion in the local-self government and decentralization process and development, as well as intersectional gender mainstreaming of the policy documents and strategic plan. The outcome of the collaboration also included suggesting indicators to measure baseline and progress, as well as concrete and practical recommendations for the strategy and its implementation moving forward. The work was concluded by a workshop with the team members, both in Sweden and at the Yerevan, Armenia office.  
 

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
Conduct a research study for Strategic Entry Points for Women’s Political Participation and Influence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a study commissioned by the Swedish Embassy in Kinshasa, DRC. 

After an extensive desktop review and mapping of organizations working with Women’s Political Participation (WPP), HopeComms traveled to DRC to conduct interviews and focus groups with organizations and individuals in order to make an up-to-date analysis of the challenges and obstacles to WPP, with a focus on the opportunities and possible entry points for improvement. The study included a thorough analysis, a mapping of possible stakeholders and partners, and short-term, medium-term, and long-term recommendations. 

The study was very well-received, leading HopeComms to get a follow-up assignment directly with UN Women DRC to continue the work with a follow-up research study (including regional analysis in addition to the national level) after the Dec 2019 elections.