The Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations (NEWA), a key WE-Care partner, recently concluded a comprehensive capacity-strengthening training focused on the innovative outcome harvesting approach to program evaluation. Held from 28 to 30 April 2025, at the Jupiter International Hotel in Addis Ababa, the three-day workshop brought together approximately 20 participants, including program and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) staff from NEWA and its partner organizations. Seven men were among the active participants, ensuring a diverse and inclusive learning environment.

The intensive training aimed to significantly enhance participants’ knowledge and practical skills in utilizing outcome harvesting, a method particularly well-suited for complex interventions. Throughout the highly interactive sessions, attendees delved into the core principles of outcome harvesting, explored its practical application in challenging contexts, and critically examined its distinct advantages over more conventional MEL methodologies.

A particular emphasis was placed on the efficacy of outcome harvesting in evaluating advocacy and gender-transformative programming, which are areas central to NEWA’s mission and the objectives of WE-Care. Participants gained valuable insights into how this approach can more effectively capture and articulate the nuanced changes and impacts resulting from their influencing initiatives.

Feedback from the training was overwhelmingly positive, with participants reporting a significant improvement in their capacity to apply outcome harvesting directly to their ongoing advocacy and influencing efforts, including those within the framework of the WE-Care project. This enhanced capability is expected to lead to more robust and insightful evaluations of NEWA’s programs, ultimately contributing to greater effectiveness in their work toward women’s empowerment and gender equality in Ethiopia.

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