Guatemala Rapid Response Project

Two internal and one external researchers conducted an exit evaluation shortly before the project was closed in February 20081. It has been found that

• the project has basically achieved its objective to widen the space for the human rights activists by increasing their perception of being safer, i.e. assessing the situation they worked in as more secure.
• Given the complexity of the situation, it is impossible to assess if NP’s accompaniment really deterred concrete threats since contrary to what was expected there were generally few threats and little violence against human rights groups in that period.2
• The ability of NP to widen the mandate of the team based on an independent analysis of the situation, risk and needs of partners three months into the project period is mentioned as something very positive.
• As a rapid response project, the evaluation shows that NP acted quickly and was able to send a qualified team in time, and manage it. However, the evaluation also states very clearly that in the future an independent analysis of the context, conflict, partner and risk is needed and must not be skipped as it was in this case.

REFERENES:
1. Anantonia Reyes Prado (Guatemala), Phil Esmonde (Sri Lanka) and Alvaro Ramirez Durini (Ecuador). The original reports are not made public because they contain personnel-related issues.
2. There was much political violence in Guatemala during the election time but it targeted primarily those involved with the elections.