Participatory Approach
Community participation is central to Padek’s work. Padek invites the community to become actively involved in the development process and in the future of their communities. Our staff works with the target beneficiaries, local authorities, government officials and key partner organizations to ensure community involvement in all aspects of Padek’s activities, ranging from program planning through to program delivery and evaluation. This process involves holding various participatory activities such as consultative meetings, village meetings and workshops in our target areas. It enables the local community and key stakeholders to raise, analyse and discuss development issues and the community’s most pressing needs. This approach allows us to design and deliver programs that respond to the direct needs and wishes of the community as well as receiving greater community support and acceptance.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Padek adopts a monitoring and evaluation approach to all our work. We recognise the challenges of monitoring and evaluation in community development, including issues around beneficiary participation, evaluating impacts, and measuring capacity. Padek continues to refine and adapt our M&E systems to ensure our work is performing and on track at all stages of the project lifecycle. We understand the importance of an M&E system that is effective and efficient, collects the right information, and is responsive to the needs of our donors and beneficiaries.
During the monitoring phase, Padek carries out monthly progress and financial reports to track progress against planned outputs and outcomes. This is to ensure we identify strengths and weaknesses, track our progress and make adjustments as necessary. As part of our evaluation process, Padek conducts both quarterly, mid-term and annual reviews of our activities. By assessing the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, performance and sustainability of all our activities, we are able to evaluate and learn from our experience. Evaluation findings and recommendations inform our strategic and organizational planning (such as our Strategic Plans and Annual Implementation Plans) and also lead to improved programs and activities.
Vulnerable Poor
Padek is supporting the poorest of the poor in Cambodia’s rural areas. We are working to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable and extreme poor in our target communities. This is done through encouraging the vulnerable to save regularly, assisting them to learn livelihood techniques, greater resilience to natural disasters and climate change. As gender is a significant factor influencing poverty rates, Padek recognises the importance of supporting women and especially female headed households.
Gender Equity & Diversity
All of Padek’s work has a strong emphasis on gender equity and on developing the status of women in our target communities. We recognise that gender pay gaps and gender stereotypes on what women can and cannot do remains a significant challenge for Cambodian society. Padek helps to empower women through encouraging their participation in leadership positions and decision making, providing access to livelihood activities and technical training, and increasing the food security and wellbeing of women and female headed households in particular. As part of this approach, Padek has developed a number of target outcomes across all of our programs which focus specifically on promoting gender equity and diversity.