A Fair Cup – Ensuring the Rights of Smallholder Tea

Transcription

A Fair Cup – Ensuring the Rights of Smallholder
Tea Farmers in Kenya
FINAL PROJECT EVALUATION
May 2015
*
Eva A. Maina Ayiera
1
“Fair Cup has helped us very much. It opened our mind. Now
we see things in a broad way. Even if the first phase is over, I
tell them, go and organise for the second phase. We still need
your support.”
Peter, tea farmer in Chinga Factory tea catchment area
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Project Summary ................................................................................................................... 5
Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ 6
Definition of Terms ................................................................................................................ 6
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... 7
1.
EVALUATION OVERVIEW ............................................................................................... 12
1.1 Project Description ...................................................................................................... 12
1.2 Operating Context ....................................................................................................... 12
1.3 Purpose of the Evaluation ............................................................................................ 13
1.4 Audience for the Evaluation ......................................................................................... 13
1.5 Evaluation Methodology.............................................................................................. 14
2.
EVALUATION FINDINGS ................................................................................................. 16
2.1 Results and Impact of the Project ................................................................................ 16
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.1.3
2.1.4
2.1.5
2.1.6
Output 1......................................................................................................................... 17
Output 2......................................................................................................................... 19
Output 3......................................................................................................................... 21
Output 4......................................................................................................................... 24
Output 5......................................................................................................................... 25
Outcome and Impact Assessment ................................................................................. 26
2.2 Project Target Groups .................................................................................................. 28
2.3 Risk ............................................................................................................................. 29
2.4 Value for Money .......................................................................................................... 29
2.5 Sustainability............................................................................................................... 30
2.6 Capacity building ......................................................................................................... 32
2.7 Gender Mainstreaming ................................................................................................ 33
2.8 Outcome and Output Scoring....................................................................................... 34
2.9 Key Achievements of the Project ................................................................................. 40
2.10 Challenges Faced in the Project .................................................................................. 40
2.11 Lesson Learning on Approaches ................................................................................. 41
2.12 Project Accountability (Beneficiary Feedback Mechanisms) ........................................ 43
3
2.13 Contribution to CSCF Objectives.................................................................................... 43
3.
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 44
4.
RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................... 44
ANNEX ................................................................................................................................. 46
4
Project Summary
Project Name
Project Location
Project duration
Project budget
Donors
Implementing agency
and partners
A FAIR CUP – Ensuring the rights of small scale tea farmers in
Kenya
Nyeri and Kirinyaga Counties of Central Province
Start: July 2011
End: March 2015
£ 457,909
UK Department for International Development (Civil Society
Challenge Fund) – £437,256
Others – £9,193
 £3,000 (WF South Trust)
 £1,476 (Dorfred Charitable Trust)
 £1,200 (N. Smith Charitable settlement)
 £250 (Samuel story Charitable Trust)
 £1,000 (Gateway World Shop)
 £2,000 (Carol E Farrer)
 £125 (St Patrick’s Primary School)
 £142 (Traidcraft Exchange)

£2000 (Gateway Development Trust)

£7000 (LD Rope Charitable Trust)
 £3000 (W F Southall)
Traidcraft Exchange (implementing partner) and
Christian Partners Development Agency (local partner)
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Abbreviations
CPDA
Christian Partners Development Agency
DfID
UK Department for International Development
FGDs
Focus group discussions
KIIs
Key informant interviews
KTDA
Kenya Tea Development Agency
Definition of Terms
Collection Centre – one of several centres within a tea catchment area where farmers within
the vicinity of the centre deliver their plucked tea daily, to be assessed for quality, weighed and
collected by the factories. A factory within a tea catchment area has several collection centres
from which it collects tea. Farmers can only deliver to the collection centres where they are
registered. A collection centre may serve 150 to 210 farmers. Collection centres are
coordinated by committees.
Collection Centre Committees – they are also popularly known as Buying Centre Committees.
They are composed of five elected members from among the tea farmers and they serve as the
farmers’ representatives. They coordinate the collection centre activities (receiving and
weighing of individual farmers plucked tea, resolving disputes between farmers the centre,
raising complaints from farmers regarding planting, harvesting and collecting tea. They are also
the liaison between the farmers and the factories. Each committee serves for a term of two
years and each member is eligible to serve for two terms.
Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) – a private corporation that is the leading tea
management agency. Until June 2000, KTDA was a government agency. It manages smallholder
tea farming by managing the factories through which smallholder farmers sell their tea locally
and internationally.
Tea catchment area – for purposes of the project, these are the tea farming areas within the
vicinity of each of the four tea factories, namely, Chinga, Gitugi, Iriaini and Ndima. A catchment
can have between 25 and 40 collection centres. The tea farms collectively form the tea
catchment area of a factory.
Farmer Field Schools – adult learning sessions organized by KTDA and the factory management
that are run in the afternoon. They focus on training the farmers on improved tea farming
techniques (80 per cent of the training) and non-tea farming techniques (20 per cent of the
training). The field schools are voluntary.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report presents an independent evaluation of the Fair Cup project implemented between
July 2011 and March 2015. The project focused on reducing poverty and improving the rights
and livelihoods of smallholder tea farmers in Chinga, Gitugi and Iriaini factories tea catchment
areas in Nyeri County and Ndima factory tea catchment area in Kirinyaga County. The
evaluation focused on analysing the project activities and outputs, assessing the outcomes and
impact of the project and their sustainability; examining the extent to which project funds had
been used efficiently and effectively; and drawing out lessons learned to contribute to the
organisational learning of Traidcraft as the implementing partners and the Christian Partners
Development Agency (CPDA) as the local partner. Initially the project aimed at empowerment
of 30,000 tea farmers, but the project logframe was revised with DfID’s approval after the midterm review. The project aimed at the empowerment of 26,729 smallholder tea farmers to
achieve their social and economic rights in the context of the existing and revised legislation
governing the tea sector through:
 raising awareness among farmers on their rights;
 strengthening the capacity of farmers’ representatives to provide effective
representation of famers interests and rights;
 building the capacity of the tea factory management to facilitate realisation of farmers’
rights; and
 supporting smallholder tea farmers to diversify and increase their income through
additional income generating initiatives.
Outputs expected in the project were:
1. Smallholder tea famers, tea factory management and directors increased awareness of
farmers rights under the revised Tea Act;
2. Increased capacity of targeted smallholder tea farmers groups to take action to demand
their rights;
3. Improved governance and management of targeted tea factories ensuring greater
accountability to smallholder famers;
4. Generation of additional income through diversified enterprise activities among tea
farming households in the targeted tea factory catchment areas; and
5. Increased capacity of local partner Christian Partners Development Agency (CPDA).
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Evaluation Findings
On relevance of the project:
 The project was relevant to the context as it adapted to and addressed the context
realities to achieve the intended outcome.

The flexibility of the project team to adjust the project approaches in the face of initial
hostility to the project kept the project design relevant to the context and the
beneficiaries.
On the effectiveness of the project
 26,729 farmers were trained on their rights and responsibilities, which had an positive
impact on their tea production and how they engaged with the factories to secure their
rights.
 The project contributed directly to diffusing the animosity and hostility that has
characterised the farmers’ engagement with the factories.
 Collection centre committees engaged more strategically and diligently with the factory
management and the farmers after their leadership and management training.
 Committees adopted the practices of documenting complaints and responses.
 1020 farmers were trained in non-tea farming initiatives in order to generate additional
income, 52 per cent of whom were women and 6 per cent of whom were young people.
 The project enabled technical training, financial management training and improvement,
and hands-on capacity development for the CPDA staff.
On the project value for money
 The project team applied the economy of cost principles to the implementation of the
project, including retaining two full time staff rather than retaining consultants.
 The efficiency of cost application was demonstrated in the project approach of working
within existing structures (Farmer Field Schools) to carry out trainings and achieve
outputs.
On the project sustainability
 The use of posters to illustrate and summarise farmers’ rights and responsibilities allows
those who were not part of the process to benefit from the education
 The sustainability of the leadership and management skills training was supported
through providing the factory management with copies of the training manuals for
future use.
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 Additional materials tailored specifically for the farmers’ committees will be useful in
providing access to the committees on management and leadership skills that be used
by committee members as new members are voted in..
The key achievements of the project include:
1. 26,729 had participated in the learning on rights and responsibilities of farmers. At least 90
per cent of the farmers could articulate their rights and responsibilities.
2. The project overcame the initial hostility, suspicion and resistance from KTDA, factory
management and the boards of directors and contributed to improving the capacity of
farmers to assert their rights.
3. The project contributed directly to improved communication between farmers and the tea
factory management.
4. The project contributed directly to improved quality of tea harvesting (two leaves and a
bud) and effective use of fertiliser among farmers.
5. The project built goodwill with KTDA and the factory management making the project
replicable in the other factories that KTDA manages (63 across the country).
6. The project contributed to a positive transformation in the collection centre committees
conduct of business and engagement with the factories on behalf of their fellow farmers.
Committees now record complaints, provide feedback, attend scheduled meetings with
factory management and seek more information for the benefit of the farmers
The key challenges that the project faced include:
1. The initial hostility to the project paralyzed implementation and the project lost valuable
time, leading to the decision to scale down the number of beneficiaries from the initial
target of 30,000 farmers from 6 factory catchment areas to 26,729 farmers in 4 catchment.
2. A lack of continuity in transition from the project team that designed and commenced
implementation of the project to the subsequent project team that carried out the project
delayed the project as the subsequent team had to build goodwill afresh and deal with any
unresolved resistance.
Lessons learned on approaches include:
1. Support for a project determines how open the targeted communities are and whether the
project will facilitate real change.
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2. Retaining flexibility in the project design and implementation while keeping the goal of the
project clearly in sight is important to implementing activities in contexts where there is
animosity and strife.
3. Understanding the power structure and dynamics within a particular context is necessary in
determining the best approaches and interventions to employ in pursuing social justice
within limited time, financial and human resources.
4. Poverty reduction goes beyond investing in economic activities. It requires investment in
the self-empowerment and self-advocacy so that the target population can engage with the
socio-political and power structures that could impede economic efforts to reduce poverty.
5. Gender constructs and power relations occur within particular social, economic, political
and cultural contexts. A baseline assessment preceding implementation of a project should
analyse how power and disempowerment manifest and what project activities best respond
to these realities.
6. Monitoring and evaluation through quantitative and qualitative data are continuous
processes that can help to appropriately reshape project approaches and increase the
likelihood of success.
7. Working within existing structures is useful in ensuring cost-effectiveness of a project and
also gaining broader acceptance of the project by the target beneficiaries.
8. Beyond the project design, the project leadership, management and implementation are
central in the determining the success or failure of a project. Even a project is poorly
designed project can be salvaged through effective leadership and team engagement
Recommendations to Traidcraft are:
1. Traidcraft should explore possibilities of embarking on a second or further phase of the
project within the same areas to consolidate positive changes that have occurred; to
provide capacity support to farmers to improve their income through non-tea farming
initiatives; and to guide and monitor factory management on incorporating the findings of
the gender study
2. The leadership and management training for the collection centre committees should be
supported with the development of printed materials summarising the principles of
leadership and management and the responsibilities of the representatives.
3. Subsequent projects that involve smallholder tea farmers should commence with an
engagement with the KTDA head office.
4. The project would do well in subsequent phases to invest in negotiation and advocacy
skills-building among collection centre committee members and farmers, enabling them to
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hold factory management and boards more accountable and advocating for improved
governance and management of tea factories.
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1.
EVALUATION OVERVIEW
1.1 Project Description
The Fair Cup project focused on reducing poverty and improving the rights and livelihoods of
smallholder tea farmers in Nyeri and Kirinyaga Counties of Kenya. Traidcraft originally aimed to
reach 30,000 farmers in six tea catchment areas but revised these numbers after the initial
difficulties in securing active participation and support from the factories. A mid-term review
determined it necessary to scale down the targeted beneficiaries to an achievable number
within the remaining project period. Traidcraft revised the number of beneficiaries to 26,729
farmers in four tea factory catchment areas, namely Chinga, Gitugi and Iriaini in Nyeri County
and Ndima in Kirinyaga Counties. The project focused on supporting the farmers to realize their
social and economic rights in the context of the existing and revised legislation governing the
tea sector.
The Fair Cup approach concentrated on raising awareness among farmers on their rights;
strengthening the capacity of farmers’ representatives to provide effective representation of
famers interests and rights; building the capacity of the tea factory management to facilitate
realisation of farmers’ rights; and supporting smallholder tea farmers to diversify and increase
their income through additional income generating initiatives.
The project was funded primarily through the Civil Society Challenge Fund program of the UK
Department for International Development (DfID). Traidcraft implemented the project in
partnership with the Christian Partners Development Agency (CPDA) at the local level between
June 2011 and March 2015.
1.2 Operating Context
The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) estimates that Kenya has nearly 500,000
smallholder farmers who grow and sell tea under the management of KTDA, making it the
largest management agency for smallholder tea farmers. Kenya is the world’s third largest tea
producer, after China and India respectively. It is the largest producer of black tea. Kenya’s tea
production has been on a steady rise over the years. In 2012 the sector produced 369.2 million
kilos, 432.2 million kilos in 2013 and 444.8 million kilos in 2014.1 Smallholder farmers account
for 60 per cent of this output, making the sector a significant contributor to Kenya’s economy.
Amendments to the tea sector legislation in 2000 converted the tea factories into entities
owned by the smallholder farmers and managed by KTDA. There is an estimated 63 factories
1
‘10-year monthly tea production’, The Tea Board of Kenya,
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under KTDA management through which farmers market and sell their tea. Previously, the
monopoly of KTDA in the management and sale of smallholder tea farmers produce is thought
to have contributed to an uncompetitive environment which disadvantaged the farmers. Over
the years, the tea sector has been beset with acrimony and conflicts between the farmers, the
tea factories, the government oversight ministries and agencies, and KTDA, often over a fairly
opaque management of tea sales, poor participation of farmers in determining prices, lack of
consultation in developing laws and policies, and uncertainty of returns from sale of tea. The
acrimony was expected to be assuaged with further amendments to the Tea Act in 2008 which
gave farmers power to elect the directors who form part of the management of the factories
and of KTDA. But this has not been the case.
In reality, the paradoxes within the tea sector are stark. Tea is Kenya’s primary cash crop but
tea farmers exercise little actual control over the tea factories they collectively own. Tea is the
largest foreign exchange earner but a large number of smallholder tea farmers and workers live
in poverty and are unable to make ends meet. A baseline survey conducted by Traidcraft in
2012 in Nyeri pointed out that 31 per cent of Nyeri County population is living below the
national poverty line and earning less than a dollar a day. Farming accounts for 100 per cent
income in up to 90 per cent of the population in the county. A significant number of those living
in poverty are farmers.
1.3 Purpose of the Evaluation
At the end of the project implementation period, Traidcraft commissioned an independent
evaluation to assess the project results against its stated goals and objectives, and to draw out
the learning that Traidcraft, its local partner CPDA and other stakeholders could derive from the
process and outcomes. The specific objectives of the evaluation were:
1. To identify the outcomes and impact of the project and how these can be sustained
2. To provide an analysis of the extent to which project funds have been used efficiently
and effectively
3. To draw out lessons learned to contribute to the organisational learning of Traidcraft
and CPDA.
4. To develop recommendations that guide further work on the project or similar projects
1.4 Audience for the Evaluation
The Traidcraft audience for the evaluation report is the project staff and management in
Traidcraft and CPDA as well as project associates, project funders and other relevant actors. The
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evaluation established the other organisations working on social justice and poverty reduction
at community levels would benefit from portions of the report as well.
1.5 Evaluation Methodology
The evaluation was conducted through document review and interviews in Nairobi, Nyeri and
Kirinyaga Counties. The interviews were held through focus group discussions and key
informant interviews with Traidcraft and CPDA staff, KTDA officials, the management in the tea
factories, farmers representatives, farmers in general and their dependants. In total 93
respondents took part in the evaluation, of which women were 57 per cent and men 43 per
cent. Table 1 below provides a breakdown of the respondents.
Table 1: Evaluation respondents
DESCRIPTION
1. Traidcraft Exchange staff
2. CPDA Staff
3. Chinga Factory Management
4. Ndima Factory Management
5. Gitugi factory management
6. Iriaini factory management
7. KTDA representative
8. Individual farmer
Group Discussions
9. Chinga
10. Chinga
11. Collection Centre Committee –
Ndima
12. Kiangumara group – Ndima
13. Iriaini FGD
14. Farmer field school group,
Iriaini
15. Gitugi group
WOMEN
MEN
Program staff and management in Nairobi
Project staff in Nyeri
Factory manager and field services coordinator
Factory unit manager
Located in Iriaini
Assessing impact through a more in-depth
engagement with an individual farmer
Subtotal
1
2
1
1
5
7
Participated in diversification training (additional
income initiatives). Chair of the group is a young
man (under 35).
All farmers; one young farmer (under 35) among
them
All men
3
8
All women. Representatives of 8 different women
self-help groups
Farmers and beneficiaries (family members),
including one elderly women and elderly man (both
over 72)
Several women’s groups
16
Farmers who have participated in field school
training. Group included a young woman (24) who
had left an urban city for farming in Nyeri.
5
5
2
4
48
53
33
40
16. Collection Centre Committee in
Gitugi
Subtotal
TOTAL
1
2
1
1
1
1
8
4
8
4
14
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Figure 1 below illustrates the distribution of male and female respondents in the focus group
discussions and the key informant interviews.
Figure 1:
FGDs - Focus group
Disaggregation of respondents by
gender
Total - 93 respondents
KIIs - 7 men
8%
FGDs -48
women
52%
KIIs - 5 women
5%
FGDs - 33 men
35%
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2.
EVALUATION FINDINGS
The objectives of the project are:
1. To enhance farmers’ awareness of their rights as provided for under the Tea Act and other
relevant laws.
2. To strengthen the capacity of farmers representatives (collection centre committee
members and board of directors) to effectively execute their roles and responsibilities as
representatives of the farmers.
3. To enhance the lobbying skills of the farmers’ representatives so that they can effectively
articulate farmers’ issues with the factory management.
4. To work with the factory management so that they are more responsive to issues farmers
raise, and demonstrate openness and accountability towards farmers.
5. To supports farmers to diversify their source of income so that they are not dependent on
tea only as their source of livelihood
In 2011, the Fair Cup project targeted 30,000 farmers affiliated to 6 tea factories. However, due
to difficulties experienced in getting the project started, arising from deep suspicion and
reluctance from the factory management and uncertainty from the farmers, the target was
revised to 4 factories and 26,729 farmers. The evaluation assessed the project outcomes and
outputs, the value for money presented by the project approaches and results, and the
sustainability of the interventions.
2.1 Results and Impact of the Project
Evaluation of the project results entailed an assessment of the extent to which the Traidcraft
project design and activities achieved the expected results (outputs and the outcome). The
evaluation process examined the degree of success in achieving the intended results, the
emergence of unintended results and any mitigating factors for unachieved results. The chart
below (Figure 2) illustrates the results logic of the project and how activities undertaken and
outputs realised ought to lead to the project’s intended impact.
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Figure 2: Fair Cup Results Logic Flowchart
!
Fair%
Cup%
Project%
Results%
Logic%
Flowchart%
!
!
!
IMPACT
Poverty reduced & livelihoods improved among tea
farmers in Kenya
!
!
!
OUTCOME'
!
!
!
!
!
!
Increased incomes for 26,729 tea farming households in the
catchment areas of the four targeted tea factories (Chinga,
Gitugi, Iriaini and Ndima) through their increased capacity to
demand their rights under the revised Tea Act, other
applicable laws and through diversifying their sources of
income!
!
!
OUTPUT'1!
OUTPUT'2!
OUTPUT'3!
Smallholder tea
farmers, tea factory
management &
directors have
increased awareness
of farmers rights
under the revised
Tea Act'
Increased capacity of
targeted smallholder
tea farmers groups to
take action to
demand their rights'
Improved
governance and
management of
targeted tea factories
ensuring greater
accountability to
smallholder farmers'
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
OUTPUT'4!
OUTPUT'5!
Tea farming households
in the targeted tea
factory catchment areas
generate additional
income through
diversified enterprise
Increase in capacity of
local partner CPDA by
the end of year 3'
2.1.1 Output 1
Smallholder tea farmers, tea factory management and directors have increased awareness of
farmers’ rights under the revised Tea Act
The activities towards achieving this output were training for farmers on right and
responsibilities; production of training posters on rights and responsibilities; refresher courses
for farmers who would participate as trainers; dissemination of A4 sized flyers on rights and
responsibilities to the farmers. Most of the activities were carried out and specific activities
were modified to suit the circumstance (production of only posters rather than A4 flyers was
seen as more effective by the beneficiaries).This output was achieved.
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Widespread awareness of farmers’ rights and responsibilities
The project reports that by the end of year three, 71 per cent or 18,895 farmers had been
reached through the training and awareness initiatives. By the end of the project period, the
entire target group of 26,729 farmers had been reached. The evaluation confirmed that nearly
all farmers participating in the evaluation had been exposed to the awareness training. In eight
focus group discussions held with 81 farmers and their dependants and family members, we
established that at least 98 per cent of those present had received training on their rights. Of
these, 89 per cent were able to articulate their rights. The remaining 11 per cent included those
who did not speak during the focus group discussions and as such it is unclear if they did not
know their rights or merely did not articulate them during the focus group discussion.
Transformation through knowledge, training and awareness
The farmers, their dependents and the
collection centre committee members who
participated in the evaluation were
emphatic in crediting the Fair Cup project
with enlightening and emboldening the
farmers in their engagement with the
factories while at the same time, making
their engagement less acrimonious.
The farmers identified the understanding of
their rights and responsibilities regarding tea
farming and expectations of the factories as
a pivotal point in the improvement of their
engagement with the factories in the
catchment area.
A farmer reads the “Rights and Responsibilities of
Farmers” poster at a tea collection centre notice
board
The factory management we interviewed in the four factories credited the change in their
relations with the farmers to the understanding of rights and responsibilities through the Fair
Cup project. One manager in Ndima Factory stated,
“The way we engage with the farmers has really improved. We realised this from the end of the
[Fair Cup] training. Our meetings with the buying centre committees have been very well
coordinated. The [Annual General Meeting], which was previously very noisy, with a lot of
shouting and many stupid questions, is now very coordinated. The farmers’ attitudes have
changed towards their company [factory]. They talk about good things objectively and even
negative things are raised objectively. It has also been seen in the market performance.”
The success of the project was also evident from the feedback of the incumbent KTDA Regional
Manager. He had been in his position for three months at the time of the evaluation, arriving
after the training on rights and responsibilities and the production and distribution of the
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posters had been concluded. He observed that two factories that were not part of the training
project were facing difficulties in their relations between the farmers and the factories, unlike
the factories that had been part of the training. He said,
“If you compare with Gathuthi and Ragati [the two factories that were not part of the Fair Cup
project], the approach is different. There is more fighting and unproductive quarrelling between
the farmers and the factories. From what I have seen, you have done a good job. We were telling
farmers of Gathuthi and Ragati the other day that we shall take them for a full day training the
way the other factories [those in the Fair Cup project] have done.”
By the end of the project period, Fair Cup project had trained 700 collection centre committees.
Due to some members who left but not replaced by the time of reporting there were 639 CCC
members in post of which 179 were women and 460 were men. Two Collection Centre
Committees interviewed in Nyeri and Kirinyaga Counties indicated that the trainings on
leadership had enabled them to understand better their roles and what is expected of them as
representatives of the farmers, as well as the obligation to remain accountable to those they
represent. This included documenting complaints and issues raised by farmers and providing
feedback either after discussion among the committee or after intervention with the factory
management. The Committees now keep record books of meetings and other business of the
committees and the farmers.
From resistance to endorsement
Interviews with the management teams in each of the factories indicated that the training on
rights and responsibilities was appreciated and had contributed directly to improved quality of
the tea harvested. Specifically, the posters that Traidcraft and its partner CPDA developed were
well received and had been put up in several public areas within the factory compounds and in
the collection centres, as well as inside the various offices in the factory compounds.
Output score – A+
Rationale – the project reached its target population of 26,729 despite the initial resistance
experienced in the first year that cost the project significant time. The project team revised, restrategized and drew in support from all stakeholders. Not only did the project succeed in
training farmers on their rights and responsibilities, it also contributed to improving the
relations between farmers and factory management.
2.1.2 Output 2
Increased capacity of targeted smallholder tea farmers groups to take action to demand their
rights
19
The activities under this output were, training for collection centre committee members on
roles and responsibilities, and on leadership and management skills; conducting a mini study on
gender; and following up with collection centre committees on implementation of the action
points from the trainings. All the activities planned were carried out. The output was largely
achieved.
One woman in a Gitugi focus group discussion observed,
“We are now leaders. We have been taught to ask and now we are asking many questions. We
were silent before because we were afraid and we did not think we could ask. Now we are asking;
we know it is our right to know.”
Other farmers reiterated this view.
Improved involvement and engagement by collection centre committees
The project team trained 700 committee members in the four factory catchment areas, which
was 100 per cent of those targeted. Two collection centre committees interviewed during the
evaluation stated that they now attend all the quarterly meetings scheduled with the factory
management and are confident to raise issues.
The committee members interviewed observed that the project had also enlightened them on
leadership and responsibility. Previously, the election of the leaders was merely routine and the
committees felt no obligation to serve in any particular way. It depended on individual
motivation. Presently, the committees document their meetings, and record any complaints
forwarded to them. They make an effort to give feedback or a solution within a day or two at
most. Farmers in the community confirmed that the committee members were more
responsive and gave faster responses to concerns that were raised. The data gathered by the
project team as it monitored the committee members’ performance demonstrated that
committee members diligently recorded issues and sought solutions on behalf of their fellow
farmers. Table 2 below provides a view of the monitoring data.
Challenges arising from factory engagement and sustainability of skills transfer
A challenge flagged under this output was the concern that factory management is not always
cooperative with the committees. Some concerns are not adequately addressed and the
factories have not been efficient in using the committees to share important information with
farmers, thereby avoiding misinformation and disgruntlement among farmers. The factory
management has demonstrated a willingness for dialogue and problem-solving with the
collection centre committees. However, the evaluation established that the factory
management is not yet open to probing questions and openly addressing controversial issues
that review management, factory finances, among others.
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The evaluation noted that sustainability of the results would be strengthened if the committees
had written booklets or documents that are easy to read and allow the skills to be transferred
from committee to committee after every election when the membership changes.
Output scoring – A+
Rationale – The project improved the capacities of the collection centre committee members
trained on leadership and also the general capacities and awareness of farmers to raise
questions and seek answers. Although the training manuals were shared with the factory
management to continue the training in future, the farmers would also have benefited from
materials developed specifically for them, summarizing key leadership principles as well as the
roles and responsibilities of the representatives.
2.1.3 Output 3
Improved governance and management of targeted tea factories ensuring greater
accountability to smallholder farmers
The activities under this output were, training factory management and directors on setting
performance indicators targets related to realizing farmers’ rights, and reviewing meeting with
factory management to assess progress in meeting targets in the realization of farmers rights.
The training activity was undertaken, the review meeting was not held. This output was
moderately achieved.
Positive developments in the relations between farmers and factory management
The evaluation found clear evidence of positive changes in the relations between farmers and
factory management, including improved management of the annual general meetings,
improved and early communication on tea prices and annual bonuses, farmer representatives
raising concerns with the factory management and attending quarterly meetings, among others.
Through the monitoring and documentation, Fair Cup noted specific improvements in the
responsiveness of the factories, including responding to concerns about late tea collection and
monitoring tea factory clerks who were creating conflict in what was seen as arbitrary rejection
of plucked tea, among others.
Table 2 below provides a sample of the Fair Cup monitoring chart and highlights the issues
raised and actions taken.
21
Table 2: Sample of Fair Cup monitoring chart on issues raised by farmers and action taken
FACTORY
and
Collection
Centre
GITUGI
Gitugi
CHINGA
Nyakone
CHINGA
Gathafari
IRIAINI
IrioMathome
Committee
gender
compositn
Issues raised
Persons
addressed
Outcomes
Male – 3
Female – 2
(One woman
is committee
secretary)




Poor attitude of the clerks
Late green leaf collection
Late fertilizer issuance
Inaccurate weighing
machine
 Field Services
coordinator
Male – 1
Females – 4
One woman
is treasurer
Male – 4
Female – 1
The woman
is treasurer
Male – 4
Female – 1
 Representation of the
‘mobile centre’ in the
committee was inadequate
 Field services
coordinator
 Late collection of tea
 Poor road to the centre
 Quarterly
meeting with
factory
management
 Field services
coordinator
 Tea Extension
Services Asst.
 Collection centre
Committees
 AGM
 Improved scheduling of truck
 Laterite (murram) put on road
 Committee
 Field Services
Coordinator
 Factory unit
manager
 AGM
 Directors
 Committee solved issue of
theft using bylaws – introduces
sanctions for offending farmers
 Weighing scale replaced by
management
 Farmers created own fund to
pay loaders
 Fertilizer received on time
 Collection centre
committee
 Field services
coordinator
 Committee has to verify all
rejected green leaf
 Better scheduling of truck for
collection of tea
 Fertilizer now distributed after
all allocations received
IRIAINI
Mugaini
Male – 4
Women – 1
Woman is
the treasurer
NDIMA
Kiangombe
Men – 5
No woman
 Conflict with clerk on quality
of green leaf
 Errors in factory data for
fertilizer issuance
 Theft of green leaf among
farmers
 Discontentment over voting
system
 Theft of green leaf between
farmers
 Inaccurate weighing scale
 Lateness in green leaf
collection
 Lack of loaders for green
leaf.
 Lateness in issuance of
fertilizer
 Conflict with clerk due to
rejection of green leaf on
quality issues
 Late collection of tea
 Delay in distribution of
fertilizer by some collection
centre committees
 Clerk reprimanded and warned
by management
 Truck schedule improved
 Fertilizer issued in a timely
manner
 Weighing scale changed
 Collection centre committee
verifies all rejected green leaf
 Fertilizer data updated
 Matter of voting raised at AGM
but shelved
The evaluation assessed that the project activities were not adequate to deliver the intended
output of improving management and governance in the factories. The training workshop with
management and particularly with directors present proved to be expensive as the directors
required large emoluments and allowances (in excess of Kshs 50,000 or £130 each) to attend
meetings. The Fair Cup team assessed that this would not be the best use of limited resources
and only one forum was held.
The training forum with factory management was effective in broadening the support for the
project among the factory leadership. However, the evaluation assessed that the fairly opaque
governance and weak accountability to farmers that still characterized the factories emerged
22
from a culture that was cautious about or averse to accountability. Communication between
the factories and the farmers had improved, but disclosure and problem solving did not seem to
be done in the spirit of mutualism on the part of the factories. One collection committee
member explained,
“They shared with us the annual accounts of the company on time and before the AGM but it is
written in accounting language so even understanding it is problematic. So even when the
Company Secretary reads to us from laws that were written in [the year] 18-something when tea
was controlled by the colonial government, how do we know what these are about. It seems as
though they are giving us information but they are not really giving us information.”
However, most respondents indicated that there was a marked improvement in how the
factories responded to complaints, particularly those related to tea planting, harvesting and
collection.
On key performance indicators, the evaluation could not establish that the incorporation of
farmers rights in the key performance indicators of the factories were as a result of the training,
rather than part of key performance indicators that the factories already had. Inclusion of
farmers’ welfare in the factories’ key performance indicators is a good beginning, but the
challenge lies in implementation of the standards. The factories have not yet shed off the
attitudes that inhibit embracing openness and accountability to farmers.
The project team commissioned a gender study to highlight the situation of women farmers and
inform project staff and factory management on how to respond to the challenges identified.
The report was completed and disseminated to factory management during a workshop and it
was well received. This is positive as the factories also committed to incorporating the findings
into their planning. However, the completion and dissemination happened towards the end of
the project period and as such there was no evidence at the time of the evaluation of actual
incorporation of the recommendations or a plan of incorporation of gender considerations.
Other positive developments include holding a workshop in one of the factories in which the
factory management invited an auctioneer from Mombasa to explain the tea pricing, selling and
auctioning in Mombasa. The farmers indicated that more of these forums are needed. The
improvements in the engagement by farmers resulted in a reciprocal responsive engagement
on many of the tea planting, harvesting and collection concerns. These shifts point to a more
open attitude towards engaging with farmers and the factories feeling less defensive when
engaging with farmers. This may be the basis for greater strides towards accountability in the
management, financial reporting and information sharing of the factories.
Need for power analysis towards improved management and governance
The conceptualisation and implementation of the output would have benefited further from a
power analysis at the project design stage to inform the team on the level of effort, nature of
activities, existing cultures and attitudes and achievable outputs within the timeframe of the
23
project. With this analysis, project activities may have included working with farmers to think
through specific actions that gradually yet without contention build greater accountability from
the factories while also scaling up the accountability of farmers to the factories.
Output scoring – A
Rationale – There were positive changes in the engagement from and responses of the
factories but the ambition of the output exceeded the scope and resources of the project. The
initiatives taken by the Fair Cup team did succeed in improving the engagement between the
farmers and the factories, which is an essential building block towards improved governance,
management and accountability.
2.1.4 Output 4
Tea farming households in the targeted tea factory catchment areas generate additional
income through diversified enterprise activities
The activities to achieve this output were, providing participatory support to farmers on
effective ways of managing their non-tea enterprises, and providing coaching and mentoring to
farmers to access market for their enterprises. The activities were done as stated and the
output was achieved.
A winning initiative
The evaluation established that the Fair Cup training on non-tea income generating farming
activities had gained traction, was popular and received significant praise from the farmers.
Factory managers interviewed also acknowledged the importance of the diversification of
income training to the stability of the tea farmer. In total 1,020 farmers were trained in non-tea
income initiatives, of which 52 per cent were women. Young people within the group accounted
for 6 per cent.
Farmers interviewed during the evaluation were unequivocal on the value of the training on
non-tea farming to their family and group incomes. At the start of the trainings, the farmers
emphasised the importance of loans or other sources of capital to the farmers alongside the
training. At the end of the project, the evaluation established that faced with the same question,
the farmers prioritised the training, stating that it gave a skills development opportunity that
could not be replaced merely by provision of capital.
Building on existing structures and improving incomes
The evaluation established that Fair Cup project conducted the training on non-tea farming
initiatives among groups of farmers which gave opportunity for pooling resources among
themselves as farmers with shared interests and skill sets. The groups had a nearly 50-50
balance of women and men, while some groups were of women only and others of men only.
Working within existing cohesive units was a winning strategy for the project and eliminated
24
the difficulty of convincing individuals to form a group and thereafter embark on new non-tea
farming ventures.
The Kiganjo Mwangaza Self Help Group that participated in the diversification training raised
capital on their own, asking each group member to raise Kshs 2000 (£14) to plant pumpkins and
tree tomato plants for commercial production. One group member said he had earned an
additional profit of Kshs 5000 (£34) for selling his pumpkins, aside from what the group was
making. Among the 81 farmers interviewed, 47 had participated directly in the training on nontea farming initiatives. Thirty-eight (38) confirmed that their income had increased as a result of
the additional non-tea farming initiatives – individually, collectively or both.
A resounding success
During all the focus group discussions, this aspect of the Fair Cup project was most praised and
received greatest requests for intensification and further training. In two focus groups in Gitugi
and Ndima, two farmers who had not been part of the trainings stated that they realised they
had missed a lot as they watched their fellow farmers doing well in their non-tea farming
projects. They asked for the opportunity for further training.
The trainings were undertaken on a voluntary basis. It was towards the end of the project when
some of the yields of the groups that had applied the training to their non-tea farming practices
became evident and the demand for the training increased. The value of the training for
farmers was clear in the evaluation.
Challenge of measuring income changes
A challenge in measuring changes in income levels under this output emerged from the fact
that the farmers, mainly for cultural reasons, were reluctant to disclose how much they earned.
As such the project team revised the indicator to focus on the number of farmers who reported
improvements.
Output scoring – A++
Rationale – The farmers were enthusiastic about this initiative. Although this was not the major
output of the project, it quickly gained traction and had tangible outputs for a number of the
individuals and groups. The value of the training and skills building, even in the absence of
adequate capital, was clear to the farmers as it created in them potential to generate more
income. This output became a significant result of the Fair Cup project.
2.1.5 Output 5
Increase in capacity of local partner CPDA by the end of year 3
The activities to achieve this objective were, quarterly management teams meeting to review
project progress; refresher training on project monitoring and evaluation; training workshop for
25
staff on performance management and goal setting; refresher training on ethical trading and
fair trade methodologies; refresher training on measuring change and impact assessment for
end of project evaluation. The activities were carried out and the output was achieved.
Hands-on capacity enhancement
Traidcraft invested in capacity building for its CPDA partner staff, including trainings on report
development, project management among others. There have also been specific capacity
support to ensure effective budgeting and financial management, as well as accountability and
reporting. In addition, Traidcraft consciously adopted an inclusive approach to reviewing the
project approaches and incorporating the learning from all the team members in shaping the
project. This was important in a hands-on capacity building for CPDA staff in planning,
developing and rationalizing implementation and output logic, and project management. One
CPDA staff member pointed out that her negotiation skills improved vastly through the process
of engaging with factory management and seeking support for the project. CPDA staff were also
involved in developing the project reports, matrices and other technical aspects of the project
which they indicate was important for their own capacity building.
Technical skills building
The project staff indicated that some technical skills related to cross cutting issues were not
factored into the project design, such as youth and alcoholism; women and lack of access to
land. However, there had been some support for responding to the gender concerns, including
regular collection of disaggregated data. As a specialised skill area, staff pointed out that further
training for a more comprehensive understanding of gender, power and culture would have
been useful in enabling project staff to confidently analyse situations, identify issues that were
actionable within the project, and translate them into achievable actions.
Traidcraft also drew on its internal capacity to provide training for CPDA on financial
management, budgeting, field expenditure management, reporting and audit preparation
based on the specific grant requirements of the Civil Society Challenge Fund as well as general
accounting principles. This helped to improve not only the project fiscal management and
overcome the factors that led to delay in money disbursement, but also helped CPDA’s overall
financial management.
Output scoring – A+
Rationale – the project team incorporated both formal and on-the-job training for staff at the
programming, implementation and financial management levels.
2.1.6 Outcome and Impact Assessment
The outcome of the project activities and resulting outputs was expected to be increased
incomes for 26,729 tea farming households in the catchment areas of the four targeted tea
26
factories through their increased capacity to demand their rights under the revised Tea Act,
other applicable laws and through diversifying their sources of income. These milestones would
have in turn contributed to the reduction of poverty and livelihoods improvement among tea
farmers in the region.
Clear connection between project outputs and the project outcome
The outcome identified a clear connection between capacities of the farmers to demand rights
and the training in diversification of income as both critical in improving livelihoods. The
evaluation established that the rights and responsibilities training had had a significant impact
on the farmers’ confidence and capacities to raise questions, seek answers, while at the same
time making the engagement between the factories and the farmers more effective.
Importantly, the rights and responsibilities training also included training on better tea bush
management to ensure greater yield.
The project beneficiaries perceived that the impact of the project was in empowering farmers
to understand they have the right to information and can expect accountability from the factory
management.
Kindling hope
The farmers saw the project as kindling or re-kindling hope either in tea farming or in
opportunities for supplementary income from other non-tea farming initiatives. Although it is
difficult to measure the significance of hope, it is clear that poverty reduction and improvement
of individual livelihoods requires hope in the possibility of change and positive outcomes within
those who are beneficiaries.
Tracking change
All the smallholder tea farmers in the catchment areas had been exposed to the rights and
responsibilities training through direct training by the project team, training by volunteer
leaders (farmers), discussions at collection centres, exposure to the rights and responsibilities
posters, and discussions among farmers in their social groups (such as self-help groups, savings
and credit entities, among others). Establishing the number of those who had benefited from
the training on diversification farming activities and income generation and the actual income
progress made was not easy. The project team recognised that farmers were not keen on
disclosing actual incomes. This setback meant that actual baseline and progress data could not
be collected to quantitatively track income from non-tea farming initiatives among the farmers.
The indicator for the output was revised to focus on farmers who reported increase in their
income.
27
Concerns raised
The evaluation assessed that the project achievements were at a nascent stage and required
follow up through further training and capacity support to strengthen the foundation for
facilitating lasting change. The danger lay in reversal of a number of positive outputs without
support from the project team. The farmers and factory management were of the view that the
project needed to continue for a period yet in order to create the best possible chance of
success and sustainability of the project outputs and outcomes.
Outcome scoring: A+
Rationale: The project activities and outputs were directly relevant to reduction of poverty by
increasing income options and incomes for the farmers. The trainings enabled farmers to be
more confident and more strategic in raising concerns, pursuing their interests and asserting
their rights with the tea factories. The project also focused on improving management and
governance in the factories. The outputs on this target were less visible and more difficult to
attribute to the project. With more opportunity for further engagement and more time and
financial resources, the project may make a more robust contribution to leadership and
governance in the factories.
2.2 Project Target Groups
The project worked with male and female farmers as the main beneficiaries of the project. In
total, the project targeted 26,729 farmers of whom 16,037 were male and 10,692 were women.
Among these, the project targeted a further 1000 individual farmers for additional non-tea
income generating skills training, and 700 collection centre committee members training on
management and leaderships skills. By the end of the project period, the project had reached
these targets. The project also targeted 28 factory management and leadership for training on
management and governance. The project reached this target despite a difficult beginning.
The training for the farmers benefited them by improving their awareness of their rights as
farmers and built in them greater courage to raise questions and raise their concerns with the
factory management in ways that are both constructive. The factory management in all the
factories pointed out that one of the biggest changes the project had achieved was to help
create a more constructive dialogue process between the factories and the farmers. The
farmers interviewed pointed out that the biggest change for them was realizing they have a
right to information, the right to seek it and the right to receive it. One beneficiary stated that
through the project, now they were all leaders, meaning the capacity to seek information and
pursue their interests had been triggered through the project.
28
2.3 Risk
The project managed risks effectively. The risks identified were:

Lack of KTDA cooperation

Lack of support and influence from the Tea Board of Kenya

Local stakeholders (farmers) failing to engage

Decrease in export of tea prices

Alternative crop markets remaining viable
When faced with a lack of cooperation by the factory management, the project adjusted its
approach and opted to speak to the factories about the process and benefits of the rights
training rather than stick to using the word “rights” which left the management uncomfortable
in a context where there had been several demonstrations and protests by farmers. The project
team also recognized the importance of winning the support and participation of the factory
management and focused on gaining this which allowed the project to go forward after a shaky
start.
At the beginning of the project, he farmers, though often frustrated with the tea factory
management, were nonetheless unwilling to participate in any project – including a rights
training for their benefit – without the support of the factory management. The Fair Cup project
team focused on building support among the farmers and including collection centre
committees in the training, as well as holding the trainings in venues that were acceptable and
accessible to the farmers.
Tea prices dropped sharply in 2014. However, the Fair Cup project had realized that it was more
important for the farmers to speak up for their own interests and not for the project to be seen
either as a mouthpiece for the farmers or for the factory management. The fluctuation of tea
prices was beyond the control of the project. The project team managed this risk by supporting
the farmers to develop the skills and the confidence to ask questions in a non-acrimonious way
without being co-opted into becoming mouthpieces for the farmers. This allowed the project to
retain support from the factories and the farmers despite difficult circumstances.
2.4 Value for Money
The assessment of the project value for money applied the DfID understanding of value for
money which examines the economy of cost in achieving outputs at the best possible cost;
efficiency in applying the project resources to deliver on the outputs and outcomes; and
effectiveness of the outputs in achieving the poverty reduction outcome.
29
Economy of cost
The project was efficiently run towards achieving the project objectives within the lowest
attainable costs. Traidcraft retained two full time program staff members from CPDA as the
lead implementers of the project, with an office driver and office car. Both Traidcraft and
additional staff travelled periodically to the field to provide oversight and support in strategizing,
trouble-shooting and implementation. This was economical and effective as it ensured
adequate capacity to do the work while ensuring money consuming costs such as car hire were
significantly reduced by retaining the driver and the project vehicle.
Efficiency in use of project resources for results
To carry out the trainings on rights and responsibilities of farmers, Traidcraft and its partner
CPDA conducted the trainings within the existing structures in the tea farming areas. Trainings
were held at collection centres, collection centre committee members were trained to provide
further trainings to other farmers, and the posters on rights and responsibilities of farmers were
developed simply and delivered to several public access points to expand the reach. The
trainings and awareness processes left a lasting effect on the farmers that had already changed
the dynamics of engagement between factories and the farmers.
Effectiveness in achieving project results
Training farmers on their rights created an interest and a new confidence in farmers to know
more about the tea production and sales processes. It also directly contributed to the improved
quality of tea plucking, fertilizer application and other good crop husbandry practices. The
factory management in all four factories emphasized this as a tangible result of the trainings. At
the same time, the diversification into non-tea farming for commercial purposes increased the
income available to farmers and their family. This contributes to reducing poverty and
improving the quality of life. The project results are on course to contributing to the reduction
of poverty and improving livelihoods of smallholder tea farmers in Kenya.
2.5 Sustainability
Sustainability of the project was assessed as the capacity
of the project outputs to continue without further
support beyond the life of the project; the acceptance of
the project; the effect of the project on power
structures, attitudes, behaviours and practices and the
potential for replicating the project; and the
implications for ongoing work in the field. The
assessment also included a judgment on the future of
the project.
30
Iriaini Field Services Coordinator in a discussion
on farmers’ rights and responsibilities with CPDA
staff, Mercy Mwaniki and Grace Nderitu
Materials availed to ensure continued access to information on rights and responsibilities
The project design and approach incorporated ways of ensuring access to information on rights
and responsibilities would be available after the conclusion of the project. The posters were
made simply, with drawings and in easy, quick to read formats. This ensures that farmers have
access to information on basic rights and responsibilities even after the conclusion of the
project.
Continuity of leadership skills among collection centre committees
The rights and responsibility training also created consciousness and demand for greater
accountability from the factory management. The committees are elected every two years. It
may be difficult for the trained leaders to pass on the skills and knowledge to subsequent
committees without tools and written products. This context makes it necessary to ensure
leadership skills are passed on regularly. The project team shared training manuals with the
factory management in order to support further training of the collection centre committees
during quarterly meetings after the conclusion of the Fair Cup project. If implemented, this will
be a useful and sustainable way to ensure leadership training for collection centre committee
members is sustainable.
In addition to manuals shared with the factory management, continuity of the leadership and
management skills building would in future benefit from simplified, easy-to-use booklets and
materials (similar to the posters produced for rights and responsibilities training) provided to
the farmers’ that speak to proper holding and documenting of meetings; recording, circulating
and confirming minutes; recording complaints and communicating decisions; requirement of
integrity in leaders, etc.
Potential for replication
Working with diverse stakeholders – The project is replicable. A significant factor in the success
of the project was in building support for the project from all stakeholders. The project
provided simple interventions that have had far reaching effects because the project team
constantly reviewed the project-operating context and factored this into the project design.
Pragmatism of the project approach – The project addressed the social and economic concerns
of the farmers as well as their individual rights, demonstrating the interdependence of the two
aspects and remaining practical and relevant to the farmer communities targeted.
Working with KTDA in other factories – KTDA manages 63 tea factories across the country. The
success of the project in Nyeri and Kirinyaga and the buy-in by KTDA provides opportunity to
replicate, adapt and improve the project in other factories.
31
2.6 Capacity building
Women and men farmers
These are the primary beneficiaries. The project targeted 26,729. Their capacities were built as
follows:
 Knowledge of their rights and responsibilities, including farming practices that improve tea
production (including fertilizer application, proper tea plucking
 Capacity to raise their concerns with factory management, engage constructively;
confidence to ask for information and make suggestions
 Greater interest not only in tea bonuses but also in the management of the tea factories
that they are affiliated to
Collection Centre Committees
These are farmers elected representatives. Their capacities were built as follows:
 Enabled to understand their roles as representatives of their fellow farmer
 Equipped with knowledge on management and leadership skills that they previously did not
have
 Knowledge on the value of taking minutes, documenting committee process, documenting
complaints and providing and recording responses and solutions to issues raised
Factory management
 Appreciation of the need to provide information to farmers
 Appreciation of the importance of holding regular meetings with farmers representatives to
solve challenges and address concerns

Christian Partners Development Agency
This was Traidcraft’s local implementing partner. The staff capacities were enhanced as follows:
 Training on project management, reporting, monitoring and documentation through formal
training and through regular discussions and reviews with Traidcraft during the course of
the project
 Enhancing conflict resolution skills by working with and winning over previously reluctant or
hostile factory management and farmers, and constantly reflecting on the process with
Traidcraft throughout the project period.
 Financial management capacity management through specific training and partnership in
the CSCF project
32
2.7 Gender Mainstreaming

The project understood that the experiences of male and female farmers were different.
The project targeted trainings for farmers based on understanding how women and men
meet collectively. The project made use of the farmer field school sessions which have
groups of women and men as well as separate groups of women and separate groups of
men.

The project realized in its training and interaction with farmers that women farmers are at a
disadvantage when the tea factories collect tea late in the day as they safety when travelling
from the tea collection centres is precarious late in the night. The project team worked with
the collection centre committees to address this concern with the factories and tea
collection now happens at a more conducive time.

The project undertook a gender study, which was concluded and disseminated to factories.
However, the analysis and findings were disseminated late in the project period and
effective follow-up actions could not be carried out during the life of the project. It is
recommended that a gender analysis should be part of the context analysis and baseline
assessment that informs project activities.
33
2.8 Outcome and Output Scoring
DfID Scoring System – DfID assesses the performance of projects based on the following scale
Description
Scale
Outputs substantially exceeded expectation
A++
Outputs moderately exceeded expectation
A+
Outputs met expectation
A
Outputs moderately did not meet expectation
B
Outputs substantially did not meet expectation
C
OUTCOME
A.0.1 Outcome:
Increased incomes for 26,729 tea farming households in the catchment areas of the four
targeted tea factories through their increased capacity to demand their rights under the revised
tea Act, other applicable laws and through diversifying their sources of income
A.0.2 Outcome Score:
A+
A.0.3 Write in full each outcome indicator, the milestone, and state progress
Explain any over or under achievement.
Outcome indicator 1: % increase in the average income from tea for tea farming households in
the catchment areas of four targeted tea factories
Milestone 20% - (15,400/=)
Progress at end of project: Income from tea generally declined by the end of the project across
the country due to factors affecting international tea market but outside of the control of the
project.
Outcome indicator 2: Number of significant issues raised by tea farmer representatives, per
factory, that have been dealt with by the targeted four tea factories to the satisfaction of the tea
farmers.
Milestone At least 5 (segregated per factory)
Progress at end of project: At least 8 significant issues addressed in each factory
34
Outcome indicator 3: % and number of tea farmers, (from those supported to diversify their
incomes and take concrete steps to improve their business) who report an increase in income
from their non-tea enterprise
Milestone 75% (562 out of 750) who took concrete action to improve their enterprise)
Progress at end of project: 65% or 334 out of 520
A.0.4 State the evidence that supports progress described



Outcome indicator 1 – self-reported income increase and monitoring reports by Traidcraft
Outcome indicator 2 – Issues addressed include disputed weight counting by clerk; late tea
collection; late distribution of fertilizer; poor access road to farms; among others. Reported
by collection centre committees and in Fair Cup monitoring logframe
Outcome indicator 3 – 75 of 200 reported various an increase in come
OUTPUT 1
A.1.1 Write Output in full
Smallholder tea farmers, tea factory management & directors have increased awareness of
farmers rights under the revised Tea Act
A.1.2 Output score (C – A++)
A+
A.1.3 Write in full each output indicator, the relevant milestone, and state progress
Output indicator 1.1 – % and number of farmers, disaggregated by gender, that can clearly state
their rights under the revised Tea Act and applicable laws (freely & fairly elected officials, access
to information, services, inputs, and choice of where to market their tea)
Milestone: 90% of 26,729 farmers
Progress: 100% of target farmers trained and all of them (16,037 male and 10,692 female) can
articulate their rights
Output indicator 1.2 – All tea factory directors, appropriate managers (those who deal with the
farmers) and field service teams that can clearly state the rights of smallholder tea farmers under
the revised tea act
Milestone: 100% of 28 Directors and Managers
Progress: 100% of factory management aware of farmers rights
A.1.4 State evidence that supports the progress described


Output indicator 1.1 – All farmers trained and at least 90% of those participating in
evaluation can articulate their rights
Output indicator 1.2 – Interviews with all 4 factory managers, including 1 who did not
directly participate in the training indicate they are aware of farmers rights and have posters
pinned up in strategic office and public locations; interview with KTDA official confirms the
same
35
OUTPUT 2
Increased capacity of targeted smallholder tea farmers groups to take action to demand their
rights
A+
A.2.3 Write in full each output indicator, the relevant milestone and state progress
Output indicator 2.1 – Number of farmer representatives (Collection Centre Committee
members) out of the total that are effectively lobbying on behalf of tea farmers through regular
attendance in the meetings with factory board
Milestone: 90% (630/700) of farmer representatives regularly attending and lobbying effectively
Progress: 639 farmer representatives (179 women, 460 men) from 639 CCCs drawn from four
factories (Chinga, Gitugi, Iriaini and Ndima)
Output indicator 2.2 – Number of issues from the eight sets of key tea farmer rights that were
discussed in each of the factory board meeting, disaggregated by factory, out of those raised by
farmer representatives
Milestone: At least one issue from each of five sets of rights (100%)
Progress: At least 8 farmers rights issues discussed during management training
Output indicator 2.3 – % of collection centre committee (and other farmer committees)
members that are women
Milestone: At least 30% of total CCC members (238 out of 795)
Progress: Of 28 Collection Centre Committees sampled from the 4 tea catchment areas (140
members) 25% of the membership is women.
A.2.4 State the evidence that supports the progress described



Output indicator 2.1 – reports from the Collection Centre Committees (record books)
indicate committee members attend scheduled meetings. Factory management confirms the
meetings
Output indicator 2.2. – reports from Traidcraft after the workshop with directors indicate at
least 6 issues taken up
Output indicator 2.3 – monitoring logframe from 28 tea collection centres indicates
membership
36
OUTPUT 3
Improved governance and management of targeted tea factories ensuring greater accountability
to smallholder farmers
A
Output indicator 3.1 – Number of scheduled meetings that take place as agreed between tea
factory directors and farmers' representatives
Milestone: Two out of three documented formal meetings per factory (100%)
Progress: 100% of scheduled quarterly meetings between the factory management and farmers’
representatives were held
Output indicator 3.2 – Number of KPIs in each of the four factories' annual targets,
disaggregated by factory, that are related to farmer rights
Milestone: 8
Progress: Factories more diligent on meetings with farmers; factory KPIs include clauses that
focus on farmers rights
Output indicator 3.3 – Proportion of farmers in the four targeted factories, disaggregated by
factory that perceive director elections were democratic and fair according to company policy
and in line with national legislation.
Milestone: 80%
Progress: 100% of farmers sampled during evaluation were of the view the CCC member
elections were fair. None of those sampled felt the director elections were adequately
representative and felt they have too little influence on the outcomes.
Output indicator 3.4 – Mini survey of the challenges and opportunities of women tea farmers in
the catchment area of the four target factories completed, findings shared with all four factory
management and action taken in line with the recommendations
Milestone: Study findings and recommendations discussed with managers and issues identified
for action
Progress: The gender study was completed in quarter 3 of 2014 and disseminated to the factory
management at a workshop at the end of 2014
37




Output 3.1 – Reports by Collection Centre Committee members, confirmed by different
levels of factory management interviewed in the evaluation.
Output 3.2 – Report by Traidcraft indicates factories KPIs contain at least 4 clauses the
promote farmers rights.
Output 3.3 – Oral confirmations by farmers interviewed during evaluation indicated all were
satisfied with the manner of conduct and length of term of the Collection Centre
Committees. None of the respondents were happy with the director elections.
Output 3.4 –Gender study report
OUTPUT 4
A.4.1
Write Output in full
Tea farming households in the targeted tea factory catchment areas generate additional income
through diversified enterprise activities
A.4.2
Output score (C – A++)
A++
A.4.3
Write in full each output indicator, the relevant milestone and state progress
Output indicator 4.1 – Number of farmers, disaggregated by gender and age group, that are
supported to initiate or improve their non-tea enterprises
Milestone: 1000 out of 1000 [at least one third of whom are women and half of whom are
youth]
Progress: 1020 farmers trained: 530 women (52%) and 490 men (48%). Of this total
Output indicator 4.2 – Number of farmers, disaggregated by gender and age group, who take
concrete steps to improve their business after the support they receive from the project
Milestone: 750 out of 1000 [at least one third of whom are women and half of whom are youth]
Progress: 104 out of 204 farmers sampled
A.4.4
State the evidence that supports the progress described


Output indicator 4.1 – Traidcraft monitoring reports on farmers trained
Output 4.2 – Traidcraft monitoring reports on farmers trained and supported
OUTPUT 5
Increase in capacity of local partner CPDA by the end of year 3
38
A+
Output indicator 5.1 –% of activities CPDA delivers to the agreed scale
Milestone: 100%
Progress: 100% of planned project activities delivered after initial targets (26,729 farmers in 4
tea catchment areas) scaled down in view of challenges faced at the initial stages of the project
CPDA remained the local implementing partner carrying out the on-the-ground activities as well
as participating in the planning alongside Traidcraft
Output indicator 5.2 – % of training participants that express overall satisfaction with CPDA
training events
Milestone: 90%
Progress: At least 7 CPDA staff participated in training activities including project management,
monitoring and financial management, as well as on-the-job training during implementation. All
CPDA interviewed indicated satisfaction with the training.
Output indicator 5.3 – % of project activities delivered within agreed budgets
Milestone: 100%
Progress: 100% of the activities were implemented within the budget



Output indicator 5.1 – project reports, interviews with CPDA staff and Traidcraft staff, and
interviews with farmers and factory management indicate that all project activities were
carried out
Output indicator 5.2 – Interviews with CPDA staff indicate satisfaction with the training
Output indicator 5.3 – Financial reports indicate activities were conducted within budget
39
2.9 Key Achievements of the Project
1. All farmers in the area (26,729) had participated in the learning on rights and responsibilities
of farmers by the conclusion of the project. At least 90 per cent of the farmers participating
in the evaluation could articulate their rights and responsibilities.
2. Project staff secured the support and the endorsement of KTDA and the factory
management and the boards of directors in all four factories to undertake the rights and
responsibilities training, despite the initial hostility and resistance to the project that had
paralyzed implementation.
3. The project contributed to the improvement of communication between farmers and the
tea factory management and de-escalation of the acrimony that had defined the
engagements among the stakeholders.
4. The project contributed directly to increase in the quality of leaf plucking (two leaves and a
bud) and effective use of fertilizer among farmers. Factory management acknowledged that
while they had made repeated efforts to get farmers to be consistent in the quality of tea
harvested, the reiteration of the messages through a discussion of farmers’ rights and
responsibilities communicated effectively to the farmers.
5. The project addressed the social and economic concerns of the farmers as well as their
individual participatory rights. Socio-economic rights and the rights to participation in all
aspects of community are linked and relevant to any efforts aimed at reduction of poverty.
6. The Fair Cup project built goodwill among the KTDA officials, factory management and
farmers, thereby making the project replicable in other factories since KTDA manages 63
factories across the country.
7. The project contributed to a positive transformation in the collection centre committees
conduct of business and engagement with the factories on behalf of their fellow farmers.
Committees began to record complaints, provide feedback, attend scheduled meetings with
farmers and seek more information for the benefit of the farmers.
2.10 Challenges Faced in the Project
1. The project lost a significant time in the first year of implementation as a result resistance
from KTDA and the factory management. They were initially hostile to the concept and
suspicious of a rights approach in a context where relations between the farmers and the
factories had been strained. Due to the time lost, the project had to be scaled down to
achievable outcomes – from an initial target of 30,000 farmers in 6 tea areas to 26,729
farmers in 4 areas.
40
2. The on-the-ground project staff both from Traidcraft and CPDA that designed the initial
project and commenced its implementation had all left their respective organisations by the
start of the second year of the project. This meant that the project team in the second year
had to start building relationships while facing any lingering antagonism that may not have
been resolved.
3. Initially, the project team did not adequately document the difficulty of building goodwill
among the farmers and factory management yet this took significant time, planning and
effort. The project design had not originally anticipated the level of effort and time required
to build partnerships and support in order for the project to take off and initial project
reports did not adequately capture this process, thereby misrepresenting the actual
progress of the project.
2.11 Lesson Learning on Approaches
1. The Fair Cup project succeeded because the project team invested in building support and
overcoming suspicion. It spoke to the rights and responsibilities of both farmers and
factories and was not seen as one-sided.
o The project initiatives were relevant to tea production, which is the primary concern
of both the farmers and the factories. The project was also relevant to the context
and employed an approach that did not antagonise the stakeholders. Support or
buy-in for a project determines how open the targeted communities are and
whether the project will facilitate real change.
2. Retaining flexibility in the project design and implementation while keeping the goal of the
project clearly in sight is important to implementing activities in difficult contexts where
there is or has been distrust and animosity.
o The process and outcomes of the Fair Cup project may have been unsuccessful if the
project team had not recognised and addressed the real reasons for the resistance,
without compromising on the goals of the project. Focusing on a training of “rights
and responsibilities” and using other words to describe rights won over those who
were had concerns about rights training.
3. Understanding the power structure and dynamics within a particular context is necessary in
determining the best approaches and interventions to employ in pursuing social justice
within limited time, financial and human resources.
o Ideally, the farmers should have been free to determine whom they would or would
not engage with, but the reality was that for the project to proceed, endorsement
was necessary from all the stakeholders including the farmers themselves. Securing
41
the support was a means to an end but was also fact of the realities of the power
structures within the tea sector.
4. Poverty reduction goes beyond investing in economic activities. It requires investment in
the self-empowerment and self-advocacy of the target population so that they are able to
address the socio-political and power structures that would otherwise impede economic
efforts to reduce poverty.
5. Gender constructs and power relations occur within particular social, economic, political
and cultural contexts. A baseline assessment preceding implementation of a project would
benefit from an analysis of how the power and disempowerment situations manifest, the
context and the available responses.
o The smallholder tea-farming sector is dominated by older men, by virtue of the
patterns of land ownership, succession and inheritance, as the dominant way of land
transfer. Women farmers are therefore not represented in equal numbers and also
do not have comparable voting power in tea management. However, women are the
bulk of the labour force that manages the tea bushes. Project definitions of the
target groups, as well as when, where and how activities are carried out should take
into account these factors.
6. Monitoring and evaluation are continuous processes that, if the project flexibility allows,
can help to reshape project approaches and ultimately increase the likelihood of achieving
project goals. Both quantitative and qualitative data are useful in tracking progress and
results.
7. Working within existing structures is useful in ensuring cost-effectiveness of a project and
also gaining broader acceptance of the project by the target beneficiaries. Working within
the structures requires cultivation of goodwill and partnerships with diverse entities that
would facilitate building on and working through the systems and physical infrastructure
that already exist. This must be balanced against the project objectives to ensure ultimately
the goal of the project is not compromised.
8. Beyond the project design, the project leadership, management and implementation are
central in the determining the success or failure of a project. Even where a project is poorly
designed, it can be salvaged if the project team is flexible, adaptable and responsive to the
context, and the project leadership is clear, focused and driven.
o Traidcraft employed a consultative and inclusive project management approach that
entailed regular reviews of progress, incorporation of lessons and ideas from the
entire project team, prioritizing interventions based on the context, and building
goodwill among stakeholders.
42
2.12 Project Accountability (Beneficiary Feedback
Mechanisms)
The project team collected feedback from their beneficiaries through follow-up visits and
monitoring and evaluation reports. For example, farmers who were trained in additional
income-generating initiatives sought capital injection and markets. It was beyond the scope of
the project to provide markets for produce and capital. The project team encouraged the
farmers to work together and seek markets as a group rather than individuals.
Some of the feedback received came at the end of the project and as such was not able to be
addressed within the project life. For example, collection centre committees realized that as
elections take place and committee members change, they would require materials that they
can use to perpetuate the principles and values of leadership and management that they had
learned. They asked for materials that were easy to understand but these arose after the life of
the project.
2.13 Contribution to CSCF Objectives
CSCF Objective
Fair Cup Contribution
1. Building capacity of
Southern civil society to
engage in local decisionmaking processes.
 In understanding their rights and responsibilities and
gaining confidence to raise concerns, seek information
and assert their interests, the project enabled farmers to
improve responsiveness of the tea factories to their
concerns
 Farmers’ collection centre committees are now
documenting complaints, raising substantive issues with
tea factories, and following up for solutions. This is
increasing the levels of accountability of tea factories to
the farmers.
2. Service delivery in difficult
environments.
 The project used the training on rights and
responsibilities to overcome resistance and negative
connotations of the concept of “rights” in an acrimonious
context.
 The smallholder tea sector has been afflicted with
antagonistic relationships and distrust between farmers
and tea factories, with farmers feeling they are neither
43
CSCF Objective
Fair Cup Contribution
heard nor considered in the management of the tea
sector.
3.
CONCLUSION
The Fair Cup project on reducing poverty and improving the rights and livelihoods of
smallholder tea farmers was significantly successful, despite taking off to a faltering start which
paralyzed implementation of the project in the first year. The project team invested in building
acceptance and support from the factory management, KTDA and the farmers by involving the
stakeholders, clearly explaining the intended results of the project and remaining flexible in the
project activities. The project team demonstrated effective leadership and management by
turning the situation around.
The project activities were relevant and succeeded in giving farmers greater awareness of their
rights and responsibilities as farmers, as well as confidence to raise substantive questions in less
acrimonious ways. At the same time, factories are responding with more solutions to the issues
raised by farmers regarding tea planting, harvesting, collecting and selling. Although challenges
of information sharing and accountability for management of the factories, fiscal management
and trade and auction issues remain, the project makes important initial steps and adds value
to previous efforts by the farmers and the factory management to build mutually respectful,
accountable and profitable relationships
The support from the KTDA, factory management and widely acknowledge success provides a
platform for the team to replicate the project in other smallholder tea farmer factories ran by
KTDA.
4.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Traidcraft should explore possibilities of embarking on a second or further phase of the
project within the same areas with the following objectives in mind:
a. to consolidate the positive changes that have occurred in the farmers’ levels of
awareness, confidence and in asserting their interests, thereby enhancing the
sustainability of the project outputs;
b. to provide capacity support for farmers to improve their income through non-tea
farming activities, and to explore the question of access to markets as a way to
enhance sustainability;
44
c.
to guide and monitor factory management on incorporating the gender study in
management of the tea sector in a way that diminishes the disadvantages faced by
women farmers or women farm workers.
2. In addition to the manuals on leadership and management for training collection centre
committees handed to the factory management for support in further training of
subsequent committees, Traidcraft should invest in additional simplified materials (such as
posters) and booklets specifically for the farmers’ collection centre committees, which
summarise key principles, important practices of leadership and management and in
accountability in a way that is easily accessible to the farmers.
3. The project should consider in subsequent phases investing in negotiation and advocacy
skills-building among collection centre committee members and farmers. This will enhance
the efforts towards greater accountability from the factory management and boards of
directors, better representation of farmers interests and concerns, and more effective
handling of discussions on difficult or contentious issues.
4. Traidcraft should documenting the process of moving from resistance to support in
implementing initiatives aimed at empowering farmers in a context of difficult relations
between farmers and their factory management. There are rich lessons emerging including
the process of making training in “rights” acceptable in a context that was originally averse
to the idea.
45
ANNEX
A. List of Documents Reviewed
1. Original project proposal, budget and Gantt chart
2. Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
3. 2012 Baseline Survey Report in Nyeri
4. Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 project Annual reports
5. Mid-term Review Report, September 2013
6. Traidcraft Case-study reports (6 cases: 4 men, 2 women farmers)
7. Gender Study – Challenges and Opportunities for Women in the Tea Sector in the Fair Cup
Project Target Areas, 2014
8. Monitoring Table of Collection Centre Committees (Issues, actions, outcomes and gender
composition)
46
B. Profile of Evaluation Respondents
1. Traidcraft Exchange staff
2. CPDA Staff
3. Chinga Factory Management
4. Ndima Factory Management
5. Gitugi factory management
6. Iriaini factory management
7. KTDA representative
8. Individual farmer
Group Discussions
9. Chinga
10. Chinga
11. Collection Centre Committee
– Ndima
12. Kiangumara group – Ndima
13. Iriaini FGD
14. Farmer field school group,
Iriaini
15. Gitugi group
DESCRIPTION
Program staff and management in Nairobi
Project staff in Nyeri
Located in Iriaini
Assessing impact through a more in-depth
engagement with an individual farmer
Subtotal
DESCRIPTION
Participated in diversification training
(additional income initiatives). Chair of the
group is a young man (under 35).
All farmers; one young farmer (under 35)
among them
All men
WOMEN
1
2
1
MEN
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
5
WOMEN
3
7
MEN
8
8
4
All women. Representatives of 8 different
women self-help groups
Farmers and beneficiaries (family members),
including one elderly women and elderly man
(both over 72)
Several women’s groups
16
Farmers who have participated in field school
training. Group included a young woman (24)
who had left an urban city for farming in Nyeri.
5
5
2
4
48
53
33
40
16. Collection Centre Committee
in Gitugi
Subtotal
TOTAL
8
4
14
47
C. Declaration
I, Eva A. Maina Ayiera, hereby declare that I am not nor have I been an employee or consultant
for purposes of implementation of the Fair Cup project at any stage of the project. I am
independent from the Traidcraft and Christian Partners Development Agency project team and I
conduct this evaluation in my capacity as an independent evaluator.
Eva A. Maina Ayiera
28 June 2015
48
D. Evaluation Schedule
FIELD SCHEDULE
ARRIVAL – 3 MAY 2015
DEPARTURE – 6 MAY 2015
Day Mon 4 May
Tue 5 May
Wed 6 May
Expected 40 minutes
Expected 1hr 30 minutes
Iriaini FSC discussion
CPDA staff meeting
Expected 40 minutes
Expected 40 minutes
(together or each)
Time
9am Expected 40 minutes each
Chinga Factory Manager (or
Chinga FSC) (expected 40
minutes)
KTDA regional manager if
available
11am – Expected 40 minutes each
12.30pm
FGD Chinga 1 – women+men
FGD Chinga 2 – men
Iriani FGD 1 – women
Iraini FGD 2 – women+men
Iriaini FUM
Iriaini FSC
12.30pm Lunch and travel to next venue as needed
2pm Expected 40 minutes
Ndima FSC
3pm Expected 40 minutes
Ndima CCC – FGD (or
discussion with 3-4 pax)
4pm – Expected 40 minutes
6pm
Ndima – meeting with case
study person OR with women
group or with young farmers
Expected 40 minutes
Gitugi FGD – women+men
Expected 40 minutes
Gitugi CCC – FGD or
discussion with individuals
Expected 40 minutes
Gitugi Case study meeting
OR with additional FGD
Notes



FGDs are of 5 to 8 persons
The location days can be changed based on availability of targeted persons and location of
site – field staff can assist
The case studies can be in different places – to be confirmed after conversation with field
staff and review of case studies documented.
49

A Fair Cup – Ensuring the Rights of Smallholder Tea

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