Download the report and read the main results of the assessment.
In 2022, after the halfway point of our 2021-2024 Strategy, we commissioned a mid-term evaluation to assess our work in general and the ongoing strategic period in particular and understand to what extent DDP’s programme of activities effectively supports human rights defenders to continue their work in the face of socio-political violence and its digital aspects.
DDP’s strength lies in its holistic approach; its human-centred values; the fact that it has regional teams, allowing better context and cultural understanding and provision of customised support; its provision of medium- and long-term sustainable protection support and its network-building efforts.
Direct and indirect beneficiaries, donors, independent experts and network members (Rarenet, CiviCERT and regional rapid response networks) were asked about DDP’s work and the general context of human rights defenders’ work. As a result, it was found that the direct and indirect beneficiaries of DDP’s support have clearly benefitted from it.
DDP’s strength lies in its holistic approach; its human-centred values; the fact that it has regional teams, allowing better context and cultural understanding and provision of customised support; its provision of medium- and long-term sustainable protection support and its network-building efforts. Especially in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, as part of the field-building process, defenders have benefited from DDP’s accompaniment processes and establishment of local networks. In addition, human rights defender beneficiaries reported that the support of local digital protection leads (hereafter, ‘leads’) and digital protection facilitators (hereafter, ‘facilitators’) is very valuable as it has provided their needs.
Strategy 2020-2023
This document sets out our analysis of the context in which we are working, the changes we are making in our programme in order to ensure our work is as effective as possible in these challenging circumstances, our theory of change, and our planned areas of work and priorities for the coming four years.
DDP’s highest strength lies in its provision of long-term support for human rights defenders via sustainable funding and the accompaniment process, with a holistic approach to digital security and mindfulness regarding the context of human rights defenders. This makes the organisation suitable for providing support in different environments and enables it to understand the needs of human rights defenders. DDP’s offers of grants, support and facilitator presence in local communities strengthen the organisation’s portfolio.
Furthermore, DDP’s gender equity and diversity inclusion strategy and provision of flexible support make it attractive for funders and beneficiaries. The aims of DDP Strategy 2020–2023 seem to be well followed, and DDP has managed to adapt itself well, both internally and in its exchanges with its beneficiaries and external stakeholders, to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In case you want access to the full-length report, please contact our team at communications@digitaldefenders.org.