Review of NRC's Programme-Based Advocacy initiative – Housing, Land and Property (2011-2014)

This report is an external review of the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) programme-based advocacy initiative on housing, land, and property (HLP), 2011-2014. Overall, this review found that the HLP advocacy has provided a heightened profile to this subject, mainly concerning displaced women’s HLP rights (DWHLPR) and security of tenure for shelter, contributing to changes in policies and practices. NRC has been able to bring leadership to HLP even if considerable obstacles for HLP advocacy exist, such as the sensitivities of land issues and the societal changes needed to change discriminatory practices against women. The review makes a number of recommendations to strengthen prioritisation, increase capacity to undertake advocacy at the country level, develop tailored advocacy tools to supplement NRC's in-depth technical research, strengthen the integration of HLP within NRC's shelter programmes, focus on influencing a minimum number of targeted policies at the global level, clarifying roles and responsibilities and building strategic external alliances. As one of the first advocacy evaluations in NRC, the process has also provided important learning for NRC in conducting this type of evaluation.