'How to' Guide to Managing Economic Empowerment Projects

Economic empowerment is a key concern for the majority of the Trócaire’s programme participants and many of Trócaire’s programmes across thematic areas include a component on economic empowerment or income generation. Economic Empowerment can be a key objective (as in a Livelihoods Programme) or it can be a strand of a programme (as in HIV, Gender and Governance Programmes). Experience varies from quite sophisticated and well developed systems in some programmes to quite informal systems in others. This ‘how to guide’ has therefore been designed to use the expertise and learning available to develop a practical tool for programmers that can be shared and applied across our global programme to enhance economic strengthening outcomes for the women and men with whom we work.

The guide is structured in five parts:

1. Economic Empowerment– what do we mean by economic empowerment, what contributes to it, what changes are needed and for which target groups
2. Programme design and implementation
3. Monitoring and Evaluation – setting objectives, developing indicators, within the Trócaire results based management approach
4. Introductory guides for setting up Savings and Loan Groups and carrying out Basic Business Skills Training
5. Additional Resources