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Participatory evaluation and monitoring of results of Palma Real IIExecutive summaryJune 15th, 2023

Project background01.03.04.05.Social-Net Promoter Score (NPS) findingsMost significant changes and results perceived by the community (children, young people and adults)ContentsFood For the Poor commissioned a participatory evaluation of thePalma Real II Sustainable Community Development (SCD) Project.This report presents the community’s perception of most significantchanges during and after the project. The evaluation consisted ofquantitative surveys and qualitative data collection activities withthe active participation of two target groups. The data collectionactivities targeted children and teens from 6 to 17 years, and youngadults or parents from 18 to 65 years.Lessons, best practices and recommendations2Minuto de Dios – Parque científico de innovación social02.Evaluation key findingsMethodologyConclusions06.07.

The Palma Real II SCD project began in 2018, in the municipality of Granada (departmentof Meta, Colombia). The overall project has been implemented by Food for the Poor inalliance with the Mayor's Office of Granada, the Presidential Agency for InternationalCooperation (APC), and the Corporación Organización Minuto de Dios. The project hasimplemented different components (housing, WASH, social cohesion) through a series ofactivities aimed at delivering 60 housing units and supporting the new owners with atotal investment of 4,194 million pesos (UNIMINUTO, 2021, p. 12). These houses weredelivered to local families who are also participating in comprehensive actions tostrengthen community building and organizing. These interventions aim to improve thequality and stability of people's livelihoods by addressing vulnerabilities, enhancingaccess to assets, and strengthening the community's social and governance componentsso that residents can realize their potential and thrive independently.1. Project background– Parque científico de innovación social3

1.1 Project’s expected outputs & outcomesThe Palma Real II SCD Project aims to catalyze a series of impacts and transformations by constructing 60residences and a community center, supplemented by activities designed to aid the community'sadaptation processes associated with the project in the short, medium, and long term.The Palma Real II SCD has bolstered its social cohesion through community development and organizing endeavors.60 families engaging in capacity development, socioeconomic growth support, and access to additional services such as psychosocial assistance.Delivery of 60 residential units to households, enhancing access to appropriate infrastructure and the well-being of approximately 240 individuals.010203044– Parque científico de innovación socialCommunity leaders and members have consolidated life skills and entrepreneurship capabilities through training and assistance.

1.2 Community Demographics– Parque científico de innovación social501020379% of the participants reported having improved their living conditions since theymoved in Palma Real II.04Households are composed of an average of 4 people: likely, 2 adults and 2 children.100% of the participants have been in Palma Real II for around a year.The average age of the young and adultpopulation is 33 years old.1. Project backgroundBased on information collected by the evaluation team, May 2023.

To produce the current report on the participatory evaluation and monitoring of theresults of the Palma Real II SCD project, we used a participatory mixed-methods(quantitative and qualitative) approach. This methodology was designed with theintention of creating playful and safe spaces that allowed the collective and deductiveidentification of the social transformations directly and indirectly generated by theproject. Furthermore, it was supplemented with quantitative tools and surveys tomeasure participants' perception of satisfaction regarding the project's results.2. Methodology– Parque científico de innovación social6• Household Survey: 53 youths and adults residing in Palma Real II.• Focus Groups and Participatory Dynamics: 21 youths and adults residing in Palma Real II.• Workshops and Recreational Activities: 28 children and teenagers residing in Palma Real II.Data Collection Activities

3. Social-Net Promoter Score (NPS) findingsThe Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric commonly used in marketresearch, asking respondents to rate the likelihood that they wouldrecommend a product, service, or organization. An adaptation ofthis methodology was implemented to address social changes ortransformations.According to respondents, most people would recommend toother relatives or friends the project and don't regret living in Palma Real 2.The group of women stood out as the group with the highestaverage satisfaction with the project since their arrival in the Palma Real II SCD Project.“I have been very happy in Palma Real II, knowing that I have a house of my own, where no one is going to take me out and I can decorate it as I want and live at ease with my family”.Community member of the Palma Real IISCD.% of people according to their level of satisfaction (NPS) with the project.Overall participant's NPS: 9.9415 18010190 10 20 30 40 50Promoters (9-10)Neutrals (7-8)Detractors (7-8)Males(17 to 29 years old)Males(30 to 65 years old)Females(17 to 29 years old)7Females(30 to 65 years old)1 Even though the Net Promoter Score is a methodology designed to measure customer satisfaction, the Social Innovation Science Park adapted its principles to make it a participatory methodology that helps in the measurement of results,perceptions and satisfaction level of the beneficiary population in social projects.

Reduction of stress and worriesEvidence of changesAccording to the life stories shared by the population that participated in the focus groups, their satisfaction with the project is related to thefollowing significant changes:Relevant findings on overall satisfaction levels with indoor and outdoor living spaces01 By not paying rent, people have a greater capacity to save,spend and invest.02 8Minuto de Dios – Parque científico de innovación socialPeople had access to homes with decent conditions andspaces that reduced overcrowding and intra-family tensions,among other factors associated with worries and stress.Quantitative evidence: % of people showing improvement in their economicsituation since their arrival in the neighborhood.No evidence of change96%Quantitative evidence: % of people evidencing a decrease in stress and worries intheir daily lives.Increased stress and worries89%3. Social-Net Promoter Score (NPS) findings

Evidence of problems and uncomfortable situationsAccording to the life stories shared by the population that participated in the focus groups, their satisfaction with the project is related to thefollowing significant changes:Relevant findings on overall satisfaction levels with indoor and outdoor living spaces903 04 Most of the families feel dissatisfaction with public spaces due todrug consumption in public spaces on behalf of inhabitants fromnearby neighborhoods. 1Most of the population is dissatisfied with the provision ofpublic services due to unequal socio-economic stratification ofhouseholds in the neighborhood (resulting in high public servicerates for some households) and frequent flooding of the publicsewage system. 2Quantitative evidence: % of people evidencing problematic and uncomfortablesituations since their arrival to the Palma Real II neighborhood.No evidence of problems and uncomfortable situations74%Evidence of problems and uncomfortable situationsQuantitative evidence: % of people have presented negative experiences with theprovision of public services such as aqueducts, sewerage, and energy in their newhomes.No evidence of problems and uncomfortable situations58%3. Social-Net Promoter Score (NPS) findings1 The people who participated in the evaluation ensure that the increase in the use of psychoactive substances is not attributable to the project, since this is a pestering problem in the municipality, mainly in leisure areas such as public parks.2 The design of the household strata is defined by local municipalities. The population must request a review to the local government entities, so a review of the economic strata of households could be carried out as appropriate.

"I like that now we don't have to pay rent. We have moreunity among our families, and now we have a house".Girl from the community of the Palma Real II SCD.4. Most significant changes and results perceived by the community since their arrival in Palma Real II10– Parque científico de innovación socialAccording to the results of the focus groups, the community of the Palma Real II neighborhood, the population perceived significant changes in the following quality of life categories:1. Economic stability 34% of respondents.2. Personal growth 13% of respondents.3. Personal improvement 13% of respondents.4. Peace and respect in the community 11% of respondents.

According to the life stories shared by the population that participated in the focus groups, the most significant changes in their lifestyles since theirarrival to the Palma Real neighborhood are concentrated in the following areas:01 02 03 People have increased unity, cohesion and coexistence withtheir new neighbors.04 Most people have perceived improvements in their mentaland physical health and well-being since their arrival in theneighborhood.The location of the neighborhood has reduced distances toother population centers, workplaces, health centers, andschools for most community members.People have built a coexistence manual and communityaction spaces to identify, prevent and solve neighborhoodproblems.Quantitative evidence: % of people who have felt somepositive change in their family and community relationshipssince their arrival in the neighborhood.68%AppropiateQuantitative evidence: % of people who feel that conflictresolution spaces and tools are appropriate for their newliving environments.Inappropiate98%Positive changesQuantitative evidence: % of average satisfaction with thesafety and tranquility of the Palma Real II neighborhood.Negative changes70%Qualitative evidence: People who participated in the focusgroups identified the decrease in distances between theirhomes with places important to their day-to-day lives as achange attributed to the Project.Positive changesNegative changes4. Most significant changes and results perceived 11Minuto de Dios – Parque científico de innovación social

According to the life stories shared by the population that participated in the focus groups, the most significant changes in their lifestyles since theirarrival to the Palma Real neighborhood are concentrated in the following areas:05 07 06 The population has identified risks on streets and accessroads due to flooding during the rainy season.08 The population has increased its interest in participation andaccess to technical and professional developmentopportunities.The community has increased its sense of belonging,responsibility for the care of its environment and socialdevelopment since living in their own home.The population started using water tanks again because ofthe fares’ increase and the decrease in the quality andfrequency of the aqueduct serviceQuantitative evidence: % of people who feel dissatisfied withthe rainwater disposal and the condition of roads.77%High Qualitative evidence: The people who participated in thefocus groups identified the use of water tanks as analternative in the periods of non-provision of water service.Low71%Increased accessQuantitative evidence: % of people who feel that sincetheir arrival in the neighborhood, their professional trainingopportunities increased.Reduced access100%Quantitative evidence: % of strengthening of unity and trustamong neighbors perceived by the community of the PalmaReal II neighborhood.Low satisfactionHigh satisfaction12Minuto de Dios – Parque científico de innovación social4. Most significant changes and results perceived

Analysis of the most frequent changes and project attribution levelsFrequent significant changes perceived by the communityaccording to classification categoriesThe community living in Palma Real II neighborhood relates the significant changes and results produced by the activities and outcomes of the project, mainly to the consolidation of the physical well-being of households, which have improved the living conditions of their families in the different dimensions of well-being and care of physical and mental health.“I would summarize my experience in the project as family togetherness, my husband taking less time commuting to work and my children being closer to their schools”.Community member of the Palma Real IISCD.35%14%14%12%10%6%6%2% 2%Physical well-being (adequate housing)Personal development (Access to own housing)Personal development (Accompaniment UNIMINUTO)Emotional well-being (Appropriateenvironments)Physical well-being (adequate neighborhoods)Physical well-being (Access to sports andrecreation)Physical wellbeing (access to commercial,educational, health and other areas) Community development (Coexistence)Other benefits13– Parque científico de innovación social4. Most significant changes and results perceived

Main results and findings about the integration process of children and adolescentsDuring the activities, some children commented they liked the factthat they could now share with other people and that they had a space of their own in which to live with their families. They alsonoted the importance of not having to pay rent, since their parentsdid not have to worry about it and could meet other needs such asbuying more groceries or appliances for the house.They also pointed out Palma Real II as a place where they feel safe, while the surrounding areas (streets, parks, green areas) makethem feel unsafe.14– Parque científico de innovación social4. Most significant changes and results perceived

Through participatory exercises, the children and adolescents reflected about their experience in the Project and this significant changes stand out:Children value having their own home and their families no longerhaving to pay rent.Access to housing has improved quality of life and well-being.0102030405The housing infrastructure has improved family coexistence andprivacy.Poor security conditions in surrounding neighborhoods have a direct bearing on the population's perception of security in theneighborhood. Specifically, at parks, recreation and sports zones.The children and adolescents have improved their futureprojections thanks to better housing environments.15– Parque científico de innovación social4. Most significant changes and results perceived

5. Evaluation key findings60 families improved their living conditions and quality of life through accessto adequate housing.The inhabitants of the Palma Real II neighborhood strengthened the social fabric of their community through the multiple scenarios where they trust and collaborate with each other by organizing community integration and management activities.The community of the Palma Real II neighborhood lives in an environment that enhances their wellbeing, physical and mental health, and their aspirations for the future.The Palma Real II neighborhood community wishes to continue living in their new homes due to the perception of positive changes in their quality of lifeand personal, family, and community development.0102030416– Parque científico de innovación social

6. Lessons learned, best practices and recommendationsBased on the life stories shared by the people who participated from the workshops and focus groups, the lessons learned, good practices and recommendations can be categorized into the following action groups:What could be improvedThe rigorousness of studies anddesigns of the sewage and watersystems.The project might strengthen thecommunication sessions of theselected beneficiaries, to emphasizeequal conditions and process to theinclusion of the residents.Spaces and activities to enhance thepeople’s learning of technical andprofessional skills.What could be reducedUnsettled and unsafe conditions inpublic spaces such as parks nearPalma Real II. 1Conflicts among members of thecommunity as it's been a majorchallenge for some participants.What could be replicatedPsychosocial support tocommunity members.The construction of the housesspurred the development of publicinfrastructure near theneighborhood.2The social cohesion throughcommunity development andorganizing endeavors.171 The project might need to include security variables as a risk in planning future projects, to mitigate possible negative effects on the community satisfaction of the project2 The technical visits revealed the construction of health centers close to the Palma Real II neighborhood by the Municipal Mayor's Office.

7. Conclusions• A key result of the participatory evaluation and monitoring of the Palma Real II SCD project was the identification of significanttransformations, both direct and indirect. These are primarily related to the strengthening of the community's social fabric through fosteringenvironments of unity, trust, and social leadership.• The project has generated improvements in the inhabitants' well-being, due in large part to the creation of living spaces and developmentalenvironments. These enhancements provide autonomy and freedom for residents to manage and inhabit their homes. Coupled withpsychosocial strengthening and support activities, these changes have improved aspects of security and tranquility within the territory.• Regarding economic conditions, most residents have perceived an improvement in their financial situation. This is mainly attributed to thereduction in housing-related financial commitments, such as rent. In some cases, this has even allowed one household member to stay homeand care for the children, thereby improving family unity and cohesion.• Most participants would recommend this project to potential new participants. They believe that the housing and complementary activitieshave not only positively impacted their lives but also had a beneficial effect on the wider municipality. This includes promoting complementarypublic policies such as access to educational entities, the construction of health centers, and the planning of security strategies to ensurequality of life in terms of safety, tranquility in traffic, and enjoyment of public spaces in the neighborhood.• Two main issues requiring attention were identified by the residents of Palma Real II: dissatisfaction with public services and the perceptionthat parks and green areas are not safe spaces for children and adolescents. These areas require a comprehensive care approach.18– Parque científico de innovación social