Final Evaluation of the Global Anti-Torture Evidence (GATE) Project

International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, 2019

India, Nepal, Palestine and Tunisia 

The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) is a network of over 150 torture rehabilitation centres in 75 countries. It is the world’s largest membership-based civil society organisation, specialised in the field of torture rehabilitation. IRCT implements a number of projects, including the GATE Project until the end of 2019. 

The GATE Project is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was implemented in 15 countries in five regions (Europe, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East & North Africa, and Asia). The Project objective was to enhance protection against torture in the target countries through the following measures: (1) providing rehabilitation services to torture victims; (2) through the rehabilitation process, strengthening the evidence base on the patterns of torture and its impact on victims, their families and societies, and setting up a data-base on their situation; and (3) using this evidence and data base to inform and reinforce activities of torture prevention, punishment and reparation.

The consultant evaluated the implementation of project activities from September 2017 to September 2019. This included a desk study, preparation of a questionnaire for all involved centres, and visits to four centres in two regions: Asia (Nepal, India) and the MENA region (Palestine and Tunisia). Stakeholders interviewed included programme staff, centre leaders, duty bearers, police, representatives from medias, national and international human rights institutions as well as victims. Debriefings were held with each centre and at IRCT Head Office level before drafting the final report. The DAC criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability were used throughout the evaluation to assess the project.

HN Consultants ApS provided the sole consultant to the assignment.