Evaluation

SUCCESS

This is the first year that the Women's Cross-Cultural Learning Exchange Programme has been run, and in this sense it has been an experiment both for us
and the participants. The Programme exceeded all expectations, in terms of the quality and richness of the exchange, and in terms of the links that were forged by the participants among themselves and with their receiving groups.

MINOR PROBLEMS

Because this Programme was a "first", we were enormously constrained by limits in funds and time. At one point, two weeks before the orientation course began, we had promises of funds to cover 12 women, but actual cash to cover only 4! It was somewhat of a cliff-hanging experience. Considering all this, it is astonishing that there
were no serious setbacks.

There were minor problems, of course, mostly related to funds and visas (or lack of them), and health. Three participants were not able to attend the orientation course, but completed their exchange.Three others were unable to complete their exchange, although they did attend the orientation course.

In the weeks leading up to and including the orientation course, all 6 women of the team in Geneva were working an average of 40 hours a week to make the programme possible (since we also had to keep up with the regular work of ISIS, the part-time workers became for a while full-time workers). But the normal working schedules
were turned upside down, and it took us all some time to recover, both physically and mentally.

For this reason we felt that, if the Programme is to continue, the ISIS offices in Geneva and Rome would have to restructure our work. From January
1984, the production and distribution of the ISIS International Bulletins (in English and Spanish) will be carried out entirely from the Rome office. The central part of the work in the ISIS Geneva office will focus on the Women's Cross Cultural Exchange Programme. In this way the Programme can be planned and run effectively, including
keeping up the vital support services of information and documentation that ISIS offers.

IMPROVEMENTS FOR FUTURE PROGRAMMES

On the basis of self-criticism by the coordination group (ISIS and Associates) and suggestions and comments from participants, the following improvements will be made in next year's Programme.

Selection

Potential participants will be given the possibility of stating their preference of which receiving group they would like to go to among a number of possible receiving groups. Potential receiving groups will be given a chance to state their preference of participant. In this way, those who are finally selected to participate in the Programme
will have already had a say in where they want to go or whom they want to receive. The resulting exchange and learning will hopefully be even more fruitful.

Expansion of the orientation course

This year's participants overwhelmingly expressed the need for the orientation course to be longer in order to give time for study, further discussion and exchange, and to get acclimatised to Geneva and what it has to offer. The ISIS staff, too, felt pressured by the lack of time and opportunity to really get to know participants.

The orientation course will therefore last four weeks in next year's Programme. This will give the extra time necessary to allow everyone to feel they have gained the maximum from the course. Much more stress will be laid on use of and access to the ISIS resources during this period.

Adaptation

While it is impossible to protect people entirely from the shock of entering into a totally new culture, much more attention will be given to this in future. A dossier of preparatory material will be sent to all participants in advance of their arrival in Geneva. This will include more detailed information about practical living in Geneva, including
a basic list of useful words for foodstuffs, money, how to get around, etc. It will also include some information about "culture shock", possibly with comments from the 1983 participants.

During the orientation course, there will be specially scheduled sessions to deal with this aspect, in addition to a session where feelings about going on to yet another country can be expressed.

The fact of the orientation course being longer will also help participants get over their shock (if any) and give them a chance to become adapted to a new culture.

Theme

In order to enrich the exchange among participants and to create a closer network ultimately, future Programmes will be focused on a theme. This means that participants and receiving groups will be working in an area connected to the theme. The theme will change each year. In 1984 it will be "communication". Other themes identified
for future Programmes are: health, education, peace, agriculture, organising.

Networking

Many of this year's participants expressed the desire to stay in close contact with ISIS and the Programme. Some suggested they could contact future participants in their regions, if they knew in advance who they were.

We felt this was a valuable idea and decided that we will involve all past Programme participants as much as possible in aspects of the current Programme. In this way the personal linking achieved will help forge a strong network of women working for women's advancement, both regionally and internationally.

Anyone (group or individual) who supports the aims of our Programme and resource centre can become a member of the ISIS-WICCE network. Members receive ISIS-WICCE publications automatically, plus any additional mailings, information brochures, etc., which we send out from time to time.