Evaluation

The strategic evolution of evaluations in 2018 saw the mid-term reviews (MTRs) become joint exercises with LuxDev. They are therefore no longer limited to a macro-level review of the Indicative Cooperation Programmes (ICPs) between Luxembourg and its partner countries, but also include programmatic evaluations of bilateral, multilateral and humanitarian programmes and projects. Subsequently, since 2019, the Ministry has been carrying out an exercise to learn from mid-term reviews, in order to learn the lessons and essential recommendations from these evaluations and to improve MTR processes, whether or not jointly conducted, with the ultimate aim of optimising Luxembourg’s Development Cooperation’s evaluations.

In addition, in response to the needs of the Ministry’s operational services, the Ministry launched six other evaluations in 2019, including evaluations of NGOs and public-private collaborations in the inclusive finance sector:

The evaluation of four Luxembourg NGDOs, namely Aide au Développement de la Santé (ADS), Objectif Tiers Monde (OTM), Action Soleil dans la Main (ASDM) and Amis du Tibet (AT), was different from previous evaluations of NGDOs conducted by Luxembourg’s Development Cooperation in that it addressed, first of all, the organisational and management structure of NGDOs that do not necessarily have a thematic link and that operate in very different countries and contexts. The evaluation had a dual objective: (i) to analyse the organisational and management structure and human capacity of the four NGDOs in Luxembourg and to analyse relations with local partners in the field, and (ii) to assess the value of ADS, ASDM and OTM projects based on criteria commonly selected in the evaluation area, as defined by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability).

The evaluation of the NGDOs’ Cercle de coopération (Cercle) took place at a time of strategic reflection on the restructuring of the Cercle that was being analysed and guided, for the benefit of both the Ministry and the Cercle. The aims of the evaluation were to analyse (i) the organisational, staff and management structure of the Cercle (current and past), (ii) the relationship between the different structures of the Cercle, General Assembly, Board of Directors and team of permanent staff, (iii) the relationship between the Cercle and the Ministry, (iv) the relationship between the Cercle and its members, (v) the communication and positioning of the Cercle in relation to the general public in Luxembourg, in particular in terms of representativeness and policy coherence, and on behalf of members and even non-members, (vi) the results and impacts of the Cercle in relation to its objectives and in accordance with the OECD DAC criteria, (vii) the quality of advice given to NGDOs in consultations offered to its members and the quality of training provided by the Cercle, and (viii) to guide the Cercle and the Ministry in restructuring the Cercle.

The main aim of the evaluation of the Business Partnership Facility (BPF), a co-financing instrument encouraging private enterprises based in Luxembourg and the European Union to implement sustainable projects in developing countries in partnership with local actors, was to evaluate the BPF public-private partnership instrument from three perspectives: (i) the BPF instrument itself (rationale, mechanism), (ii) project selection mechanisms, and (iii) the implementation of co-financed projects, in accordance with the OECD DAC criteria.

The objective of the evaluation of the Inclusive Finance Network Luxembourg (InFiNe), an association which aims to contribute to the strengthening and promotion of a centre of excellence in the field of inclusive finance and to the creation and management of knowledge and know-how through the stimulation and coordination of dialogue between the members of the network and which aims to co-organise, together with the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP), the European Microfinance Award, was to evaluate InFiNe’s work in accordance with the OECD DAC criteria and to provide recommendations for future objectives and activities, as well as adequate governance so that the network’s planned outcomes may be implemented.

The aim of the evaluation of the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP), an association that encourages activities that improve global access to affordable, high-quality, sustainable and inclusive financial services by promoting knowledge sharing, partnership development and innovation, was to evaluate the work of the e-MFP in accordance with the OECD DAC criteria and to provide recommendations for improving the work of the e-MFP as well as suggestions for activities helping to achieve the e-MFP objectives and partnership approaches to be explored to best support the attainment of those objectives.

The objective of the evaluation of the Palestinian NGDO Agricultural Development Association (PARC), an association that aims to improve food security and reduce poverty in rural communities in the Palestinian Territories by promoting sustainable and innovative agriculture, was to provide an analysis of PARC’s organisational structure, the relationship between PARC and its local partners and the partnership between the ministry and PARC within the framework of the Advance Rural Development Investment (ARDI) programme, as well as of the work carried out under ARDI in accordance with the OECD DAC criteria. The evaluation will be completed in July 2020.

In addition to managing and monitoring evaluations, the Ministry focuses on the work of evaluation networks. In 2019, the Ministry attended meetings of the OECD DAC Network on Development Evaluation, actively participating in discussions on the definition of new evaluation criteria. The Ministry also attended meetings of the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN) and several meetings organised by the Société luxembourgeoise de l’évaluation et de la prospective (SOLEP - Luxembourg company for evaluation and forecasting).