Government of Albania and United Nations Programme of Cooperation for Sustainable Development 2017-2021 Mr
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Evaluation Report Government of Albania and United Nations Programme of Cooperation for Sustainable Development 2017-2021 Mr. Christian Privat Evaluation and Strategic Planning Consultant UNDAF, Joint Programmes, Country Programmes, Mainstreaming issues [email protected] T: +41 22 960 5691 Geneva Ms. Sabina Ymeri Evaluation and Governance Consultant [email protected] Tirana Evaluation Report Government of Albania and United Nations Programme of Cooperation for Sustainable Development 2017-2021 Final, 19 August 2020 Table of Contents Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................................6 Introduction .........................................................................................................................................17 I. Country Context ..............................................................................................................................18 II. United Nations-Albania Programme of Cooperation for Sustainable Development (2017-2021) .........................................................................................20 III. Evaluation Purpose, Objectives, Scope ........................................................................................24 IV. Evaluation Approach and Methodology .....................................................................................25 1.Evaluation conducted remotely........................................................................................................................26 2.Preparation meetings and inception report ......................................................................................................27 3.Preliminary analysis based on the desk review and written sources ..................................................................27 4.Stakeholders analysis .......................................................................................................................................28 5.Questionnaire for, and meetings with Outcome Groups ..................................................................................29 6.Questionnaire for inter-agency advisory bodies ................................................................................................29 7.Virtual interviews with key informants .............................................................................................................30 8.Debrief discussion ...........................................................................................................................................30 9.Ethical considerations ......................................................................................................................................31 10.Programming principles .................................................................................................................................31 11.Data analysis and interpretation ....................................................................................................................32 12.Quality assurance and management process..................................................................................................32 V. Evaluation Findings ........................................................................................................................33 A.Relevance: Are we doing the right things? .....................................................................................33 1.Response to priority needs ..............................................................................................................................33 2.Relevance to international commitments .........................................................................................................34 3.Relevance to SDGs ..........................................................................................................................................35 4.Integrated funding framework and resource mobilization ................................................................................37 B.Coherence: How well does the PoCSD fit? .....................................................................................39 1.Chain of results and causal links between the outputs and outcomes ..............................................................40 2.Coherence with Government and development partner policies ......................................................................41 3.Synergies between UNCT agencies ..................................................................................................................42 4.Partnerships with civil society...........................................................................................................................43 C.Results: Have we made a difference? .............................................................................................44 1.Overall performance in programme delivery ....................................................................................................44 2.Factors affecting implementation ....................................................................................................................53 3.Capacities for data collection and analysis .......................................................................................................54 4.Role of communication ...................................................................................................................................56 5.Role of operations ...........................................................................................................................................58 D.Transformation: Have we made long-lasting, systemic and society-wide changes? .........................60 1.Systemic changes and high-level and policy work ............................................................................................61 2.Scaling up or replication ..................................................................................................................................64 3.Capacity development at national and local levels............................................................................................67 E.Normative: Have we left no one behind? .......................................................................................72 1.Programming principles ...................................................................................................................................72 2.Mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment ......................................................................73 3.Human Rights-Based Approach and equity focus .............................................................................................76 F.Looking forward .............................................................................................................................78 1.Comparative advantage...................................................................................................................................78 2.Strategic positioning .......................................................................................................................................80 3.Priorities for the next UNSDCF .........................................................................................................................82 VI.Lessons Learned .............................................................................................................................85 VII.Conclusions and Recommendations .............................................................................................86 Annexes ...............................................................................................................................................93 Acknowledgements The authors of this report are very grateful for the support and precious inputs they got from UN Agencies, including Mr. Brian James Williams, UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Fioralba Shkodra, Head of UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, the members of the United Nations Country Team, all the Outcome Groups, Theme Groups, Government partners and non-governmental stakeholders, as well as international development partners. All those who participated in this evaluation did so in a very peculiar health pandemic context (COVID-19), which imposed the evaluation to be conducted remotely. This made it more challenging for all the actors to partake as they usually do in evaluation processes. Their efforts are even more laudable in this context. All the Programme of Cooperation actors interviewed offered valuable information and insights, which allowed the consultants a good triangulation of information with the documentary sources. The authors hope that this evaluation report will be useful in the near future, including in the development of the United Nations Sustainable Development Partnership Framework. 6 Government of Albania and United Nations Programme of Cooperation for Sustainable Development 2017-2021 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 8 Introduction, Purpose, Objectives and Scope This report presents the results of the evaluation of the Government of Albania and United Nations Programme of Cooperation for Sustainable Development 2017-2021 (PoCSD) evaluation. The PoCSD focuses on four core result areas, or outcomes, which respond to development priorities aligned with the National Strategy for Development and Integration 2015 – 2020