Creating Job Opportunities for Young Adults in Kurdistan Iraq Funded by Rdpp Written by Nahed Freij
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FINAL INDEPENDENT EVALUATION SEPTEMBER 2018 CREATING JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS IN KURDISTAN IRAQ FUNDED BY RDPP WRITTEN BY NAHED FREIJ This report was commissioned by Action Against Hunger. The comments contained herein reflect the opinions of the evaluators only. Evaluation Report for the Independent Final Evaluation of: CREATING JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS IN KURDISTAN Submitted to: Action Against Hunger Prepared by: Nahed Freij- Sr. Consultant September 2018 1 Summary Table Project Name Creating job opportunities for young adults in Kurdistan Contract Number DANIDA/RDPP/2.1.2/2016-29370 Partners (if applicable) N/A Location (country/ies, region/s) Zakho district, Dohuk Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) Sector(s) Livelihood/Income Generating Activities Duration 14 months, NCE-17 months Starting Date 01 May 2017 Ending Date 30, Sept 2018 Project Language English Donor and Contribution/s RDPP – Regional Development and Protection Programme Country Office administering Action Against Hunger - Kurdistan Region of Iraq the Programme/Project Responsible Action Against Action Against Hunger France Hunger HQ Evaluation Type Independent Final Evaluation Evaluation Dates From July 26 to September 6, 2018 2 Acknowledgements This final evaluation report of “CREATING JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS IN KURDISTAN” was prepared in my capacity as external evaluator to Action Against Hunger. The evaluation was carried out between July 26 and September 6, 2018. The main findings and recommendations contained in this report include the inputs provided by the interviewed project stakeholders who made sincere efforts and demonstrated willingness and openness to being interviewed for the evaluation and sharing of necessary documentation. From Action Against Hunger Coordination team in Erbil, special thanks go out to Ms. Valeria BACCI Deputy Country Director – Programmes, Mr. Ashok Kumar FSL Head of department, and Ms. Soraya MEAL Officer for their overall guidance and support and for their openness in being interviewed for this evaluation. Special thanks are further extended to Mr. Vincenzo Schiano Lomoriello RDPP Program Manager for Iraq and Jordan for his participation in informing the evaluation. I would like to equally acknowledge the generous support received from the Project staff in Duhok; Andrea, Pirjeen, Alhan, Ismael and Midia, I thank you all for your open inputs, outstanding planning and organizing of the field visits, translating when needed, and furnishing of needed documents. Many thanks are also extended to the numerous people listed in (Annex 2) from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Zakho Vocational Training Center, Directorate of Labor and Vocational Training, Chamber of Commerce, apprentice hosting enterprises, young men and women supported by the action as well as their families who all took serious interest in sharing their Project experience with me. I hope that the conclusions, lessons and recommendations presented in this report will be used in view of shared learning and improvement in future similar programming. Nahed Freij Sr. Consultant Advance Consulting Services “This report was commissioned by Action Against Hunger to the external evaluator. The content does not necessarily reflect the point of view/opinion of the organization” 3 List of abbreviations 3RP Regional Refugee & Resilience Plan BRHA Board of Relief and Humanitarian Affairs CBO Community Based Organization CoC Chamber of Commerce DIB Disputed Internal Boundaries DKK Danish Krones DoLVT Directorate of Labor and Vocational Training ELA Evaluation, Learning and Accountability FGD Focus Group Discussion FSL Food Security and Livelihoods GBV Gender Based Violence HC Hosting Community HRP Humanitarian Response Plan IDP Internally Displaced Person ISIL Islamic State in Iraq and Levant KAB Know About your Business KRI Kurdistan Region of Iraq MHCP Mental Health and Care Practices MOLSA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs MoU Memorandum of Understanding MoA Ministry of Agriculture MTR Mid Term Review M&E Monitoring and Evaluation NCE No Cost Extension OECD/DAC Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development PS Private Sector PSS Psychosocial support services PDM Post Distribution Monitoring RDDP Regional Development and Protection Programme SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SSI Semi structured in-depth interviews VfM Value for Money VTC Vocational training center ZVTC Zakho vocational training center WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene WFP United Nations World Food Program UNDP United Nations Development Program UNHCR United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees 4 CONTENTS 1. Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 6 2. Background ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Context ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Brief description of the project subject of the evaluation ........................................................................... 9 3. Evaluation Purpose, Scope and Methodology .............................................................................................. 10 3.1 Methodological Approach .......................................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Limitations and considerations .................................................................................................................. 12 4. Findings .......................................................................................................................................................... 13 4.1 Relevance ................................................................................................................................................... 13 4.2 Effectiveness .............................................................................................................................................. 18 4.3 Efficiency .................................................................................................................................................... 27 4.4 Impact ........................................................................................................................................................ 30 4.5 Sustainability .............................................................................................................................................. 33 5. Conclusions .................................................................................................................................................... 34 6. Good Practices and Lessons Learnt ............................................................................................................... 36 6.1 Good Practices ........................................................................................................................................... 36 6.2 Lessons Learnt ............................................................................................................................................ 36 7. Recommendations ......................................................................................................................................... 37 8. Annexes .......................................................................................................................................................... 39 8.1. Evaluation TOR ........................................................................................................................................... 39 8.2. List of people met/ consulted .................................................................................................................... 46 8.3. List of documents reviewed ....................................................................................................................... 46 8.4. Logical framework ...................................................................................................................................... 49 8.5. Good practice template ............................................................................................................................. 52 8.6. Evaluation Criteria Rating Table ................................................................................................................. 53 8.7. Sample Data collection instruments .......................................................................................................... 54 5 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY With 90% funding from the Regional Development and Protection Programme, Action Against Hunger has been implementing a 17-months project titled “Creating Job Opportunities for Young Adults” in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The 10,806,000 DKK (Danish Krones) project was implemented in Zakho District of Dohuk Governorate. It aims to “improve the economic situation of vulnerable host communities, Internally Displaced Persons, and refugee families through the creation of new businesses. Through key interventions of i) a vocational training in coordination with a local Vocational Training Centre in Zakho district, ii) an apprenticeship job placement programme and iii) business startup support (Startup