Evaluation of the 4Th UNFPA Country Programme for Albania (2017-2021) EVALUATION REPORT
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Evaluation of the 4th UNFPA Country Programme for Albania (2017-2021) EVALUATION REPORT January, 2021 EVALUATION REPORT: The 4th UNFPA Country Programme for Albania (2017-2021) Albania Country Map1 Evaluation team Evaluation Team Leader LyubovPalyvoda Evaluator Arian Boci Evaluator Alban Ylli 1. https://www.britannica.com/place/Albania ii EVALUATION REPORT: The 4th UNFPA Country Programme for Albania (2017-2021) Acknowledgements The authors wish to acknowledge with their sincere thanks the numerous staff members from the various Government of Albania Ministries and related institutions, the UN collaborating agencies, donor agencies and a wide range of CSOs for providing time, resources and materials to permit the development and implementation of this evaluation. We appreciate the participation of members of the Evaluation Reference Group, especially those who took time to attend briefings and provided comments. We are particularly grateful to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Albania staff members of country and regional offices who, despite a very heavy load of other pressing commitments, were so responsive to our repeated requests, often on short notice. We would also like to acknowledge the many other Albanian stakeholders and client/beneficiaries, including experts in P&D, health, youth, gender and the dedicated staff at the visited centers, who helped the implementation of this evaluation despite their busy schedules. It is the team's hope that this evaluation and recommendations presented in this report will positively contribute to building a sound foundation for future UNFPA Albania supported programs in collaboration with the Government of Albania. Disclaimer This evaluation report was prepared by a team of three consultants, namely: Lyubov Palyvoda, Evaluation Team Leader; Alban Ylli and Arian Boci, Evaluators. The content, analysis and recommendations of this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Population Fund, its Executive Committee or member states. iii EVALUATION REPORT: The 4th UNFPA Country Programme for Albania (2017-2021) Table of contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1.1 Purpose and objectives of the country programme evaluation 7 1.2 Scope of the evaluation 7 1.3 Methodology and process 7 CHAPTER 2: Country context 2.1 Development challenges and national strategies 15 2.2 The role of external assistance 18 CHAPTER 3: UNFPA strategic response and country programme 3.1. UNFPA strategic response 20 3.2 UNFPA response through the country programme 22 3.2.1 Brief description of UNFPA previous cycle strategy, goals and achievements 22 3.2.2 Current UNFPA country programme 23 3.2.3 The financial structure of the programme 24 CHAPTER 4: Findings: answers to the evaluation questions Evaluation question 1: Relevance 26 Evaluation question 2: Effectiveness 29 Evaluation question 3: Effectiveness 36 Evaluation question 4: Effectiveness 40 Evaluation question 5: Efficiency 42 Evaluation question 6: Sustainability 47 Evaluation question 7: Sustainability 49 Evaluation question 8: Sustainability 51 Evaluation question 9: Coordination within the UNCT 52 Evaluation question 10: Added value of UNFPA country programme 56 CHAPTER 5: Conclusions 5.1 Strategic level 60 5.2 Programmatic level 61 CHAPTER 6: Recommendations 6.1 Strategic Recommendations 64 6.2 Programmic Recommendations 64 ANNEXES Annex 1. Terms of Reference 68 Annex 2. List of persons/institutions met 81 Annex 3. List of documents consulted 82 Annex 4. The evaluation matrix 84 Annex 5. Abstract of the evaluation report 120 Annex 6. Stakeholders’ mapping 122 Annex 7. UNFPA Intervention logic for 3rdand 4th CPs by programme components 125 Annex 8. Linkages between UNFPA CP outputs 2017-2021, outcomes of UNFPA Strategic Plan 2018-2021 and outcomes of the GoA-UN PoCSD 127 iv EVALUATION REPORT: The 4th UNFPA Country Programme for Albania (2017-2021) Abbreviations and Acronyms ADHS Albanian Demographic Health Survey AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ANC Antenatal Care ASRH Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health ART Antiretroviral AWP(s) Annual Work Plan(s) CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women CO Country Office COAR Country Office Annual Report COVID-19 Corona Virus Disease 2019 CP Country Programme CPAP Country Programme Action Plan CPE Country Programme Evaluation CPD Country Programme Document CSO Civil Society Organizations CSW Commercial Sex Workers DAC Development Assistance Committee EM Evaluation Matrix ET Evaluation Team ERG Evaluation Reference Group EQA Evaluation Quality Assessment EQs Evaluation Questions EU European Union FP Family Planning GBV Gender-Based Violence GDP Gross Domestic Product GoA Government of Albania HBSC Health Behaviour in Schools Survey HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus IBBS Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance ICPD International Conference on Population and Development INSTAT The Institute of Statistics IP(s) Implementing Partner(s) KIIs Key Informant Interviews LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender LMIS Logistic Management Information System MCH Maternal and Children’s Health MDGs Millennium Development Goals MESYS Ministry for Education, Sports and, Youth MISP Minimum Initial Service Package MOHSP Ministry of Health and Social Protection NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NGO Non-Government Organization NSDI National Strategy for Development and Integration ODA Official Development Assistance OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development OHCHR The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights OR Other Resources OSCE Organization of Security of Council of Europe PoCSD Programme of Cooperation for Sustainable Development RH Reproductive Health RR Regular Resources SDC Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency SDGs Sustainability Development Goals SIDA Swedish International Development Agency SRH Sexual and Reproductive Health v EVALUATION REPORT: The 4th UNFPA Country Programme for Albania (2017-2021) STI Sexually Transmitted Infection TL Team Leader ToC Theory of Change TOT Term of Reference TUH Tirana University Hospital UN United Nations UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS UNCT United Nations Country Team UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNESCO United National Education, Science and Culture Organization UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNV United Nations Volunteers USA United States of America vi EVALUATION REPORT: The 4th UNFPA Country Programme for Albania (2017-2021) List of tables Table 1 Albania: ODA Key statistics Table 2 Data sources by collection methods Table 3 KIIs by UNFPA programme areas and stakeholders' sectors, number (identified in stakeholder map/planned/interviewed) Table 4 Samples disaggregated by categories Table 5 Main donors per sector, share of total disbursements and total number of active donors per sector, Albania, 2010-12 Table 6 The UNFPA financial commitment for 2017-2021 (in USD millions) by outcomes Table 7 The UNFPA financial commitment for 2017-2021 by outputs Table 8 Expenditure evaluation for three years of the 4th Country Programme (2017-2021) (in USD) Table 9 Status of achievement of output SRH indicators of the 4th UNFPA CP, 2017-2021 Table 10 Status of achievements of outputs Adolescents and youth indicators of the 4rd UNFPA CP, 2017-2021 Table 11 Status of the outcome indicators for SRH area of the 4th CPs Table 12 Status of the outcome indicators for Adolescent and youth area of the 4th CPs Table 13 UNFPA roles and indicative resources by 2017-2021 PoCSD Results Table 14 The UNFPA participation in UNCT working groups, December 2020 List of Figures Figure 1 Online respondents by UNFPA Programme Areas Figure 2 Online respondents by type of the UNFPA-related activities Figure 3 Average annual net disbursements of ODA by top 10 donor organization in Albania, all sectors, 2010-12 (€m) Figure 4 Albania Foreign Aid for the 2011 -2018 period Figure 5 Top Ten donors of Gross ODA for Albania (2017-2018) average (in USD millions) Figure 6 Summary of the UNFPA strategic plan 2018 – 2012 theory of change List of Graphs Graph 1 The 4th Country Programme expenditure by resources’ source, 2017-2019 Graph 2 The 4th Country Programme expenditure of SRH programme by resources’ source, 2017-2019 Graph 3 The 4th Country Programme expenditure of Adolescents and Youth programme by resources’ source, 2017-2019 Graph 4 The 4th Country Programme expenditure Gender programme by resources’ source, 2017-2019 Graph 5 The 4th Country Programme expenditure P&D programme by resources’ source, 2017-2019 vii EVALUATION REPORT: The 4th UNFPA Country Programme for Albania (2017-2021) Table 1. ALBANIA: Key facts Key Facts and Figures Source The Republic of Albania is a unitary state with the parliamentary system of government. Albania is located in the South Eastern (SE) Europe, in the Balkan peninsula, on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, within an area of 28,748 sq.km. The landscape is characterized of a rough, mountainous terrain that extends to the north, east, and south. The western lowland, where most of Albanian population lives, represents a flat area that covers the country’s west from Vlora in the south till Shkodra in the north. Surface area 28,748 sq. km Population Population (inhabitants) 2.845.955 Population estimation as of 1 January 2020 (INSTAT)1 Urban population 61.2% Urban population estimated by World Bank 2 Since last census in 2011, INSTAT