Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland EVALUATION REPORT Final evaluation March 2017 of the Finnish funded projects in Kosovo FCG International Ltd Juhani Härkönen Rozeta Hajdari Final evaluation of the projects funded by Finland in Kosovo in 2016 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... 4 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................ 10 LOCATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS OF KOSOVO ....................................................................... 12 1 BACKROUND .................................................................................................................................................. 13 1.1 Context in Kosovo ..................................................................................................................................... 13 1.2 Goals and principles of Finland’s development policy .............................................................................. 16 1.3 Programme of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo (2015-2018) ................................................. 17 1.4 Finnish support to Kosovo ........................................................................................................................ 17 2 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................ 20 2.1 Approach .................................................................................................................................................. 20 2.2 Limitations of evaluation ........................................................................................................................... 21 3. FINDINGS ....................................................................................................................................................... 22 3.1 Review of the Finnish funded projects implemented in 2014 – 2016 ....................................................... 22 3.1.1 Aid for Trade (AfT) – UNDP ....................................................................................................................... 22 3.1.2 Active Labour Market Programme 2 (ALMP 2) - UNDP ............................................................................ 28 3.1.3 Diaspora Engagement in Economic Development of Kosovo (DEED) – UNDP & IOM ............................ 34 3.1.4 Support to Minority Communities during and after the Decentralisation Process, Project Extension 2014- 2016: Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Growth for all Newly-established Municipalities in Kosovo (TSIGaN) – ECMI ............................................................................................................................................... 40 3.1.5 Support to implementation of the Forest Policy and Strategy in Kosovo – FAO ....................................... 46 3.1.6 UN Joint Programme on Domestic/Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Kosovo – UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women, OHCHR and UNICEF ........................................................................................................................... 51 3.2 Portfolio Evaluation ................................................................................................................................... 59 3.2.1 Relevance of the project portfolio funded by Finland ................................................................................ 59 3.2.2 Aid effectiveness and coherence ............................................................................................................... 61 3.2.3 Efficiency of the portfolio ........................................................................................................................... 63 3.2.4 Effectiveness and impact ........................................................................................................................... 64 3.2.5 Sustainability .............................................................................................................................................. 67 3.2.6 HRBA and crosscutting Issues .................................................................................................................. 69 3.2.7 Contribution of the Finnish support to Northern Kosovo to the reconciliation and integration of the northern municipalities to Kosovo structures ...................................................................................................... 70 3.2.8 Pros and cons in implementing projects jointly by different organisations in Kosovo ............................... 71 4 POSSIBILITIES OF TRANSITION TO OTHER FORMS OF COOPERATION AFTER THE BILATERAL COOPERATION HAS ENDED ........................................................................................................................... 73 5. CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 75 6. RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 77 2 FCG International Ltd Osmontie 34, P.O. Box 950, FI-00601 Helsinki VAT No FI2474032-9 Tel. +358 10 4090, fax +358 10 409 4453, www.fcg.fi Registered office Helsinki Final evaluation of the projects funded by Finland in Kosovo in 2016 ANNEXES: ANNEX 1 BASIC INFORMATION SHEETS OF THE PROJECTS COVERED BY THE PORTFOLIO EVALUATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 79 ANNEX 2 DOCUMENTS RECEIVED FROM THE MFA .................................................................................... 85 ANNEX 3 LIST OF PERSONS MET DURING THE CONSULTANCY .............................................................. 87 ANNEX 4 TERMS OF REFERENCE ................................................................................................................. 90 ANNEX 5 WORK PLAN ...................................................................................................................................... 96 ANNEX 6 ONLINE STAKEHOLDER QUESTIONNAIRE ................................................................................... 97 ANNEX 7 RESPONSES TO THE ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE ....................................................................... 102 ANNEX 8 ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE – CLASSIFIED ANSWERS TO OPEN QUESTIONS ......................... 111 3 FCG International Ltd Osmontie 34, P.O. Box 950, FI-00601 Helsinki VAT No FI2474032-9 Tel. +358 10 4090, fax +358 10 409 4453, www.fcg.fi Registered office Helsinki Final evaluation of the projects funded by Finland in Kosovo in 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Within Finland’s Development Policy Framework Programme of Western Balkans for the years 2009–2013 the country-specific priority was given to Kosovo. Based on the challenges in the region and the added value offered by Finland, this Framework Programme was built in Kosovo around the following themes: i) Stability and security; ii) Aid for Trade; iii) Environment, and iv) Social sustainability. Finally, after this framework programme, six (6) projects continued, extended to cover also the northern municipalities of Kosovo. In 2016 and 2017, all projects supported by Finland in Kosovo are foreseen to be finished, and Finland's bilateral development cooperation in Kosovo will end. This document, the Final Evaluation of the Finnish Funded Projects in Kosovo, is a report on the portfolio evaluation of these projects. It covers the following set of projects implemented during the years 2014-2016 (2017): i) Aid for Trade (AfT) – UNDP ii) Active Labour Market Programme 2 (ALMP2) – UNDP iii) Diaspora Engagement in Economic Development of Kosovo (DEED) – UNDP and IOM iv) Support to Minority Communities during and after the Decentralisation Process, Project Extension 2014-2016: Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Growth for all Newly-established Municipalities in Kosovo – European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) v) Support to implementation of the Forest Policy and Strategy in Kosovo (Forestry programme) – FAO vi) UN Joint Programme on Domestic/Gender-Based Violence in Kosovo (GBV) – UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women, OHCHR and UNICEF The methodology applied to the evaluation covered desk studies, the use of a specific online questionnaire addressed to stakeholder groups, and a joint in-country mission of the international expert and the national M&E expert, to obtain first-hand information from project implementers and discuss the portfolio with key stakeholders in Kosovo. The evaluation was carried out in December 2016 – February 2017 and the Final Evaluation Report submitted in March 2017. Alignment with the needs of Kosovars and the national development strategies The portfolio of the projects supported by Finland in 2014–2016 (AfT, ALMP 2, DEED, Support to Minority Communes, Forestry programme and GBV) is largely concentrated on Kosovo's economic and social development and job creation, taking into account the gender aspect and vulnerable groups as cross-cutting objectives or having these groups as the main focus. The projects have been formulated based on appropriate problem analyses and the portfolio is well aligned with the needs of Kosovars and the development priorities given in the Programme