Evaluation Service Evaluation of UNHCR’s Emergency Response to the influx of Syrian Refugees into Turkey January 2014-June 2015 Full Report ES/2016/03 Commissioned by UNHCR Evaluation Service Conducted by Universalia UNHCR Evaluation Service UNHCR’s Evaluation Policy confirms UNHCR’s commitment to support accountability, learning and continual improvement through the systematic examination and analysis of organisational strategies, policies, and programmes. Evaluations are guided by the principles of independence, impartiality, credibility and utility, and are undertaken to enhance the organization’s performance in addressing the protection, assistance and solution needs of refugees, stateless people and other persons of concern. Evaluation Service United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Case Postale 2500 1211 Genève 2 Switzerland www.unhcr.org Published by UNHCR Evaluation Service Copyright © 2016 UNHCR This document is issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for general distribution. All rights are reserved. Reproduction is authorized, except for commercial purposes, provided UNHCR is acknowledged. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in this Evaluation Report are those of the Evaluation Team, and do not necessarily represent the views of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The depiction and use of boundaries, geographic names and related data shown on maps and included in lists, tables, and documents in this Evaluation Report are not warranted to be error free, nor do they necessarily imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNHCR or the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. FULL REPORT I Acknowledgments The evaluation team consisted of Ayse Sule Caglar, Yvan Conoir (Team Leader), Julian Murray, Virginia Thomas, and Nurper Ulkuer, supported by Esther Rouleau in Canada and Ebru Karayigit in Turkey. The team wishes to thank UNHCR for its exceptional support throughout, in particular Pascale Moreau and Alev Orsel Karaca in Ankara, Tracey Buckenmeyer in Gaziantep, Selen Elif Ay in Istanbul, and the UNHCR principal evaluation manager Machiel Salomons. FULL REPORT III Acronyms 3RP Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan AAP Accountability to Affected Populations AFAD Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (Turkey) AGD Age, Gender and Diversity AGDM Age Gender and Diversity Mainstreaming AI Amnesty International ASAM Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants CBI Cash-Based Intervention CFS Child Friendly Space COP Country Operation Plan CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child CRI Core Relief Item (formerly NFI/Non-Food Item) CS Community Services DAFI Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative DGMM Directorate General of Migration Management DRC Danish Refugee Council ECE Early Childhood Education EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FGD Focus Group Discussion FO Field Office FTS Financial Tracking System GS General Service HC/HCT Humanitarian Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordination Team HQ Headquarters HRDF Human Resources Development Foundation IBC International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation ICT Information and Communication Technology ILO International Labour Organisation IV FULL REPORT IMC International Medical Corps INEE International Norms for Education Emergencies INGO International Non-Governmental Organization IOM International Organization for Migrations IP/OP Implementing Partner/Operational Partner IşKUR Turkish Employment Agency LFIP Law on Foreigners and International Protection MENA Middle East and North Africa MHPSS Mental Health and Psycho-Social Services MoFSP Ministry of Family and Social Policies MoH Ministry of Health MONE Ministry of National Education NGO Non-Governmental Organization NNGO National Non-Governmental Organization NO National Officer OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ODA Official Development Assistance Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - Development Assistance OECD DAC Committee OIOS Office of Internal Oversight Services OL Operating Level PDES Policy Development and Evaluation Service PDMM Provincial Directorate of Migration Management PDU Policy and Development Unit PoC Person of Concern PPR Partner Performance Report RC Resident Coordinator RI Relief International RRP Regional Response Plan RSD Refugee Status Determination SETA Sector Education Training Authority SGBV Sexual and Gender-Based Violence SRG Syria Response Group FULL REPORT V STL Support to Life (Turkish NGO) TEC Temporary Education Centres TOMER Turkish Teaching, Application and Research Centre TORs Terms of Reference TPR Temporary Protection Regulation TRC Turkish Red Crescent UMG Universalia Management Group UASM Unaccompanied and Separated Minors UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNRC United Nations Resident Coordinator WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene WFP World Food Programme YOBIS Foreign Students' Management Information System YTB Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities FULL REPORT VII Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................. I LIST OF FINDINGS ........................................................................................................ V LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................... XIII 1 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT .............................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Context .......................................................................................................................................... 2 2 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 10 2.1 General approach ........................................................................................................................ 10 2.2 Data collection ............................................................................................................................. 11 2.2.1 Document review .............................................................................................................. 11 2.2.2 Online Survey .................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.3 Stakeholder Mapping and Interviews ............................................................................... 12 2.2.4 Focus Groups .................................................................................................................... 12 2.2.5 Evaluation Matrix. ............................................................................................................. 13 2.3 Presentation of evaluation results .............................................................................................. 13 2.4 Limitations to the evaluation ...................................................................................................... 13 2.5 Evaluation team and acknowledgements ................................................................................... 14 3 STRATEGIC POSITIONING ..................................................................................... 15 3.1 Coordination ................................................................................................................................ 15 3.2 UNHCR management arrangements ........................................................................................... 25 3.3 The problem of targeting when there is no data ........................................................................ 29 3.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 33 4 PROTECTION........................................................................................................ 34 4.1 Legal policies and support ........................................................................................................... 34 4.2 Registration ................................................................................................................................. 34 4.3 Access to territory/asylum: reception conditions ....................................................................... 37 4.3.1 Reception conditions ........................................................................................................ 37 4.3.2 Reception at the border .................................................................................................... 38 4.3.3 Reception in camps ........................................................................................................... 39 4.3.4 Reception in Community centres ..................................................................................... 41 VIII FULL REPORT 4.3.5 Reception at ASAM offices...............................................................................................