The evaluation aims to provide decision-makers and stakeholders with objective and impartial insights to enhance accountability, learning, and informed decision-making.
The evaluation's core purpose is to assess 12 projects in Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan), Vietnam, Nepal and Indonesia, under the Institutional Cooperation Instrument (ICI) Asia programme using the OECD DAC evaluation criteria, with a particular focus on effectiveness, impact, and sustainability.
It will identify lessons learned from the programme’s support to inform improvements in cooperation and contribute to a broader evaluation of the development cooperation instrument in the future. Combining summative and formative approaches, this evaluation will not only provide an account of past achievements but also offer recommendations for enhancing current and future implementation.
Key Focus Areas

• Project-Level Evaluation: All projects will be assessed against the OECD evaluation criteria. However, within the constraints of available resources, a few selected projects will undergo a more comprehensive and detailed review, ensuring representation from each key Finnish institution.
• Programme-Level Evaluation: At the programme level, the evaluation will examine the long-term sustainability and impact of capacity-building interventions and investments supported by the ICI Asia programme.
• Formative Evaluation: Assess how the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the ICI consultant can support ICI projects more efficiently.
• Policy and Strategic Consideration: The evaluation will address broader policy aspects important to the Government of Finland, including: i) Whether the projects and the ICI Asia programme have leveraged opportunities and market access for Finnish actors, including the private sector, and how effective these efforts have been; ii) Potential for Finnish private sector actors to access Public Investment Fund (PIF) resources or other funding sources beyond ICI funding; iii) Possible linkages between the ICI projects and other Finnish entities (e.g., universities, CSOs) and their perceived benefits and challenges.