The evaluation assessed the cooperation of the European Union and Spain with Nicaragua between 2009 and 2017. It covered:

• All of EU and Spanish cooperation with Nicaragua between 2009 and 2017, including programming and political dialogue. The main sectors covered included: private sector development, good governance and justice, security, climate change, water and sanitation, energy, education and TVET, and gender equality.
• All instruments and aid modalities employed, as well as crisis response mechanisms and financing implemented within the framework of the IFS (Instrument for Stability) followed by the IcSP (Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace) in the case of the EU, and for the Spanish Cooperation, instruments and modalities in the framework of III and IV Master Plans (2009-2012 and 2013-2016).
• Spending and non-spending activities completed, in progress and being planned in the evaluation period.
• EEAS in so far as it related to development in Nicaragua (programming and political dialogue).
• The interaction of DG DEVCO interventions with those of DG Trade, FPI, ECHO and the EIB and those carried out under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) in Nicaragua; The interaction of AECID interventions with other actors of Spanish Cooperation in Nicaragua, such as other Ministries, autonomous communities, local governments, etc. The interaction between EU and Spanish Cooperation interventions is also assessed.
• Coherence between European Union interventions in the field of international cooperation and development and other EU policies affecting Nicaragua in the framework of the Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) commitments. Coherence between Spanish interventions in the field of international cooperation and other Spanish policies affecting Nicaragua

*Due to the political crisis in Nicaragua as from April 2018, the Contracting Authority decided to stop this evaluation upon conclusion of the desk stage. The last report produced was the desk report and included preliminary conclusions and recommendations.