Our projects

The global objective of this assignment was to carry out a mapping of the current trends in Neighbourhood South in the media sector, of the existing donor support to media development, a gap analysis and needs assessment, as well as to provide support and formulate recommendations to the Contracting Authority to design a possible project to support independent media, including in difficult (read restrictive) environments.

The specific objectives were

• To provide a thorough mapping of the current trends in the media sector in each country as well as in the regions (Neighbourhood South), notably: Main trends and challenges (e.g. digital transition, shrinking space/restrictive environment, practices of censorship and self-censorship, financial sustainability, working conditions for male and female journalists and/or journalists from vulnerable groups, etc.); Brief overview of existing donor support to media development and lessons learnt from past EU funded actions (e.g. training of journalists, quality content development, ad-hoc emergency funding, etc.); Brief overview of major journalists and media in exile relevant for the region; New examples of “how to do journalism considering that the political situation is deteriorating.
• To identify gaps in the donor assistance, draw lessons learnt of the EU support and to provide a needs assessment of independent media professionals and outlets - in each country and at regional level with a view of the future programming of EU assistance. Particularly, analysis of what are the areas that would have the greatest impact in terms of sustainability of independent media in the Neighbourhood.
• To provide recommendations to DG NEAR.B2 on how to design effective future assistance at regional level to support independent media and how to address the needs assessed (identified under SO 2), including in difficult (read restrictive) environments. The recommendations should highlight what are the areas most likely to have the greatest cost-effective impact on the sustainability of independent media.

The overall objective of this visibility and communication framework contract was to raise awareness about EUTF programmes in Ethiopia by delivering key messages to specific and general audience at all levels with a special focus on the following six programmes/projects:

1) Leather Initiative for Sustainable Employment Creation in Ethiopia (LISEC);

2) Stemming irregular migration in Northern and Central Ethiopia (SINCE);

3) Regional Development Protection Programme (RDPP);

4) Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) in Ethiopia;

5) Stability and socio economic development for vulnerable people and marginalised communities in the Tigray region of Ethiopia (SSDV);

6) Promoting stability and strengthening basic service delivery for host communities, refugees and other displaced population in Gambella Regional State of Ethiopia (SSBS);

The Program to Support Women's Empowerment and the Protection of Women's and Girls' Rights (FEMFI) is a key initiative aimed at reducing gender disparity by supporting the implementation of policies of the Ministry of Women and Family (MFF).

The objective of this evaluation is to provide the relevant Commission services and key program stakeholders with an overall and independent analysis of the performance of the action, and to draw lessons, to formulate conclusions. and recommendations for future interventions to support Djiboutian women and girls. The main users of this evaluation include the EU Delegation to Djibouti, the MFF, and the relevant Djiboutian authorities.

The evaluation adopts a methodological approach based on the Theory of Change (ToC). This allows for the identification of: i) the plausible cause-and-effect relationships between the support provided and the observed results and impacts, and ii) the factors generating or hindering the targeted progress. This methodology promotes learning, informs decision-making, and improves future performance while providing the necessary evidence for accountability.

The three projects were adopted by the European Commission as part of the PI Annual Action Programme 2019 for a total budget EU contribution of 21 902 140 EUR. The overall objective of the actions was to develop, monitor and lead climate and sustainable energy action and diplomacy globally through the local level, and thereby support the implementation of the Paris Agreement together with the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals and other UN initiatives focused on climate change and cities.

The Actions to be evaluated aimed at relating with a wide range of actors in third countries. The Actions have a strong multi-stakeholder dimension stretching from different national and regional stakeholders and EU stakeholders to private sector, think tanks, academia and others. A preliminary list of stakeholders for this evaluation includes:

- EU Delegations in partner countries, EC Services in particular relevant line DGs

- The Implementing partners

- Other stakeholders that have participated and might benefit from the actions of the various facilities: policymakers and civil society, including academia, think tanks, national authorities and private sector, in EU Members states and partner countries and organisations.

The general objective of the project was to reduce gender-based violence in the Central African Republic. The action was aligned with the national strategy to combat gender-based violence, child marriage and female genital mutilation in the Central African Republic (2019-2023).

The specific objective of this contract was as follows: CAR's governance in the fight against GBV is strengthened. The aim was to strengthen the MPFFPE's technical expertise in women's rights, gender and GBV, based on jointly identified needs.

The global objective of this action was to contribute to the implementation of the HDP nexus to bridge the gap between short, medium and long-term EU action in fragile and crisis- or conflict-affected partner countries, increasing its coherence and impact.

The specific objective of this action was to provide support in concrete identified needs for the implementation of the HDP nexus in EU action:

• Specific Objective 1: To provide expertise, facilitation and logistical support for the regular HDP Nexus workshops for colleagues in EU Delegations, ECHO offices and HQ across the 4 services relevant to the Nexus (ECHO, INTPA, EEAS and FPI).
• Specific Objective 2: To provide expertise for the development of a self-paced course on the HDP Nexus, targeted at EU colleagues in EU Delegations, ECHO offices and HQ across the 4 services relevant to the Nexus (ECHO, INTPA, EEAS and FPI).
• Specific Objective 3: To provide a report on the EU understanding of the peace dimension of the humanitarian development-peace nexus.

The overall objective of this contract was to contribute to the implementation of the GBF and the preparation of the implementation of the BBNJ Treaty, with particular reference to the GBF Targets 13 and 15, CBD COP decision 15/9, COP-MOP decision NP-4/6 and BBNJ Articles 9 to 16, and to improving and increasing the monetary and non-monetary benefits derived by developing countries from the use of their genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as well as from the generation and use of DSI on their genetic resources and the marine genetic resources from the areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The specific objective of this contract was to inform EU options for supporting the development of capacities of developing countries, including the least developed countries and small islands developing States, in regards to ABS schemes on genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources and/or the access, as well as the generation and use of DSI on genetic resources and ABNJ MGRs, under the framework of the future EU programmes “Capacity Development for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)”and “Global Ocean Programme”, planned for adoption in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

This evaluation of the Adelante phases 1 (final evaluation) and 2 (interim or mid-term evaluation) aims to provide :

• an overall independent assessment of the performance of the ADELANTE programme, paying particular attention to its different levels of results measured against its expected objectives; and the reasons underpinning such results,

• key lessons learned, conclusions and related recommendations to improve future interventions,

• appropriateness of the programme within wider paradigm shift towards international partnerships and to promote Global Gateway.

In particular, this evaluation will serve to:

• To assess if Triangular Cooperation / ADELANTE is replicable to other regions and in what form.

To suggest what implementation modality (grant, service contracts, direct / indirect management) would be most appropriate in case of a continuation of the programme;

• To inform decision-making on the appropriateness and thematic priorities of a possible follow-up.

The overall objectives of this evaluation were twofold:

• To provide the relevant services of the European Union and interested stakeholders with an independent overall assessment of the performance of the 2 projects, paying particular attention to its different levels of results measured against its intended objectives and the reasons behind these results; and
• To identify key lessons learned, conclusions and associated recommendations to inform decision-makers on how to improve future interventions.

The specific objectives of this evaluation were:

• To understand the performance of these interventions in strengthening social cohesion, their determining factors and those that hindered the achievement of results, so as to modify their design or implementation modalities and serve as a basis for planning future EU interventions in the same sector.
• To analyse whether and how these interventions have helped to operationalise the HDP Nexus in innovative ways for the benefit of beneficiary communities.
• To inform decision-making on the relevance and thematic priorities of a second phase of these interventions.
• To explore the follow-up questions proposed in the IFPRI study, ‘Sahel Social Cohesion Research in Burkina Faso and Niger’:
• Deepen understanding of issues of intra- and inter-community equity and distributive justice.
• Assess the role of extrinsic versus intrinsic community motivation
• Identify key FFA activities that promote social cohesion

The main objectives of the mid-term and final evaluation were to provide the relevant EU services, stakeholders and the general public with:

• an independent overall assessment of the results of "Local Strategic Alliances for Climate Change Adaptation in the Upper Coconut River Basin (ALLACC) DCI 2017/039-205", paying particular attention to its different levels of results measured against the intended objectives; and the rationale behind these results
• main lessons learned, conclusions and related recommendations to improve current interventions in order to improve management in the next stages of possible new interventions.

Mid-term evaluation: In particular, this evaluation focused on the relevance/design, efficiency, effectiveness and coherence of the project, and on the progress made to date, explaining why progress is occurring or not occurring as planned, looked at how it evolved and how it responded to ROM recommendations and make recommendations on how to improve the intervention during its residual duration in order to achieve the intended objectives, taking into account problems and opportunities.

Final evaluation: assessed the entire programme from inception to closure of activities in terms of impact, effectiveness, sustainability and accountability; it contributed to accountability by providing an assessment of the results achieved and the likelihood of impact and sustainability being achieved; it should review the integration of the mid-term evaluation recommendations. In addition, it contributed to learning by explaining the factors that have enabled or hindered the achievement of results, and by identifying any key lessons that will lead to the improvement of future interventions in the country/region/sector of operation or elsewhere. It also included recommendations for preparing new interventions and encompass both forward-looking and retrospective perspectives.