Introduction
This internal evaluation reflects UNCDF's concern to assess the functionality and effectiveness of its own approaches, designed to promote the appropriate, sustainable, socio-economic development of the rural communities it assists. This evaluation deals with the conceptual and operational aspects of the eco-development approach. In this respect, it should help to perfect the overall approach, making it more open to adjustment and adapted to the various situations in which the projects are operating. The first generation of eco-development projects is in fact going through a period of learning and of perfecting methodological tools. It is not therefore desirable for this review fundamentally to challenge the entire approach, but rather to take a step back from ongoing experience with a view to identifying the required improvements.
According to the Terms of Reference (TOR)(1), the purpose of the internal evaluation was to analyze whether, in respect of its eco-development component, the Fund has been moving towards the goals and new policy directions as set out in the Policy Paper published in 1995(2). Furthermore, the Evaluation Mission took into account the recommendations made by the UNCDF Capacity Assessment carried out in 1996(3). The Donor Evaluation Mission, planned for May 1998, will be using the recommendations of the latter document as a basis for its own evaluation. The Mission had therefore to concentrate on three topics:
- The concept, design and implementation of the activities advocated in the programme, as well as assessing their effects.
- The processes underpinning the eco-development programme. The analysis focused in particular on UNCDF's ability to:
* adapt to different, dynamic contexts, especially in the field; * demonstrate flexibility in setting up project activities; * put into practice the principles promoted in the policy paper by means of specific approaches. As is apparent, the Mission has been more concerned with the processes and tools of the eco-development programme than its impact. The team responsible for the evaluation was made up of the following experts:
- Considering the institutional aspects of the programme enabling projects to be adapted to local circumstances.
René Grojean, Rural Sociologist and Team Leader; Mamadou Mana Diakité, Forestry Specialist; Olivier Dubois, Agronomist and Natural Resource Specialist Melissa Leach, Rural Anthropologist. The report stems from a combination of five types of activity:
- Discussions
between UNCDF managers in New York and Messrs. Grojean, Diakité and Dubois;
- Analysis
of documents;
- Tours by the managers concerned and field officers in three countries where eco-development projects are in progress: Niger (Messrs. Grojean and Diakité), Mali (Mr. Diakité) and Mauritania (Mr. Grojean).
- Feedback
on initial analysis to UNCDF staff on 3rd December 1997.The structure of the report is as follows:
- Compilation of the final report by Mr. Dubois based on the contributions of each expert.
- In the first part, a summary is given of the concepts and approaches underpinning participatory eco-development (PED) projects, on the basis of a review of the documentation.
- The second part of the report presents an analysis of the reasons for project dysfunction in the field, dividing these factors into three categories: conceptual aspects; aspects related to approaches and tools; and aspects related to project management.
- Finally, a series of conclusions and recommendations is put forward in the third and last part of the report.
- Ms. Leach's contribution was not incorporated in the body of the original report, as it was written in English rather than French. However, it is given in full in Annexe 2 to this report and reference may be made to it as required.
- Reports on the countries visited by the Mission (Niger, Mauritania and Mali) appear in Annexes 3, 4 and 5 of the report.
- In order not to overload the main section of the report, details of new methodological suggestions have been placed in Annexes 6 and 7.
Part One: Presentation of UNCDF and the Participatory Eco-Development Programme