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Evaluating Country Programmes
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of German development co-operation in the priority areas in terms of a
“structure-building” effect (a positive development impact). Evaluating the
goal achievement (effectiveness) of a country programme therefore means
analysing to what extent the goals specified in the country concept (or the
priority area strategy papers), i.e. the intended development impact of the
contribution of German development co-operation in the priority areas, have
been achieved. This question can only be answered by looking at the individual
projects being supported in the priority areas and their joint development
impact.
– Impacts and effects of the country programme: The preceding section has already
given part of the answer to the question regarding the role of the country concept
in assessing the impact of a country programme. The evaluation should
consider both the intended and the unintended impacts and effects. If however,
as mentioned in Box 8.3, the objectives of a country programme (i.e. the
goals pursued in the priority areas) have not been stated clearly enough in
the country concept or the priority area strategy papers, the assessment of
the impact of the country programme is more difficult, but should nevertheless
be attempted. The relevant question then is: What have been the (positive
and negative) impacts and effects of German development cooperation
on the development process in the priority areas?
– Efficiency of the country programme: The criterion of efficiency refers to the ratio
of the goals achieved to the costs incurred. Applied to country programmes,
the question is: does the impact of the contribution of German development
co-operation in the priority areas justify the costs? Or put differently: Could
the same impact have been achieved at lower costs, i.e. with a less costintensive
approach and project portfolio? The answer is difficult because a
reliable yardstick is not easily available. The yardstick would have to be
derived from the experience of either another donor active in the same priority
area or a comparable priority area in a different country where the same
impact has been achieved at lower costs. A partial answer to the question of
efficiency can be obtained by evaluating the efficiency of the individual
projects in the priority areas.
– Sustainability of the country programme: The BMZ’s country concepts are designed
to elaborate the strategy pursued by German development co-operation in
the priority areas in such a way that a structure-building and sustainable
impact is achieved. Consequently, the country concepts should provide
information on the conditions that ensure the sustainability of the country
programme. Sustainability of the country programme means that the development
impact achieved will “survive” the end of Germany’s engagement in
the priority areas. Here, the evaluation has to ask the same type of questions
as in the case of a project evaluation.
OECD 1999