Latin America

UNESCO’s board discusses ECOPER’s report on Creative Cities

February 28, 2024February 10, 2024

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was established in 2004 to foster international cooperation and knowledge exchange among cities that use culture and creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development. Since then, the Network has progressively increased its membership and currently covers 350 cities in more than 100 countries across the five UNESCO regions. …

ECOPER conducts evaluation research at UNESCO in Paris

July 21, 2022March 10, 2022

The 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression was a milestone in international cultural policy. It is a standard-setting instrument which affirms the right of states to formulate and implement policies and measures in support of cultural activities, goods and services. Within this framework, it encourages governments to …

Policies for cultural diversity

March 10, 2022March 10, 2022

The cultural and creative industries are some of the fastest growing sectors in the world and are essential for inclusive economic growth, the reduction of inequalities and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was a cultural policy milestone and reflected the …

Education for sustainable development

December 22, 2021August 31, 2018

Education is an essential component in implementing the sustainable development agenda. Reflecting this, UNESCO launched the project ‘Today for Tomorrow: Coordinating and Implementing the Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)’ in February 2016. ECOPER has collaborated with Ockham IPS to conduct the project’s final evaluation. The evaluation featured stakeholder interviews and an online survey, with a field mission to Cost Rica being undertaken by ECOPER.

ECOPER entrepreneurship project report published

December 21, 2021August 31, 2018

Better entrepreneurship policies can increase the number of businesses created and enlarged, and therefore contribute to the economic goals inserted into global development agendas and national strategies. Reflecting this, UNCTAD implemented the project ‘Support Developing Country Policy Makers in the Formulation of National Entrepreneurship Policies through the Implementation of Entrepreneurship Policy Frameworks’ between 2015 and …

Entrepreneurship policymaking

December 23, 2021April 30, 2018

Better designed and implemented entrepreneurship policies should result in more new businesses created, with potential long-term benefits for economic growth, employment and economic integration. Following this logic, UNCTAD has implemented the project ‘Support Developing Country Policy Makers in the Formulation of National Entrepreneurship Policies through the Implementation of Entrepreneurship Policy Frameworks’. The intervention has been with an evaluation conducted by ECOPER, which featured an extensive document review, along with interviews and an online survey. ECOPER also attended an Africa Entrepreneurship Forum in Kigali, Rwanda in order to directly observe project activity.

Reinforcing democratic processes in vulnerable populations

December 23, 2021February 28, 2018

The peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC in 2012 brought with it the promise of more peaceful living conditions and new opportunities to participate in democratic processes. However, such opportunities are not evenly distributed. To help address this, Caritas implemented the project ‘Reinforcement of Democratic Processes with Gender and Differential Approaches in Vulnerable Populations in Chocó, Columbia’ between October 2015 and July 2017. ECOPER has presented its final evaluation report on the project. The evaluation methodology was constructed around a participatory approach, which involved the conducting of focus groups and semi-structured interviews with project beneficiaries and other stakeholders.

Public-private development partnerships in the Dominican Republic

December 23, 2021March 31, 2016

Public Private Development Partnerships (PPDPs) are recognised as one of the primary means of implementing the international development agenda as framed by the Sustainable Developing Goals. On this topic, CODESPA recently presented the report ‘Institutional, Legal and Socioeconomic Context as a Reference for the Establishment and Promotion of Public Private Development Partnerships in the Dominican Republic’, in which ECOPER collaborated. The study was funded Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and was commissioned ahead of an AECID project which will aim to strengthen the capacities of the Dominican Vice Ministry of International Cooperation in the creation of PPDPs.

UNESCO Associated Schools

December 22, 2021December 31, 2015

ECOPER has collaborated with Ockham IPS in the evaluation of UNESCO’s Associated Schools Project (ASP) Network. The evaluation involved a document review, a series of interviews and focus groups and an online survey, and involved six in-country field missions, including one conducted in Haiti by ECOPER consultant Aitor Pérez. The ASP Network supports UNESCO in …

Community water management in the Dominican Republic

December 22, 2021September 30, 2015

The relationship between water, disease and poverty is a priority area of development in the Dominican Republic, though the extent of the challenges posed varies significantly between geographic areas. ECOPER has recently submitted its report on the evaluation of eight Manos Unidas projects aimed at improving access to water and sanitation in the Dominican Republic. ECOPER conducted a field mission to the country to gather information from beneficiaries via a survey and to interview local leaders and counterparts, in addition to other actors involved in development in the region.