10 Reducing Inequalities

ECOPER conducts evaluation research at UN Palace of Nations

July 21, 2022March 30, 2022

ECOPER consultant Aitor Pérez has travelled to the UN Palace of Nations in Geneva as part of the evaluation of UNCTAD’s Subprogramme 1. During the week-long visit, Aitor interviewed several UNCTAD officials, including the Secretary General, Rebeca Grynspan, and the directors of a number of UNCTAD divisions. In addition, he had the opportunity to interview …

UNCTAD subprogramme on globalization, interdependence and development

December 28, 2021November 30, 2021

ECOPER has begun the independent evaluation of UNCTAD’s Subprogramme 1. This subprogramme aims to advance inclusive and sustainable development, sustained growth, full employment and decent work for all through evidence-based policies and strategies at national, regional and international levels. The evaluation aims to help UNCTAD identify key lessons on strategic positioning, portfolio planning, management arrangements …

Cash assistance and its relationship with gender-based violence

December 20, 2021July 31, 2021

The use of cash-based interventions (CBIs) to provide support to vulnerable populations is growing and cash assistance has been found to be effective in contributing to gender-based violence (GBV) risk reduction, mitigation and protection, provided that interventions are adequately designed and implemented. Reflecting this, ECOPER was commissioned by Alianza por la Solidaridad / Action Aid …

Trade and gender capacity building

December 20, 2021July 27, 2021

ECOPER has presented its final report on a cluster evaluation of UNCTAD support to ‘Capacity building on Trade and Gender Online Training’. The evaluation, which was conducted in collaboration with an expert on gender and human rights, assessed a series of interventions carried out between 2015 and 2020 which focused on the development and delivery …

Building capacity in humanitarian emergency management

December 22, 2021February 28, 2021

Humanitarian emergencies frequently require a rapid response from the organisations responsible for providing assistance. In response to this, Caritas has implemented a capacity building programme on emergency preparedness and response, Phase II (ReCIP2) in Mali, which had the aim of improving the organisations’ response to emergencies. ECOPER recently completed its external evaluation of the intervention. The evaluation aimed to both analyse the results of the programme and, where possible, propose improvements which could be adopted for future efforts. It was conducted remotely owing to the COIVD- 19 pandemic, with interviews and surveys taking place online.

TVET scholarships for refugees and vulnerable youth

December 22, 2021September 30, 2020

ECOPER has completed the external evaluation of the UNESCO project ‘Provision of TVET, On‐ the‐Job Training, and Entrepreneurship Education to Youth Affected by the Syria Crisis in Jordan (Phase III).’ The project sought to support Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanian youths who need financial support to access technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education programmes at national institutions in Jordan. The evaluation differed from others in that it was conducted entirely online, owing to the travel restrictions and health measures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, interviews and focus groups with project stakeholders and beneficiaries were conducted via videoconference. Meanwhile, a student satisfaction survey was conducted using an online survey platform, following distribution of the questionnaire by text message. The use of these approaches allowed data to be successfully collected despite the challenges provided by the backdrop.

Investing in the Sustainable Development Goals

December 22, 2021October 30, 2019

ECOPER has completed the evaluation of the UNCTAD project ‘Investment promotion partnerships for the development, marketing and facilitation of bankable Sustainable Development Goal projects’. The project aimed to enhance the capacities of investment promotion agencies (IPAs) in the preparation, promotion and facilitation of bankable SDG projects. ECOPER’s evaluation approach involved data collection through diverse information sources and methods: a documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews with project stakeholders and an extensive, multi-lingual online survey of IPAs.

TVET for Syrian refugees and Jordanian vulnerable youth

December 22, 2021June 30, 2019

The provision of good quality TVET is an important tool for enhancing the career prospects of young people. The UNESCO project ‘Provision of TVET Opportunities for Syrian and Vulnerable Jordanian Youth in Jordan’ aimed to provide support in accessing TVET and ECOPER evaluators have submitted their report on the external evaluation and tracer study related to the project. The evaluation aimed to assess Phase II of the project, while the tracer study aimed to assess the impact of the project’s first phase, by surveying former students on their current occupations and impressions of the education programme.

Livelihood programmes for Myanmar refugees

December 28, 2021December 31, 2018

This month ECOPER completed a systematization of the livelihood programmes run for Myanmar refugees by the Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees (COERR) as part of its project ‘Strengthening capacities and developing sustainable livelihood opportunities for the Myanmar refugees largely encamped along the Thai-Myanmar border in preparation for eventual repatriation.’ The project is funded by the EU and Caritas, a partner of COERR. The systemization took the form of a case study and was achieved through a broad document review and interviews with beneficiaries and COERR staff. Three field missions to Thailand were conducted in the course of the study.

REDUCED INEQUALITIES