SDG 11

SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

Bilbao’s 3rd International Cooperation Master Plan

ECOPER has evaluated Bilbao municipal government’s 3rd International Cooperation for Development Plan covering the years 2016 to 2020. In addition to assessing the extent to which the plan had achieved its aims, the evaluation considered other factors including how well the plan was adapted to the policies, resources and capacities of the municipality; the instruments and processes applied in pursuing its goals; and the impact on and involvement of the city Bilbao and its stakeholders. A key aim was to inform the elaboration of the fourth master plan. Along with the analysis of data and documents, the evaluation included an online survey and focus groups involving cooperation partners; an online survey of citizens of Bilbao; and interviews with Bilbao’s international cooperation team and other actors with knowledge of the plan’s design and execution.

Protecting cultural heritage and diversity

ECOPER has conducted the external evaluation of the UNESCO project ‘Protecting Cultural Heritage and Diversity in Complex Emergencies for Stability and Peace.’ The project aimed to reduce the vulnerability of populations whose culture and heritage is targeted or affected in complex emergency situations, with interventions in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen. During the evaluation ECOPER conducted interviews with stakeholders in beneficiary countries. The core ECOPER team was supported by an archaeologist with experience in evaluating damage to archaeological sites and a regional expert in development project management and evaluation.

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Education for sustainable development

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.

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Reinforcing democratic processes in vulnerable populations

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.

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Community water management in the Dominican Republic

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.

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