Projekte

Kurzbeschreibung:

Projektziel

The overall purpose of this MTR is to assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and – to the extent possible and meaningful – the impact and sustainability – of the results achieved under the ADC Country Strategy Kosovo 2013 – 2020 until now, and to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of its strategic orientation and of its implementation.

The recommendations of the evaluation will feed into the remaining implementation period (2018 – 2020) of the current Country Strategy, and enable adjustments/adaptations. The MTR will also put forward recommendations with regards to ADC’s future strategic approach to Kosovo (beyond 2020, to be defined in a new Whole-of-Government ODA Country Strategy) in support of the national development agenda.

Erwartete Ergebnisse

The objectives of the evaluation are to:

- Determine the relevance, value-added and coherence of ADC with regard to Kosovo’s national development priorities (incl. the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and EU Gender Action Plan – EU GAP II) and Austria’s development policy in Kosovo as a whole.

- Assess the relevance, value added and coherence of the ADC Kosovo Country Strategy with the EU integration process and the Austrian foreign policy goals.

- Assess the design of the Country Strategy, including the design of the results matrix (ODA matrix), its underlying/implicit theory of change and assumptions.

- Assess the extent to which ADC and its partners are on track to reach the strategic objectives and results set out in the Kosovo Country Strategy and identify key reasons and factors that enhance or hinder performance, results and achievements.

- Appraise the efficiency and effectiveness of the strategic and operational steering mechanisms for the implementation of the Kosovo Country Strategy, including the choice of instruments and the operationalisation of the Whole of Government Approach at the country level (ODA in a wider sense).

- Provide feedback on the status of implementation of the ADC Kosovo Country Strategy, including – to the extent possible – impact- and sustainability-related aspects, suggest actionable recommendations for improvement/refinement for the remaining implementation period of the Country Strategy, and provide initial recommendations for a possible new ODA Country Strategy beyond 2020.

- Identify good practices and innovative approaches in the relevant sectors/areas to support the priorities of the country.

Zielgruppe

The primary audience will be relevant actors and decision-makers in the ADC (including the Coordination Office in Kosovo (ACO) and relevant Units/Country Desks and senior management within the BMEIA (Austria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MFA) and ADA) and the Government of Kosovo (GoK). Additional audiences will include the key Austrian ministries and actors applying the Whole of Government Approach, as well as donors and development actors working in Kosovo.

Maßnahmen

- Desk study / review of documents

- Interviews with key stakeholders in Austria and Kosovo

- Further data collection through focus group discussions, online survey, field visits

- draft inception report

- submission of a final evaluation report

Hintergrundinformation

The current Kosovo Country Strategy of the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) 2013 - 2020 is the result of a consultative process based on Kosovo’s development priorities and Austria’s development policies. The Country Strategy 2013 - 2020 builds on results and experiences of past activities in Kosovo. The Strategy is based on permanent dialogue and programmatic consultation with the partner country and international stakeholders, in correspondence with the needs and priorities of the partner country, the Development Cooperation Agreement between Austria and Kosovo (signed in 2009) and ADC’s options, expertise and capacities.

The overarching goals of the ADC’s activities in Kosovo are the following:

- Poverty reduction through ecologically sustainable economic and social development

- Peace and human security through the strengthening of the rule of law, democratic institutions in the framework of good governance and respect for minority rights

- Support for European and regional integration of Kosovo

The Austrian-Kosovo cooperation 2013-2020 focuses on two priority sectors and three cross-cutting themes/issues:

- Priority sector Economic Development focusing on rural areas

- Priority sector Education focusing on Higher Education

- Cross-cutting theme Governance; cross-cutting issues Gender equality and Environment.

Total bilateral ODA of Austria to Kosovo between 2008 and 2015 amounted to 85.4 million EUR. The indicative ADA budget for the country is prepared on annual basis and it ranges from 2.2 million to 2.6 million EUR. For 2017, it amounts to 2.3 million EUR (the indicated figure excludes the ADA’s complementary financing tools such as business partnerships, NGO cooperations and other ODA budget lines).