- Evaluation Plan:
- 2019-2023, Lesotho
- Evaluation Type:
- Country Programme Evaluation
- Planned End Date:
- 10/2021
- Completion Date:
- 10/2021
- Status:
- Completed
- Management Response:
- No
- Evaluation Budget(US $):
- 50,000
Mid-term Review/Evaluation of the Country Programme (2019 – 2023)
| Document | Type | Language | Size | Status | Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CPD MTR Term of Reference_LSO.2021.Eval Manager .docx.pdf |
tor | English | 659.56 KB | Posted | 577 |
| CPD MTR Term of Reference_LSO.2021.Eval Associate .docx.pdf |
tor | English | 657.66 KB | Posted | 572 |
 CPD_MTR_Final Evaluation Report 11.01. 2021.docx |
report | English | 536.00 KB | Posted | 570 |
| Title | Mid-term Review/Evaluation of the Country Programme (2019 – 2023) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas Project Number: | ||||||||||
| Evaluation Plan: | 2019-2023, Lesotho | |||||||||
| Evaluation Type: | Country Programme Evaluation | |||||||||
| Status: | Completed | |||||||||
| Completion Date: | 10/2021 | |||||||||
| Planned End Date: | 10/2021 | |||||||||
| Management Response: | Yes | |||||||||
| Focus Area: |
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| Corporate Outcome and Output (UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021) |
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| Evaluation Budget(US $): | 50,000 | |||||||||
| Source of Funding: | UNDP | |||||||||
| Evaluation Expenditure(US $): | 35,000 | |||||||||
| Joint Programme: | No | |||||||||
| Joint Evaluation: | No | |||||||||
| Evaluation Team members: |
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| GEF Evaluation: | No | |||||||||
| Key Stakeholders: | UNDP, UNCT, Government of Lesotho, | |||||||||
| Countries: | LESOTHO | |||||||||
| Comments: | Midterm review/Evaluation of all CPD outcomes |
| Lessons | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Governance and Peacebuilding The lesson for the governance portfolio is about relationship building and how that important relation as well as the neutral role of UNDP has enabled the UNDP to be positioned for a time now where by all the partners are looking to UNDP for its neutral position as well as its ability to convene and coordinate partnership and also to enable nimble follow up for the processes of national reforms Inclusive Growth The main lesson from the evaluation for the Inclusive growth pillar is about how the current operating context and the more favorable political climate are focused on the sustained economic recovery and potentials in the business sector. This is a perfect time for coordinating and moving towards his private sector work. The other key lesson is the funding attached to the initiatives. It would be good for UNDP to build capacity for innovative financing and PPPs. Environment and Energy As Lesotho is still one of the countries in the world most affected by climate change, the relevance of these interventions remains the same as when these projects were started. The lesson learned from this pillar is that while the projects are really relevant and meet the needs, the project designs used models that were not reflective of the actual time needed to complete the activities, such as the time it would take for communities to voluntarily work on the rangeland management and for the government, through the Department of Energy, to agree with energy developers on the operational modalities as the issue of mini-grids is a new concept in Lesotho. Therefore, the mixed logical framework results should be considered as challenges emanating from project design, project assumptions, and the lack of updating of the logical framework rather than as challenges in the action of the project stakeholders implementing the project. A key lesson for EE is to monitor these project closely with the government implementing partner and planning the CPD main counterpart. Relations between the project and various stakeholders are good but need constant and clear communication to all affected parties, particularly the beneficiaries. The capacity development activities undertaken to date have resulted in positive progress toward the implementation of CPD activities although more capacity work should be done on the monitoring part of CPD activities to ensure that progress is in line with the planned activities. |
| Findings | |
| 1. | The CPD is highly relevant and is based on previous cycles and learning. All three pillars reflect the current and priorities needs, and is aligned to the NSDP II, UNDAF and past programs and is informed by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, anchored on the NSDP II and UNDAF, and guided by the UNDP Strategic Plan, 2018–2021. The NSDP II 2019- 2023 prioritizes promotion of inclusive and sustainable economic growth and private sector-led job creation to address challenges of political instability, persistent poverty, non-inclusive economic growth and inequality. However, this evaluation finds there has been significant changes in context which impacted on the drivers, and assumptions, as well need for realigning the emphasis on some pillars and forging better linkages and focus areas between the pillars. The new operational context–post Covid 19, post dialogues and impacts of slow follow up actions–impacting and threatening the peace process and the good governance environment with intensifying joblessness and poverty, has opened a unique window of opportunity for UNDP to help government envision what might could be the new functions (in the institutional architecture), policies (subsidies and finance), and services. The evaluators found unique opportunities UNDP regarding the unique window of opportunity for positioning gender sensitive inclusive sustainable development, inclusive economic recovery, evidence-based planning, and applying institutions for good governance with regards to the ongoing support to the post dialogues institutional architecture. Here the UNDP comparative role per stakeholder interviewed is emphasis in the short run placed on the modes, such as planning, coordinating, and mobilizing partnerships to sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and peace to engage fully with government on the priority planning and versioning processes: COVID recovery and NRA with peace and a human rights architecture and institutional development in follow-up planning. With the changes in context including the follow up action planning in relation to the national reforms, Covid 19 and the African Agenda, the period offers new opportunities to strengthen the CPD program in the short term (to end of current cycle) and the next cycle (long term). With COVID, resources have been reprogramd and per the evaluation, most effectively (see the effectiveness section under inclusive growth-accelerator lab), but more strengthening of the links between pillars and strategic ways to coordinate for results. This include joint planning support upstream and more monitoring the downstream with the development partners. For example, the peacebuilding coordination work can be augmented and reinvigorated, and the support to the follow up of the national reforms process and the COVID recovery agendas are opportunities for UNDP and government joint planning support concerning its comparative offers especially convening, coordination and institutional capacity development and supporting the country redesign of the new government architecture to meet needs based on a new vision of sustainable development in line with UNDP's nexus sustainable integrated programming vision. At the regional-level Africa agenda, UNDP can continue to engage and support SADC’s peace and sustainable economic development initiatives for Lesotho. |
| Recommendations | |
|---|---|
| 1 | A. Revisit the theory of change and plan for greater synergies between the pillars with a refocus the work in the new context. Develop an accelerated results plan on the key planning opportunities i.e. Covid 19 Economic Recovery and Post National dialogues NRA planning work. |
| 2 | B1. Operationalize the accelerated results plan and institute key actions for management as stated below (Improve projects monitoring):
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| 3 | B2. Strengthen the project team’s capacities in participatory planning and monitoring
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| 4 | C1. UNDP should develop a strategic approach to partnership building, i.e develop a renewed and more strategic approach to partnerships in a refined and researched written document (resourcing, monitoring and implementing). This should be linked to the accelerated results plan based on the rationale highlighted above.
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| 5 | C2. Work toward reporting that captures UNDP achievements with partners:
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| 6 | C3. Improve information sharing and coordination on partnership:
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| 7 | C4. Enhance partnership engagement to become more strategic:
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| 8 | C5. Build more partnerships with civil society organizations and private sector:
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| 9 | D. Continue working on cross-cutting issues to be inclusive of all groups:
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| 10 | E. Articulate vision for sustainability
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