UNITEDNATIONSCONFERENCEONTRADEANDDEVELOPMENT Independentevaluationof: Netherlands-UNCTADpartnership* IndependentEvaluationUnitMay2024 *ThisreportwascommissionedbyUNCTAD.TheopinionsexpressedinthisreportarethoseoftheexternalevaluatoranddonotrepresenttheviewsoftheUNCTADsecretariatoroftheorganizationsorinstitutionswithwhichtheevaluatormaybeconnected,ororganizationsorinstitutionsthatcommissionedthisevaluation.ThisevaluationreporthasbeenreproducedwithoutformaleditingbytheUNCTADsecretariat. ThisevaluationreportwaspreparedbyDrAchimEngelhardt,LotusM&EGroup,hereaftertheevaluator. IndependentProjectEvaluationsareusuallyconductedbyexternalevaluators.TheroleoftheIndependentEvaluationUnitoftheUnitedNationsConferenceonTradeandDevelopment(UNCTAD)inrelationtoindependentprojectevaluationsthatitmanagesisoneofqualityassuranceandsupportthroughouttheevaluationprocess,includingprovisionofnormativetools,guidelinesandtemplatestobeusedintheevaluationprocess,andclearanceofthefinalreport.ThisroleisbasedontheresponsibilityoftheEvaluationUnittorespondtothecommitmentoftheUnitedNationsEvaluationGroup(UNEG)inprofessionalizingtheevaluationfunctionandpromotingacultureofevaluationwithinUNCTADforthepurposesofaccountabilityandcontinuouslearningandimprovement.TheprinciplesunderpinningtheevaluationfunctionareenshrinedintheUNEGNormsandStandardsforevaluation. Inordertosupportatransparentandlearningenvironment,UNCTAD'sevaluationframeworkiscurrentlydefinedbyitsEvaluationPolicyasapprovedinJune2023. TheEvaluationUnitcanbecontactedat: UnitedNationsConferenceonTradeandDevelopmentPalaisdesNations,8-14, Av.delaPaix,1211Geneva10Switzerland Telephone:+41229171234Email:evaluation@unctad.org Website:https://unctad.org/about/accountability UNCTAD/OSG/MISC/2024/3 CONTENTS Page Executivesummary................................................................................................................ vi I.Introduction................................................................................................................... 1 1.1Projectbackground.................................................................................................... 1 1.2Evaluationpurposeandscope................................................................................... 4 1.3Evaluationmethodology........................................................................................... 6 1.4Limitations................................................................................................................ 7 II.Evaluationfindings....................................................................................................... 8 2.Relevance................................................................................................................... 8 2.1AlignmenttoDIAEresultschain–TheoryofChange............................................. 8 2.2PerceptionofpartnershipfundingmeetingDIAEanddevelopingcountries’stakeholderneeds .......................................................................................................................................9 2.3AlignmenttodonorTheoryofChange10 3.Coherence11 3.1AlignmenttoSDGs11 3.2AlignmenttoUNCTADmandate13 3.3AlignmenttoNetherlands-policymandate14 4.Effectiveness15 4.1Overviewofachievementofpartnershipobjectives15 4.1.1Howresultswereachieved19 4.2LikelihoodofimpactandcontributiontoSDGs21 4.3Unintendedeffects23 4.4Lessonslearnedandgoodpractices23 5.Efficiency25 5.1Adequacyofpartnershipimplementationmodalitiesandinternalmonitoringandcontrol25 5.1.1Enablingfactorsandchallengesforimplementation26 5.2UseofinternalUNCTADresourcesforpartnershipimplementation27 5.3Leverageofexternalcooperationfromnationalorinternationaldevelopmentpartners27 6.Sustainability29 6.1Sustainabilityofpartnership’sresultsandplansforscalingupofactivities29 6.2Sustainabilityoftheknowledgeandcapacitygainedinthepartnership31 7.Genderandhumanrights34 7.1Gendermainstreaming34 7.2Equitabledevelopmentandhumanrights35 7.3Disaggregationofdata36 III.Conclusionsandrecommendations37 Annexes I.Termsofreferencefortheevaluation46 II.Documentsreviewed55 III.Listofstakeholdersinterviewed56 IVDatacollectiontools57 VEvaluationmatrix62 VITheoryofChange:Netherland’sMinistryofForeignAffairsSustainableEconomicDevelopmentDepartment65 ACRONYMSANDABBREVIATIONS BITCOMESA BilateralInvestmentTreaty CommonMarketforEasternandSouthernAfrica COVID-19Coronavirusdisease DDEDIAE EconomicDevelopmentDepartmentDivisiononInvestment&Enterprise DTLDivisiononTechnologyandLogistics ECOWASEconomicCommunityofWestAfricanStates FDIGDP ForeignDirectInvestmentGrossDomesticProduct IDIdentityDocument ITInformationTechnology LDC m LeastDevelopedCountryMillion M&EMonitoringandevaluation MICMYPE nOECDRBM MiddleIncomeCountryMircoYPequenasEmpresasNumber OrganizationforEconomicCooperationandDevelopmentResults-basedManagement SDGSustainableDevelopmentGoals ToCToRUIUXWIFWIRWTO TheoryofChangeTermsofReferenceUserinterface Userexperience WorldInvestmentForumWorldInvestmentReportWorldTr