INTRAC led consortia for two distinct evaluation processes, with a strong emphasis on learning, of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Support to Civil Society, initially during the period 2013-19 and more recently in 2020-22.
Evaluation in 2013
INTRAC was the lead partner of a consortium (also comprising Tana and Indevelop) for the first evaluation, which was delivered in June 2013. This made a number of recommendations that subsequently informed the development of Danida’s Civil Society Policy in 2014. These included a focus on the role of civil society as an agent of change for pro-poor outcomes, developing more flexible partnership approaches that support the distinctive contribution that Danish CSOs make to Danish development cooperation, a focus on monitoring the added value of Danish CSOs to CSO partners in the global south and encouraging ‘re-balancing’ of Danish CSOs’ partnerships with Southern civil society.
In December 2013, the evaluation team was engaged by Danida to conduct another phase of this evaluation. The purpose was to provide a real-time assessment of the progress in taking forward the 2014 Civil Society Policy. This phase used an innovative real-time methodology to generate learning to support Danish CSOs and Danida to operationalise the new Civil Society Policy. In particular, it encouraged both Danida and Danish CSOs to consider how they could better support and add value to CSOs in the Global South. It also informed the establishment of an innovation fund that challenged Danish CSOs to find new ways of ‘shifting the power’ with their local partners. Finally, it supported Danida and Danish CSOs to share learning and improve how they monitor and track the results of their support to civil society. The ‘real-time’ approach was achieved through short-term evaluation inputs and a participatory process involving Danida and Danish CSOs.
2018-19 review
An additional piece of work, carried out late 2018 to early 2019, was designed to conduct a short review of the results frameworks of Danish Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) supported under MFA’s strategic partnerships scheme. This was to stimulate learning inside the MFA and among the MFA’s civil society partners. It was based around the review of a sample of the results frameworks of Danish CSOs.
2020-22 evaluation with Nordic Consulting Group
The most recent evaluation (2020-22) was again led by INTRAC, this time supported by Nordic Consulting Group (NCG). It covered the Danish support through Danish CSOs (16 with Strategic Partnership Agreements with leading Danish CSOs and 6 pooled funds) to their approximately 650 partners in global majority countries. The evaluation aimed to be participatory and to promote evidence-based joint learning. It emphasised a utilisation-focused process, using a case-based methodology. It took an adaptive approach to managing the evaluation – particularly necessary during the time of COVID-19 – through remote interactions and using national level consultants.
It aimed to stimulate evidence-based learning to feed back into improved action in three thematic selected areas:
- Strengthening civil society in the Global South (with the main focus on advocacy and lobbying)
- The humanitarian-development-peace nexus
- Public engagement in Denmark
CSOs were engaged throughout in framing questions, participating in reference groups, analysing findings, sense making and drawing out appropriate conclusions. The evaluation led to a range of practical learnings on issues including:
- How to strengthen localisation
- Reaching newer forms of partner (e.g. social movements), while also meeting compliance requirements
- Supporting the institutional strengthening of the Southern partners of Danish CSOs
- How to put nexus approaches into practice in complex environments
- How CSOs can operationalise the peace dimension in their work
- Engaging hard-to-reach sectors of the Danish public moving beyond traditional target groups
- Strengthening collaboration between Danish CSOs and with other actors including the Danish government and the private sector
- How best to capture results at the portfolio level
Continuous dialogue with relevant Danish MFA staff throughout enabled emerging findings to help shape the framework and guidelines for the next round of Danish funding by MFA for civil society. The evaluation can be read here: Evaluation of the Danish support to civil society (um.dk)