Sweden

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland (MFA) commissioned an evaluation of Finnish Development Policy Influencing in the European Union. The purpose of this evaluation was to assess the relevance, effectiveness and coherence of the different development policy influencing activities of the Finnish MFA in relation to the EU and its institutions, and to provide guidance to the Ministry on further strengthening of the influencing activities for the future. The evaluation was mostly forward-looking and utilization focused, providing strategic information to inform future developments of the influencing agenda.

The objectives of this evaluation were:

• To assess how Finland has managed to promote Agenda2030, Building Back Better (and Greener), and Finland’s Development Policy objectives in the EU, as well as the common development cooperation practices and principles by the member states.
• To assess the effectiveness of various influencing activities, means and channels and Finland’s best opportunities to influence (intuitions and bodies, country delegations, interventions etc.) taking into account available human and financial resources.
• To analyze the factors (structures, processes, tools, capacity, other) that have facilitated/enabled or hindered the positive results of the influencing activities.
• To provide insight on the best opportunities and ways to engage and influence in the future, especially under the new EU funding instrument and the evolving development cooperation scene.
• To provide insight on how the Ministry together with other relevant stakeholders could develop their practices in order to maximize influence for the future, taking into account available human and financial resources.

The Joint Nordic Evaluation of the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) aimed to assess the performance of the NDF in relation to its mandate and the fund’s potential future role as a joint Nordic financing instrument, assessing how strong its added value is from an international perspective. Thus, the study pursued two intertwined aims: i) assessing NDF’s past and current performance (“aim 1”); ii) assessing NDF’s potential future role as a joint Nordic financing instrument for development (“aim 2”).

The evaluation was conducted ten years after the establishment of the NDF’s new mandate – a period sufficiently long to take stock of what has worked and why, and what has been less successful.The analysis covers the period 2009-2018 and NDF’s entire portfolio. Although the NDF has focused on climate change, the analysis also looked at NDF’s potential future role beyond this theme.

In parallel to the NDF evaluation, an evaluation of the Nordic Climate Facility (NCF) was undertaken. With its specific set up and operations, the NCF faces particular challenges and potentials and, in conjunction with the NDF, it was therefore decided to evaluate the facility separately, however by the same evaluation team (Particip GmbH). The results of the two assignments were presented in the same evaluation report. The final report is available online: https://eba.se/en/rapporter/joint-nordic-organisational-assessment-of-the-nordic-development-fund-ndf/11350/

The Nordic Climate Facility (NCF) is a challenge fund set up and administered by the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) to finance innovative climate change projects. The overall objective of the evaluation was to provide NDF with an independent assessment of NCF as a facility.The first aim was to assess the performance of NCF in accordance with the objectives and outputs stated in the most recent NDF Board approval document of NCF 7-9, including assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of the management of NCF. The second aim was to assess NCF’s relevance and value addition as a challenge fund to NDF, and provide concrete recommendations for potential future directions and development of NCF, including i) assessing the alternative of setting-up up NCF as a trust fund; ii) assessing the use of other types of financing than grants.

In parallel to the NCF evaluation, an evaluation of the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) was undertaken. With its specific set up and operations, the NCF faces particular challenges and potentials and, in conjunction with the NDF, it was therefore decided to evaluate the facility separately, however by the same evaluation team (Particip GmbH).

The results of the two assignments were presented in the same evaluation report. The final report is available online: https://eba.se/en/rapporter/joint-nordic-organisational-assessment-of-the-nordic-development-fund-ndf/11350/