Development cooperation results speak for themselves

Evaluations made of Finland’s development cooperation in recent years have raised many aspects that have met with good success.

Finland is doing the right things in developing countries. The cooperation carried out is appropriate with regard to partner countries’ development plans and Finland’s own development policy. Partners esteem Finnish actors, the cooperation conducted is predictable and transparent, and it responds to local needs well.

These results are revealed by the summary of development evaluations for 2013–2014, which examined the strengths, challenges, possibilities and threats facing Finland’s development policy.

Increasing numbers of Mozambican girls finish school. Photo: Hanna Öunap

The evaluations also indicate the pain spots where intervention would make activities more effective. Finland has set overly ambitious goals for cooperation and has supported projects that are too small and fragmented. The impacts of small projects are often limited.

If the goals are too ambitious or abstract, it is difficult to follow their implementation.

Development policy that changes too quickly and radically can endanger the continuity of activities. Finland also has room for improvement in the reporting of results.

Success in education and water supply

Education, water and rural development are the sectors in which Finland can offer the best experience and know-how. The water and forest sectors have seen much success. Other donors also value Finland’s actions as a promoter of gender equality and human rights.

Good results in promoting special education and inclusive education for all have been achieved in Kosovo and Ethiopia. Finland’s development cooperation, for its part, has created stability in Ethiopia by promoting citizens’ rights of participation and has increased confidence in the government’s capability to provide basic services.

People now have better possibilities to improve their quality of life themselves and eradicate poverty.

Mozambican girls go to school

The evaluation for the year 2014 shows that budget support has been an effective and proactive way of channelling funds to Mozambique.  The best result has been the clear expansion of basic education and the rise in school attendance among girls. The public financial administration has also developed.

Governance in Mozambique still has many shortcomings, however, and the preconditions for civil society are weak. The fight against corruption requires that the adopted laws are also implemented.

In development cooperation, results are always achieved together, nor is it always possible to detach Finland’s own activities from the larger development picture.

Independent evaluations, however, are important in assessing the results of development cooperation. The results of evaluations are not the evaluators’ own opinions. They are based on evidence collected from documents, statistics, observations and interviews.

Observations are accepted as evidence only when more than one source of information refers to a similar assessment.

Outi Einola-Head