Evaluations help improve results

Independent evaluations provide information to support planning and decision-making. According to these, Finland's development cooperation has mostly been successful.  

The independent evaluation function by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs produces objective information on the achievements and challenges of development policy. The information produced is utilised in planning, results-based management and quality assurance processes in the Ministry. Findings are also recorded in an electronic system where they can be viewed alongside other result data. The completed reports are published on the Ministry's website, and public presentation and discussion events are organised on them.

The evaluations provide recommendations for increasing the impact of development policy and cooperation. They are also used to collect evidence-based information to support decision-making and policy dialogue. Concrete follow-up measures will be taken by the Ministry on the basis of the recommendations.

Nine strategic evaluations, around one hundred project evaluations and other different assessments were implemented in 2019-2021. Strategic information is produced through extensive evaluations of development policy objectives and priorities, cooperation instruments, country programmes and various sector policies. The results of project evaluations are used in the planning and steering of project activities.

According to evaluations, Finland’s development cooperation combines the objectives of Finland and its partners.

According to the evaluation reports from the past three years, Finland's development cooperation has been successful and has produced positive development both in partner countries and internationally. The activities are aligned with the objectives of both our partners and Finland. Challenges have included limited personnel and resources, instability of operating environments and the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the strategic spheres of governance and policies of development cooperation have not been coherent enough.

Evaluations are part of knowledge management

The evaluation of knowledge management carried out in 2019 confirmed that centralised evaluations have produced useful information and had a successful impact on decision-making. Result data has been used at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the development of strategies, policies and projects. According to the evaluation, result data can be used even more effectively, especially in the steering of resources. There was also room for improvement in the further refining of information and its aggregation and accumulation, as well as in the development of structures that promote learning. The report states that overall the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has a strong working environment that supports evaluation.

According to a peer review of the evaluation functions of Finland, Ireland and Switzerland completed in 2021, the evaluation activities of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs were proven to be independent and objective. In particular, there is room for improvement in the usability and readability of evaluations, the management of the scope of evaluation assignments, and the diversification of the information products.

A meta-evaluation completed in spring 2022 found that project-level evaluations have provided practical and meaningful information to guide and develop operations. All in all, project evaluations are considered useful, but the information obtained from them does not spread widely within the organisation.

Finland was the first country to carry out an independent and objective evaluation of its national implementation of the Agenda 2030(Link to another website.). The planning of the evaluation began in spring 2018, and the evaluation itself was completed in February 2019. Finland and the evaluation function of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs garnered extensive international visibility, and Finland promoted the evaluation of sustainable development in international forums.

Factors facilitating effectiveness

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According to the evaluations, the following factors have promoted the effectiveness of Finland's development cooperation:
 
  • a systematic and long-term approach 
  • close cooperation with different partners and networks
  • building on development policy priorities, country strategies and programmes and a comprehensive network of delegations
  • an ability to seize new opportunities and adapt to changing situations 
  • the demand-driven nature of operations and ownership by partners
  • good personal relations with international actors and institutional partnership, especially in policy influencing 
  • correctly selected funding channels and forms of cooperation
  • effective use of multilateral channels in both stable and fragile operating environments
  • successful local cooperation to achieve policy objectives
  • utilisation of bilateral development cooperation in countries that are transitioning from development cooperation to other forms of cooperation between countries
  • a motivated personnel and positive attitudes towards the utilisation of result data

Factors hindering effectiveness

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Effectiveness has been reduced by factors including the following:
 
  • the limited number of personnel and high staff turnover
  • interruptions in coordination both within the organisation and with external actors 
  • the limited utilisation of local competence 
  • uncertainties in the operating environment, such as the COVID-19 pandemic
  • conflicting or unrealistic objectives 
  • challenging coordination of different areas of responsibility, lack of overall vision between policies, and large and fragmented entities
  • lack of some strategic or guiding objectives, such as those concerning the use of private sector financial instruments or transition from development cooperation to other forms of collaboration;
  • limited impact of small projects compared with the needs
  • inflexible financial structures and procedures
  • an organisation culture that avoids risks
  • practical difficulties in taking cross-cutting objectives into account and implementing the human rights-based approach