Executive Summary: Part B - Partnership Evaluation

• Author: Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) (European Commission), Landell Mills International
• Pages: 84-90

Final Evaluation Report: Part B- NRC Partnership Evaluation

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Part B: Partnership Evaluation

Executive Summary: Part B - Partnership

Evaluation

Introduction

This evaluation is of the partnership between DG ECHO and the NRC. It is a significant partnership for

both organisations. During the evaluation period 2014-18, the total value of DG ECHO funding to NRC

was approximately €278 million. For NRC, DG ECHO is the second largest donor, providing 18 percent

of its funding in 2017.

NRC is a humanitarian organisation dedicated to supporting and advocating for people who are forced to

flee. It aims to meet immediate humanitarian needs, prevent further displacement and contribute to

durable solutions. It works in 31 countries and in 2017 had a total global income of USD 490 million and

employed approximately 14,000 staff, most of whom work at field level.

The purpose of this evaluation is to provide a retrospective assessment of DG ECHO’s partnership with

NRC globally during the period 2014-2018 with a focus on identifying lessons learned and good practice,

for the benefit of this partnership and DG ECHO’s overall partnership framework. It has a prospective

element of providing up to three strategic recommendations.

The evaluation questions ask about the alignment between DG ECHO and NRC. It asks whether

efficiency was maximised and whether the management burden was decreased. It also asks whether the

partnership contributed to the Grand Bargain commitments of localisation and the humanitarian-

development nexus. The methodology included document analysis, face to face and remote interviews,

as well as an online survey. Nine countries formed the sample for conducting interviews and the survey

and other countries were included at their request.

Findings

EQI: How well aligned were DG ECHO and the NRC in terms of: priorities, strategies and

objectives; advocacy priorities and efforts; needs assessments and multi-hazard risk and

vulnerability analyses?

Finding 1: DG ECHO and NRC were and remain strongly aligned in their strategic priorities and

objectives through shared commitment to humanitarian principles.

Finding 2: The partners work closely and effectively on advocacy, drawing on shared analysis and using

their relative strengths.

Finding 3: NRC follows DG ECHO guidelines for needs assessment and visibility.

EQ2: To what extent did a structured, strategic, timely and functional dialogue take place between

the two partners, and by what means?

Finding 4: Dialogue takes place through a range of channels, in structured and unstructured ways,

involving all levels of DG ECHO and NRC.

Finding 5: Dialogue at the country level is functional and timely based on a mutual desire to raise the

quality of programme performance. Partners attribute this to the quality of DG ECHO Technical

Assistance (TA) and the operational expertise of NRC.