Evaluation of the European Stability Initiative (ESI) Project 2015-2021

This evaluation focused on the project’s overall Theory of Change, as revised from time to time during implementation. Analysis of and
discussions about ESI’s Theory of change were initially undertaken during the inception phase and as the evaluation progressed. The
evaluation was undertaken with a phased approach. The inception phase was critical to the formulation of the evaluation team’s
understanding of the project and Terms of Reference requirements and to the detailed planning of the evaluation. Products included
analysis of ESI’s Theory of Change; stakeholder mapping; a detailed risk analysis; finalising the approach and methodology, including
gender equality and utility/usefulness; analytical framework development, including evaluation question refinement, evaluation matrix
development, detailed specification of data collection methods and defining the evaluation’s approach to triangulation of data; finalising
the proposed structure of the evaluation report and finalising the evaluation implementation plan. The field research phase involved
document analysis and key informant interviews. The synthesis and reporting phase involved analysis of the primary and secondary data
gathered in the field research phase against the evaluation questions and evaluation matrix. It is recommended that Sida continue
providing funding to ESI. Included with this funding should be a requirement for ESI to be more aware of the intersection of its priorities
and Sweden’s, and that ESI is more visibly responsive to Sida’s perspectives on poverty, gender equality and the environment.