Evaluation of the Swedish Resource Base

Under the Strategy for Capacity Development, Partnership and Methods that Support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Sida funds 11 different programmes focused on developing the Swedish resource base in relation to international development cooperation. The evaluation purpose is to provide Sida with input for strategic development of new programmes to meet the Strategy’s objectives. It is framed by three overarching questions that relate to relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency.The programmes are generally efficiently managed, but there is scope for improvements. Taken together, the portfolio of Swedish resource base programmes are generally relevant to strengthening the resource base. All have had positive or very positive effects on the career development of most participants and some participants have contributed to important change through their deployments. The resource base programmes focus on individuals gaining competences, but a linchpin assumption is that these individuals share the knowledge and skills gained. Promoting institutional learning, exchange, and knowledge-sharing is the weakest aspect of the resource base programmes.