Evaluation of the DIPECHO IVth and Vth Action Plans in Central Asia

Following a global evaluation on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), in 2003 Central Asia became the sixth DIPECHO region to be targeted by the DIPECHO Programme after Central America, Andean Community, Caribbean, South Asia and South East Asia. Since 2003 DG ECHO has implemented four DIPECHO action plans in Central Asia (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan), channeling € 15,000,000 to various disaster preparedness activities.

The external evaluation of the first three Action Plans concluded that the DIPECHO programmes have had an appropriate effect in reducing the impact of hazards, ensuring preparedness to respond, and establishing and supporting early warning/intervention system. The present evaluation has been commissioned by DG ECHO following the completion of DIPECHO IVth Action Plan and during the mid-term implementation of DIPECHO Vth Action Plan.

The main purposes of the present evaluation are to assess the outputs and impact of the DIPECHO IVth and Vth action plans in Central Asia; to recommend an appropriate methodology to improve the DIPECHO programme added-value and its sustainability; to assess the level of disaster preparedness reached in the region; to assess how far the long term intervention instruments of other actors incorporate DRR activities and how this affect DIPECHO interventions. It was agreed that the evaluation would assess the operational issues, but will have a focus on cross-cutting and strategic issues, including the scope of future interventions or phasing down of DIPECHO programme in the region