Thematic Evaluation of Cooperating Partnerships in the Eastern Africa Region 2016-2020

This decentralized evaluation was commissioned by WFP Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa in Nairobi (RBN) and covers the period from January 2016 to December 2020. It was carried out in 2021.

The objectives of the evaluation include both accountability and learning, with an emphasis on learning. This evaluation was commissioned to inform WFP’s regional cooperating partnership strategy to meet its localization and Grand Bargain commitments; develop a better understanding of cooperating partnerships (CPs) across the region; enable RBN to initiate a strategic dialogue around cooperating partnerships with country offices (COs) during second-generation Country Strategic Plan (CSP) design; and inform RBN’s gender-transformative approach to cooperating partnerships.

Overarching evaluation questions focused on: (i) How relevant are WFP cooperating partners and partnership management practices in countries supported by RBN?; (ii) To what extent have (a) CO partnership management practices and (b) partners’ capacities and performance been strengthened? and; (iii) What internal and external factors have influenced (a) CO partnership management practices and (b) partners’ capacities and performance?

The evaluation covered cooperating partnerships management.