Evaluation of Fund for Diaspora Involvement in Rehabilitation and Development in Former Home Countries -a Danish Refugee Council Pilot Project - Evaluation Summary

The Fund for Diaspora involvement in rehabilitation and development in former home countries is a Danida funded DRC pilot project with the objective of strengthening the diaspora’s role in rehabilitation and development activities in their former home countries. The Fund provided and tested a range of methods, including co-funding and capacity building support to Somali and Afghan diaspora organisations, with the aim of improving their sustainable development effects. The Fund is part of a wider trend amongst development institutions, both public and private, to engage in a diaspora development paradigm, whereby the diaspora and their significant remittances and resources are drawn into the more formal and traditional development sector. A qualitative evaluation of the Fund was commissioned by DRC, primarily with a learning objective. The Fund was found to be effective in achieving its overall development objective. Diaspora organisations were able to utilise the co-funding and other forms of support offered by DRC to achieve development objectives at a scale and speed which they would not have easily achieved otherwise. Diaspora organisations were found to be already engaged in a very varied set of development activities, but the Fund improved their ability to access and manage institutional funds.