November 3, 2010

DARA has been commissioned by ECHO (the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office) to carry out the “evaluation of ECHO’s action in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)”. The evaluation purpose is twofold. It will look at the relevance, coordination, effectiveness and efficiency as well as impact of ECHO actions funded in DRC for the period 2006-2010. Furthermore, the evaluation will draw lessons and recommendations that will feed into the ECHO 2011 strategy. Protection will be the overarching focus and criterion for the analysis of all actions.

• Evaluations of DG ECHO’s Actions in the Saharawi Refugee Camps
• Evaluation of DIPECHO (Disaster Preparedness ECHO) Action Plans in Central America

The last global evaluations of ECHO action in the DRC were carried out in 2001 and 2004. The DRC has been struggling with recurrent conflicts throughout the last decades. Insecurity, violence (including sexual and gender-based violence) and abuses against civilians remain one of the main problems to be tackled in the DRC. Protection is therefore a key element to understand the DRC humanitarian context.

The evaluation team, composed of international and local consultants, will visit the Eastern region including North and South Kivu and Province Orientale. The projects examined address issues of sexual violence, IDPs in camps or host communities, returnees or repatriated persons and host communities and child protection.

The evaluation runs from June to September 2010.