Evaluating Development Partners-Funded Projects

PEMA conducts evaluations of selected projects funded by our development partners. The purpose of such evaluations is to determine their impact on target beneficiaries, assess the sustainability of such an impact and draw lessons from these evaluations.

PEMA also undertakes assignments commissioned by organizations which seek the centre’s expertise in evaluation as well as conducting joint evaluations. Since it started fieldwork in late 2003, PEMA has completed the evaluation of 33 projects in various sectors including education, health, environment, water, agriculture and tourism. Projects evaluated were funded by Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, USA, and the World Bank.

As for joint evaluation assignments, the centre jointly conducted with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), in 2005, a mid-term evaluation of Canada's assistance to the Small and Medium Enterprises sector and participated in preparing the evaluation report.

In 2007, the centre also jointly conducted, with the Italian Cooperation, mid-term evaluations of the Egyptian-Italian Environmental Cooperation Programme. The last evaluation assignment commissioned by an outside organisation was undertaken by PEMA for the International Labour Organization (ILO) Know About business (KAB) entrepreneurship programme.

Undertaking Research and Preparing Analytical Studies and Policy Briefs

PEMA has conducted studies covering diverse topics such as agriculture, manpower, health, education, environment, communication and information technology. It also researched the impact of 9/11 on international aid flows to the Middle East and North Africa, the contribution of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to Egypt’s development efforts and local NGO capacity building needs.

The aim of undertaking those assignments is to focus on aspects of international co-operation and international economic relations. In addition, the centre prepares policy briefs on selected topics and challenges influencing policy-making, as requested by H.E. the Minister.

Moreover, the centre issues a quarterly newsletter – IMPACT – that focuses in each issue on an aspect of economic and social development. It presents experts’ views and highlights selective experiences of developing countries relevant to the issue discussed.

Finally, PEMA prepares the Annual Egypt Development Cooperation Reports (DCR) in collaboration with the Ministry's Development Co-operation Database of Egypt (DECODE) unit which aims at presenting the annual Official Development Assistance (ODA) trends in Egypt as well as presenting some analysis focused on a specific sector each year.

Contributing to the Ministry's Efforts to Co-ordinate and Harmonize International Assistance

This function was added in 2005 following the Paris Declaration on Aid Harmonization and Effectiveness. It aims at maximizing Egypt's benefit from international assistance. The Paris Declaration is an international agreement to which over one hundred ministers, heads of agencies and other senior officials adhered to and committed their countries and organisations. The Paris Declaration aims at increasing efforts in harmonization, alignment and management of aid with a set of monitorable actions and indicators. The centre undertakes a number of activities in this context such as taking part in the Development Partners’ Group (DPG) meetings.

PEMA was in charge of responding to the 2006 and 2008 Survey on Monitoring the Paris Declaration on behalf of the Minister. This survey provided a roadmap for the improvement of the quality of development assistance by coordinating between donors and recipients of aid.

PEMA also participates in monitoring the implementation of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2007-2011. The main purpose is to evaluate the progress towards the achievement of UNDAF outcomes.

Supporting the Upgrading of Institutional Capacity of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Units in Line Ministries

PEMA organizes a series of workshops on Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) concepts and practices to develop the capacities of M&E units in participating ministries. These workshops help in the creation of a network linking these units to exchange information and experiences. The first workshop on the M&E of development projects was conducted in July 2006.

PEMA undertook the follow-up round in March 2007. A workshop was undertaken in July 2008 jointly with the Ministry of State for Administrative Development. It was carried out in the context of an integrated project to improve the effectiveness of M&E units in selected line ministries. Another workshop was held in February 2010, the subject was "M&E Concepts and Tools". Additional workshops or a pilot project are to be organized in the near future.