Project: Strengthening transitional justice processes in Burundi
Evaluation Date: August 2010
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

There was no explicit commitment on the part of the partners to achieving the project’s objective and results – as opposed to implementing the activities – and no formal agreement on operational standards. A formal Memorandum of Understanding between the three partners would have helped ensure more consistent implementation and follow-up of the activities regarding transitional justice in Burundi.

Theme: Rule of law
Project: Underpinning and developing the democratic electoral processes in Azerbaijan
Evaluation Date: August 2010
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

Pairing with a more adversarial and higher-capacity NGO would have greatly leveraged project accomplishments and contributed to sustainability by better building capacity. No Memoranda of Understanding setting forth expectations and responsibilities were ever signed between the grantee and partners. The evaluators’ opinion is that these partnerships appear to have been based more on acquaintanceships and familiarity rather than strategic considerations. Neither partner organization had ever been involved in an elections project before.

Theme: Community activism
Project: Strengthening transitional justice processes in Burundi
Evaluation Date: August 2010
Report: [report link]
Lesson Learned:

The project strategy did not fully consider how the grantee’s intervention would be received by government stakeholders. The grantee had built a positive record with civil society and the UN mission based on earlier training and technical advice and on the grantee’s international credibility. However they did not have a similar record with the government officials that were to lead the National Consultation Steering Committee and its technical advisory team. The credibility that the grantee built with the police through the implementation of the census project did not translate into an open door at the National Consultation Steering Committee.

Theme: Rule of law