Publication of final report on the Evaluation of the EU’s humanitarian interventions in Central Africa and its partnership with UNICEF (2019-2023), implemented by Landell Mills

The Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) of the European Commission (EC) has published the final report of the Evaluation of the European Union’s (EU) humanitarian interventions in Central Africa, and of the partnership between DG ECHO and UNICEF during the period 2019-2023.

The report presents findings and recommendations relating to the EU’s humanitarian response in Central Africa; and a retrospective analysis of the partnership between DG ECHO and UNICEF, with an emphasis on promoting learning outcomes for both organisations.

The combined evaluation was implemented by Landell Mills between January and November 2024, and comprised a team of humanitarian and cross-sectoral evaluation experts. The team conducted the evaluation through a combination of desk and field research, including in-person field missions to four focal countries as part of the first evaluation component (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad and Nigeria) and a predominantly desk-based approach to evaluating the DG ECHO-UNICEF partnership.

You can read the Executive Summary and Evaluation Report online, and read on for some key findings and recommendations from the evaluation.

On DG ECHO’s humanitarian interventions in Central Africa:

• EU humanitarian interventions were consistently relevant to populations in urgent need in Central Africa between 2019 and 2023, and its funded actions were aligned with the needs and priorities outlined in the humanitarian implementation plans. However, the responses were not always responsive to protracted needs.
• DG ECHO played an active role in coordination mechanisms and often added humanitarian value to interagency responses in the region by funding impactful projects and reliably funding common enabling services, and through its donor leadership activities.
• EU humanitarian interventions were better able to rapidly address acute needs thanks to the DG ECHO-supported Rapid Response Mechanism, especially prevalent in areas with newly displaced persons such as in Cameroon’s Far North and the Lake Chad region.
• DG ECHO-funded actions made efforts to support community resilience, however, few projects were sustainable in Central Africa where national and local systems lacked capacity and development financing, with highly vulnerable communities being unable to sustain essential services alone.

On DG ECHO’s partnership with UNICEF:

• DG ECHO and UNICEF goals were often well aligned, and their humanitarian activities were almost always complementary.
• DG ECHO and UNICEF activities were consistently well-coordinated at institutional and policy levels, but not necessarily at operational level.
• DG ECHO’s partnership with UNICEF was not always efficient or cost-effective, especially at the operational level where the partners lacked methods and tools to manage these processes.
• The partnership between DG ECHO and UNICEF reflected a strategic partnership, although it lacked important elements such as an agreed framework and often evidence of achievements.

On DG ECHO’s humanitarian interventions in Central Africa:

• The EU/DG ECHO should reinforce its humanitarian country strategies in each country during 2024-2028 by better articulating them, defining clear objectives and primary approaches, and more purposefully managing (and monitoring) their implementation.
• The EU/DG ECHO – along with the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), the European External Action Service (EEAS) and Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) – should develop a multiyear vision until 2030 for reducing humanitarian needs, vulnerabilities and risks in the Central Africa region through nexus approaches.
• DG ECHO should continue delivering operational responses (focused on acute needs) through its mix of partners and flexible funding mechanisms.
• DG ECHO should maintain and build upon its network of field experts, to ensure projects are consistently well-designed and implemented.
• DG ECHO should review Humanitarian Implementation Plan (HIP) processes for engaging partners to ensure they are appropriately streamlined for emergency responses.

On DG ECHO’s partnership with UNICEF:

• DG ECHO should sustain the multilevel partnership with UNICEF towards 2030.
• DG ECHO should develop the ‘strategic partnership’ approach with UNICEF into a broad multiyear framework and strategy with increased operational involvement.
• DG ECHO should learn lessons periodically from the partnership with UNICEF, with a view to strengthening the partnership and its effectiveness at institutional, policy and operational levels.

Please direct any enquiries to Pascal O’Neill (pascal_oneill@landell-mills.com), Landell Mills’ Project Manager for this evaluation.