Beskrivelse af udbuddet
The Danish Peace and Stabilisation Fund (PSF) was set up in 2010 as an inter-ministerial, flexible funding mechanism aimed at contributing to enhanced peace and stability in some of the world’s conflictual ‘hotspots’. A comprehensive, ‘whole of government’ approach was adopted to manage the fund, which involves the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Justice.
Initially, the main concern was to tackle the problems of so-called ‘fragile states’, where violent conflicts disrupt development processes, where Danish military forces were involved in stabilisation efforts (notably in Afghanistan) and where civil unrest and piracy had seriously disrupted societies and economies (notably in the Horn of Africa). Since 2015, the PSF focuses primarily on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: ‘peace, justice and institutional development’. Activities funded include landmine clearance, the provision of basic services (notably water and sanitation), training of police and security forces, combatting violent extremism (CVE), various forms of capacity development through support for United Nations peacebuilding operations and NATO, the provision of advisory services for conflict resolution and strengthening maritime security. As ‘whole of government’ instruments, the PSF programmes are generally associated with diplomatic, military and police interventions. In the period from 2016-17, the focus of the PSF expanded to encompass tackling what are considered as major threats to peace and security in Europe, including terrorism and migration. Thus, the PSF programmes have shifted from a focus on the global war on terror to including issues related to security in the European neighbourhood. In this context, PSF resources are available for a series of initiatives ranging from inter alia ‘community security’ in Ukraine (2018-21), to ‘dialogue, reconciliation and democratic control of the security sector’ in the Sahel (2018-21) and to ‘maritime responses, strategies, dialogue and training’ in the Gulf of Guinea (2019-21).
The full portfolio of PSF programmes will constitute the basis for the evaluation. In addition to the Danish PSF, similar programmes and initiatives funded and run by other key agencies will be taken into account, notably those of European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK). Collaboration between different organisations and agencies is important in the context of peace and stabilisation activities in conflict zones.
Three case studies of PSF programmes will be undertaken following preparation during the inception phase of the evaluation. These will aim to provide in-depth analysis of the results as well as difficulties encountered and opportunities arising. Examining in particular the results in the period since 2014, the case studies will deal with peace and stabilisation initiatives undertaken through the regional programmes in:
(i) the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Somaliland;
(ii) Syria and Iraq; and
(iii) the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger).
On the basis of the analysis of the portfolio focusing on the results and outcomes of PSF since 2010, the main themes to be explored through the evaluation include:
— issues related to overall policy making and strategic options guiding the PSF (i.e. the relevance and coherence of the Fund);
— the quality of PSF programme design and implementation, including theories of change, scope, choice of partners, etc. (i.e. effectiveness and efficiency considerations);
— issues related to information about the political economy of peace and stabilisation in conflict zones, the quality of the monitoring and evaluation arrangements for tracking results (i.e. assessing the impact of the Fund);
— organisational matters pertaining to the Fund, notably assessment of the whole of government approach as reflected in steering committee decision making, allocation of funds and administration of the PSF (efficiency).