Independent Midline Evaluation of the CommonSensing Project

https://unitar.org/results-evidence-learning/evaluation/independent-midline-evaluation-commonsensing-project

Overview

The CommonSensing project is funded by the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) and aims to strengthen disaster risk reduction and climate change resilience in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu through 1) increasing national resource capacities in the use of Earth Observation (EO) solutions to address disaster risk reduction and climate change resilience by 2020, and 2) enhancing evidence-based decision making by using CS solutions for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation (CCA). The evaluation’s specific objectives are to 1) track the progress against targets, 2) identify the main problems and challenges that undermine project implementation and the achievement of results, and 3) provide recommendations for corrective actions. The evaluation focuses on appraising the situation of the project, as well as identifying enabling and preventing factors of project performance, including the assessment of output results. This is done by applying the six evaluation criteria of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC). Using a mixed methods approach, the evaluation included the review of existing project documents; interviews with key staff from project partners, partner countries and development agencies in partner countries; and a survey deployed to beneficiaries, carried out jointly with the project’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) expert, using statistical sampling. A field mission for on-site observation and interviews was not possible due to the global emergency situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The evaluation had several limitations and challenges such as the cancellation of a field mission due to COVID-19 which resulted in the need to redefine data collection tools. Data was collected by the UNITAR/UNOSAT local focal points in Fiji and Vanuatu only under the supervision of the evaluation expert. No stakeholders were interviewed from Solomon Islands, however. Additionally, cyclone Harold further delayed data collection.

Report Details

Agency

  • United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

Report Type

  • Project/Programme

Countries

Completed Date

  • Oct 2020

Consultant Name

  • Gemma Pinol Puig

Agency Focal Person

  • katinka koke

Agency Focal Person Email

  • katinka.koke@unitar.org

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Joint Evaluation

  • No

Pooled Funding Evaluation

  • No

SDGs

  • SDG 13 - Climate Action