Evaluation of Management of Danish Development Cooperation

- 20 years after Decentralisation

An independent evaluation of the management of Danish development cooperation 2009-2024 has been carried out by a team of consultants from PEM and IOD PARC. The evaluation investigates whether and how the management underpins the aims of the development cooperation, including the intentions behind the decentralisation from 20 years ago and the later “Doing Development Differently”-agenda, with consideration of the profound changes in the context of international development cooperation. The evaluation looks at management procedures, practices and framework conditions, covering both bilateral and multilateral support as well as engagements anchored at the decentral level and at the MFA in Copenhagen. Case studies included visits to the embassies in Ethiopia, Vietnam, Uganda and Morocco and the UN mission in New York. The evaluations points to both strengths and weaknesses in the management of Danish development cooperation, and its recommendations highlights a range of important challenges and dilemmas to address as well as suggestions for ways forward.