Synthesis of lessons learnt in the application of the Country Programming Framework

Abstract

This report was prepared in accordance of the evaluation plan approved by the Programme Committee at its 120th Session (November 2016). The objective of this synthesis is to examine the effectiveness of FAO’s Country Programme Framework (CPF) as a management tool for country-level programming, based on the findings from Country Programme Evaluations conducted by the Office of Evaluation (OED) and other sources. Twenty-one (21) Country Programme Evaluations carried out between 2011 and 2017 were reviewed. Because FAO made a major revision of the CPF guidelines in 2015, 55 CPFs developed since then were also reviewed to reflect the most recent information. An e-survey and several follow-ups were conducted to collect feedback from 21 FAO Representatives (FAORs) in the countries. Interviews with key informants from headquarters and regional offices were conducted to validate the findings. Other relevant documents, such as the reports of the Office of the Inspector General, were consulted. This report presents evidence on best practices, lessons learned and challenges related to planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of country programmes, and suggest a set of recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of the CPFs.