Synthesis of evaluations in South Sudan: Lessons learned for engagement in fragile and conflict-affected states

This article synthesizes evaluation reports from South Sudan to inform decision-making in fragile states, highlighting the need for better project design, flexibility, and long-term commitment to enhance sustainability and impact.

This article by Cochrane (2020) synthesizes lessons from humanitarian and development evaluation reports to improve decision-making in South Sudan, one of the largest recipients of official development assistance. The findings suggest that projects should allocate more time and resources for information gathering, integrate systems thinking, and consider the gendered nature of activities and impacts. The author argues that implementation can be enhanced by considering seasonality, adopting flexible modalities, and improving communication and collaboration among partners. For sustainability and long-term impact, there should be better alignment with the government, longer-term programming commitments, recognition of trade-offs, and a clear strategy for transitioning responsibilities to national actors.

Key content

Key takeaways from the resource include:

Introduction

The article begins by contextualizing the situation in South Sudan, highlighting its status as one of the largest recipients of official development assistance (ODA) due to ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises. The need for better-informed decision-making is emphasized, particularly through the synthesis of lessons learned from various humanitarian and development evaluation reports.

Methods

This assessment focuses on evaluation reports, often referred to as 'grey literature,' rather than peer-reviewed academic literature. The study primarily covers the period following South Sudan's independence (2011–2018), but also includes some evaluations from the transition period (2005–2011) to provide a comprehensive view. The inclusion of these reports offers valuable insights into various fields despite some methodological challenges, such as lack of peer review and difficulties in accessing complete reports. The researchers employed experimental methods to gather as many relevant evaluation reports as possible, acknowledging the unique challenges posed by South Sudan's recent independence and the scarcity of systematic platforms for finding these reports.

Finding evaluations: The methodology involved identifying evaluation reports through databases, contacting organizations, and reviewing literature. The researchers focused on gathering reports from the post-independence period, with some inclusion from the transition period for comprehensive analysis.

Drawing out lessons: The reports were reviewed and categorized by year, implementing organization, donor, sector, and report type. A qualitative assessment was conducted to extract lessons learned, challenges, insights, and positive practices, with an emphasis on expert judgment for the synthesis.

Results

Landscape of evaluation: The analysis revealed that the majority of evaluation reports are from the post-independence period, reflecting donor funding trends. Although fewer evaluations were found from the transition period, the overall number of evaluations was higher than expected, providing significant insights into the operational environment.

Synthesis of lessons learned

The synthesis highlighted several key areas for improvement:

• Information: The lack of rigorous data hampers project planning and implementation.
• Systems thinking: Projects should integrate systems thinking to account for the broader context and potential barriers.
• Gender: Greater integration of gender considerations is needed to understand the impacts of activities.
• Seasonality: Projects should align with seasonal cycles to optimize outcomes.
• Flexibility: Programming should be adaptable to the volatile environment.
• Communication: Clear communication between the government and international partners is crucial.
• Collaboration: Enhanced collaboration among organizations can improve efficiency.
• Alignment: Aligning activities with government plans can prevent duplication.
• Commitment: Long-term commitments are necessary for sustainable development.
• Recognize trade-offs: Informed decisions are needed to balance quality and coverage.
• Transition: Building local capacity and transitioning responsibilities to national actors are essential for long-term sustainability.

Conclusion

The study concludes that synthesizing evaluation reports can support better decision-making and learning across donors and organizations. It calls for improved access to evaluation reports and greater emphasis on applying lessons learned to enhance the effectiveness of interventions in South Sudan and similar contexts. The synthesis offers actionable insights for designing, implementing, and sustaining projects in fragile and conflict-affected states.