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Summary of the Evaluation of International Assistance Programming in Peru, 2013-14 – 2018-19

¶¶ÒùÊÓƵ’s International Assistance Evaluation Division conducted an evaluation of Canadian development programming in Peru from 2013-14 to 2018-19. The evaluation aimed to inform decision making, promote learning and improve Canadian programming. Evaluation questions covered effectiveness, gender equality and sustainability; responsiveness within a middle-income country; and coherence.

Key findings

Canada’s development cooperation with Peru was recognized for its significant contribution to decentralization, institutional strengthening and inclusive governance. New approaches for cooperation were introduced, and Canadian technical assistance was considered high-quality, strategic and value-based. Having a feminist international assistance policy increased Canada’s profile and contribution to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

In the education sector, Canada’s specialized and long-term support contributed to sustained improvement to educational outcomes. Education programming evolved to reflect changing Peruvian and Canadian priorities, and built on the success of past projects. Governance-focused programming provided strategic institutional support and technical assistance that helped to establish and strengthen Peru’s Office of the Ombudsman.

In the sustainable economic growth sector, programming aimed at diversifying economic opportunities for rural populations facilitated the promotion and adoption of cooperative models in Peru. Substantive legacy programming to support the sustainable development of Peru’s extractives sector helped to advance areas such as conflict prevention, environmental management, and transparency and efficiency in the use of mining revenues. However, some projects faced design and implementation challenges that limited their effectiveness.  

Overall, Canadian cooperation remained well aligned to Peruvian priorities. Development cooperation continued to play a significant role in advancing bilateral relations, particularly as other donors were exiting Peru. However, there were challenges in communicating Canada’s full cooperation portfolio. Medium-term plans for cooperation with Peru were not clear or consultative. Internally, there was limited direction on priorities and ways of working in middle-income countries. Opportunities to evolve the role of cooperation, within Canada’s broader bilateral relationship with Peru, were identified.

Recommendations

1. To respond to Peru’s specific needs as a middle-income country, the Peru Development Program (NDP) should focus policy and programming initiatives on capacity building of Peruvian government and civil society partners at all levels.
2. Implement the departmental approach for developing comprehensive country strategies leveraging the departmental planning and reporting system process (Strategia) and establish a process to publish them. A comprehensive country strategy for development cooperation with Peru should be developed.  
3. International Assistance Policy Coordination (PVP) should provide policy guidance on international assistance in middle-income countries, focusing on productive partnerships for transition.
4. International Assistance Operations (DPD) should provide operational guidance on international assistance programming in middle-income countries, focusing on productive partnerships for transition.