Mid-Term Evaluation of Improved Regional Fisheries Governance in West Africa (PESCAO)

DG Development (European Commission) - Project Dates:
December 2022 - April 2022

Description of Project:
The PESCAO programme had a EUR 15.7 million budget funded through the 11th Regional European Development Fund (EDF), with implementation starting with the entry into force of the Financing Agreement (FA) (ROC/FED/38-922) in June 2017, with completion of activities in 2023. The overall objective of the PEASCAO programme was to enhance the contribution of fisheries resources to sustainable development, food security and poverty alleviation in West Africa. The specific objective was to improve regional fisheries governance in Western Africa through better coordination of national fisheries policies.

The programme had 3 main intended results based on activities implemented by a large number of implementing partners:

Result 1: a regional fisheries and aquaculture policy is developed, and coordination of regional stakeholders is improved.

Result 2: prevention and responses to IUU fishing are strengthened through improved Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) a national and regional levels.

Result 3: marine resources management at regional level is improved, building resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems to perturbation.

This assignment provided a Mid Term Review of the programme.

Services Provided:

The main objectives of the evaluation were to provide the relevant services of the European Union, the interested stakeholders and the wider public with:

an overall independent assessment of the past performance of the PESCAO programme, paying particular attention to its ‘intermediate’ results measured against its expected objectives; and the reasons underpinning such results;

key lessons learned, conclusions and related recommendations in order to improve current and future Interventions.

The MTR considered the performance of the programme against standard evaluation criteria, and in particular examined:

the assumptions underpinning the programme design and whether still valid

programme processes

emerging programme impacts

The Inception phase of the MTE started in January 2022. The evaluation team performed an initial analysis of the context and developed the evaluation methodology which entailed:

the preparation of the evaluation framework (a reconstructed intervention logic and theory of change for PESCAO, an evaluation question matrix detailing the evaluation questions, the rationale underpinning the evaluation questions, the judgment criteria to be used, the performance indicators foreseen to inform judgments, the tools foreseen to gather evidence, and the sources of information for the evidence), and
the design of a strategy to collect evidence and opinions on PESCAO’s performance (including a review of the documentation available, implementation of a targeted consultation with about 60 stakeholders in West Africa and in the EU, and preparation of a field mission).

During the Field phase of the MTE (implemented between 21st February and 4th March 2022), the evaluation team visited Abuja in Nigeria, Accra and Tema in Ghana, and Dakar, Diamniadio and Mbour in Senegal. During the field mission, the evaluation team organised in-person meetings with the stakeholders present in the countries (EU Delegations, implementing partners including the technical assistance to ECOWAS, FCWC and SRFC, ECOWAS, and national stakeholders including national authorities and non-state actors). Other stakeholders were consulted remotely using questionnaires and/or videoconferences. All implementing partners not based in Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal (e.g. EFCA, Agrocampus, University of Portsmouth) were consulted by videoconference.

In the Synthesis phase of the MTE, the evaluation team concentrated on the analysis of the information available and the triangulation of findings to inform the evaluation judgments.