Effectiveness –
in projects,
at country level, worldwide
–

At GIZ, we focus on the effectiveness of our work because we want to contribute to long-term positive change together with our partners and commissioning parties. From planning to evaluation, GIZ regularly analyses its projects and the results it has achieved. GIZ’s achievements in specific countries and projects are well documented through monitoring and evaluation. But what impact does GIZ’s work have at international level?

That is of interest not only to us, but also to our commissioning parties and the public. To answer this question, GIZ conducts regular surveys across all projects and countries. These surveys cover results from selected priority areas, ultimately providing data in aggregated form. Aggregated results have been collected three times in the last four years. And each time the data collection process has been improved.

The data collection process – in detail

In the 2018 survey round (results from 2015 to 2017), the focus was on 10 priority areas, ranging from displacement and employment to the climate. The survey covered a total of 29 indicators and 1,800 ongoing and completed projects. Project managers enter results data on all relevant topics into an IT tool. All entries are then reviewed and pooled, as data can only be aggregated when definitions and indicator identification procedures are clear and understood by all project managers in the same way.

The survey therefore includes coordinated guidelines with standardised indicators, definitions and key questions for orientation. These explain, for example, what is meant exactly by better working conditions – and what is not. If the entries are nonetheless unclear or if questions are left unanswered, experts with a thorough knowledge of the topic area discuss the issues with the project managers and verify the plausibility of the data together. This is how we reach the final figures for publication.

Of course, the survey process also has its limits: it is important that the data reflects the state of affairs when it is collected as opposed to over a period of time, as projects have very different terms and different end dates. Individual data collection rounds therefore cannot be compared with others. Moreover, in many fields the objectives and results that have been achieved sometimes do not become apparent until much later and are often influenced by volatile political frameworks. To understand the data correctly, it is also important to remember that it represents only a cross-section of GIZ’s total portfolio: those topics that are particularly important.

ON THIS BASIS, THE RESULTS WERE MADE TOGETHER AND PREPARED AS A GRAPHIC

Global effects of GIZ on the topics:
DISPLACEMENT AND MIGRATION
CLIMATE AND ENERGY
SECURITY AND STABILISATION

Further information
Result

An overview of the evaluation system can be found in GIZ’s Evaluation Report, which is published every two years.