Independent Evaluation of WHO’s Whole of Syria Response (2021): Report

Avenir AnalyticsColumba House, Lakeshore Drive,Airside Retail Park, Swords,Co. Dublin,K67 R2Y9,IrelandTel. +31.653.76.16.81info@aveniranalytics.com Acknowledgements The evaluation team would like to expressitsgratitude to the myriad stakeholders that contributedtheir time and knowledge to inform this evaluation report. TheWHOEvaluationManager in EMRO and WHOEvaluation Office in Genevaprovided dedicated support throughout the evaluation, most notably from theEvaluationManagerand Programme Area Manager forEmergency Operations in EMRO, Mohamed Kamil, andfrom the WHO Evaluation Office, Anand Sivasankara Kurup.The evaluation teambenefited from the generoustime and insights ofOday Ibrahemthroughfrequent consultations at all stages of the evaluation. Awide array ofresponse staff in EMRO, EURO, WCO Syria, and the Gaziantep Field Officeprovided importantaccess toinformation and data throughout the evaluation. The manyWHO staffengaged through interviewsandworkshopsgraciously supported the work ofthe evaluationteam,providingdocuments, access to keystakeholders,and important insights abouttheir work.Members of the Evaluation Reference Group alsodevoted considerable time as key informants and in helping the evaluation team connect withresponsestakeholders, facilitate workshop participation, and validate evaluation findings. Their constructive inputimproved this report. Executive Summary Introduction Purpose and scope.Thisreport presents the findings, analysis, and recommendations of the independentevaluation of WHO’s Whole of Syria response. The evaluation was commissioned by the WHO EasternMediterranean Regional Office (EMRO), with support from the WHO Evaluation Officein Geneva, to generatecomprehensive learning regarding WHO’s operations and performance in Syria, while offering an impartialperspective on the Response for key stakeholders.It informsWHO’s humanitarian work in emergency contextselsewhere, the policy and practice of WHO Health Emergencies Programme, and WHO’sambition to ‘betterprotect one billion more people from health emergencies’ as articulated in the 13thGeneral Programme ofWork.The evaluation fulfils WHO’s commitment to provide the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, andDevelopment Office with an independent assessment of the Organization’s overall response in Syria.Ultimately, the evaluation seeks to benefit people affected by conflict in Syria by aiding WHO in theimprovement of its ongoing response in the country. The evaluation covers WHO response activities within Syria from 2016-2020, including operations conductedthrough the main office in Damascus and sub-offices within Syria, cross border operations from Gaziantep,previous cross-border work from Erbil and Amman, Whole of Syria Health Cluster coordination from Amman,and support and coordination with Regional Offices (EMRO and EURO) and WHO headquarters.The key linesof inquiry covered by the evaluation are framed according to the UNEG evaluation criteria of relevance,effectiveness, coverage, and efficiency. This includes the explanatory factors influencing WHO’s ability torespond and perform according to planned objectives. Limitations.A number oflimitationsreducedthe level of detail provided in the evaluation findings andrecommendations.Limitationsincludedthewide evaluation scope in terms of timeframe under review,breadth of programming, and geographic focus coupled withconstrainedevaluation resources, compressedtiming for evaluation activity, and the remoteconduct of data collectionas a result of COVID-19 travelrestrictions. Critical data gaps on the experiences of the affected population, results and financial performancefigures,and the cross-border operations from Amman and Erbil also affected the depth of analysis acrossevaluation questions. The impact of these gapsisdescribed in the presentation of relevant findings andassessed in the ‘Evidence strength score sheet’presented in Appendix 4. Intended audience.The principal audience of the evaluation includes WHO senior management (EMRO andEURO Regional Directors, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, and the Director-General), the heads of theWHO country and field offices active in the Response, and the Whole ofSyria operational staff. Secondaryusers include external stakeholders such as FCDO and other donors, government authorities, and agencieswithin the UN-coordinated Whole of Syria Strategic Steering Group. Methodology Evaluation approach.Research wasconducted between October 2020 and March 2021 across five distinctphases: Preparation, Inception, Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting. The evaluation takes a theory-basedapproach, utilizing an inferred Theory of Changeto organize the logic of the Response and clarify how WHO’sWholeof Syria (WoS) operational approach and the delivery of critical functions work together towards theOrganization’s objectives for Syria during the 5-year period under review.The Theory of Change(see fullreport, Diagram 1)was developed by the evaluat