Evaluation of the Emergency COVID-19 Support Programme
The COVID-19 Emergency Response Programme (CERP) was implemented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It provided support to developing and emerging countries to curb the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The DEval is currently evaluating this programme. The evaluation is divided into two modules and analyses the channels and instruments used within the CERP.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected countries around the globe. In addition to the direct effects of the pandemic on people´s health, the measures implemented to prevent further spread of the corona virus, led to dramatic socio-economic effects.
Between April 2020 and December 2021, the BMZ set up the CERP with a budget of EUR 4.7 billion. The programme was implemented to finance measures to prevent, detect and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic consequences.
The CERP evaluation assesses the appropriateness of the programme and thus, contributes to accountability regarding the use of government funds. It evaluates the content and reach of the programme with a particular focus on investigating the distribution channels and instruments used within the CERP. Based on this, the Deval will derive conclusions and recommendations for dealing with similar crises in the future.
Background
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are widespread and affected countries worldwide either directly or indirectly. At the beginning of this evaluation, in December 2021, the pandemic was still ongoing and its challenges are far from being overcome, at both national and international level.
Due to the pandemic, the global economy contracted by 3.5% in 2020, and had only partly recovered by 2021 (World Bank, 2021). This economic recession is leading to an increase in poverty and inequality worldwide. Experts project that the pandemic will undermine positive development trends and achievements made in relation to the SDGs.
To counteract these negative effects, governments around the world launched extensive response programmes. Whereas industrial countries invested an average of 8% of their GDP in 2020 to reduce the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging and developing countries spent less than 4% and 2% respectively of their GDP in the same period (IMF, 2021).
In April 2020, the BMZ launched the CERP with a total volume of EUR 4.7 billion to finance measures to prevent, detect and mitigate the pandemic and its socio-economic consequences.
Objectives
- Module 1: Contribute to accountability through a rapid assessment of the relevance and efficiency of the CERP with regard to instruments, recipients and content
- Module 2: Perform a sound assessment of the effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and relevance of CERP´s distribution channels and instruments (especially in the area of social protection); to learn for future crises
Methods
The objective of the Deval evaluation is to analyse the instruments and measures that were used by the COVID-19 Emergency Response Programme between April 2020 and December 2021.
The Deval evaluation is split into two modules: The first module comprises a portfolio analysis that assesses the relevance and efficiency of the programme. This portfolio analysis is based on the assessment of monitoring data, and on findings from a systematic literature review regarding distribution channels, instruments and topics.
The second module expands on the findings of the first module regarding relevance and efficiency to include the perspective of partner countries. In addition, it will provide findings on the programme’s effectiveness and coherence. Module two will include a broad data collection with not only a standardised virtual survey among all partner countries reached through the CERP, but also qualitative and quantitative surveys in selected case study countries (Burkina Faso, Jordan and Lebanon) as well as a document study.
Contact
Dr Cornelia Römling
Phone: +49 (0)228 336907-996
E-mail: cornelia.roemling@DEval.org
Amélie Gräfin zu Eulenburg
Phone: +49 (0)228 336907-930
E-mail: amelie.eulenburg@DEval.org