Publications

Amid pressing global challenges, multilateral organisations are delivering a substantial and increasing part of official development assistance (ODA). Multilateral organisations receive funding from member states via two different financing modalities: core funding and earmarked funding, including trust funds. In these times of tightened spending and budgetary cuts, questions regarding the effectiveness of different financing modalities have become highly relevant. Yet, current research and policy discussions on these questions do not provide a clear overall picture, and empirical evidence on different financing modalities is scattered. Therefore, this systematic review analyses the state of knowledge on the effectiveness of core and earmarked funding. This entailed a systematic identification of literature that presentsempirical evidence on the effectiveness of different financing modalities. Following a strict search process and quality assessment, 36 publications were included and analysed. 

• Ihl, J., R. Singh, I. Malandu Mukali, H. Hede Skagerlind and A. Heucher (2025), The Effectiveness of Core and Earmarked Funding in Multilateral Development Cooperation – Systematic Review, DEval Discussion Paper 2/2025, German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval) and Expert Group for Aid Studies, Sweden (EBA), Bonn, Germany.

Multilateral development cooperation makes an essential contribution to overcoming current global challenges. Against this background, this evaluation analyzes the multilateral engagement of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Taking into account the evaluation criteria of “relevance”, ‘coherence’ and “efficiency”, the focus is on financing modalities, portfolio design and the interplay of bilateral and multilateral development cooperation.

• BMZ Response
• Discussion Paper (PDF, 1.83 MB)  Accessible

• Heucher, A., J. Ihl and I. Reinstädtler (2025), The BMZ's Multilateral Engagement. Financing and Interplay, German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval), Bonn.

Multilaterale Entwicklungszusammenarbeit leistet einen essenziellen Beitrag zur Bewältigung aktueller globaler Herausforderungen. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird in dieser Evaluierung das multilaterale Engagement des Bundesministeriums für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) analysiert. Unter Berücksichtigung der Evaluierungskriterien „Relevanz“, „Kohärenz“ und „Effizienz“ liegt der Fokus auf den Finanzierungsmodalitäten, der Portfoliogestaltung und der Verzahnung bi- und multilateraler EZ.

• Deutsche Zusammenfassung (PDF, 1.45 MB)  Accessible
• Stellungnahme des BMZ
• Online Anhang (PDF, 3.23 MB)  Accessible

• Heucher, A., J. Ihl und I. Reinstädtler (2025), Das multilaterale Engagement des BMZ. Finanzierung
  und Verzahnung, Deutsches Evaluierungsinstitut der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (DEval), Bonn.

Die vorliegende Evaluierung untersucht die Förderung von Kreislaufwirtschaft in der deutschen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit durch das Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) und das Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz (BMUV). Dabei werden insbesondere die Relevanz und die Kohärenz der Kreislaufwirtschaft in der deutschen EZ bewertet, um zur Weiterentwicklung der Konzeption und zur verbesserten Zusammenarbeit der Ressorts und Durchführungsorganisationen beizutragen. 

• Deutsche Zusammenfassung (PDF, 717 KB)  Accessible
• Executive Summary (PDF, 779 KB)
• Stellungnahme des BMZ

• Römling, C., K. Guffler, L. Kunert, L. Welk und J. Schnell (2025), Förderung der Kreislaufwirtschaft in der deutschen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit, Deutsches Evaluierungsinstitut der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (DEval), Bonn.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges for countries worldwide and had serious health and socio-economic consequences. In Germany, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) provided 4.8 billion euros in funding between April 2020 and December 2021 to finance the Emergency COVID-19 Support Programme (CSP).  This programme was aimed at supporting efforts to contain and mitigate the pandemic and its socio-economic consequences in partner countries of German development cooperation. The German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval) conducted an evaluation of the CSP from December 2021 to March 2024 and assessed the programme's relevance, coherence, effectiveness and efficiency.  This policy brief presents key findings and recommendations from the evaluation report.

• Schnell, J., C. Römling, W. Stein, S. Disse and A.G. zu Eulenburg (2025), The BMZ Emergency Covid-19 Support Programme: Success factors and potential improvements for future crisis response programmes, DEval Policy Brief 4/2025, German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval), Bonn.

The present evaluation report examines the interventions of German bilateral development cooperation in protected areas. There are two overarching goals for BMZ’s support for protected areas: conserving global biodiversity and securing sustainable incomes for the local population. This support must therefore navigate tensions arising between protection and use interests and strive to align them. The current DEval evaluation rates the relevance, effectiveness, coherence, and sustainability of the German development cooperation and illustrates patterns, practices, and challenges for the criteria impact and efficiency. Based on data from nine representative partner countries, this evaluation report provides conclusions and recommendations for future support for protected areas.

• Executive Summary (PDF, 630 KB)  Accessible
• Online Annex (available only in German) (PDF, 3.29 MB)
• BMZ Response

• Sting, A., K. Lücking, M. Heinelt, C. Wicke and A. Dausendschön (2024), BMZ`s Support for Protected Areas. Evaluation Report, German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval), Bonn