The present evaluation is the midterm assessment of EIF Tier 1. It aims to examine and provide feedback on
whether the project is performing well and moving towards the achievement of its objectives and targets. It
also identifies obstacles to performance and, where applicable, suggests remedial actions where the project
might not be on track. In this way, it provides justification for the extension of Tier 1 for an additional two
years. Finally, the evaluation serves as a possible input to any separate evaluation of the global EIF program
that may take place in the future.

PRSO actions have supported trade and PSD reforms through: (i) close working relations between donors and line ministries, which have helped foster government ownership; (ii) good collaboration between donors financing PRSO; (iii) disseminating information about program activities to donors not financing the PRSO; (iv) adapting policy actions to changing circumstances for Government and the economy at large during the programmatic series; and (v) availability of TA resources through the TDF and SME Promotion and Development Office (SMEPDO) where needed. The program’s effectiveness has proven especially helpful in promoting inter-ministerial cooperation, and providing TA support for PRSO actions that have concurrently built staff capabilities in line ministries.

Aid for Trade (AfT) design of project proposals in context of Pacific island countries’ trade strategies for Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federal State of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, to mobilize AfT resources

The present study addresses the trade capacity-building needs of the Forum Island Countries (FICs) and Timor Leste with a view to mobilizing Aid-for-Trade (AfT) resources supporting their trade policy and regulations, trade development, trade-related infrastructure, productive capacity building, and trade-related adjustments. It responds to the Pacific ACP (PACP) Trade Ministers’ request in their 27-28 March 2008 meeting in Nadi, Fiji that the Forum Secretariat examines a possible way forward to address, through regional activities and arrangements, the trade-related capacity building needs of the FICs and Timor Leste. The Forum Secretariat has since then responded by undertaking a number of initiatives to address the trade-related capacity building needs of the FICs and Timor Leste. These include conducting national consultations in all 14 FICs, organizing the first RTM on AfT and the PTDF in the Pacific held last October and commissioning the present study on Aft and Project Proposal and Formulation.

WTO impact assessment and trade-related poverty analysis supporting Azerbaijan's transition strategy for vulnerable segments of trade integration process.

The evaluation for Vietnam relies on six criteria, the first three being used to assess project outcomes in terms of (i) project design and relevance, (ii) efficiency and (iii) effectiveness, and the remaining three, to assess impact in terms of (i) institutional development impact, (ii) sustainability, and (iii) cross-cutting issues. These criteria follow the evaluation guidelines established by the European Commission to assess the performance of trade-related technical assistance, which are themselves based on the OECD/DAC criteria for evaluation. The methodology for carrying out the evaluation consisted of a mix of document-based research and field-based evaluations relying on the following tools: (i) interviews with stakeholders, (ii) questionnaires directed mainly at the beneficiaries, (iii) context indicators specified in the log framework for the project, (iv) focus group discussions on sector-specific activities of the project, (v) review and synthesis of participant evaluations carried out at the end of various activities of the project, and (v) a panel discussion with the PSC and core group of the Technical Advisory Board (TAB).

Prepared Azerbaijan's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), Country Poverty Analyses (CPA), and results-oriented country strategy and programming (CSP) report.

The evaluation assesses Multilateral Trade Assistance Projects (Multrap) in Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) and derives lessons learned and recommendations for more effective future technical assistance operations. In early 2003 the European Commission (EC) signed financial agreements with the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and the Government of Lao (GOL) to undertake Multrap projects in those countries, and it selected GTZ International Services to carry out the provisions of the projects through the Ministries of Commerce of the respective countries beginning in January 2004. The combined budget for the two Multrap projects was €2,872,528, with about two-thirds of the budget allocated to Cambodia and the remaining one-third to Lao PDR. In Cambodia the overall objective of the project was to assist the country in improving and putting into place conditions for sustaining economic growth, following its accession to the WTO. It was also to provide capacity development and support export diversification and trade facilitation. In Lao PDR the project had two distinct but interlinked areas of activity, those being assistance to the WTO accession process and institutional support to academic and government institutions in international trade issues, particularly as they related to the WTO.

Overall, the outcome of USAID/Egypt’s trade-related assistance since 1992 is rated as satisfactory, with specific strengths identified as the consistency of USAID/Egypt’s program with the Government’s development strategy; the sustainability of USAID/Egypt’s overall assistance; USAID/Egypt’s strong support for policy and regulatory reforms; the leading role of USAID in supporting a coherent strategy for the GOE; flexibility and adaptability of its programs; stakeholder ownership of USAID assistance; the recent increase in effectiveness of capacity building efforts; the generally successful coordination of projects with development partners; outcomes generally having been met or exceeded based on USAID/Egypt’s target benchmarks; implementation of second generation reforms and trade facilitation measures; trade policy and customs reform programs and projects being well-integrated into economy-wide development initiatives; and USAID/Egypt’s development assistance output in trade-related activities having scored well during the period under review. Some of the areas were programs and projects could be improved upon relate to the need to more clearly defined their outcomes and impact objectives within USAID/Egypt’s strategic objectives; possibly bolstering its effectiveness in implementing trade policy reforms through the policy-based cash transfer programs; more clearly distinguishing between output and impact benchmarks when reviewing performance and including benchmarks that better reflect changes in trade control measures; improving its support for understanding the impact of WTO and other international commitments by Egypt, before those commitments are made; ensuring continuity of activities between its program sequencing activities; and providing for systematic assessments of trade capacity building effectiveness in its projects. These findings pointed to lessons for future activities that are elaborated upon in the report.

Evaluation of donor assistance to determine international competitiveness of major industries using alternative quantitative techniques, as part of global competitiveness survey, for Barbados, Belize, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The PSA covers market access for traded goods, rules of origin, safeguard measures, dispute settlement, anti-dumping and countervailing duties, non-tariff barriers (NTBs) to trade, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, investment, land transportation, and the administration of the Agreement. Under its present provisions, it does not address either trade in services or customs administration and trade facilitation.

While the main focus of the negotiations are the enhancement of market access for goods traded between the two countries, there is also interest in joint production facilities that could provide Guatemalan businesses increased opportunities in the CARICOM market. For Belize the PSA could provide businesses with access to a market that has the relatively lower land transport costs than that of ocean freight costs associated with shipments to other markets, including that of other CARICOM member states. There is also an interest in reducing unregulated informal trade between the two countries, though the mechanisms though which this objective is to be achieved remains largely undefined.