Evaluierung der Verwaltungspartnerschaften

Since 2000, the GIZ has been advising the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), previously known as the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), under mandates to design and implement administrative partnerships. These partnerships aim to support economic and political reforms in selected partner countries by leveraging the expertise of BMWK staff and subordinate agencies, ultimately improving local conditions for both the domestic economy and businesses from Germany and the EU.

The administrative partnerships include various cooperation formats between German and partner country administrations, such as the EU-funded Twinning program and bilateral partnerships. The focus is on utilizing and expanding Public Sector Expertise (PSE), characterized by advice provided exclusively by public officials with hands-on implementation experience in administration.

Conclusions

• Relevance and Impact: The evaluation highlighted the significant value of GIZ's comprehensive advisory services, which were crucial in facilitating the participation of German authorities in Twinning and bilateral administrative partnerships, and in effectively implementing these initiatives. The partnerships contributed to the modernization of procedures, legal frameworks, and institutional capacities in partner countries.
• Effectiveness: GIZ's support, through a variety of formats such as expert missions, study visits, internships, and workshops, enabled partner countries to integrate European and international standards into their national laws and policies. The partnerships often resulted in long-term collaborations and strengthened political networking, benefiting both sides.
• Efficiency: The bundling of various advisory tasks by GIZ, from program-level advice to comprehensive project-phase support, was highly beneficial for BMWK. However, the evaluation identified the need for a more systematic impact monitoring system to better track long-term outcomes and optimize resource allocation.
• Broader Impact: The partnerships demonstrated potential for broader impacts, including improving the business climate in partner countries and fostering bilateral cooperation. Learning effects were observed on both sides, with German authorities also gaining valuable insights from the partnerships.
• Sustainability: Some challenges were noted, particularly in raising awareness of the partnerships' benefits and increasing the involvement of regional authorities. Initial steps to address these issues, such as the development of a monitoring system and efforts to enhance the visibility of the instruments, are underway.

Recommendations

• Monitoring: Implement a systematic, impact-oriented monitoring system to track long-term effects and enhance resource allocation efficiency. This system should be flexible and focused on minimizing the burden on partners.
• Visibility and Engagement: Increase efforts to raise awareness of the partnerships' value, especially among regional authorities, and clarify distinctions between similar international cooperation instruments to manage partner expectations effectively.
• Sustainability and Support: Continue to support the scaling and replication of successful approaches, with ongoing opportunities for promising projects beyond their initial phases. This could involve connecting projects with additional funding sources or institutions for continued support.