The Tanzania Joint Country Programme Evaluation examined the performance of the
development assistance to Tanzania provided by the United Kingdom and Ireland during the period
2004/05–2009/10. The UK’s support to Tanzania is provided by the Department for International
Development and Ireland’s support by Irish Aid, managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The evaluation was undertaken from February to October 2010 by a team of independent
consultants from ITAD, a UK company that specialises in evaluation work.
S2 There are similarities between the two programmes with both channelling about 80% of their
country programme through government systems, notably through their commitment to budget
support, and both having a strategic focus on poverty reduction. However, there are also differences,
most notably in size of programme and strength of office, with DFID spending four times as much as
Irish Aid and having almost twice as many staff including a larger proportion of head quarters
appointed civil servants. Irish Aid has a larger proportion of project and programme funding whereas
DFID devotes the major share of its assistance to BS. There are also differences in sector emphasis
though both give high priority to, support to civil society, governance and gender and take similar
approaches to partnerships with other development partners. Thus, whilst the evaluation focused on
issues of common concern, it should not be seen as a comparative study nor should conclusions
about one programme be assumed to apply to the other.
S3 The joint evaluation of two country programmes was innovative and the approach taken, with
a multistage methodology, including an initial Scoping Mission and a major documentation review
preceding the main evaluation visit, breaks new ground for the two evaluation departments and the
evaluation team. Though broadly based on earlier programme evaluation methodology, the joint
CPE developed its own approach in collaboration with the two evaluation departments.
S4 The joint CPE was a five-year retrospective evaluation of the two programmes with an
emphasis on the period from 2007–2010. The overall focus was on evaluating two programmes with
large commitments to budget support. The period is covered by the Irish Aid 2007 Country Strategy
Paper for Tanzania and the DFID 2007 Country Assistance Plan. Tanzania’s 2005 National Strategy
for Growth and the Reduction of Poverty, which forms the basis for the budget support, was due
for review early in 2010. By taking account of this review and other evaluations taking place around
the same time, the intention was that the joint CPE would not be a comprehensive evaluation of the
whole DFID and Irish Aid programmes but would focus on key evaluation questions and, in
particular, the respective programme links to budget support.