S1. Purpose: The Evaluation and Audit Department of Irish Aid (IA) commissioned
this independent evaluation of the Timor Leste (TL) country programme in order to
provide the Senior Management of IA and the Country Team in Dili with an assessment
of the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the two Country Strategy Papers
(CSPs), covering the period 2003-2008. This is the first independent evaluation to be
undertaken of the TL programme. The report is intended to inform future strategic
decision-making, particularly the formulation of the next CSP.
S2. Context: Irish Aid has been involved in Timor Leste since 1999, and established a
programme office there in 2002. Over the period 2003-2008, out of a commitment of
€30.5m, €11.5m was for macro–economic support, €9.3m for public sector
strengthening, €3.6m for local government and small grants and €4.7m for human rights,
gender and justice. So far, the IA programme has provided actual support to TL of
€20.7m. This makes it the 8th largest donor, contributing 2.6% of all OECD-DAC Official
Development Assistance. ODA represents a large but declining proportion of the nation’s
Gross Domestic Product, falling from 66% to 55% from 2002 to 2005.
S3. Timor Leste’s history has been turbulent, with 400 years of Portuguese rule
followed by Indonesian occupation from 1974 to1999. After independence in 2002, TL
remained among the poorest countries of the world, with a UN Human Development
Index rank of 150 out of 177 countries in 2007/08. Non-oil output has fluctuated over
the period due to political and civil turbulence, although the growing exploitation of oil
and gas reserves has provided an important source of financial stability and self-reliance,
with the National Petroleum Fund currently holding earnings amounting to $2.6bn from
these reserves. TL’s potential for civil unrest and conflict has remained a concern over
the past six years. The country witnessed its worst violence in April-May 2006, when
army and police groups fought each other and widespread civil unrest led to the
resignation of the Prime Minster, and to the evacuation of most international personnel.
The violence also led to a major humanitarian crisis, with over 100,000 internally
displaced persons.
S4. Methodology: The evaluation used a matrix with 36 questions based on OECDDAC
evaluation criteria of relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and impact. The OECDDAC
principles of engagement in fragile states were also used. The matrix was adapted
during the inception period based on discussions with IA. A four-person team of
independent consultants then undertook a field visit to Timor Leste for two weeks in June
2008 and interviewed some 80 respondents in Dili as well as in Covalima and Ainaro
districts. The evidence base was constrained by a lack of systematic programme reporting
on outputs and outcomes against targets, by time constraints and unavailability of some
respondents in TL.