Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) has carried out an evaluation of the Country Strategy and Program of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB or “the Bank”) in Djibouti over the period 2011-2020. During this period, the Bank approved 22 operations, worth 143.11 million USD, mainly in the multisector and in agriculture and energy sectors, respectively. None of the operations were in the private sector. In addition to the 22 operations, the evaluation took account of the outputs and outcomes of operations approved before 2011 and completed or closed during the evaluation period. The main purpose of the evaluation was to inform the design of the Bank’s next Country Strategy Paper for Djibouti (2023 – 2027).
The evaluation found that the Bank's country strategy and program was consistent with the national development strategies and that its operations met the country’s needs. Significant achievements were noted in maternal and child health, water and sanitation, and poverty reduction, but the results were below target. Given the low allocation of resources, the results expected at the national level were not achieved. In addition, the evaluation noted recurring portfolio management issues and shortcomings in the supervision of the Bank’s operations. On the positive side, the Bank built local capacities and introduced mechanisms to sustain the benefits of its operations.
The evaluation advised the Bank to set realistic objectives in view of the resources available both within the Bank and in the country, and to better integrate youth employment and private sector development in its operations. The Bank was also advised to reinforce portfolio review and to strengthen monitoring and evaluation to enable accurate and exhaustive reporting of development outcomes.
Evaluation Task Manager: Debazou Yantio, Principal Evaluation Officer