Between October 2024 and March 2025, the evaluation examined the quality and effectiveness of KVP projects, with a particular focus on organisational development, new services for companies and the strengthening of advocacy. An external team of experts reviewed 30 completed KVP projects, including an in-depth assessment of 15 of them, six of which involved field visits in Egypt, Colombia, India, Zambia and Tanzania as well as the regional project in East Africa. The assessment was conducted using the OECD-DAC criteria and was based on a mixed-methods approach that included interviews, document reviews and online surveys.
The evaluation attests to the high relevance of the KVP programme for partner organisations and involved institutions – 85% of respondents confirmed that the projects meet the needs of their target groups. Effectiveness is high in most projects, especially in measures aimed at strengthening internal structures and management. In the area of political advocacy, results are less pronounced to date, partly because political change often takes longer to materialise and cannot always be attributed directly to individual projects.
The efficiency of fund utilisation was rated positively overall, although many implementing partners face increasing challenges due to rising personnel costs. Sustainability outcomes also vary: while some partner organisations continue activities independently, others lack sufficient own resources to secure results in the long term.
To enhance sustainability, the report recommends embedding the topic more firmly in project design and ensuring more systematic exchange of good practices. It also suggests developing sustainability plans early in the project lifecycle. The evaluation further recommends designing project budgets more flexibly to better respond to the different needs of the partnerships. In addition, cooperation with GIZ, the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHKs) and other actors under the umbrella brand “Partners in Transformation (PiT)” should be strengthened to leverage synergies more effectively. The ongoing digitalisation of administrative processes and accounting at sequa is also highlighted as an important step toward increasing efficiency.
In short, the evaluation shows that the KVP programme is an effective approach to strengthening chambers and associations worldwide, with a clear mandate for sequa to further develop its structures and processes to secure long-term impact and efficiency.