Maldives
Foreword
This Assessment of Development Results is an independent country-level evaluation, conducted by the Evaluation Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Maldives. It examines the relevance and strategic positioning of UNDP support and its contributions to the country’s development from 2003 to 2010, covering two country cooperation frameworks. The study assesses UNDP interventions under the various thematic areas of the country programme, with the aim of providing forward-looking recommendations meant to assist the UNDP country office and its partners in the formulation of the next programming cycle.
UN and UNDP response strategies
The UN Country Team in the Maldives comprises four UN agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA) as well as the World Bank with an operational office presence in Malé. The FAO has an advisor in Malé. There are also eleven agencies that cover the Maldives from offices in Colombo or Bangkok.
Introduction
An Assessment of Development Results is an independent country-level evaluation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) contributions to the development results of the countries where it works.
Terms of reference
The Evaluation Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) conducts country evaluations called Assessments of Development Results to capture and demonstrate evaluative evidence of UNDP’s contributions to development results at the country level. Assessment of Development Results reports are carried out within the overall provisions contained in the UNDP Evaluation Policy.
Conclusions and recommendations
In drawing conclusions from its findings, the team kept in mind the evaluation criteria that were used to guide the Assessment of Development Results: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability.
Development context
As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Maldives is vulnerable geographically and socio-economically.
UNDP contribution to development results
Although the Maldives has met and indeed exceeded the target for MDG 1 (eradicating extreme poverty and hunger) there are serious and growing income disparities between Malé and the atolls, and between the northern and southern atolls. The population remains vulnerable, and many non-poor have fallen back into poverty. Moreover, if the definition of poverty is expanded to include lack of choice and opportunity, then the challenges facing the Maldives are substantial. In addition, although the Maldives has also met MDG 2 and has achieved universal primary education, the country is still burdened by a serious lack of capacity. For example, 75 percent of secondary school teachers are expatriates. Maldives’ impending graduation from LDC status will deprive it of much-needed capacity-development opportunities.