Seychelles
Foreword
The Evaluation Office of the United Nations Development Programme has conducted this independent evaluation of UNDP’s work in Seychelles, to contribute to organizational learning from past cooperation and to strengthen future results. The evaluation examines the relevance and strategic positioning of UNDP support and contributions to the country’s development from 2003 to 2009. It 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 forthcoming country programme.
Strategic positioning
Overall UNDP support to Seychelles was closely aligned with globally agreed priorities for development support and with the national priority sectors of environment, governance and responding to the tsunami. Moreover, within those sectors, UNDP support was generally aligned with agreed national plans and policies.
Introduction
The Republic of Seychelles gained independence from Britain in 1976 and signed a cooperation agreement with UNDP in 19771. Following independence, the country achieved considerable social and economic gains. It quickly achieved Middle Income Country (MIC) status and became a Net Contributing Country (NCC) to UNDP in 1997. As a result, UNDP’s traditional cooperation and support came largely to an end. However, in the early 2000s, UNDP’s cooperation with Seychelles entered a new era, based entirely on resources mobilized from third parties. Two UNDP country programmes followed, covering respectively 2003-2006 and 2007-2010. This Assessment of Development Results (ADR) evaluates these two programme cycles.
Terms of reference
The Evaluation Office (EO) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) conducts country evaluations called Assessments of Development Results (ADRs) to capture and demonstrate evaluative evidence of UNDP’s contributions to development results at the country level. ADRs are carried out within the overall provisions contained in the UNDP Evaluation Policy.
Conclusions, recommendations and lessons learned
This chapter summarizes the main conclusions of the ADR followed by specific recommendations for UNDP in Seychelles. The recommendations respond to addressing the main challenges identified throughout the report and are intended to strengthen UNDP’s contribution towards development results.
The UN and UNDP in the country
At the outset of the period under review, Seychelles had recently acceded to NCC status. As a result, UN cooperation programmes were being scaled down significantly. Due to ongoing foreign exchange constraints, moreover, Seychelles was unable to meet all its financial obligations to UN agencies. Accordingly, the level of UN assistance and representation in the country has been low throughout the period. Apart from UNDP, the only UN organizations represented are WHO and FAO. WHO is represented by one full-time liaison officer; FAO has a national correspondent, a government officer who fulfils this as one of many mandates.
Cross-cutting issues
Capacity development is ultimately about enabling individuals and organizations to do the tasks they are doing, or are supposed to be doing, better. All capacity development needs to be based on a logical capacity assessment: defining the issue or subject area; identifying which institutions/individuals are responsible for the issue; assessing the current capacity of the responsible institution(s)/ individual(s) to perform the necessary functions; and defining the needed capacity.
Executive summary
The “Assessment of Development Results (ADR): Evaluation of UNDP Contribution – Seychelles” was led by the Evaluation Office (EO) of UNDP and was carried out by a team of independent consultants between June and November 2009.
National context
The Republic of Seychelles is a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) consisting of an archipelago of at least 115 islands 7, many of which are uninhabited. The islands are located in the Indian Ocean to the north of Madagascar. Seychelles has a population of approximately 88,000 8, mostly descendants of French settlers, African plantation workers, British sailors and traders from India, China and Middle East, giving rise to a multiethnic society. Most of the population is concentrated on three islands, which also host most economic activities: Mahe (over 80 percent of the population), Praslin and La Digue. The capital city, Victoria, in Mahe, is also the major port. The main language is Créole, although English and French are also official languages. The climate is agreeable throughout the year with maximum temperatures at sea level averaging around 29 degrees. Seychelles lies outside the cyclone belt and enjoys stable weather.