Acknowledgements

This evaluation report could not have been completed without contributions from many people. First and foremost, it resulted from the efforts of the evaluation team: the team leader, Siddiqur R. Osmani, the team members, Souklaty Sysaneth, Jasmine Subasat, Souksamay Saisouphanh, and the task manager, Masahiro Igarashi. We would also like to thank all the stakeholders who took time to respond to requests from the team, including government officials and other representatives at the national and local levels, project directors and coordinators, representatives of civil society organizations, development partner agencies and sister UN agencies, and beneficiaries and their families. Our special thanks go to the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Planning and Investment, particularly its Deputy Director-General Sisomboun Ounavong. The earnest and valuable support of colleagues in the country office in Lao PDR contributed significantly to the report. It greatly benefited from inputs and reviews from Ryo Sasaki, Mana Takasugi, Watana Patanapongse, Pim Intaravitak and Alan Fox, as well as support from Evelyn Wong, Cecilia Corpus and Christopher Nunez. Anish Pradhan and Marina Blinova assisted in the editing and publication process with the help of an external editor, Sanjay Upadhya.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions