IUC with Anton De Kom University (Suriname)
This evaluation assesses the second phase of the Institutional University Cooperation (IUC) programme implemented in partnership between the Anton De Kom University in Suriname (AdeKUS) and the universities of Leuven (KU Leuven), Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and Hasselt (Universiteit Hasselt) in Belgium.
An IUC programme combines objectives of institutional strengthening and strategic thematic capacity building and covers a period of 10 to 12 years, with 2 main project phases of 5 years each. The IUC partner programme in Suriname was subdivided into 5 projects. Two projects were transversal projects and aimed at institutional strengthening of AdeKUS. The 3 other projects aimed at developing a Master’s programme in 3 different faculties of the university, in order to strengthen the research culture.
At the moment of the evaluation, the programme was in phase-out. The evaluation was expected to collect data to account for the results to the different stakeholders (accountability), but also to draw lessons learned (learning) and to formulate recommendations to support further decision making on the IUC (steering).
The evaluation was executed as planned by three evaluators: Birgit De Clerck (Camino Consult for ACE Europe), Marieke Heemskerk and Céline Duijves (Social Solutions). Conclusions about the findings were the result of joint reflection within the team and feedback sessions in Suriname and Belgium.
The evaluation was based on an assessment of the 5 OECD/DAC-criteria and an additional criterion on scientific quality, at programme and project level. The evaluation was implemented in three phases, namely an inception phase, a data collection phase, and an analysis and reporting phase and took place in the period between December 2017– April 2018. The evaluators applied a mixture of data collection methods, such as document analysis, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, on-site project visits, a workshop to reconstruct a timeline and restitution meetings both in Suriname as well as in Belgium.