SDC's Transboundary Waters Programme

The “Water Diplomacy and Governance in Key Transboundary Hot Spots” programme of SDC’s Global Programme Water (GPW) seeks to foster cooperation among countries and communities that share water resources. Since the programme began in 2011, SDC has provided more than 15 million Swiss Francs to implement its innovative activities, making it one of GPW’s largest initiatives. With the support of GPW’s Transboundary Hot Spots programme, four implementing partners conduct a wide range of activities that address transboundary cooperation at multiple levels in more than 15 river basins and aquifers around the world. In addition, the programme supports initiatives to strengthen legal frameworks and capacities for water cooperation at the global level.

adelphi was commissioned to carry out an external review of the second phase of the programme which ended in December 2015. The main objective of the external review was to provide a basis for internal learning and recommendations for improvements with a forward-looking view to the implementation of the programme’s third phase, which has started in 2016. The external review comprised a review of the overall programme as well as a more detailed assessment of three partial actions which are implemented by the Centre of Development and Environment at the University of Bern (CDE), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Based on this, adelphi prepared an extensive evaluation report including assessments of the programme activities along four main evaluation criteria: relevance, effectiveness, sustainability and strategic partnerships. In addition to strategic recommendations for improvements with a forward-looking view to the implementation of the programme’s third phase, the report identifies important lessons learned on fostering transboundary cooperation.