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Advancing the SDGs by improving livelihoods and resilience vi a economic diversification and digital transformation (“SDG South Pacific”) - Joint evaluation

eval_number:

3499

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/3499

location:

country:

Asia and the Pacific - regional

region:

Asia and the Pacific

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eval_title:

Advancing the SDGs by improving livelihoods and resilience vi a economic diversification and digital transformation (“SDG South Pacific”) - Joint evaluation

recommendations:

date:

2025-08-29 00:00:00.0

themes:

theme:

Organizational issues

category:

Programme implementation

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comments:

The CO acknowledges that sustained and inclusive stakeholder engagement is essential for ensuring relevance, ownership, and long-term impact of joint programmes especially in diverse and decentralised settings such as the Pacific SIDS. While there were strong examples of outreach and participation, the evaluation identifies gaps in strategic stakeholder engagements that could have been better managed.

action_plan:

Going forward, the CO will take the following actions to improve its stakeholder engagement approach in future programming: 1) Engage technical ministries, constituents, and subnational actors early and consistently: The CO will prioritize structured engagement with line ministries, constituents and local authorities from the earliest stages of programme design. This includes joint problem analysis, co-design of interventions, and agreement on roles and responsibilities to enhance alignment with national systems and ensure sustainability. 2) Develop tailored stakeholder engagement and communication strategies: Recognizing the diverse political and social contexts across Pacific SIDS, the CO will support the design of country-specific engagement plans. These will include culturally appropriate communication methods, regular consultation schedules, and mechanisms for two-way dialogue that capture community and sector-specific perspectives, especially from underrepresented groups such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities. 3) Strengthen participatory implementation and review processes: Future joint programming efforts will include structured participatory mechanisms such as stakeholder working groups, joint monitoring missions, and inclusive mid-term reviews. These platforms will enable national stakeholders to influence implementation, track progress, and adjust course as needed. 4) Invest in capacity-building of national counterparts and social partners: The CO will continue to support the strengthening of national institutions—especially labour ministries, public employment services, trade unions, and employers’ organizations—to ensure their meaningful participation in implementation and oversight. This includes improving their capacity to engage in digital transformation, employment policy, and skills development strategies. By improving how and when it engages with stakeholders, the CO will contribute to more responsive, context-aware, and sustainable programming that is fully aligned with national and community priorities.

management_response:

Partially Completed

progress:

Partially achieved

admin_units:

CO-Suva

title:

Recommendation 2: Deepen stakeholder engagement Ensure early, sustained engagement of technical ministries and subnational actors in programme design and implementation to create more reach, add local context, improve alignment with national systems and increase ownership. Strengthening continuous, context-sensitive stakeholder engagement through early and regular consultations, tailored communication strategies, and participatory reviews will support ownership and incorporation of local needs. Relates to the following conclusions: Gaps existed in digital transformation strategic coherence until very recently, particularly in Solomon Islands, diminished potential impact. In other PICS, initiatives such as Smart Islands and across the region, digital training successfully reached remote communities, empowering thousands with access to e-commerce and digital education. Yet, delays in infrastructure deployment (e.g., AIS receivers), limited sectoral integration, and weak linkages to creative and labour sectors constrained the transformative potential. Some programmes lacked tailored focus on marginalized groups, and coordination challenges across agencies hindered national ownership and sustained implementation. Contextual challenges, societal norms and fragmented national engagement limited programme depth and sustainability, as seen in inconsistent consultation with ministries and under-resourced national stakeholder groups. Despite increased participation by unions and civil society in some countries, persistent gaps in adapting for specific societal norms, strategic alignment, and monitoring mechanisms hinder the long-term transformation the JP aims to achieve.

project_symbols:

RAS/22/53/UND

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/recommendations/2356418

information_source:

Country Office

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