Evaluation of BHA’s COVID-19 Response

Project Information

Title of Project: EVALUATION OF BHA’s COVID-19 RESPONSE

Sector: Humanitarian Assistance

Country: Multi

Lead Institution: TANGO International

Co-PI Institution: Tulane School of Public Health

Final Budget: $1.8M

Project Length: 10/01/2022-09/30/2024

Research Objective:

The objective of this evaluation is to evaluate and record the performance of BHA’s FY2021 COVID-19 Supplemental response portfolio (Performance Evaluation) and evaluate specific technical and/or sectoral aspects of BHA’s COVID-19 response (Thematic Evaluation) across FY20-22. The performance evaluation will assess the overall effectiveness, relevance, efficiency/timeliness, and levels of coordination provided by the COVID-19 supplemental funding awards.

Project Description:

The COVID-19 Evaluation commissioned by United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) with Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI) includes a Performance Evaluation for fiscal year (FY) 2021 COVID-19 Supplemental funding and broader Thematic Evaluations of the BHA COVID-19 response overall (2020-2022). The evaluation series is conducted by Technical Assistance for Non-Governmental Organizations International (TANGO) and Tulane University School of Public Health. The two-year evaluation activity extends from October 2022 – September 20224. The evaluation is a buy-in project of the Long-Term Assistance and Services for Research – Partners for University-Led Solutions Engine (LASER PULSE) Consortium. The purpose of these evaluations is to improve USAID’s and humanitarian actors’ understanding of the performance of the BHA-funded response to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). The evaluations will help to identify recommendations and learning from BHA’s COVID-19 response and contribute to improved future BHA programming related to outbreak or pandemic responses in humanitarian contexts. The FY 2021 Performance Evaluation assesses the BHA $1.3 billion multi-sectoral funding distributed through 187 awards across 46 countries and global/regional level. The study evaluates achievements toward meeting the funding objectives, BHA key sector indicators, and award targets. Ten evaluation questions guide the evaluation of the funding performance around effectiveness, BHA’s contributions to the Supplemental’s relevance, efficiency/timeliness, and coherence, as well as partner’s contributions to these themes. The proposed methods include: award data and report review, United Nations/ Public International Organizations’ secondary data analysis, remote interviews with award contacts, select award cases for in-country and participant interviews, and the implementing partner scoping e-survey (conducted in the inception phase). The Thematic Evaluations include two targeted case studies selected based on inception phase scoping interviews and a range of criteria (feasibility, interesting, novel, equitable, and relevant).

Embedded Research Translation Product:

See outputs below

Embedded Research Translation Audience:

BHA is the target audience, followed by implementing partners, and then secondarily the broader humanitarian community

Evaluation Reports – The Epilogue is the Prologue

Performance Evaluation:

Brief 1 – Internal to BHA

Brief 2: Overview, Results, and Efficiency/Timeliness

• Objective 1 Brief: Support and Strengthen the Public Health Response
• Objective 2 Brief: Prevent Famine and Mitigate Severe Food Insecurity
• Objective 3 Brief: Provide Protection
• Objective 4 Brief: Strengthen Humanitarian Operations and Coordination
• Objective 5 Brief: Improve and Strengthen Humanitarian Architecture to Support Scale-up of Infectious Disease Response Capacity

Brief 3: Overall Conclusions and Recommendations

Supplementary Annex
Overview of Results Presentation and Recording – English
Overview of Results Presentation – Spanish
Overview of Results Presentation – French
Overview of Results Presentation – Arabic

Suggested Citation for Performance Evaluation Reports:
M. Vallet; S. Collins; T. Frankenberger; N. Mock; E. Satow; S. Talagadadeevi; E. Franklin; S. Nelson; H. Al Zuwayny; T. Russo; C. Brands; M. Lacey & M. Tarr. (2024). USAID/BHA FY 2021 COVID-19 Performance Evaluation: The Epilogue is the Prologue. West Lafayette, IN: Long-term Assistance and Services for Research – Partners for University-Led Solutions Engine (LASER PULSE).

Thematic Evaluation:

Thematic Evaluation Study 1: Pandemic Preparedness Capacities in Humanitarian Settings
Thematic Evaluation Study 2: Lessons on BHA Surge Funding

Webinar Recordings:

Thematic 1 Webinar – Capacities in Humanitarian Settings (Webinar Recording)
Thematic 1 Webinar (Slides)
Thematic 2 Webinar – Surge Funding Lessons on BHA (Webinar Recording)
Thematic 2 Webinar (Slides)
Performance Evaluation Webinar (Recording)