Evaluation of the FLASH project in the Sahel

Background and presentation of the FLASH project, supporting the localisation of aid

Through its multi-country operations department, the DRC (Danish Refugee Council) has been implementing regional projects in collaboration with national partners in the border areas of Liptako-Gourma since 2018, adopting a tripartite Humanitarian – Development – Peace (HDP) approach. In June 2022, the DRC initiated the FLASH project aimed at supporting local actors in Sahel hotspots to implement rapid emergency responses to small-scale population displacements. Through a strategic partnership approach, this project seeks to strengthen endogenous response capacities in the hard-to-reach conflict zones of the Liptako Gourma. The three main outcomes of the project include identifying and engaging with local partners through flexible funding, supporting these organisations through capacity building and technical guidance, and funding their response capacities, promoting their autonomy and visibility to strengthen local responses.

An evaluation to learn from it

The evaluation of this project has two main objectives:

• To analyse the achievements of the FLASH project in terms of its institutional/organisational/technical and operational aspects, with particular emphasis on analysing the following points:
  • The partnerships established.
  • The organisational and technical support provided by DRC to its local/national partners.
  • The strengthening of partners’ preparedness and response capacities, including the responsiveness of the responses provided to affected/displaced populations.
• To draw lessons from the FLASH programme and make recommendations that could relate either to the intervention strategy in relation to the “Localisation” agenda, or to the operational modalities for the second half of the FLASH project.