The overall objective of this evaluation is to assess the relevance and effectiveness of Swedish environmental aid. This is done by comparing how poverty-environment linkages are conceptualized at different levels within Sida, and by comparing the Swedish conceptualizations with how poverty-environment linkages are conceptualized “ideally”, i.e using a global norm or global program logic as a baseline. In a first step, this evaluation thus sets out to develop an ideal conceptualization representing the global norm or program logic of how the linkages between poverty and the environment ought to be conceptualized. This analytical tool then serves as a baseline against which policy coherence can be assessed. More than evaluating this external or horizontal coherence, the paper also compares conceptualizations within Sida, i.e. internal or vertical coherence. This is done by comparing policy documents with the responses from interviews with personell at Sida HQ and with field personnel at one of the Swedish embassies. Taken together, the focus on poverty-environment linkages seeks to contribute to enhancing internal efficiency in Swedish development cooperation when it comes to environmental policy and practice. It also provides input to how the implementation and mainstreaming processes can be made more efficient, and to how Sweden can improve its outreach to the broader development community as regards its environmental policies and priorities. Ultimately, the ambition is that increased policy coherence when it comes to poverty-environment linkages would be a component in the achievement of the overriding poverty reduction goal.
The evaluation will be completed in June 2009.