Title page 1

Contents 7

Foreword 4

Acknowledgements 5

Abbreviations and acronyms 11

Executive summary 13

1. Evaluating development co-operation during the COVID-19 crisis 15

1.1. The economic context of the pandemic 16

1.2. The health and socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 and the response 17

1.3. The context of international development co-operation 19

1.4. The need for and aims of a strategic joint evaluation 21

1.5. Evaluation approach and design 23

References 27

Notes 31

2. Global solidarity in the face of the COVID-19 crisis: Funding and types of international assistance 32

2.1. COVID-19 global response timeline and architecture 33

2.2. International development co-operation and humanitarian assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic 34

2.3. Focus of international assistance by sector and country 40

2.4. Funding channels and financial flows during the crisis 44

2.5. Funding for vaccines and vaccination rollouts 52

2.6. Philanthropic funding 56

References 57

Notes 62

3. Doing the right things: The relevance of the international COVID-19 response 63

3.1. Understanding relevance in a crisis context 64

3.2. Identifying needs and priorities during the pandemic 65

3.3. Learning during and from the crisis response 69

3.4. Alignment of international assistance to COVID-19 crisis needs 73

References 86

Note 92

4. Working together: Coherence of the international COVID crisis response 93

4.1. Global coherence of the COVID-19 response 94

4.2. Policy coherence for sustainable development 100

4.3. Co-ordinating international assistance within provider governments 102

4.4. Co-ordination at country-level 104

References 107

Notes 111

5. Effectiveness: Achieving the objectives of international support for the COVID crisis response 112

5.1. Preconditions for achieving results: Adequacy of funding to meet crisis-related needs 113

5.2. Supporting health and strengthening health systems 114

5.3. Humanitarian assistance before, during and after the pandemic 121

5.4. Alleviation of the socio-economic effects of the pandemic 123

5.5. Reaching vulnerable parts of the population 129

5.6. Equitable access to vaccines 133

5.7. Engaging with civil society for an effective response 140

References 144

Notes 152

6. Using resources well: The efficiency and timeliness of COVID-19 assistance efforts 153

6.1. Timeliness of the crisis response 154

6.2. Flexibility and adaptation to meet needs and priorities 156

6.3. Challenges to flexibility and timeliness 158

6.4. Cost effectiveness of development co-operation and the humanitarian response 162

References 164

7. Learning from the COVID-19 crisis: Eight key lessons for international co-operation 168

7.1. Overall reflections on responding effectively to a global crisis 169

7.2. Eight lessons from the pandemic response 170

7.3. Lessons on evaluation, learning and collaboration 178

7.4. Future considerations for humanitarian and development co-operation 179

References 179

Annex A. COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition 180

Annex B. Methodology 182

Annex C. Additional data and charts 189

Figures 8

Figure 1.1. Cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, World, 2020-2022 19

Figure 2.1. Financial flows to developing countries, all official providers and philanthropic foundations, 2010-2023 36

Figure 2.2. Total volume of official development assistance, including COVID-19-related, 2016-2023 37

Figure 2.3. Annual percentage changes in total ODA and GNI, 2019-2020 38

Figure 2.4. Official development assistance with a gender objective, DAC members, 2012-2023 39

Figure 2.5. Official development assistance with a disability objective, DAC members, 2018-2023 40

Figure 2.6. Volume of official development finance, by sector, 2016-2023 41

Figure 2.7. Official development finance to least developed countries, by sector, 2016-2023 43

Figure 2.8. Official development assistance per capita, by income group, 2016-2023 44

Figure 2.9. Official development assistance by bilateral and multilateral channels 45

Figure 2.10. Official development finance disbursed through different channels, 2016-2023 47

Figure 2.11. Official development assistance loans by provider group, 2016-2023 48

Figure 2.12. Figure Official development assistance via grants by provider group, 2016-2023 51

Figure 2.13. COVID-19-related official development assistance and vaccine funding, 2020-2022 53

Figure 2.14. Disbursements for vaccines in official development assistance, by income group, 2021-2022 53

Figure 2.15. Disbursements for vaccines in official development assistance, by region, 2021-2022 54

Figure 2.16. Philanthropy's contribution to the international COVID-19 response 56

Figure 3.1. Overview of the Netherlands' COVID-19 aid package allocations by objective, 2020-2022 65

Figure 3.2. Distribution of Turkish medical aid across countries during the pandemic 74

Figure 3.3. General and COVID-19 related budget support, 2016-2023 77

Figure 3.4. Official development assistance to countries in need, 2010-2023 81

Figure 3.5. Official development assistance received as a percentage of GNI, 2016-2023 82

Figure 5.1. Key purposes of health sector official development finance, 2016-2023 118

Figure 5.2. Humanitarian aid within official development finance, 2016-2023 123

Figure 5.3. COVID-19 vaccination doses administered, by income group, 2020-2023 136

Figure 5.4. Secured vaccines or expected vaccine supply, 2022 137

Figure 5.5. Official development assistance for NGOs and CSOs from all official providers, 2016-2023 141

Figure 6.1. Work-related strains and adequacy of IMF response 161

Boxes 9

Box 1.1. Children and the COVID-19 pandemic 19

Box 1.2. The COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition 21

Box 1.3. The Lancet Commission on lessons for the future from the COVID-19 pandemic 22

Box 1.4. Measuring COVID-19 support in the OECD Creditor Reporting System 26

Box 2.1. Up close: Saudi Arabia's COVID-19-related assistance 51

Box 2.2. The World Bank's support to the COVID-19 response 52

Box 3.1. France's health response to the pandemic 68

Box 3.2. USAID's iterative process to analysing the impacts of the pandemic 69

Box 3.3. UNAIDS lessons from HIV for an effective, community-led COVID-19 response 72

Box 3.4. The Coalition's work to feed evidence into the pandemic response 73

Box 3.5. The New Development Bank's COVID-19 fast track support 75

Box 3.6. New Zealand's budget support to Pacific governments for a rapid COVID-19 response 79

Box 3.7. Relevance - a focus on gender in Georgia 84

Box 3.8. Ireland's crisis response: Putting the furthest behind first 85

Box 4.1. Responding to the COVID-19 crisis in the Latin America and Caribbean region 97

Box 4.2. International solidarity during the crisis: Public opinion in Germany 102

Box 5.1. Effective island-to-island health support for Cabo Verde 118

Box 5.2. WHO's COVID-19 response in the Eastern Mediterranean Region 119

Box 5.3. International assistance for addressing immediate health needs in Lebanon 119

Box 5.4. Health financing trends 121

Box 5.5. The World Bank's approach to addressing health and social needs 125

Box 5.6. The African Development's Bank support in Kenya 125

Box 5.7. Addressing socio-economic needs in Lebanon: Relevant and effective, but insufficient 126

Box 5.8. A strong socio-economic response in Cambodia: Leveraging the IDPoor system 127

Box 5.9. Protection of refugee rights during the pandemic 131

Box 5.10. Gender and equity mainstreaming for inclusive access 132

Box 5.11. Organisational enablers of disability inclusion in WHO 132

Box 5.12. Pursuing human Rights, Gender Equality, Inclusion and Leaving No-One Behind 133

Box 5.13. Lessons on the COVAX Facility and Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) 134

Box 5.14. Cambodia's successful "Blossom Plan": Using international assistance to effectively meet vaccination needs 139

Box 5.15. The contribution of civil society to the COVID-19 response in Kenya 142

Box 5.16. Leveraging CSO networks to deliver assistance: The case of Nepal 142

Box 5.17. Missed opportunities for a more effective response in Burkina Faso 143

Box 6.1. Efficient funding provisions to Kenya for a rapid COVID-19 response 155

Box 6.2. Partnering to strike the right balance for relevance and timeliness in Bangladesh 156

Box 6.3. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's rapid COVID-19 response 156

Box 6.4. Responding to the crisis in Bolivia: Experiences from Switzerland, Canada and Sweden 160

Box 7.1. Eight lessons for international development co-operation and humanitarian assistance 170

Annex Tables 9

Table A.1. Participants in the COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition and Core Group 180

Table A.2. Steering Group of the Strategic Joint Evaluation 181

Table B.1. Evaluation questions 184

Annex Figures 9

Figure B.1. Evaluation modules 185

Figure C.1. Official development finance to Africa, by sector, 2016-2023 190

Figure C.2. Official development finance to Americas, by sector, 2016-2023 190

Figure C.3. Official development finance to Asia, by sector, 2016-2023 191

Figure C.4. Official development finance to Europe, by sector, 2016-2023 191

Figure C.5. Official development finance to least developed countries, by sector, 2016-2023 192

Figure C.6. Official development finance to lower-middle-income countries, by sector, 2016-2023 193

Figure C.7. Official development finance to upper-middle-income countries, by sector, 2016-2023 193

Figure C.8. Official development finance from France, by sector, 2016-2023 194

Figure C.9. Official development finance from Germany, by sector, 2016-2023 195

Figure C.10. Official development finance from the Netherlands, by sector, 2016-2023 195

Figure C.11. Official development finance from New Zealand, by sector, 2016-2023 196

Figure C.12. Official development finance from Saudi Arabia, by sector, 2016-2023 196

Figure C.13. Official development finance from Spain, by sector, 2016-2023 197

Figure C.14. Official development finance from the United States, by sector, 2016-2023 197

Figure C.15. Official development finance to Bangladesh, by sector, 2016-2023 198

Figure C.16. Official development finance to Burkina Faso, by sector, 2016-2023 199

Figure C.17. Official development finance to Cabo Verde, by sector, 2016-2023 199

Figure C.18. Official development finance to Cambodia, by sector, 2016-2023 200

Figure C.19. Official development finance to Georgia, by sector, 2016-2023 200

Figure C.20. Official development finance to Kenya, by sector, 2016-2023 201

Figure C.21. Volume of official development finance to Lebanon, by sector, 2016-2023 201

Figure C.22. Official development finance to Nicaragua, by sector, 2016-2023 202