Evaluation of the USAID/Dominican Republic biodiversity portfolio : final report

Abstract

Since 2007, USAID has assisted the Dominican Republic (DR) to reduce threats to its biodiversity through a biodiversity portfolio consisting of five projects: Living Museums of the Sea (LMS); Sustainable Fisheries in Miches (SFM); Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance (DSTA); Participating Agency Program Agreements (PAPA) with the US Forest Service (USFS); and the Environmental Protection Project (EPP). This report presents Social Impact’s (SI) findings, conclusions and recommendations and is intended to support future financial and strategic decisions of USAID/Dominican Republic (USAID/DR) regarding biodiversity conservation programs. The evaluation of each project aimed to answer five critical questions concerning the extent to which the biodiversity portfolio activities assisted the DR Mission in conserving its biodiversity. Evaluation questions investigated the extent to which the portfolio fostered positive synergies within and among each project; achieved targeted outcomes and results; used best practices and lessons learned; achieved sustainability and the adoption of conservation practices; and complied with USAID’s biodiversity criteria. To best analyze these areas of inquiry, the project evaluations relied on qualitative data collection and analysis methodologies.