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Accompanying, Ex Post Evaluation, Program Evaluation
Start of project: December 2023
End of project: November 2027
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RePack-Network. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Sustainable Packaging of Food: Networking and Transfer Program for Plastics Reduction

Food is often packaged in plastics that are only used for a short time and are rarely reused or recycled. In addition to the considerable [Read More]Food is often packaged in plastics that are only used for a short time and are rarely reused or recycled. In addition to the considerable consumption of resources, the environment is also polluted by macro- or microplastics. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is therefore promoting innovations that help to package food more sustainably and reduce plastics along the value chain. In the RePack network, five research institutions under the leadership of the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) accompany, support and evaluate twelve innovation projects in this funding programme. In the projects, universities and research institutions work together with companies to develop new production processes, innovative materials, packaging with an increased recycled content or reusable packaging. The “Networking and Transfer Program for Plastics Reduction” is investigating how existing sustainable packaging concepts can be expanded. The aim is to bundle the results for different target groups and bring the projects into dialogue: To this end, cluster and themed workshops as well as conferences are being designed and organised at which the projects can network with each other and with the interested specialist public. A website and social media presence as well as a regular newsletter provide information on the progress of the projects and give insights into the innovations. The results of the funded projects are used to derive overarching recommendations for action for politics, business, civil society and consumers. The task of CEval GmbH within the “Networking and Transfer Program for Plastics Reduction” is the conception and implementation of the accompanying and final evaluation of the BMEL funding programme for the development of packaging innovations for the food industry. To this end, a results model for the funding programme will be created, which will be empirically validated and refined, and indicator sets will be developed for the project level as well as the levels of the funding programme and the overarching innovation programme of the BMEL. Building on this, the annual accompanying evaluations and the final summative evaluation will analyse the design and implementation of the funding programme, its results and their sustainability and transferability to other fields of application, as well as identifying further fields of action and research needs. Methodologically, the theory-based evaluation follows a mix of document analyses, individual and group interviews and supplementary online surveys.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Hansjörg Gaus, Matthias Klapproth, Hilde Folger, Juliane Löw | Cooperation Partner: Institute for Ecological Economy Research, IÖW, Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung, GVM, Institute for Social-Ecological Research, ISOE, Sustainable Packaging Institute (SPI) of Albstadt-Sigmaringen University
Client: German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food, BLE
Mid-term Evaluation, Zwischenevaluation
Start of project: June 2025
End of project: February 2026
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Interim Evaluation of the Global Impact Investment Facility (GIIF)

In 2019 the BMZ, together with KfW and DEG established the Global Impact Investment Facility (GIIF). The GIIF is a blended finance co-financing instrument designed [Read More]In 2019 the BMZ, together with KfW and DEG established the Global Impact Investment Facility (GIIF). The GIIF is a blended finance co-financing instrument designed to support DEG’s operations by providing appropriate financial services in high-risk countries and contexts and increasing development-effective financing. The main objective of the GIIF is to contribute to creating and preserving jobs decent jobs, even in times of crisis, in developing and emerging countries, and to promote renewable energy and transformative investments. GIIF targets projects and businesses that are developmentally impactful in constrained high-risk markets. To provide diverse financing opportunities, the facility is structured in three special financing windows: 1) Risk investment and crisis financing in Africa (and the Middle East), 2) AfricaGoGreen, and 3) Global risk investment and crisis financing. As a co-financing instrument with its risk-sharing mechanism and initial BMZ public funds of 190 million euros, GIIF expects to achieve high leverage and mobilize additional private and public capital. DEG Impact commissioned CEval GmbH to conduct an interim evaluation of the GIIF, focusing on its implementation between 2019 and 2024. The purpose of the interim evaluation was to provide an assessment based on the OECD-DAC criteria: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, and the impact of the GIIF; elaborate conclusions and recommendations from the findings for DEG, DEG Impact, and CREDION; and help shape the further implementation of the facility. To the extent possible, the evaluation explored the extent and types of the facility’s additionality. The evaluation was based on a theory-based approach, with extensive stakeholder participation, and used a mix-methods design. During the inception phase, the evaluation team developed a results model of the facility, which DEG Impact validated. The evaluation was further guided by a detailed evaluation matrix structured by the OECD-DAC criteria, allocating specific data sources, data collection instruments, and analysis methods to evaluation questions. For the assessment, the evaluation team conducted a desk review of project documents facilitated by DEG Impact. Alongside the desk study, the evaluation team conducted 31 virtual interviews with key informants. Data obtained from the documents and interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. In addition, the financial data were subjected to a descriptive statistical analysis.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Dzoara Santoyo Castillo
Client: DEG Impact GmbH
Accompanying
Start of project: December 2024
End of project: December 2025
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Conducting a survey as part of an impact analysis of the Hessian digitization funding program “Distr@l”

Funded by: Hessian Ministry for Digitalization and Innovation (HMD) Since the beginning of 2020, the state of Hesse has been supporting digital innovation projects with [Read More]Funded by: Hessian Ministry for Digitalization and Innovation (HMD) Since the beginning of 2020, the state of Hesse has been supporting digital innovation projects with the "Distr@l" funding program to drive digital transformation in the Hessian economy. The program, with four funding lines, targets small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups, universities, and research institutions, funding application-oriented projects that support the transfer of knowledge between science and industry, the training and securing of skilled workers, and the further development of digital technologies. CEval GmbH is conducting an accompanying impact analysis of the funding program to capture the medium-term effects of the innovation projects. This analysis is based on a written, semi-standardized online survey of funding recipients 12 to 24 months after the completion of their projects. The goal of the annual survey, which is to be conducted every year in the future, is to provide empirically measurable indicators that offer insights into project development and to provide recommendations for the further development of the funding program and for supporting SMEs in the digital transformation. The results are aimed at both project recipients and responsible political actors, as well as at press representatives and the interested public.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Hilde Folger
Client: Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH
Ex Post Evaluation, Mid-term Evaluaton
Start of project: November 2024
End of project: July 2025
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Evaluation of the EndOCSEA@Europe Project

Funded by: Safe Online In response to the alarming rise of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA), the Council of Europe has commissioned the [Read More]Funded by: Safe Online In response to the alarming rise of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA), the Council of Europe has commissioned the EndOCSEA@Europe project, implemented in two phases, to combat OCSEA across Council of Europe member states. Phase I (2018-2021) focused on mapping legislation, policies, and practices on OCSEA, strengthening laws, enhancing law enforcement capacities, and raising awareness in countries such as Albania, Armenia, and Ukraine. Phase II (2023-2025), focuses on further strengthening actions, particularly in Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Montenegro. The project promotes multi-stakeholder collaboration, legislative reforms, capacity-building, and awareness campaigns, integrating recommendations from Phase I, with synergies sought with other Council of Europe initiatives. Managed by the Children’s Rights Division, it involves key stakeholders, including government authorities, law enforcement, NGOs, and professionals working with children. The evaluation of the EndOCSEA@Europe project aims to assess its effectiveness, impact, efficiency, and sustainability across both phases, focusing on legislative improvements, cross-border cooperation, capacity-building, and implementation challenges. Using a non-experimental, theory-based, mixed-methods approach with extensive stakeholder participation, the evaluation will examine the project's Theory of Change, impact, and scalability at political, institutional, community, and individual levels. Data will be gathered through interviews, case studies, and surveys, analyzed using triangulation for validity, and following the OECD-DAC criteria with a focus on age- and gender-sensitive methodologies.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Hilde Folger
Client: Council of Europe
Program Evaluation
Start of project: September 2024
End of project: March 2025
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Evaluation of the Europe Urban Greening (EUG) Program

The European Urban Greening Program (EUG) is a funding initiative of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Europe. The program funds projects that integrate nature-based solutions (NBS) [Read More]The European Urban Greening Program (EUG) is a funding initiative of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Europe. The program funds projects that integrate nature-based solutions (NBS) into urban planning processes in the cities of Berlin and Stuttgart to reduce urban heat, the risk of flooding and increase biodiversity in the urban space. Projects include developing urban green prints, assessing green roof potentials, pollinator-friendly plantings or urban grazing. Successful projects are expected to consolidate lessons learned and create a “how-to guide” supporting the replication of approaches to other cities. EUG was realized with contribution from Amazon´s Right Now Climate Fund and has a duration of five years. CEval GmbH was commissioned to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of program management and the financing mechanism at program level, as well as the effectiveness and impact of individual projects at project level. The chosen evaluation approach is participatory, and data collection is carried out using a qualitative methodological approach. The evaluation includes the collection of primary data through guided interviews with actors involved at program and project level. Secondary data is also collected via desk studies and combined with quantitative monitoring data from individual projects. The data is then evaluated and synthesized using a content-analytical approach, assessing both the achievement of objectives and a process evaluation. To increase the validity and reliability of the results, individual evaluation questions are answered with data obtained from different data collection methods (method triangulation) and from different data sources (data triangulation).
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Susanne Johanna Väth, Matthias Klapproth
Client: The Nature Conservancy, TNC
PPP, Program Evaluation
Start of project: March 2024
End of project: February 2025
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Evaluation of the “Knauf Training Initiative Phase I and II”

DEG Impulse uses the develoPPP Classic program to support measures by well-established enterprises that wish to operate in developing and emerging countries on a long-term [Read More]DEG Impulse uses the develoPPP Classic program to support measures by well-established enterprises that wish to operate in developing and emerging countries on a long-term basis and thereby shape their business involvement in a sustainable manner. One of the projects under develoPPP Classic is the “Knauf Training Initiative” (KTI) in its phase I (2018-2023) and phase II (2021-2026). Knauf is one of Europe’s leading manufacturer of gypsum-based construction materials and also specialized in production of isolating materials and cement products. The main objective of the KTI is the establishment of training centers (TCs) to improve the technical qualification and employability of young people, students and skilled workers in the field of drywall construction and related products. Through the TCs, both practical and theoretical modules imparting comprehensive knowledge regarding the application of drywall construction techniques are provided to installers, architects/civil engineers, academic staff and unemployed people. The KTI is to provide people with the possibility of completing a training, which in turn should lead in the long-term to sustainable career prospects. CEval GmbH was commissioned by DEG Impulse to evaluate the KTI. The evaluation assessed the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the KTI, identified methodological lessons learned and conclusions resulting from the findings, and provided evidence-based, actionable recommendations for DEG Impulse and Knauf. Furthermore, the evaluation integrated a gender perspective, in order to address the initiative’s effects on gender mainstreaming and women empowerment. Eventually, the evaluation investigated the additionality of the initiative, i.e., the extent to which further and/or more impacts were achieved through the financial support of DEG Impulse. The evaluation followed a mixed-methods case-study design, collecting primary data through individual and group interviews in Germany and three target countries (i.e., Egypt, Algeria and Mexico), as well as a semi-standardized online survey among TC staff in countries not visited. Secondary data, including monitoring reports, training materials, and TC survey data, were analyzed through a desk study. The evaluation team conducted interviews with TC staff, stakeholders, and beneficiaries, ensuring appropriate representation of diverse target groups. The data analysis involved qualitative content analysis using the software MaxQDA, as well as a descriptive statistical analysis of quantitative data from the surveys, with disaggregation by gender and country where possible.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Dzoara Santoyo Castillo
Client: DEG Impulse
Mid-term Evaluaton
Start of project: December 2023
End of project: December 2024
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Evaluation of the program “Quartiersimpulse”

The evaluation focused on the funding program "Quartiersimpulse" of the Allianz für Beteiligung e.V. and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Integration of Baden-Wuerttemberg. [Read More]The evaluation focused on the funding program "Quartiersimpulse" of the Allianz für Beteiligung e.V. and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Integration of Baden-Wuerttemberg. The programme has been part of the state strategy "Quartier 2030 – Gemeinsam.Gestalten" since 2018 and is aimed at municipalities in Baden-Wuerttemberg. It promotes projects with a focus on age- and generation-appropriate development in neighborhoods through citizen participation, which is supported by external consulting. A prerequisite for funding is collaboration with both civil society partners and the municipal political level. The goal of the mid-term evaluation was to take stock and identify optimization potentials for the further development of the program. In this context, the evaluation aimed to assess the quality of program implementation, as well as the goals and outcomes achieved so far, and to capture the networking of the program and the resulting synergy effects in the context of the state strategy. Based on these findings, recommendations for the further development of the program were derived. The evaluation was based on a multi-method approach that combined document analysis and a quantitative online survey with qualitative surveys conducted during on-site visits and virtual interviews.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Wolfgang Meyer, Kathrin Buchheit, Anne Küttel
Client: Allianz für Beteiligung e.V.
Start of project: May 2018
End of project: October 2024
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International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET)

The International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET) is an executive training program in development evaluation. From 2018 to 2024, it was managed jointly by [Read More]The International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET) is an executive training program in development evaluation. From 2018 to 2024, it was managed jointly by the Center for Continuing Education at the University of Bern (Switzerland), the Center for Evaluation at Saarland University (Germany), and the Independent Evaluation Group of the World Bank. Since 2021, IPDET has been a key implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI). IPDET aims to provide managers and practitioners in the field of evaluation with the tools required to evaluate policies, programs and projects at local, regional, national, and global levels, as well as to commission, manage, and especially use those evaluations for decision-making. Further information on IPDET can be found on the website: https://ipdet.org/.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Dzoara Santoyo Castillo, Laszlo Szentmarjay, Vanessa Krieger, Reinhard Stockmann, Stefanie Krapp, Hilde Folger, Silvana Saturno | Cooperation Partner: Lifelong Learning Center, University of Bern, LLC, Independent Evaluation Group, IEG, Global Evaluation Initiative, GEI
Client: World Bank Group
Accompanying, Ex Post Evaluation, Program Evaluation
Start of project: July 2023
End of project: September 2024
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Evaluation of the EU Home Affairs Funds: Mid-term evaluations of the Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI)

Under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), the European Commission (EU COM) provides the Internal Security Fund (ISF; managed [Read More]Under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), the European Commission (EU COM) provides the Internal Security Fund (ISF; managed by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA)), the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI, managed by the Federal Police) and the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF, managed by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF)). Together, these form the so-called "Home Affairs Funds". The member states are obliged to prepare mid-term and final evaluations for the EU Commission on the implementation of the measures financed by the individual funds and the degree to which the objectives of the national programmes supported by the Home Affairs Funds have been achieved. The main users of the evaluations are the EU (DG Home), the fund-managing authorities BKA, BPOL and BAMF and their monitoring committees. The aim of the evaluations is to assess the results and outcomes of the programmes and measures co-financed by the Home Affairs Fund based on the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value. The coherence between the individual funds is of particular interest. In addition to assessing success, the evaluations should also develop recommendations for improving the quality of the design and implementation of the national programmes and analyse the coherence and use of synergy potential between the individual funds. After the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) carried out the mid-term evaluation for the ISF on behalf of the BKA in 2017, it has now been commissioned again to carry out the final evaluation of the ISF for the 2014-2020 funding period and the mid-term evaluation of the ISF, the BMVI and the AMIF for the 2021-2027 funding period. In the course of this, GIZ commissioned CEval GmbH to carry out the > Final evaluation of the ISF, security sub-sector and border sub-sector, 2014-2021 funding period, > Mid-term evaluation of the ISF, current funding period 2021-2027 and > Mid-term evaluation of the BMVI, current funding period 2021-2027 to be carried out. Various survey procedures are used to triangulate sources and methods: > Research of all relevant programme and project documents as well as monitoring data, > Semi-standardised online survey with project participants and their implementation partners as well as other potentially eligible applicants and > Guided qualitative interviews with programme and project managers.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Vera Hennefeld, Sandra Bäthge, Laszlo Szentmarjay, Juliane Löw, Dzoara Santoyo Castillo, Tanja Stockmann
Client: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ
Organizational Consulting
Start of project: November 2023
End of project: June 2024
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Study on double counting of GIZ standard indicators at country level

Funded by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) In German development cooperation, several projects usually work towards a common goal in a [Read More]Funded by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) In German development cooperation, several projects usually work towards a common goal in a country, a region, and/or a sector, but report their results individually and often without comparing them with each other. 2022 the BMZ has introduced the "BMZ 2030" reform concept and thus decided that GIZ projects should report on 44 so-called standard indicators along defined core topics. This laid the foundation for cross-project reporting of results, which can also be used for political communication. However, due to the multiple collection of data, there is a risk that the aggregation of these indicators at the country level will overestimate the results and impacts achieved. The aim of the study was to develop a method for identifying the frequency and magnitude of these overlaps, to apply this method, and, based on the findings, to draw up recommendations on how double counting can be avoided in the future. To this end, a quantitative "hot spot" analysis was carried out on the basis of an online survey conducted by GIZ in order to identify the potential risk of overlaps. For the subsequent validation of the actual occurrence of overlaps, empirical data was collected from interviews with portfolio managers and cluster coordinators. Based on this data, the magnitude of overlaps was estimated, and a methodologically robust solution approach was developed.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Hilde Folger
Client: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ