Abstract
The Colombian Truth, Coexistence, and Non-repetition Commission (CEV) requested a performance evaluation from the USAID/Colombia Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) activity in 2020. The evidence generated through this evaluation will inform the CEV?s Final Report and offer guidance for the Follow-up and Monitoring Committee that will take over once the CEV completes its mandate in November 2021.
The evaluation uses a mixed-method design and concludes that the actions, strategies, and methodologies designed by the Social Dialogue Office (SDO) helped achieve the CEV?s three missional objectives: recognition, non-repetition, and coexistence. Nevertheless, factors such as the armed conflict?s persistence, the current global health crisis, and coordination difficulties within the CEV and the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparations, and Non-Repetition (SIVJRNR) have impeded or delayed specific results.
Both qualitative and quantitative evidence show that the SDO has been particularly effective in establishing that truth and reconstructing memory are necessary to identify the damage inflicted on victims and their resistance to the armed conflict. Still, more work is necessary for coexistence to take hold in Colombia and must come from a culture of dialogue and respect.
The relevance of this evaluation extends beyond the CEV?s scope and includes both ordinary public institutions and the SIVJRNR. In the short-term, it is necessary for the CEV and the SDO to work harder to include civilian groups such as the business sector and state agencies in its activities. Using clear and targeted messaging, the CEV should use the time remaining until the end of its mandate to prepare the Colombian society, especially public institutions, to implement recommendations.
The CEV?s legacy, described in its Final Report, its recommendations, and the narrative that captures the root causes of the armed conflict and violence patterns, will impact Colombian society and provide information about the CEV that transcends those individuals and groups who support the 2016 Peace Agreement. Generating support for the CEV?s legacy should bring together the SDO?s efforts, the SIVJRNR, ordinary public institutions, and international cooperation. This evaluation report provides recommendations toward achieving this outcome.