Abstract
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Victim's Institutional Strengthening Program (VISP) aimed to strengthen the Government of Colombia's and victims' organizations' capacity to promptly and effectively implement the Victims Law (VL) and the Peace Accord. The program provided support to design, implement, and evaluate tools, methodologies, systems, projects, programs, and policies. The program prioritized 40 municipalities in ten departments, and its activities strengthened the institutional capacity of public agencies nationally. This final performance evaluation aims to assess whether the program?s interventions, deliverables, outcomes, and results have been accomplished. The evaluation utilizes eight questions that probe the program?s contributions to improve assistance and services for victims and access to rehabilitation services, as well as promote economic stabilization. The evaluation also addresses the program?s contributions to the Peace Accord implementation and includes questions regarding the sustainability of results and the challenges of working with different stakeholders. The evaluation team applied a mixed methods approach with four components. First, the team conducted a review, content analysis, and strategic summary of over 120 relevant documents (e.g., program documentation, public policies, normative documentation, and evaluations). The team then collected qualitative data through more than 150 semi-structured interviews conducted at the national and local levels with 33 key informants (e.g., organizations, public agencies, experts, and implementing partner documentation). We subsequently performed quantitative analysis using data from ten secondary sources, relying on various statistical methodologies, including cross-sectional, probabilistic modeling, and quasi-experimental analysis. Finally, the team conducted 78 digital surveys at victim service points and health facilities in VISP-supported municipalities and comparable areas. The evaluation team identified 110 findings, leading to 57 conclusions and 78 recommendations. The main conclusion of the evaluation is that VISP's flexible approach has been successful and has significantly contributed to the implementation of the VL by working jointly with national and local level actors to identify and implement actions to strengthen their institutional and individual capacity. This approach included collaboration on work plans for developing conceptual methodologies, operational protocols, intervention models, communication strategies, information systems, and follow-up mechanisms. Advances in contributing to implementing the Peace Accords were significant, albeit less visible and bound by time limitations. All in all, opportunities remain for continued support to the GoC and victim's organizations in advancing the implementation of the VL and the Peace Accord. This is especially true with regard to increasing victim?s access to rehabilitation services; expediting economic reparations and the economic stabilization of victims; and guaranteeing conditions for the defense of human rights, especially in a context in which victimization continues and where there is a need to sustain political and monetary commitments to the comprehensive reparation for victims.