In July 2018, Maarifa Consult won a tender to conduct an end of project evaluation for ReHope Project Implemented by the Palladium Group,Mercy corps and DCA in Bibibidi in Yumbe district and Palorinya in Moyo district IDP camps and Host communities in West Nile in Uganda.
In 2017, Palladium partnered with Mercy Corps (MC) in co-designing and later implementing a pilot project in the West Nile Sub-Region using a market systems approach under the DFID-funded NU-TEC MD programme. In the partnership, NU-TEC MD would focus on engaging agribusiness firms to invest in West Nile to increase input and market access for both refugees and host communities, with NU-TEC MD focusing on host communities while Mercy Corps engaged refugees through extension and promotion.
This pilot is based on our (DFID, NU-TEC MD and MC) fundamental premise that opportunities for economic growth do exist in crisis situations and that even in distorted markets, businesses can thrive if they are able to stay flexible and adapt quickly. Further to this, we believe these opportunities for businesses can, and do, lead to increased market access and resilience for refugees and host communities. Both MC (sub-contracted DCA) and Palladium have had existing projects in West Nile and are both leveraging these experiences to implement this pilot on behalf of DFID.
The pilot project was put up to demonstrate the potential of market systems approaches to operationalize ReHoPE in both refugee and host communities to UN agencies and NGOs. Specifically, stakeholders wanted to understand the different components that are needed to move refugees and host community farmers into good yielding agricultural production and links to off takers so their income increases.
NU-TEC MD programme has completed the implementation of a pilot ReHope project in the West Nile Sub-Region using a market systems approach within the refugee and host community in partnership with Mercy Corps with all the key activities implemented in the last 12 months. The main purpose of this end of pilot evaluation is therefore to review and assess progress and results attained. The evaluation report will demonstrate the potential of market systems approaches to operationalize ReHope in both refugee and host communities to UN agencies and NGOs in West Nile region providing tactical recommendations for evidence-based decision making, inform management, donor agencies, government and other stakeholders on related strategic directions and future implementation.