Summative Evaluation of the Technical Assistance in Support of Public Financial Reform (AT-RFP) – Executive summary

The findings, conclusions, recommendations, and lessons listed below are those of the Contractor and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department or the Government of Canada. The Department does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided in this report.

Table of contents

• Description of the project and development context
• Rationale, purpose and specific objectives of the evaluation
• Evaluation object and scope
• Evaluation approach and methodology
• Key findings
• Key conclusions
• Recommendations
• Key lessons

Description of the project and development context

The Technical Assistance in Support of Public Financial Reform (AT-RFP)^{Footnote 1} project, implemented since 2019 with the support of Global Affairs Canada (GAC), represents a major lever of the Government of Canada’s assistance to Senegal’s structural reforms. Its central objective is to strengthen the performance of Senegalese public institutions, particularly in the areas of public financial management (PFM) and the consolidation of institutional frameworks linked to the Emerging Senegal Plan.

By directly contributing to the operationalization of the Loi organique relative aux lois de finances [organic law on finance acts], the project aims to support sector ministries in modernizing their planning, programming, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation (PPBME) processes. Its approach is distinguished by the systematic and cross-cutting integration of gender equality, in line with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) and Senegal’s commitments to inclusive and inequality-sensitive governance.

Rationale, purpose and specific objectives of the evaluation

The evaluation seeks to assess the relevance and effectiveness of the project’s interventions, to document the results achieved, and to identify the challenges and opportunities for optimizing the implementation of activities in the project’s final year (2025-2026).

This evaluation serves a threefold purpose: formative, by proposing methodological and organizational adjustments; summative, by providing a structured assessment of the results achieved; and forward-looking, by identifying key levers and priorities to be strengthened in order to maximize impact and ensure the sustainability of the gains.

The formative evaluation pursues specific objectives aligned with standard evaluation criteria. It aims to assess the project’s effectiveness with regard to the targeted intermediate outcomes; analyze the relevance of the results obtained in relation to beneficiaries’ needs and their level of uptake; evaluate the efficiency of implementation modalities; identify factors that support the sustainability of results; capture lessons learned; and formulate evidence-based recommendations to guide adjustments that will optimize the project’s final phases.

The end-users of this evaluation are, first and foremost, the project’s beneficiaries, the Government of Senegal, the implementing partners and the Government of Canada, through GAC.

Evaluation object and scope

The formative evaluation of the AT-RFP project focuses on analyzing the capacity-building activities implemented to support the reform of public financial management in Senegal, in accordance with the Loi organique relative aux lois de finances. It covers the period from March 2019 to March 2026, with an overall budget of Can$15,600,000, primarily financed by Global Affairs Canada (Can$14,998,300). The evaluation concentrates on activities carried out between 2019 and 2024. Implemented mainly in Dakar, with occasional interventions in the regions, it involves core national institutions and 5 sector ministries:

• Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock (MASAE)
• Ministry of National Education (MEN)
• Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines (MEPM)
• Ministry of Vocational Training (MFP)
• Ministry of Family and Solidarity (MFS)

The evaluation examines the project’s 10 outputs and 4 immediate outcomes, as measured in the Performance Measurement Framework (PMF), targeting the following intermediate outcomes: strengthened public financial management capacities; strengthened institutional frameworks of the Emerging Senegal Plan that include gender and environmental considerations; and improved performance of public institutions. It draws on the contributions of numerous national and technical partners and seeks to assess the effectiveness, coherence and sustainability of the interventions, while integrating the cross-cutting themes of gender equality and the environment. This initiative is aligned with Canada’s FIAP.

Evaluation approach and methodology

The evaluation is based on 5 OECD-DAC criteria—relevance, coherence, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability—complemented by the cross-cutting dimensions of gender equality and the environment.

The approach relies on a mixed-methods methodology, combining a document review of the reports and tools produced with direct consultations involving 75 key stakeholders, out of a total of 97 initially targeted. These stakeholders include the Cowater International implementation team, the technical and administrative officials of the 5 beneficiary ministries (MEN, MFS, MASAE, MFP and MEPM), as well as cross-cutting institutions such as the Ministry of Finance and Budget (MFB) and the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Cooperation (MEPC). The Embassy of Canada and several technical and financial partners (LuxDev, AFD) also participated. The main techniques used include the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data to validate the findings. Data-collection challenges were encountered, primarily related to the limited availability of interlocutors and recent institutional changes, which prolonged the data-collection period and required methodological adjustments.

Key findings

The formative evaluation highlights the significant progress achieved by the AT-RFP project, while also underscoring persistent challenges that affect the full achievement of its objectives.

Achievements and progress

The project’s major achievements lie in capacity building and guidance/support, including the integration of gender considerations into the various components of the PPBME chain. Several effective tools were developed, including a checklist for integrating gender into the PPBME chain, gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) modules and the systematic inclusion of gender in logic models and budget templates. These instruments directly supported gender units and program managers within beneficiary ministries, thereby strengthening the foundations for more inclusive public management.

Capacity building represents a second notable area of progress. The 5 partner ministries have significantly improved their skills in gender-responsive planning, programming, budgeting and monitoring-evaluation. This momentum was supported by the deployment of an innovative e-‑learning platform, which expanded access to training and ensured continuity in skills development, as well as through the training of internal trainers responsible for disseminating what had been learned and ensuring its sustainability.

Furthermore, the mobilization of the project’s financial and logistical resources has been assessed as efficient and rigorous. The resources provided not only covered planned needs but also made it possible to anticipate certain unforeseen demands. For example, the project responds directly to the priorities of Senegal’s budgetary reform by providing concrete and tailored technical support for implementing the Loi organique relative aux lois de finances. This technical assistance is perceived as a significant added value by institutional stakeholders. The project has regularly produced modules, guides and technical reports that have been validated by beneficiaries and are considered credible and useful reference materials for supporting the budgetary reform.

Challenges and limitations

The evaluation highlights that the internalization of gender within institutional practices remains limited. Although tools are available, their uptake remains partial and uneven across ministries. Gender equality is still too often perceived as an external requirement, and its full institutionalization will require a deeper cultural shift, supported by strengthened political and administrative leadership.

The involvement of the MFB was not effective at the very beginning of the project. The coordination mechanism within the General Directorate of Budget was not optimal.

The limited engagement of program managers, who are key actors in the reform, represents another major challenge. Their often irregular participation has hindered the dissemination of tools related to GRB and has restricted the effective anchoring of new practices within planning and budgeting chains.

A third challenge relates to inter-institutional coordination. The evaluation points to insufficient synergy with other projects and technical partners, particularly the Institutional Strengthening for Gender Equity and Equality project and LuxDev. Despite the existence of formal collaboration mechanisms, the coordination efforts did not generate significant added value.

Key conclusions

The formative evaluation of the AT‑RFP project confirms that it has played a pivotal role in building Senegal’s institutional capacities in public financial management (PFM) and in integrating gender considerations into the core of budgeting and planning processes. The project has helped lay solid foundations for more inclusive public governance that is responsive to accountability imperatives, in alignment with the commitments of the Emerging Senegal Plan and Canada’s FIAP.

The achievements are noteworthy: strengthened technical capacities within the targeted ministries; the introduction and gradual uptake of gender-responsive budgeting tools; support for the establishment of Management Control Units in 3 ministries (the ministries responsible for national education, mines and geology, and vocational training); the development of innovative mechanisms such as the e-learning platform; and the creation of dialogue spaces such as the Rendez-vous de la performance and the Forums de la performance. These elements have contributed to improving institutional performance and increasing alignment with regional (West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)) and international (SDGs 5 and 16) standards.

However, the sustainability of these achievements remains contingent upon pivotal factors:

• Enhanced institutional uptake: Although tools and methodologies have been developed, their effective internalization requires stronger commitment from the beneficiary ministries and clear accountability for program managers and ministerial secretaries-general. This change process must be supported by strong political and administrative leadership.
• Improved production and use of gender-disaggregated data: The absence of systematic disaggregation and gender-sensitive monitoring indicators limits the ability to measure differentiated effects on women and men. Institutionalizing such indicators within national monitoring systems remains a priority to ensure the credibility and accountability of the reforms.
• Strengthened coordination with other PFM reform initiatives: The project would benefit from optimizing coordination frameworks with other interventions in order to avoid overlaps, make better use of resources, ensure coherence of support and improve project performance.

In summary, the AT‑RFP project is viewed as a relevant, effective and meaningful intervention, but its long-term impact will depend on Senegal’s ability to institutionalize its gains, strengthen its gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and consolidate inter-institutional and partnership coordination.

Recommendations

In light of the findings of the formative evaluation, there are 3 priority strategic recommendation areas for strengthening the relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of the AT‑RFP project during its final implementation phase (2025-2026) and beyond.

Deepen gender integration

• Strengthen ongoing training on gender-responsive budgeting and inclusive planning, with priority given to program managers, gender units and the planning and budget directorates.
• Intensify advocacy efforts with high-level political and administrative decision makers (notably ministerial secretaries-general) to ensure strong and visible leadership in the uptake of GRB.
• Institutionalize within ministries the use of the gender checklist and gender-disaggregated indicators in planning, programming and budget-monitoring tools by formally integrating them into annual work plans and ministerial performance frameworks.

Improve monitoring and evaluation (M&E)

• Systematize the disaggregation of data by sex, by ministry and by hierarchical level, aligning the project’s monitoring tools with national standards on public financial management and with the Performance Measurement Framework (PMF). The PMF and its impact indicators were revised and validated by GAC twice over the course of implementation, in addition to the initial PMF.
• Develop and operationalize indicators to concretely measure the project’s results, such as:
  • the percentage of women holding positions of responsibility in budget management
  • the proportion of program budgets that incorporate gender considerations
  • trends in women’s participation in strategic training sessions and management dialogues
• Build the capacity of ministries to analyze and use data in order to inform policy dialogue, performance reporting and decision making.

Strengthen coordination and sustainability

• Formalize mechanisms for synergy and coordination with other projects and partners supporting PFM, through memorandums of understanding and joint monitoring frameworks.
• Ensure the sustainability of the tools developed by the AT‑RFP project by ensuring their institutional transfer and integration into national systems, notably:
  • the e-learning platform, which could become a national mechanism for disseminating content and building capacities in public financial management
  • the Forum de la performance, as a space for accountability, knowledge sharing and interministerial dialogue
  • the “Reform Toolkit,” whose guides, templates, briefs and modules should be consolidated into an accessible and regularly updated national reference framework
• Develop a national strategy to ensure the sustainability of AT‑RFP achievements, including the training of ministerial trainers, the transfer of skills and the institutionalization of innovations (management control, risk mapping).

Key lessons

The evaluation identified several key lessons for ensuring the sustainability of the project’s achievements. In the face of staff mobility and institutional instability, building a critical mass of professionals and experts within ministerial departments is essential. Formal cooperation mechanisms among partners are crucial to optimizing synergies and avoiding duplication of efforts. Institutional sustainability depends above all on the commitment of the Senegalese government, notably through the long-term integration of the project’s tools into official procedures. Finally, achieving gender equality in PFM requires an organizational culture shift, supported by strong leadership and the gradual uptake of reforms by frontline actors.

Perspectives

The formative evaluation of the AT‑RFP project opens strategic perspectives that should guide the final phase of implementation (2025-2026) and ensure the sustainability of the gains beyond the project’s duration.

Sustainable institutionalization: A major challenge remains the full and lasting anchoring of gender-responsive budgeting and public financial management practices within national and ministerial procedures. This requires not only the formal integration of the tools developed by the project (checklists, methodological guides, budget templates) into planning and budgeting cycles, but also their official recognition by central institutions (MFB, MEPC). Sustainable institutionalization will further depend on the creation of a critical pool of trainers and on the adoption of the e-learning platform as a permanent capacity-building mechanism.

Enhanced accountability: Consolidating the project’s gains will require a substantial strengthening of monitoring and evaluation systems, with particular attention paid to the collection and analysis of gender-disaggregated data. The development of impact indicators will make it possible to more accurately measure the project’s effects, notably on women’s participation in decision-making positions and on differentiated budget allocations. These mechanisms will enhance the transparency and accountability of beneficiary institutions, while fostering more informed dialogue between national and international partners.

Strengthened synergies: Establishing formal protocols for coordination and joint monitoring with technical and financial partners is an essential step toward optimizing efficiency and avoiding duplication. This enhanced synergy will also promote greater harmonization of approaches in public financial management and gender equality.