Evaluation Brief of EU's Support to Ethiopian Civil Society through the Civil Society Fund III Programme

Context and Objectives: The Civil Society Fund III (CSF III) Programme, a European Union initiative supporting Ethiopian civil society, had a dual focus: funding 27 projects and providing technical assistance through a dedicated Technical Assistance Unit (TAU). Spanning from 2019 to 2023, with a comprehensive budget of €16 million, the program aimed to bolster the role of civil society in Ethiopia's development and democratisation processes. Implementation: The programme's implementation featured extensive engagement, distributing €16 million across projects and to TAU’s operations. During 4,818 working days, it provided crucial support to 27 beneficiary civil society organisations (CSOs) and entities like the Ethiopian Civil Society Council.

Key Findings: The evaluation highlighted the significant alignment of CSF III with Ethiopia's developmental and governance reform policies. It successfully enhanced the capacity of CSOs in various operational and advocacy aspects. However, the evaluation also identified areas requiring further improvement, particularly in training methodologies, efficiency, sustainability, and policy influencing strategies.

Main elements of the overall conclusion: 

• Alignment of reference documents (National Indicative Programme, Action Document, Roadmap) with some nuances. 

• The EU's policy and strategy for supporting civil society in Ethiopia is coherent, clear, and detailed. 

• The EU is a key actor in supporting Ethiopian civil society, both in terms of financial volume and participation in various support programmes. 

• The CSFIII programme began during a shift in dynamics between Ethiopian civil society and governmental authorities. 

• Mixed conclusions, including the absence of a tripartite project steering committee, the use of call for proposals modality, lack of strategic coordination among programmes, and internal dynamics of CSFIII implementation. 

• Challenges such as the need for ongoing stakeholder mapping and addressing issues of corruption, ethnic federalism, and government coherence in the future.

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*This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of EuroPlus Consulting & Management and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. This evaluation is an independent, evidence-based assessment of the Civil Society Fund III Programme of European Union.