Strategic Insights: Evaluating Cook Islands' Development Programme

The challenge

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) engaged Future Partners to carry out a Strategic Evaluation of its development programme in the Cook Islands, covering the years 2015 to 2021. The evaluation focused on the period from 2018 to 2021, particularly the impacts of COVID-19 on the Cook Islands' economic and social well-being, aiming to build a robust evidence base to better understand MFAT's contributions to the Cook Islands' development priorities.

What we did

• Employed both qualitative and quantitative methods to address Key Evaluation Questions (KEQs), examining the effectiveness of MFAT's programme, its impact on the Cook Islands' own development, and its relationship with Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Sought ways to enhance the programme's delivery and ensure its interventions are sustainable and strengthened for future phases.

How we worked

In 2023, the evaluation team spent ten days in the Cook Islands conducting fieldwork. The team comprised experts in evaluation methodology, finance, developmental practices, gender equity, social inclusion, climate change, and small island state development. With extensive experience in the Pacific, including two members from the Cook Islands, the team conducted 60 interviews with stakeholders from government, private sectors, civil society, and New Zealand government agencies.

Outcomes