Sida’s support to the World Bank Group in 2021

The UNDP South Sudan, Peace and Community Cohesion project (PaCC), Phase 1 (2017 to 2020), aimed to improve security by strengthening relations between divided communities through joint projects. It also helped to set up institutional peace institutions at both local and national level.

Main method: Review of documentation and monitoring data, complemented with interviews.

Positives: Beneficiaries reported improvements in a range of areas, including perceived security. However, the data does not permit us to clearly attribute these improvements to the project. Sida’s non-earmarked funding enabled adaptive management and flexibility, allowing funds to be spent across activities as needed, which was perceived as important for achieving positive results.

Potential shortcomings: The security situation in the project areas remain volatile, and gains  are fragile due to recurring crises. The project did not successfully address the weak or absent institutions. Local achievements were not scaled up to the national level, highlighting the difficulties of achieving sustainable impact in a fragile, and conflict-affected context with limited political will. Sida’s reporting is based exclusively on the project data available, which result in limitations of rigidity. These limitations have not been reflected in Sida’s reporting.

Purpose and use

This evaluation assesses Sida’s core institutional support to the Innovation Centre Kosovo (ICK) over the period 2019-2024. The evaluation offers an independent assessment of ICK’s performance, the results achieved through Sida’s support, and the institution’s readiness for long-term sustainability.

Conclusion

Sida’s core support helped ICK remain a relevant and trusted actor in Kosovo’s innovation ecosystem, enabling continuity of services and contributing to digital skills and early-stage entrepreneurship. However, institutional and structural weaknesses limited sustained outcomes and wider impact. ICK’s sustainability will depend on modernising governance, reducing financial vulnerabilities, and repositioning within a more competitive ecosystem. Strengthening these foundations is essential for ICK to build on past investments and continue contributing to Kosovo’s digital and entrepreneurial development.

Recommendation

Sida shifts from a single-institution model toward a broader ecosystem approach, focusing future support on coordinated interventions that strengthen Kosovo’s innovation system. Any future institutional funding should be preceded by stronger governance due diligence, ensuring partners have clear structures, transparency, and compliance.