Evaluation : USAID/El Salvador midterm performance evaluation of USAID’S promoting citizen participation in public policy in El Salvador

It sought to determine: 1) the most significant intended and unintended results achieved; 2) the extent to which the activity influenced the electoral reform and policy agenda; 3) the extent to which the activity developed capacities of CSOs to better understand political culture and monitor electoral processes; and 4) the value of the Government and Public Policy Program for Emergent Leaders. Best practices and recommendations derived from this review should serve as useful inputs for the activity’s second phase. The team employed a mixed-methods data collection design including document review, key informant interviews, an online stakeholder survey, and focus group discussions. The evaluation found electoral monitoring and observation reports have helped to accurately document the 2018, 2019, and 2021 electoral processes, and are widely recognized for their rigor, reliability, and independence. The electoral reform proposals present strengths in terms of technical feasibility and relevance. Civil society participants positively regarded the quality and effectiveness of the courses on citizen advocacy for public policymaking at the local level. Recipients of the Certificate Course of the Government and Public Policy Program for Emergent Leaders agreed the program contributed to strengthening their personal and institutional capacity, providing them relevant and useful knowledge tools. The eight public policy proposals of the Presidential Agenda represented a systematic effort to present a diverse, extensive, and widely consulted agenda to presidential candidates during the 2019 election.