Mid-Term Evaluation and Management Response of the Joint Search-IPIS DGD Programme – June 2025

We are pleased to publish the Mid-Term Evaluation and associated Management Response for our joint programme “United for Peace and Sustainable Development in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings.” The programme, jointly implemented by Search for Common Ground (Search) and the International Peace Information Service (IPIS), is funded by the Belgian Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD) and lasts for the period 2022–2026. The programme generally aims to promote sustainable peace, development and equality in fragile and conflict-affected countries through projects implemented in Belgium, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

• In Belgium, both Search and IPIS encourage policymakers, private sector actors, and development actors to support sustainable business practices, peacebuilding, and conflict-sensitive approaches in light of observations and good practices from the Sahel and Great Lakes regions.
• In Burundi, Search promotes women’s economic empowerment and reduces socio-cultural barriers that hinder women’s socio-economic participation. The project improves their access to professional networks; supports civil society organizations (CSOs) working on gender issues; and strengthens the capacity of media professionals on gender issues.
• In Tanzania, IPIS promotes access to justice, good governance and human rights in the natural resources sector, through factual advocacy; by strengthening justice mechanisms and empowering users; and by informing local, regional, national and international stakeholders about the impact of extractive industries.
• In DRC, IPIS promotes human rights and improves working conditions; strengthens participatory governance in the extractive sector; increases the economic resilience of mining communities; and builds the capacity of local communities, CSOs, cooperatives and other relevant stakeholders

The Mid-Term Evaluation assesses the programme’s relevance, coherence, effectiveness, and impact, and provides recommendations for the remainder of the programme’s lifecycle and for potential next phases of the programme. The Management Response outlines our commitments and planned actions to further strengthen implementation throughout the rest of the programme period.

For more information, both documents are available for consultation.