Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 
  Listen to the text     Normal screen 
  Full table of contents     Previous     Next     Similar documents  

Executive Summary

This evaluation of NORDEM, the Norwegian Resource Bank for Democracy and Human Rights was carried out by the Danish T&B Consult at the request of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) September 2001 – January 2002.

The purpose was to provide information on NORDEM activities 1993–2000 in relation to its secondment of personnel to international organisations such as the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Keeping in mind NORDEM’s mandate to promote human rights and democratisation globally, the evaluation sought to evaluate secondments in terms of the possible impact on seconded organisations, host societies and on competence building in host societies and in Norway. Of particular concern was whether NORDEM was cost-efficient and effective in carrying out its tasks and in exploiting the relevant human resources in Norway. The management and administration of NORDEM was a further issue. Finally, the evaluation team was asked to make recommendations for the future strengthening of NORDEM including mechanisms to render its activities more professional, streamlined and institutionalised.

Methodology

Qualitative and quantitative assessments were conducted. Three country case studies provided substantive contextualising of NORDEM activity and led to analysis and recommendations based on actual NORDEM assignments. The quantitative element was provided largely by the data derived from NORDEM's database and questionnaire-based surveys and through a study of data relating to supply of and demand for secondees, and seconded organisations, taken from NORDEM’s archives. Interviews with personnel at MFA and the Norwegian Institute for Human Rights (NIHR) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and archival research, supplemented by comparative analysis, where relevant, provided information for an analysis of NORDEM from the point of view of management and policy issues and other relevant issues.

Field studies were assigned in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), East Timor and Ethiopia. Each was the subject of a field trip by team members with relevant expertise assisted by a local consultant. These cases reflected the scope (geographical and otherwise) of NORDEM activities, and provided analysis on, in the case of East Timor, an assignment that was somewhat problematic for NORDEM and the MFA. The Ethiopian assignments (predominantly sending research personnel from the NIHR on election and human rights work) and the East Timor assignment (providing personnel and technology to the UN for serious crimes investigations) are atypical in NORDEM’s normal activities, but provide useful insights into the function of organisations like NORDEM as an external actor in the democratisation process in transitional states. Conversely, the BiH assignment represents the country to which the far greatest number of NORDEM members has been seconded. Reflecting this, the OSCE is the seconded agency to receive the greatest number of NORDEM personnel. Each field study involved prior desk research and interviews; field-interviews with stakeholders, including local organisations and relevant institutions and, to the extent possible, with NORDEM secondees at their work stations.

Main Findings

The overall finding was positive in terms of NORDEM’s efficiency and effectiveness to act on its mandate to second staff to international organisations, to prepare and support secondees for their tasks, and in terms of the relevance of the staff seconded to the priorities and needs of the seconded organisation. The main exception to this general finding was NORDEM’s involvement in the Serious Crimes Unit in East Timor. Local management difficulties and the structural difficulties of running serious crimes investigations within a UN Peacekeeping Mission were, however, contingent factors.

  • The evaluation concluded that while no direct causal relationship could be ascertained between the NORDEM secondees and the greater promotion of democracy in the country of assignment, a generally positive assessment was made of their impact on the locality. The work of NORDEM delegates related to reading rooms and political resource centres (Bosnia) and to substantive research findings (Ethiopia) were among the contributions to cooperation and networking in the host countries and to their democratisation process.
  • It was concluded likewise that NORDEM secondees had a positive impact on the democratic values of the seconded organisations, but methodological difficulties in making a definitive assessment must be noted. Evaluation from Bosnia indicated that Norwegian personnel in international organisations had an above-average impact in this respect, albeit incremental.
  • The evaluation concluded that NORDEM had the capacity to deploy timely and adequately trained staff from its Stand-by Force to actors such as the UN measured in relation to their demand. Concerning supply of senior personnel for senior positions within international organisations, for which the MFA wants "to create a demand", NORDEM’s delivery capacity is less convincing. Amongst the complex of underlying causes, the problem of full taxation of NORDEM delegates abroad appears to be of importance.
  • It was concluded that NORDEM was a cost-effective organisation when compared to other similar organisations.
  • More could be done on the part of NORDEM to stimulate the development and upgrading of Norwegian Human Resources, such as through additional training of candidates, individual mentoring of potential candidates and information dissemination in Norway in relation to the NORDEM opportunities.
  • In relation to the possible enhancement of Norwegian society and the professional capacity of secondees on their return, the conclusion was positive regarding spontaneous effects of the assignments abroad, but it was felt that more could be done to organise and support secondees on completion of assignment – particularly those returning from long-term assignments.
  • In relation to local capacity to supply personnel instead of NORDEM, the overall conclusion was that gradually in most cases secondees could, theoretically, be substituted by locals but frequently, for political reasons, neutral ‘outsiders’ were needed for tasks in sensitive political areas. In cases as the 1999 elections in East Timor, only internationals could have carried out the task.
  • There is scope and need for a better communicated and more visible NORDEM presence abroad, to promote contacts to relevant partners. In Ethiopia, a need to distinguish NORDEM staff from the Norwegian Embassy was detected.
  • It was concluded that NORDEM’s current management structure is not optimal. It will be important for NORDEM to develop a structure which maintains its independence from the MFA but acknowledges the needs for coordination and cooperation and also an information management system that can sustain the organisation through its future development.

Main Recommendations

  • To ensure full and adequate utilisation of the relevant Norwegian resources, support for Norwegian foreign policy and adequate operational independence of NORDEM, through coherent management, a Steering Committee for NORDEM made up of five members should be created, with two representatives from MFA, one from NIHR, one from NRC and a chairman from outside the constituent parties. The other designated members of the Committee should identify the chairperson. In the event of equity of votes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs should appoint him/her. The head of the NORDEM secretariat should be a permanent observer to the meetings of the Committee. The Committee should normally meet every second month, and normally only deal with questions of a general nature.

  • The Committee should elaborate a short and clear mandate and policy guidelines for NORDEM. To support this activity, the NORDEM secretariat should ensure that adequate and up-to-date management information is available, including aggregate figures on the quantitative aspects of NORDEM’s activities, syntheses on the experiences gathered from the assignments of the NORDEM delegates and a system for benchmarking NORDEM performance.

  • Initiatives should be taken to promote use of the newly acquired experience of NORDEM returnees to Norway, including networking among members, and dissemination of experiences.

  • The possibilities for additional upgrading of the Norwegian resource base by offering new options for courses for NORDEM members, and for individual mentoring for potential members, should be explored.

  • Priority should be given to the solution of the present taxation problem for the NORDEM secondees.

  • A study should be undertaken of current and possible future tendencies regarding the need for international personnel assistance within human rights and democracy, including good governance, rule of law and conflict resolution. The consequent need of the Resource Bank and the Stand-by Force should be considered in relation to this.

  • Consideration should be given to supplementing the present focus of NORDEM activity, that is, recruitment for secondments to international organisations, other types of recruitment of Norwegian staff for international positions within human rights, democracy and similar areas.

  • More direct communication between NORDEM and the seconded organisations and other employers of NORDEM staff should be established to give feedback and increase pro-activity in relation to the sharing of experience and problem solution.

  • As a rule, NORDEM should avoid complex operational management roles in specific projects. Instead, cooperation should be established with NORAD to obtain support when needed.