Challenges and Insights from Mixed Methods Impact Evaluations in Protracted Refugee Situations

Abstract

A series of four mixed methods impact evaluations and an overall synthesis report, conducted in 2011 and 2012, explored the contribution of food assistance to short, medium and long-term outcomes and impacts in WFP/UNHCR operations in protracted refugee situations. Refugee groups in four countries were studied: Myanmar Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, arriving from the early 1990s. Refugees from the Central African Republic in southern Chad, arriving from 2002. Eritrean and Somali refugees in Ethiopia, arriving from 1990. Congolese refugees living in camps in Rwanda, arriving from 1994. The overall objective of the evaluation series was to provide evidence and inspiration for future strategies to improve the contribution of food assistance for refugees in protracted situations. The main intended audiences were policy and strategy makers and programme implementers within WFP and UNHCR, governments hosting refugees, donor agencies and other relevant United Nations and non-governmental agencies. The contribution of this chapter is to illustrate how evaluators working in ‘real world’ situations and especially in humanitarian contexts experience and manage time, budget, data availability and political constraints (Bamberger et al., 2012).