The Evaluation of EU Budget Support to Cambodia was led by Alta Fölscher alongside a team of experts in budget support evaluation and the Cambodia education sector, including Ann Bartholomew, John Patch and Thanarak Ang.

Over the assignment period, the EU was the only donor providing grant budget support in Cambodia. The evaluation was of the EU’s budget support programmes to the education sector: the Education Sector Policy Support Programme (ESPSP) 2011-2013; and the Education Sector Reform Partnership (ESRP) 2014-2016. The programmes supported the Education Strategic Plans 2009-13 and 2014-18, which targeted equitable access, education quality and capacity development of sector institutions, including at subnational level.

The evaluation applied the OECD-DAC methodological approach to the evaluation of budget support. It assessed the extent to which the programme contributed to more aligned and harmonised external aid to the education sector, and to improved policy dialogue; whether it was able to influence the achievement of reforms targeted in the Education Strategic Plans; and whether these reforms contributed to improving education outcomes.

The evaluation involved extensive fieldwork in Cambodia, including provincial level site visits and consultations. As well as producing a final evaluation report, the team conducted a discussion seminar in Phnom Penh with key stakeholders.