EDCF Country Program Evaluation in Cambodia: Lessons Learned and Implications for the APEC Region

This paper is based on the country program evaluation of EDCF (Economic Development Cooperation Fund)’s ODA projects for Cambodia. The evaluation was carried out based on data collected through documentary review, stakeholder interview and field investigation. After compiling the evaluation on six criteria - relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, sustainability and coherence - the EDCF projects for Cambodia were evaluated as ‘successful (3.14/4.0 points).’ Moving forward, the highest priority sectors for EDCF in Cambodia were identified as transportation, water resources, and education. The success of EDCF programs at Cambodia is due to the projects’ alignment with the partner country’s development policies, and the responsiveness that EDCF showed to keep in steps with environmental changes. However, a bigger impact could be made if alternative measures are ready when long-term delays occur, if more workers are dispatched to EDFC Phnom Penh office, and if there is a sharper differentiation between EDCF and other agencies. We believe that both the achievements and limitations of EDCF’s development efforts in Cambodia can be extended to many nations in the APEC region.