Final Evaluation of the project “Accelerating Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery through Improved Livelihood, Employability, and Regional Cooperation in Ferghana Valley”

The project "Accelerating Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery through Improved Livelihood, Employability, and Regional Cooperation in Ferghana Valley" (further – RTC, project) was launched in January 2021 with an overall goal to mitigate anticipated adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable social groups in Tajikistan, including women, youth and returned migrants, and to support socio-economic development in the Sughd region through employable skills development, support to micro-, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), public sector institutions, and regional trade promotion. The following outcomes and outputs were envisaged to be achieved by the project: Outcome: Regional and local governments, MSMEs and people effectively adapt their business and livelihoods strategies to withstand the social and economic challenges triggered by COVID-19 and other economic risks. Output 1: Enhanced opportunities to reskill and upskill targeting unemployed young women and men, returned migrants and people from vulnerable households; Output 2: Innovations for stimulation of entrepreneurship and income-generation for vulnerable communities in bordering areas; Output 3: Promoting startup platforms and development of trade potential across Ferghana Valley. Initiated in 2021, the project was implemented in 2022 – 2023 – this substantial delay was related mainly to the pandemic mitigation measures limiting people’s movement and contacts in Tajikistan in 2021. RTC was implemented in 11 administrative districts and cities of the Sughd region in close coordination with the relevant national Ministries, specifically, with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, and the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment, as well as with Sughd Regional Administration and administrations in the 10 target districts. The purpose of this evaluation was to assess the results of the RTC project, including its implementation approaches, progress made, and challenges encountered, to identify and document the lessons learnt, and make recommendations for future course of actions.