UNICEF Country reports- Venezuela

Between November 2020 and March 2021 UNICEF Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO) conducted a real-time assessment (RTA) to review the quality and effectiveness of the response of four Country Offices (COs) (Argentina, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Venezuela) to the COVID-19 pandemic. The RTA a) informed a forward-looking reflection on the current CO responses to COVID-19, and b) supported LACRO’s oversight role vis-à-vis the implementation of CO response to COVID-19 in the region. This RTA was conceived as a ‘light-touch’ evaluative exercise to assess how four COs adapted and implemented their response to COVID-19. Nevertheless, the RTA synthesis findings and conclusions are not fully representative of UNICEF’s overall response in the region, which encompasses 24 country offices operating in highly diverse local contexts. The Evaluation section at UNICEF LACRO and the RTA team adopted a flexible approach in adjusting objectives, scope, and methods throughout the evaluative process to ensure the usability of the recommendations. The focus of the RTA evolved from an initial programmatic approach (‘what to prioritize’) to an analysis of the quality of the response (‘how to reinforce quality’). The RTA used a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Given the constraints posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, primary and secondary information could only be collected through remote data collection methods. To the extent possible, the RTA drew on multiple sources to triangulate data and reduce bias. Findings and recommendations were validated and prioritized during CO and RO workshops. The RTA complied with UNEG Norms and Standards as well as UNICEF ethical guidance documents. An ethical clearance was not required since children and adolescents were not consulted. However, the evaluation requested informed consent prior to interviews and explained how data would be used for reporting.