Overview
This report provides an overview of the evaluation of the first phase of the Global Quality and Standards Programme (GQSP) from December 2017 to November 2023. The evaluation covers seven countries, including Colombia, Peru, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, South Africa, and Georgia.
The findings indicate that the GQSP has achieved good results in strengthening quality infrastructures and enhancing awareness for quality. However, the program's effectiveness varies between quality infrastructure institutions and small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs), with limited reach to SMEs and mixed results in terms of enhanced export competitiveness. Financial sustainability is also highlighted as crucial for long-term impact.
The evaluation concludes that the overall intervention logic of the GQSP works partially and suggests revising the theory of change to better reflect the program's scope and factors influencing export competitiveness. Furthermore, the evaluation recommends continued
financial support for the development and maintenance of global knowledge tools created under the GQSP.
Recommendations for the second phase of the GQSP include strategies to enhance SME outreach, better definition of target beneficiaries, innovative approaches for capacity building, investment in empirical evidence collection, revision of the theory of change, consideration of a parallel trade promotion program, and strengthening long-term sustainability.
Overall, the evaluation highlights the achievements and areas for improvement of the GQSP and provides valuable recommendations for the second phase to enhance its effectiveness and impact on quality infrastructure and SMEs.
