Three projects were financed and implemented by the Italian NGOs FEM (to manage the action in India), ICEI (to manage the action in Sri Lanka) and ACRA (to manage the action in Ecuador).

The evaluation system was put in place to accompany the progresses, follow up the results achieved and to formulate appropriate guidance and elaborate lesson learnt targeting both implementers and donor agencies.

The three projects were similar in size and approach. All of them included an economic development dimension and the promotion of transitional link between the country of implementation and the respective community of migrants in Italy. Nevertheless, the three projects also presented important differences in term of sectors and method of implementation, pushing for the definition of a common evaluation framework and ad hoc, tailored, investigations.

• In Ecuador the project “rimesse per lo sviluppo” (remittance for development, implemented by the Italian NGO ACRA) aimed at contributing to the economic and social growth of the Ecuadorian population through a better channelling of remittances toward development of small water and sanitation actions.
• In India, the NGO FEM, was responsible for the project “Modelli microimprenditoriali e servizi per lo sviluppo socio-economico dei working poor” (microentrepreneurial models and service for the socio-economic development of the working poor) , intended to improve the living conditions of the working poor in India, through the development of micro-finance networks, innovative models of micro-entrepreneurial activities the link between the Punjab’s communities and migrant communities in Italy.
• The project “Creazione di micro e piccole imprese multisettoriali in Sri Lanka” (Creation of micro and mall multisectoral enterprises in Sri Lanka) implemented by the Italian NGO ICEI”, was finally aimed to support a culture of dialogue and integration in Italy between the Italian and Sri Lankan citizens, activating micro and small enterprises in Sri Lanka in the agriculture, livestock and sustainable tourism sectors.
• The M&E exercise implied the elaboration of a common monitoring and reporting system able to detect systematically the progress of project activities and produce the necessary information for periodic and overall assessment of the projects.
• A critical support to the implementation process – to highlight and communicate to the donor agencies – was also ensured through constant feedbacks and follow up or recommendations.
• Nine evaluation full reports were developed on the basis of studies conducted on the field by teams composed by PuntoSud staff and experts.
• In addition, quarterly reports (18 in totals) were produced, containing a narrative and a financial section, to state the degree of progress of the three projects.

A special focus, finally, was given to investigate the co-development dimension of the program, more specifically to assess the degree to which the projects did succeed in valorise the role of migrants and their associations in supporting transnational development initiatives.