Human Rights for Ukraine

The “Human Rights for Ukraine” Project represents a development intervention aimed at strengthening the human rights landscape in Ukraine. The initiative emerges against a backdrop of considerable challenges, including political instability, armed conflict, systemic corruption, and weakened public trust in institutions. These factors have often resulted in the marginalization of human rights considerations in favor of security and political expediencies.

The overarching aim of the Project is to strengthen the capacities of national actors to effectively promote and protect human rights, particularly focusing on vulnerable and conflict-affected groups. The initiative incorporates the innovative Ombudsman Plus model and works on a multifaceted expected results framework, strategically aligned with key national and international development frameworks.

The project comprises six key outputs, ranging from capacity-building of the Ombudsperson's Office network to enhancing data collection, raising human rights awareness, and strengthening the knowledge and skills of key stakeholders to address human rights challenges, especially in conflict-affected regions.

The Project has a total budget allocation of USD 4,573,317 over five years and a diverse human resources architecture that includes roles such as Human Rights Team Lead, Human Rights Specialist, Knowledge Management, and Communication Specialist, among others. Additional support has been secured from UNDP's shared service team for quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation, procurement, and other functions.

The intervention functioned within a highly complex and dynamic environment marked by sociopolitical volatility, economic strains, and an evolving security landscape, intensified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian military aggression against Ukraine. These factors have necessitated adaptive strategies and a flexible approach to implementation.

Purpose and Objectives of the Evaluation

The primary purpose of this evaluation is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the “Human Rights for Ukraine” Project after five years of implementation. The evaluation seeks to summarize key outcomes, identify lessons learned, and outline best practices to inform future adaptations, programming, and policymaking efforts. The recommendations generated from this evaluation will specifically contribute to the forthcoming “Democratization and Human Rights 2023-2026” Project under the aegis of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The main objectives of the evaluation are:

• To assess the degree to which the Project's objectives have been met, employing six OECD/DAC criteria: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability.
• To identify lessons learned and best practices to guide future human rights initiatives.
• To provide actionable recommendations for UNDP's next phase of the Human Rights Programme.