The programme evaluation concerned the Support Programme to Public Water Resources Management Policies for Rural and Agricultural Development. The financing agreement for the programme was signed in September 2011 for an amount of € 57 million with the general objective of “supporting the Tunisian Government in taking better account of the problems of preserving water resources and managing water demand in an integrated approach”. The flagship programme supported improving water quality, covering the needs of different sectors and empowering local authorities to achieve a decentralised water governance, thus enhancing this resource at the economic, social and environmental level.
The specific objectives of the programme were the following:

• To improve the management of conventional water resources including the preservation of underground resources to respond to climate-change related water scarcity forecasts as an effort to adapt to changing climates.
• To improve water management at the plot level, including rainfed agriculture and soil conservation
• To improve the performance of Agricultural Development Groups (GDA) and participatory management
• To strengthen the fight against water pollution.

The evaluation was primarily intended to provide the relevant services of the European Union and interested stakeholders with:

• A global and independent assessment of the performance of PAPS-EAU (Public Policy Support Program for Water Resources Management for Rural and Agricultural Development), paying particular attention to its results, in comparison with the set objectives.
• Lessons and recommendations, to improve, where appropriate, present and future actions. This evaluation mission may propose specific financial and technical audits for the support of which the results would be considered insufficient.
  In particular, this evaluation will serve to propose recommendations (good practice, failures to be avoided) in the preparation of future programs, taking into account the strategic orientations already adopted.

• Assessed the coherence, relevance and quality of the programme design (guidelines, formulation methodology, relevance of the objectives and results achieved) according to the context of the water sector in Tunisia.
• Assessed the effectiveness of the action (logic of the logical framework, results, budget structure, achievement of objectives, level of capitalization of lessons learned during follow-up missions).
• Assessed the effectiveness of the implementation of the action (results achieved, cost/benefit ratio, improvements in beneficiary performance conditions, choice of partner institutions, strengthening of their technical capacity in the field, levering with donors).
• Assessed the sustainability of the action (methodology, implementation, sector reform contract, appropriation level, budget management, interdepartmental relationship, complementary support).
• Assessed the impact of PAPS EAU and formulated guidelines and reforms for Support to the Ministry of Agriculture (MARPH).