20 Dec ME&A to Evaluate US Government missions Agricultural Project in Kosovo
ME&A was awarded the mid-term performance evaluation of US Government missions’ New Opportunities for Agriculture (NOA) Project in Kosovo. Two international experts and one local specialist met in Pristina on January 10th, to conduct fieldwork which was completed on February 7, 2013. NOA is a four-year, US Government-funded project that began on January 28, 2011 and is scheduled to end on February 27, 2015. Its goal is to increase Kosovo’s agriculture output, exports, and rural incomes in support of US Government mission in Kosovo’s Economic Growth Strategy of promoting growth, creating jobs and generating exports. NOA aims to link products and farmers to markets; assist in diversifying and increasing the types and amounts of agricultural products produced in Kosovo; improve food quality and safety; increase access to affordable credit; and improve the overall coordination of donor projects within the agricultural sector in Kosovo. The mid-term evaluation will provide US Government missions Kosovo with an objective external assessment of the management and performance of NOA’s activities from January 2011 to the present. It will also supply US Government missions with lessons learned that can be used to guide future programming in the agriculture sector. Since 2010, ME&A has conducted more than 40 evaluations for US Government missions and the U.S. Department of State in more than 25 countries worldwide.