CMC was commissioned to conduct an independent evaluation of the SPPSI, to critically assess the project and provide actionable recommendations to the EU and the German Federal Foreign Office. GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) implemented the first phase of the Syria Peace Process Support Initiative (SPPSI) on behalf of the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Foreign Office (AA). The project’s objective was to contribute to the overall efforts for peace building in Syria by focusing mainly on the strategic and political dimensions of the peace architecture and a political transition in Syria. The first phase ran from June 2016 to December 2017 (18 months) and provided a fund to support projects identified by the EU and the German Foreign Office in cooperation with GIZ according to political priorities. These projects include support to the Track I Geneva political process; a range of Track II Dialogue initiatives; and a small number of Track III Local peace building projects in Syria. Those are implemented by think tanks and international and Syrian NGOs.

Data was collected through a literature review and preliminary interviews, followed by missions to Beirut, Brussels, Berlin and Geneva. Key stakeholders included the GIZ SPPSI team in Beirut, EU Delegation in Beirut, EEAS and FPI offices in Brussels, GIZ office in Berlin, German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin and their representative in Beirut. Interviews were conducted by the CMC team and mainly qualitative. The workplan, data collection tools, mission preparation and reports were prepared by CMC team and approved by GIZ.

CMC provided the services of a Senior Evaluation Expert and a Project Manager. The evaluation aimed to contextualise the purpose of the SPPSI and the evolution of the SPPSI strategy in what has been a complex and fluid political-military context of Syria; to provide an independent and constructive opinion of the relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of the SPPSI organisation and implementation as an instrument for the EU and the German Federal Foreign Office to provide relevant, needed and timely multi-track support to a peace process and peace building and to provide a critical assessment of the appropriateness/relevance of partner selection and the implementation challenges faced by these partners, and make recommendations in terms of the strategic relevance of existing partnerships moving forward. CMC provided recommendations for any future evolution of the SPPSI as an instrument to enable the EU and German Federal Foreign Office engagement on Syria, including recommendations for the finessing of the SPPSI strategy and positioning of the SPPSI.