The Carter Centre (TCC) mandated DROPSTONE as independent evaluator to assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and replicability of its role as Independent Observer (IO) of the Malian peace process from January 2018 to November 2019.
The evaluation mission aimed at summing up the overall status of the project, measuring its effects and giving guidance for a more efficient implementation; it was also meant to evaluate the potential replicability of the project in other contexts, based on lessons learned and best practices.
A team of senior consultants from DROPSTONE carried out the evaluation mission in Bamako during two weeks in November. The final report was just released last week. An impressive number of people was interviewed and discussions were of high quality. They provided a good understanding of the complex work performed by the IO in Mali.
For the first time in history, parties involved in a peace process requested that the process is observed by an independent body. This decision is clearly stated as follows in Article 63 of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali (2015) : “Les Parties conviennent de la désignation d’un Observateur indépendant, chargé d’évaluer de manière objective l’état de mise en œuvre du présent Accord“. TCC was mandated to play the role of independent observer in December 2017. This mandate was recognized by the United Nations Security Council in December 2017 with the vote of Resolution 2391.