This evaluation study was conducted on behalf of UNHCR project on Kenya-Somalia Refugees Cross Border Peace building Pilot Project for Voluntary Return, Co-existence and Sustainable Reintegration for Baidoa Returnees which was a two (2) year project that commenced in January 2017 and ended in December 2018. The project was implemented by six (6) partners United Nations Organizations (PUNO), including UNHCR (lead), UNICEF, FAO, WFP, IOM and ILO in Somalia while in Kenya; UNHCR Kenya implemented the project through implementing partners in Dadaab. The implementing partners are: Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and Government of Kenya, World Vision International (WVI), African Volunteers for Relief and Development (AVORD), Federal Government of Somalia-National Commission for Refugees and IDPs (NCRI), Ministry of Resettlement and Diaspora Affairs (MORDA) in South West State amongst others. The objective of the evaluation was to assess the efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and impact of the different projects and activities that the partners implemented in Baidoa district, South West State, Somalia and in Dadaab, Kenya. The evaluation further sought to assess the extent to which the project has reached the desired outcomes and how it managed relevant risks. In addition, the evaluation reviews the changes made on the project activities as a result of the severe drought in 2016/17 that resulted in the influx of IDPs; and whether these activities contributed to the original project outcomes and the project’s theory of change. 

Researchcare adopted a mixed-design approach, using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Quantitative and qualitative methods compensate for each other’s weaknesses; and each approach provides more value when used in a mixed-method design, providing information and conclusions that are more coherent, reliable, and useful than those from single-method studies. The study conducted 18 focus group discussions and 32 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) across Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya and Baidoa district in South West State of Somalia. This was complemented by quantitative data from a sample of 591 households across various settlements in Baidoa. Researchcare used mobile-based data collection system (ONA) for the household survey and data was collected using mobile/tablet devices and transmitted to secure online cloud servers on daily basis.