The closure and evaluation phase of a project is the final stage of the FRC project cycle. It marks the end of activities planned as part of a project, and the subsequent closure and evaluation process. The contractual dates and procedures for the end of activities and the closure of contracts are specific to each donor funding the FRC. For any support related to institutional or private donors and contract management in line with their specific requirements, the Institutional Partnerships Department (IPD) and the Marketing and Strategic Partnerships Department should be consulted.

When a project comes to an end, a decision may be made to continue similar or complementary activities, depending on the context and whether needs persist. A final evaluation, together with information generated through monitoring activities, are essential to inform the decision of whether to continue or close the project. In all cases, a situation analysis can help anticipate and plan either an exit strategy or the launch of a new project cycle.  

At the end of the project, an internal and/or external closure workshop, should be organised to review project achievements and prepare communication with communities regarding the next steps following the project's completion. In addition, when a project reaches its end date, it is necessary to objectively assess its achievements and performance in order to determine whether it has achieved its objectives and expected results, and to analyse the challenges encountered and the solutions implemented. Following the evaluation, formal learning processes should be carried out to capture lessons learned and inform future interventions.

The closing and evaluation phase consists of four key stages:

• formal and administrative closure of the project;

• final evaluation;

• learning and capitalisation;

• feedback to the communities and the various stakeholders in the project.

During the closure and evaluation phase, the project must be formally closed from an administrative standpoint in accordance with donor procedures (budgetary closure, termination of HR contracts, donation of equipment to partners, etc.). To formalise this closure, a formal closing workshop and, where appropriate, a closing ceremony should be organized. The purpose of this workshop is to review project’s progress, implementation modalities, and achievements in order to draw lessons. These workshops must be organised with the SNH, and in a collaborative manner between the project, support, and technical teams.

The closing workshop may be external or internal. It serves to clarify how to communicate to communities and stakeholders the next steps for the project or the FRC’s withdrawal from the area.

The internal closing workshop must include FRC and HNS members involved in the project’s design and implementation.

The external closing workshop, or closing ceremony, must include FRC and HNS members as well as various stakeholders of the project (such as partner organizations, local authorities, donors, etc.).

The final evaluation provides an objective assessment of the project’s achievements by analysing them through the lens of the standard evaluation criteria recommended by the OECD’s DAC. It is an essential step in deciding how to proceed with the project: whether to discontinue activities, extend them, or launch a new project based on emerging needs, etc.

Final evaluations generally have a dual purpose: accountability and learning. The accountability aspect involves providing feedback to communities, stakeholders, and project donors on the project’s results, while the learning aspect helps identify best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations to improve future interventions.

Final evaluations must be conducted using a participatory approach, involving communities and various project stakeholders. They may be carried out internally by members of the FRC and HNS, but are generally conducted externally, depending on donor requirements.

In order to embed itself in a process of operational and organisational learning and to improve the quality of interventions, it is essential to capitalise on projects, implemented activities, and their delivery modalities. This helps improve practices not only within a given project but also across other FRC projects.

To this end, each project should include formal learning moments based on workshops that may bring together project teams, the HNS, and various stakeholders. The outcomes of such learning workshops feed into the FRC Operational Learning Table and related deliverables, which document successes, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations to be considered for implemented activities, with the aim of continuously improving the quality of interventions.

As projects may include innovative, successful, or new technical or programmatic approaches, project teams are required to document these good practices and lessons learned. Standard templates for technical, activity, or programme learning briefs can facilitate this capitalisation process. These briefs should be then shared with Headquarters for wider dissemination across all Delegations.

These tools contribute to the FRC’s continuous improvement approach for projects. Learning should be considered at all stages of the project cycle, particularly during the diagnostic phase and the planning and programming phase. The FRC international Learning Framework provides further detail on concepts, key issues, requirements, as well as roles and responsibilities

During project closure, communication with communities is essential to inform them of achievements, findings, and next steps (cessation of activities, extension, or a new project). This should be anticipated as early as the programming and planning phase in order to enable better ownership of activities by communities during implementation, thereby ensuring the  sustainability of the project. Furthermore, this helps strengthen community preparedness and resilience.

The FRC has a duty to communicate with communities and stakeholders at all stages of the project cycle. This reflects its commitment to accountability and community engagement.