SERVIR Performance Evaluation: Evaluation Question 1 Report

This report provides summary findings, conclusions, and recommendations for the first of three evaluation questions for a midterm performance evaluation of the SERVIR program. Specifically, this report addresses the following evaluation questions:

• Are SERVIR’s products and applications being used in decision-making contexts? How (1) for hydrology (floods, etc.); (2) for land use, biodiversity and ecosystems; and (3) for disasters (fires, droughts, frost, etc.)?
• What are the measurable impacts, both intended and unintended, of SERVIR’s products and applications on the relevant societal benefit areas themselves in the countries where we work?

Evaluation Design

This report presents findings of a cross-case analysis of nine case studies of SERVIR products in selected countries conducted by the evaluation team (see Table 1). Based on consultations with SERVIR team, members from USAID and NASA, the evaluation team identified five areas of interest to SERVIR for review within the context of evaluation question 1:

1. Understanding product effects and impacts;
2. SERVIR product adoption and use;
3. Rapid-onset disasters and disaster response networks;
4. SERVIR product data in the broader development landscape; and
5. Identification and support of unexpected and evolving forms of product usage.

About the SERVIR Program

SERVIR is a joint development initiative of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and USAID. SERVIR works in partnership with leading regional organizations around the globe to provide satellite-based Earth observation data and science applications to help developing nations improve disaster risk management and environmental decision-making.

SERVIR aims to improve environmental management and resilience to the impacts of climate change by developing the capacity of government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other key stakeholders to use and integrate geospatial information and technology into their decision-making processes. Under this partnership, USAID and NASA have established SERVIR regional hubs in Central America, Eastern and Southern Africa, the Himalayas, and, most recently, Southeast Asia and West Africa. These hubs, in conjunction with dozens of participating governments and other institutions, develop and disseminate geospatial products and data to assist with regional, national, and local challenges related to disaster management, water resources, land-cover change, agriculture, biodiversity, and climate change.