Final Evaluation of Multi-Country Healthcare Initiative in Cambodia and Mozambique

Depa Consulting has launched the final evaluation of the multi-country project: “Strengthening Universal Access to Quality Healthcare for Patients with Chronic Diseases in Cambodia and Mozambique.” Implemented by Douleurs Sans Frontières (DSF) and funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), this initiative aims to transform the landscape of pain management and palliative care across two countries.

As the project enters its final phase, our evaluation team examines how DSF and its partners promote Palliative Care and Pain Management within national and subnational institutions, foster a patient-centred approach, and influence advocacy, policy, and strategic frameworks to integrate these issues into decision-making by government and health system stakeholders. 

The evaluation focuses on several core pillars:

• Assessing the strengthening of health systems and the capacity building of institutional and civil society actors;
• Institutional ownership by national governments, health authorities, and partner organizations;
• Long-term sustainability of Pain Management and Palliative Care services beyond DSF support with a focus on the eventual handover to local CSOs
• Policy influence and integration into national health frameworks and regulatory environments
• Quality improvement in pain management and patient-centered care delivery
• Advocacy outcomes and shifts in norms, attitudes, and practices around opioid access in  Pain Management  and Palliative Care 

Particular attention will be paid to equity considerations (ensuring services reach vulnerable and underserved populations), partnership dynamics (quality of collaboration and capacity strengthening), gender integration, and the programme's ability to inform future strategic orientations, including priorities for the next phase

To ensure high-level accuracy and evidence-based findings, Depa Consulting is using a mixed-methods approach, including desk review, qualitative in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and quantitative surveys with patients, caregivers, and medical students. 

The evaluation will provide evidence-based insights and actionable recommendations to guide DSF, AFD, government partners, and other stakeholders in decisions regarding programme continuation, adaptation, scaling, and replication in Cambodia, Mozambique, and potentially in other contexts.