TULUM assured continuous participation in appraisal and supervision missions of the Nicaraguan Agricultural Technology Project. In 2004 and 2005, a team from TULUM was entrusted the facilitation of the formulation process of a sector wise approach (SWAP) for the rural productive sector (PRORURAL). In both interrelated assignments, good agricultural practices and sustainable use of natural resources played a pivotal role.

TULUM was given the task of designing and coordinating a Trade Cooperation Program. This included advice to selected agro-exporters for product development and good agricultural and environmental practices. We supported a number of companies in the independent certification for organic production, GLOBALGAP, fair trade and FSC.

Based upon the model tested in Bolivia, TULUM designed again a Trade Cooperation Program in Peru, with a focus on two regions. The main tasks carried out were the coaching of two private local export promotion associations, the matchmaking between exporters and importers in Europe and the US for food and non-food products and the review of investment and production plans in terms of competitiveness and good agricultural practices.

In 2003, TULUM was again assigned the tasks of designing and coordinating a Trade Cooperation Program. With particular regard to good agricultural practices, this included the support to the introduction of the GLOBALGAP standard for fruit and vegetable exporters in Serbia. We helped preparing a draft Serbian interpretation and supporting documents, such as farmer records and manuals for integrated crop management (ICM) for fruits, berries and vegetables. We also adapted available documentation on farmer group certification to the Serbian context.

A novel methodological approach was needed to effectively assess large multi-sectoral country programs. An evaluation of the programs’ comprehensive objectives and their actual outcomes whilst tracing a selection of individual projects was required. The successful approach designed by TULUM was presented at the Seminar of Finance Controllers.

Re-examining Development Programming and Aid Efficiency: Swiss Counterpart Funds for Debt Reduction In 1991, as part of the 700th Anniversary of the Swiss Confederation, the Swiss Government adopted a debt reduction program, worth 500 million Swiss Francs for poor and heavily indebted developing countries. Upon the program’s completion, TULUM was tasked to assist SECO and SDC with the external evaluation and strategic review of five – out of twelve - such counterpart funds in Egypt, Honduras, Jordan, Philippines and Tanzania.

In response to a public tender, TULUM was assigned the design and coaching of the “Peace and Decentralization Program in the Western Province”. The locally elected district and province officials are partners a much as the organized villagers, women groups and youth clubs, for the implementation of local projects.

TULUM was chosen for the conceptual design and the conduction of a comparative evaluation of SDC’s long-term research partnership program comprising eight individual projects between Swiss and Southern universities in Argentina, Benin, Columbia, Cuba, India, Mali, Morocco and Senegal. This included the assessment of the program’s broader development effectiveness, its operational efficiency and a lessons-learned platform for future programming was aimed for.