Following the decision by the Danish Government in 2015 to reduce the overall volume of Danish development aid, it was decided to reduce the number of priority countries receiving Danish funding in the eastern Neighbourhood region by 2016. The previous seven priority countries were reduced to Ukraine and Georgia. An evaluation of the support to the neighbourhood region from 2008-2015 was finalised February 2017. Based on these findings it was decided to develop a new strategic framework covering the two countries for the next five years as well two five-year country programmes for receptively Ukraine and Georgia. A concept note "Preparation of the new Strategic Framework for the Danish Neighbourhood Programme 2017-21" including a strategic framework for the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (DMFA) priorities and focus areas like foreign, security and commercial policies, development and humanitarian assistance as well outlining the interventions of support in Ukraine and Georgia for the period 2017-2021 was presented for the internal Programme Committee in December 2016. Based on the recommendations from this meeting scoping missions to Ukraine and Georgia took place in January 2017.
The concept note "Preparation of the new Strategic Framework for the Danish Neighbourhood Programme 2017-21" was based on recommendations from the evaluation and previous experience from support to Ukraine and Georgia. It proposed the two overall objectives;
1) Promoting human rights and democracy with a focus on: justice sector reforms and human rights, anti-corruption, decentralisation, as well as the strengthening of civil society and independent media in supporting the realisation of human rights and the deepening of democracy.
2) Strengthening sustainable and inclusive economic development with a focus on: job creation and investments, improving the business environment, and energy efficiency, including green technology.

Services provided:
NCG will provide a team to assess if the quality and feasibility of the programme design and documentation of the two Country Programmes is relevant and fit to produce the expected results in an effective, efficient and sustainable manner, and to make recommendations for necessary adjustments or improvements, if needed, prior to submission to the grant authorities.
The outputs of the appraisal will comprise the following documents:
- Two Mission Preparation Notes (MPN) - one for Ukraine and one for Georgia.
- Two Power Point Presentations - one for Ukraine and one for Georgia.
- Two draft Appraisal Reports - one for Ukraine and one for Georgia.
- Two final Appraisal Reports - one for Ukraine and one for Georgia.