A Community Initiatives Scheme (CIS) was foreshadowed in the NZODA Cook Islands Country Strategy 2001-2006, which recommended a new flexible, responsive mechanism for supporting civil society be introduced and managed by the New Zealand High Commission in Rarotonga. Its purpose was to provide support to civil society organisations in a more focused way than previous ad hoc funding and to make funds available to a wider range of organisations. It became operational in 2004.

This evaluation focused on: 

• assessing the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the CIS since inception; and 

• providing recommendations for the future of the CIS within a wider civil society programme.