Posted on Tuesday, September 13th, 2011
Date: 3-5 October 2011
Venue: Oslo, Norway
ABOUT THE OSLO GOVERNANCE FORUM
The Oslo Governance Forum (OGF) is an initiative of the Oslo Governance Centre and the Democratic Governance Group of UNDP. The Forum will facilitate exchange of innovative experiences, knowledge and policy options among international development practitioners, academic institutions, government representatives and civil society from the global south.
The Oslo Governance Forum will take place from the 3-5 October 2011. The overarching focus is on governance assessments and their current and potential contribution to improving social accountability within developing countries. For the purposes of the OGF, social accountability has a wide meaning and relates to the mechanisms and instruments that are used by communities, groups and ordinary people to make governments and their agents, answerable and responsive in terms of the commitments that they have made. Governance assessments are an increasingly important tool for monitoring whether governments are failing or succeeding in terms of their commitments in legislation, government policies and international law.
To date, much of the focus of the development community on governance assessments, has been on the “supply side”, that is, improving the methodological aspects of an assessment and getting the right indicators. The OGF will focus on the “demand side”, examining, discussing and sharing experiences on how governance assessments are used by stakeholders as a basis for dialogue on governance deficits, as an instrument to monitor performance and as an input for revising and correcting policies. One of the key elements of democratic governance and accountability is empowerment of the people and the fostering of demand- and people driven accountability as opposed to accountability to external actors like donors.
The world is changing rapidly and never before has democratic governance and accountability been so visibly important on the global stage. The Arab Spring revolutions have shown that governments must take people’s calls for accountability and their rights to be governed democratically more seriously. These events have also added to the growing number of case studies that attest to the potential of social media and related technologies for mobilizing people for change.”
See the Forum home page for more information as well as the Concept Note for the Forum
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Posted on Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
Date: OCTOBER 1-5, 2012
Venue: HELSINKI, Finland
Conference website
EVALUATION IN THE NETWORKED SOCIETY: NEW CONCEPTS, NEW CHALLENGES, NEW SOLUTIONS
The Tenth Biennial Conference of the European Evaluation Society will be the international evaluation event of the year. It will be held in Helsinki, Finland during 3-5 October 2012 (pre-conference workshops 1- 2 October).
Evaluators are living in times of unprecedented challenge and opportunity. The networked information environment is inducing fundamental changes in culture, politics and society. Whereas the industrial society was reliant on centralised, hierarchical, high cost information systems, the networked society is characterised by decentralised, voluntary and cheap information exchange.
The advent of social networking without borders will have fundamental implications for evaluation agendas and methods. First, it will redefine the value and legitimacy of evaluation in global social accountability networks and accelerate the internationalisation of evaluation. Second, evaluation cultures, structures and processes will have to deal with the limitless quantity, speed and accessibility of information generated by new technologies, e.g. drawing useful meaning from huge data bases, assessing the validity of an exploding number of rating systems, league tables, etc. in ways consistent with democratic values of freedom of expression and protection of privacy.
The new information technologies offer new ways of making authority responsible and accountable as well as bringing real time citizen involvement and reliable information to bear on public policy making. What are the implications of an information economy that allows instant connectivity to thousands of program beneficiaries suddenly able to make their voices heard? Will the spread of mobile telephony to the weakest and most vulnerable members of society and the rising power of social networks act as evaluative and recuperative mechanisms or will they merely aggravate social instability? What are the risks of network capture by single or special interest groups and cooptation of evaluation?
The rise of the evaluation discipline is inextricably linked to the values central to any democratic society. How will these values be protected in a context where weak links and increasing inequalities have created new fissures in society? How will evaluation independence be protected against the pressures of vested interests intent on retaining control over the commanding heights of the society?
To help explore these and other issues relevant to the prospects of evaluation in Europe and beyond the Conference will stimulate evaluators to share ideas, insights and opinions about a wide range of topics that will throw light on the future roles of evaluation in the networked society. The Conference will help draw evaluation lessons learnt in distinct sectors and regions of the world. It will also examine the potential of alternative and mixed evaluation methods in diverse contexts and probe the challenges of assessing public interest in complex adaptive systems and networks.
To these ends the Conference will offer participants a wide choice of vehicles for the transmission of evaluation experience and knowledge: keynote speeches, paper presentations, panel debates, posters, etc. As in past years the EES Conference will aim at a pluralistic agenda that respects the legitimacy of different standpoints, illuminates diverse perspectives and promotes principled debate. The Conference will also provide an opportunity for evaluation networks to interact and improve the coherence of their activities.
We look forward to welcoming you in Helsinki. It is one of the world leaders in modern design and it provides Europe with a world class high tech platform. It also boasts a 450 year history and lays claim to being the warmest, friendliest, most “laid back” city of Northern Europe. Its nearby archipelago of islands offers an ideal environment for sea cruises and its neighboring old growth forests provide an idyllic setting for restful nature walks. We promise you an enjoyable as well as a professionally rewarding time!!
Ian Davies, President, European Evaluation Society
Maria Bustelo, Vice President and President Elect, European Evaluation Society
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Posted on Monday, September 5th, 2011
Venue: Old Parliament House, 18 King George Tce, Parkes 8222, Canberra
Date: Tuesday, 13 September 2011 6:00 PM
Summary
“In a world where we have achieved so much, from quantum leaps in medical research to the development of sophisticated technologies, it seems implausible that there are more hungry people in the world today than the populations of the United States, Canada and the European Union combined.
But the picture isn’t all bleak. A recent report released by the United Nations reveals that we have made some significant progress in our bid to alleviate poverty around the world, and the Independant Review of Aid Effectiveness commissioned by the Australian Government has made some assessments and recommendations that could help guide progress in the future.
However, when it comes to the complex issue of poverty alleviation, there are no simple answers.
What are some of the challenges faced when it comes to ensuring that we are taking the smartest and most efficient approach to tackling poverty? What are the timeframes within which we can realistically expect change to happen? And are we doing enough to address structural and behavioural issues that perpetuate gender inequality and other forms of exploitation that continue the vicious cycle of poverty.
How much of a difference are we actually making?”
Speakers include:
- James Batley – Deputy Director-General, Asia Pacific and Program Enabling Group, AusAID
- Stephen Howes – Director, Development Policy Centre, ANU and member of Independent Aid Effectiveness Review panel
- Dr Julia Newton-Howes – Chief Executive, CARE AustraliaNikunj Soni – Board Chair, Pacific Institute of Public Policy, Vanuatu
Registration and other information here
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Posted on Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
Date: 18 October 2011
Venue: New Delhi, India
[found courtesy of Sarah Earl]
“Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is ubiquitous in every aspect of our lives. Gradually ICT is acquiring a key role in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of development projects by reinforcing the efficacy of data management and processing processes. As ICT is a whole new world for many professionals in the development sector, it becomes important to seek synergies from leading development actors and practitioners for perspective building, dissemination of knowledge and furthering the use of ICT in monitoring, evaluation and information system. How ICT influences on the collective activities and interest of the society in general has become an ineluctable question which could be well answered through the monitoring and evaluation process.”
“In this context a conference on ICT for monitoring and evaluation is being organized by Sambodhi Research & Communications on October 18, 2011 in New Delhi. The theme of the conference is “ICT for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Information System: Exploring New Frontiers.”
To participate in the conference click the following to download
For more information on the conference
Contact : Dr. Mary/Ms. Padmavati
Email : contact@sambodhi.co.in
Tel : 011 47593300-99
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Posted on Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
Date: WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER 2011
Venue: BIS Conference Centre, Victor ia, London
Objectives:
- To examine the key contributions of evaluation to international development
- To provide an update on the accountability framework for evaluation in the UK
- To explore the role of professional development in building evaluation capacity
THIS ONE DAY EVENT will raise important issues in the world of development and evaluation. The workshop will offer the chance to hear from senior practitioners and will cover the theory and reality as experienced in many contexts. It will update the accountability framework with particular reference to HM Treasury Guidance for Evaluation (the Magenta Book).
A major challenge for organisations is to develop their own staff as evaluation professionals. UKES will offer international insights as well as an update on its own guidance. DFID will report on how it is going about building its own community of evaluators. These will be presented alongside those from the NGO and voluntary sector. The day is relevant to all individuals and organisations with an interest and experience of development and evaluation, including: Donors, Consultants, Public and private sector representatives, Academics, A wide range of professionals
Programme
The workshop will commence at 09.00 and close at 17.30.
Highlights will include:
- Updates on the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), HM Treasury’s Magenta Book and the Cross Government Evaluation Group (CGEG)
- How to evaluate in fragile states, conlict environments and other challenging situations
- Case studies of evaluation at different levels: national and local, sector specific
- How to build professional capacity: use of accreditation and adapting to it a range of organisations at government and civil society level
Registration
The workshop will be held at the BIS Conference Centre, 1 Victoria, Street, London SW1H OET.
The registration fees are as follows:
UKES members £75.00 + VAT
Non-members £100.00 + VAT
Registration and the full programme for the workshop are available from the website www.profbriefings.co.uk/depwf
For any further information, contact the workshop administrators:
Professional Brieings
37 Star Street
Ware
Hertfordshire SG12 7AA
Telephone:
01920 487672
Email: london@profbrieings.co.uk
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Posted on Tuesday, August 9th, 2011
Date: 29 August – 2 September (workshops on 29-30th)
Venue: Hilton, Sydney, NSW, Australia
View the Conference website here
View the detailed outline of the program and please click here to view the detailed Pre Conference Workshop Program. Please note the Conference Program is subject to change.
Read more about the Keynote Speakers, their presentations and Conference main streams and ‘hot topics’.
Evaluation and influence
Evaluation claims to influence public policy, professional practice and the management of organisations. What is the nature and extent of this influence? How can evaluations be made more influential? And conversely, in a rapidly changing world, what are the main influences on evaluation? To what extent is evaluation responding by taking on new approaches and technologies?
With the focus on influence, the conference builds upon the two previous conferences with their themes of evidence (Canberra 2009) and reflections on evaluation (Wellington 2010).
The conference will focus on three sub-themes:
The influence of evaluation on society
How much and in what ways does evaluation impact upon policy, practice and organisations? Where and in what circumstances does it have the most impact, and why? What are other important sources of influence, and how do they compare with evaluation?
Making an evaluation more influential
How can an evaluation be designed and conducted to increase its use and influence? What are the most persuasive ways of communicating the results of an evaluation?What role can evaluators play in implementing evaluation results? What are the lessons for evaluation from theories of influence and diffusion?
Influences shaping evaluation
How is evaluation changing in response to emerging social, economic and political issues, to increasing complexity and uncertainty, and to new approaches and technologies? What are the important influences on evaluation, and how are they shaping evaluation?
The conference can explore its theme in streams around fields such as education and research, health, human services, justice, international development, Indigenous peoples, natural resource management and the economy. We also expect a stream on design and methodology.
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Posted on Tuesday, August 9th, 2011
Date: 12-14 September 2011
Venue: Johannesburg, South Africa
UNDP Evaluation Office and the Public Service Commission (PSC) of South Africa are co-hosting the second International Conference on National Evaluation Capacities. See the official website here.
This is a follow up conference to the 2009 International Conference on National Evaluation Capacities held in Casablanca, Morocco, which was organized by the UNDP Evaluation Office in partnership with the Moroccan National Observatory for Human Development.
Objectives
1. To share experiences from countries with different levels of development of national M&E systems including those who may be considering creating one and have important experiences with other types of evaluation efforts;
2. To identify lessons and constraints in implementing national M&E systems; and,
3. To identify supply and demand for technical assistance in strengthening institutional capacity for national M&E systems under the umbrella of South-South cooperation.
Mr. Indran A. Naidoo, Deputy Director General, Monitoring and Evaluation
Office of the Public Service Commission, South Africa
Ms. Azusa Kubota, Evaluation Specialist, UNDP Evaluation Office
Follow in Twitter: @NEC_2011 for the latest information on the International Conference on National Evaluation Capacities – 12-14 September 2011.
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Posted on Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
Please note:
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Posted on Friday, July 15th, 2011
Date: 25 July 2011 12:00-13:30 (GMT+01 (BST))
Venue: British Academy, London
This debate will explore possible tensions – and opportunities – when donors seek to reassure domestic publics that aid is being spent well, while also endeavouring to support the needs and priorities of aid recipient countries and their citizens.
The language of results is not new – it is integral to the aid effectiveness agenda. But against the backdrop of growing financial constraints, it is receiving renewed emphasis in many donor countries. This debate will explore possible tensions, as well as opportunities, where donors seek to reassure domestic publics that aid is being spent well while they also endeavour to support the needs and priorities of aid recipient countries and their citizens. How can domestic accountability to both these constituencies be supported more effectively? Are there tensions between these different stakeholders and forms of accountability, and how can they be addressed?
Speakers:
Sarah Cliffe – Special Representative and Director, World Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security, and Development
Sue Unsworth – The Policy Practice, and ODI Board Member
Alan Hudson – Senior Policy Manager, Governance (Transparency & Accountability), ONE
John Morlu – former Auditor General, Liberia
Chair: Alison Evans – Director, ODI
An ODI and BBC World Service Trust public event in the Busan and beyond: aid effectiveness in a new era series.
Click for more details Register to attend this event
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Posted on Friday, July 15th, 2011
Date: 17-21 October 2011
Venue: John Knox Centre, Geneva, Switzerland
Dear Colleagues:
A proposal prepared by the Evaluation Capacity Development Group (ECDG) and the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (JCSEE), in partnership with the International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation (IOCE), to create an International Workshop Agreement (IWA) on evaluation capacity development (ECD) was recently approved by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Everyone agrees that there is an acute need to develop evaluation capacity. However, resolution of the problem has not been possible because there is no agreement on HOW to develop evaluation capacity. Some think that individual evaluators should be better trained through workshops and seminars. Others think that organizations should be redesigned to enable the achievement of a shared vision for evaluation. And, yet others think that evaluation should be institutionalized in national governments to promote accountability to their citizens.
We are now organizing a workshop that will be held 17-21 October 2011 at the John Knox Centre, Geneva, Switzerland. The workshop will use a systems approach to develop an IWA that integrates ECD at the individual, organizational and national levels. I am particularly pleased to inform you that a leading expert in systems-based evaluation, Bob Williams, has consented to facilitate the event.
As per the procedures explained in Annex SI of the Supplement to the ISO/IEC Directives, ANY organization with an interest in evaluation capacity development can register to send a representative to the workshop to participate in the preparation of this important document. Limited support may be available. To learn more about the workshop and to register please go to http://www.ecdg.net/
Best Regards,
Karen Russon
President
Evaluation Capacity Development Group
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