Category: Workshops

INTRAC M&E Workshop: Practical Responses to Current Monitoring and Evaluation Debates

A one-day workshop for M&E practitioners, civil society organisations and development agencies to debate and share their experiences. There is an increased pressure on NGOs to improve their M&E systems and often to move out of their methodological comfort zone to meet new requirements from donors and stakeholders. This event will examine the challenges faced by NGOs and their responses around four themes:

  •  Designing and using baselines for complex programmes
  • Using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in M&E
  • Experimental and quasi-experimental methods in M&E, including randomised control trials
  • M&E of advocacy

Download the overview paper.

Call for M&E case studies

We are looking for short case studies focusing on one or more of the four event themes (see above). The case studies will be shared and will form the basis of the discussions at the workshop.

*Deadline for abstracts (max. 500 words): Friday 13 September 2013*

Please email abstracts to research@intrac.org

Event bookings

Event cost: £80 (£60 early bird booking before 19 October 2013)

Please return the booking form to zwilkinson@intrac.org

 

Assessing the impact of human rights work: Challenges and Choices

The International Council on Human Rights Policy has produced two documents under the above named project(See here for details of the project):

  • No Perfect Measure: Rethinking Evaluationand Assessment of Human Rights Work. Report of a Workshop, January 2012. Contents: Introduction and Context,,A Brief History,,NGO Hesitations, The Shift, Assessing the Impact of Policy Research, Impact Assessment in the context of Advocacy, Impact Assessment in the context of Capacity Building and Development, The Donor perspective, Third-Party Perspectives—Building a bridge, A note on integrating Human Rights Principles into development work, References, Selected Additional Bibliographic Resources
  • Role and Relevance of Human Rights Principles in Impact Assessment: An Approach Paper. July 2011. Contents: Introduction and Context, A Brief History, NGO Hesitations, The Shift, Assessing the Impact of Policy Research, Impact Assessment in the context of Advocacy
    Impact Assessment in the context of Capacity Building and Development
    The Donor perspective, Third-Party Perspectives—Building a bridge
    A note on integrating Human Rights Principles into development work
    References, Selected Additional Bibliographic Resources

PS 14 February 2012: It appears the ICHRP website is not working at present. I have uploaded a copy of the No Perfect Measure paper here

27 Oct Symposium: NGO-IDEAs – grassroots based impact monitoring

Date: 27 October 2011
Venue: Bonn, Germany

Dear all,
For the last three years, 14 German NGOs with 40 NGOs from Asia and Africa have been working to develop tools for assessing change and its causes, in short: impact monitoring that were to be specifically relevant for NGOs. Under the name of NGO-IDEAs, tools were developed through which target groups set their own goals and monitor their achievements. NGOs  and in some cases government agencies use the data generated for quantitative and qualitative assessment and reporting on outcome/impact.
Filtering according to poverty category is possible. The tools have been successfully applied in various sectors (from Saving and Credit through lactating mothers and primary schools to the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities). NGOs in East Africa, South Asia and the Philippines are now sustaining the application of the tools and spread them spontaneously to other projects and organisations. Programs have been improved through the tools and the application itself leads to more ownership and autonomy of grassroot organisations.
On Oct 27, the results of the 3-year phase will be discussed publicly. Two partners Mary Mate, Catholic Diocese of Embu; Kenya and Alma de la Paz, Kapwa Upliftment Foundation, Philippines) will present their experiences and international experts will discuss the approach. Speakers and Panel: Christiane Bögemann-Hagedorn, Head of Civil Society and Economy Department and Michaela Zintl, Head of Evaluation Department (BMZ/German Ministry for Development), Robert Chambers IDS Sussex), Cecile Kusters (Centre of Development Innovation,Wageningen), Susanne Neubert (National Opinion Research Centre at the University of Chicago, Dörte Segebart, Freie Universität, Berlin).
Some places are still available. More information and the registration form: http://www.ngo-ideas.net/news/, items of 10/10/2011 and 06/30/2011.
Publications can be downloaded from www.ngo-ideas.net/publications. The symposium focuses on the Impact Toolbox – one of three main products of NGO-IDEAs.

Check the Impact Toolbox: http://www.ngo-ideas.net/impact_toolbox/ and
the Field Experience: http://www.ngo-ideas.net/field_experiences/

NGO-IDEAs also has an advisory role to VENRO, the German development NGO’s umbrella body. VENRO recently published a position paper “Quality before Proof” that sets “empowerment” as one of four purposes of impact observation. http://www.venro.de/evaluation.html. The symposium takes place in the wider context of this paper that has generated some discussion in Germany.

Kind regards

Bernward Causemann/NGO-IDEAs

—
Bernward Causemann, www.causemann.org

Workshop: Case Studies in Development Evaluation: Validity, Generalisation and Learning

Venue: University of Copenhagen
Date: May 21-23, 2012
Invitation and Call for Papers to International Workshop
Centre for Social Science Development Research

The Evaluation Department of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Social Science Development Research at Institute of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen are pleased to invite you to submit an abstract (preparatory to a full paper) to an International Workshop, which will focus on methodological and practical considerations when using case studies in evaluations of development. The workshop will be organised in collaboration with the journal Evaluation:the international journal of theory, research and practice.

A large number of development evaluations are broader, learning-oriented evaluations based on cases at country, sector or project level. A key challenge in these evaluations is how to deal with the question of external validity. Within the field of development evaluation the methodological and practical debate on how to address this issue has been relatively limited.

The Organising Committee of the International Workshop is seeking abstracts that address theoretical/methodological challenges as well as more practical experiences when using case studies in learning-oriented development evaluations. Abstracts could e.g. focus on: Continue reading “Workshop: Case Studies in Development Evaluation: Validity, Generalisation and Learning”

DFID&UKES Workshop on Development and Evaluation: Practical Ways Forward.

 

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

ISO International Workshop Agreement (IWA) on Evaluation Capacity Development

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

Expert seminar with Dr MQ Patton ‘Developmental evaluation’

Date: 29th March 2011
Venue: in the Netherlands

NOW CANCELLED. Further information will be provided when available

With pleasure we would like to announce an expert seminar with Dr. Michael Quinn Patton on ‘Developmental evaluation – new kid on the evaluation block’.

Developmental evaluation is based on insights from complex dynamic systems, uncertainty, nonlinearity, and emergence. World renowned, award-winning evaluation expert Dr. Michael Quinn Patton will discuss the developmental evaluation framework as detailed in his book `Developmental Evaluation: Applying Complexity Concepts to Enhance Innovation and Use’. Patton will illustrate how developmental evaluation can be used for a range of purposes: ongoing program development; adapting effective principles of practice to local contexts; generating innovations and taking them to scale; and facilitating rapid response in crisis situations.

Participant discussions will focus on development evaluation’s value for the development sector. How is developmental evaluation different from existing practice, ongoing reflective monitoring – in development? What new insights can help strengthen the utility of evaluation for development?

During the morning, Dr. Patton will explain developmental evaluation and illustrate it with many examples from his own experience. In the afternoon, participants will debate the practical application of developmental evaluation in development, based on participants’ existing evaluation questions.

For those interested and not to far away around that time, please do come and join this interesting event!

For more info and registration: http://www.cdi.wur.nl/UK/newsagenda/agenda/DevelopmentalEvaluation_MichaelPatton
We suggest to make an early hotel booking (http://www.hofvanwageningen.nl/?language=en) as the hotel is already quite full. Also indicate to the hotel that you are booking a room for the ‘expert seminar with Patton’.

Looking forward to meeting you here!

Cecile Kusters (CDI), Irene Guijt (Learning by Design), Jan Brouwers (Context, international cooperation) and Karel Chambille (Hivos)
Kind regards / Hartelijke groeten,

Cecile Kusters
Participatory Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation – Managing for Impact
Multi-Stakeholder Processes and Social Learning
Centre for Development Innovation
Wageningen UR
P.O. Box 88, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Tel. +31 (0)317 481407 (direct), +31 (0)317 486800 (reception)
Fax +31 (0)317 486801
e-mail cecile.kusters@wur.nl
www.cdi.wur.nl
PPME resource portal: http://portals.wi.wur.nl/ppme/
MSP resource portal: http://portals.wi.wur.nl/msp/
www.disclaimer-uk.wur.nl

The 2010 International Program for Development Evaluation Training

Date: June 7, 2010 to July 2, 2010
Venue: Ottawa, Canada

“Information on the 2010 International Program for Development Evaluation Training is now available at www.ipdet.org and on-line registration is open.

This year marks IPDET’s tenth-year anniversary and we are very excited by the way this year’s program is taking shape. Once again this year, the Core program will offer eighty hours of instruction and learning in the fundamentals of development evaluation. Participants will also have more than 25 workshops to choose from in the two weeks that follow the Core, including several dynamic new workshops that will be of interest to you and your organization: Continue reading “The 2010 International Program for Development Evaluation Training”

Workshop: Understanding the effects of development interventions: Theory-based impact evaluation in practice.

A three-day workshop jointly organised by Maastricht University and the University of Antwerp.

Date: April 28-30, 2010
Venue: Institute of Development Policy and Management, Lange Sint Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium

Focus

In the past few years development organizations in both North and South have focused on improving evaluations of development interventions. As a result, demand for highquality impact evaluation has increased. Impact evaluation refers to the growing field of evaluative practices aimed at assessing the effects of a broad range of policy interventions. As well as enhancing the accountability of public spending in development, it has the potential to be an important learning tool, allowing us to understand what works and why under what conditions. To help impact evaluation to achieve this potential evaluators and policy makers need to open the ‘black box’ of policy interventions. Attention should be paid not only to the changes caused by an intervention but also to understanding how and why these changes have been brought about. In other words interventions should be considered as theories and evaluations are the tools for reconstructing, refining and testing these theories. This is the essence of theory-based evaluation.
The workshop focuses on the concept and application of theory-based impact evaluation in development. It starts with an overview of the key issues in impact evaluation and development effectiveness. Subsequently, the principles of theory-based impact evaluation will be discussed. Particular attention is paid to how a theory of change provides a framework for further inquiry. Starting out from a theory based perspective, different methodological approaches, from review and synthesis of existing evidence to full-scale empirical inquiry, will be presented and illustrated. These methods and modalities can form the basis for an institutional strategy on impact evaluation and learning, which is the subject of the final part of the workshop. Continue reading “Workshop: Understanding the effects of development interventions: Theory-based impact evaluation in practice.”

Workshop: Designing and Building a Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation System

Date: Sunday   23-May-10   09:00 AM   till: Thursday   27-May-10   05:00 PM
Venue: Amman, Jordan

Join us in Amman, Jordan for a 5-days training workshop in designing and building a results-based M&E system.  The course is organized by the Jordan Education Initiative (JEI) and will heavily depend on the material developed in conjunction with International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET) and the Independent Evaluation Group of the World Bank.

Combining both attention to M&E theory and practical applications of the theory, the 40-45 participants completing the course will gain knowledge and experience on how to design a results-based M&E system, understand the M&E tools, techniques, and resources needed for planning, organizing, and/or managing programs and projects.  The course provides an overview of the theoretical foundations of M&E methods, as well as ample opportunities for practical application of these methods through case studies, course exercises, and group projects.  The discussions will be practical and hands on. Participants will work in teams, discuss problem scenarios, share experiences, and develop M&E tools that they can apply in their own jobs following the course.

FOR MORE DETAILS

Visit http://www.jei.org.jo/#/18

CONTACT DETAILS:

Email: JEI@JEI.ORG.JO

Tel: +962 6 5502360 Fax: +962 6 5502370

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