Challenges of Program Evaluation Practice in Africa

Call for Abstracts: Challenges of Program Evaluation Practice in Africa
The purpose of this announcement is to propose the production of a collective book on the challenges of program evaluation in Africa, regardless of the type of sector addressed (health, education, agriculture, etc.). This book is intended to be a critical and reflective analysis of how evaluations are conducted in Africa and what the challenges are of such practice. Through this process, the editors (Valéry Riddle, Seni Kouanda and Jean-François Kobiané) wish to enable francophone publications to take their place in program evaluation literature. Reporting on evaluation practices in Africa and improving methodology by sharing experience — that are both tasks that could be accomplished by chapters of this collective book — is essential.
Authors interested in this subject and wishing to participate in this project are invited to submit a 250-word abstract by February 28, 2010 to the following addresses: valery.ridde@umontreal.ca (valery.ridde@umontreal.ca) ; skouanda@irss.bf (skouanda@irss.bf) ; jfkobiane@issp.bf (jfkobiane@issp.bf) . This step is the first of six stages in the production process ending in December 2010.

INTRAC courses on M&E in 2010

1. Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation

19-23 April 2010 (repeated 27 September–1 October 2010)

£1250 fully residential (4 nights accommodation and all meals), £999 non-residential (including lunch, refreshments and materials)

Oxford, UK

http://www.intrac.org/events.php?action=event&id=90

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is an essential component of international NGOs, NGOs and civil society organisations striving for greater accountability in their work. There is an increasing demand in the sector for staff to understand what M&E entails, why it is so vital, and how to do it well and in a participatory way. This course will give a thorough introduction to the concepts and practical knowledge and skills needed by new staff, or staff new to M&E. Participants will learn to conduct monitoring and evaluation activities that will help their projects and programmes improve accountability, learning and effectiveness.

Objectives of the course.

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Define the main terms and concepts associated with the processes of monitoring and evaluating
  • projects and programmes
  • Articulate the key purposes of M&E and be able to prioritise according to the context
  • Select and use a range of tools with confidence
  • Apply results of M&E processes to both accountability and organisational learning.

“My trip to Burundi was fantastic and I really felt I went into it with open eyes after the training…I just wanted you to know how much your training has really helped me launch into monitoring and evaluation. It was just so exciting to finally apply this in the field.”

Danielle Tirello Givens, Program Associate, Africa and the Middle East, Episcopal Relief & Development – a participant on an Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation course

2. Advanced Monitoring and Evaluation

26-30 April 2010 (repeated on 18-22 October 2010 and 14-18 March 2011)

£1250 fully residential (4 nights accommodation and all meals), £999 non-residential (including lunch, refreshments and materials)

Oxford, UK

http://www.intrac.org/events.php?action=event&id=91

This course explores M&E in greater depth than the introductory course. It is particularly relevant for staff that have a responsibility for those who are either managing or coordinating M&E in projects/programmes, trying to improve and enhance current M&E systems, and/or supporting partners to develop and implement effective M&E. The focus is on building coherent, effective and realistic systems that will serve to improve organisational learning and accountability.

Objectives of the course.

At the end of the course, participants will:

  • Have consolidated their understanding of terms and concepts in M&E
  • Be able to identify characteristics of an effective M&E system
  • Be able to design and implement an effective and contextually appropriate M&E system
  • Be better equipped to address challenges faced by their organisation and their partners in developing effective M&E systems.

3. Impact Assessment

26-28 May 2010 (repeated on 6-8 October 2010 and 23-25 March 2011)

With increased pressure on delivery and accountability, the need has never been greater for development and civil society organisations to assess the longer-term impact of their work. This three-day course explores the challenge of measuring impact and attribution and provides very practical tools and methods.

Objectives of the course

At the end of the course, participants will:

  • Have developed conceptual clarity of impact assessment and its purpose
  • Be able to select and apply appropriate methods and tools of assessing impact from a range of approaches
  • Have considered the relevance of their organisation’s theory of change in relation to impact assessment
  • Be better equipped to ensure that impact assessments contribute effectively to organisational learning and accountability.

“Excellent! As a facilitator myself, I’m really impressed.”

Anna Rambe, Programme Development Officer, Forum Syd – a participant on INTRAC’s Impact Assessment course

Training on M&E in South Africa in 2010

Southern Hemisphere consulting and development services are providing the following training courses, during the coming year:

PROJECT PLANNING, MONITORING & EVALUATION
* Project Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation for Development Practitioners*

DEVELOPING A MONITORING & EVALUATION SYSTEM
*How to Develop a Monitoring & Evaluation System*

Dtails of these course, including costs and dates, are available on their website. Or email training@southernhemisphere.co.za

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”

Accountability Toolkits for CSO Umbrella Groups in India, Belize, Uganda and the Pacific Region

(from the One World Trust ‘s “Accountability in Action” newsletter, January 2010)

“Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have seen a significant change in their role and influence in society and politics. They are now major providers of essential services, influential advocates for marginalised groups and knowledgeable advisors on public policy. As such, they have become important players in national and international governance. However, with this newfound influence has come greater scrutiny of CSO activities. Worldwide, CSOs are facing growing pressure from governments, donors and the public to be more open about their funding sources, to provide evidence of their impact and to clearly demonstrate which groups they represent and how. Within the context of the changing political environment for CSOs, the One World Trust worked in partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation and local partners on a project across three Commonwealth countries, Belize, India and Uganda, and one region, the Pacific islands, to stimulate discussion among CSOs on what it means to be accountable. The four toolkits on accountability for CSOs in Belize, India, Pacific region and Uganda can be downloaded here.”

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

Training: Logical Framework Analysis for Programme & Project Planning

Date: 26 March 2010
Venue: Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK.

LFA is the project planning tool used by major international donor organizations such as the World Bank.  It allows organizations to define objectives in a simple, rigorous, logical and concise manner. It has the power to communicate complex objectives clearly and understandably on a single sheet of paper, and is a great ‘aid to thinking’ for project planners and stakeholders alike. LFA serves as a powerful tool for identifying: inputs, assumptions for success, and indicators for monitoring progress and evaluating performance.  This course will be invaluable for anyone who needs to run, or participate in, any LFA process.The course presenter has extensive experience with LFA: having worked with a number of donor agencies (including Australian Aid, DANCED, the EU, and the World Bank) as well as with a range of NGO’s in a number of countries.
Course fee: £100.

Course registration form available here.

Please note: this course is held in Banbury, Oxfordshire, however we can also run this course at your own venue, on a date to suit – please contact us for details.

Knowledge Management in an Organization of the Poor

In “Knowledge Management in an Organization of the Poor” (2009), Aldo Benini and Bhabatosh Nath visit a federation of poor people in Bangladesh that, by its own initiative and unassisted by outsiders, conducted a survey of all extremely poor households in the local government area. The federation then linked this information to a critical resource listing – an inventory of government-owned lands supposed to be allocated to the poor. The creative re-interpretation of the survey concept and a tactically variable involvement in project-related data collection drives earn the federation the title of knowledge manager. Its significance, in a highly stratified world of development expertise, is in the demonstrated ability of poor people to map their own complex environment, on their own terms, and for their own betterment.

*Outcome Mapping Training in Switzerland – June 28 to July 2, 2010

Date: June 28 to July 2, 2010
Venue: Switzerland

We from Agridea International are happy to announce another learning event and training on Outcome Mapping in Switzerland. From June 28 until July 2, 2010, we will spend 5 days getting to know the nuts and bolts of planning, monitoring and evaluating with Outcome Mapping.

We will discuss specific issues regarding the facilitation of OM planning events, key challenges and solutions for participative monitoring and sense-making, and we will organise peer-learning sessions for your own cases and realities.

The fusion of other existing approaches, methodologies and guiding principles with Outcome Mapping is another workshop topic.

Do not miss this unique opportunity for learning from the experts – in a practice oriented way.

For further information or registration contact Mr. Carsten Schulz
email: carsten.schulz@agridea.ch

website : www.agridea-international.ch/training