Country-led Evaluations: Experiences from Africa

Partner’s perspective: Country recipient partner – learning

to trust evaluations.

Presenter:

Beverley Barry: Executive Officer – The Learning Cape Initiative, Western

Cape Province, South Africa

0027-21 - 461 6822 /0027-73-200-3868

bevbarry@mweb.co.za / bev@learningcape.org

PURPOSE

• Ultimate goal: – to identify and enhance evaluation groups to

provide momentum for the emergence of more institutionalized CLE

South Africa CLE

• MER audit• Evaluation networks• Accreditation for professionalism• M&E as an economic growth area

• Shift to CLE is about transformation: –Nature of evaluations–Form that evaluations take–Function or use of evaluations–Funds for the evaluation

• Processes of CLE vary in terms of how the country leads the evaluation in partnership with donor to build:

–Relationship of trust and integrity–Capacity to project manage and evaluate–Deal with and manage the complexity & chaos

• Shift in power to govern, lead and manage

Barriers • Lack of integrated practices of and systems/

structures for evaluation• Meeting project/ legal/ reporting requirements

vs. learning and evaluating• Challenge to link project / programme /sector

linked to country development agenda• Fear about evaluation as a discipline and

implications• Cost and capacity

 

Drivers •

Political will to learn: – the need to know, report and use results– Build & maintain systems and structures

• Legislation: – compliance, audits, policy changes – Supply and demand

• Influential power that CLE brings: – Niche: knowledge, skills, reach and scope– Track record– Network: information sharing & learning– Knowledge generation

 

Lessons Learnt: transformation

• Joint initiation of CLE builds trust & vision• Taking the power of PROCESS is taking responsibility for building capacity & creating knowledge, structures, systems• The rate of learning of the country should be equal to or greater than the donor to create momentum for COUNTRY LED• Transformation = INSTITUTIONALISATION

 

RATIONALE FOR AND RELEVANCE OF CLE

• Empowerment • Tipping points• Social capital

 

THANK YOU.