USING EVALUATION IN IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT

POLICIES

Jules C. YEHOUENOU,Technical Advisor to the Minister of Evaluation

EXPERIENCE OF BENIN

PLAN

• INTRODUCTION

I

• WHY INSTITUTIONALIZING EVALUATION ?

II• WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED SO FAR?

III• RESULTS AND PROSPECTS

2

3

INTRODUCTION 1/3

Benin is a francophone country in West Africa GDP: $8.307 billion

(2013) Land : 114 ,763 km²

Population: 10.32 million (2013 )

GNI per capita : 790 US$ (2013)

Poverty ratio : 36.2 % (2012)

3

Erratic annual growth of 5% since 1990, when the option of economic liberalism was adopted. This has been insufficient to ensure economic take-off .

4

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 20121.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

4.2

3.0

5.8

2.0

6.0

4.3

5.7

4.0

5.3

4.9

6.2

4.43.9

3.1 2.9

3.8

4.65.0

2.72.6

3.5

5.4

INTRODUCTION 2/3

Average population growth rate set at 3.5% between 2012 and 2013.

This led Government to question the effectiveness of economic and social policies in Benin.

Hence the decision in June 2007 to formalize the evaluation of public action through the creation of a dedicated department.

5

INTRODUCTION? 3/3

A diagnostic study conducted in 2009-2010 revealed the shortcomings of the practice of evaluation in Benin :

Weakness in the demand of evaluation ; Lack of funding ;

Little use of evaluation results ; managers’ fear of Evaluation;

6

I- WHY INSTITUTIONALIZING EVALUATION ? 1/3

Lack of understanting of the concepts and pratice of evaluation ;

Monitoring system is more developped than evaluation system.

7

Results of this study are compiled in this chart which shows all component of an effective national evaluation system.

I- WHY INSTITUTIONALIZING EVALUATION ? 2/3

MACRO (Strategic)

Vision

Policy

Regulatory framework

INTERMEDIATE (Tactical)

Evaluation function

Budget allocation

Specific skills

MICRO (operartional)

Profesionnal

resourcesSpecific trainings

Qualitiy of evaluations

8

Yes

No

Yes

Low

Low

Low

Low

Low

Low

I- WHY INSTITUTIONALIZING EVALUATION ? 3/3

II- WHAT WE ACHIEVED SO FAR ? 1/11

Use of evalution;

Institutional framework of evaluation;

National Evaluation Policy;

National capacity building.

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2-1 Use of evaluation 2/11

The Ministry of evaluation’s technical body,

the General Directorate of Evaluation

conducts evaluations of sectoral

projects, multisectorial programmes

and national public policy.

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Reports are used following a defined

process :

i. transmission to the Board of Ministers;

ii. dissemination of results among

stakeholders and the public ;

iii. use of knowledge and lessons learned

by programming and implementing

bodies,11

2-1 Use of evaluation 3/11

The evaluation serves 4 primary usage

levels :

At Government level : inform decision-

makers

At execution structures and partners

level : Improve performance and

advocate for change.

At ministry of evaluation level :

Suggest new reforms, and follow up of

recommendations.

At civil society and beneficiaries

level : Mobilize stakeholders and civil

society.

12

2-1 Use of evaluation 4/11

To date, the General Directorate of

Evaluation has commissioned more than 12

national public policies evaluation in

various sectors (health, finance,

agriculture, reforms, education, energy,

water, etc.) .

13

2-1 Use of evaluation 5/11

2-2 Institutional framework of evaluation 6/11

Institutional framework has been set up

since 2010. It enables a more effective

evaluation system by implementing a

mechanism for conducting

evaluations.

The framework helps in :

Identifying evaluations’ thematics ;

Creating evaluation bodies;14

Engaging stakeholders in the

evaluation process ;

Disseminating evaluation results

Monitoring the implementation of

recommendations.

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2-2 Institutional framework of evaluation 7/11

Diagram of the institutional framework for public policy evaluation 8/11

National Evaluation

Board

National Evaluation

BoardMIN. OF ECON

(MEF)

DGEDGE

DONORS

Deconcentrated and local

stakeholdersPREFECTURES

LOCAL COMMUNITIES

PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC

MINISTRY OF EVALUATION GENERAL AUDITOR

MIN. OF DVPT (MDAEP)SECTORAL MINISTRIES

Advisory or control bodies

SUPREME COURT

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

DGPDDGSPPDGIFDOCSINSAECAPODDDPD

IGFCONTROLE FINANCIERCSPEF

DPP/CSE/CEPS

Project managment unitsDevelopment agencies

DPP/CSE/CEPS

DPP/CSE/CEPS

Civil SocietyBeneficiary

associations, Universities and

NGOs

Private Sector

Benin Evaluation Network

Functional links: Dissemination and capitalization of information on inter-structure evaluation

Participation links: Implementation on evaluation and use of results

Représentation links: stakeholders in the Naitonal Evalauton Board, dissemination of results

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National Evaluation Policy was passed for 2012-2021 period.

A National Evaluation Board (NEB) has been created to help in promoting capacity building and evaluation practice.

The Board was set up in 2012 and with members from the institutional framework for public policies evaluation.

2-2-1 National Evaluation Policy 9/11

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At present, NEP is being implemented with

the 2013-2015 strategy.

To date more than 300 staff both in central,

regional and local bodies have been trained

on evaluation techniques.

Every two years Benin international

Evaluation Days are held in Cotonou.

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2-2-1 National Evaluation Policy 10/11

Benin also intends to create a body of professional evaluators in its public sector.

An academic program in evaluation in cooperation with the School of public management is starting this year.

Benin has also engaged in an active

international cooperation and is building

strong south-south links with South Africa,

Togo, Niger and Uganda for sharing

experience and knowledge.

2-2-2 National Capacity Bulding 11/11

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After two years of implementation of the Evaluation Policy, results can be assessed as follows :

III- RESULTS AND PROSPECTS 1/2

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MACRO (Strategic) 

Vision

Policy

Regulatory

framework

INTERMEDIATE

(Tactical) 

Evaluation function

Budget allocation

Specific skills

MICRO (operartional)

Profesionnal

resources

Specific trainings

Qualitiy of evaluation

s

yes

yes

yes

yes

yes

Improvement

Improvement

Improvement

Improvement

1. Improve effectiveness and deliverables of the national M&E system

2. Systematize evaluation and the use of results

3. Strengthen evaluation at local authorities level

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III- RESULTS AND PROSPECTS 2/2

Considering those results, Benin now faces three major challenges:

In conclusion, national contexts may vary but some key conditions must be met to foster cohesive and effective national evaluation systems:

i. A clear leadership that must decisive and consistent in the will to set up an accountability and improvement system

ii. A growing demand both from the people and politics for more transparency and evidence based results

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CONCLUSION 1/2

iii.An evaluation policy that is ideally national and designed in a participatory approach adapted to all stakeholders interests

iv.A integrated framework that allows evaluation to be commissioned but also used for improvement in the public sector

v. A frank and positive advocacy dialogue throughout the public sector to commit managers and decision makers to use evaluation for a better change in governance and more accountability.23

CONCLUSION 2/2

THANK YOU VERY MUCH