EvalPartners International Forum on Civil Society’s Evaluation capacities Chiang Mai, Thailand 3-6 December, 2012

Overview

Within the EvalPartners initiative, an International EvalPartners Forum was organized on 3-6 December 2012 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with the aim of strengthening evaluation capacities of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in general, and Voluntary Organizations for Professional Evaluation (VOPEs) in particular.

The Forum facilitated the sharing of good practice and lessons learned by VOPEs and others engaged in Evaluation Capacity Development (ECD), while identifying EvalPartners priorities to be implemented in 2013.

The event focused on active and participatory methods (such as market places, working groups, etc.) and discussion of a limited number of case studies identified through the international mapping of VOPEs. The best case studies will be documented and published within the UNICEF et al blue book series.

More than 80 participants from all over the world attended the Forum. These include the Presidents/Chairs of all Regional and Major VOPEs and more than 30+ national VOPEs, as well as high-level representatives from bilateral (including the Government of Finland, Switzerland, USA and Australia) and International Organizations, such the WB Vice President and IEG Director General, UNEG Chair, Directors of Evaluation Offices of UNICEF, UNDP and UN Women, among others. Please click on the report and on the photo gallery to access the report of the Forum and photos of participants.

Video Interviews are also available here

Participants signed the EvalPartners Chiang Mai Declaration (Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Russian), committing themselves to EvalPartners objectives and principles.

Main Forum themes
The Forum covered the following themes:

To access the presentation delivered at the Forum, please click on the title of each presentation in the agenda below.

 

Time

Session objectives

Chair

Speaker / Presenters

Session 1: Welcome and Opening
Plenary

8:00 – 9:00

Welcome all participants and contextualize EvalPartners

 

Chair: Jim Rugh, EvalPartners Coordinator

 

Welcome:

  • Peeradet Thong-umpai, Vice President, Thailand Evaluation Network
  • Colin Kirk, Director, UNICEF Evaluation Office

Opening: 

Session 2: EvalPartners and National Evaluation Capacity development (video-recorded)
Keynote speaker

9:00 – 9:30

Present EvalPartners expected results and strategies, as well as the role of VOPEs in the framework of National Evaluation Capacity Development

Chair: Jim Rugh, EvalPartners Coordinator

Marco Segone, Co-chair, EvalPartners; and Co-chair, UNEG Task Force on National Evaluation Capacity Development

Session 3: The role of VOPEs in influencing an enabling environment for evaluation (video-recorded)
Talk show

9:30 – 10:30

Share good practices and lessons learned of VOPEs’ practical cases in influencing National Evaluation Systems, Policies and/or function

Chair (interviewer): Nermine Wally, AfrEA President

Morocco:

  • Boubker Lafqui Titouani, Directeur de la législation et du Contrôle Parlementaire, Chambre des Représentants
  • Youssef El Mrabet, Conseiller auprès du Chef du Gouvernement
  • Ahmed Bencheikh, President, Moroccan Evaluation Association (AME)

South Africa:

Sri Lanka:

  • VelayuthanSivagnanasothy, Secretary, Ministry of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development and Vice Chair of the Asia Pacific Community of Practice on Managing for Development Results.
  • Prof. Nilanthi Bandara, President, Sri Lanka Evaluation Association (SLEvA)

10:30 – 11:00

Break

Session 3 (cont.) The role of VOPEs in influencing an enabling environment for evaluation (video-recorded)
Talk show (continued)

11: 00 – 12: 00

Share good practices and lessons learned of VOPEs’ practical cases in influencing National Evaluation Systems and/or Policies

 

 (Continued)

Session 4: The role of CSO in using evaluative evidence to influence public policies
Market place, 1st rotation

12:00 -12:30

Share good practices and lessons learned, and facilitate mutual learning, dialogue and networking, about
VOPEs’ practical cases in influencing National Evaluation Systems and/or Policies

Chair: Ziad Moussa, EvalMENA

Facilitators

VOPE case studies

Session 4: The role of CSO in using evaluative evidence to influence public policies
Market place, 2nd rotation

12:30 – 13:00

Marketplace continues, with different VOPEs sharing from their case studies

 

More VOPE case studies

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch

Session 5: How to strengthen VOPE’s capacity to influence an enabling environment for evaluation
Working groups: Brainstorming

14:00 – 15:30

Brainstorm on potential innovative initiatives to strengthen VOPE’s capacity to influence an enabling environment for evaluation.

Chair: Ada Ocampo, UNICEF

 

Six working groups organized by language/region:

  • French speakers
  • Spanish speakers
  • Russian speakers
  • Others from/interested in Africa
  • Others from/interested in Asia/Pacific
  • Others from/interested in Europe/America/anywhere else

15:30 – 16:00

Break

Session 6: Towards a strategy/work plan to strengthen VOPEs’ capacities to influence an enabling environment for evaluation
Working groups: Prioritizing

 

16:00 – 17:00

Based on the previous brainstorming session, to prioritize and detail a 2013-2015 strategy and a 2013 Work Plan to  strengthen VOPEs’ capacities to influence enabling environments for evaluation

Chair: Ada Ocampo, UNICEF

 

(Same working groups as in Session 5)

 

19:00 – 21:00

 

Welcome ceremony with Traditional Thai performance, and delivering of the 2012 EvalPartners Award to Jean Quesnel

 

Tuesday 4th December: VOPEs’ institutional capacities

Time

Session objectives

Chair

Speaker / Presenters

Session 7: Synthesis of proposed strategy/work plan to strengthen an enabling environment for evaluation
Plenary

 

8:00 – 8:30

 

Present the proposed 2013-2015 strategy and a 2013 Work plan to strengthen VOPE’s capacity to influence an enabling environment for evaluation 

 

 

 

Enabling Environment Working Group

Session 8: Institutional capacities in voluntary organizations (video-recorded)
Keynote speaker

 

8:30- 9:00

 

Share theoretical, as well as practical, guidance to inspire VOPEs representatives on how to strengthen institutional capacities in their own VOPEs

 

Chair: Shubh Kumar Range, CoE/South Asia

 

Jean Quesnel, Credentialed Evaluator, Former Director of the Evaluation Offices of CIDA, IADB and UNICEF

Session 9A: Strengthening VOPEs’ Institutional capacities
Marketplace, 1st rotation

9:00 – 9:30

Share good practices and lessons learned, and facilitate mutual learning, dialogue and networking, about strengthening VOPEs’ Institutional capacities.

Chair: Doha Abdelhamid, EvalMENA

 

VOPE case studies:

Session 9B: Strengthening VOPEs’ Institutional capacities
Marketplace, 2nd rotation

 

9:30 – 10:00

 

Share good practices and lessons learned, and facilitate mutual learning, dialogue and networking, about strengthening VOPEs’ Institutional capacities.

 

 

VOPE case studies:

10:00 – 10:30

Break

Session 9C Strengthening VOPEs’ Institutional capacities
Marketplace, 3rd rotation

 

10:30 -11:00

 

Share good practices and lessons learned, and facilitate mutual learning, dialogue and networking, about strengthening VOPEs’ Institutional capacities.

.

 

Chair: Issaka Traore, AfrEA

 

 

VOPE case studies:

Session 9D: Strengthening VOPEs’ Institutional capacities
Marketplace, 4th rotation

 

11:00-11:30

 

Share good practices and lessons learned, and facilitate mutual learning, dialogue and networking, about strengthening VOPEs’ Institutional capacities.

 

Facilitators: Member of MG in each room

 

VOPE case studies:

Session 10: Strengthening VOPEs’ Institutional capacities
Plenary

 

11.30 – 12.30

 

Synthesizing good practices and lessons learned

 

Chair: Tessie Catsambas, AEA

 

12:30 – 14:00

Lunch

Session 11: How to strengthen VOPEs’ Institutional capacities
Working groups

 

14:00 – 15:30

 

Brainstorm on potential innovative initiatives to strengthen VOPE’s Institutional capacities.
Begin with affinity analysis on poster paper.

 

Chair: Tessie Catsambas, AEA

 

 

Working groups divided by sub-theme

  • Leadership
  • Motivating volunteers
  • Structure and Governance
  • Communication
  • Financial management

15:30 – 16:00

Break

Session 12: Towards a strategy/work plan to strengthen VOPEs’ Institutional capacities
Working groups

 

16:00 – 17:00

 

Based on the previous brainstorming session, to prioritize and detail a 2013-2015 strategy and a 2013 work plan to strengthen VOPEs’ Institutional capacities

 

Chair: Tessie Catsambas, AEA

 

 

Working groups divided by sub-theme

  • Leadership
  • Motivating volunteers
  • Structure and Governance
  • Communication
  • Financial management

 

Wednesday, 5th December: Institutionalizing sustainable learning strategies

Time

Session objectives

Chair

Speaker / Presenters

Session 13: Towards a strategy/work plan to strengthen VOPE’s Institutional capacities
Plenary

 

8:00 – 8:30

 

Present the 2013-2015 strategy and a 2013 work plan to strengthen VOPEs’ institutional capacities.

 

 

Institutional Capacity Working Group

Session 14: Institutionalizing sustainable learning strategies (video-recorded)
Keynote speakers

 

8:30- 10:00

 

Present different options on how to institutionalize sustainable learning strategies

 

Chair: Issaka, AfrEA

 

 

Session 15: Strengthening VOPEs’ capacities to enhance evaluators’ skills (video-recorded)
Plenary

 

10:00 – 11:00

 

Share good practices and lessons learned of VOPEs’ practical cases in strengthening VOPEs’ roles to broker academic collaboration to build evaluators’ skills.

 

Chair: Marcia Paterno, ReLAC

 

11:00 – 11:30

Break

 

 

Session 16A: Strengthening VOPEs’ capacities to enhance evaluators’ skills
Marketplace, 1st rotation

 

11:30 – 12:00

 

Share good practices and lessons learned, and facilitate mutual learning, dialogue and networking, about strengthening VOPEs’ capacities to enhance evaluators’ skills.

 

 

Chair: Pablo Rodriguez-Bilella, ReLAC

 

 

VOPE case studies:
 

Session 16B: Strengthening VOPEs’ capacities to enhance evaluators’ skills
Marketplace, 2nd rotation

 

12:00 – 13:30

 

Share good practices and lessons learned, and facilitate mutual learning, dialogue and networking, about strengthening VOPEs’ capacities to enhance evaluators’ skills.

 

 

VOPE case studies:

12:30 – 14:00

Lunch

Session 17: How to strengthen VOPEs’ capacities to enhance evaluators’ skills
Working groups: brainstorming

 

14:00 – 15:30

 

Brainstorm on potential innovative initiatives to strengthen VOPE’s capacity to enhance evaluators’ skills.

Highlights from what we have heard so far, and own experiences and ideas

 

Chair: Natalia Kosheleva, IPEN

 

 

Working groups by sub-topics:

  • academic collaboration
  • scholarships + internships
  • competencies / credentialing
  • workshops organized by VOPEs
  • e-learning

15:30 – 16:00

Break

Session 18: Towards a strategy/work plan to strengthen VOPEs’ capacities to enhance evaluators’ skills
Working groups: prioritizing

 

16:00 – 17:00

 

Based on the previous brainstorming session, to prioritize and detail a 2013-2015 strategy and a 2013 Work plan to enhance evaluators’ skills 

 

Chair: Natalia Kosheleva, IPEN

Facilitators:
5 MG reps

 

Working groups by sub-topics:

  • academic collaboration
  • scholarships + internships
  • competencies / credentialing
  • workshops organized by VOPEs
  • e-learning

 

 

18-00 – 20:00

Working session with Regional VOPEs

 

Thursday, 6th December:  Equity-focused and gender-responsive evaluations and 2013 workplan

Time

Session objectives

Chair

Speaker / Presenters

Session 19: Towards a strategy/work plan to strengthen VOPEs’ capacities to enhance evaluators’ skills
Plenary

 

8:00 – 8:30

 

Present ideas generated yesterday that contribute to the 2013-2015 strategy and a 2013 work plan to strengthen VOPEs’ institutional capacities.

 

Chair:

 

Evaluators’ Skills Working Group

Session 20: Equity-focused and gender-responsive evaluation (video-recorded)
Keynote speaker

 

8:30- 9:00

 

Present the concept and strategic important of equity-focused and gender-responsive evaluation for equitable development results

 

Chair: Inga Sniukaite, UNWomen

 

Belen Sanz, Head, Evaluation Office, UNWomen; and Chair, UN Evaluation Group (UNEG)

 

Session 21: Strengthening VOPEs’ capacities to make evaluation work for equitable development results
Market Place

 

9:00 – 9:30

 

Share good practices and lessons learned of VOPEs’ practical cases to make evaluation work for equitable development results

 

Chair: Inga Sniukaite, UNWomen

 

 

Case studies:

Session 22: Towards a strategy/work plan to strengthen VOPEs’ capacities to make evaluation work for equitable development results
Working groups

 

9:30 – 11:00

 

Develop a 2013-2015 strategy and a 2013 Work plan to strengthening VOPEs’ capacities to make evaluation work for equitable development results.
What are the standards we need to follow in order to bring a gender equity perspective into every aspect of EvalPartners’ life?

 

Chair: Inga Sniukaite, UNWomen

 

 

Working groups led by MG members :

  • Nermine Wally, AfrEA
  • Natalia Kosheleva, IPEN
  • Tessie Catsambas, AEA
  • Marcia/Pablo, ReLAC
  • Inga Sniukaite, UNWomen

11:00 – 11:30

Break

Session 23: Towards a consolidate strategy/workplan to strengthen VOPE’s capacities
Plenary

 

11:30 -12:30

 

Synthesizing priorities that have been presented by the working groups during the past 3 days, present the draft comprehensive 2013-2015 strategy and 2013 work plan

 

Chair: Murray Saunders, EES + IOCE VP

 

Tessie Catsambas, AEA + IOCE Secretary

12:30 – 13:30

Lunch

Session 24: Take home messages and follow-up of regional and big country VOPEs from the Forum (video-recorded)
Plenary Roundtable

 

13:30 – 15:00

 

Take home messages and follow up of regional and big-country VOPEs from the EvalPartners Forum

 

 

Chair: Soma de Silva, IOCE President

 

  
  • Rodney K. Hopson, President, AEA
  • David Roberts, President, AES
  • Nermine Wally, President, AfrEA
  • Ryokichi Hirono, Chair, Interim Organizing Committee, APEA
  • Martha McGuire, President, CES
  • N Shiv Kumar, Representative of CoE Secretariat
  • Maria Bustelo, President, EES
  • Ziad Moussa, Chair, EvalMENA
  • Natalia Kosheleva, President, IPEN

15:00 – 15:15

Break

Session 25: The role of the international community in supporting National Evaluation Capacity Development and VOPEs (video-recorded)
Plenary Talk show

 

15:15 – 16:45

 

Provide feedback by the international community to the proposed EvalPartners’ 2013-2015 strategy and 2013 workplan

 

Chair: Colin Kirk, Director, Evaluation Office, UNICEF

  
  • Belen Sanz, Chair, UNEG
  • Caroline Heider, Director-General and Senior Vice-President, IEG, World Bank
  • Riitta Oksanen, Chair, OECD/DAC Task Force on national Evaluation Capacity Development
  • Indran Naidoo, Director, UNDP Evaluation Office
  • Martin Sommer, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SCD)
  • Carrie Thompson, USAID
  • Scott Bayley, AusAID

Session 26: Closing
Plenary and signing of EvalPartners’ Declaration

 

16:45 – 17:30

 

Highlight main outcomes of the Forum, the way forward and commit to the EvalPartners principles by signing the EvalPartners’ Declaration

 

Chair: Soma de Silva and
Marco Segone, Co-chairs, EvalPartners