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Start of project: April 2022
End of project: March 2023
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New challenges and developments – Fair trade and fair procurement in 2022. Follow-up to the study “Does fair trade change Society?”

In 2015, leading stakeholders of the German fair trade movement commissioned a study on the impact of fair trade in Germany, which was carried out [Read More]In 2015, leading stakeholders of the German fair trade movement commissioned a study on the impact of fair trade in Germany, which was carried out by CEval GmbH. The study investigated the impact of fair trade in four societal areas, i.e., civil society, consumers, retailers and producers, and politics and the public sector. Since 2015 the fairtrade sector as well as the framework conditions in which it operated have changed. This includes, in particular, the environment for a fair public procurement. Against that backdrop, Fairtrade Germany, Engagement Global – Service für Entwicklungsinitiativen (Service for Development Initiatives) with its Servicestelle Kommunen in der Einen Welt (SKEW - Service Agency Communities in One World) and in cooperation with Forum Fairer Handel (Forum Fair Trade) and Weltladen-Dachverband (umbrella organization of German world shops) mandated CEval GmbH with the implementation of an updated and extended version of the 2015 study. The objective is to investigate the impact of fair trade in Germany between 2016 and 2022 under the changed framework conditions and taking into account the increased role of the German municipalities for fair trade and fair public procurement. Based on the findings, recommendations on how to further increase the effectiveness of fair trade and how to further support a fair public procurement shall be derived. Methodologically, the study builds on the approach developed for the 2015 study and relies on qualitative contribution analysis. On the basis of a so-called theory of change and its underlying hypotheses, the study will investigate the changes that are intended by the fair trade community in the various areas of observation as well as the contributions that have been made by the fair trade community to these changes. In doing so, a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis will be applied. The starting point will be an extensive desk study of existing literature and secondary data, which will be complemented by empirical data collected by means of guided key informant interviews, (focus) group discussions and a semi-standardized survey.
Management: Sandra Bäthge | Co-Worker: Stefan Silvestrini, Maja Flaig
Development M&E-System
Start of project: May 2021
End of project: August 2021
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Development of results-based framework “Resilience in Strategic Communication”

The digital transformation has also greatly changed the demands on foreign policy and its communication. Whereas it used to be primarily the responsibility of the [Read More]The digital transformation has also greatly changed the demands on foreign policy and its communication. Whereas it used to be primarily the responsibility of the foreign minister and the global network of foreign missions, foreign policy today has many state and non-state actors. At the same time, global competition for attention has reached a new dimension due to digitalisation as well as numerous new players and alliances. But it has also changed due to a massive shift of communication to social media. Strategic communication today is therefore not only a different way of communicating in other social spaces, but at the same time a confrontation with challenges such as disinformation, propaganda or hate crime and a changed concept of the public, of freedom of expression and its threats. The aim of the assignment was to provide a decision-making basis for project selection based on clear and predefined criteria on how well a proposed project fits into the overall logic of resilience promotion, as well as to create a basis for evaluating German engagement in the resilience sector. This took the form of developing a results-based framework with associated impact-oriented indicators, which were documented in an accompanying report and embedded in terms of communication theory.
Management: Vera Hennefeld
Accompanying, Development M&E-System, Ex Ante Evaluation
Start of project: October 2017
End of project: December 2019
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Data collection for the certificate “Fan project in accordance with the National Plan for Safety in Sports”

In Germany, there is a dense network of social work institutions in the field of adolescent soccer fans (“fan projects”) that work in accordance with [Read More]In Germany, there is a dense network of social work institutions in the field of adolescent soccer fans (“fan projects”) that work in accordance with the National Plan for Safety in Sports (German: Nationales Konzept Sport und Sicherheit). A certification of those fan projects has been launched in 2010. Offering fan projects an instrument of quality control, the certification is intended to pursue multiple goals: (a) establishing a common standard for fan projects, (b) increasing confidence in the work of fan projects, and (c) improving the working context of fan projects. The certificate has been awarded by the Quality Management Group of the Centre for Fan Project Coordination of the German Sports Youth (German: Koordinationsstelle Fanprojekte bei der Deutschen Sportjugend). Members of the Quality Management Group belong to several stakeholder groups: soccer, federal authorities (for family affairs), science, and fan projects themselves. During a first subproject (5/2015-6/2016), CEval GmbH (a) revised the certification process, (b) tested the revised certification process on five fan projects, and (c) developed a standardized, feasible concept for collecting information necessary for certification. Thereby the certificate attests fan projects’ high quality of work. Within second subproject, CEval GmbH supported the nationwide roll-out of the revised certification by collecting all necessary information on all the remaining German soccer fan projects.
Management: Vera Hennefeld | Co-Worker: Sandra Bäthge | Cooperation Partner: Our Projects
Accompanying, Impact Analysis
Start of project: June 2018
End of project: August 2019
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Scientific support of an impact analysis of the project “egal war gestern – towards sustainability at vocational schools”

The Landesbund für Vogelschutz in Bayern (LBV) e.V. implemented the project “Towards sustainability at vocational schools” in the school term 2018/19 for the second time. [Read More]The Landesbund für Vogelschutz in Bayern (LBV) e.V. implemented the project “Towards sustainability at vocational schools” in the school term 2018/19 for the second time. It aimed at mobilizing the youth for matters of sustainability. More precisely, the project was geared towards students at Bavarian vocational schools who find themselves in the important period of professional orientation. The goal was to direct their attention to sustainability questions and to strengthen their awareness of those issues. To achieve this goal, the students were expected to independently implement projects in their respective schools in order to contribute to a more sustainable school life. The project was subject to an impact analysis, which was jointly implemented by LBV and CEval GmbH within the context of an accompanying evaluation. The purpose was to determine whether the intended effects of the project were actually achieved, that is, whether the attitudes and behavior of the participating students actually changed in relation to sustainability matters and whether those matters are more readily integrated into the everyday life at Bavarian vocational schools. In terms of methodology the analysis was based on a standardized survey before and after the project with both the participating students and a comparison group of students. Furthermore, guided interviews with the teachers who support the students in the implementation of their projects were conducted before and after the project.
Management: Vera Hennefeld | Co-Worker: Sandra Bäthge, Janis Wicke
Meta-Evaluation
Start of project: August 2018
End of project: December 2018
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Meta-Evaluation of ADA Project and Programme Evaluations 2016-2018

Subject of the meta-evaluation were ADA evaluations of development cooperation projects and programmes implemented between 2016 and 2018. The objective was to assess the quality [Read More]Subject of the meta-evaluation were ADA evaluations of development cooperation projects and programmes implemented between 2016 and 2018. The objective was to assess the quality and usefulness of ADA’s (internal and external) evaluations and to deliver recommendations on how to improve the ADA evaluation tool for the design and implementation of future evaluations. A document analysis of the evaluation reports was at the heart of the meta-evaluation. Based on a detailed analysis protocol the quality of said reports was assessed. The use of such a protocol, which covered all relevant analysis dimensions, indicators and rating scales, guaranteed the transparency and reliability of the meta-evaluation results. In order to evaluate the usefulness for and use of the evaluations under study, their target audience (e.g. programme managers) were interviewed via guided individual and group interviews and – in order to achieve the greatest possible representativeness of the results – a semi-standardized online survey.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Sandra Bäthge, Teresa Böttcher
Start of project: July 2018
End of project: September 2018
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Accompanying evaluation of the support program of the AMASE Masters-program

Together with a consortium of three other European universities (Luleå Technical University, Sweden, Barcelona Tech, Spain and Université de Lorraine, France) the European School of [Read More]Together with a consortium of three other European universities (Luleå Technical University, Sweden, Barcelona Tech, Spain and Université de Lorraine, France) the European School of Materials (EUSMAT) at Saarland University offers the international Master’s programme AMASE (Advanced Materials Science and Engineering). Its students have the opportunity to participate in an Integration Week in Saarbrücken right at the beginning of their studies, which aims at providing an orientation with regards to the course of the AMASE programme as well as strengthening the students? soft skills through a number of trainings. After the first year of study in the two-year AMASE programme, the students furthermore have the opportunity to take part in a Professional Summer School aiming at facilitating their career entry. Both events are part of the AMASE support programme and were evaluated within the context of an accompanying evaluation. The main goal was to determine the use of those events for their respective target groups. In methodological terms two standardized surveys as well as a number of focus group discussions were conducted with participants of the two events.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Sandra Bäthge, Cornelia Römling
Start of project: March 2018
End of project: August 2018
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Analysis of the 2018 Forum Fairer Handel consumer survey

Since 2007 Forum Fairer Handel has repeatedly mandated the implementation of representative surveys on Fair Trade among the German population. In 2018 the most recent [Read More]Since 2007 Forum Fairer Handel has repeatedly mandated the implementation of representative surveys on Fair Trade among the German population. In 2018 the most recent survey has been conducted. Apart from various aspects of Fair Trade consumption the survey also covered questions on the attitudes of the interviewees concerning the political claims of Fair Trade. Forum Fairer Handel has mandated CEval GmbH with the analysis of the survey data. Descriptive statistics have been applied during the analysis. Furthermore, in relation to some questions the differences in responses between groups have been checked. Whenever data from previous surveys was available, developments and trends over time have also been demonstrated.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini
Meta-Evaluation
Start of project: January 2018
End of project: April 2018
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Meta-Evaluation of Plan International evaluation reports

Plan International is working for many years now in Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote child rights and lift children out of poverty. The [Read More]Plan International is working for many years now in Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote child rights and lift children out of poverty. The German National Office of Plan International was founded in 1989, and has been contributing to funding development projects and programs as well as funding and commissioning external evaluations. Plan International Germany decided to implement a meta-evaluation of evaluation reports conducted between 2013 and 2017 covering all geographical working areas. The primary objectives of the meta-evaluation were to assess the strengths and weaknesses by analyzing the quality of the evaluation reports, to identify the success and risk factors that may affect their quality and to give recommendations. A particular focus was laid upon the influence of the type of evaluation (i.e. by whom it is coordinated and implemented) and the available resources and timeframe. The meta-evaluation was based on the analysis of the evaluation reports. The document analysis was structured in two phases. While in the first phase (pre-rating) the completeness of the evaluation reports was assessed, in a second phase (in-depth analysis), a more comprehensive set of quality assessment criteria was applied on a sample of reports, to allow for a more detailed assessment of the validity of their findings and usefulness to their addressees. Comprehensive analysis tools were used to analyze the completeness of the reports as well as the validity of findings and the usefulness of evaluation reports.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Cornelia Römling, Sandra Bäthge, Susanne Johanna Väth
Accompanying, Ex Post Evaluation
Start of project: June 2015
End of project: December 2016
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Accompanying evaluation of the career support program ‘Securing talents – shaping the future’

The program “Securing talents – shaping the future” by the Cusanuswerk aims to support future female leaders. The program focuses on mentoring elements that is [Read More]The program “Securing talents – shaping the future” by the Cusanuswerk aims to support future female leaders. The program focuses on mentoring elements that is tutorial support for scholarship holders by professionally experienced academics. It also focuses on occupationally specific training and support measures as well as on building a peer-network. The Center for Evaluation (CEval) has been conducting accompanying external evaluations to ensure quality management since the start of the career support program in 2007. An accompanying evaluation will also take place during the fifth program run in 2015/16. The main task of this evaluation is to provide the responsible employees with management-related information. In this context, questions regarding satisfaction with the offered events, quality of tutorial relationships as well as questions regarding professional and personal use of the relationships for both sides are especially relevant. The evaluation concept is based on Stufflebeam’s CIPP model and comparability of evaluation results regarding different program runs since the start of the career support program has been ensured. In regards to methods, the evaluation covers standardized questionnaires of mentees and mentors compared at three points in time. We will also conduct an alumni-survey of mentees that have been supported thus far.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Vera Hennefeld, Sandra Bäthge