Program Evaluation “Support in Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Integration in the Field of Quality Infrastructure (QI) in SAARC”
With this regional Project, PTB Germany aims to reduce the technical barriers to trade by fostering cooperation among the SAARC countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Buthan, Maldives, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka) in the field of metrology, accreditation and standardization. The Project targeted professional and Management staff of national QI-institutions as well as ministries relevant to the QI-System. Amongst others, measures lige Trainings and awareness raising Events have been taken and consultancy has been provided.
The evaluation combined qualitative and quantitative methods (mixed method design). A document Analysis and qualitative interviews with different stakeholders from all SAARC countries during a field visit to Bangladesh, Bhutan and India, and an online Survey of former metrology and accreditation Training participants in awareness raising Events have been carried out.
By statistical data and qualitative Content Analysis, the evaluation aimed to provide empirical evidence about the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the Project (DAC criteria) and the success factores for the observed results and change processes (Capacity Works criteria: strategy, cooperation, steering structure, processes, learning and innovation).
Thereby, it contributed to the further development of the Project approach and ist revision in view of future activities by PTB (in the region). The evaluation results had also been used as a Basis to decide on a follow-up project and on potentially necessary adaptions of its design.
Evaluation of the Projects “Sustainable Municipal Development through Partnership Projects” and “Support Program for Municipal Climate Protection and Climate Change Adaption Projects”
As part of Engagement Global – Service für Entwicklungsinitiativen (Service for Development Initiatives) the Service Agency Communities in One World in Germany ist the competence Center for local development cooperation. Founded in 2001 the Service Agency offers a platform for dialogue for municipalities in Germany and the South and supports development activities of local actors by providing them with Training, Information and advisory Services.
The two programs “Sustainable Municipal Development through Partnership Projects – Nachhaltige Kommunalentwicklung durch Partnerschaftsprojekte (Nakopa)” and “Support Program for Municipal Climate Protection and Climate Change Adaption Projects – Förderprogramm für kommunale Klimaschutz- und Klimaanpassungsprojekte (FKKP)” are core activities of the Service Agency. While Nakopa supports existing and new municipal partnership Projects in selected relevant fields of development cooperation, FKKP explicitly addresses municipal activities in the field of climate protection and climate change adaptation.
After the first Project cycle of three years has been completed, the current Evaluation aims at evaluating These two programs with respect to processual aspects of project Administration as well as Impacts of both the funded partnership Projects and the Support programs Nakopa and FKKP. Leading questions of this evaluation are guided by the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria and had been answered using the approach of contribution Analysis and documentary and empirical data. Hence, the evaluation was based on Monitoring data and Project documents on the one Hand and empirical data gathered through extensive partly standardized interviews and partly standardized online surweys with participating communities on the other hand.
Improving the Monitoring and reporting System to implement the Action plan "Inclusion of Persons with disabilities" in the German development co-operation
In February 2013, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) published an action plan for the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs). In doing so, it follows ist duties emanating from Article 32 of the UN Convention on the rights of PWDs. The action plan provides Information on strategic Goals and Actions to design development cooperation of the Federal Republic of Germany towards a better inclusion of PWDs.
To assess the progress and to steer the implementation of planned acitivities an appropriate Monitoring and reporting System is necessary. Hence, the Center of Evaluation (CEval) has been contracted to Support the sector Project “Inclusion of PWDs” of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the departement 300 of the BMZ with its methodological expertise to develop an Analysis grid to evaluate the implementation of the action plan.
External Evaluation of the empowering people. Network
On behalf of Siemens Stiftung CEval GmbH implemented an external evaluation of the empowering people. Network. Founded in 2013, the network brings together inventors and social enterprises to develop solutions to address basic supply problems in fields such as health, food or education in developing countries. The empowering people. Award aims to identify simple and appropriate technological innovations with business potential and make them visible and accessible to everyone. As members of the empowering people. Network, currently 80 organizations that are implementing best-practice approaches receive long-term support in terms of organizational development, professionalization, and networking with partners.
In 2017, the empowering people. Network was evaluated for the first time since its foundation. The evaluation covered the entire lifetime of the network and its purpose was to account for progress and goals achieved so far and to gain lessons for strategic development. It therefore examined what impacts could be achieved by the respective modules and how these were assessed with regard to the overarching objectives. Leading questions of the evaluation were guided by the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria. It was characterized by a participative multi-methods approach and drew on contribution analysis that combined document/secondary analyses with qualitative (interviews, focus group discussions, case studies) as well as quantitative methods (partly standardized surveys). Lessons learnt and recommendations for the future development of the network were derived from the findings.
Impact Study: Assessing the Impact of Fairtrade on Poverty Reduction through Rural Development, Follow-up study 2017
TransFair e.V. aims at strengthening the objectives of Fairtrade and enabling producers in the Global South to make a living of the products they produce. Among other things, this should be achieved by establishing long-term and as direct as possible relations between producer organizations in the Global South and markets in the Global North and by complying with standards such as the legal minimum wage, wearing protective clothing, paid vacation and social insurance for workers working on plantations.
In order to assess the impact of Fairtrade on the socioeconomic environment of producers, TransFair e.V. and the Swiss Max Havelaar Foundation had commissioned CEval in 2011 to carry out the impact Evaluation “Assessing the Impact of Fairtrade on Poverty Reduction through Rural Development.” The study was the first of its kind to analyze the potential contribution of Fairtrade to improve the living conditions in rural areas. The study design covered the countries Ghana, India, Kenya and Peru and the product categories banana, cotton, flower, coffee, cocoa and tea.
2017, in its 25th anniversary year, TransFair e.V. wanted to follow up on the previous findings and commissioned CEval for the second time, enabling the assessment of longitudinal (comparison over time) and cross-sectional (FT and non-FT case study comparison) changes. A theory-based contribution analysis was applied, considering FTs Theory of Change and the indicators of the committee on sustainability assessment (COSA). Following a case study approach, the findings were mainly based on primary qualitative data collected via Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews and observations. A participatory quantitative seed assessment to assess perception changes over the last five years complemented the field research, which took place between October 2017 and January 2018. Findings were, eventually, structured along the economic, social and ecological dimension of the COSA indicators.
Formative Evaluation of the Out-of-School-Children Initiative (OOSCI)
The focus of this evaluation was the Out-of-School-Children Initiative (OOSCI) by UNICEF and UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The initiative was launched in 2010 to achieve a reduction in the number of children out of school in participating countries. Means to achieve this goal were to create comprehensive profiles of out-of-School children in each Country, identify the barriers that push children out of school and to propose changes in the policies and strategies of the partner country to address these barriers.
The evaluation aimed at testing the validity of the theory of change and its assumptions. It is used to strengthen the program logic and to provide a formative assessment of the progress towards the overall goal of achieving a reduction in out-of-school children. The evaluation also provides an in-depth insight into benefits for the different stakeholders and their involvement in the initiative. Furthermore, the findings of the evaluation are used to meet the accountability requirements by the donors of OOSCI.
Main source of information of this evaluation have been documents like OOSCI country studies, OOSCI regional studies, government plans and documents from other donors (e.g. the World Bank, UNESCO, foreign donors etc.). In a document review we assessed progress made through OOSCI for a sample of 42 countries and assessed the contents within the document using a 4-step coding. These codings were used for a descriptive analysis and additionally for a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). QCA enabled us to analyze thoroughly which set of conditions leads to which outcome. Further instrument of data collection has been an online survey to all country offices. Additional qualitative data has been collected in the US and during eight country visits. The evaluation has been conducted together with Proman and further Consultants. CEval took over the lead with regard to the evaluation methodology.
Evaluation of the Funding Activities of the Foundation Environment and Development North Rhine-Westphalia
The Foundation Environment and Development North Rhine-Westphalia was founded 2001 and promotes mainly volunteer environmental and development work of civil society groups. The objective of the foundation is to support the environmental and development work in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in order to establish this work in the consciousness and in the practical involvement of the population permanently and at the state of the art.
For this purpose about 1,100 projects of non-profit organisations in NRW were supported with a volume of EUR 47.5 million so far. In addition, the Foundation carries out its own projects, to also promote the implementation of Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in in 1994.
Within the evaluation, the results and effects of the funding activities of the Foundation were recorded and assessed. Furthermore, the evaluation was intended to find out information on potential inhibitory and / or promoting factors in the funding activities of the Foundation with respect to the foundation goals. Based on these findings recommendations on priorities of the Foundation with regard to content, actors, target groups and the methods and formats will be derived.
CEval applied a mixed method approach to collect relevant data. Therefore, relevant documents and accessible data of the foundation and of funded projects will be analysed. This will be combined with data based on qualitative guideline-based interviews with several stakeholders and standardised online surveys of current and completed projects.
Assessing Effectiveness and Impact of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a global standard to promote open and accountable management of natural resources. It seeks to strengthen government and company systems, inform public debate, and enhance trust. In each implementing country it is supported by a coalition of governments, companies and civil society working together.
The GIZ has mandated an evaluation of the initiative based on the following objectives:
- Evaluate the outcomes, effectiveness and impact (positive and negative, intended and unintended) of EITI against the backdrop of the EITI MDTF Results Framework, and to shed light on the links between transparency, accountability and, possibly, wider development outcomes.
- Assess EITIs theory of change and the EITI MDTF Results Framework in order to develop an improved generic EITI Results Model and assist selected MSGs to develop specific national EITI Results Models and to derive impact-oriented indicators from it.
These objectives and the complexity of EITIs context required a tailor-made design. The methodology combined
- macro-quantitative statistical analyses
- in-depth case studies
- participatory approaches to operationalization, data collection and analysis of findings.
Under the coordination of LBN Strategies and in collaboration with further consultants, the Center for Evaluation took the lead in the study component Approaches and Methodology.
Case Study for Thuringia in the course of the Evaluation of the European Dynamics for DEAR Efficiency Project
CEval was mandated by Planète Publique (Paris) with the accomplishment of a case study in the course of the evaluation of the EU-project European Dynamics for DEAR Efficiency. The project aimed on supporting developmental education work in four European regions (Thuringia/ Germany, Picardie/ France, Marches/ Italy und Luxembourg/ Belgium) as well as encouraging the exchange and mutual learning of the participating actors. In Thuringia, different developmental education measures and networking activities on a regional and European level were fostered. For the creation of the case study CEval was carrying out guideline based expert interviews with different project stakeholder.
Meta-Evaluation World Vision Germany
For the second time World Vision Germany (WVG) has engaged CEval to conduct a meta-evaluation of 29 evaluation reports of its long-term Area Development Programmes. The aim of the evaluation was to analyze the reports with regard to their quality and validity. Beyond this assessment, CEval provided recommendations to enhance the design and implementation of future evaluation. Based on the OECD/DAC evaluation criteria relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability, CEval implemented a two-tier analysis method. According to WVGs quality criteria (i.e. voice and inclusion, transparency, appropriateness of evaluation methods, methodology, triangulation, and contribution) we first assessed to which extent the evaluation reports complied with various sub-criteria within one criterion. In a second step, we consolidated findings and deviated one aggregated rating per criterion. CEval additionally examined the criteria satisfaction of information needs and organization of findings/conceptualization of change.
This year, additionally an online survey investigating the utility, usage and usefulness of evaluation findings within WV has been conducted. The semi-standardized questionnaire contained questions concerning the quality of evaluation reports against several criteria, similar to the above mentioned ones to compare the perception of quality within WV with the results from the document analysis. Furthermore, qualitative data has been collected to get insights into the usage, utility and usefulness of evaluation results.
Moreover, CEval evaluated the transparency of WVGs published impact report. It critically reviewed the report and rated it against the following criteria: comprehensibility, presentation of the relevant information for the target group, methodological approach, validity of the used data and sources, objectivity, and access.