Evaluation of the program “DLR-DAAD Research Fellowships”
Since 2008 the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the German AcademicExchange Service (DAAD) are jointly implementing a research fellowship programme with a focus on energy, aeronautics, space and transport related disciplines. The programme aims at contributing to the internationalization of DLR institutes as well as promoting researchers who maintain a relation to Germany as partners and friends. The goal of the evaluation was twofold: On the one hand, it should assess the programmes medium- and long-term effects. On the other hand, it identified potentials for improvement and come up with suggestions for necessary adaptions in view of a possible future continuation of the programme. In terms of methodology, the evaluation relied on a mix of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods. Among others, guided interviews, focus group discussions, on-site visits as well as an online survey were implemented.
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. 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.
External Evaluation of the Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP II) and Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education (NICHE II)
On behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) the CEval implemented an external Evaluation of the Dutch Fellowship Programme (NFP II) and Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education (NICHE II). Financed by the MFA and administered by the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education ‘EP-Nuffic’, these programs offer capacity development in higher education for developing partner countries.
The overall aim of NFP and NICHE is to help reduce quantitative and qualitative shortage of trained professional staff in developing countries and to build sustainable capacity within the poverty reduction Framework. The NFP provides Fellowships to mid-career professionals to participate in Trainings and postgraduate courses in the Netherlands. NICHE is a capacity building programme to improve the quality, relevance and gender sensitiveness of post-secondary education in NICHE-countries.
The evaluation covered the period of 2002-2015 while a focus was on the latest project phase since 2012 which put an additional emphasis on economic diplomacy and closer alignment with the four priority themes of the Dutch development cooperation strategy (water, sexual reproductive health and rights, security and rule of law and food security). The purpose of the evaluation was to account for the Netherlands funding provided for the two programs under the current project cycle and to gain lessons for future policy development and implementation. Within the scope of the evaluation, both programs were analysed regarding the OECD/DAC criteria of relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability. Recommendations for possible optimization of the program were developed on the basis of the findings. The evaluation was conducted in cooperation with ACE Europe, a Belgian consultancy.
Process Evaluation of the career support program ‘Securing Talents – Shaping the Future’ (2019/2020)
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 CEval has been conducting accompanying external evaluations to ensure quality management since the start of the career support program in 2007. An accompanying evaluation also take place during the seventh program run 2019/2020. The main task of this evaluation was 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. In regards to methods, the evaluation covered standardized questionnaires of mentees and mentors compared at three points in time.
Evaluation of the website www.bne-portal.de
The German Commission for UNESCO is a Quango in the field of multilateral cultural, educational, Research, and media policy. The website www.bne-portal.de is one of their efforts in contributing to the Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development. The website is considered to open the field of education for sustainable development (German: Weltaktionsprogramm Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung) to actual as well as future protagonists in Germany. After a re-launch in 2016 and an uptime of one year, CEval GmbH was entrusted to evaluate the website www.bne-portal.de.
The evaluation of the website was focused on (a) clarity, relevance, and appeal of the provided information, (b) attractiveness of design and structure, (c) information accessibility, (d) practical relevance of information, (e) usefulness of provided contact channels, (f) degree of fulfilling user expectations, (g) intensity of use, (h) popularity/attractiveness of its education materials, and (h) popularity/attractiveness of its protagonist database.
The evaluation was based on an online user survey followed by quantitative data analysis.
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 demographic monitoring tool demowanda: Demand-oriented coaching on self-evaluation
“The BAuA explores the conditions and developments in gainful employment with a view to providing workers with the best possible protection and Support both today and in the future.” (s. BAuA-Website). Leading the project Demografischer Wandel in der Arbeitswelt (demowanda) is one of BAuAs Tasks. demowanda is a demographic monitoring tool, which has been ordered by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
BAuA realized a self-evaluate of the demowanda project – their collaboration project with BiB, BIBB, DZA, IAB and RKI. The objective of BAuA’s self-evaluation was the analysis and evaluation of the projects implementation process, its outputs, outcomes and impacts.
In order to successfully realize the self-evaluation, BAuA commissioned CEval GmbH to accompany their self-evaluation and to provide them with demand-oriented coaching/training. Employees of BAuA, who are involved in the self-evaluation of demowanda, were enabled to extend their knowledge on self-evaluation. Moreover, coaching/training ensured the conceptual as well as methodological quality of the self-evaluation project.
The demand-oriented coaching included phone and on-site consulting, inhouse trainings and workshops, and support of development evaluation materials/documents.
Process Evaluation of the career support program ‘Securing Talents – Shaping the Future’ (2017-2018)
Process Evaluation of the career support program ‘Securing Talents – Shaping the Future’ (2017/2018)
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 CEval has been conducting accompanying external evaluations to ensure quality management since the start of the career support program in 2007. An accompanying evaluation took also place during the sixth program run 2017/18. The main task of this evaluation was 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 were especially relevant. In regards to methods, the evaluation covers standardized questionnaires of mentees and mentors compared at three points in time.
How to manage sustainability and effectiveness?
The actors of German cultural relations and education policy (AKBP) face the challenge that the context of their actions is always in interaction with complex, dynamic political and social contexts. This complicates the creation of knowledge in order to manage projects and thus to secure sustainability and effectiveness of AKBP-projects.
Hence, the aim of this research project was to analyze which methods and tools are suitable in volatile contexts to generate knowledge about effects in changing conditions. In addition, the possibilities to use this knowledge for project management was examined. Therefore, on the one hand a stock taking of existing instruments was made. On the other hand more recent approaches for monitoring and decision-making were analyzed with regard to their applicability in the AKBP.
Evaluation of §§20a and b Police Act of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW)
Purpose of this project was the scientific support of the evaluation of §§ 20a and b in the North Rhine-Westphalian Police Act which became operative as of 1 of July 2013. It concerned the entitlement of receiving information on telecommunication and media data and included further a norm on data collection by the police with technical means. The new legislation has included the evaluation of impacts and a review of the application in practice with the support of an independent scientific expert after three years of experience. The balance between entitling the police with certain rights to inquire and collect data to protect citizens and at the same time limit the intrusion into private data has been a highly discussed topic in politics and public.
CEval was involved in the concretization and operationalization of leading research questions and in the identification of appropriate indicators. It supported the development of the evaluation design, the data collection instruments as well as data collection itself and data analysis. Data was collected in the form of guideline based interviews, focus group discussions and standardized surveys.