Tracer study of alumni of the Max Weber Foundation’s institutes abroad 2005-2022

The Max Weber Foundation (MWS) is one of the leading organisations supporting German research in humanities and social sciences abroad. Therefore, the foundation maintains 11 institutes located around the world, which have a bridging function between the host countries and Germany. The institutes abroad play a particularly important role in the professional development and support of young academics in an international and interdisciplinary environment.

CEval GmbH has been contracted by the MWS to carry out a tracer study. The study will analyse the professional careers of former employees who worked at one of the MWS’s institutes abroad in a qualification position or a long-term scholarship and who left between 2005 and 2022. The aim of the study is to evaluate the success and thus the competitiveness of the promotion of young academics at the institutes.
The tracer study follows a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative instruments for data collection and analysis. An online survey, semi-structured interviews and a secondary data analysis will be applied.

Evaluation of the admission procedures to scholarship programs of the Hans Böckler Foundation (HBS)

The Hans Böckler Foundation (HBS) awards scholarships to secondary school leavers, artists and students as well as to doctoral candidates in all academic fields. To obtain a scholarship, applicants go through a multi-stage and meanwhile digitalized admission procedure in which their appropriateness is assessed on the basis of a series of criteria. CEval GmbH was commissioned by the HBS to evaluate the application procedures. In particular, the CEval GmbH examines the appropriateness, purposefulness and efficiency of the procedures as well as the fairness and comprehensibility of the test criteria.
Therefore, the CEval team orientates itself on the OECD-DAC criteria (relevance, coherence, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, sustainability), which are used to systematically develop an analytical matrix. The evaluation follows a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative instruments for data collection and analysis. Semi-structured guided interviews, qualitative short interviews, an online survey and a secondary data analysis will be applied.

Evaluation “RIGHT TO EDUCATION, RIGHT TO LEARN” Finland’s Development Cooperation in the Education Sector

The Unit for Development Evaluation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Finland had commissioned a strategic evaluation to inform the Ministry on how the various development policy and cooperation actors have succeeded in stepping up Finland’s global efforts in the education sector. The main objectives of the evaluation were three-fold: First, to analyse the relevance, coherence and efficiency of the response to the global learning crisis and the quality of education by the various development cooperation actors involved. Second, to analyse the effectiveness and results achieved in the area of development cooperation in stepping up Finland’s global role in education sector development in developing countries in line with its development policy objectives, and the value of the multi-actor approach therein. Third, to explore and document alternative future approaches for 2023-2030 in which Finland’s global role and response to the learning crisis and quality education could be the most relevant, coherent, efficient, and effective.

The evaluation’s overarching analysis framework was theory-based contribution analysis, based on a nested (macro-micro level) theory of change. The evaluation team used a mix of data collection and analysis methods in order to answer the evaluation questions. The methods comprised of desk review; key informant interviews; three Country Case Studies (Ethiopia, Nepal and Palestine); two desk-based Thematic studies (on basic education teacher training in Mozambique, and TVET and life skills training in Ukraine); and especially focusing on the future, the Delphi method of forecasting was used (on-line survey and interviews).

Perspective study on the DAAD program “HAW.International” (2023/2024)

The program ‘Securing Talents – Shaping the Future’ of the Cusanuswerk – Bischöfliche Studienförderung aims to promote the next generation of female leaders. To this end, the program relies on mentoring elements, i.e. tutorial support for female scholarship holders of German scholarship programs for the gifted by academics with professional experience, training and support measures geared to specific professions, and the establishment of a peer network. Since the start of the career development program in 2007, CEval has conducted external evaluations to ensure the quality of the program. An accompanying evaluation will also take place in the program run in 2023/2024. The central task of this evaluation is to provide the Cusanuswerk staff responsible for implementation with timely information relevant to management. In accordance with the program’s objectives, questions regarding satisfaction with the events offered, the quality of the tutorial relationships, and the professional and personal benefits of the relationship for both sides are of particular interest. Methodologically, the evaluation is based on standardized baseline and final online surveys of mentees and mentors.

Perspective study on the DAAD program “HAW.International”

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is the world’s largest funding organization for the international exchange of students and scholars. In addition to awarding scholarships, the DAAD promotes the internationalization of German universities, strengthens German studies and the German language abroad, supports developing countries in establishing efficient universities, and advises decision-makers in cultural, educational, and development policy.

The DAAD funding program “HAW.International” has been offered since 2019 and is aimed exclusively at universities of applied sciences (HAW). Within the framework of the program, students and teachers at HAW are supported with individual scholarships as well as structure-building and model and cooperation projects. In the long term, the program is intended to bring about a comprehensive and sustainable internationalization of HAW and promote its strategic positioning as an innovative university model for practice-oriented academic education worldwide. The program is intended to promote the internationalization of all HAWs both broadly and structurally. This also means that the internationalization process should be strategically anchored and sustainably implemented at all levels of higher education and across all groups of people (students, teachers, researchers, and also administrative staff and university management). To this end, “HAW.International” offers four thematic support modules that can be used by universities and students individually or complementarily.

In preparation for a further funding phase starting in 2025, the perspective study was intended to summarize the results of the funding to date and to examine the need for further support at HAW to strengthen their internationality and international visibility. The focus of the study was on identifying success factors, hurdles, and future needs. The results provide the DAAD with a basis for planning and designing the second generation of HAW.International program.

From a methodological point of view, the first step was the analysis of monitoring data. The insights gained in this way had been supplemented in the further course of the study by qualitative data from individual and group interviews with program stakeholders.

Framework contract for the further development and implementation of systematic results-based approaches through monitoring and evaluation for DAAD programs (2023)

The DAAD understands itself as a modern science organization that strives to continuously improve its effectiveness through continuous learning and the willingness to change its work. This approach is formulated in the DAAD’s Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation Concept, which was adopted in 2019. The concept identifies institutional learning, quality assurance, results-based orientation, transparency in processes and legitimacy as important dimensions to which the various monitoring and evaluation activities are geared. Doing so, from an overarching perspective, the strategic orientation of the DAAD and its programs is also to be supported on an evidence-based basis.
The framework agreement focuses on impact-oriented program planning, impact-oriented monitoring and target achievement and thus on further development and learning processes as well as on reporting obligations within the framework of performance monitoring. However, it also focuses on the effective and efficient use of the data generated by the Results-oriented Monitoring (RoM) in the context of monitoring-based analyses and evaluations and can thus make a significant contribution to strengthening and increasing the benefits of the RoM.
For this purpose, services are provided in the following areas:
– Development of results frameworks and indicator catalogues
– Development of program-specific monitoring instruments and revision of the program documents according to the requirements of the monitoring concept
– Data processing and analysis
– Monitoring based analyses and evaluations
– Internal and external workshops for the implementation of RoM
– Support in the context of monitoring visits to project partners
– Consultations on further approaches and methods in the field of monitoring and evaluation
– Further consulting and training services

Support for the evaluation of the Azubi Kolleg Lübeck

The Lübeck Trainee Kolleg is a programme of the Joachim Herz Foundation and the Lübeck Possehl Foundation, which supports 25 Lübeck trainees over two years in their personal development and promotes social skills. Seminars, workshops and training sessions are designed to enable the trainees to recognise and develop their strengths and potential and to increase their self-confidence, sense of responsibility and social commitment. In the block events, further training is offered on three major thematic blocks: a) communication, b) society/ politics/ economy and c) cultural education. Further goals of the programme are the exchange between the trainees, the joint learning process and the development of a network. In the long term, the programme is intended to contribute to the personal development and professional establishment of the trainees and to increase the attractiveness of vocational training. In addition, it is intended to give the development of talented trainees a greater presence in society. As a pilot project, the Azubi Kolleg is designed to run for five years.

In 2023, CEval GmbH was assigned again to support the evaluation of the programme. On the basis of the results-based framework and indicator catalogue developed in the previous project, the baseline data of the second cohort had been analyzed in 2023 in comparison with the data of the first cohort. In addition, online surveys among trainees, teachers and supervisors as well as focus group interviews with trainees and guided interviews with teachers and supervisors at the end of the programme are planned as the basis for a before-and-after comparison had been conducted.

Ex-ante survey in the programme “Azubi Kolleg Lübeck”

The Lübeck Trainee Kolleg is a programme of the Joachim Herz Foundation and the Lübeck Possehl Foundation, which supports 25 Lübeck trainees over two years in their personal development and promotes social skills. Seminars, workshops and training sessions are designed to enable the trainees to recognise and develop their strengths and potential and to increase their self-confidence, sense of responsibility and social commitment. In the block events, further training is offered on three major thematic blocks: a) communication, b) society/ politics/ economy and c) cultural education. Further goals of the programme are the exchange between the trainees, the joint learning process and the development of a network. In the long term, the programme is intended to contribute to the personal development and professional establishment of the trainees and to increase the attractiveness of vocational training. In addition, it is intended to give the development of talented trainees a greater presence in society. As a pilot project, the Azubi Kolleg is designed to run for five years.

In order to continuously improve the programme, CEval GmbH was commissioned to strengthen the impact orientation of the programme, therefore, in a first step, CEval GmbH developed a results-based framework and an indicator catalogue. On this basis, the next step was to conduct ex-ante surveys in the form of online surveys among the trainees and among the persons who supervise the trainees in the company (e.g. as a trainer, management, personnel department, etc.) or at school (e.g. as a class teacher, head of department, etc.). On the other hand, the surveys were intended to provide information about the trainees’ self-assessment and others’ assessment of their skills, personality traits, leisure activities or fields of interest at the beginning of their participation in the programme.

Accompanying evaluation of the support programme “Female Producer Collective“ (2023)

The program “Female Producer Collective” of GOFORMUSIC gGmbH is a special support project for female producers, who receive coaching in the areas of “Creativity and Idea Generation”, “Recording & Sound Design”, “Mixing & Mastering” and “Business & Marketing”. The aim of the project is to specifically promote female producers, to counteract the low quota of women in the production sector and to inspire female musicians to produce. CEval GmbH was already commissioned with the accompanying evaluation of the funding project in the first funding round (2022). In 2023, the programme “Female Producer Collective” started with a second round, whereby CEval GmbH had again conducted an accompanying evaluation. From a methodological point of view, focus group interviews with participants and coaches of the programme as well as an online survey via a standardised questionnaire had been conducted.

Data collection for the certificate “Fan project in accordance with the National Plan for Safety in Sports” (German: „Fanprojekt nach dem Nationalen Konzept Sport und Sicherheit“)

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: Establishing a common standard for fan projects, increasing confidence in the work of fan projects, and improving the working context of fan projects. The certificate is awarded on the basis of a recommendation by the Quality Management Group of the Centre for Fan Project Coordination of the German Sports Youth (German: Koordinationsstelle Fanprojekte bei der Deutschen Sportjugend). The Quality Management Group includes representatives from soccer, the highest state and family authorities, science, and fan projects themselves. After the certification was revised and tested by CEval GmbH in two previous projects and subsequently rolled out nationwide by collecting the information required for the certification in all fan projects, CEval GmbH has now been commissioned with the data collection for the third phase of the certification process for the current 71 fan projects.