Situation Analyses
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These analyses reports focus on understanding the existing internal and external environment and how these influence M&E practice in the continent across the three sectors of society. Please read them here
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Item Situational Analysis of the role of DPME and others(CLEAR-AA, 2017-12-08) CLEAR-AAThe aim of the study was to determine the extent to which selected national agencies/departments that have mandates to support local government promote evaluation practice, provide support to municipalities for the institutionalisation of evaluation and engage in evaluation capacity development with municipalities. The principal national agencies involved in supporting municipalities are the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCOG, part of the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), National Treasury and South African Local Government Association (SALGA). DPME aims to use the findings to identify opportunities and gaps in the existing institutional support system to metros. Further, the DPME will use the information to structure its own response to the increasing interest from metros in institutionalising evaluation.Item PRiME: Progress Index for Monitoring & Evaluation(CLEAR-AA, 2017) CLEAR-AAMonitoring and evaluation systems in Africa are growing rapidly, but it has been difficult to understand the nature of this growth. This is in part because there are so many different ways to understand the components of a monitoring and evaluation system, and much more research is needed to better understand the causal factors driving change. The Progress index is making a first attempt at grappling with these definitional elements, by beginning to systemically track progress around certain components of national monitoring and evaluation systems in key countries in the region. The Progress Index for Monitoring and Evaluation is designed to capture progress on the development of country monitoring and evaluation systems in selected countries within Africa.Item COMPASS: Tracking monitoring and evaluation developments in Anglophone Africa(CLEAR-AA, 2018) CLEAR-AAMuch of the existing literature around M&E and evaluation systems is based on European, North American and Latin American theory and practice, with little written about African M&E systems. For example, a study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (2016) explores evaluation systems in development cooperation focusing on 37 members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Network on Development Evaluation (EvalNet) and nine multilateral organisations, including six development banks, the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Another example is Rosenstein’s (2015) Mapping the Status of National Evaluation Policies in South Asia. The Compass offers a snapshot of developments in M&E in Anglophone African countries and is designed to inform CLEAR-AA and development partners’ understanding of M&E systems and planning for capacity development interventions in these countries, as well as contribute to public debate on the development of national M&E systems, institutionalisation of evaluation, and use of M&E evidence in the larger African context.Item 2017 CSI Handbook – 20th Edition(Trialogue Publication, 2017)Chapter 4: Local and global perspectives Criteria for determining strategic CSI and a profile of the recipient of the Trialogue Strategic CSI Award 2017, insights from The Trialogue Business in Society Conference 2017, key findings from CSI research conducted in Ghana and Kenya, and trends in global corporate giving.Item Demand for and supply of evaluations in selected Sub-Saharan African Countries(CLEAR-AA, 2013) Stephen, Porter; Osvaldo, FeinsteinThis study argues that the political economy of a country conditions the opportunities for evaluation to be used in policy processes. Consequently, evaluation capacity development practices need to be undertaken in a manner that works towards development with the prevailing political economy. Political economy issues become less evident as analysis moves from the policy space towards technical delivery, but still impacts upon the way evaluation processes unfold. This argument has been developed through synthesising findings from the case studies in five African countries; namely, Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia. These studies mapped evaluation demand and supply with consideration for the political economy. In undertaking the mapping, this study found that there is potential rather than actual technical capacity to manage, undertake and demand evaluations. This is a major constraint on the use of evaluation. High-quality evaluations are more often commissioned and managed by development partners than government, which means that they are less likely to be used in policy. There are, however, some notable examples development partner led evaluations being used. In some cases universities, think tanks and civil society actors in the country have some good technical capacity and can navigate the political context in a manner that promotes development rather than self-interest. Such technically good and politically savvy evaluation actors offer entry points to evaluation capacity development efforts.Item Study on the demand for and supply of Evaluation Ghana(CLEAR-AA, 2013) Prof. Samuel, Adams; Dr. Charles, Amoatey; Joe, Taabazuing; Osvaldo, FeinsteinThere is growing recognition of the critical role of evaluations to generate relevant information to guide the decisions and actions of policy makers and project managers. Yet, there is poor understanding of the demand and supply of evaluations in many African countries. This study seeks to bridge this knowledge gap by generating deeper insights on the demand and supply of evaluations in Ghana, as one of the five country cases conducted by the regional Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Anglophone Africa (CLEAR AA). Ghana was selected based on an assessment as having a high potential to develop evaluation capacity.Item Study on the demand for and supply of Evaluation Zambia(2013) Mr. Osward, Mulenga; Mr Stephen, PorterThis report seeks to present in relation to evaluation in Zambia: (i) the conditions under which demand is generated for evidence; and (ii) the areas in which supply can be strengthened to meet and foster this demand. This report shows that there is currently active, latent and potential evaluation demand and supply in Zambia. It is argued that in Zambia each entry-point for evaluation is partial and is mediated by aligned interest groups rather than a neutral role-player seeking to expand evidence-based practice. This demand is set within a context where there is a high degree of political competition between political parties and various interest groups. In the political economy, loyalties to informal networks of power are in many cases more important than performance.Item Study on the demand for and supply of Evaluation Rwanda(CLEAR-AA, 2013) Mr. Charles, Gasana; Stephen, PorterThis research explores (i) the conditions under which demand is generated for evidence; and (ii) the areas in which supply can be strengthened in relation to evaluation in Rwanda. The research shows that there are currently active, latent and potential demands for evaluation. The latent and potential demands are nested within the requests for evidence from principals and government agents in Rwanda (for example, supporting a research symposium with Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)). This demand is not conditioned by development partners, but is driven from the government based on their development objectives. Supply could in the short-term be strengthened through work with the Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR) and the National University.Item Study on the demand for and supply of Evaluation Malawi(CLEAR-AA, 2013) Dr. Hannock, KumwendaThis report provides a review of two dimensions of evaluation practice in Malawi: (i) the conditions under which demand for evidence is generated; and (ii) the areas in which supply can be strengthened to meet and foster this demand. The review serves to highlight the prevalence of active, latent and potential demands for evaluation. The latent and potential demands are nested within requests for evidence from principals and government agents. This demand is not necessarily only conditioned by development partners, but results endogenously from government, based on articulated development objectives. Supply could in the short-term be strengthened through work with the main research centres of the Universities of Malawi (Centre for Social Research, Economics Department) and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources.Item Study on the demand for and supply of Evaluation Ethopia(2013) Dr. Getnet Alemu, Alemu; Salim, LatibThis study investigates the conditions under which demand for evaluation is generated, the latent and potential demand for evaluation, the range and capacity of entities supplying evaluation services, and the areas in which supply can be strengthened to meet and foster this demand. This study has shown that there are currently active, latent and potential demands for evaluation in Ethiopia. The latent and potential demands are nested within the demands for evidence from principals and government agents in Ethiopia. The demand for evaluation is not driven, as often assumed, by Development Partners (DPs), but by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) policy matrix which serves as Ethiopia’s evaluation policy framework.Item Monitoring and Evaluation Systems in Five African Countries(CLEAR-AA, 2019) Dr Ebenezer, Adaku; Dr Charles Teye, Amoatey; Mr Richard Kingsford, Otoo; Ms Linda, Khumalo; Mr Khotso, Tsotsotso; Ms Hermine, Engel; Ms Aisha Jore, Ali; Ms Elizabeth, Asiimwe; Dr Laila Ruth, Smith; Dr Takunda J., Chirau; Ms Masego, Tabane; Ms Caitlin Blaser, MapitsaThe findings presented in this document show how systems for M&E in countries of focus are slowly growing. These M&E systems differ significantly in maturity, capacity, and effectiveness. Governments are increasingly taking M&E seriously, they are investing in establishing M&E units, departments, ministries and developing M&E policies to guide the practice. M&E is slowly being institutionalised and systematised. However, M&E systems remain constrained by inadequate financial and human resource allocation. Much work is still needed to adapt methods and approaches for Monitoring and Evaluation to the context of most governments in the continent to meet increasing demands from the government and its people. In our work, we have found that in all countries there are many organisations with a keen interest in strengthening national M&E capacity these include international development partners, UN agencies, International M&E capacity building institutions, and local universities providing training, Voluntary Organisation for Professional Evaluation amongst others. Growing national M&E capacity in countries would allow partners to maximise the impact of their work and bring about better development outcomes. We hope that findings presented here and in other reports mapping M&E systems in Africa help different stakeholders target their interventions and that this contributes to systematic and coordinated efforts to strengthen M&E capacity.