M.M. El-FoulyAmman-Jordan 4/2011 Approaches and Experiences Arabic Perspective Mohamed M. El-Fouly National Research Centre Cairo – Egypt IDEAS General

M.M. El-Fouly Amman-Jordan 4/2011

Approaches and Experiences Arabic Perspective

Mohamed M. El-FoulyNational Research Centre

Cairo – Egypt

IDEAS General Assembly

10-15 April 2011

Amman – Jordan

EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING

DEVELOPMENT AT NATIONAL LEVEL

M.M. El-Fouly Amman-Jordan 4/20112.2.

MAIN KINDS OF EVALUATIONS

ON NATIONAL LEVEL

Programs

Projects

Ministries

Departments

Policies


WHY EVALUATION ON THE

NATIONAL LEVEL ?

Accountability

Better use of resources

To reach defined results

To monitor behavior changes

To monitor impacts leading to improving livelihood

To learn how to do things better

(Learning Individuals – Learning organizations)

3.3.


WHO SHOULD BE CONCERNED

WITH EVALUATION MAIN ACTORS

Decision makers (all levels)

Including parliament members

M&E staff in national organizations

M&E staff in international organizations

Researchers

Consultants

Media

Populations at large

4.4.


Experiences [1]

5.5.

M&E is not yet a part of the culture in Arab countries

M&E used to control and not to measure efficiency, effectiveness, outcome and impact

Efforts started few years ago through international organizations to introduce M&E sprit in national organizations

International organizations, each is dealing with its own system – very limited efforts to assist countries to build own system

Inadequate number of experts/consultants available, mostly build their own capacities by themselves. Little systematic competency development


Whenever an evaluation study is conducted, involve local consultants

Results of M&E studies are written English and in many cases do not have even Arabic Summary and mostly have restricted distribution

Professionals, generally are not able to evaluate their own work

Media is far away from understanding M&E as a learning process for individuals and organizations

Universities generally, do not have any curricula on M&E

Experiences [2]


Data collection, is either too much or not enough and generally not related to specific objective and many cases not reliable

Data is filtered while transferred from one level to another

Not enough back ground material in Arabic

Very limited material written by nationals in Arabic

Experiences [3]


CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

→ Dialogue Dialogue

International - National - Local

→ Awareness meetingsAwareness meetings

(Preferably organized by international bodies together with local organizations)

1. Decision Makers (Central and Local Levels)

Recognizing the need for national M&E system all over the

country

Importance of country led own M&E systems

More effective use of M&E results for decision taking

8.8.


2. M+E Staff in National Organizations

Need for reliable data

How to process data, draw conclusions and formulate policies

How to write reports fulfilling different needs

→ Preparatory study 3-6 months (different training Preparatory study 3-6 months (different training sessions) Diplomasessions) Diploma

→ Upgrading trainingUpgrading training

→ On job coachingOn job coaching

9.9.



3. M+E Staff in International Organizations

10.10.

There are different M&E systems leading to the same objectives. National M&E personnel confused

Assisting national bodies in becoming knowledge based

→ Beings already done, but mainly, each for its Beings already done, but mainly, each for its “own” system“own” system

→ Workshop to know and show the difference Workshop to know and show the difference between different systems between different systems

→ Joining national networks Joining national networks



4. Researchers / Consultants

11.11.

Help the country to develop own M&E system

Do consultancies, which can be understood by the concerned authorities and public at large

→ Regular workshops with international organizations Regular workshops with international organizations

→ Establishing professional networksEstablishing professional networks

→ Specialized large and short term courses, leading to Specialized large and short term courses, leading to

and not leading to degrees and not leading to degrees



5. Media

12.12.

Be convinced about the need of systemic M+E in all areas of activities

Be able to convey the massage to the public

Be in a position to make own judgment on the impact of development interventions

→ Training and workshops with national and international Training and workshops with national and international organizationsorganizations

→ Regular meetings wit researchers and consultantsRegular meetings wit researchers and consultants

→ Invitations to take effective part in conferences / meetingsInvitations to take effective part in conferences / meetings

→ Providing them with reference material Providing them with reference material



6. Population at Large

13.13.

To know the importance of M&E on individual, programmes and organizational level on all activities in the society

→ Adding M&E concepts and their importance in school curricula Adding M&E concepts and their importance in school curricula

→ Adding M&E concept and their applications in different Adding M&E concept and their applications in different

professions at university level professions at university level

→ Continuous information flow via media Continuous information flow via media


General Needs

14.14.

Wide use of Arabic language

Developing curricula in Arabic to be included in school and university teaching

Translating M&E literature into Arabic

Writing Essays/books/articles in Arabic

Preparing material for training courses

Publishing information material on M&E

Writing M&E reports of consultancies in Arabic wit executive summary in English


Proposal

15.15.

Organizing a workshop with participants from

all concerned stakeholders to work out a 3-

years plan for increasing M&E competencies for

different actors on the national level (Egypt)

which can be considered as a model for other

countries too

Seek sponsorship for some of the activities

from different national and international

development partners


Acknowledgement

16.16.

The author wishes to thank UNICEF for its support to attend the

conference


Thank You

Documents

M.M. El-FoulyAmman-Jordan 4/2011 Approaches and Experiences Arabic Perspective Mohamed M. El-Fouly National Research Centre Cairo – Egypt IDEAS General