WHAT IS CLEAR?

April, 2010

2

Overview

• Program: A five-year global program launched in January 2010, including bilateral and multilateral donors, the World Bank, and the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG); housed at IEG

• Objective: Strengthen competitively selected existing regional academic institutions or think tanks to provide capacity development services in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and results-based management (RBM) to government and civil society. Contribute to strengthening national M&E capacity

• Governance Structure: Board, Regional Advisory Committees, and Secretariat

• Funding: Donor funds managed by IEG; IEG’s and Bank units’ (Africa, South Asia, and Latin America) in-kind and budget contributions; institutions’ own contributions and revenues

3

4

Context & Rationale• Increasing demand for evaluation knowledge

Internal, within countries:– Increasing pressure for transparency (access to information), value-for-money, and

accountability– Decentralization, public sector reforms – Civil society engagementFrom development agencies:– Greater emphasis on using country systems (Paris Declaration; Accra Agenda for Action); shift

to financing based on results• Limited supply of relevant, cost-effective, and sustained evaluation capacity

development services. Need for:– Customized but cost-effective capacity development services– Peer-to-peer learning and exchange of knowledge– Range of opportunities to learn and apply practical and policy-relevant monitoring and

evaluation approaches, build systems for M&E– Regionally accessible capacity to build capacity

Program Components

• Regional (big) – implemented by Centers based in selected institutionsCompetitively selected institution provided a grant to establish and operate a CLEAR CenterEach Center develops its own work-program, responding to the regional contexts, demand, and needs

• Training• Knowledge Services (e.g., research, support to M&E networks and knowledge dissemination)• Advisory Services (e.g., engagement in evaluations, technical assistance for government agencies’

evaluation system design)

– Multi-regional activities organized by Centers themselves – Coordination with other related initiatives (e.g., 3IE, statistical capacity building)

• Global (small) – implemented by Secretariat at IEG– Capacity-building streams for selected Centers (courses on Performance-based

budgeting, Impact Evaluation, Rapid Reviews, Evaluation Systems and Policies, Other)

– Peer-to-peer learning among selected Centers– Technical assistance for Centers’ work program

5

6

Results Expected

• Regionally based recognized Centers providing relevant, cost-effective, and customized services to government and civil society on a sustainable basis

• Greater awareness, practice, and implementation of high quality M&E in the Centers’ client countries

• Longer-term goal of improved country M&E system and capacity

7

GovernanceCLEAR’s governance structure comprises a Board, a Secretariat, and the Centers’

Regional Advisory Committee (RAC)

• The Board is the decision-making and oversight body of the program. It currently comprises donors providing $500,000 or more per year, with one representative for donors providing less than $500,000. The Board will be expanded to include representatives from client countries. The Board is chaired by IEG

• The Secretariat implements the Board’s decisions and conducts day-to-day operations of the program. It also implements the global component of the program. It is housed in IEG

• The Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) are responsible for advising the selected institutions on their work program based on regional needs/demands . RACs are selected by the Center with Board approval. Each RAC will comprise about six members representing civil society, a professional association, academia, government, donors, and the Bank

8

Regional Component

Two-Stage Selection Process to Establish Centers (spanning 6-8 months)

Stage 1– Region-wide open call for expressions of interest– Shortlisting by an independent selection committee– CLEAR Board review of shortlist

Stage 2– Shortlisted institutions invited to submit full proposals, including an assessment of demand for

M&E services and a strategy and specific workprogram to respond to the demand– Secretariat site visits – Selection committee assessment and recommendation of top two institutions per region to Board– CLEAR Board selection

9

Centers Selected in 2010

• Africa – The University of Witwatersrand (WITS) with partners:– Kenya Institute of Administration (KIA)– Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA)

• South Asia – JPAL at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR)

The Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Center in China also part of the program, although not selected competitively

Center Selection in 2011 – to be concluded in October

• Francophone Africa – 24 applicants; 6 shortlisted• Latin America - 22 applicants; 4 shortlisted

10

Regional Component

Africa Center:

University of Witwatersrand

56 Applications from 17 countries 5 Institutions Shortlisted

East Asia Center: AFDC, Shanghai, China

-

Latin America Center:

22 applications from 7 countries

South Asia Center:

J-PAL at the Institute for Financial and Management Research

24 applications from 6 countries 3 Institutions Shortlisted

Francophone Center:

Francophone Center:

Centre Africain d’Etudes Superierure en Gestion

24 Applications from 11 countries

11

FrancophoneAfrica

Country with institutions presenting applications

Competitive Selection24 Applications Received From 6 countries 9 Institutions Shortlisted

Country with shortlisted institutionsCLEAR Center in Africa

12

Africa

Country with institutions presenting applications

Competitive Selection56 Applications Received from 17 countries 5 Institutions Shortlisted

Country with shortlisted institutionsCLEAR Center in Africa

Country with institutions presenting applications

Competitive Selection 24 applications received From 6 countries 3 Institutions Shortlisted

Country with shortlisted institutions

South Asia

14

Africa

Country with institutions presenting applications

Competitive Selection56 Applications Received from 17 countries 5 Institutions Shortlisted

Country with shortlisted institutionsCLEAR Center in Africa

15

Accomplishments and Looking Forward • Global Component

Annual global forum (first global forum in June 2011)

Forum for peer-exchanges and networking among centers and stakeholders

Capacity Building Streams

– Performance-based budgeting course – piloted in China, AfCoP meeting in Kenya

– Rapid evaluations course being completed (principally for managers of evaluation units)

– “How to” Practical Impact Evaluation course under development. Featured at the conference “Mind the Gap: From Evidence to Policy” in Cuernavaca, Mexico, June 15-17, 2011

– Other courses planned – Evaluation Systems and Policies; Civil Society Approaches to M&E, Others

• Regional ComponentAFDC (China) already operating

Selected centers beginning implementation (e.g., CLEAR Africa will offer training at AFREA)

Centers being selected in Francophone Africa and Latin America; work to begin in East Asia