Evaluation Capacity Development: the FOCEVAL case Lima, April 2013

Background and Initial Situation The National Monitoring and Evaluation System exists since It has a strong and properly-developed monitoring component. Also, the institutionalization of effect/impact oriented-evaluations could provide the SINE with a much more strategic orientation There is great demand in public institutions to strengthen M&E systems for results-based management A Master’s Degree on Evaluation (UCR) and a portfolio of trainings in evaluation are in place. They are, however, insufficient There are very few systematic evaluations, commissioned by public institutions

FOCEVAL: Basic information Pilot program of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on the Evaluation Capacity Development issue (ECD) Executed by the National Planning and Economic Policy Ministry and the GIZ, through a broad partnership with public, academic, and civil society institutions It is a Regional Program based in Costa Rica It started in July 2011, the first phase runs until June 2014 Objective: The role played by evaluation, both in decision- making processes as well as in the conduction of public policies, is strengthened

consejo de selección de evaluaciones Instituciones Seleccionadas CIFH AES DESPACHO otras áreas MRE El Salvador MEPPD MPEE Enlaces SINE STP El Salvador

FOCEVAL provides a comprehensive concept for the development of evaluation capacities Butterfly Figure: GTZ, Capacity Works. The management model for sustainable development, p. 60. (Human Resource Development) (Organizational Development) (Network Development)(System Development in the policy field)

Prioritized Change Projects Institutional modernization towards evaluation Manual for strategic evaluations NDP design evaluation Political support for evaluation for decision-making purposes Promotion and awareness strategy: e.g. high-level workshops Extended evaluation training offer Training of Trainers Inhouse courses for selected institutions Public-Academic Partnership Technical leadership and model evaluations Network of Evaluation (Public Sector) Enthusiasts Pilot evaluations: Agricultural, Education, and Social sectors

Regional platform: Concept and scope Three elements: Strengthen the regional exchange among governance institutions, systematize experiences and good practices Offer M&E trainings with a regional scope in Costa Rica Various activities in selected countries (Ecuador, El Salvador)

Lessons learned  The strengthening of evaluation capacities, nationally, is a change process that is both technical as well as political. Political support is crucial  Advance under the “learning by doing” concept; manage to actively involve the institutions that are subject to evaluations  Success factor: Public – Academic Partnership: necessary in order to reach a training and advisory offer that meets the Public Sector’s needs  Challenges: Securing the resources in the institutional budgets. What is spent in evaluation should not be viewed as a cost, but as savings (program improvement and public resources use)  Decrease the “phantom” of evaluation and install evaluation as an insturment for improvement and learning

Thank you very much!