SPP1 Status of Development Evaluation in India- An overview S.P.PAL

SPP2 About Presentation 1. Identify nodes of development fund flow, stakeholders, M&E info needs, suppliers. 2. Identify demanders/suppliers, understand nature of demand & supply, satisfaction of demanders and info use for planning & policies. 3. Suggestions for evaluation capacity development.

SPP3 Fund Flow & Stakeholders-I  Fund Flow Chain Authoriz ation Allocatio n ReleaseUse to produce benefits Receipt of benefits Stakeh olders Parlia ment/le gislatur es PC, MoF, Donors Line ministri es Implement ing agencies, auditors, PC, parliament, MoF, civil society. Policymak ers/planne rs/implem enting agencies/ NGOs/civi l society.

SPP4 Demand & Supply of Evaluation Info-II Fund Flow Chain Authorizat ion AllocationReleaseUse to produce benefits Receipt of benefits Info Needs Impact/out come/dev elopment changes Lessons/d iagnostic of success &failure Routine progress reports on inputs, activities, output Fund flow, procureme nt, effectivene ss of delivery, cost effective(?) Coverage, awarenes s, access, trans-pa rency. Info Suppliers PEO/ SEOs, RIs, NGOs M-E cells of Ministries. M&E cells, RIs, NGOs, auditors, RIs, NGOs, auditors.

SPP5 Demand side of M&E information 1. General appreciation of need for M&E info to learn lessons, for mid-course corrections. 2.Inhouse capacity for ‘M’ info in most ministries. 3. Dissatisfied with evaluation info supply: -quality, quantity & timeliness, uncomfortable findings; 4. Some initiate evaluation themselves due to (3).

SPP6 Demand Side 5.Examples of follow-up actions exist; more because of enlightened policy makers, planners (call them champions); not so much due to institutionalized mechanisms; 6.Attempt to introduce Outcome Budgeting in was unsuccessful-lack of understanding of the types of reforms required to make it operational. 7. Low demand for quality evaluation.

SPP7 Supply side of M&E information 1. Public sector: PEO, SEOs-once strong, now weak-manpower, infrastructure, no investment in human capital. Quality, quantity & timeliness are major issues. 2. RIs/Consultants/NGOs: Lack of quality & trained manpower, data quality issues. Inadequate knowledge of program operation. Quantity & timeliness ok- quality(?).

SPP8 Status of Impact Evaluation 3. Very few quality impact evaluation in India: - stakeholders of impact results operate in a short time horizon and focus on implementation objectives; - difficulty in constructing counterfactuals because of multiplicity of dev. Interventions. Universal coverage. - lack of any formal obligation on part of stakeholders to support it;

SPP9 Status of Impact Evaluation - absence of a credible data bank on evaluation resources; - India’s annual evaluation budget is large; controlled mostly by line Ministries; stakeholders of impact evaluation command a small proportion of it.

SPP10 Why evaluation capacity not strong? 1. Evaluation (a ritual) primarily for other watchdog agencies, less for self learning; 2. Inadequate linkage between allocation and performance; 3. Accountability, transparency missing in development administration (RTI?); 4. Public evaluation institutions have become hostage of all India services and alternatives yet to emerge;

SPP11 Why evaluation capacity not strong? 5.System of outsourcing studies by public agencies hinders capacity development; -lowest bidders, insufficient time, interference. 6. General lack of confidence in B-C ratio of evaluation. DESI/IRMED & IDRC –a study to bring out the status of development evaluation in India.