POLITICAL PARTICIPATION FOR DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION A SOUTH ASIAN PERSPECTIVE HOW WE DID IT! PARLIAMENTARY FORUM FOR DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION A SOUTH ASIAN PERSPECTIVE HOW WE DID IT! PARLIAMENTARY FORUM FOR DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION

INFORMATION OVERLOAD “ Learning isn't acquiring knowledge so much as it is trimming information that has already been acquired.”

WHY DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION “True genius resides in the capacity for Evaluation of uncertain, hazardous & conflicting information” - Winston Churchill

KEY INSTITUTIONS THAT ENABLE A COUNTRY TO MONITOR & EVALUATE ITS DEVELOPMENT GOALS SUPREME AUDIT OFFICE MINISTRY OF FINANACE & PLANNNING PARLIAMENT

IN REALITY - DISTRACTIONS AND DIVERSIONS!

HOW DOES IT WORK IN REALITY? Committee on Public Enterprise(COPE)- Ist report Failure & omission on part of the relevant secretaries to supervise & follow up the performance of the institutions Lack of effective M&E Non compliance with financial rules & regulations Uneconomical transactions & mismanagement of funds Committee on Public Enterprise (COPE) – 2 nd Report 2012 Transactions with poor accountability Outcomes and goals not kept in focus Lack of performance monitoring Poor coordination with line ministries 1.Failure and omissions on the part of the relevant secretaries to supervise and follow up the performance of the institutions 2.Lack of effective monitoring & evaluation 3.Non compliance with financial rules and regulation 4.Uneconomical transactions and mismanagement of funds…. 5.Transactions with poor accountability 6.Outcomes and Goals not kept in focus 7.Lack of performance monitoring 8.Poor coordination with line ministries

POLITICIANS CAN OPEN DOORS

WHAT THEN ARE THE CHALLENGES? POLITICAL CHAMPIONS NEEDED? Priority! INSTITUTIONALIZING THE EVALUATION PROCESS? Establishing a National Evaluation process CAPACITY BUILDING Institutional level capacity building/ parliamentarians training

PARLIAMENTARIANS FORUM ON DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION Parliamentarians Forum on development Evaluation is a collective of Parliamentarians who are committed to development evaluation in SAARC countries. The Forum was initiated by a small group of Parliamentarians aiming to establish National Evaluation Policies in SAARC countries. It is managed by a “Core Team” which is represented by Parliamentarians representing each SAARC country.

Aims of the Forum GOAL: The goal of the Forum is to advance enabling environment for nationally owned, transparent, systematic and standard development evaluation process in line with National Evaluation Policy at country level which ensures aid effectiveness, achievement of results and sustainability of development.

MAHATHIR MOHAMED- Former Prime Minister of Malaysia “in the information age we are living in, it can be no accident that there is today no developed country that is information poor ! and No information rich country that is poor and underdeveloped!

Objectives of the Forum Objectives of the Forum are: National evaluation policies endorsed by the respective South Asian governments are in place and effective. To create the space for dialogue between legislators and evaluation community. Improved capacity of Parliaments & parliamentarians who are committed in development evaluation in the country. Established country level performance measuring mechanisms in line with national evaluation policies ensuring results oriented and sustainable development.

History Highlighting need for political participation in intl forums: 2009 IDEAS General Assembly in Johannesburg, South Africa 2011 IDEAS General Assembly in Amman, Jordan 2011 SLEvA conference in Colombo Sri Lanka First ever parliamentarians panel: Feb 2013 Evaluation Conclave in Kathmandu, Nepal (Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh)

Formalizing the forum Officially formalized on 3 rd March 2013 (today is the first birthday) Now represented by 8 out of 9 SA countries. Conducted panels in intl conferences Colombo, Sao Paolo, Manila Blessings from key stakeholders (UN, VOPE, Govts, donors, banks etc)

Achievements Made parliamentarians in evaluation conference agenda. In 2014 almost all intl conferences included parliamentarians in the agenda. Conducted and published “Mapping status of NEP”, a global study supported by EvalPartners Documenting six country examples of NEP – ongoing Web dialogue on NEP on the website when it is launched Regional consultation planned for SA -Draft model NEP -Prepare country work plans to adapt model policy Technical support planned for selected SA countries to establish NEP

PARLIAMENTARY FORUM FOR DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION IF YOU WANT TO GO FAST- GO ALONE IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR- GO TOGETHER

THANK YOU Kabir Hashim-Member of Parliament Asela Kalugampitiya- Coordinator Parliamentary Forum for Development Evaluation- South Asia