1. By Servesh Kumar Deputy Director General

2. India Population – about 1100 mn in 2004-05. Below poverty line (%) – 28 in 2004 – 05. Literacy rate(%) – 64.8 in 2001. Unemployment rate(%) - 8.28 in 2004-05. Source - Planning Commission, Eleventh Five Year Plan

3. Issues - General Adequacy of the existing M&E capacity in the country. Responsibility of the Government in establishing and sustaining an effective M&E. Whether the Development Administration is supportive of adoption and sustenance of performance based M&E. Agencies responsible for carrying out evaluation- whether within the Government or outside. Social awareness about performance accountability.

4. Issues - Evaluation Willingness to get evaluation conducted. Funding and support. Respondent awareness/resistance. Acceptability of evaluation findings. Follow-up action and feed back.

5. Institutions Programme Evaluation Organisation. Divisions in Implementing Ministries - Outsourcing. Non Government Organisations (NGOs) Research Organisations. Universities

6. Programme Evaluation Organisation Established in 1952. An Independent Organisation. Evaluation of Development Programmes. Studies at the request of Divisions of Planning Commission and Ministries/Departments of Government of India

7. Outsourcing - Issues Limited number of organisations. Coordination problems. Limited experience in development evaluation. Constraints in access to official data. Inadequate appreciation of stakeholders’ information needs.

8. Suggestions Independent institution within the Government. Reporting directly to the highest office Creation of certain minimum evaluation capacity within the Implementing agencies. Development of formal linkages between evaluation and budgetary process. Networking of evaluation agencies.

9. THANKS