Using the results of evaluation to guide policy formulation and strategy design, requires such results to be as sound as possible. As you point out, conduct of an evaluation and its successful management call for two different types of skill sets. Entrusting both tasks to a single individual has several disadvantages like the level of required competence in one of those fields, personal bias, etc.
As for your first question, competent management of evaluation is important in all types of evaluations. It is particularly invaluable in policy and strategy evaluation and in those cases where the evaluation can influence strategic decisions on implementing/changing or stopping projects or activities such as pre-project and "mid-term" evaluations.
Effective management of evaluations entails facilitating the work of evaluators, ensuring the collection of relevant facts, and fostering dialogue to refine templates and methodologies. The manager's role, therefore, can be viewed as that of a facilitator, complementing the evaluation process.
On the other hand, a competent evaluator may need a big volume of relevant background information to ascertain the environmental consequences of a policy, strategy, operation or a field endeavour. A holistic view from a capable manager can guide and assist evaluators in their tasks, enriching the evaluation process.
Depending on their respective competence, interaction between a manager and an evaluator could broaden the horizon of each other resulting in better evaluation.
RE: Management matters: exploring the link between management models and the use of evaluations
Dear Ibtissem,
Using the results of evaluation to guide policy formulation and strategy design, requires such results to be as sound as possible. As you point out, conduct of an evaluation and its successful management call for two different types of skill sets. Entrusting both tasks to a single individual has several disadvantages like the level of required competence in one of those fields, personal bias, etc.
As for your first question, competent management of evaluation is important in all types of evaluations. It is particularly invaluable in policy and strategy evaluation and in those cases where the evaluation can influence strategic decisions on implementing/changing or stopping projects or activities such as pre-project and "mid-term" evaluations.
Effective management of evaluations entails facilitating the work of evaluators, ensuring the collection of relevant facts, and fostering dialogue to refine templates and methodologies. The manager's role, therefore, can be viewed as that of a facilitator, complementing the evaluation process.
On the other hand, a competent evaluator may need a big volume of relevant background information to ascertain the environmental consequences of a policy, strategy, operation or a field endeavour. A holistic view from a capable manager can guide and assist evaluators in their tasks, enriching the evaluation process.
Depending on their respective competence, interaction between a manager and an evaluator could broaden the horizon of each other resulting in better evaluation.
Cheers!
Lal.