Thank you, Ibtissem, for bringing up this intriguing topic. Having experienced both sides of the evaluation process (commissioning evaluations for WFP and conducting as independent consultant for UNICEF and UNFPA), I completely agree that the Evaluation Manager plays a pivotal role and bears significant responsibility for ensuring the quality of the evaluation results, which ultimately determines their usefulness.
Building on what other colleagues have already mentioned, I'd like to offer a couple of additional points that haven't been raised yet on the EM support and its role on Evaluation:
Ideally, the EM shouldn't shoulder the entire burden alone. It's advantageous for them to be supported by at least one Evaluation Analyst. This team composition mimics the structure of an external evaluation team and facilitates smoother communication and coordination. Evaluation Analysts can handle bilateral meetings with data analysts or other external evaluation team members, allowing the EM to focus on overseeing the calendar, meeting deadlines, and making high-level decisions in consultation with the team leader.
Furthermore, it's important to acknowledge that when discussing evaluation independence, we often assume we're referring to external evaluations. However, certain evaluation approaches, (e.g Developmental Evaluation), emphasize a more formative focus. In these cases, the Evaluation Manager's involvement as an integral part of the program being evaluated is essential. This approach fosters greater ownership and promotes internal learning within the organization.
RE: Management matters: exploring the link between management models and the use of evaluations
Hello Colleagues,
Greetings from Uruguay!
Thank you, Ibtissem, for bringing up this intriguing topic. Having experienced both sides of the evaluation process (commissioning evaluations for WFP and conducting as independent consultant for UNICEF and UNFPA), I completely agree that the Evaluation Manager plays a pivotal role and bears significant responsibility for ensuring the quality of the evaluation results, which ultimately determines their usefulness.
Building on what other colleagues have already mentioned, I'd like to offer a couple of additional points that haven't been raised yet on the EM support and its role on Evaluation:
Ideally, the EM shouldn't shoulder the entire burden alone. It's advantageous for them to be supported by at least one Evaluation Analyst. This team composition mimics the structure of an external evaluation team and facilitates smoother communication and coordination. Evaluation Analysts can handle bilateral meetings with data analysts or other external evaluation team members, allowing the EM to focus on overseeing the calendar, meeting deadlines, and making high-level decisions in consultation with the team leader.
Furthermore, it's important to acknowledge that when discussing evaluation independence, we often assume we're referring to external evaluations. However, certain evaluation approaches, (e.g Developmental Evaluation), emphasize a more formative focus. In these cases, the Evaluation Manager's involvement as an integral part of the program being evaluated is essential. This approach fosters greater ownership and promotes internal learning within the organization.
Thanks and best regards,
Cristian