Jennifer Nzambi Mutua

Jennifer Nzambi Mutua

Founder and independent consultant
Evaluation Society of Kenya
Kenya

Más información sobre mí

A leading  M&E, Gender, Program and Organizational Management Specialist, with over 10 years of relevant experience.  Founder of Evaluation Society of Kenya (ESK). Runners-up recipient of the Africa Evidence Leadership Award. Recognized by Nation Media Business Daily as one of  Kenya’s 2016 “Women in Top Corporate Leadership. Under her organizational leadership Kenya declared the 2018 Winner of the “EVALPARTNERS/EVALSDGs Global   Outcomes Competition. Holds MA in Gender and Development;  BA in Sociology and Philosophy. Education supplemented with formal professional trainings in M&E, policy, advocacy, climate change and gender, among others.

My contributions

  • How do you communicate difficult evaluation findings?

    Blog

    En la última sesión de EvalForward Talks, tuve la oportunidad de compartir mi experiencia sobre la manera de comunicar los resultados delicados de una evaluación, basándome en una evaluación rápida que estoy dirigiendo sobre los servicios proporcionados por diferentes proyectos en los sectores sanitario e hídrico en los condados de Kericho y Kilifi en Kenya.

    Uno de los objetivos de esta evaluación es identificar enseñanzas para que los oficiales técnicos y los encargados de formular las políticas mejoren la prestación de servicios. Sin embargo, para lograrlo, es necesario un cierto grado de confianza en la evaluación y en todo su proceso

    Escrito por

  • Évaluation rapide pour mesurer l'impact de la pandémie COVID dans les zones montagneuses

    Discussion

    • Jennifer Nzambi Mutua

      Founder and independent consultant Evaluation Society of Kenya
      Kenya

      Estimada Malika,

      Gracias por compartir su experiencia. Nuestra iniciativa, tal como compartida en esta plataforma [www.evalforward.org/comment/reply/node/118/field_comments_ref/19], implica una asociación conjunta de la Sociedad de Evaluación de Kenya (ESK) y el Departamento de Seguimiento y Evaluación (MED), financiada por el Banco Mundial. Entonces, nuestro contexto es diferente al suyo, ya que implica la coordinación entre los gobiernos nacionales y de los condados (lo que hace las cosas más complejas).

      Sin embargo, al igual que usted, nuestra experiencia fue que, en efecto, las evaluaciones rápidas no fueron tan rápidas como se había previsto inicialmente (y como parece implicar el término). También se gastaron muchos más recursos de los inicialmente previstos. Algunos factores que contribuyeron a ello fueron:

      • Un comienzo lento debido a los protocolos/burocracias en las comunicaciones entre los gobiernos nacionales y los de los condados
      • A veces se producen retrasos en las respuestas a nivel técnico (especialmente cuando el personal es escaso en el terreno)
      • Documentación limitada de datos de seguimiento bien analizados y archivados
      • Generalmente, los sistemas de SyE son débiles. Esto limita la capacidad de realizar estudios rápidos. Se han tenido que emplear medios alternativos que implican un alcance más amplio y dinero adicional, para subsanar las deficiencias de los datos

      En vista de todo ello y en función del contexto, creo que es importante tener en cuenta estas limitaciones, incluidos los posibles excesos presupuestarios en las etapas de planificación de la evaluación.

      Saludos cordiales,

      Jennifer

  • What can evaluations do in terms of capacity development?

    Discussion

    • Jennifer Nzambi Mutua

      Founder and independent consultant Evaluation Society of Kenya
      Kenya

      Dear Luisa and Lavina,

      Thanks for highlighting the critical need to focus on capacity building for various stakeholders  i.e. towards more participatory and effective evaluation.

      Currently, the Evaluation Society of Kenya (ESK) jointly with government (at national and county levels) with the World Bank's funding support are undertaking a pilot project in 2 of Kenya's Counties. 

      Notably, under the EvalSDGs/EvalVision (2016-2020) for  promoting the evaluation of the SDGs and their alignment to our country's Vision 2030, Devolution and "Big Four" agenda [Food and Nutrition, Universal Health Coverage, Affordable Housing and Manufacturing].

      The devolved level is the center of development execution in our country.

      The initial focus is on the water and health sectors. The activities are advocacy, trainings and rapid evaluations for related projects in each sector.

      The project puts special focus in strengthening the capacities of the various stakeholders. I mean towards their effective participation in the rapid evaluations and utilization of the findings for more evidence-based investment choices and service delivery.  

      So far, successful advocacy events towards buy-in/ ownership and more evaluation awareness (and which has been left behind in our country vis-à-vis monitoring) have been held.  

      These have been completed for one of the counties.

      They have targeted various categories of stakeholders i.e. each with a different targeted messaging as follows:

      • High political and executive leadership (governor/MPs, senator and cabinet secretaries at that level).
      • Members of the County Assembly (MCAs - they are the equivalent of MPs at the national level with oversight, budgetary and citizenry representation roles). Their buy-in just like the above category is deemed very critical towards the inculcation of a national culture and practice for evaluation (and which is currently weak).
      • Technical teams including directors, chief officers, planning and M&E officers.

      More stakeholder participation will be effected during the rapid evaluations including for the public and beneficiaries. The findings will also inform the earmarked trainings that will be customized, accordingly.

      It is expected that this will be replicated to the other 47 counties as we go along and across all sectors, in due course.

      NB: See more by scrolling down these links:  

      https://mobile.twitter.com/esk_kenya  

      https://m.facebook.com/EvalSocietyKE/

      Kind Regards,

      Jennifer

      Evaluation Society of Kenya

  • Advancing the Evaluation Agenda at the Kenya 7th National M&E Week

    Blog

    This year's theme was: “Towards Realization of the Big Four Agenda: Evidence-based Decision Making for Sustainable Development”, the “Big Four” being the current national priority sectors: Food and Nutrition, Universal Health Coverage, Affordable Housing and Manufacturing.

    Coming against a backdrop of great developmental opportunities and challenges, with Kenya being the largest and most diversified economy in Eastern Africa, the Evaluation Week raised a call for more focus on the use of evidence.

    One of the objectives of the M&E Week was to “review and share practical approaches to enhance use of M&E findings in policy and programme implementation”

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