RE: Reporting evaluation results or communicating evaluation results? | Eval Forward

Thank you all for your great contributions.

Most contributors suggest that evaluators should be involved in communicating about results  at least in providing recommendations on key messages and tools  (ex. Norbert TCHOUAFFE TCHIADJE, and Karsten Weitzenegger). Messages and recommendations are mainly directed to intervention partners and decision-makers (ex. Aparajita Suman and Mohammed Al-Mussaabi). Key messages should be fine tuned by evaluator (ex.  Aparajita Suman, Karsten Weitzenegger and  Jean Providence Nzabonimpa). 

Emile Nounagnon HOUNGBO suggests that “Stakeholders, including project managers, have more trust in the evaluator's technical findings and statements”. This puts the quality of the evaluation in front and places  the evaluator as communicator to validate the intervention results and recommendations. I believe that If we expand the idea to the large public,  the recommendations for a development project will have a better chance to be implemented.

Most suggest that a specific communication budget should be allocated. This budget should be managed by the evaluation entity (ex. Ekaterina Sediakina Rivière). This will provide flexibility in priority setting according to type of intervention, targeted audience and type of messages.

Jean Providence Nzabonimpa describes evaluators as change agents. As such, we need to go beyond submitting reports and contribute to the successful implementation of recommendations. 

In summary, evaluators should be involved in communication campaigns for recommendations. A specific budget needs to be allocated and managed by evaluation units. The latters should also make provision for public communication of evaluation results and recommendations in the terms of references.

The justification for the above is that any intervention affects intended and not intended beneficiaries. Therefore, in my opinion, communicating and organizing communication campaigns are justified. Thus, In addition to decision-makers, it is necessary to inform and educate the beneficiaries (intended and not intended) about evaluation results and recommendations. This should guarantee implementation of recommendations at scale.

Key messages should be developed by evaluators who should also suggest the tools and languages since they know and understand the intervention, its results, and the audience.

Malika