News from our collaborating partner country-Ghana
By Dr Nana Opare-Djan
Introduction
Over the past year the M&E landscape in Ghana has seen tremendous measures towards institutionalising development evaluation in the entire public sector. Contributions from several stakeholders at different fora, held across the country, gave indications of the high degree of interest in M&E especially the need in drafting of a National Evaluation Policy (NEP) to guide the conduct of evaluation for evidence based decision making at all levels of government.
M&E architecture in Ghana – NDPC/Ministry of Planning and Ministry of M&E
Given the mandate under articles 86 and 87 of the 1992 Constitution, National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) continues with the preparation of the Annual Progress Report (APR) within the framework of the Cross-Sectoral Planning Groups (CSPGs). The process involved the engagement of technical experts with the relevant background and knowledge to review, analyse, and report on progress in the implementation of policies, strategies and programmes using agreed sets of national indicators. The Ministries of Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation (MME) has been created by the amendment of the Civil Service Act, (PNDCL 327) with an Executive Instrument E.I 38 to support government results delivery.
Official Launch of the Postgraduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation Programme
The Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results (CLEAR) at the Ghana Institute of Management has been playing a pioneering role in professionalization of Monitoring and Evaluation in the West Africa Sub region. As one of our key partner institutions in the M&E professionalization journey, we successfully hosted of our first official Postgraduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation Programme as of February 2018.
National Public Sector Reform Strategy (NPSRS), 2018-2023
NPSRS is a five (5)-year project conceptualized to improve public sector performance, especially the delivery of services to citizens and the private sector. A stakeholders’ consultation meeting was held to finalize work on the Public Sector for Results Project (PSRRP) 2018-2023. The objectives of the meeting were to review and finalise project objectives, scope, design features and results framework with key public sector stakeholders; review the proposed components of the PSRRP and agree on details of coverage; discuss financial and procurement arrangements, including necessary assessments; and to define and agree on a preparation programme, key dates, and the budget.
National Evaluation Policy (NEP)
The Steering Committee members however met recently to update the roadmap for drafting the national evaluation policy. The committee recognized the need to have other experts to comment on the draft NEP and provide policy guidance and identify lessons learnt from other contexts for inclusion. A Reference Group responsible for providing the technical and strategic guidance is to be established to support the Steering Committee.
Pamoja Newsletter – June 2018
Work has begun on a new project with Niger and Ghana to write and approve a National Evaluation Policy. Niger held their first workshop in May, with two Twende members attending as peer-support technical advisors. We look forward to seeing two new National Evaluation Policies being approved in due course. To read this story and more, click here for the newsletter…
Etude Diagnostique D’evaluation Des Performances De Gestion Du Service Public Au Benin
By Prosper Houssou
Depuis les années 1999, le Bénin est passé de la gestion axée sur les moyens à la gestion axée sur les résultats. Cependant, après près de vingt ans d’expérience le système de gestion du service public au Bénin reste perfectible. Dans ce contexte et au regard des expériences des pays tels que l’Afrique du Sud, qui s’emploie également à développer des outils toujours plus innovants pour améliorer la gouvernance et la qualité du service public. L’Outil d’evaluation de la Performance de Gestion du Service Public (MPAT), tel que conçu et mis en œuvre en Afrique du Sud, se présente alors comme une opportunité à saisir.
Pour assurer le développement d’une version de cet outil qui soit bien adaptée au contexte béninois, il faudra tenir compte et bien valoriser les expériences et les spécificités de l’environnement que représente l’administration publique.
Cette étude diagnostique a révélé que le Bénin dispose des jalons nécessaires pour une adaptation et une utilisation réussie du MPAT qui va permettre au pays d’assurer à nouveau le leadership régional en matière d’amélioration de la gouvernance du service publique, aussi bien au niveau de l’Etat central que des collectivités locales.
Ainsi, dans la perspective de l’adaptation du MPAT à la gestion du service public au Bénin, les grandes fonctions qui existent déjà dans le dispositif béninois ont été revisitées afin d’apprécier leur pertinence et d’en faire des domaines pour le modèle béninois du MPAT. De ce point de vue, cinq domaines ont été présentis pour être utilisés dans le modèle béninois, au regard des traditions béninoises en matière d’organisation et de fonctionnement global de la gestion du service et du besoin de maintenir l’identité béninoise en matière de gestion de l’administration public dans son ensemble. S’agit des domaines suivants:
- gestion stratégique,
- gestion des ressources humaines,
- le domaine de la gestion resources financières et matérielles,
- suivi-evaluation et
- gouvernance, du contrôle et de la reddition des comptes.
Les différents domaines ont été déclinés en sous-domaines de performance assortis de quelques indicateurs. Un dispositif institutionnel de suivi et d’évaluation de la mise en œuvre du modèle a été proposé ainsi que la structure capable d’en assurer le leadership.
A la suite de cette étude, fondamentale, il a été recruté pour la seconde phase, un consultant chargé de proposer un modèle béninois d’adaptation du MPAT se fondant sur les cinq domaines retenus, les normes et standards des sous-domaines ainsi que les indicateurs d’appréciation des standards.
En somme cette étude diagnostique a révélé que le Bénin dispose des atouts nécessaires pour une adaptation et une utilisation réussie du MPAT qui va permettre au pays de servir de modèle en matière d’amélioration de la gouvernance du service public, aussi bien au niveau de l’Etat central que des collectivités territoriales.
Diagnostic Study On Demand And Supply Of Evaluators In Uganda Validation Workshop
By Doris Kembabazi
Uganda, as with many African countries, exhibits a need to expand its existing pool of evaluators to ensure supply matches local demand and enable emerging evaluators to enter the market with fewer restrictions. This has been the focus of a recent Twende Mbele study, looking at the factors that influence change demand for national evaluations and supply of evaluators in the three core country partners. As part of this study, a validation workshop was held in Kampala recently to finalise the results of the diagnostic study and consult on next steps.
Key stakeholders welcomed the study on the demand and supply of evaluators and the validation workshop attracted 52 participants.
Government of Uganda, over the last decade, has undertaken initiatives to build capacity within the national M&E system – specifically with the Evaluation Capacity Development project supported by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) . This targeted both the suppliers and users of evaluations in the public and non-government sector. Through the Uganda Policy Window (supported by 3ie), a number of evaluations have been undertaken, eg UPE (School Facility Grant) Family planning, youth livelihood program etc. That has informed policy decisions in the respective sectors and also gave emphasis on the use of evidence in decision making.
Results of the diagnostic in Uganda show that on the demand side, there are no national government system requirements for eligibility to provide evaluation services. The study also established the specific professional skills required from evaluators by both Government and CSOs including the minimum academic qualifications, experience, core skills and other qualities or attributes. Survey findings from most clients show that the supply of evaluators is not sufficient to meet the demand.
Quality is a key aspect of the supply of evaluators, and should be guided by established standards to ensure quality of the evaluators’ product. In this regard, the Uganda Evaluation Association has put in place the National Evaluation Standards.
The study also outlined a number of opportunities for local evaluation capacity building in Uganda at universities, training institutions and professional networks.
To strengthen the evaluation capacity and supply of evaluators there is need to strengthen the culture of management that understands, values and uses evaluative information to achieve results and organisational performance. There is also need for Government to interface with and support the development of professional evaluation associations such as the Ugandan Evaluation Association. This ties into the need to define key competencies for evaluation that form part of the functional organisation of personnel requirements.
To better match the supply to demand of evaluators, there is need for a deeper analysis of the profession of evaluation in Uganda more especially organizational capacity gaps at Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) level in Uganda.
The one-day validation workshop came up with an action plan for the next months for Twende Mbele as;
- Support Office of the Prime Minister to establish a Centre of Excellency in evaluation that would establish an efficient Uganda information system on evaluation findings and evaluator availability and opportunities
- Support development of guidelines, regulations, standards and competency requirements (knowledge, skills and abilities) for evaluation positions in Government of Uganda as well as ongoing professional development
- Support a study on deeper analysis of the profession of evaluation in Uganda
- Support training all private and government organisation managers to gain evaluation skills
- Identify champions of evaluation to promote evaluation in government ,and private programs and projects etc (for more details see attached report).
Participants appreciated Twende Mbele for supporting the continued improvement of quality in the national evaluation system. The workshop was concluded with drafting the action plan for the next Twende Mbele quarter, and the Uganda Evaluation Association spearheading some future work.
Evidenced Based Policy Making and Implementation Course: The Ugandan Chapter
By Doris Kembabazi
There is an increasing pressure on policy makers to develop more effective policies to best direct and manage resources in more focused and efficient ways that result in improved implementation and outcomes. Evidence-based policy-making is an approach that has become increasingly prevalent in recent years in Africa. It is based on the premise that better policies and better decision-making result when these are based on sound empirical evidence and solid rational analysis. It is also critical to use evidence to improve implementation. Evidence-Based Policy-Making and Implementation (EBPM&I) therefore focuses on establishing rigorously objective evidence as a key informant of policy, but also for improving implementation of public services. Evidence policy making and implementation in Uganda plays an important role, especially in resource-constrained settings where informed decisions on resource allocation are paramount. Several knowledge translation models have been developed, but few have been applied to health policymaking in low income countries like Uganda hence a big challenge to the policy makers.
The desire to use evaluation findings and the importance of credible evidence in decision-making is emphasised in Uganda’s National M&E Policy, the National Development Plan (NDP) and international frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The rationale for the use of evidence is exemplified by better Government decisions and effectiveness in their implementation; rational decisions in resource allocation in the choice of policies and programmes to implement; and provision of feedback to influence future policies and programmes.
As part of the Twende Mbele African Partnership Programme, the Evidence Based Policy Making and Implementation course in Uganda was an executive course for strategic leaders and top managers in the public service. It is adapted from a University of Cape Town course; designed to assist participants to use evidence to make well informed decisions about policies, programmes, projects and services and to improve government’s impact on society. This was the first time the course was run outside of South Africa and was adapted and piloted in collaboration with UCT.
The Jinja course was officially opened by the Minister General Duties Honourable Mary Karooro Okurut who gave opening remarks on behalf of the Government of Uganda. She acknowledged the benefits of the Twende Mbele initiative and the efforts that had been put in place. She noted that in Uganda, evaluations are beginning to be viewed in a positive light, with growing demand and ownership by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other stakeholders outside the public sector. In this regard a number of evaluations of strategic areas have been undertaken successfully over the last decade.
The course represented great coverage, as 35 Directors of the Ugandan Government attended, equalling more than 80% of the full cohort of Directors. The course was covered in two days with Facilitators from the Department of Planning and Evaluations (DPME) South Africa, Makerere University and Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda.
On the first day, participants were introduced to EPM&I approach and cycle, and to the Diagnosing a Problem tools and day two built on this by inspiring participants with case studies of evidence processes and then exposing them to the Theory of Change and evaluation tools which can be drawn on in subsequent stages in the EPM&I cycle.
This course was the first of its kind to bring together the directors from MDAs and they had a number of suggestions, firstly, they all appreciated the opportunity to have one voice in future policy-making and implementation. Another suggestion was to create a platform to continue sharing and learning from each other on a day to day basis. The participants also decided to work with the Office of the Prime Minister to strengthen M&E systems for example Human Resources and to write a briefing paper specially on the practical strategies to institutionalise use of evidence.
This course will be translated to French and run in Benin in the second half of 2018.
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