1 of 16 Evaluating an Information Project Building Consensus © FAO 2005 IMARK Investing in Information for Development Evaluating an Information Project.
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1 of 16Evaluating an Information ProjectBuilding Consensus
© FAO 2005
IMARK Investing in Information for Development
Evaluating an Information Project
Building Consensus
2 of 16Evaluating an Information ProjectBuilding Consensus
Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives
At the end of this lesson you should be able to:
identify a framework for analysis of subjects to be included in the evaluation;
be aware of how to carry out a preliminary analysis of risks to the evaluation.
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IntroductionIntroduction
In order to consider the issues involved in the planning of an evaluation, we are following a scenario, in which Dr Kumar, the Director of publications at SMAU University, must evaluate a newsletter.
So far, Dr Kumar and his colleagues have:
defined the focus of the evaluation;
developed a list of possible Evaluation Management Committee
members; and
called the first Evaluation Management Committee meeting.
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Reaching agreements on the subjectsReaching agreements on the subjects
Here are the questions for the agenda of the meeting:
What will be the main objective in an evaluation of RICE NEWS?
What will be the main subjects to be included?
What is going to be measured?
What is likely to go "right" and what could possibly go "wrong"?
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Reaching agreements on the subjectsReaching agreements on the subjects
There are many stakeholders invited to the meeting.
The goal will be to encourage everyone to agree on the basis of the evaluation.
Jon suggests to use a “card technique”...
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The NBAO analysisThe NBAO analysis
Let’s divide the RICE
NEWS project into three-four
smaller topics...
Should we use inputs,
activities, outputs and
impacts?
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I would rather use simpler categories, like “NBAO”... NEEDS
BENEFICIARIES
ACTIVITIES
OUTCOMES
The NBAO analysisThe NBAO analysis
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Here is how the technique works:
• give each member a small pile of cards.
• start with “N” (needs).
• ask everyone to write down the needs RICE NEWS was supposed to address, one need for card.
The NBAO analysisThe NBAO analysis
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• then, gather up the cards.
• pin or tape them on a large board, so that everyone can see.
• Dr Kumar can lead a discussion in which people try to group them, and reach an agreement on the main needs, beneficiaries, activities, and outcomes.
The NBAO analysisThe NBAO analysis
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The NBAO analysisThe NBAO analysis
Once the meeting has started, Dr. Kumar is ready to use the “card technique”. He explains to the members of the EMC its goal:
This technique will help us:
• to reach an agreement on the subjects we want to include in the evaluation;
• later, as a basis to develop specific questions.
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The NBAO analysisThe NBAO analysis
At the completion of the “card technique", here's what the EMC has come up with:
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The NBAO analysisThe NBAO analysis
Now, it is important to be aware of what could go wrong with the evaluation before the whole process starts. Dr. Kumar says:
…we should also do a “risk analysis” right at the beginning, to think of things that might go wrong, and
prevent potential problems...
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...I propose a SWOT analysis, to think
together about the Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and
Threats of the evaluation we are
proposing...
The SWOT analysisThe SWOT analysis
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The SWOT analysisThe SWOT analysis
What are likely to be the biggest STRENGTHS of our evaluation?
What are likely to be its biggest WEAKNESSES?
If the evaluation goes well, what are likely to be the biggest OPPORTUNITIES that it will bring to us?
And what are the biggest THREATS to it not going well?
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The SWOT analysisThe SWOT analysis
After the completion of the SWOT analysis, Dr. Kumar concludes the first EMC meeting.
He and his colleagues have both an evaluation committee in place and a consensus on major issues.
The next step will be to become more specific, and think about what to measure and how to do it.
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Summary
•When planning an evaluation it is important to find an agreement on the content of the evaluation.
•During the Evaluation Management Committee meeting, a good starting point can be to examine: Needs, Beneficiaries, Activities, Outcomes.
•To reach an agreement, it is useful to introduce in the meeting a “card technique”.
•The next step will be to use the same technique to do a SWOT analysis.
•After reaching consensus on these major issues, the Evaluation Committee can move on to the details of “what” needs to be measured.
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