Evaluation of EvalPartners Strategic Plan 2018-2020
In April 2020, EvalPartners embarked on a year-long journey to evaluate its 2018-2020 Strategic Plan, running in tandem with the stocktaking exercise of the EvalAgenda. The findings from the evaluation will directly inform EvalPartners’ next chapter: the new EvalPartners Strategic Plan.
About the evaluation
The evaluation was kept on track by the Evaluation Management Team, led by Kassem El-Saddik with support from Samandar Mahmodi and Ramona Desole, under the direction and guidance from the EvalPartners Evaluation & Knowledge Management Committee (EKMC).
The evaluation process began with the appointment of Canadian evaluation firm, BAASTEL as the independent evaluation consultant, according to a Terms of Reference issued in mid-2020 by the EKMC. Members of the evaluation reference group (ERG) provided input and guidance into the evaluation, and it was funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the World Food Programme and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
A series of document reviews, 13 semi-structured interviews, five focus group discussions with 40 individuals, and e-surveys with both VOPEs and EvalPartners leadership followed to craft the final Evaluation of the EvalPartners Strategic Plan 2018-2020.
The evaluation indicates that EvalPartners has reached a critical moment in its evolution and despite some challenges, EvalPartners remains relevant in the evaluation landscape. The evaluation found that implementation of projects and activities was satisfactory. Specifically, the implementation of Flagship 1, P2P and Innovation Challenge programs led to positive and substantial outcomes, and they offer lessons to be applied for effective follow-up programs. Other successful, though more modest, activities such as the e-learning modules and VOPE toolkits also remain key for EvalPartners’ future. The evaluation brought to light a need for better project monitoring and reporting and other challenges that will be tackled in the new strategic plan.
Quick download of the Evaluation of the EvalPartners Strategic Plan 2018-2020
EvalPartners Management Response
The EvalPartners Executive Committee accepted all nine recommendations from the Evaluation and acknowledged that implementing them will contribute to strengthening EvalPartners, as outlined in the Management Response to the Evaluation. In the Management Response, ExCom committed to address recommendations pertaining to:
Fundraising
Partnerships
Communication and visibility
Governance
EvalPartners objectives, networks, and interlinkages:
EvalPartners and the IOCE
Project reporting and monitoring
Knowledge management
Towards the future
The evaluation findings, recommendations and the EvalPartners Executive Committee’s management response are key inputs feeding into the strategic planning process for the new period.
The new EvalPartners Strategic Plan is currently under development, and would be made publicly available once completed.
