Strengthening Humanitarian Evaluation
Evaluation is a key element of the ALNAP strategy and workplan. We have a wealth of material available - research studies, evaluation syntheses, reviews of evaluation quality ('meta-evaluations'), as well as guides and training materials and the Evaluation Reports Database.
Over the last decade or so, there has been a significant increase in research and implementation of humanitarian evaluations. SInce it was launched, the ALNAP database of humanitarian evaluations has grown considerably, and most major organisations in the sector now carry out their own evaluations. Over this same period, a significant amount of learning has taken place within organisations as to the best way to commission, carry-out and follow-up on evaluations.
However, despite this, fully embedding the evaluation function within an organisation remains a major challenge, and it has become clear that opportunities to maximise benefit from evaluations are not always taken (Sandison, 2006). Reasons for this include: lack of ownership by key stakeholders; the culture of the organisation being evaluated; evaluations that do not link into policy and practice change processes; lack of technical capacity to commission and carry-out evaluations; lack of monitoring and impact data; evaluation as an add-on rather than incorporated into the whole programme cycle.
Despite the challenges, significant evaluation expertise resides within the organisations that make up ALNAP’s membership, and there is considerable untapped potential for cross-organisational learning in this area. ALNAP's background research suggests that such learning must be more clearly focused on mutual strengthening of evaluation systems and capacities. This work should also attempt to improve humanitarian evaluations within the larger framework of organisational strategy and performance. Some humanitarian organisations appear to have reached this conclusion already - several agencies have start work to develop their evaluation systems and capacities in a more institutionally coherent and sustainable way.
In line with these findings, the aim of this exciting new ALNAP project is to create a ‘space’ in which the membership can come together to learn from each other about how to strengthen humanitarian evaluations. It will bring organisations together to discuss and debate where and how challenges to achieving real change in evaluation can be overcome. Further research into the dimensions of evaluations can be conducted within different organisations through questionnaires, interviews and workshops.
A Terms of Reference for consultants was put out in November and Valid International was selected as the preferred consultants. In close collaboration with ALNAP’s secretariat, and in particular ALNAP’s soon-to-be-appointed Evaluation and Accountability Research Officer, Valid will seek to create an enabling environment that allows members to learn from each other’s evaluation experiences. An iterative, experimental approach will be adopted, with different approaches trialled, in order to find out how agencies can strengthen their humanitarian evaluations. A preliminary ToRs has been drafted and work has now begun.
More information on this initiative will be available on this page shortly.
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