PREVAL Bulletin Nº 14 on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) / March - May 2009

• PRESENTATION
• PREVAL IN ACTION
• COURSES AND EVENTS
• NOTES ON PROGRAMMES, COMMUNITIES AND NETWORKS

1. Activities with IFAD co-funded projects

“Regional Training Programme for Facilitators in Innovative Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Approaches to Rural Development”

From 15 to 21 July 2008 a Regional Capacity-Building Programme for Facilitators in Innovative Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Approaches to Rural Development was held in Lima and Arequipa, Peru, with the aim to develop capacity to enable PME systems to work efficiently and effectively, based on the use and communication of results among multiple stakeholders.  For more information, go to www.preval.info/programa and also see a video in Spanish and English at http://www.preval.info/programa/?page_id=11

Fourth Survey on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Systems for IFAD co-funded projects 2008-2009

PREVAL is implementing a fourth on-line survey among IFAD co-funded projects, to find out to what extent a results-based management approach is being used and how their PM&E system works.

The questionnaire can be useful to other projects to clarify where they stand with regard to their use of a results-based management approach and their PM&E systems and may be reviewed by going to

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=X6_2bRPrDxvtqKP0AIfR0_2fqg_3d_3d

On-line Training Course on RIMS

To contribute towards the use and reporting on the Results and Impact Management System (RIMS) by IFAD co-funded projects, PREVAL has made available an on-line space for self-training and information comprising four (4) modules:

1. Results-Based Management (RBM)

2. Results and Impact Management System (RIMS)

3. Annual reporting: Project Portfolio Management System - PPMS

4. Impact Survey

It contains slides, guidelines, self-assessment cards and a number of practical examples. For further information on the on-line training go to http://preval.homelinux.org/cursos/ or contact the following email addresses: preval@desco.org.pe and preval3@desco.org.pe

Mid-term Self-Assessment on Southern Highlands Development Project in Peru

PREVAL has signed an agreement to support a mid-term assessment on the Southern Highlands Development Project in Peru.  A comparative report will be developed on the start and current situation against the project’s outcome and impact indicators.  At the same time an “Image Compilation” including videos, photos and a “Thematic Map Complication” will be organised.  For more information go to preval4@desco.org.pe

On-line Course on Innovative Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) Approaches

PREVAL has been organising this on-line course which will be run through its new web platform with the aim to develop PM&E experiences, either as baseline studies, self-assessments or PM&E systems incorporating innovative approaches such as thematic mapping, videos, photographs and testimonies using information and communication technologies.  For further information go to preval4@desco.org.pe

2. Activities conducted with the Alliance for Andean Change Programme

PREVAL is a partner within the Alliance for Andean Change Programme, where it manages the Thematic Area “Scope and Impact,” also comprising the Institute for Social Studies of San Simon University (Cochabamba-Bolivia) and the International Potato Centre (CIP-CGIAR) in Peru.  The aim of the Impact area is to produce evidence on the contribution of participatory approaches and methodologies used by rural innovation projects in improving the livelihoods of poor farmers in the Andean region.  To date, the Impact area has developed the following materials and research: 

(1) Methodological materials on evaluation (in Spanish only):

·        Guía para Estudios de Alcance e Impacto de las Metodologías Participativas en la Innovación

         Rural” (finalised) and Infograph

·        Lineamientos para estudios de Base (finalised)

·        Glosario de Términos y conceptos (finalised)

·        Guía para el monitoreo de alcances y sistematización de metodologías participativas (in

         development)

·        Guía para el monitoreo de alcances de los procesos de Incidencia en política (in development)

 (2) Research:

      ·        Four follow-up research studies on participatory methods conducted in Peru, Bolivia and 

               Colombia

      ·        14 cases of baseline studies on the use of participatory methodologies in Colombia, Bolivia, 

               Ecuador and Peru

 For more information go to the Andean Change website at www.cambioandino.org

3. Activities conducted with ASOCAM

ASOCAM, Inter-cooperation's Latin American Platform for Rural Development Knowledge Management, has engaged in a strategic partnership with PREVAL.  INTER-COOPERATION is a Swiss NGO operating worldwide in the core areas of natural resource management, rural economics and local management and has been working for 25 years in development aid.  Currently, PREVAL and ASOCAM / Inter-cooperation have been preparing an e-conference on “Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Systems – Factors for success and failure,” to be held in May 2009.   In addition, PREVAL has been supporting the impact evaluation system developed by the Program of Support for Small and Micro Businesses in Peru (APOMIPE), whose members are Peruvian rural producer networks.

4. PREVAL Publications

“E-Library on Capacity Building in Evaluation” – by Rogerio Silva, in association with Daniel Brandao for PREVAL, 2008

This publication seeks to fill a void in the dissemination of relevant experiences in organisational learning developed in recent years, by providing an overview thereon.  The first part provides a list of texts by a number of authors from within and outside the region, based on an annotated e-library compiling a total of 63 papers in Spanish, English and Portuguese.  This material was presented and compiled by Rogelio Silva and Daniel Brandao, from Instituto Fonte in Brazil.  The second part includes a number of texts published in Spanish by PREVAL during the last three years, whilst the third part features five examples of Good Practice developed in Central and South America, drafted by the people involved themselves in their capacity as responsible for their project M&E units.  The fourth and last section provides a number of links to websites around the world dealing with the area of capacity building and education in evaluation, providing access to the websites of institutions, networks and professional associations.

To access the CD, go to http://preval.homelinux.org/biblioteca_electronica_preval.zip

Rapid Assessment on government Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation systems 2009

The Programme for Strengthening Regional Capacity for Monitoring and Evaluation of Rural Poverty-Alleviation Projects in Latin America and the Caribbean (PREVAL) made an effort to conduct a rapid assessment on the PM&E systems of public institutions and organisations for rural development.  The aim was to find out the status of their existing PM&E systems as well as their technical support and capacity-building needs.  Two tools were used that may be implemented by any institution wishing to undertake a self-assessment and identify their strengths and needs, as well as how well their PM&E system works.

PREVAL publications in progress:

“Indicadores de Género. Lineamientos conceptuales y metodológicos para su formulación y utilización por los proyectos cofinanciados por el FIDA” (Gender-Based Indicators. Concept and methodological guidelines for their development and use by IFAD co-funded projects), first edition, PREVAL and PROGENERO, 2004

PREVAL and PROGENERO launched this document in 2004, whose on-line version may be accessed by going to the following link: http://www.preval.org/documentos/00405.pdf

This version has been updated and revised to make it fit to be posted on the Internet together with IFAD’s Strategic Framework 2006-2010, recently developed gender guidelines and the Results and Impact Management System (RIMS).  A second version will be published shortly. 

For further information go to preval4@desco.org.pe

Journalism Award for coverage on rural and indigenous communities

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Inter Press Service news agency (IPS) are calling for contributions to the Journalism Contest, "Economic Development, the Fight Against Poverty and Social Exclusion in Poor Rural and Indigenous Communities of Latin America and the Caribbean.”

For more information, contact concurso@ipslatam.net.  See contest rules at http://www.ipsnoticias.net/_focus/voces_tierra/concurso_esp.asp.  See the communication proposal taken forward by IPS and supported by IFAD at: Voices of the Earth - Indigenous People and Rural Poverty: http://www.ipsnoticias.net/_focus/voces_tierra/index.asp.

Alliance for Andean Change Programme                                

Alliance for Andean Change is a regional initiative implemented in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.  Its aim is to contribute to the development of sustainable livelihoods for poor communities, through the use of participatory approaches and methodologies to ensure their inclusion in technical innovation processes in agriculture.

The Alliance for Andean Change Programme brings together the work of regional, national and local level organisations, in a co-operation scheme that seeks to improve the ability of National Agricultural Innovation Systems (SNIAs) to respond to the demands for technological innovation of poor communities, farmers organisations, stakeholders in the production chain and local governments, by promoting a learning and knowledge-sharing process in the Andean region on the use of participatory methodologies to try to influence, together with SNIAs in the region, policy development and implementation based on evidence of the use and impact of participatory approaches.

Their web portal - www.cambioandino.org – shares information on participatory methodologies that have been and are still being used in the Andean region in areas such as: agricultural business, organisational development, and monitoring and evaluation, amongst others.