PREVAL Bulletin Nº11 on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) / April - June 2008

• PREVAL IN ACTION
• NOTES ON PROGRAMMES, COMMUNITIES AND NETWORKS
• SPECIAL FEATURE ON "RESOURCES AND USEFUL LINKS"

The PREVAL International Platform

PREVAL is currently running a project for Strengthening Government Monitoring and Evaluation Systems for Rural Development Projects and Programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean, within the framework of an Agreement No. 1002, signed in January 2008 between IFAD and the Centre for Studies and Development Promotion (desco), based in Lima (Peru). The project objectives include:

a) Supporting the development and implementation of participatory M&E systems in rural development programmes and projects;
b) Developing and promoting the use of tools for the creation, use and communication of information;
c) Establishing a joint Regional M&E Platform with key regional and global partners, based on a common agenda.

To achieve these proposed objectives a Work Plan has been drafted that may be accessed by going to the following link:
http://www.preval.org/documentos/poa2008.doc

Knowledge Management in Evaluation

PREVAL is a programme specialising in capacity building in evaluation for rural development, with a focus on social learning. It disseminates good practices and tools to make these available to the community of evaluators and anti-poverty projects in rural areas.  The main services provided by the PREVAL knowledge-management platform include:

(a)    The PREVAL Web Page www.preval.org 

Which provides relevant literature on the issue both in English and Spanish.
See the section on ‘Virtual Library’ at:
http://www.preval.org/pagina.php?secCodigo=10&idioma=7 

It also features regular newsletters with information on Good Practice and special presentations on updated methods and approaches to Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
See section on PREVAL’s Newsletters at:
http://www.preval.org/pagina.php?secCodigo=35&idioma=7
 

(b)   The PREVAL Electronic Network

This network is a pioneer in its kind and has been operating for 10 years, since 1997.  At its onset, its focus was on liaising between a network of evaluators, and it has evolved today into an information network on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of rural development, bringing together some 2,000 individuals concerned with the issue, including managers and heads of programmes and projects, as well as technical experts and specialist evaluators. To join, go to the PREVAL web page at www.preval.org  or contact preval@desco.org.pe .
 

(c) Knowledge Dissemination on Innovating PMES Approaches

PREVAL develops and collects key texts on Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Systematisation (PMES), thus managing knowledge and experiences developed in the Latin American region.  The PREVAL publications can be found in the section on ‘Virtual Library,’ which can be accessed by going to the following link: http://www.preval.org/pagina.php?secCodigo=10&idioma=7  
 

Workshop on “Implementation of Participatory Methods in the ‘Alliance for Andean Change Project’ (CIP-CIAT/CGIAR) and Assessment of Outcomes and Impact”

The ‘Alliance for Andean Change’ project, run by the International Potato Center (CIP) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), has PREVAL as its strategic partner, responsible for the Impact Evaluation project component in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, while the Institute for Social Studies at University of San Simon (Cochabamba, Bolivia) plays the same role in Bolivia.  The Impact Evaluation component of the Andean Change project aims to develop effective arguments for influencing the development and implementation of policy, by showing the value added of participatory approaches.  In order to develop a shared approach with respect to what changes (outcomes and potential impacts) will be subject to discussion, a workshop was held in February 2008 with institutions requiring participatory approaches and others providing these approaches in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, to create a theory of change (through Impact Pathways; see http://boru.pbwiki.com) and coordinate the development of relevant Baseline Studies.  More details on the Andean Change project at their web page: www.cambioandino.net

THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION ASSOCIATION (IDEAS)
The International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS) has recently published the IDEAS NEWSLETTER in Spanish, with interesting news on issues facing evaluation for development.  For further information on IDEAS in Spanish, go to the following link: http://www.geolatina.net/IDEAS/ or contact Alejandro Imbach at: imbach@racsa.co.cr.

SPANISH EVALUATION ASSOCIATION
The Spanish Evaluation Association for Public Policies (SEE) was created with the aim to contribute to the development and implementation in Spain of public policy, programme and project evaluation as an essential instrument for improving the effectiveness, efficiency and social usefulness of evaluation as undertaken by government administration.  They have recently launched an organisational newsletter.  Web Page: http://www.sociedadevaluacion.org/website/

WORKSHOP ‘RE-THINKING IMPACT:  UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEXITY OF POVERTY AND CHANGE’ (CGIAR-PRGA-ILRI-ILAC)
This event was hosted in Cali (Colombia) by CGIAR, PRGA, ILRI's Innovation Works and Institutional Learning and Change (ILAC) Initiative, from 26 to 28 March, 2008.  The workshop focused on three main issues: (a) Discussion of practical cases and lessons learned; (b) Valuation and impact assessment approaches; (c) Institutionalisation of new approaches to managing research and valuing impact.  The workshop agenda, outputs, presentations and participants may be viewed by going to the following link: http://www.prgaprogram.org/riw/
              
INSTITUTIONAL LEARNING AND CHANGE INITIATIVE - ILAC
The Institutional Learning and Change Initiative is an innovative undertaking seeking to enhance its contribution to poverty reduction through agricultural research.  It is accommodated within the premises of Biodiversity International and is a CGIAR member.  Their organisational Website, http://www.cgiar-ilac.org/index.php?section=1, features information resources and useful links on issues facing Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation.  Their ‘ILAC No. 15 Summary” is focused on ‘Horizontal Evaluation: Encouraging Collaborative (Peer-Assisted) Learning,’ and can be accessed by going to the following link: http://www.cgiar-ilac.org/index.php?section=18&subsection=52.

ILPES/ECLAC
The Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning (ILPES) / Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has created a ‘Network for the Exchange and Dissemination of Successful Experiences in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals’ (Red Ideea-ODM).  This website features approximately one hundred cards on Good Practice (in English, Spanish and Portuguese) and can be seen at: http://ideea.eclac.cl/ideea/ideea.htm#

LATIN AMERICAN CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT (CLAD)
CLAD is a global, public organisation of an inter-governmental nature that was created in 1972.  Its mission is to promote the discussion and sharing of experiences and knowledge on State Reform and Modernisation of Public Administration.  CLAD publishes the weekly Newsletter “Reforme”
(http://www.clad.org.ve/boletin/boletinreforme.html), providing information on events, courses and publications.  To receive the Newsletter, please fill in your details at: http://www.clad.org.ve/direccio.html

This issue of the PREVAL newsletter features resources and links to knowledge management platforms on Monitoring and Evaluation and other issues facing learning for development in rural areas.

IMPACT ALLIANCE
The Impact Alliance is the first global capacity-building network committed to providing knowledge and skills for hundreds of leading organisations from the entire range of development sectors.  One of their learning communities is focused on Monitoring and Evaluation and they have a hub in Latin America. Web Page: http://www.impactalliance.org/

RUTA
The Regional Unit for Technical Assistance (RUTA) is an initiative jointly promoted by seven Central American countries and seven international development agencies, with the aim to foster sustainable development and poverty alleviation in rural areas in Central America.  The approaches used by RUTA include capacity building for regional and national public institutions and organisations in the development and implementation of policy, strategies and programmes to advance sustainable development in rural and agricultural areas. Web Page: http://www.ruta.org/

CHORLAVI
The Chorlaví Group is an interactive network seeking to stimulate and facilitate decentralised social learning processes, to enhance the quality and increase effectiveness of change initiatives in rural societies in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Web Page: http://www.grupochorlavi.org/

ANDEAN CHANGE
Andean Change is an alliance of partner organisations seeking to promote learning in the Andean Region on the use of participatory approaches, their impact, and policies required to steer innovation so that it benefits the poor.  The alliance has set up five thematic regional groups that are working on participatory approaches, planning, monitoring and evaluation of agricultural and livestock-rearing innovation processes; participatory value chains; information, communication and regional knowledge exchange; outcome and impact evaluation; and dialogue on public policy to increase the use of participatory approaches and secure innovations for the poor. Web Page: www.cambioandino.net

POVERTY AND CONSERVATION
The Poverty and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) is a forum for promoting dialogue and fostering learning between key stakeholders from a range of backgrounds, on the links between biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction.  One of their key strategies for accomplishing this is to collect, synthesise and disseminate relevant information. http://www.povertyandconservation.info/es/

Documents of interest:

“Capacity for a change”
Systematisation of the ‘Capacity Collective Workshop’ held in Dunford House in September 2007
Peter Taylor and Peter Clarke, IDS, Sussex, January 2008.
Link: http://www.dgroups.org/groups/pelican/docs/Capacity_for_a_change.pdf

“Sharing Knowledge for Rural Development:  Challenges, Experiences and Methods”
Sally Burch (Manager)
ALAI, Quito, January 2007
This publication addresses the issue of the impact of the agro-industrial model, which has increased hunger around the world, including reflections and specific experiences.
http://www.alainet.org/publica/compartir/