ISO IWA on ECD
Executive Summary
Everyone agrees that there is an acute need to develop evaluation capacity. However, resolution of the problem has not been possible because there is no agreement on HOW to develop evaluation capacity.
According to empirical studies on M&E and ECD, a vicious ECD circle has been occurring: stand alone, piece-meal and one-off assistance funded by donors had not been able to adequately develop and sustain evaluation capacity. The result has been a superficial understanding and appreciation of ECD. Many have considered ECD to be synonymous with training of individuals.
The Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (JCSEE) and the Evaluation Capacity Development Group (ECDG) brought a broad cross-section of stakeholders together in an ISO International Workshop to facilitate action to resolve the problem.
Workshop participants determined that evaluation capacity development (ECD) involves activities and processes that help create, strengthen, and sustain evaluation for individuals, teams, groups, networks, communities, organizations, sectors, countries and regions.
Such activities and processes may include training, mentoring, coaching, learning by doing, technical assistance, sharing practice guidelines, developing organizational policies and infrastructure, supporting communities of practice, preparing legislation, and promoting a favorable political environment to sustain evaluation.
Workshop participants identified a set of principles for undertaking ECD. The following four principles are believed to be both necessary and sufficient for sound and fair ECD interventions:
- Ownership
- Relevance
- Integration
- Usefulness
A systems-based framework was developed to enable one to see the different ways that a situation can be viewed and allow one to work out the logical consequences of each perspective and compare it with the messiness of reality.
