Uganda

Second annual gLocal Evaluation Week – 2020

 

With the ten-year countdown to the Sustainable Development Goals underway, Systems to evaluate the impact of policies and monitor their progress are more important than ever. To sustain the momentum of global efforts to promote monitoring and evaluation capacity the CLEAR Initiative will convene the second annual gLOCAL Evaluation Week from June 1nd to 5th of this year. To take part in this year’s gLOCAL Evaluation Week, simply register and submit your proposal. Applications close 6th March 2020. Click here to register….

Implementing The Communications Strategy

Determinants of evaluation use among Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Uganda

The need to understand Evaluation use by NGOs

This blog draws from research conducted by Elizabeth Asiimwe, a Twende Mbele PhD Fellow at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda, in 2017. The study is premised on the assertion that, although there is a growing discourse on evaluation utilisation for evidence-based policy making in the public sector, very few studies have focused in evaluation utilisation in the NGO sector in Uganda. This is despite considerable investments by funding agencies such as the Department for International Development (DFID) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Uganda. More information on the USAID evaluation policy can be found at: https://www.usaid.gov/evaluation, and for DFID, in the Uganda Operational Plan 2011-2016 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/389293/Uganda.pdf.

In essence, NGO work provides important social change work that should inform policy making. In this regard, continuous improvement of NGOs’ work through monitoring and evaluation use is fundamental for enhancing evidence-based policy making – provided the system is set up to receive this information. However in Uganda there is a huge gap on studies that explore utilisation of evaluation results. Asiimwe’s study aimed at contributed towards addressing this empirical gap.

Focus of the Study

The study assessed evaluation utilisation among non-governmental organisations in Uganda, aiming to generate evidence to guide policy makers, project planners, evaluation planners, commissioners and implementers on determinants of evaluation utilisation. A mixed methods approach was utilised to collect data from a random sample of 404 respondents across 101 NGOs, using an online tool (SurveyCTO), focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The study adopted a conceptual framework developed by researchers that include Fleischer and Christie, (2009) http://www.managingforimpact.org/sites/default/files/resource/evaluation_use_results_from_a_survey.pdf. The framework illustrates three major factors that influence evaluation utilisation as: evaluation implementation characteristics, organisational and evaluator’s characteristics.

What were the key research findings?

The respondents where from national, community-based and international NGOs working in the areas of health, governance, agriculture, water & sanitation, education and child support. National and international NGOs reported having a monitoring and evaluation department, M&E staff, an M&E strategy, and had conducted at least one evaluation in the past five years. The study established that 80% of the respondents had conducted an evaluation in the last five years (Figure1) and of these, 68% reported that they had utilised evaluation findings (Figure2). Evaluation implementation factors that strongly determined evaluation utilisation were: the relevance of that particular evaluation to the organisation’s current strategy,  and the credibility and quality the evaluation. Although the timeliness and quality of communicating evaluation results were seen as determinants, they were not reported as very crucial. Organisational factors identified included: the organisation’s receptiveness to new ways of doing things, the need for evaluation information to support decision-making, the organisation’s trust of the results presented from a particular evaluation and perceived implication on the results on continuity of projects/programs. Evaluators’ characteristics included evaluators’ experience and methodological expertise. The evaluators’ relationship or communication with staff did not have a strong influence on whether their evaluation results were utilised.

Figure 1: Proportion of organisations that have done evaluations                                                               

Figure 2: Utilizing of evaluation findings and Non-use of evaluation findings

A proposed way forward

The study clearly illustrated that evaluation use is determined by a cocktail and interplay of different factors. Not all factors that influence evaluation utilisation elsewhere (including interest of other stakeholders in the evaluations, relationship of staff with the evaluators, evaluator’s communication skills) actually determine the same among non-governmental organisations in Uganda. It is therefore worthwhile for commissioners and/or evaluators among NGOs in Uganda, to keenly consider those factors that would influence utilisation as they plan and execute evaluations. It is imperative that intended users are considered and are receptive of evaluation findings for utilisation to happen. Importantly planners, donors and policy-makers ought to mainstream evaluations for policy and programming and to consider sufficient budgets for evaluation to allow generation of evidence that supports decision-making as well as informing programming in general. A full version of the study will be available on the Twende Mbele website soon.

Evidenced Based Policy Making and Implementation Course: The Ugandan Chapter

By Doris Kembabazi

There is an increasing pressure on policy makers to develop more effective policies to best direct and manage resources in more focused and efficient ways that result in improved implementation and outcomes. Evidence-based policy-making is an approach that has become increasingly prevalent in recent years in Africa. It is based on the premise that better policies and better decision-making result when these are based on sound empirical evidence and solid rational analysis. It is also critical to use evidence to improve implementation. Evidence-Based Policy-Making and Implementation (EBPM&I) therefore focuses on establishing rigorously objective evidence as a key informant of policy, but also for improving implementation of public services. Evidence policy making and implementation in Uganda plays an important role, especially in resource-constrained settings where informed decisions on resource allocation are paramount. Several knowledge translation models have been developed, but few have been applied to health policymaking in low income countries like Uganda hence a big challenge to the policy makers.

The desire to use evaluation findings and the importance of credible evidence in decision-making is emphasised in Uganda’s National M&E Policy, the National Development Plan (NDP) and international frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The rationale for the use of evidence is exemplified by better Government decisions and effectiveness in their implementation; rational decisions in resource allocation in the choice of policies and programmes to implement; and provision of feedback to influence future policies and programmes.

As part of the Twende Mbele African Partnership Programme, the Evidence Based Policy Making and Implementation course in Uganda was an executive course for strategic leaders and top managers in the public service. It is adapted from a University of Cape Town course; designed to assist participants to use evidence to make well informed decisions about policies, programmes, projects and services and to improve government’s impact on society. This was the first time the course was run outside of South Africa and was adapted and piloted in collaboration with UCT.

The Jinja course was officially opened by the Minister General Duties Honourable Mary Karooro Okurut who gave opening remarks on behalf of the Government of Uganda. She acknowledged the benefits of the Twende Mbele initiative and the efforts that had been put in place. She noted that in Uganda, evaluations are beginning to be viewed in a positive light, with growing demand and ownership by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other stakeholders outside the public sector. In this regard a number of evaluations of strategic areas have been undertaken successfully over the last decade.

The course represented great coverage, as 35 Directors of the Ugandan Government attended, equalling more than 80% of the full cohort of Directors. The course was covered in two days with Facilitators from the Department of Planning and Evaluations (DPME) South Africa, Makerere University and Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda.

On the first day, participants were introduced to EPM&I approach and cycle, and to the Diagnosing a Problem tools and day two built on this by inspiring participants with case studies of evidence processes and then exposing them to the Theory of Change and evaluation tools which can be drawn on in subsequent stages in the EPM&I cycle.

This course was the first of its kind to bring together the directors from MDAs and they had a number of suggestions, firstly, they all appreciated the opportunity to have one voice in future policy-making and implementation. Another suggestion was to create a platform to continue sharing and learning from each other on a day to day basis. The participants also decided to work with the Office of the Prime Minister to strengthen M&E systems for example Human Resources and to write a briefing paper specially on the practical strategies to institutionalise use of evidence.

This course will be translated to French and run in Benin in the second half of 2018.

Building the Right Agency for institutional Reform: Adaptation of the MPAT in Benin and Uganda

By Aisha Ali

Setting the broader context: The need for institutional reform

Institutional reforms have become the focus of many development programs within developing countries. On the whole, the portfolio of World Bank funds dedicated to large-scale institutional reform programs has grown by up to 80% since the 1990s. This is mainly because of the realisation within the development community and in particular, the multi-lateral and bilateral development agencies that, in developing countries, institutions are weak, poorly governed and cannot support the success of investment and policy programs to realise sustainable development outcomes. You can find out more on this here. In some cases, developing countries have taken the lead in driving reforms as home-grown panaceas for the troubles associated with weak institutions. An example is Rwanda’s approach to the decentralization process that sought to reform the hierarchical system of authority that characterised the public-sector governance which was largely driven by the Rwandan government with support from international development partners.

(more…)