About NEC Conference 2011
Venue
South Africa
Date
11-14 September
Theme
"Use of Evaluation in Decision Making
for Public Policies and Programme"

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Evaluation Office and the Office of Public Service Commission of South Africa co-hosted the second International Conference on National Evaluation Capacities (NEC). The Conference was a follow-up to the 2009 Conference on National Evaluation Capacities held in Casablanca, Morocco. The 2009 Conference brought together national partners from over 20 countries and regional/global experts in evaluation, generating collective peer exchange and learning, which provided opportunities for South-South partnerships and cooperation in evaluation.

Programmes
Opening Session: Opening Remarks

MC: Ms. Azusa Kubota and Mr. Indran Naidoo Mr. Ben Mthembu, Chairperson, Public Service Commission of South Africa

Mr. Agostinho Zacarias, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in South Africa

Mr. Sean Phillips, Director General, Department of Performance monitoring and evaluation

Recap of 2009 NEC conference

Mr. Juha Uitto, Deputy Director, Officer in Charge, UNDP Evaluation Office

Conceptual Framework by the NEC Conference Advisory Group with inputs from UNDP Evaluation Office and Office of Public Service Commission: The Use of Evaluation

Chair: Ms. Ronette Engela Rapporteur: Mr. Roberto La Rovere

Presention by Mr. Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah, President, Observatoire Nationale de Developmment Humain - member of the Advisory Group

Discussion

Plenary Session 1: Use of Evaluation for Public Policy and Programmes – challenges, factors and opportunities - country case studies I

Chair: Mr. Patrick Birungi

Rapporteurs:

- Mr. Roberto La Rovere & Mr. Boureima Gado

  • India - ‘Role of Evaluation in 5-year planning in India’ by Ms. Sudha Pillai 
  • Sri Lanka - ‘Role of evaluation in influencing the policy – a Sri Lankan perspective’ by Mr. Velayuthan Sivagnanasothy
  • South Africa - ‘The use question in South Africa: examples and lessons from the Public Service Commission of South Africa’ by Mr. Indran Naidoo
  • Colombia - ‘Effective evaluations: processes to advocate for changes in public policy’ by Mr. Walter Mauricio Aguilar and Mr. Diego Dorado Hernandez (via video)
Panels in Parallel - Panel 1: Systemic factors contributing to use of evaluation

Chair: Mr. Seydou Yayé

Rapporteur:

- Mr. Marco Segone

  • Benin - ‘Use of evaluation and development in a national assessment: the case of Benin’ by Mr. Aristide Djidjoho
  • India - ‘Indian Experience with the Performance monitoring and evaluation System for Government Departments’ by Mr. Prajapati Trivedi
  • Guatemala - ‘Multi-stakeholder participatory evaluation systems in the field of public policy: a case study of Guatemala’ by Mr. Henry Morales

Q&A Discussion

Panels in Parallel - Panel 2: Impact of audits and budgeting in evaluation

Chair: Ms. Thania de la Garza Navarrete

Rapporteur:

- Mr. Dieudonne Mouafo

  • Brazil - ‘Promoting accountability and enhancing programs and policies through the instrumental use of the evaluations carried out by the Brazilian Court of Audit’ by Ms. Selma Maria Hayakawa C. Serpa
  • Morocco - ‘Gender responsive budgeting as a tool for public policy evaluation’ by Mr. Mohammed Chafiki (recording)

Q&A Discussion

Reporting Session & Wrap-up

Chair: Ms. Nadira El Guermai

Plenary Session 2: Use of Evaluation for Public Policy and Programmes - challenges, factors and opportunities - country case studies II

Chair: Mr. Velayuthan Sivagnanasothy

Rapporteur:

- Mr. Roberto La Rovere & Ms. Riitta Oksanen

  • China - ‘The roles of users in enhancing utility of evaluation with special reference to the international evaluation on the funding and management performance of the national Natural Science Foundation of China” by Mr. Yonghe Zheng
  • Uganda - ‘Giving national direction through evaluation: Uganda’s evaluation of its Poverty Eradication Action Plan (1997-2007)’ by Mr. Albert Byamugisha
  • Morocco - ‘Observatoire National du Développement Humain information system - ONDH for the evaluation of human development public policy’ by Mr. Mohamed Benkassmi & Mr. Mohammed Mouime
  • Mexico - ‘Key elements of evaluation as a decision-making tool: the specific performance evaluation experience in Mexico’ by Ms. Hortensia Perez
  • Brazil -‘The evaluation system of the Ministry of Social Development and the Fight Against Hunger: strengths and weaknesses in the use of evaluation results in decision-making for social programs’ by Ms. Junia Quiroga
Panel 3: Monitoring and how it facilitates use of evaluation

Chair: Mr. Armando J. Vieira Filho

Rapporteur:

- Ms. Ana Rosa Soares

- Mr. Babacar Mbaye

  • Dominican Republic - ‘Dominican Republic experience in the design and implementation of a monitoring system as community methodology to measure progress and impacts of the Millennium Development Goals and National Development Strategy’ by Ms. Hernan Rodriguez Minier
  • Malawi - The use of evaluation in managing for development results: evidence from Malawi’ by Mr. Ronald Mangani
  • Niger - ‘The process of Project Advancement Control of the International German Cooperation: the case of the PAC Programme to Combat Poverty in Niger (LUCOP)’ by Mr. Seydou Yayé
  • Tajikistan - ‘Strategic development goals and priorities of the Republic of Tajikistan: national monitoring and evaluation system for their achievements’ by Mr. Bahodir Eshboev
  • Tanzania - ‘The importance of monitoring and evaluation in achieving national development policies and programmes’ targets’ by Mr. Ekingo Magembe

Q&A Discussion

Plenary: Towards a longer-term initiative on national evaluation capacity: What is the way forward?

Discussion on implications for country cases and way forward

Chair: Mr. Juan Manuel Cordero

Rapporteurs:

- Ms. Hortensia Perez 

- Ms. Ana Rosa Soares

Recap of emerging issues and lessons from Day 1 and 2 by Session Chairs and Rapporteurs

Closing Session: Closing Remarks

MCs: Ms. Azusa Kubota & Mr. Indran Naidoo

Mr. Mashwahle Diphofa, Director General, Office of the Public Service Commission

Mr. Ernest Fausther, Officer in Charge, UNDP Johannesburg Regional Service Center

Mr. Juha Uitto, Deputy Director, Officer in Charge, UNDP Evaluation Office

Documents
Partners
Office of Public S
Office of Public Service Commission of South Africa

The Public Service Commission is tasked and empowered to, amongst others, investigate, monitor, and evaluate the organisation and administration of the Public Service. This mandate also entails the evaluation of achievements, or lack thereof of Government programmes. The PSC also has an obligation to promote measures that would ensure effective and efficient performance within the Public Service and to promote values and principles of public administration as set out in the Constitution, throughout the Public Service.

Logistics
Resource
Participants
Aristide Djidjoho
Coordonnateur
Bureau d'Evaluation des Politiques Publiques, et Assistant du Ministre d'Etat (BEPP)
Marco Segone
Director, Evaluation Office
UNFPA
Patricia Rogers
Appointed member of EP MG
Better Evaluation
Ambroise Codjo Agbota
Junia Quiroga
Evaluation Director
Ministry of Social Development and the Fight against Hunger
Armando J. Vieira Filho
Secretary of Strategic Actions
Presidency of Brazil
Selma Maria Hayakawa Cunha Serpa
Head
Evaluation and Performance Audit Department, Brazilian Court of Audit
Ryan Cooper
Executive Director
J-Pal centre Latin American, Universidad Catolica
Andres Hernando
Studies Division Chief
Ministry of Planning