potentials and challenges of using me for institutionalizing impact evaluation and adaptive learning...
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3 A few notes on the CCAA program Joint initiative between DFID and IDRC Initiated in March 2006, team in place in September Presently funds 25 projects across Africa, most of which use participatory action research and link with at-risk groups and policy-makers Some of these research projects are on cross-cutting themes (eg: PAR, Knowledge sharing)TRANSCRIPT
Potentials and challenges of using M&E for institutionalizing impact evaluation and adaptive learning within organizations and programs involved in climate change adaptation
International impact evaluation conference, Cairo, April 2nd 2009
3 www.crdi.ca/acca
A few notes on the CCAA program Joint initiative between DFID and IDRC Initiated in March 2006, team in place in
September Presently funds 25 projects across Africa,
most of which use participatory action research and link with at-risk groups and policy-makers
Some of these research projects are on cross-cutting themes (eg: PAR, Knowledge sharing)
4 www.crdi.ca/acca
Goal of the CCAA program To significantly improve the capacity of African
populations and organizations to adapt to climate change in ways that benefit the most poorest and most vulnerable individuals
5 www.crdi.ca/acca
A basic assumption people and organizations adapt better to changing
conditions if they are able to anticipate future changes, keep an eye on current changes observe and assess the impacts of efforts to improve their
situation.
In other words, they can adapt better if they monitor and evaluate their own adaptation, either formally or informally.
6 www.crdi.ca/acca
Therefore… In order to improve the capacity of
African people and organizations to adapt to climate change we should encourage a wider and better use of the practice of M&E with a learning focus.
Impact evaluation can be made part of the M&E process
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A generic schematization of adaptation
For a given future climate variability X, reduced risk of undesired outcome Y
System stakeholders choose and implement adaptation options
External policy makers are informed about climate related risks and options available
System stakeholders are able to express their needs
Stakeholders Increase system’s coping capacity to climate variability (=reduced vulnerability)
System stakeholders anticipate future climate hazards and search for options to increase their coping capacity
External policy makers provide assistance to help the system cope
Policy-makers external to system or of higher levels
System stakeholders
Development facilitators
Researchers
Different actors engage with each other
External policy makers choose and implement assistance options
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CCAA’s contribution to date M&E is included in the Participatory action research
approaches used by our projects We have arranged for our projects to receive M&E support We’re testing it on ourselves We are attempting to make methodological contributions
and to share them with others
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But that is not enough… We need to learn from organisations who
have succeeded in setting up operational M&E systems related to climate change adaptation
We need to team up with organisations who could disseminate and institutionalise learning-focused approaches to M&E
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Why regional and sub-regional organisations ? Work in many countries Often already do M&E or are wanting to strengthen their
use of it Have partnerships with national organisations who
themselves partner with local organisations Need multi-level interactions to be able to evaluate the
impact of their actions and policies on the ground Often have technical capacities, means and a certain
authority
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Some challenges Evaluating adaptive capacity Developing a learning focused evaluation Connecting evaluation with planning and
decision-making Obtaining optimal benefits while limiting
workload