ISPC10

1. Independent Evaluation Arrangement
Report for the ISPC Meeting
Copenhagen
September
2014

2. IEA Strategic Objective
Ensuring that the evaluation function is a key and
effective instrument of accountability and
learning, fully contributing to the shaping and
vision of the future CGIAR

3. IEA – Reviews & Evaluations
1 CRP
evaluation
completed
+ Mgmt
Response
Forests, Trees &
Agroforestry
2 Reviews
completed
+ Mgmt
Response
Generation
Challenge
Program
CRP
Governance
&
Management
4 ongoing CRP
evaluations
(TORs/IRs):
PIM
AAS
WHEAT
MAIZE
5 CRP evaluations
in planning and
preparatory work
(TORs):
CCAFS
GRISP
L&F
RTB
WLE

4. CRP- Commissioned Evaluations
• IEA structured support on quality assurance
to 5 CRP Commissioned Evaluations
(requested by FC) :
– Dryland Cereals, Dryland Systems, Grain Legumes,
A4NH, and HumidTropics
• IEA support and guidance to CCEEs:
– On-demand basis (planning, selection of
consultants, TORs, evaluation governance)
– Extensive use of IEA standards and guidance notes

5. IEA Evaluations– timeline
2013 2014 2015 2016
Forests, Trees and Agroforestry
Policies, Institutions & Markets
Maize
Wheat
Aquatic Agricultural Systems
Livestock and Fish
Roots, Tubers, and Bananas
Water, Land and Ecosystems
Climate Change, Agri & Food Security
Global Rice Science Partnership
QA Support to 5 CRPS: Dryland Systems, Dryland
Cereals, Grain Legumes, A4NH, and Humidtropics

6. CRP Evaluation - Timeline
Planning Designing Contracting Start Up Collecting
Information
Analysis Reporting
1 month 3 month 6 month 12 month
Feedback

7. CRP mngt,
selected CRP
and Center
staff
Reference Goup,
CRP Mngt &
Governance, Lead
Center Mgmt &
Governance,
Participating Center
Mgmt, CO
Factual Check Feedback
Preliminary
findings Draft report
Final
report
Communication
(webinars, meetings..)
Reference Group, Mngt
Quality Assurance
Expert
Panel
(optional)
IEA
Mngt response
and Action
Plan
Fund Office
CO/CB response
and approval
EIAC discussion
& guidance
FC
consideration
of report and
endorsement
of CRP mgmt
& CO
responses
IEA and
QAAP
Timeline week 1 week 4 week 8

8. Scope of CRP Evaluation
Broad scope: Relevance, QoS, Effectiveness,
impacts, sustainability, efficiency
Summative
– Results of past research which is continuing in CRP
Formative
– Programmatic approach in enhancing relevance and
efficiency of CRP
– Likelihood of effectiveness to contribute to SRF
vision, SLOs and outcomes

9. Evaluation Community of Practice
• Strengthen the culture of evaluation across
CGIAR
• Network and share information
• Build capacity and strengthen cooperation
• Strengthen the collective voice of evaluation in
the system

10. ECOP Workshop (23-25 Sept - Rome)
• Sharing and learning from ongoing evaluations
• Sharing information on monitoring, evaluation
systems and impact assessment capacity in
CGIAR
• Training on assessing outcomes and Theories of
Change
• Participants: CRP and Center evaluation focal
points - participation of SPIA
• Strengthening the community through shared
initiatives

11. Some challenges
• The evaluand: a moving target. Discrepancy
between the legal commitments (responsibility
and accountability) and the reality - what is a
“CRP”?
• Monitoring and Evaluation capacity and
systems uneven across CGIAR
• No clear accountability and learning
framework at CRP and system levels

12. For Whom/ What Purpose?
CRP Management
• Learning for strategic management and
adaptations and adjustments of program
• Preparation: 2nd cycle of CRP proposals
System-wide
• System wide strategic management
(MTR, SRF, 2nd call for funding)
• Resource for system-wide evaluation
Evaluation
Donors
• Accountability on program performance
• Building trust and transparency
• Strategic and informed decisions on
portfolio and funding allocations
Partners
• Build trust and transparency
• Accountability on partnership and
program performance
• Refinement of partnership