Regional RCE Americas Meeting 2016 "Renewable Energy and Sustainable Education"

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E VA LUAT I N G E S D I N R C E S : T H E S TA R T - U P TO O L S
OPEN FRAMEWORK FOR
EVALUATION OF MULTI-
STAKEHOLDER INITIATIVES
UNU-IAS
30 June 2016

2. HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT OF RCE
EVALUATION
• Long history - Multiple discussions and publications as well as
applying various evaluations in different RCEs in Asia, Africa and
Europe
•Principles of self reflection, collective learning process and evidence
of change
• The approach is co-developed and tested in SADC RCEs.
• Piloted in Africa & Asia (Goa, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Cha-am, Phnom
Penh, Kyrgyzstan and Okayama)
More information on RCE evaluation philosophy and approaches - 10 Year of RCE Book
(http://www.rce-network.org/portal/sites/default/files/public_resource/01_UNU_10yearsBook_web.pdf)2

3. EMERGENT APPROACH TO EVALUATION –
OPEN-ENDED HYBRID EVALUATION
• The combined and integrated evaluative approaches include:
1. Documentation of how an RCE had developed up to this
point - constitutive evaluation
2. Inquiry into the RCE’s successes, coordination and
collaborative learning - appreciative and developmental
evaluation
3. Value creation assessment of the RCE’s overall work
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4. THREE CORE AREAS OF VALUATION
FRAMEWORK
1. The context in which the RCE has been created (See
application for RCE acknowledgement)
2. The key activities and ESD practices that have been initiated by
the RCE
3. The outcomes and impacts amongst those intended to benefit
from a particular programme.
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5. THE GOALS OF EVALUATION
• To collectively learn through an appreciative review of an RCE
(documented in Evaluation Report)
• To improve transformative learning and sustainability
(recorded as Case Study evidence of value creation
activities)
• To strengthen work of the RCEs as a networked community
(reflected in Capacity development training strategy)
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6. SIX STEPS IN EVALUATION
1. RCE Coordination and networking
2. Activities and their effects
3. Transformation and sustainability
4. Strategic areas and linkages
5. Global service centre and its role
6. Value creation assessment
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7. A. CONSTITUTIVE OVERVIEW OF THE RCE
IN CONTEXT
• Question 1: RCE coordination & networking
• The RCE Journey: A review of how the RCE was constituted
and is functioning to enable learning and change.
• 1.1) How did the RCE evolve?
• 1.2) How has the membership changed?
• 1.3) How are local issues being addressed?
• 1.4) What ESD initiatives have been undertaken?
• 1.5) a.) What can be done to improve RCE work, and b.)
how?
Reference appreciative comments to the available documents,
including: RCE application, articles in the RCE bulletin, RCE
publications, project documents, other publications, audio visual
materials, etc.

8. B. APPRECIATIVE REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES
AND EFFECTS
• Question 2: Activities & their effects
• 2.1) How has the portfolio of activities of the RCE evolved?
• 2.2) What have been the best/most successful RCE
activities and why?
• 2.3) Give examples of how successful
collaboration/decision-making is producing the effects that
are being achieved?
• 2.4) How can activities be up-scaled and main-streamed?
• 2.5) How could better work be achieved?
• In the RCE? (inward looking)
• In the region (collaboration and outward looking)

9. C. APPRECIATIVE AND DEVELOPMENTAL
REVIEW OF PROCESSES AND THEIR IMPACT
• Question 3: Transformation & sustainability
• 3.1) What flagship initiatives reflect the successes of the
RCE?
• 3.2) Summarize the scale of a) knowledge and b) practice
transformation apparent in these initiatives over a period
of 12, 24, 36 months, etc.
• 3.3) What has changed and how is the change evident?
• 3.4) What resources and governance have enabled
success?
• 3.5) What, besides funding, can be done to overcome
barriers and sustain the work of the RCE?

10. D. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW OF
LEARNING, IMPACT AND STRATEGY
• Question 4: Strategic areas & linkages
• 4.1) What strategic focus areas, partnerships, activities
have been key to the successes of the RCE?
• 4.2) What could be done to improve learning and
effectiveness (e.g. partnerships, resourcing, and scale)?
• 4.3) How can existing linkages, processes and programmes
be strengthened?
• 4.4) What new strategic links and capacity development
could be explored?

11. E. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW OF
NETWORKING PRACTICES
• Question 5: Global RCE Service Centre
• 5.1) What have been the benefits of being acknowledged as
an RCE?
• 5.2) How are you interacting with the RCE Service Centre?
• 5.3) How are you working with other RCEs and what are
some of the activities, successes, and challenges?
• 5.4) How has your RCE participated in regional and global
RCE conferences and undertaken follow up activities?
• 5.5) How could regional and global RCE activities be
improved to strengthen your RCE work?

12. F. REVIEW OF VALUE CREATION IMPACT
• Question 6: Value creation assessment
• Reviewing evidence of value creation
• 6.1) What were the most meaningful RCE activities
discussed?
• 6.2) What potential values are the RCE activity producing?
• 6.3) What difference has this made that would not happen
otherwise?
• 6.4) What difference has it made to the ability of the RCE to
produce what matters through its ESD projects?
• 6.5) What new understandings of what produces value are
becoming evident?

13. Discussion Focus
Expected
Learning/Outcome
1.RCE networking
and coordination
The core elements of the RCEs –
governance and networking, key
strategies and activities
Evolution of the RCE’s
coordination and networked
activities.
2 . Activities and
their effects
Review of RCE’s activities and their
effects/results
Results of activities
3.Transformation
& sustainability
How sustainable RCE activities are
and what do they add to the
sustainability of the region?
Sustainability of activities &
transformation
4. Strategic areas &
linkages
Co-production of new knowledge
to better steer sustainable ways
of being in the world together
Focus areas, partnerships,
needed capacity, etc. for
actions
5. Links with global
service centre
Networking activities with the
Service Centre and other RCEs
Engagement with networks
outside
6. Review of value
creation
Unique contribution of the
platform
Value added
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14. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Has your RCE conducted and RCE assessment in the past? If
so, what were the main outcomes
1. What would be the key value-added of evaluation (using the
method outlined in this presentation) for your RCE?
1. What processes would be needed to support it? What are
your comments on the presented framework?
1. Can your RCE plan an assessment as an immediate priority?