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Session Title: M&E Training in Other Countries: Adapting Training to Local Cultures
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Panel Session 890 to be held in the Granite Room Section C on Saturday, Nov 8, 1:20 PM to 2:50 PM
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Sponsored by the International and Cross-cultural Evaluation TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Michael Hendricks,
Independent Consultant,
mikehendri@aol.com
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| Discussant(s):
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| Michael Hendricks,
Independent Consultant,
mikehendri@aol.com
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| Abstract:
In the international development community, M&E often confronts the dual challenge to 1) employ systems of project design, monitoring, and evaluation, and 2) involve the participation of local people in the M&E system. How can M&E training and local capacity building balance these two objectives? This panel discussion will examine this and related issues, drawing upon M&E training experiences from Tibet, Russia-NIS and Australasia, and South Asia. Inherently, M&E training introduces new concepts and practices - a process that can empower local partners, or straightjacket and alienate them. Culturally sensitive approaches to M&E training can foster local understanding and involvement, and ultimately local ownership and program sustainability. An added benefit, as this panel will highlight, is that with innovative, flexible approaches to M&E training that encourage the open sharing of ideas, the M&E trainer often walks away learning as much as the training participants.
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M&E Training in Tibet: Adapting to and Learning from Other Cultures
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| Laura P Luo,
China Agricultural University,
luopan@cau.edu.cn
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This presentation will discuss monitoring and evaluation (M&E) training lessons based on from M&E training conducted in Tibet. The presentation will focus on the diverse, participatory methods used in the training to help build the M&E capacity of local government officials in Tibet. The presentation will also discuss the importance of learning about and tailoring training methods to local culture when conducting evaluation training. Moreover, the presenter will share with the audience the profound impact that the Tibetan culture has had on her life and how it influences her evaluation practices.
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Evaluation Training in Russia-NIS and Australasia: Comparisons and Contrasts
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| Ross Conner,
University of California Irvine,
rfconner@uci.edu
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This presentation will focus on evaluation training sessions conducted recently in two regions of the world, in Russia and the Newly Independent States (NIS) and in Australasia, both in New Zealand and in Australia. The content of the trainings was generally similar, focused on community-based evaluation approaches that involved a collaborative involvement of those from the communities where the program or initiative occurred. The presenter will describe the content of the trainings and the adjustments in emphases made in it; he will then compare and contrast the reactions of the participants and the reasons for differences between and within regions, primarily due to the different circumstances in which evaluators operate.
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Fun & Games with M&E: Participatory Strategies for M&E Training
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| Scott Chaplowe,
American Red Cross,
schaplowe@amcrossasia.org
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International development often confronts the challenge to employ systems for project design, monitoring, and evaluation, while also involving local participation in the M&E process. This presentation will examine how M&E training and local capacity building can balance these two objectives? Local ownership in the M&E system is not only critical for overall project sustainability, but also reliable reporting as local partners often gather monitoring data. Logic models (logframes), which have become the industry standard to summarize a project's design and intended results, aptly illustrates some of these issues. At best, they are tools that help project design, monitoring, and evaluation (DM&E). At worst they can straightjacket a project, imposing an outside, techno centric method that alienates rather than fosters local participation. Drawing from the experience of tsunami recovery projects in South Asia, we will examine this these issues and the use of participatory training methods to reinforce local partner understanding of M&E.
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