About Building Evaluation Capacity

The Building Evaluation Capacity (BEC) program is designed to provide training and necessary tools to the participating ENGOs. This will allow them to conduct their own internal evaluation program to measure their impacts and critically assess their programs effectiveness and progress. Furthermore, this will assist in identifying and implementing strategies to improve their programs’ and to sustain their environmental goals (Background on Building Evaluation Capacity).

Why BEC is needed?

The BEC project provides an opportunity to the ENGO partners to learn about program planning and evaluation concepts, techniques and strategies in which they can apply into their own internal programs. This will enable the participating ENGOs to monitor results and continually identify ways to increase the impact of their activities.

BEC Goals

To increase the ability of environmental organizations to build evaluation strategies and activities into their program design and delivery;
To build an understanding of why evaluation is required and how to benefit from it;
To increase the ability of ENGO partners, improve their programs’ and share their successes and lessons learned with others;
To support funders’ acceptance of the evaluation as a necessary budget item; and
To reduce the costs of evaluation by an external evaluator for ENGOs, by building their internal evaluation capacity and expertise.

Benefits of Evaluation

The evaluation process:

Forces the program designer to promote clear objectives, design achievable goals and outcomes;
Helps to assess whether programs are achieving their intended purpose;
Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of program design or implementation;
Helps staff members think critically about the program design and to identify the strengths and weaknesses;
Demonstrates accountability to funders; and
Strengthens the public image and credibility of their organization and their programs’.

What will BEC do?

The BEC project will develop and deliver an evaluation training program for participating ENGOs and identifies opportunities to continue to provide evaluation capacity training to the wider ENGO communities.

BEC Partners

Next Steps for BEC Project and Partners

The next steps for addressing the needs of BEC partners and meeting the short and long term goals of the BEC project as a whole include a series of training workshops. The purposes of theses workshops are:

Bringing in expert consultants to design and facilitate the training workshops;
Facilitating partner-to-partner support among BEC participants;
Workshops participants will receive presentations on evaluation theory as well as practical individual and group exercises and take home assignments; and.
Provide one-on-one supports to the workshop participants through an evaluation coach.

The BEC Training Program will run from September 2008 – October 2009. The following is a summary of the BEC workshop schedule in 2008:

Building Evaluation Capacity (BEC) Project – Training Workshops Overview

Workshop 1: Setting the Stage for Evaluation Through Project and Outcomes Planning - (2 day workshop) September 9th and 10th (9:30 to 4:30)

Objectives of Workshop 1

To develop a clear understanding of the evaluation cycle
To understand the planning and concepts behind results-based management
To develop foundation planning documents grounding project evaluation – Theory of Change and Logic Model

Deliverables

Each team focuses on one project
Basic understanding of purpose of theory of change, logic models.
Draft logic model for each organization’s project
Draft Theory of Change for each project

Period between Workshop 1 and 2

Participants revise and refine their logic models and theory of change
Participants get feedback and input from colleagues who are involved in and familiar with their project
Susan meets with each team to review and critique work

Deliverables

Participants prepare electronic version of logic model and theory of change

Workshop 2: Documenting Results - October 30th (9:30 to 4:30)

Objectives of Workshop 2

To refine the list of expected outputs and outcomes
To understand the role of different types of documentation in learning and evaluation
To develop the skill and knowledge to design a solid, basic documentation strategy and system.

Deliverables

Participants understands to role of information systems in their project
Clear statement of different kinds of outputs and outcomes
A strategy for documenting results

Period Between Meeting 2 and 3

Continued refinement of Logic Model and Theory of Change
Consultation with organizational colleagues in order to plan the evaluation
CAP telephone consultation to provide further comments on the Assignments

Deliverables

Participants seek input from their colleagues in order to complete worksheets preparation for workshop 3.
Participants summarize learning and conclusions from those consultations on worksheets

Workshop 3: Designing Your Evaluation - November 26th (9:30 to 4:30)

Objectives of Workshop 3

To clarify the purpose and scope of the evaluation
To identify the key questions and expected learning
To develop a basic understanding of research and evaluation methods and tools

Deliverables

Participants prepare detailed evaluation framework for projects with clear scope and expectations of evaluation
Increased staff skill as “practitioner-researcher”

Period Between Meeting 3 and 4

Continued refinement of evaluation framework
Continued consultation with organizational colleagues in order to plan the evaluation
Finalize tool with support of Susan
Test tool with 5 participants

Deliverables

Participants design a core evaluation tool and tests it with 5 participants in their program

Workshop 4: Planning for the Implementation of Your Evaluation - December 12th (9:30 to 4:30)

Objectives of Workshop 4

To develop a detailed evaluation implementation strategy and budget
To work through evaluation logistics in preparation for evaluation launch

Deliverables

Participants prepare detailedimplementation plan for the evaluation including:
- Workplan
- Budget
- Staffing strategy/roles/responsibilities

Workshop 5: Presentations and Debrief with whole group – September 2009 (9:00 to 4:30)
Date TBD

Objectives of Workshop 5

To close this collaborative learning process
To give participants a final opportunity to share their strategies and to get feedback on their plans
To get feedback on this pilot process

Deliverables

Participants prepare a formal presentation of their project

BEC Resources

Evaluation Resources

BEC Contact

To find out more about the BEC program e-mail Gabriella Kalapos at gkalapos@cleanairpartnership.org or call 416.338.1288.

BEC links

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