C4D: Decide who will conduct the research or evaluation (or other studies for monitoring)
What is it?
Research, monitoring and evaluation tasks (such as developing an M&E Framework, undertaking small studies and evaluations) can be done internally by existing staff (within one organisation or as a partnership or joint activity involving a number of implementing partners), externally by a consultant, or a hybrid of these two options (where there is a combination of internal staff and stakeholders and external researchers and evaluators). It could also be done by peers, or by community groups. Required types of expertise, need for fresh outsider perspectives, cost, and time are key issues in deciding who will conduct some or all of the evaluation tasks.
General information
The steps of the Manager's Guide to Evaluation for planning and managing evaluation give a comparison of the strengths and trade-offs of internal and external evaluation methods. This guide helps decision-makers to be explicit about the reasons for decisions. The steps also provide guidance on qualities to consider when recruiting external evaluators or researchers. The Rainbow Framework also provides an overview of key methods and approaches for deciding who will conduct an evaluation. These pages are recommended background reading before considering methods to apply to C4D.
Applying the C4D principles
Participatory
One important decision that needs to be made is who will conduct the R,M&E. This might mean involving internal staff, partners, community groups and other stakeholders in the R,M&E process. External consultant may still have a role in participatory R,M&E:
- An external consultant might be involved as a facilitator of a participatory R,M&E process
- If stakeholders are involved in decision making about the R,M&E, they may decide that an external consultant is more beneficial, for example, for reasons of credibility, time scarcity, or particular expertise. The list of trade-offs can be a useful tool to have this discussion with stakeholders.
Learning-based
Sometimes there are very few local evaluators with the skills and knowledge to be able to undertake C4D evaluation and studies. In these cases partnerships between international/regional consultants, local consultants and local community groups and organisations can be considered. In these situations you can state explicitly that mentoring and capacity development of the local partner are expected.
Critical
What are the assumptions about who should conduct the R,M&E? What alternatives are there, and how might they be more or less inclusive of diverse voices? What kinds of qualities are important for a facilitator/ evaluator? How will might different facilitators influence power dynamic.
Recommended methods and adaptations for C4D
General options
Several good methods and approaches that would work well for C4D are listed on this page of the Rainbow Framework, including methods such as internal methods; hybrid methods; community-based methods; external consultant; expert review; and peer review, and approaches such as horizontal evaluation and participatory evaluations.
Mentoring role descriptions
If mentoring roles will be part of your plan, consider this as part of determining consultant qualities, and include it in the EOI (see Document management processes and agreements for further information).
Resource
This toolkit is premised on a mix of self-assessment and peer-review towards co-learning and horizontal evaluation. In this case, it is fellow community radio station staff and volunteers who undertake the assessment. It was created in the context of community radios in India, but, with some adaptation of the questions, the processes and guidance could be applied to support peer-assessment between organisations doing a range of different types of C4D.
Examples
The Ruka Juu Impact Evaluation was undertaken as a partnership between C4D NGO Femina HIP's Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) department, international consultants and two local partners.
My Rights My Voice Completion Report was led by a team of independent evaluators. Youth familiar with the programme were included in the field research as ‘peer evaluators’ in three out of the four countries. After initial training and the development of appropriate data collection tools, they independently carried out evaluation research with peers, parents and teachers, and presented the findings to Oxfam staff and partners.
This example is consistent with the C4D Evaluation framework in relation to this task in the following ways:
- Participatory: the report's background section (52-53) provides an example of an evaluation can be designed to incorporate both professional evaluators and young people in conducting evaluation tasks.
- Learning-based: participation of young people in peer-evaluation was to support mutual learning. It depended on adequate training in data collection tools.
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'C4D: Decide who will conduct the research or evaluation (or other studies for monitoring)' is referenced in:
Framework/Guide
- Communication for Development (C4D) :
- Communication for Development (C4D) :
- Communication for Development (C4D) :
- Communication for Development (C4D) :
- Communication for Development (C4D) :