Is it possible to undertake evaluations that provide deep insights for learning while at the same time address accountability issues? Is it possibly so that if evaluations from the very outset were focused on either learning or accountability that we would have a rather different sort of evaluations, both in scope and reporting mechanisms?
These are some of the issues that are addressed in the new EBA report Confronting the Contradiction – An exploration into the dual purpose of accountability and learning in aid evaluation. Based upon evaluations of Swedish and Norwegian aid Researchers Hilde Reinertsen, Kristian Bjørkdahl and Desmond McNeill explore to what extent accountability and learning are incompatible goals when undertaking evaluations of aid. Taking the stance that there indeed is a trade-off they also suggest ways in which evaluations may be made more purposeful.
The presentation of the report will provide the basis for a panel discussion on the extent to which accountability and learning are contradictory objectives for aid evaluation, and discuss the feasibility of the authors’ alternative approach to undertaking evaluations.
In addition to one of the authors, the panel will consist of the heads of evaluation at Sida and Norad, Joakim Molander and Per Bastøe, as well as the independent consultant Cecilia Magnusson Ljungman and professor emeritus Evert Vedung. Moderator will be Eva Lithman, member of the EBA.
PROGRAMME
14.00 Welcome and introduction
Gun-Britt Andersson, Vice chair, EBA
14.05 Presentation of the report
Hilde Reinertsen, Postdoctoral Fellow, TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo
Kristian Bjørkdahl, Senior Researcher, Uni Research Rokkan Centre, Bergen
Desmond McNeill, Research Director, Centre for Development & Environment (SUM), University of Oslo
14.35 Comments on the report
Joakim Molander, Head of unit for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Sida
Per Bastøe, Director at Norad Evaluation Department
14.55 Panel discussion
Hilde Reinertsen, Postdoctoral Fellow, TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo
Joakim Molander, Head of unit for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Sida
Per Bastøe, Director at Norad Evaluation Department
Cecilia Magnusson Ljungman, NIRAS consultant
Evert Vedung, Emeritus Professor, Uppsala University
Moderated by: Eva Lithman
15.55: Concluding remarks
Gun-Britt Andersson, Vice chair, EBA