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THE DEReC FRONT PAGE
was launched in February 2009 by the Secretariat of the DAC Network on Development Evaluation. The Front Page highlights evaluation reports that are relevant to major current events and policy issues, with the goal of encouraging wider use of evaluation results to improve development policy and practice. New editions of the Front Page are featured on the DEReC homepage periodically. Some past editions can be found below.
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A protest by the families of victims of armed violence,
during national disarmament day in Turkey. Reuters
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Disarmament Week
24 – 30 October 2009
Disarmament Week begins each year on the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations with the goal of increasing public understanding of armed violence and the urgent need for action. Development evaluations shed light on how disarmament can be supported effectively.
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Lessons from evaluations of disarmament, demobilization and peacebuilding programmes in conflict-affected countries:
- What works? The ingredients of successful disarmament and demobilization include unambiguous political commitment, sustained financial support, realistic benchmarks, clear lines of communication between stakeholders and effective co-ordination. Read more
- Good design counts – Too often, disarmament projects lack clarity of purpose or have unrealistic objectives – better programme design is needed. Read more
- Don't forget women – The active roles of female combatants in violence and the special needs of other women involved in conflict cannot be ignored during demobilization. Read: Gender and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration
- Evidence needed – Good data on weapons and violence reduction are still largely lacking. Donor support for disarmament research is needed in order to gather relevant and updated data and develop necessary tools for the fight against weapons proliferation. Read more
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Rescue workers on the beach in American Samoa.
Photo: Tim Wimborne, Reuters
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September 2009 - Disasters strike Asia and the Pacific
The tsunami in Samoa and Tonga, a typhoon in the Philippines, and earthquakes in Indonesia are all salient reminders of the need to better integrate disaster risk reduction into development practices.
Evaluations of past responses can provide informative lessons for today's relief efforts.
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Some key lessons:
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Assess real needs: Needs assessments should differentiate and prioritise between vulnerabilities resulting from chronic conditions and those generated by the disaster, and, in particular, issues perceived as a priority by the 'beneficiaries' themselves rather than those development agencies assume are important. Read more
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Do No Harm: Damage caused by natural disasters can outweigh years of development assistance. Unfortunately well-intentioned humanitarian assistance can also inadvertently undermine previous gains. Read more See also Human Rights and Disasters
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Information is power: "Information about aid and development plans is the starting point for people to decide for themselves how they wish to get on with their lives. It is also their most basic tool with which to hold their governments and aid providers to account." Read more
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A father and son in hospital in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake. WHO/Christopher Black.
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7 April 2009 • World Health Day
World Health Day 2009 focuses on health infrastructure during emergencies. DEReC evaluations of health programmes and disaster recovery efforts have shown the importance of strengthening and rebuilding local capacities to respond to emergencies.
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- During the war in Angola, support to the health sector was less effective when it emphasized disbursement without addressing gaps in local management capacity. Read more
- A major joint evaluation of the Indian Ocean Tsunami response found that local communities (not international volunteers) provided most first aid. Read more
- There is a tendency after emergencies for donors to place too much emphasis on hardware and not enough on human resources and improving the quality of medical assistance. Read more
New Report! The Quality of Health & Nutrition Data
Don’t miss! Evaluation of Community-led Initiatives for Child Survival in India which found evidence that the initiative contributed to a 20% decrease in infant mortality!
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Scott Wallace / World Bank
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International Women’s Day – March 8
What can evaluation tell us about the role of development partners in promoting women’s rights and gender equality?
More attention needs to be given to gender equality issues in evaluations of development activities. While more thematic evaluations of gender equality and women’s empowerment are now taking place, progress in incorporating gender perspectives into general evaluations of development assistance has been slow and uneven.
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Resources on gender and evaluation:
Review of Gender and Evaluation
Gender Equality Tip Sheet on Evaluation
Lessons from Evaluations of Women & Gender Equality
New! Evaluation of Women’s Economic Empowerment
New! Women’s Political Participation in Burkina Faso
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World Bank
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AID FOR TRADE REPORT LAUNCH - 6 JULY
Aid for Trade at a Glance 2009: Maintaining Momentum
monitors the Aid-for-Trade Initiative to assess what is happening, what is not and where improvements are needed. Assessments on the impact of trade-related assistance are needed to inform ongoing efforts to promote more and better aid for trade as well as policy coherence for development.
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Featured trade-related evaluations:
New! Trade Facilitation in the Mekong Region
Hot topic! Coordinating Trade Capacity Building
Don’t miss! World Bank Support 1987-2004
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