Evaluations of mine action programmes typically focus on the donor’s concerns, often neglecting the issues most important to the governments and operators in mine-affected countries. As well, most evaluations are conducted by international experts with local nationals involved in a subordinate role, if at all. Such evaluations are seen as being imposed from the outside, which inhibits local ownership of the evaluation function and the development of proper accountability structures within the mine affected country.
With funding from Britain, Japan, Sweden, and the European Commission, GICHD has initiated a project to enhance evaluation capacities through a three stage process:
Stage 1
Providing professional training in development evaluation via the International Program in Development Evaluation Training (IPDET, a partnership between the World Bank and Carleton University), which offers four weeks of training modules in Ottawa each summer. In 2006 and 2007, GICHD provided full or partial sponsorships to 15 people from mine affected countries to attend IPDET, as well as delivering a training module, Evaluating Mine Action Programmes. Previous IPDET Workshops
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Stage 2
A stand-alone English-language training workshop (5 day) – Evaluation for Mine Action – provided on a regional basis and using IPDET graduates from the region as trainers. The initial workshop is planned for Africa in early 2007.
Stage 3
Country-specific training workshops – adapting the training workshop to national laws and systems, and translating training materials into local languages so it can be offered to more people (using previously trained individuals from that country as translators & trainers).
