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 United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden, and the European Commission, GICHD has initiated a project to enhance evaluation capacities through a three stage process:

Stage 1 (Completed)

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 2005 and 2006, 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. 

More information on GICHD training on the 2005-2006 "Evaluating Mine Action" Programmes within IPDET

Stage 2 (Ongoing)

Delivering a series of 5-day, stand-alone "Evaluating Mine Action" training workshops provided on a regional basis, using IPDET graduates from the region as trainers. Since 2009, workshops have been conducted in Bangkok, Tbilisi, Ljubljana, Kabul and Baku.

More information on the "Evaluating Mine Action" Workshops

Stage 3

Organising 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).

Additionally, as of 2010, the GICHD, together with the International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT) of the Geneva Centre of the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and the Small Arms Survey (SAS), and in partnership with IPDET, has begun offering training workshops for the security and development sectors, titled “Evaluating Conflict, Security and Development” workshops.

More information on the “Evaluating Conflict, Security and Development” Workshops