SPP 1

Status of Development Evaluation in India- An overview

S.P.PAL

SPP 2

About Presentation

1. Identify nodes of development fund flow, stakeholders, M&E info needs, suppliers.2. Identify demanders/suppliers, understand nature of demand & supply, satisfaction of demanders and info use for planning & policies.3. Suggestions for evaluation capacity development.

SPP 3

Fund Flow & Stakeholders-I

Fund Flow Chain

Authorization

Allocation

Release Use to produce benefits

Receipt of benefits

Stakeholders

Parliament/legislatures

PC, MoF, Donors

Line ministries

Implementing agencies, auditors, PC, parliament, MoF, civil

society.

Policymakers/planners/implementing agencies/NGOs/civil society.

SPP 4

Demand & Supply of Evaluation Info-II

Fund Flow Chain

Authorization

Allocation Release Use to produce benefits

Receipt of benefits

Info Needs

Impact/outcome/development

changes

Lessons/diagnosticof success &failure

Routine progress reports on inputs, activities, output

Fund flow, procurement, effectiveness of delivery, cost effective(?)

Coverage, awareness, access, trans-pa rency.

Info Suppliers

PEO/SEOs, RIs, NGOs

PEO/SEOs, RIs, NGOs

M-E cells of Ministries.

M&E cells, RIs, NGOs, auditors,

RIs, NGOs, auditors.

SPP 5

Demand side of M&E information

1. General appreciation of need for M&E info to learn lessons, for mid-course corrections.2.Inhouse capacity for ‘M’ info in most ministries. 3. Dissatisfied with evaluation info supply: -quality, quantity & timeliness, uncomfortable findings;4. Some initiate evaluation themselves due to (3).

SPP 6

Demand Side

5.Examples of follow-up actions exist; more because of enlightened policy makers, planners (call them champions); not so much due to institutionalized mechanisms;

6.Attempt to introduce Outcome Budgeting in 2005-06 was unsuccessful-lack of understanding of the types of reforms required to make it operational.7. Low demand for quality evaluation.

SPP 7

Supply side of M&E information

1. Public sector: PEO, SEOs-once strong, now weak-manpower, infrastructure, no investment in human capital. Quality, quantity & timeliness are major issues.2. RIs/Consultants/NGOs: Lack of quality & trained manpower, data quality issues. Inadequate knowledge of program operation. Quantity & timeliness ok-quality(?).

SPP 8

Status of Impact Evaluation

3. Very few quality impact evaluation in India: - stakeholders of impact results operate in a short time horizon and focus on implementation objectives; - difficulty in constructing counterfactuals because of multiplicity of dev. Interventions. Universal coverage. - lack of any formal obligation on part of stakeholders to support it;

SPP 9

Status of Impact Evaluation

- absence of a credible data bank on evaluation resources;- India’s annual evaluation budget is large; controlled mostly by line Ministries; stakeholders of impact evaluation command a small proportion of it.

SPP 10

Why evaluation capacity not strong?

1. Evaluation (a ritual) primarily for other watchdog agencies, less for self learning;

2. Inadequate linkage between allocation and performance;3. Accountability, transparency missing in development administration (RTI?);4. Public evaluation institutions have become hostage of all India services and alternatives yet to emerge;

SPP 11

Why evaluation capacity not strong?

5.System of outsourcing studies by public agencies hinders capacity development;-lowest bidders, insufficient time, interference.6. General lack of confidence in B-C ratio of evaluation. DESI/IRMED & IDRC –a study to bring out the status of development evaluation in India.