OCFA opens three-day training workshop on using quality standards for development evaluation

The three-day training workshop, facilitated by senior evaluation experts from AfDB, IsDB and OCFA, was convened as a result of high levels of demand from UAE development organisations.

Participants will explore how best to use the OECD Development Assistance Committee 'DAC' Quality Standards for Development Evaluation, in order to improve assessments of effectiveness, and enhance the outcomes of their development projects around the world.

The Quality Standards are intended to facilitate the comparison of evaluations across projects and countries, support partnerships and collaboration on joint evaluations, and increase development partners' use of each other's' evaluation findings.

In his keynote speech, H.E. Hazza Mohammad Al Qahtani, OCFA's Director General, said, "OCFA is pleased to continue its collaboration with IsDB and AfDB, and facilitate the exchange of experience between UAE donors and their international counterparts. Given the large sums of money that are contributed by UAE donor organisations towards development projects, it is imperative that we have the systems in place to properly evaluate the impact of these projects, and take appropriate steps to improve outcomes."

"In this respect, the Quality Standards are a valuable resource for donors in the UAE and across the Arab world. The high level of demand for this document from Arabic development professionals since its trilingual publication shows the strong interest among regional development actors in reviewing and evaluating their projects in a systematic way," HE Al Qahtani added.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Mohamed Hedi Manai, Division Manager, Project &Program Evaluation Division, AfDB, said, "The excellent cooperation between IsDB, OCFA and AfDB has resulted in a highly successful document with vast reach and the potential to enhance the lives of millions of people who are receiving aid from Arab donors. The demand for this document reflects the desire of Arabic-speaking donors to put in place the most effective evaluation frameworks, and help ensure that they are meeting the main objectives of each project."

Anasse Aissami, Manager, Project and special Evaluation Division, IsDB, said, "Evaluation is a core concern for all development organizations. It requires a concerted effort to determine whether development interventions are achieving the desired outcomes and, for this reason, evaluation needs to be integrated at the very earliest stages of development planning. Producing the trilingual version of the Quality Standards in cooperation with OCFA, AfDB, and the OECD, with the related training events, have been important steps towards ensuring standardizing best practices across the region."

The trilingual version of the OECD DAC Quality Standards for Development Evaluation (Arabic, English and French) - part of the OECD DAC Guidelines and Reference Series - was launched early 2012, in partnership with the IsDB and AfDB, OCFA, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

This seminal document outlines the core principles for evaluating development policies and programs, and is a key reference for governments and development agencies around the world.