Relevant? Almost Always: The Role of the Relevance Criterion in Development M&E
Panel Discussion
About the Event
The use of the OECD/DAC evaluation criteria is now standard in most development evaluations. Relevance is sometimes considered a key criterion insofar that it represents a “gatekeeper” to others —if an activity is not relevant, why examine whether the wrong thing has been done efficiently? Yet, a problem with this criterion is that evaluations almost always find that interventions are relevant. Against such a background, how can we understand the role of the relevance criterion?
This question is addressed in the recent EBA working paper “Relevant? Almost Always.” This table will use the paper as a departure point for a discussion on how the relevance criterion can be made more useful in development M&E activities.
This question is addressed in the recent EBA working paper “Relevant? Almost Always.” This table will use the paper as a departure point for a discussion on how the relevance criterion can be made more useful in development M&E activities.
Speakers
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Joel Samoff | Dr. | Joel Samoff is an educator, researcher, and evaluator. He studies links among research, public policy, and foreign aid. He is the author of the EBA Working Paper "Relevant? Almost Always Relevance in Development Cooperation." |
| Kim Forss | Dr. | Kim Forss is a Member of the EBA. He is the founder and owner of the company Andante - tools for thinking AB, which specializes in evaluation, research, and teaching on methodology of evaluation. He holds a PhD from the Stockholm School of Economics. |
| Cecilia Ljungman | Ms. | Cecilia Ljungman is Managing Director for NIRAS International Consulting, France. She has over 25 years' experience of working in international development co-operation. |
| Alison Pollard | Ms. | Alison Pollard works as an Evaluation Policy Analyst in the Development Co-operation Directorate at the OECD. In this role she co-ordinates the DAC Network on Development Evaluation and works with the COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition. |
| Zenda Ofir | Dr. | Zenda Ofir is an independent evaluator and scientist from South Africa working at the intersection of evaluation, development and transformation. She is a former President of the African Evaluation Association and at present serves i.a. as interim Chair of the Council of the Intl Eval Academy. |