Through a range of training, learning and professional development activities, GEI equips government leaders, evaluators and other monitoring and evaluation (M&E) stakeholders with the necessary skills, tools and knowledge required to understand the role of M&E and evidence in decision-making; to gather, analyze, and use evaluative knowledge; to conduct evaluations; and to better manage and use M&E systems.
Building national M&E capacities is a fundamental part of GEI’s strategy. For M&E systems in developing countries to work effectively, trained policymakers, evaluation professionals and other specialists are needed to support the development and use of these systems. The demand for M&E practitioners with up-to-date skills and knowledge continues to grow.
To address this demand, GEI partners develop, implement, and support a considerable range of trainings, workshops and other professional development activities at the global, regional, national and sub-national levels. GEI’s training and professional development activities are based on the latest, most innovative approaches; bring the best in content and delivery techniques; and are tailored to local needs, contexts and target groups. To ensure inclusive participation in these training opportunities, GEI often offers financial support to participants from developing countries.
Knowledge exchange, coordination, and collaboration among network partners is a crucial effort for GEI and, in the context of training and professional development activities, is led by the Working Group on Professional Development. The Working Group fosters substantive informal discussions among GEI partners, with spin-off activities on shared topics of strategic interest. In 2021, four task teams were established where GEI partners began collaborating on specific topics that are of strategic importance to the GEI network: Institutionalization of M&E Task Force; Trainer of Trainers Course in Lusophone Africa Task Force; Internship Program Task Force; and the Academic Training in Evaluation Task.
In line with its efforts to mobilize action on critical global issues, GEI partners work together to identify opportunities to integrate GEI’s four cross-cutting themes (gender and inclusion; climate change; fragility, violence and conflict; and youth), into M&E training offerings. This effort elevates the importance of these topics within its network - and the broader M&E community - and helps practitioners learn how to effectively integrate these thematic lenses into their work.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
TAQYEEM
To be most effective, training efforts must be tailored to the local context. In 2021, GEI partner, ENAP, launched TAQYEEM, the first international level assessment training program offered in the Arabic language. TAQYEEM aims to train managers who will develop and influence the evaluation function and, in doing so, contribute to strengthening monitoring, evaluation and evidence use in their countries. For the development and launch of TAQYEEM, ENAP consulted the Islamic Development Bank to leverage their regional expertise and received support from GEI. ENAP also partnered with the Saudi Impact Center for implementation of the virtual course. Thirty-three participants from Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia joined the first edition in June 2021, including 18 women. Notably, the development of the TAQYEEM program contributed to refining the terminology needed to adapt M&E content to sub-regional contexts that use Arabic.
To be most effective, training efforts must be tailored to the local context. In 2021, GEI partner, ENAP, launched TAQYEEM, the first international level assessment training program offered in the Arabic language. TAQYEEM aims to train managers who will develop and influence the evaluation function and, in doing so, contribute to strengthening monitoring, evaluation and evidence use in their countries. For the development and launch of TAQYEEM, ENAP consulted the Islamic Development Bank to leverage their regional expertise and received support from GEI. ENAP also partnered with the Saudi Impact Center for implementation of the virtual course. Thirty-three participants from Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia joined the first edition in June 2021, including 18 women. Notably, the development of the TAQYEEM program contributed to refining the terminology needed to adapt M&E content to sub-regional contexts that use Arabic.
Turning Interest into Passion: How GEI and IPDET Build Individual M&E Capacities
Institutional change must often start with the individual. Since institutions are built by people, for real long-term organizational change to occur, the perceptions in the minds of individuals must also change. Consequently, one of the primary goals of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI) is strengthening the capacities of evaluators, policymakers, and other M&E professionals to understand the role of M&E and evidence in decision-making; to gather, analyze, and use evaluative knowledge; to conduct evaluations; and to better manage and use M&E systems. One of the ways that GEI accomplishes this is through supporting GEI Implementing Partner, the International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET), a globally recognized and highly respected program for advanced training in the field of evaluation.
Institutional change must often start with the individual. Since institutions are built by people, for real long-term organizational change to occur, the perceptions in the minds of individuals must also change. Consequently, one of the primary goals of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI) is strengthening the capacities of evaluators, policymakers, and other M&E professionals to understand the role of M&E and evidence in decision-making; to gather, analyze, and use evaluative knowledge; to conduct evaluations; and to better manage and use M&E systems. One of the ways that GEI accomplishes this is through supporting GEI Implementing Partner, the International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET), a globally recognized and highly respected program for advanced training in the field of evaluation.