CLEAR-FA Supports Policy Evaluation in Benin
In July, a three-day policy evaluation workshop was held in Grand-Popo, southwestern Benin, for members of the National Assembly of the West African country.
The workshop, organized by the Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results in Francophone Africa (CLEAR-FA)—an implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI)—in collaboration with the Directorate General of Evaluation and the Observatory of Social Change (DGEOCS) and the African Parliamentarians' Network on Development Evaluation (APNODE), brought together 20 parliamentarians and 10 parliamentary administration officials and was aimed at fortifying governance.
The participants learned about the fundamentals, concepts, and significance of public policy evaluation. This training is particularly pertinent given the current context of health and economic crises, international trade constraints, and the rise of protectionism, all of which demand informed and adaptable political responses.
"I really appreciated the interaction between the trainers and the participants. There was good sharing of experiences, which enabled some to learn from others. The training also enabled us to assess our level in the field of public policy evaluation,” said Atchikpa Jean, Assistant to the Finance and Trade Committee of the National Assembly of Benin.
The workshop marks a substantial enhancement of the collaboration between CLEAR-FA, the National Assembly of Benin, and the DGEOCS. CLEAR-FA supports various processes, including updates to the evaluation knowledge management platform, scaling-up of the public service management performance assessment tool, completion of the meta-evaluation of public policy evaluations conducted in Benin between 2007 and 2019, and the organization of various editions of the Beninese Evaluation Days.
“It also stimulated the desire to be confronted with the reality of evaluative practice by working in the field,” added Atchikpa Jean. “It also led to the emergence of a number of recommendations for strengthening the capacity of parliamentarians in results-based management and the design and implementation of public policies."
The July workshop is the result of an audience granted by the President of the Benin National Assembly to a joint delegation from CLEAR-FA and the African Center for Advanced Studies in Management (CESAG) in October 2023, which provided an opportunity to discuss the capacity-building needs of parliamentarians, as well as ways of supporting activities of the National Assembly.
During the workshop, participants benefited from the expertise of Bouraïma Abdel Jawed Adéchinan, Advisor at the National Education Council of Benin, and Dr. Mamadou Ndiaye, Lecturer-Researcher at Gaston Berger University in Senegal, who provided scientific coordination for the training.
The workshop employed a participatory and dynamic pedagogical approach, combining presentations, directed readings, group work, plenary discussions, and case studies. These discussions helped foster a collective understanding of challenges and issues related to public policy evaluation. They also allowed for an exploration of concrete solutions, including the importance of providing the National Assembly with public policy evaluation reports and reinforcing the technical and operational capacities of evaluation structures such as the Unit for the Analysis, Control, and Evaluation of the State Budget and the Parliamentary Institute of Benin.
The participants emphasized the importance of providing the National Assembly with public policy evaluation reports and reinforcing the technical and operational capacities of evaluation structures such as the Unit for the Analysis, Control, and Evaluation of the State Budget and the Parliamentary Institute of Benin.
“This workshop enabled us to note a real interest on the part of MPs in public policy evaluation issues," said Nadège Djossou, Ministry for Development and Coordination of Government Action. "To better position themselves in their role of overseeing government action. We hope to extend this training over the coming months to all members of Benin's National Assembly.”
This training represents a decisive step towards more transparent and effective governance in Benin, equipping deputies with the essential tools to rigorously evaluate public policies, thereby contributing to sustainable and harmonious development.