This presentation discusses some of the strategies and challenges associated with amplifying all voices in an international program evaluation involving a multi-national team. 

USAID funded a 5-year accelerated basic education program in targeted Somali state aimed at supporting Somalia's efforts to increase educational access for out of school children and youth. A multi-national team, led by Purdue's Evaluation and Learning Research Center in collaboration with the Resilient Africa Network and the Somali Research and Development Institute examined the outcomes of this program, specifically pertaining to : (1) student access, retention, safety,  and learning outcomes; (2) effects of student, family, community, and program differences on learning outcomes of diverse learners; and (3) lessons learned that can inform education.

Abstract Private sector engagement (PSE) is increasingly acknowledged in both literature and practice as a necessary mechanism to sustainably address development challenges. Despite increased practitioner and academic interest in these partnerships, there have been negligible attempts to systematically investigate cross-sector partnerships to distill best practices from the multiple environments in which they are employed. This manuscript presents a robust review of the social science and business literatures on cross-sector partnerships, yielding an interdisciplinary, evidence-based framework detailing archetypes of three prominent partnership characteristics of purpose, context, and relationship enablers. This work integrates a wide range of best practices and values pertinent to businesses and society, enabling researchers, practitioners, and partnership managers to characterize and evaluate partnerships systematically. The introduced framework also enables partners to situate and evaluate their partnership activities to optimize outcomes for each partner and impact on the challenge at hand.

Abstract

Cross-sector partnerships (CSPs) are important for tackling development challenges across public, private, and non-profit sectors. Despite their growing prevalence as partnership models of choice for grand challenge efforts, there is little evidencebased understanding about the dominant features of these engagements. This makes it difficult to develop CSP engagement models that are useful across development problems and settings. We posit that CSPs are intrinsically cross-disciplinary endeavors and require collaboration models that enable interdisciplinary problem orientation and solution casting. To facilitate sense-making in partnership efforts, a CSP engagement model must therefore integrate perspectives on partnership from major disciplines and practitioner experiences. Using automated content analysis of peerreviewed publications and manual content analysis of practitioner interviews, we explored the robustness and relevance of partnership capacity theory (PCT), an interdisciplinary CSP engagement model, as an evidence-based approach to CSP with best-practice grounding. We found PCT comprehensively characterizes collaborative CSP dynamics and offers a foundational view of CSP best practices.

Cross-sector partnerships (CSPs) are important for tackling development challenges across public, private, and non-profit sectors. Despite their growing prevalence as partnership models of choice for grand challenge efforts, there is little evidence-based understanding about the dominant features of these engagements. This makes it difficult to develop CSP engagement models that are useful across development problems and settings. We posit that CSPs are intrinsically cross-disciplinary endeavors and require collaboration models that enable interdisciplinary problem orientation and solution casting. To facilitate sense-making in partnership efforts, a CSP engagement model must therefore integrate perspectives on partnership from major disciplines and practitioner experiences. Using automated content analysis of peer-reviewed publications and manual content analysis of practitioner interviews, we explored the robustness and relevance of partnership capacity theory (PCT), an interdisciplinary CSP engagement model, as an evidence-based approach to CSP with best-practice grounding. We found PCT comprehensively characterizes collaborative CSP dynamics and offers a foundational view of CSP best practices.

Private sector engagement (PSE) is increasingly acknowledged in both literature and practice as a necessary mechanism to sustainably address development challenges. Despite increased practitioner and academic interest in these partnerships, there have been negligible attempts to systematically investigate cross-sector partnerships to distill best practices from the multiple environments in which they are employed. This manuscript presents a robust review of the social science and business literatures on cross-sector partnerships, yielding an interdisciplinary, evidence-based framework detailing archetypes of three prominent partnership characteristics of purpose, context, and relationship enablers. This work integrates a wide range of best practices and values pertinent to businesses and society, enabling researchers, practitioners, and partnership managers to characterize and evaluate partnerships systematically. The introduced framework also enables partners to situate and evaluate their partnership activities to optimize outcomes for each partner and impact on the challenge at hand.

Unlocking Collective Expertise: Strengthening Program Evaluations through Collaboration

Hi, my name is Damilola Seyi-Oderinde. A little over a year ago, I joined the ELRC as a Research Associate. Before this time, I worked as a Professional Counselor and Lecturer. However, I quickly learned that my previous skillset was insufficient for facilitating a collaborative program evaluation. I am sharing this blog post as an additional resource to gain deeper insight into our process of using a collaborative evaluation approach to enhance my evaluation capacity and that of our clients.

STEM program evaluations often struggle to produce insights that drive practical decision-making. The root of this issue lies in evaluations conducted without the early involvement of key stakeholders, which leads to recommendations that go unused and reports that gather dust. A collaborative evaluation approach is essential to address this, emphasizing collective expertise and shared ownership throughout the evaluation process. As program evaluators, you understand that program success hinges on a robust evaluation framework that fosters continuous learning and adaptation. However, you may often face the challenge of being perceived as an outsider, which can create tension and undermine the effectiveness of the evaluation. This is where collaborative evaluation makes a significant difference. Actively involving stakeholders fosters a deeper understanding of the program’s context and elevates diverse perspectives, ensuring that evaluations are more inclusive and meaningful.

Facilitating program evaluation can be challenging due to technical complexity, rapidly evolving fields, and interdisciplinary demands. In our case, our key challenge was non-existent or very little program evaluation knowledge. These obstacles necessitated an evaluation approach that could adapt to practical needs while providing our client with capacity-building opportunities.

How did we do it?

Four-Phase Collaborative Evaluation Model to enhance clients' capacity

To meet these challenges, we implemented a Four-Phase Collaborative Evaluation Model designed to be structured yet adaptable. The phases are as follows:

1. Program Definition and Documentation
In this initial phase, we engage key personnel and leadership to establish a shared understanding of the program’s goals. Reviewing relevant documents and creating a Theory of Change provided a strong foundation for subsequent planning.

Key Ingredients:

i. Establishing mutual trust

- Communication & transparency

- Relationship building

ii. Learning Posture

- Active listening

- Flexibility & Responsiveness

2. Evaluation Planning
Here, we refine evaluation questions and success indicators, aligning them with stakeholder expectations. The focus is on building capacity and ensuring sustainability. This phase emphasizes real-time adjustments to address changing needs, fostering a collaborative problem-solving environment.

Key Ingredients:

i. Mutual understanding of objectives

- Alignment of expectations

- Prioritizing Outcomes

ii. Flexibility to adapt and respond to partners’ needs

• Collaborative problem-solving
•  Real-time Adjustment

iii. Capacity building

- Knowledge transfer

- Sustainability focus

3. Data Gathering and Analysis
This phase involves collecting data from stakeholders and analyzing it to uncover initial insights. We prioritize shared ownership by incorporating stakeholders into the feedback process, which helps build consensus and supports continuous program improvement.

Key Ingredients:

i. Shared ownership and Decision-making

• Equal Stakeholder participation
• Consensus building

ii. Iterative feedback

• Continuous improvement
• Feedback Loops

iii. Contextual sensitivity

• Sensitivity to social context
• Tailored Approaches

4. Learning and Adaptation
In the final phase, we had a meeting to present findings and facilitate knowledge exchange. The emphasis is on mutual learning and planning adaptations based on evaluation insights, with flexibility built for ongoing adjustments.

Key Ingredients:

i. Reflexivity

• Self-awareness
• Positionality

ii. Mutual Learning

• Knowledge exchange
• Shared reflection

iii. Facilitator Neutrality

- Objective guidance

- Clear Documentation & Follow-up

Reflections and Key Takeaways of an Emerging Evaluator

Throughout this journey, it became evident to me that

1. Enhancing your ability to balance expert knowledge with stakeholder input is crucial for an effective evaluation.

2. Co-developing evaluation plans empowers stakeholders and leads to outcomes that are more relevant and actionable.

3. The use of dynamic feedback loops greatly enhances the evaluation process by turning data collection into actionable insights that drive meaningful change.

4. Dynamic feedback loops facilitated data collection and analysis, providing more actionable insights.

The Power of Collaboration

Collaborative evaluation unlocks the full potential of collective expertise, resulting in stronger programs that are better equipped to adapt and evolve. By embracing collaboration at every stage, we can foster impactful, sustainable improvements that go beyond traditional evaluation practices.