Evaluation Capacity DevelopmentLatin America and Caribbeanconcluded

Foceval

The Foceval project (Fomento de capacidades en evaluación = promotion of evaluation capacities) was launched in 2011. The project’s political partner was the Costa Rican Ministry of Planning. The project was completed at the end of 2018.

The Foceval project had the objective of strengthening the role of evaluation in political decision-making and in managing policy measures in Costa Rica and other selected Latin American countries.

The project included setting up a multi-actor platform, which is now managed by the Costa Rican Ministry of Planning (Mideplan) following the end of the project. The platform performs a central function in national evaluation policy.

Foceval has also helped to strengthen individual capacities – not only at the relevant Mideplan evaluation unit, but also at other institutions in the country such as in parliament, at universities, in evaluation networks and in civil society. Moreover, the project increased the networking of key actors in other Latin American and Caribbean countries.

The project goals were achieved through three fields of action:

Consolidation

Training and continuing education structures relating to evaluation that already existed in Costa Rica were consolidated. Moreover, awareness was raised among decision-makers in government, parliament and society of the importance of evaluation. Above all, the project made targeted efforts to help young evaluators acquire practical experience and to encourage civil society to participate in evaluations. Overall, the progress achieved in institutionalisation was consolidated in such a way that it will not be affected by any change in government.

Dissemination

In collaboration with international networks and partners, selected learning and advisory products and the evaluation standards developed for the region were disseminated. In the process, tried and tested measures were adapted to the respective context. Through specific activities and, in particular, a regional platform, the project also provided a forum for sharing experience, which was actively used by representatives from the regions.

Strategy development

Lessons learned were analysed throughout the entire project term. The conclusions reached were fed into a DEval strategy for evaluation capacity development (ECD).

Why Costa Rica?

The framework conditions in the Central American country were favourable as the government had expressed a great interest in strengthening the country’s evaluation capacities. Measures had also already been taken to expand specialist expertise, for example through university training and continuing education programmes. We were able to further expand these foundations in the context of Foceval.

Who was involved?

In the first phase (July 2011 to June 2014), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) implemented the project. From July 2014 to the end of the project in December 2018, DEval assumed responsibility for implementation.

Related Links

To Foceval´s Website (in Spanish)

Team

Contact

Portrait von Sarah Desiree Klier
© DEval

Sarah Desiree Klier

Evaluator - Team Leader ECD

Phone: +49 (0)228 336907-943

E-mail: sarah.klier@DEval.org

Portrait von Dr. Sven Harten
© DEval

Dr Sven Harten

Head of Competence Centre for Evaluation Methodology / Deputy Director

Phone: +49 (0)228 336907-950

E-mail: sven.harten@DEval.org

Publications on ECD

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