GDN systematically assesses the progress of its work to build a world in which evidence and scholarly knowledge inform and inspire development and policy decisions. Priority areas of measurement often include:
- improvements in the technical strength and policy relevance of the research conducted
- the density of the grantees’ professional, especially, international networks
- the extent of grantees’ participation and visibility in their professional communities
- grantees’ effectiveness in national and international policy arenas.
Over the past years, GDN has commissioned regular internal and external evaluations to assess outcomes and short and long-term impacts of its activities and these have informed GDN's strategic decisions going forward.
Aims and Objectives
GDN aims to realize measurable impacts in the professional development of young social science researchers in developing and emerging economies through their participation in a structured set of GDN activities.
Monitoring
GDN uses an M&E structure informed by the Logical Framework Approach, which provides the conceptual basis for measuring the outputs, outcomes and impact of GDN’s interventions in meeting its core objectives. Monitoring at GDN focuses on both processes and outcomes:
- immediate and intermediate outcomes of GDN grantees and GDN Fellows;
- immediate and intermediate impact of GDN activities in key result areas; and
- interventions employed by GDN to encourage change and decision-making strategies to remain effective and relevant.
GDN monitors change in a grantee over time, as a result of GDN’s activities and also employs treatment and control groups (grantees and non-grantees) to evaluate the full impact of GDN interventions. The internal M&E function has developed specific performance monitoring procedures outlining both qualitative and quantitative data collection tools to capture improvements in research capacity over time. This includes, but is not limited to ex-ante and ex-post survey of grantees in each phase of the program and longitudinal analysis of Fellows throughout the different phases of the program. It also consists of comparisons of the quality of research proposals (baseline) and post quality review of research papers (grant output); surveys, interviews and focus groups of grantees/Fellows; and case studies, lessons learnt and best practices.
Evaluation
Evaluation is a tool for both organizational learning and public accountability, and as such, is a factor of critical importance in ensuring the success of GDN’s research program. As mandated by donors, comprehensive independent evaluations of projects and interventions are commissioned by GDN and conducted by third parties to assess the achievement of GDN’s mission and objectives. They particularly aim to:
- produce relevant, useful and action-oriented findings
- engage several target groups and relevant stakeholders to promote wide acceptance and utilization of evaluation results
- be consistent with GDN’s monitoring framework and build upon existing monitoring methodologies.
GDN has a policy of maximum disclosure of information to independent evaluators, and also applies a full transparency policy with regard to evaluation results.
Independent Evaluations
2013 External Evaluation Report
2007 External Evaluation Report
2004 External Evaluation Report
Project Evaluations
2016 Evaluation of Research Program: Natural Resource Management - Natural Wealth Accounting
2014 Evaluation of GRP Urbanization and Development: Delving Deeper into the Nexus
2013 GRP Strengthening Institutions to Improve Public Expenditure Accountability Evaluation Report
2013 Varieties of Governance: Effective Public Service Delivery
2003 GRP Explaining Growth Assessment Report
Internal Evaluations
2006 Internal Evaluation Report
2004 Internal Evaluation Report
Conference Evaluations
2015 Casablanca Conference Evaluation Report
2013 Manila Conference Evaluation Report
2012 Budapest Conference Evaluation Report
For further information contact Ramona Angelescu Naqvi on rangelescu@gdn.int