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Back to the Future

Making best use of network self-evaluations

Edina Ocsko, ENRD Contact Point

Tomar, 6-7th June 2013

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Key points for presentation

• The usefulness of evaluations to improve

network performance

• Lessons from ENRD self-evaluation

• Available tools & useful information

6/11/2013 2

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The use of evaluations

“It’s the things that don’t work that give you a real

insight. It’s all about continuous improvement, you’ve

got to look back to look forward. Seeing things in the

wider context and learning from mistakes is crucial.”

(Upcoming Rural Review No 16 on Innovation)

In other words, evaluations…

• …are there to learn

• …should not be treated as a

box-ticking exercise

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The nature of network-evaluations

Results

• Networks often produce

‘intangible’ / hard to measure

results

• Combination of quantitative &

qualitative approaches is

required

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Lessons learnt from ENRD self-evaluation

Intervention logic as the basis of evaluation

Impact

INTERVENTION LOGICOverall objective

Specific objectives

Activities

Inputs

Outputs

Results

Effectiveness

Efficiency

To increase the effectiveness and

efficient delivery of EU rural dev. pol.

1. Knowledge

development

2. Knowledge

sharing

3. Exchange and

cooperation

Thematic

working groups

Good practices

Events, seminars

Publications

Websites

Etc…

Human & financial

resources

Number of events,

publications, website visitors,

etc

For instance… better

understanding of core issues by

events participants)

EN

RD

Se

lf-e

va

l.

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Case

studies

local, national, EU

ENRD Self-evaluation: EvidenceReports

e.g. quarterly progress

Findings on:

• Outputs collected

at the level of

activities/tools

• Results at the level

of activities/tools

Surveys

e.g. event surveys

Statistics

e.g. website stat.

Focus

GroupsCP & DG AGR

Findings on:

• Outputs collected at

the level of

activities/tools

• Results at the level

of activities/tools

• Potential impact on

improved rural

development policy

deliver

Data Results

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ENRD Self-evaluation: indicative findings

Key result findings – in the

form of brief statements

Supporting evidence

(i.e. information from

reports, surveys, statistics,

focus groups…)

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Preliminary findings

Dissemination of new information

• Valuable information produced by ENRD in the

framework of Thematic Working Groups/ Focus

Groups

• Indications that results were used in EU-level

policy-making

To be validated through case studies

• Limited dissemination of information took place

at national and regional levels

• Partly due to the lack of prior communication

strategy

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Preliminary findings

Communication tools – use of website

• A lot of valuable information disseminated

• Continuous development of the website based on

user feedback -> increase in the number of users

To be validated through case study

NSUs will be contacted in June

• Website target groups not clearly

defined

• It has to be further understood which

stakeholder groups have been

reached by website

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Preliminary findings

Contact with NSUs & multiplier effect

• Level of engagement and active participation

(commitment) of NSUs increased over time

• Often limited resources at NSU/NRN level – need for

capacity building

• The main contact points for ENRD

towards national networks were

the Network Support Units

• Assumption was that NSUs will be

multipliers towards the wider

NRN membership - which often

was not the case

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Available tools & useful information• Quantitative output indicators: NRN

common network statistics - new

upload on the website on synthesis of

findings

• Qualitative evidence (case studies):

Added Value of Networking stories

• Methods & tools: NRN Self-

assessment toolkit

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Key points to remember

• Evaluations are there to learn from past experience

• Intervention logic (logical links between objectives,

activities, outputs, results and impact) is important both for

networking activities & their evaluations

• Networks produce many ‘intangible’ results that are

difficult to measure – qualitative findings/ case study

approach are useful to demonstrate results & impact

• There are a wide range of tools already available on the

website that can assist networks in their self-evaluation

• ENRD self-evaluation provides useful lessons: results will

be on ENRD website soon – You will be contacted for case

studies