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17th ODA Evaluation Workshop – First Ever Online Workshop

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan has been holding ODA Evaluation Workshops almost every year since 2001, with the aim of facilitating understanding of Japan’s ODA and ODA evaluation in the Asia Pacific region, enhancing the evaluation capacities of developing countries in the region, as well as increasing ownership, transparency and development efficiency. The 17th ODA Evaluation Workshop, convened in February 2022, was the first time it was held in three years since the 16th Workshop (January 2019, Thailand) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the first to be held online. Co-hosted by the Asia Pacific Evaluation Association (APEA), the workshop was based on the theme “The Role of Evaluation in a New Era - Full of Challenges and Opportunities.”

The co-hosting of the workshop by the APEA, a network organization that brings together evaluation experts from the Asia Pacific region, made it possible to provide professional and timely information about evaluation. The workshop also presented an excellent opportunity for sharing information about Japan’s evaluation initiatives widely with the evaluation community.

The first online workshop called for various considerations and ingenuity with regard to the question of how to retain the interactive and participatory characteristics of the previous workshops, in addition to the need to pay attention to the different communications conditions and varying levels of proficiency in using online platforms in each country. As a result, 55 delegates from 25 countries and three organizations participated in the online workshop, exceeding the number of participants in face-to-face workshops held in recent years. Thanks to the experienced Co-Chairs and Lead Facilitators of each session, the participants engaged in lively discussions and exchanges of opinions.

The increase in the number of participants can be attributed particularly to active participation from the Pacific Island countries, which had not been invited in recent years despite the great need to strengthen their evaluation capacities. Also, it can be assumed that participants from each country found it easier to adjust their schedules as there was no need to travel overseas. Hence, the advantages of an online event had been fully utilized. Many of the participants commented that the contents of each session were beneficial as they were related to their work, and the workshop overall was highly satisfactory.

While the workshop received a certain level of acknowledgement for its success in maintaining the interactive and participatory characteristics of previous workshops, some participants expressed that they anticipate more proactive participation and exchanges. For example, they would like to have more opportunities to speak and share experiences, as well as more two-way dialogue-based exercises. The difficulty of feeling a sense of unity and interaction among the participants, as compared to face-to-face workshops, highlighted the challenges of online meetings.

MOFA will continue to pursue better workshops by learning lessons and outcomes from previous experiences. The reports on previous workshops including the 17th ODA Evaluation Workshop are available on the MOFA website. Please visit the website for more information.

https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/oda/evaluation/seminars_and_workshops/index.html

17th ODA Evaluation Workshop