As part of the 2023 gLOCAL Evaluation Week, the Independent Evaluation Function (IDEV) of the African Development Bank Group (AFDB) partnered with the COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition, and the World Health Organization (WHO) for a panel discussion titled, “Lessons for future crisis response from the evaluation of the AfDB’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The session, held on 2nd June 2023 was an opportunity for the experts to share their experiences, insights, and reflections on the successes and challenges encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic response. The discussion, which attracted over 60 participants highlighted what worked, and what did not in a bid to provide lessons for future crisis response, based on knowledge and reflections from the evaluation of the AfDB’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To set the scene, Andson Nsune, Principal Evaluation Officer, IDEV, made the presentation of the Evaluation of the AfDB's support to its Regional Member Countries in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and highlighted four key lessons that included: . a single fast-disbursing instrument may be beneficial, but additional measures are required to deal with the unpredictability of a crisis; a multi-stage and multi-instrument approach accommodate intervention customization to a specific country as the crisis progresses; country ownership and government leadership are critical to ensuring coherence and strong coordination among development partners; and during crises where the Bank may lack comparative advantage, such as health service delivery, collaboration with specialized agencies like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and WHO is necessary. The monitoring capacity of Regional Member Countries and the timely availability of reliable data are of critical importance.
Megan Kennedy-Chouane, Coordinator of the COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition emphasized the need for collaboration, adding that working together boosts credibility and helps avoid duplication of efforts and resources. Kennedy-Chouane who also heads the Evaluation Unit in the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate, noted that while previous crises were localized, COVID-19 was global, which inspired unprecedented cooperation among the evaluation community.
In agreement, IDEV’s Dr. Rufael Ebrahim Fassil added that collaboration leads to value creation by pooling knowledge, skills, and experience. “Collaboration needs to be systematized. It’s not just one process but goes beyond the way we use it in other functions,” he added.
This need for systematic collaboration was re-echoed by Dr. Ebenezer Obi Daniel of the WHO, who also expressed commitment to this approach moving forward. “Collaboration is just the way to go. And we will continue to go that way,” he added.
More preparedness moving forward is critical to better respond to future crises that may arise, noted the moderator, Oswald Agbadome, Principal Evaluation Officer, IDEV. To address future crises, the participants also noted the need to ensure that interventions are developed with a significant focus on ensuring the adequacy of country monitoring and evaluation systems to produce timely and reliable data; comparative analysis among partner organizations; and the involvement of civil society organizations in the design, implementation, and monitoring of the responses.
In conclusion, it was noted that it is important to empower countries and support national-level evaluation systems while strengthening collaboration among development partners. We should remember that beneficiaries also need to learn and improve so they will not rely on us. It is crucial to be prepared for future crises, so we can respond better. Evaluation plays a key role in driving the knowledge management effort and improving learning and accountability.
The gLOCAL Evaluation Week is an annual knowledge-sharing event hosted by the Global Evaluation Initiative and its partners like IDEV. This year, the gLOCAL focused on three important thematic areas crucial for the practice and institutionalization of M&E: Culture, Context, and Collaboration.
For more evaluation information, please visit IDEV and the COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition websites.