ANNUAL REPORT 2009 - FPDL

ConclusionsHere after we selected the main conclusions from the evaluation report.Relevance of goals and strategy of the regional program “Working Together”The overall strategy is considered by the evaluation team as being appropriate andrelevant. The subject matter is pertinent to the issues in the area and newdevelopment is focusing on an issue which is widely accepted as being verysignificant. The generic nature of the training makes it good as a foundation, but itshould be complemented by practical training which is more location specific – trainingwhich is more appropriate for local training institutions to provide. The implication isthat over the longer term the geographic cover should be reviewed to assesscontinuing relevance in existing countries and the inclusion of potential new countrieswhich could benefit with interaction with those who already have received supportThe strong points are seen as:• Focus on a limited range of relevant subjects which have good potential forlocal adaptation• Development of limited new subject areas, respecting the capacity limitations ofsupport• Focus on use of well developed materials which have the additional status ofUN-HABITAT and other international agencies such as TransparencyInternational and World Bank Institute• Short focused networking meetings which allow sharing of information andmotivation• Policy of free dissemination of useful materials• Short trainings and meetings make it easy for participants to attendEffectivenessThe assessment is based on a combination of review of reports, key interviews andthe questionnaire survey. Although the sample number from collaborating institutionswas not high, the feedback was rather consistent and is very much line with theinterviews carried out, and our own experience, which gives us a fair degree ofconfidence in the findings.Overall we see this as a very effective programme, as the initial training of trainersactivities have resulted in a significant number of training institutions in a largenumber of countries actively carrying out well received training. The goals andobjectives set for the programme have been met and in many cases exceeded.The strong points are seen as:Appreciation FPDL creation was stimulated by international cooperation and dependson international funding. The appreciation of International organizations for its workis very important. The evaluators discussed the appreciation of FPDL and its workwith staff of four international organizations, LGI, UN-HABITAT, Partners International,World Bank Institute and Transparency International. The level of appreciation wasuniformly high, and this was reinforced by these institutions working with FPDL inmultiple events over time. FPDL is also well appreciated in its network countries andin RomaniaScale of work: the number of countries and institutions involved is significant. Thenumber of countries and institutions involved is significant and represents aconsiderable potential impact.High ratings for training quality and quality of materials. The ratings fromparticipants evaluations at the end of courses are high. What is perhaps moresignificant is that the evaluations of the institutes surveyed some time after trainingactivities were also high. This applies to the relevance of the materials, the trainingquality and the quality of materials16