Evaluation of the Southern and Eastern Africa Regional Centre for ...

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44• Regional Masters programmes 6 e.g.:o Master’s in Public health research: NOK348 016o Southern African Masters in Mathematical modelling: 203 481.• Masters in Democracy in Indonesia 7 : NOK482 236.• Masters in Policy and Health Management 8 : NOK263 676 per graduate.To reiterate, costs diverge, and we cannot be conclusive about these figures especiallybecause number of graduates for final year (s) of the NOMA programmes are alsospeculative. However, all this taken into consideration, as a rough indication, itappears on average that the SEARCWL Masters is neither necessarily any moreexpensive nor cheaper than NOMA funded programmes. Though this may haveimplications for weighing up sustainability issues, we are also not suggesting allSEARCWL Masters costs can be covered in the post-NOMA funding arrangement,i.e. NORHED (see under). It is simply, as stated, to provide a crude indication.4.2 Regional and academic sustainability4.2.1 Regional boardThe overall mandate of the regional advisory board is to provide course relatedadvice. The document ‘Constitution’ of SEARCWL mentions 5 specific functionspertaining mostly to teaching-related issues. One issue, however, is also ‘to determinethe general parameters of the policy governing research and academic priorities forthe Regional Centre’. The evaluators have not seen any such policy documents otherthan those descriptive functions mentioned in the funding application. Speaking withhalf a dozen board members, the impression is that the board’s primary function isquality assurance of the course. So for example, the major input of the board appearsto be a very thorough review of course objectives and content. The researchcolloquia that take place back-to-back with the regional board meetings are importantmeans for quality assurance with several course improvements resulting. SEARCWLmaintains that the programme has been heavily centred around the colloquia andlevel and quality of debate provided there. Documentation of the colloquia is,shortened Masters course based on having a one year course for the diploma. Furthermore, thoughthere are costs also included that are not strictly direct costs of graduates, they are included becausethey contribute towards the total package of the programme that also contributes to producinggraduates.6 A cursory reading of the NOMA 2011 report and selection of some comparisons for whichnecessary information was available or could be estimated, was undertaken for these selectedexamples. Figures respectively for: Integrated Master’s Programmes in Public Health Research in Asia(Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, India and Pakistan) (2006–2013), assuming 20 more graduates in the last2 years; Project-id: NOMA-2010/13528’; and ‘Southern African Masters Programme in MathematicalModelling Project-id: NOMAPRO-2007/10057’, assuming the final 2 years of programmes addsanother 11 graduates per year in line with previous years.7 Assuming final years graduation are in line with previous ones.8 NOMAPRO-2006/10020, and is assuming a figure of ten more students in the final year of theprogramme do graduate.
however, not consistent with some years not being recorded. Otherwise, in general,the impression is nonetheless of a less proactive role in directing the Centre.The board meetings are held every second year and some respondents had difficultiesrecalling and identifying issues emerging from the board meetings. In more recentyears, especially the most recent meeting, more substantive issues do appear to bediscussed and decisions taken. Some examples include that the human rights modulewas made compulsory. Other issues concerned deliberations over one particularlecturer whose contract was terminated. Another was the issue of succession, whichagain, was thoroughly discussed and resulted in the Board reluctance to accept theDirector’s decision to resign but finally endorsing the current Deputy of the Centreto take over the leadership. The Board being a core group who have known eachother for several years, now appear able to take some difficult decisions and havegrown more into the role a board should play. In general, therefore the regionalboard has performed a professional peer-review type role that has contributed toquality control of the course. It may though be beneficial for someone from outsidethe university system but with experience of regional research, dissemination andadvocacy, working at a regional level to be invited on to the board.The board is structured through MOUs that have shaped institutional collaborationbetween the Centre/UZ and participating entities. The MOUs have taken a long timeto be realised and the time and effort should not be underestimated. Indeed, afterseveral years MOUs are still to be formally made in the case of University of Nairobi.The MOUs are deemed necessary in terms of ensuring accountability especially whenit comes to transfer of funds (for example, to libraries, and for research).4.2.2 Academic sustainabilityRegional collaboration is evident in the teaching whereby teachers from the Centre’spartner institutions, who are also regional experts on themes relating to women andthe law, are invited to lecture at the Centre. This approach ensures that a regionalperspective is included in the teaching and exposes the students to a number ofexperts in the field. In return there is the remuneration associated with teaching,while some felt it was prestigious to be associated with the course. There was somelimited funding available for library materials but this was neither consistent norreceived by all. There was also some limited funding for research (see below). Whathas been a significant achievement is in establishing a pool of qualified people toteach women’s law in the region. For instance, in Kenya a relatively large number ofgraduates have taken their training into establishing gender related courses in theirrespective universities. The University of Nairobi, according to the regional boardchair, would not have people to teach women and law if they had not graduated fromthe centre (citing she herself). Regional universities had also benefited, for example,the development of new course in a regional university in Zambia, and also a similarinitiative at the University of Mount Kenya and others.The recent publication Women & Law is a good example of regional collaborationwith respect to research and publications. It is edited by the Director and DeputyDirector of the Centre, and includes chapters from regional partners and makes animportant contribution to the discipline by sharing innovative teaching experiencesand methodologies of the Centre. Prior to this 2011 publication, a book forming part45
Page 1: Norad Report 5/2013 DiscussionEvalu
Page 6 and 7: 4AcknowledgementsThe Norwegian Inst
Page 8 and 9: 6Executive SummaryBackgroundThe pur
Page 10 and 11: 8Kenya and Zimbabwe. Another area o
Page 12 and 13: 10with and in a manner more pro-act
Page 14 and 15: 121 Introduction1.1 Background and
Page 16 and 17: 14−−−at the Centre and cooper
Page 18 and 19: 16evaluation is how the 2010 MTR id
Page 20 and 21: 18and also any strategic planning d
Page 22 and 23: 20An important factor for impact al
Page 24 and 25: 223 Findings: Impact of the SEARCWL
Page 26 and 27: 24percent in 2008, 18 percent in 20
Page 28 and 29: 263.3 Women’s law as a discipline
Page 30 and 31: 283.4.2 Career impactOne of the mos
Page 32 and 33: 30A critical space for influencing
Page 34 and 35: 32A male senior law officer in the
Page 36 and 37: 34“massive knowledge. It has real
Page 38 and 39: 36group to do lectures, training, a
Page 40 and 41: 383.6.1 Sufficiently harnessed?Desp
Page 42 and 43: 40like with the lack of discussion
Page 44 and 45: 42to RNE for 2012 the centre ‘now
Page 48 and 49: 46of the Women’s Law Series entit
Page 50 and 51: 48development of new methods and ev
Page 52 and 53: 50There is clearly a major threat i
Page 54 and 55: 52to reconsider those less popular)
Page 56 and 57: 542008 Centre- end of phase report2
Page 58 and 59: 56SEARCWLProf. StewartProf. A. Tsan
Page 60 and 61: 58Annex 2:SWOT analysisName Positio
Page 62 and 63: 60Annex 3:Zambia Field WorkOne of t
Page 64 and 65: 62Annex 4:Survey Responses1. Are yo
Page 66 and 67: 645. Age of respondents50%45%40%35%
Page 68 and 69: 6670%67%60%50%40%30%32%20%10%0%1% 0
Page 70 and 71: 6818. Assess the quality of various
Page 72 and 73: 70543211%1%5%29%64%0% 10% 20% 30% 4
Page 74 and 75: 7224. Which components of the cours
Page 76 and 77: 74Thank you for answering this ques
Page 78 and 79: 76can share with you as they were a
Page 80 and 81: 78office as a Consultant namely (a)
Page 82 and 83: 80objective of the program was to e
Page 84 and 85: 82Results of Assessments of Women
Page 86: NoradNorwegian Agency for Developme

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