Innovation and ICT4D for Monitoring, Evaluation, Adaptation and Learning (MEAL) – InnoTech4MEAL

CoordinatorITIG 2 Comments

Dr Valentine Joseph Gandhi
(v.gandhi@dev-cafe.org)

ITIG Preliminary Purpose or Mission Statement:

This ITIG will serve as a solution exchange platform to share knowledge on the advancements in Technology and Innovation for Monitoring, Evaluation, Adaptation and Learning (MEAL). It will also function as a space for developing and implementing collaborative projects and aspire to push the technology industry to work for evaluation and for development, further enabling the participants of the ITIG to pilot new technologies in their respective projects.

Rationale:

In recent years, ICTs and Frugal Innovation have advanced in leaps and bound, and the costs have been lowered, but in the field of Evaluation the uptake is still incipient. Many still think ICTs are restricted to mobile apps for data collection or have not deeply ventured into technology. The reality is that at every stage of evaluation as well as in research ICTs can play a crucial role (fig 1), with the use of resources such as drones, IoTs (Internet of Things) and Wearable Tech.
There are several advantages in the use of technology, particularly for evaluators and researchers who work with conflict and fragile zones, agriculture, climate change, behavior change as well as refugees, asylum seekers’ contexts, among others. For example, use of drones in disaster areas, mapping of agricultural variations, forecasting, predictive modeling, real time data gathering, smart sensors and Big data.
Besides exchanging experiences and knowledge and developing collaboration for the use of technology and innovation in evaluation, it is clear that this ITIG will play an important role in generating awareness of existing technologies for the field of evaluation. This thematic group will also explore innovative evaluation tools that are needed to measure and evaluate technology solutions, for example Developmental Evaluation and Context aware monitoring.

Mode of Functioning

This ITIG will gather interested experts and use IDEAS online platforms for co-creation and dissemination of learning in the area of innovation and technology in evaluation and development, linked to the IDEAS website. The participants of this group will be pioneers in developing, testing and implementing InnovationTECH4MEAL and will act as catalysts in their respective regions. At the same time, this ITIG will promote collaborative partnerships, permanently refreshing the ideas and knowledge promoted by IDEAS members and helping advance the field.
Members and collaborative partners of this ITIG will be encouraged to become active members of their National VOPEs and/or to partner with them, disseminating the knowledge produced by this ITIG, showcasing the values of IDEAS and creating awareness about IDEAS.
This ITIG may, in the medium and long term, partner with technology companies ensuring that technologies are built around the needs of the evaluators, moving from the current situation in which evaluators are pushed by existing technologies or by software or hardware companies to a proactive and innovative role. In turn, testing and developing technologies for evaluation also can give scope to a new kind of donors and open additional project opportunities.
The ITIG will promote and host the following:
Workshops and webinars
Network Events
Virtual gatherings
Other kinds of activities which enable participants and partners to collaborate actively and fruitfully.
Considering the scarce resources on innovation and technology directed to evaluation and development professionals, aiming at building and disseminating knowledge generated by the ITIG participants, this ITIG plans to:
Edit selected papers of interest for InnoTECH4MEALbased on participants’ suggestions and identified needs, through books or journals, physical or electronic;
Disseminate good examples of tech in evaluation in various formats and media;
Encourage experimentation with the use of technology by evaluators in their professional practice.
The ITIG leader, together with the IDEAS members that integrate the ITIG, will actively contribute to the IDEAS Global Assembly, collaborating with the ITIGs Coordinator and the IDEAS Board in the preparation and realization of this biennial event as specified in the ITIGs Policy.

Proposed Activities:

Develop an Annual Work Plan for 3-5 years, outlining specific activities that the InnoTech4MEAL will undertake, identifying specific milestones/targets. The following is envisaged:
Promote of the newly approved ITIG among IDEAS general membership and institutions of interest;
Promote IDEAS among collaborative partners, stimulating their membership for full benefit of the ITIG’s collaborative practice; due to its unique nature of bridging the technology and development sector and to have their technologies and innovation tested by professional evaluators.
Create an on-line discussion group to exchange information and develop conceptual methods documenting challenges, lessons learned and way forward;
Collect interesting materials with good examples of tech in evaluation, with concrete case studies, as a start point for the participant’s discussions and strategic planning for the ITIG;
Edit and publish a book or a manual, documenting existing technologies and their uses in evaluation;
Start an E-Journal on Technology for Evaluation;
Support initiatives for the discussion and development of innovation and technology in evaluation and the development field;
Identify and establish collaborative partners sharing mutual interest with the ITIG participants;
Identify possible sources of funding.

IDEAS Members Pledging Active Support:

Name

Email Address

John T Njovu (Zambia)

njovujt@gmail.com

Romeo Santos (Philippines)

rombsantos3@gmail.com

Madri Jansen Van Rensburg (S Africa)

madri@resilienceanalysis.com

Hur Hassnain (Pakistan) hurhassnain@hotmail.com
Christine Worlen (Germany) woerlen@arepo-consult.com
Awny Amer (Egypt) walideg2210@yahoo.com
awnyamer22@gmail.com
Rashmi Agarwal (India) rashmi_agrawal56@rediffmail.com

Partners and collaborators pledging active support

Name

Email Address

Michael Bamberger (USA)

jmichaelbamberger@gmail.com

Alexis Salvador Loye (Burkina Faso)

loyealexis@gmail.com

Sonal Zaveri (India)

Msonalzaveri@gmail.com

Alexandra Warner (UK)

a.warner@alnap.org

Alexandra Capello (France)

alexandra.capello@unwomen.org

Clem Vela (Ecuador)

clemvela@gmail.com

Michelle Garred (USA)

mgarred@cdacollaborative.org

Comments 2

  1. Dear Koffi, please contact directly Dr Valentine Joseph Gandhi (v.gandhi@dev-cafe.org). Thanks for your interest! All the best, Daniel Svoboda

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