1B1 Developing Gender-focused Results Frameworks: Measuring the Impact of Projects in Burkina Faso and Rwanda
Burkina Faso and Rwanda, two countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with diverse geographical, social, and economic contexts, are attracting an increasing number of international organizations (UNDP, FAO, UN Women, etc.), all working towards development. As a result, numerous projects and programs are being implemented in key sectors that primarily affect vulnerable populations, particularly in agriculture, climate, food security, and health.
Evaluation reports of these projects and programs often mention the promotion of gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, and social inclusion. However, these dimensions are not always systematically integrated into the results frameworks of evaluation programs. This gap significantly limits the ability of these projects to produce lasting changes for women and youth, who represent a significant portion of the agricultural and economic workforce in these countries.
In this presentation, we explain how to ensure the effective integration of gender and social inclusion results in projects in Burkina Faso and Rwanda through several potential strategies. First, we will show how to raise awareness and train project managers, field agents, and local partners to understand the importance of integrating gender into development programs. Next, we will outline how to encourage key stakeholders to use specific indicators to measure the actual impact of projects on women and youth and adapt these indicators to results frameworks. Finally, we provide examples of projects where women and girls play a crucial role. These mixed strategies will help better measure and understand the real impacts on women and girls, thus contributing to stronger and more equitable inclusion.
Fatima Zougouri, Program Evaluation Specialist, Consultant
Fatima Zougouri is a program evaluator. A member of the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) and the Société québécoise d’évaluation de programme since 2022, she continues her professional development through training courses such as the International Development Evaluation Training Program and specialized modules in development evaluation at ENAP in Quebec. She also participated in the 8th International Conference of the African Evaluation Association in Uganda and was co-responsible for the communication axis of the Francophone Network of Emerging Evaluators. As a member of the Burkinabé Monitoring and Evaluation Network, she continues to bring an international perspective.
Talagbé Gabin Akpo, Postdoctoral Researcher in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique
Talagbé Gabin Akpo, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher in artificial intelligence and machine learning at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) in Canada. He has a PhD in statistics from Université Laval, specializing in mathematical modeling, high-dimensional data analysis, and machine learning applications in finance, health, actuarial science, and the environment. With a strong academic and professional background, he has taught applied statistics and computer science and collaborated on environmental research projects.
1B2 Evaluation Division Review of AAFC Past Evaluations: A Focus on Recommendations Related to Performance Information Profiles
In each evaluation project, evaluators face limitations that can make the process more challenging. At the federal level, the performance information profile (PIP) of programs and its components, as well as the quality of available data, are elements that impact the evaluation process. The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Evaluation Division conducted a synthesis of recent evaluations within the Ministry to establish an overview and identify recurring themes, focusing specifically on recommendations related to PIPs. The findings of this review indicate that the majority of the evaluation reports analyzed highlight gaps in PIPs. This suggests a need to further analyze these gaps in order to improve PIPs, enable better reporting on results, and facilitate our work as evaluators.
Andres Canessa, Evaluation Manager, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Since 2023, Andres Canessa has been working at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as an Evaluation Manager. He also has extensive experience in other departments, such as the Canada Border Services Agency, the Immigration and Refugee Board, and Global Affairs Canada. He has worked in various roles related to monitoring and evaluation, as well as program management. Before joining the public service, Andres completed consulting assignments for international organizations such as the IOM, the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, D.C., and the World Food Programme in South Sudan. He has also participated in international election observation missions. Andres holds a B.Sc. in Economics and an M.A. in International Relations. He is also a Qualified Evaluator (QE) from the Canadian Evaluation Society, PmP certified. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, jogging, and traveling.
1B3 Into the Great Unknown: How to Navigate Program Evaluation on an Unfamiliar Topic
As evaluators, it is rare that our education and work experience make us highly knowledgeable about the fields that we are called upon to evaluate (e.g., space science, youth justice, public health, etc.), or the context in which we are called to work (like COVID-19). While this can pose a number of challenges for the evaluation, it can also present opportunities. Drawing on their past evaluation experiences, this session will introduce some of the approaches that Emily and Susanna have used to help navigate the challenges of unfamiliar topics, while still collecting the information necessary to produce a robust and useful evaluation report. The session will highlight how evaluators can draw on their unique strengths and experiences to lead successful evaluations.
Emily Brennan, Senior Evaluation Manager, Office of Audit and Evaluation, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Emily Brennan (she/her) is a Senior Evaluation Manager at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. While she is currently an internal evaluator for the federal government focused on agriculture related programs, she previously worked as a consultant and was able to engage in all types of evaluations with a wide variety of clients with programs in areas as varied as women’s rights to support for quantum physics research. Throughout her time as an evaluator, Emily has always focused on centering collaboration- with stakeholders and with other evaluators. This includes collaborating with contractors on specific projects and working with others in the evaluation community in her role as co-chair of the CES Educational Fund and in her previous role as President of the Canadian Evaluation Society’s National Capital Chapter. Emily is a credentialed evaluator, and holds a master’s degree in food, Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of Guelph.
Susanna Beaudin, Partner, PRA Inc.
Susanna Beaudin, Partner at PRA Inc., is a bilingual credentialed evaluator. She has been involved in dozens of evaluations for federal departments and agencies, as well as for organizations in the not-for-profit sector. She works primarily on projects focused on gender-based violence, child welfare, GBA Plus, public safety and the criminal justice system, as well as official languages.
Susanna has a Master’s degree in International Affairs (specialization in conflict analysis and resolution) from Carleton University, and a Bachelor’s degree with Joint Honours in Political Science and History from McGill University. She is the Past President of the CES-NCC Board, having previously served as President.