1. EVALUATION IN THE 3 RD SECTOR IN ISRAEL THE CASE OF BRANCO WEISS INSTITUTE Dr. Ruth Lustig Evaluation Department

2. 2 ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 presentation’s topics The Israeli 3 rd sector The Branco Weiss Institute – “pragmatic idealism” The case of BWI evaluation unit– interior? exterior? How to create and keep a dialogic evaluation? Evaluation as an organizational learning

3. Evaluation Department D EMOCRATIC SOCIETIES ARE COMPOSED OF THREE TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS : The Third The non-profit / governmental sector The Second The business sector The First The public sector Sector NGOs / NPOsfor-profit organizations governmental organizations (national and local) Consists of governmental system privet funds profittaxesFunded by Replace/complement public services in: health Education immigrant absorption social welfare culture produce and market commodities and services services that could not be supplied privately Provides 3 ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013

4. Evaluation Department 4 ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 Two primary roles: 1. Third Sector organizations replace or complement public services in such areas as health, education, immigrant absorption, social welfare and culture. Funded primarily by the state 2. Voluntary, civil society organizations provide a framework for individuals to join together to address community needs, pursue their collective interests, participate in building society and effect social change. A major building bloc of Israel’s democratic life The Israeli Third Sector

5. Evaluation Department 5 ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 The Israeli Third Sector – some facts Over 34,000 registered Third Sector organizations in Israel An average of 1,500 new organizations (foundations)and advocacy groups ) register annually. Constitutes roughly 12% of the country’s GDP. Among 22 countries, Israel ranked fourth (behind Holland, Ireland and Belgium) in the relative size of its Third Sector within the larger economy. Public funding is the Third Sector’s main revenue source (55%), more than a quarter of Israeli Third Sector organizations received government support Employs about a tenth of the nation’s workforce 84% of the Sector’s economic activity is in the fields of health, education and welfare

6. Evaluation Department 6 ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 S OCIAL CHALLENGES IN I SRAELI SOCIETY Extreme disparities between weak and strong social sectors Israel continues to absorb new immigrants from different countries and cultures A change in the role of the family, loss of parental authority Confused teenagers - their identity, their sense of belonging, and their sense of self-efficacy

7. Evaluation Department 7 ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 B RANCO W EISS I NSTITUTE - Pragmatic Idealism o In 1990 Dr. Branco Weiss (1929-2010) founded Branco Weiss Institute in Jerusalem o An educational NGO which has been working with teachers, pupils and school in Israel’s social and demographic periphery. o In order to enhance individual and social growth and to reduce educational disparities in Israeli society

8. Evaluation Department 8 ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 P RAGMATIC I DEALISM IN O UR M AIN A REAS OF A CTIVITY In the educational field: o 6 comprehensive schools – 5,500 pupils o 14 schools for at risk students – 1,600 pupils o Holistic individualized programs -12,000 pupils o supervision & mentoring & in-service courses - 2,000 teachers In the headquarters: o R &D for pedagogical development (pedagogical literacy, mathematical greenhouse, Writing-based Disciplinary Pedagogy( o Organizational learning & professional development o Evaluation

9. Evaluation Department 9 ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 E VALUATION U NIT ’ S O BJECTIVES To contribute to BWI’s aspiration for organizational learning and for an ongoing improvement while focusing on the organization’s evaluative needs. To keep significant professional dialogue, trust and partnership amongst the Evaluation Unit's staff (methodology experts), educational staff (the subject matter experts), commissioners and stakeholders in the evaluation process. To contribute to the decision making process from the R&D stage, through the pilot stage to wide implementation in educational field.

10. E VALUATION U NIT IN BWI R & D Program implementation unit knowledge resources At-risk high schools professional development 10 ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 organizational learning management Evaluation unit comprehensive High-schools Evaluation Department 10

11. Evaluation Department S TAKEHOLDERS IN BWI A RENA Funders- partners Headquarter Field practitioners 11 ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 11

12. ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 Evaluation Department D IALOGIC EVALUATION PROCESS WHICH CREATES partnership Ownership & Commitment Dialogic decision making Contextual outcome interpretaion Relevance & utility 12

13. ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 Evaluation Department 13 PARTICIPATORY EVALUATION A partnership which is realized by the joint definition of: evaluative needs/questions, research design, gathering data outcomes interpretation as a working plan base for the field 13

14. ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 Evaluation Department 14 P ARTNERSHIP WHICH CREATES TRUST “…the instructors realized that the process had been evaluated and not them as instructors… evaluation results were received (by the instructors) not as if they were judged, so they were not in an apologetic stage…this year they felt that evaluation became their interest…” (Thinking Leadership Program’s manageress)

15. Evaluation Department ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 Evaluation Department D IALOGIC EVALUATION PROCESS WHICH CREATES partnership Ownership & Commitment Dialogic decision making Contextual outcome interpretaion Relevance & utility 15

16. ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 Evaluation Department 16 PARTNERSHIP C REATES OWNERSHIP & COMMITMENT Mutual responsibility and ownership of: evaluation process outcomes organizational learning implementation

17. Evaluation Department ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 Evaluation Department D IALOGIC EVALUATION PROCESS WHICH CREATES partnership Ownership & Commitment Dialogic decision making Contextual outcome interpretaion Relevance & utility 17

18. ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 Evaluation Department 18 A DIALOG AS AN HERMENEUTIC CIRCLE B RIDGING INTERIOR & EXTERIOR EVALUATION UNIT ROLE o The research process is build on circular joint inquiry o In a dialogic manner which enables to expose the various realities grasped by the stakeholders in all stages of the evaluation research o The concept of the hermeneutic circle is rooted in “responsive evaluation”

19. ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 Evaluation Department 19 Mutual definition of the need and research questions Research design Development of the research tools Gathering data Research outcomes as contextual interpretation as a base for a working plan and further evaluation STAGES IN THE EVALUATIVE HERMENEUTIC CIRCLE

20. ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013 Evaluation Department 20 o Positive attitudes towards evaluation o Trust relationships o Clear evaluation regularities o Relevance of the evaluation outcomes o Commitment and openness toward evaluation findings o Constructivist partnership between the evaluator and the stake holders/partners/funders alongside the evaluation process o A N ONGOING DIALOG IN THE EVALUATION PROCESS CREATES

21. “In order to become organizational, the learning that results from organizational inquiry must become embedded in the images of organization held in its members’ minds and/or in the epistemological artifacts (the maps, memories, and programs) embedded in the organizational environment.” (Argyris & Schon, 1996:16) 21 ADER & IAPE Seminar November 2013

22. T HANK Y OU ! ruthie@brancoweiss.org.il www.brancoweiss.org.il