1. Demistyfing equity-focused evaluations [EFE]
Marco Segone, UNICEF Evaluation Office
Anne-Claire Luzot, M&E Regional Advisor, UNICEF CEECIS
EO is developing a resource package on EFE.
This presentation is therefore a work in progress

2. Outline What does Equity mean? Why does Equity matter?
What is an equity-focused evaluation?
How to manage an Equity-focused evaluation?

3. What does equity means?

4. Defining Equity
Equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop, and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism
The disparities between population groups that are not driven by biology, are avoidable and unfair are termed inequities.
Equity is therefore based on notions of fairness and social justice

5. All rights for all children everywhere, by prioritizing the most deprived
Graph 1: % of children (7-14 years old) out of school, by race/ethnicity
2000 Baseline and goals for national average, black and white children
2010 Goal: reduce by 50% the national average and the equity ratio between black and white children
5.5
2.8
3.8
2.2
6.9
3.1
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Equity Ratio : 1,8
Equity ratio:
1,4
Black children
White children
National average

6. Drivers: Income
UNICEF
Source: DHS data. From NAGA pg. 27 6

7. Drivers: locations
District level Data - Nyanza Province
UNICEF
UNICEF

8. Drivers: education
UNICEF
UNICEF

9. Drivers: Gender
The majority of out-of-school children continue to be girls (53%); achieving gender parity would mean 3.6 million more girls in primary school

10. Drivers: Disabilities
90% of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school

11. Multiple Dimensions: Who is not learning? Disparity in learning

12. How is equity different from or similar to the Human Rights Based Approach and CRC?
UNICEF’s foundation strategy of a human rights based approach underpins the equity agenda.
Equity cannot be effectively pursued outside of a human rights framework, while human rights cannot be realised while inequity persists.
Reaching the marginalized and excluded has always been integral to UNICEF’s work (Progress for Children 2010). We are doing it. But are we doing it sufficiently and everywhere?
The equity approach also draws upon UNICEF’s long-standing relationship with key human rights mechanisms, most notably the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on Discrimination Against Women. In particular, UNICEF’s support to the reporting processes for these and other human rights mechanisms provide opportunities for identifying and raising equity issues.
This foundation of the equity approach within human rights means that UNICEF’s policy guidance and programmatic tools are well-suited to addressing considerations of equity. Exercises such as causality or vulnerability analysis, or the production of situation analyzes, place emphasis on looking at the most disadvantaged, and the root causes and drivers of disadvantage. The equity approach requires using those human rights based tools to their full, and emphasising their role in shaping programme and policy interventions.
Equity is not business as usual
Business as usual will not take us to the MDG targets with equity so we need to change strategy and focus on the most vulnerable.
The organization-wide thrust is being rolled-out as an ED/HQ inspired but field led.
It will require programme and operation staff to work together to identify the implications and changes needed
Aligning office capacity, programme & operation structures, resources, attention, partnerships

13. Why does equity matter?

14. Why equity
Equity has a significant positive impact in reducing poverty
Poverty is very sensitive to income distribution changes, and small improvements in income distribution can have an important positive effect in reducing poverty.
Equity has a positive impact on economic growth
Equity and economic growth rates are directly related, with higher equity having a positive impact not only on poverty reduction but also on economic growth itself. Higher equity can therefore benefit the poor in two ways: by increasing the overall growth rate and average income, and by letting them share in that growth, since growth with less inequity benefits the poor more.

15. Why equity
Equity has a positive impact in the construction of a socially fair and democratic society
Unequal opportunities of social groups in society is often a significant factor behind social unrest, which may lead to crime or even violent conflict, with negative effects for the social cohesion of a society.
Prolonged inequity may lead to the “naturalization” of inequity
The long “stability” of inequity in several countries makes it something “natural”. When inequity is perceived as a natural phenomenon, society develops theoretical, political and ideological resistances to identify and fight inequity as a priority in public policies.
Inequity constitutes a violation of human rights and hampers the equitable achievements on Human Development and MDGs

16. What is an equity-focused evaluation?

17. What is an equity-focused evaluation?
A judgment made of the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of interventions on equitable development results.

18. Purposes of equity-focused evaluation
Accountability
Organizational learning and improvement
Evidence-based policy advocacy
Contribute to Knowledge Management
National Capacity development for equity-focused M&E systems
Empowerment of worst-off groups

19. Involve worst-off groups:
Empowering worst-off groups, including children, through Equity-focused evaluation processes
Involve worst-off groups:
To ensure relevance, effectiveness, ownership of evaluation
Focus on Evaluation process use to empower worst-off groups through the evaluation process
Including children
Understanding the cultural, political economic and social context that influence inequity, including perception of, and attitudes to, equity

20. Why are equity-focused evaluation required?
Because “conventional” evaluations have some potential limitations in evaluating equity-focused interventions:
going beyond conventional quantitative data to analyze behavioral change, complex social processes and attitudes, and collecting information on difficult-to-reach socially marginalized groups.
In addition, conventional evaluation are often weak on process and contextual analysis.

21. Is equity-focused evaluation a completely new approach?
No. While some new analytical tools are introduced, most of the EFE data collection and analysis techniques are built on existing approaches
The emphasis is on refining and refocusing existing technics – and enhancing national capacities to use those technics

22. HOW to manage Equity-focused evaluations?

23. Key Steps 1 2 5 6 3 4 2. Preparing the ToR of an EFE 4. Collecting/
analysing evidence
6. Utilizing the evaluation 1 2 5 6 3 4
5. Findings, conclusion and reccs
1. Preparing for the EFE
3. Designing the evaluation
MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS

24. MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS
Key Steps 1 2 5 6 3 4
1. Preparing for the EFE
MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS

25. . Preparing for the Equity-focused evaluation
Determining the evaluability of the intervention’s equity dimensions
Identifying evaluation stakeholders, including worst-off
Identifying intended use by intended users
Identifying potential challenges in promoting and implementing Equity-focused evaluations

26. 2. Preparing the ToR of an EFE
Key Steps
2. Preparing the ToR of an EFE 1 2 5 6 3 4
1. Preparing for the EFE

27. Preparing the ToR of an EFE
Defining the scope and purpose of the evaluation
Framing evaluation questions focusing on equity
Selecting technically-strong and culturally-sensitive evaluation team
Ensuring appropriate budget

28. Framing evaluation questions focusing on equity
DAC criteria adapted for EFE
Relevance
Impact
Effectiveness
Efficiency
Sustainability

29. 2. Preparing the ToR of an EFE 3. Designing the evaluation
Key Steps
2. Preparing the ToR of an EFE 1 2 5 6 3 4
1. Preparing for the EFE
3. Designing the evaluation

30. Designing the evaluation
Selecting the appropriate evaluation framework
Theory of Change
Bottleneck analysis

31. Use of services by vulnerable population
Bottleneck supply and demand framework: factors affecting use of services by vulnerable populations
Contextual factors
Economic
Political
Institutional
Legal and administrative
Environmental
Supply side factors
Coverage
Budgets and available resources
Culturally acceptable services
Culturally sensitive staff
Demand side factors
Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice of vulnerable groups
Community ownership
factors affecting access
distance
cost of travel and fees
available transport
cultural constraints
time poverty
Use of services by vulnerable population

32. Designing the evaluation
Selecting the appropriate evaluation framework
Selecting the appropriate evaluation design

33. Selecting the appropriate evaluation design and tools
Contextual factors
Economic
Political
Institutional
Legal and administrative
Environmental
Supply side factors
Coverage
Budgets and available resources
Culturally acceptable services
Culturally sensitive staff
Demand side factors
Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice of vulnerable groups
Community ownership
factors affecting access
distance
cost of travel and fees
available transport
cultural constraints
time poverty
Use of services by vulnerable population
Mix-Methods

34. Designing the evaluation
Selecting the appropriate evaluation framework
Selecting the appropriate evaluation design
Selecting the appropriate evaluation methods

35. Key Steps 1 2 5 6 3 4 2. Preparing the ToR of an EFE 4. Collecting/
analysing evidence 1 2 5 6 3 4
1. Preparing for the EFE
3. Designing the evaluation
MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS

36. Selecting the appropriate evaluation methods

37. Approaches to be used to evaluate complex equity-focused policies and programmes
Systems approach to evaluation
Unpacking complex policies into components that can more easily be evaluated
Pipeline designs
Policy gap analysis
Using other countries or sectors as the comparison group
Concept mapping
Portfolio analysis

38. Key Steps 1 2 5 6 3 4 2. Preparing the ToR of an EFE 4. Collecting/
analysing evidence 1 2 5 6 3 4
5. Findings, conclusion and reccs
1. Preparing for the EFE
3. Designing the evaluation
MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS

39. Key Steps 1 2 5 6 3 4 2. Preparing the ToR of an EFE 4. Collecting/
analysing evidence
6. Utilizing the evaluation 1 2 5 6 3 4
5. Findings, conclusion and reccs
1. Preparing for the EFE
3. Designing the evaluation
MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS * MANAGE RISKS

40. Utilizing the evaluation
Preparing the evaluation report and alternative forms of reporting
Disseminating the evaluation and preparing a Management Response

41. Do you want more? List the top 3 risks
(substitute in one if taken by another group)
Look for common themes 41

42. Visit MyM&E

43. This is NOT what I was expecting!!!!!
Remember
This is NOT what I was expecting!!!!!
Whose fault is it?
Invest time/energy in designing a good quality ToR with all main intended users, and make sure consultants understand it and are comfortable with it 43

44. Thank you

45. . Group work
Identifying potential challenges in promoting and implementing Equity-focused evaluations
Identify possible way to address the challenges
What support would you need?