CLEAR-LAB Unveils Curriculum for Monitoring and Evaluation in Public Policy as Part of CLEAR Northeast Program

On September 27th, 2023, the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Lusophone Africa and Brazil (CLEAR-LAB) hosted a webinar to introduce its Curriculum for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in Public Policy. This event, part of CLEAR-LAB’s CLEAR Northeast Program, began with an opening address by André Portela, the Director of CLEAR-LAB, and was moderated by Gabriela Lacerda, the Executive Manager of CLEAR-LAB. Fernanda Caires, a researcher at CLEAR-LAB, presented the curriculum during the session.

The Clear Northeast Program is a collaborative effort between CLEAR-LAB (a GEI Implementing Partner), the Federal University of Bahia, and the Data and Knowledge Integration Center of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. This initiative aims to foster the development of a robust M&E culture within state governments and city halls in the Brazilian Northeast. The program operates through a network that involves public administrations, universities, social organizations, and the private sector, all committed to supporting capacity-building activities in M&E in support of public policies and programs.

In addition to the curriculum presentation, Roberto Matos from the Planning and Budget Secretariat of the State of Maranhão and Márcia Joppert, from the Brazilian Monitoring and Evaluation Network (RBMA), shared valuable insights into the practical aspects of M&E in Brazilian governments.

CLEAR-LAB's objective is to support country-led initiatives by developing a flexible Curriculum that caters to varying levels of maturity in the use of M&E tools. This approach empowers governments to tailor training programs and learning paths according to their specific needs.

The curriculum is comprised of six courses: “Evidence in the Program Cycle,” “Design Evaluation,” “Executive Evaluation,” “Implementation Evaluation,” “Introduction to Impact Evaluation,” and “Economic Return Analysis.” Each course is accompanied by a brief description, overarching objectives, specific learning goals, target audience, difficulty level, prerequisites, duration, practical activity recommendations, and suggested bibliography. This ensures a comprehensive and customized learning experience for users.

The curriculum is strategically designed to cultivate an evidence-based public policy culture. In the curriculum introduction, André Portela, Director of CLEAR-LAB, and Lycia Lima, Deputy Director of CLEAR-LAB, express their commitment to contributing to the improvement of public policies and addressing regional inequalities in alignment with the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

The curriculum actively promotes networking in M&E within the sensitive region of Brazil. The goal is to reduce fragmentation and encourage connections among stakeholders, ultimately strengthening capacities in M&E.