CLEAR-PCA Delivers Training on Gender-Responsive Monitoring and Evaluation in Pakistan

In June 2024, the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Pakistan and Central Asia (CLEAR PCA), in collaboration with host organization CERP, conducted a two-day workshop on Evaluative Evidence for Gender Policy (EEGP) in Lahore, Pakistan. The workshop featured training modules and panel discussions on the intersection of gender and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The EEGP workshop was tailored to the training needs of 22 young M&E professionals, including 16 women and 6 men, from both the public and private sectors. 

The workshop aimed to improve the monitoring and evaluation of programs and policies through a gendered lens, identify key components and steps of quantitative and qualitative research methods, and clarify research ethics especially in gender analysis. Through these objectives, the workshop aimed to enhance the capacity of M&E professionals, researchers, and policymakers.

The workshop faculty comprised experts in gender studies and research methodologies from CERP, including Anam Shoaib, Director of the Learning Hub; Hijab Tahir, Project Manager for Analytics; and Uswah Firdous, Survey Lead. The faculty also included gender expert Zohra Sohail and two distinguished instructors from the Lahore University of Management Sciences, namely Dr. Hadia Majid, Associate Professor and Chair of the Economics Department, and Dr. Osama Khan, Assistant Professor. Gender and Equity Network South Asia (GENSA), a Special Interest Group of the Community of Evaluators South Asia, also joined the workshop to share creative ways of ensuring that the user retains ownership of the evaluation and its results, while the evaluation professionals serve as facilitators.

“Local input is important in program design as significant changes in the field are happening at a local level. One program can’t change everyone’s perceptions but if we target the right people, we can maximize benefit," said Ms. Sohail.

The EEGP workshop included essential introductory modules covering quantitative and qualitative research methods, coding and analysis for qualitative data, and the utilization of statistics and data for analysis. Participants were also instructed on the importance of considering nuances of gender in M&E, methods to apply a gender lens to M&E analysis, and how to integrate gender analysis into project design. The workshop fostered engagement and critical thinking through interactive group activities, video analysis to identify gaps, role-playing exercises, and multiple question and answer sessions.

“Gender is neglected in M&E. It is still a new concept for most researchers out there. It must be integrated in data collection, data analysis and visualization, which considers the needs of a variety of women,” said Amna Nasir from Kashf Foundation.

In addition, the workshop featured a simulation exercise on survey design and indicator measurement. Participants engaged with real-world program examples on mental and physical health outcomes for domestic abuse victims, reproductive health outcomes for married women, and household level information for a social protection program. This hands-on activity proved enlightening as participants worked in pairs to pilot surveys in the local language, incorporating their learnings about gender and cultural sensitivity into designing and editing the questionnaire, while also benefiting from the practical insights of peers from Social Welfare Department and grassroots organizations.

“Gender is mostly neglected, both in M&E as well as program design. It often comes as an afterthought. For me this workshop has activated that lens and angle that whatever you think in perspective to program design... gender has to be at the forefront. When I go back to my office, the first step I will take is to tell my colleagues that whatever we do and whatever we design, let's do a comprehensive gender analysis first," said Mufaddal Moiz from the United States Institute of Peace.

The EEGP workshop is the first in a series that will continue over the next few years, with updated modules on gender and M&E in each new iteration. Gender is a sensitive topic in Pakistan, with varying culture-specific intricacies across communities and regions, making it challenging for researchers to develop appropriate tools for effective gender analysis. CLEAR-PCA aims to support gender researchers and help them produce valuable and accurate research.