Dominican Republic Public Servants Complete Course on Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Policies Delivered by CLEAR-LAC

On June 24 in Santo Domingo, the closing session of the course “Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Policies” brought together 29 professionals from public institutions across the Dominican Republic. The training was organized by the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Latin America and the Caribbean (CLEAR-LAC)—an implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI)—in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development (MEPyD), through its Vice Ministry of Planning and Public Investment. 

The 10-class course strengthened national capacities in monitoring and evaluation (M&E), offering a practical introduction to tools and approaches that can be applied across sectors. This was the second in-person training delivered by CLEAR-LAC in 2025, following a similar program in Ecuador earlier this year.

The final session was led by Shantal Aragón, Director of Evidence Use at CLEAR-LAC, and María Paz Monge, Senior Manager of Public Policy and Communications at J-PAL LAC and member of the CLEAR-LAC team. The agenda included a review of key concepts, as well as the presentation of three final projects developed by participants. These projects focused on public initiatives such as the Student Transportation Program, the 311 System, and the Casa de Prevención y Seguridad Ciudadana program. 

Nelson Chávez, Director General of Economic and Social Development at MEPyD, emphasized the importance of the training:  

“This course is an opportunity for us, as a Ministry, to strengthen our own capacities as well as those of the other institutions that took part. One of our priorities is to continue promoting monitoring and evaluation, so that public policies can be more effective and truly transform people’s lives.” 

Participants highlighted the hands-on nature of the course, which combined diagnostic exercises with the application of evaluation methods. As the first joint activity with the Dominican government, it is part of a collaboration launched in 2024 that will soon include a community of practice to strengthen the National Monitoring and Evaluation System (SNMyE). 

“The strength of this course is that it works with practical examples chosen by the participants. This not only makes it easier to understand concepts and strengthen capacities but also produces tangible outputs that decision-makers can use in their programs,” noted Aragón. 

One of the final projects analyzed the Casa de Prevención y Seguridad Ciudadana program, which supports vulnerable communities through activities and interventions to prevent violence. 

“This academic exercise has been very valuable. We saw how participants identified the problem tree, key stakeholders, and the lack of coordination—which we are working to strengthen—as well as the expected impacts we aim to achieve with our prevention centers,” said Charitin de la Cruz, Director of Security Prevention in Vulnerable Communities at the Ministry of Interior and Police. She confirmed that part of the analysis will be used to strengthen the program. 

Other participants also reflected on the value of the training. Mery Santana, Head of the Evaluation Division at MEPyD’s Department of Monitoring and Evaluation of Policies and Plans, noted: “I really enjoyed the course—it was specific, detailed, and included many examples that encouraged us to reflect. It wasn’t just about theory, but about real cases: what happened, how we might have done it differently, and what we learned from it,” she said. 

Similarly, José Raúl Vargas, Sector Analyst at MEPyD’s Directorate of Economic and Social Development, stressed the relevance of the training for upcoming institutional processes: 

“This training has been essential, especially as in the coming months we will be reviewing various institutional diagnostics for the update of the National Multi-Year Public Sector Plan. The knowledge gained will be fundamental in this process,” he said. 

This training builds on ongoing collaboration between CLEAR-LAC and the Dominican Republic, following the course’s launch in April 2025. While no further cohorts are planned locally, similar trainings will be offered in Colombia, Argentina, and with professionals from UNICEF Chile and UN Women LAC.