Innovative Evaluation Frameworks Workshop Pushes for Policy Improvement

In November 2024, a three-day workshop in Lahore, organized by the Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Pakistan and Central Asia (CLEAR-PCA) and CERP, brought together participants from both the public and private sector.

The workshop—Innovative Evaluation Frameworks for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)—was attended by 39 officials from the Population Welfare Department, Planning and Development Department, and the Planning Commission, who discussed leveraging evidence-based policy making to drive positive change in the country’s complex governance landscape.

“In the public sector, evaluation is often viewed as a punitive tool for accountability, creating fear rather than fostering a culture of learning,” said the Assistant Director of the Directorate General Monitoring and Evaluation at the workshop. “It is high time we shift this perspective and start using monitoring data as a tool for improvement and positive change.”

Participants took part in practical exercises to apply quantitative and qualitative evaluation tools to real-world challenges. Discussions on the theory of change and logical frameworks illustrated how structured evaluation approaches improve policy outcomes.

While M&E systems exist within the public sector in Pakistan, misaligned incentives at the higher management level hinder their effective use. “The misalignment of incentives at the higher management level prevents monitoring data from being leveraged as a tool for learning and policy improvement,” noted the Director General of the Planning and Development Department’s M&E Wing.

These reflections shaped discussions on overcoming systemic barriers and embedding effective M&E systems in public institutions. A panel on “Navigating M&E Constraints” examined key hurdles. “A national M&E policy alone does not ensure effective outcomes,” said Amna Aaqil, CLEAR-PCA Director. “Political economic factors often hinder implementation.”

Experts advocated for rapid evaluation methods as cost-effective alternatives to randomized controlled trials. “Rapid evaluations enable targeted assessments that are both time-efficient and impactful,” said an assistant general manager at The Challenge Initiative.

Participants concluded the workshop with group presentations on pressing policy issues, such as contraceptive prevalence and clean drinking water provision. 

“Public offices usually focus on process evaluations, with limited emphasis on performance or impact evaluations,” said the Director General of the Population Welfare Department. “The concepts learned during this workshop are highly relevant to our work and will be instrumental in improving service delivery.”