PIFED Training Supports Improved Evaluation and Use of Evidence in the Republic of Djibouti

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PIFED Training Supports Improved Evaluation and Use of Evidence in the Republic of Djibouti
Thirty representatives from several Republic of Djibouti ministries, public sector entities and civil society organizations participated in the Programme International de Formation en Évaluation du Développement (PIFED), an evaluation training program designed and delivered by ENAP.
news
14 December 2022

The aim of PIFED, a two-week training held November 27 – December 8, 2022, is to contribute toward a better understanding of evaluation practice among the participants, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality and use of evaluation in Djibouti. The teaching methodology used by ENAP experts for the PIFED training focuses on a dynamic, interactive and participatory approach that relies on practical exercises to help participants apply the content learned, which makes it easier for them to replicate it in their work. 

ENAP is working closely with several organizations in the Republic of Djibouti to support country-owned efforts to improve evaluation and evidence use including UNICEF, the Djibouti Government’s Unit for Monitoring the Implementation of Priority Public Policies (USEPPP), and the Association Djiboutienne de l’Évaluation (ADE), which is a Voluntary Organization for Professional Evaluators.  Each organization brings their different strengths and perspectives together to ensure that the impact of activities is greater than the sum of the parts. 

During the launch ceremony, which was well-covered in the local press, Planning Commissioner and USEPPP National Coordinator, Mr. Amareh Ali Saïd; UNICEF Regional Evaluation Advisor, Mr. Robert Stryk; UNICEF Representative in Djibouti, Ms. Beate Dastel; ADE President, Mr. Hassan Gouda Said, and; ENAP International Advisor and Evaluation Capacity Development Specialist, Ms. Elodie C. Roy, all affirmed their commitment to supporting the development of a stronger culture of evaluation in Djibouti and expressed their gratitude to the GEI and ENAP for making the training possible.

Mr. Jos Vaessen, Methods Adviser at the Independent Evaluation Group of the World Bank Group and Deputy Head of GEI also appeared in a short video to explain to the participants the goals of GEI and the importance of evidence for better policies, better decision-making and delivering better outcomes, and expressed his support to ENAP and PIFED.

Finishing this impressive line up, Mr. Konate Sekou Tidiani, Director of Djibouti National Institute of Statistics and founding member of ADE, offered to the participants a presentation of the current challenges facing evaluation in Djibouti, while also outlining a vision for the future of the discipline in this country in the Horn of Africa. 

As Mr. Souleiman Moumin Robleh, USEPPP Program Management Director and one of PIFED participant stated: “PIFED is only the beginning as our ambition is to create a pool of qualified local resources who can effectively conduct and manage evaluations in Djibouti.” As such, the different stakeholders involved are actively looking to raise more funds to organize, in early 2023, additional specialized training sessions exploring specific evaluation methods or thematic topics. After completing three specialized modules, in addition to the PIFED training, participants will be awarded a certification in development evaluation from ENAP, which will provide them with enhanced recognition and credibility to act as key national resources that possess the right skills and ability to contribute to the strengthening of the national M&E ecosystem in Djibouti.