Strengthening Country-Led Evaluation in India: CLEAR South Asia Deepens Support to DMEO
As part of its ongoing collaboration with the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO)—India’s apex body for monitoring and evaluation (M&E)—the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for South Asia (CLEAR-SA) recently delivered two in-person capacity-building workshops. CLEAR-SA is a core implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI) and works to strengthen the Government of India’s ability to commission and conduct high-quality country-led evaluations.
The workshops were designed to build technical knowledge and practical skills among DMEO officers and staff, equipping them with tools to improve key stages of the evaluation process, including survey piloting, data analysis, and data quality management. Around 40 officers attended each workshop.
The first workshop, held in January 2025, focused on survey piloting—emphasizing how testing and refining instruments can lead to more accurate and actionable data. The second workshop, conducted in March 2025, comprised two sessions that provided in-depth training on a range of evaluation methodologies. The sessions also included practical guidance on maintaining data quality and using evaluation findings to inform evidence-based decision-making.
“The workshops provided participants with valuable, hands-on learning opportunities to strengthen their research and evaluation skills,” said Sohini Mookherjee, Interim Director of CLEAR-SA. “It helped them understand the importance of testing and refining tools to ensure data accuracy and reliability.”
CLEAR-SA has supported DMEO since 2020, contributing to the integration of a stronger evaluation culture within India’s policy ecosystem. Through this partnership, CLEAR-SA has delivered technical assistance, co-authored knowledge resources, and organized multiple capacity-building workshops.
In 2024, CLEAR-SA and DMEO renewed their collaboration for another three years by signing a Statement of Interest, reinforcing their shared commitment to advancing the use of evidence in public policy and program implementation. This workshop series is one of several collaborative efforts to build strong and sustainable evaluation capacities in government officers across the country.