Other – Center for Evaluation (CFE) – University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Workshop on Evaluation for young professionals

As part of the Youth in Evaluation week 2024 to be held from 8-12 July, Center for Evaluation in association with the Institute for Participatory Interaction in Development (IPID) organized this special workshop on ‘Evaluation for young professionals’ held on Wednesday, 10 July, 2024 in IPID. This one day, face-to-face session for young professionals in the development and research field to introduce concepts of evaluations.

The workshop objectives were as follows:

To enhance knowledge on evaluation and how evaluation contributes to achieve development results
To understand evaluation as an effective management tool in enhancing relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability

To increase awareness and understanding of the importance of youth involvement in evaluation processes and provide networking opportunities Around 33 people participated in the workshop. The workshop started with the welcome address by Dr. (Ms) Mallika R. Samaranayake, Chairperson, Institute for Participatory Interaction in Development. The opening remarks for this workshop was given by Mr. Amil Epa, Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Participatory Interaction in Development. The speakers for this workshop were Mr. Eranda Rathnadiwakara, M&E Specialist, Institute for Development Impact and Ms. Bhagya Karawita, M&E Specialist, United Nations Office for Project Services. The closing remarks for this workshop was given by Mr. Amil Epa. At the end of the workshop, a sense of accomplishment filled the room as certificates were distributed by Dr. (Ms) Mallika Samaranayake, Mr. Eranda Rathnadiwakara and Ms. Bhagya Karawita to all participants. The participants proudly received their certificates, marking a memorable conclusion to an enriching experience

Workshop on teaching monitoring and evaluation

CFE organized three-day residential workshop on teaching monitoring and evaluation, attended by academics, lecturers of M&E courses and resource persons from 7 June to 9 June 2024. Workshop is to support partner universities in delivering the courses successfully. The workshop is an important step in promoting the academic courses in the country.

The workshop objectives were as follows:

To understand importance of competency based academic education in M&E towards professionalization of evaluation
To enhance skills on lesson planning monitoring and evaluation courses
To explore and learn interactive learning techniques for effective delivery of lessons
To appreciate self-learning, student assessment and quality assurance

The workshop included sessions on technical aspects of M&E, teaching methods and opportunity for peer learning.

Day 1: Welcome and objectives, a session on role of academic sector in professionalization of evaluation, new trends in education and lesson planning followed by peer learning on lesson planning. Moreover, day 1 included a session on enhancing student competencies: teaching, guiding for self-learning, assessing and mentoring.

Day 2: Technical sessions and peer learning on making learning interesting, interactive and learner – centered: Choosing instructional methods.

Day 3: A panel on career development in M&E. Technical sessions and peer learning on assessment of course students and quality assurance of the course, Managing a M&E course: Process, requirements and tips.

Around 27 individuals participated in the workshop representing academic institutions, evaluation practitioners and current lecturers of the Monitoring and Evaluation courses. University of Vavuniya, Eastern University of Sri Lanka, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration are the academic institutions represented in the workshop. Dr. Asela Kalugampitiya, Director of the Center for Evaluation, opened the proceedings with a warm welcome address, setting the stage for insightful discussions ahead. The workshop was facilitated by international and national experts including Mr. Daniel Alonso, Evaluation Specialist (Multi-country) at UNICEF South Asia, Dr. Rajib Nandi, Vice President of Sambodhi Research and Communications, Mr. Dharmendra Chandurkar, Chief Knowledge Officer at Sambodhi Research and Communications, Dr. Soma De Silva, Former M&E Advisor at UNICEF South Asia, Prof. Maheeka Seneviwikrama, Head, Department of Community Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and Mr. K. Romeshun, Past President of SLEvA. As the

workshop progressed, participants engaged in an enriching in the 2nd day evening dialogue on crucial topics such as regulations, institutional setups, capacity building, and challenges in evaluations specific to Sri Lanka.

The final day, among other sessions, culminated in a stimulating panel discussion featuring promising young M&E professionals who serve as exemplary models in their field. Mr. Daniel Alonso moderated the panel, and

panelists included Mr. Janaranga Dewasurendra, Assistant Director – M&E at the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka (FPA), Mr. Dulmina Chamathkara, M&E Specialist at FAO Sri Lanka, and Ms. Bhagya Karawita, M&E Specialist at UNOPS Sri Lanka. The session provided valuable insights and perspectives on current M&E practices and innovations.

UNOPS Sri Lanka. The session provided valuable insights and perspectives on current M&E practices and innovations.

The workshop was a useful experience for all resource persons involved in M&E education. Dr. Asela Kalugampitiya, in his closing remarks, expressed gratitude to all participants and speakers for their active engagement and contributions, marking a successful conclusion to the workshop.

Learning session on M&E system

Workshop on learning session on M&E system of the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka organized by Center for Evaluation in collaboration with FPA As part of the gLOCAL Evaluation Week powered by Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI), CFE organized this special session on the Monitoring and Evaluation system of the FPA held on Monday, 03 June, 2024. We appreciate FPA Sri Lanka for the collaboration and giving this opportunity to the advanced certificate course students and the past students and the resource persons. This one day, faceto- face session offered a unique opportunity learns from FPA’s advanced and comprehensive M&E system. The session was designed to provide with practical experience and enhance understanding of M&E practices in the organization.

The workshop objectives were as follows:

To understand how monitoring and evaluation is practically applied in an organizational setting and essential components of an M&E system.
To learn the monitoring and evaluation system of the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka.
To understand strengths and challenges of an organizational M&E system
To learn how FPA Sri Lanka’ s M&E system is used to make improvements of the services/ initiatives.

Around 30 people participated in the workshop. The workshop started with the Welcome and background of

FPA Sri Lanka address by Dr. Ruchitha Perera, Executive Director, Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka. The speakers for this workshop were Mr. Suchira Suranga, Director of Organizational Learning & Evaluation, Mr. Janaranga Dewasurendra, and Mr. Amal Bandara, Assistant Director, Monitoring & Evaluation, The closing remarks for this workshop was given by Dr. Asela Kalugampitiya.