Europe is the world’s largest provider of development and humanitarian aid and is now also hosting large numbers of refugees. A number of needs regarding evaluation in the humanitarian sector have been identified: increasing concern about the accountability and effectiveness of Humanitarian Action (HA); a need to create a common language and understanding of evaluation of HA; the need for a better adjusted methodology to respond to the specific observed challenges. The existing training offer on HA at European and international level has an insufficient focus on grounded analysis and is not satisfactorily informed by innovative teaching, learning and research methodologies that rely on field practice. HEI’s can bring a particular added value to this field, by offering a set of research methodologies informed by rigorous approaches. The InovHumRe project aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of HA by improving Humanitarian Aid students’ and professionals’ Education through the implementation, in the social sciences second cycle courses, of a humanitarian aid evaluation curricular unit. Such curricular unit will be based on innovative methodological approaches - participatory evaluation in HA -, and will rely on the development of new learning tools that incorporate the contributions of partner HEIs and NGOs directly involved in humanitarian response, thus addressing the skills gaps. The partnership includes HEIs and NGOs directly involved in humanitarian response, from Portugal, Spain and Turkey that will cooperate to develop the curricular unit and the learning tools, and Colombian and Brazilian HEI’s that have developed innovative know how in the field and have specific expertise in evaluation methodologies and participatory processes, thus bringing a useful new perspective to the European countries. To accomplish its objectives, the project will start by an identification of best practices in humanitarian aid evaluation and an update of the needs in evaluation methodologies, in close collaboration between HEIs and NGOs. This phase will result in a comprehensive analysis regarding participatory evaluation (Outlook report), new approaches and directions, which will be a fundamental tool to help to promote the skills match between the demand in HA and those supplied by education and training. In a second phase the project will define the structure, content and methodology of the curricular unit and its modules, based on the Outlook report. The aim in this phase is to develop the Syllabus of the curricular unit, with the essential contribution of of the partners from Brazil e Colombia. The Short-term joint staff training in Turkey will be key to promote the knowledge transfer and consolidate the design of the Syllabus. In parallel the project will also be focusing on the development of all the e-learning tools, designed to enhance the capacities for distance education of the humanitarian aid professionals. These tools will be disseminated among prospective users beyond the project through workshops. The curricular unit will be implemented as a pilot in the course of one semester during the project’s lifetime. It will include an Intensive Study Program where teachers and students will be exposed to the methodologies that will be taught in institutions that help Syrian refugees in Turkey. Finally, the project will develop a Handbook of evaluation methodologies for HA that will be a practical guide on how to plan and conduct participatory evaluation in HA – addressing the evaluation process, methods and tools. It will be used to raise awareness and promote evaluation in HA to a broader audience of professionals. The development of the project will provide: a clear identification of best practices and priority areas in participatory evaluation applied to HA; the development of adapted teaching/learning tools in the area of participatory evaluation and its adaptation to the digital transition; the capacitation of HEIs’ professors, students and NGOs staff to develop and implement participatory evaluation methods; capacitation in distance education; an enhanced joint strategic work among HEIs and between them and NGOs; the awareness raising of stakeholders across Europe through dissemination events. At the end of the project, students and NGOs will be able to incorporate evaluation in their work as a meaningful part of programming and knowledge management. Participatory evaluation will be incorporated in humanitarian aid students’ and professionals’ education and training across Europe. The gaps between the skills in demand in HA and those supplied will be reduced. The project will also enhance international mobility and knowledge exchange between teachers, students and NGO professionals. Ultimately, the project will improve the quality and effectiveness of HA, will increase transparency and accountability in this area, and hence improve the conditions of successful inclusion of HA beneficiaries.
The project established a partnership between universities and NGOs active in the field of social inclusion of refugees and migrants to tackle skills gaps in the field of evaluation of HA. The presence of partners from Latin America, Europe and Middle East allowed a transfer of knowledge between partners. We wanted to create new learning opportunities for HA students and practitioners in the field of participatory evaluation, with a focus on inclusion of refugees and migrants. With this scope, starting from needs identified, the project had the following objectives: 1 - Improve quality and relevance of teaching of participatory evaluation in HEIs, specifically in refugee integration programs, through the development and implementation of a new curricular unit in participatory evaluation developed by the HEIs of the project with the support of the partner NGOs. 2 - Innovate in HA teaching methodologies, develop new instruments and tools that can be replicated, through the development of the educational materials: a curricular unit, e-learning tools (videos and podcast) and a handbook on participatory evaluation 3 - to produce educational materials addressing specific needs, thus improving the focus and effectiveness of HA.
Humanitarian action (HA) is delivered under great pressure, often in fragile contexts. There is a growing conscience of the need to ensure that it focus on those in need and is implemented with equity. To know if it is the case, it needs to be evaluated. Though, there is not a wide evaluation culture in this field. The project addressed this gap by producing an outlook of the evaluation practices and new instruments for development of skills. A participatory evaluation culture improves accountability and effectiveness of HA and creates a common language and understanding of evaluation of HA. New educational opportunities in participatory evaluation, as well as the learning tools connected, improve HA professional’s skills responding to growing challenges resulting from the changing nature of humanitarian crises. The curricular unit developed under the project and delivered in the Partner HEI is now part of their educational offer, assuring a last longing impact inside the universities and among future professionals. The project also addressed a wider audience through the production of the Handbook in Participatory Evaluation, to support students and teachers of the new unit as well as HA professionals and practitioners.