2003 Board Meeting, Brazil

Launch of the Latin American Evaluation Network 2004 Board meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil

As part of our mission to support and strengthen international and regional evaluation networks and societies the IOCE was pleased to contribute to the launch event of the Latin American RELEAC. 

The event took place in Sao Paulo Brazil. The IOCE held a Board meeting to launch the event and offered suggestions and shared experience from other evaluation communities world wide

IOCE meeting in Sao Paulo – October 2 & 3, 2003 

Attendance: Elliot, Zenda, Nino, Gloria, Marco, Barbara, Nancy, Donna, Penny

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR COOPERATION IN EVALUATION 
WORK PROGRAMME FOR START-UP PERIOD

2003 - 2004

Introduction

All of IOCE activities must ultimately contribute to the IOCE Mission, which is: ‘to legitimate evaluation and to support evaluation societies, associations or networks so that they can better contribute to good governance, effective decision making and strengthen the role of civil society’ IOCE members will have the opportunity to take forward this important mission and make a real difference to the development of the international evaluation community. The work programme of the IOCE for the initial period following the Inaugural Assembly held in Lima in March 2003, focuses on the launch and establishment of the new organisation.  In the course of preparations for the Inaugural Assembly many activities of potential interest to evaluation societies, networks and associations across the world were noted.   At this start up stage, the Board has decided to concentrate on activities that will ensure the sustainable launch of IOCE. These are as follows:

Organisational and communications infrastructure

This includes:

Legal incorporation of the IOCE.
The IOCE is being incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation in Canada following widespread consultation with potential members about the Constitution.

Raising funds to support start-up activities.
Discussions have begun with a number of potential funding bodies to complement the contribution that IOCE members will make in the future - significant but limited funds have already been promised.

Designing and setting up a website that will act both as a communication vehicle for IOCE members and contain downloadable resources and materials (including for example, a virtual library, resource materials for evaluation societies).

Membership recruitment

Following the incorporation of IOCE, the organisation will welcome members from different parts of the international evaluation community.  These include:

Preparations for the first General Assembly of the IOCE will involve close working with new and potential members to make sure that their priorities are incorporated into future plans.

Membership fees for IOCE in 2005 will have 3 'bands' based on UNDP national income (GNI) levels; and within each band there will be a range to take account of different abilities to pay even within a region. The final level of fee will be decided in each case by member societies in discussion with the IOCE Board members responsible in that region.

The 'low national income' band will range from $200-$750 USD.
The 'medium national income' band will range from $500-$1500 USD.
The 'high national income' band will range from $1000-$3000 USD.

The overlapping nature of these bands recognises that sometimes weaker societies in a high income region can be less well resourced than stronger societies in a region with lower income.

In general only a proportion of the IOCE budget will be covered by membership fees. We expect that more will be covered by sponsorship; institutional members/partners; and income generating activities

Launching debates and forums

Following the meeting of the IOCE Board in Sao Paulo in October 2003, it was agreed that an important part of the start-up activities of IOCE should consist of debates and the creation of forums for IOCE members to discuss international evaluation issues.  In order to launch these debates a number of priority themes have been identified which we believe are of shared interest among evaluators internationally and where IOCE can help shape a new consensus.  These themes all centre on diversity and cultural difference. They include:

One of the ‘obligations’ of IOCE membership is that all members will select at least one IOCE theme and debate it as part of its own Conference or workshop Programme. We hope that IOCE will exchange reports of such national and regional debates and produce combined reports that can be used by all IOCE members. We will also include such topics on the website, e.g. through ‘online’ conferences and other events.

Forums to involve IOCE members in joint activities will be encouraged at regional and inter-regional level. We are especially keen to encourage multilateral activities – for example links between Spain and Portugal and Latin American evaluators; and between Francophone evaluators in Europe, North America and Africa. Such forums could include study visits, joint ‘projects, and the development of evaluation guidelines and codes of practice.