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Evaluation capacity building framework (authors)
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The aim of this paper is to present a logical framework for evaluation capacity building in higher education agencies, which can be used as an instrument both for grounding future educational policies, and for improving the policies’ implementation process. The logical framework will focus on four main stages that will examine the link between orga...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... fact that the evaluation process does not end when the final results are identified. Instead it includes prospective thinking of the next period of programming and implementation with the use of the knowledge and experience which have been gained, and, ultimately, restarting the evaluation cycle. This is a circular process, as it can be seen in Fig. 1, being made up of 4 steps, each step offering explanations for the situations which are identified in the subsequent ...
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Citations
... Contrary to this approach, for the interventions supported by external donors in areas such as education, health, social assistance, environmental protection, energy, public administration, etc., evaluations are mandatory and are conducted according to the specific (evaluation) plans established since the beginning of the technical support. For example, in higher education and research systems, the first organisational and institutional evaluation exercises were conducted in 1997-2001 (Toderas , and Stȃvaru 2015) as part of a PHARE (Universitas 2000) structural reform programme, and also for the loan granted by the World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 1996). Within certain components of the higher education and research system, the practice of evaluation has become recurrent in specialised agencies for which distinct resources are allocated. ...
The chapter describes the general context and the main factors that influenced the appearance and development of the evaluation culture in Romania. Evaluation is a recently introduced practice as a result of the reforms undertaken within the central public administration in the early 2000s. The development of this domain experienced an accelerated rhythm during the EU pre-accession period (especially in the years 2001–2006), but slowed the pace in the last decade, even if significant resources have been invested in developing evaluation capacity and implicitly the evaluation culture. In this respect, the authors offer an overview of these processes in order to create a clearer image on the use of evaluation. In the course of the past years, the knowledge and reflection on evaluation has increased notably, both at the level of the public administration and at the level of the evaluation market, but also in the case of the citizens.
In Romania, students do not yet have a strong voice in the improvement of educational institutions. By using participatory action research and photovoice, this study aimed to give a voice to university students regarding the internal evaluation of teaching methods before and after the implementation of cooperative learning. The study is anchored to the empowerment education philosophical framework of Freire (1970). Six participants, students from one Bachelor (“licență”) study program, went through the photovoice process. Data were collected through photos, questionnaires, and observations. The themes have been developed by the participants through a photo essay and have been analyzed together with the other data. The results showed the effectiveness of cooperative learning in comparison with the traditional teaching regarding students professional training. The policy makers decided to keep this photo exhibit as permanent. The recommendation is to have students evaluate yearly the university through action research and photovoice.
Keywords: internal evaluation, good practices, participatory action research, photovoice, higher education, Romania
Students do not typically have a voice in the institutional evaluation in Romania. Involving the students to improve a school is an effective means. By using a participatory action research through photovoice and appreciative inquiry, this study aimed to give a voice to the undergraduate students on what they dream for their school to become. The study was anchored on the empowerment education philosophical framework of Paulo Freire. Eight participants who were students from Pedagogy, Social Work, and Theology disciplines completed the photovoice process. Data were collected through photos, interviews, and the researcher’s analytic memos. The themes were developed by the participants through photo essay and were analyzed together with other forms of data such as interview transcriptions and observation fieldnotes. The results showed the need for improvement in teacher-student relationships, academic expectations, social projects, and institutional administration. The policy makers made important decisions during the exhibit, planned to implement several recommendations, and expressed the desire to have students’ yearly evaluation of the institution through photovoice.
Strategic planning is an excellent tool that local governments can use to increase effectiveness of the governance process. Although Romania experienced more than four decades of national planning under the communist regime, after 1989 local authorities had major difficulties in using planning as an effective managerial tool. Access to the European Union (EU) meant significant changes, including a new approach for community development, where strategic planning has an essential role. Our main objective with this research is twofold: to analyze (1) why local authorities resort to planning and (2) how local authorities use strategic planning (characteristics of the process, results, main challenges, benefits). Our analysis indicates that more than two-thirds of local authorities are motivated by the EU funding possibilities, for which having a strategic plan is a mandatory condition. Results show that authorities have limited planning capacity, with stakeholder engagement and monitoring and evaluation being major challenges. We highlight specific details of the process through two case studies meant to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the particularities of planning in Romania, at local level.
