Annex 6: Evaluation and Research Committee Terms of Reference
Annex 6: Evaluation and Research Committee Terms of Reference
This TOR outlines the role and function of the NZAID Evaluation Committee.
The Evaluation and Research Committee
The core members of the Committee are: the Executive Director (Chair); the Directors of AIDPAC, AIDGLO and SAEG; the SAEG Evaluation Team Leader; and a representative of the Comms team. Representatives should be sent if a core member is unavailable.
Committee Meetings are held monthly; more frequently if necessary. Three weeks prior to each Committee Meeting, NZAID staff are notified of the meeting date and invited to put forward submissions. A guideline to assist staff with developing their submissions is available in the NZAID Tools section of the intranet.
All reviews, evaluations and research commissioned by NZAID should be brought to the attention of the Committee. This approach ensures that a systematic approach to following through on reports is instituted within the agency, and that the lessons learned from all evaluations are disseminated through the agency. Occasionally a review, evaluation or research study undertaken by another agency may be brought to the attention of the Committee if it has key relevance to NZAID.
In addition to the core committee members, all NZAID staff with experience and/or interest in the relevant programme are encouraged to attend the meeting. This ensures that the members of the committee and the DPM, DPO and Team Leader, have the opportunity to hear the perspectives of others with experience in similar areas. The presence of a wider audience also maximises the opportunity for the organisation to utilise the findings of the review, evaluation or research study being discussed.
Submission Process
Review, evaluation and research reports are appraised by at least one SAEG Advisor or external expert. Once the report has been fully appraised, the DPM or DPO, with support from the appraisal team and their Team Leader, develops a submission to the Evaluation and Research Committee. The submission is presented by the DPM, DPO, NZAID Manager or SAEG adviser concerned.
The Committee then meets to consider the submission, recommendations and decisions. The role of the Committee is not to make specific decisions about programmes and activities. These decisions are the responsibility of the programme management. The Committee’s role is to provide advice to Programme Managers; and to record and disseminate findings, lessons and issues of broad significance To NZAID.
Minutes from each meeting are distributed to the whole of NZAID (as with AIDMGT meeting minutes) and staff are able to access the relevant evaluation documents on the intranet.
Planning and reporting
A rolling plan of scheduled evaluations is developed annually by SAEG and the Committee is presented with a six monthly update. This assists the Committee to monitor evaluative activities across the agency and to improve forward planning for these activities, and use of findings.
A Summary Report of all reviews and evaluations undertaken in each calendar year is produced in the first half of the following year and presented to the Committee.