Strategic Evaluation -A study of its purpose in SIDA and SADEV

Abstract

Background and Problem discussion: Strategic evaluations are important as they provide crucial information regarding Swedish development assistance and recommendations on how to face problems and inadequacies found in the evaluations. Therefore, the follow up of recommendations is of great significance as well. Unfortunately, SIDA’s Management Response system for follow-up of strategic evaluations has not been functioning in a satisfying way and needed actions have not been taken. Thus, Swedish development assistance has been criticised for the lack of implemented actions and the public has started to question the work carried through by the organisations. The concepts of institutionalism, isomorphism and organisational hypocrisy will be investigated to enhance our understanding of the behaviour of organisations. The question at issue is the following: What is the purpose of strategic evaluation in the development assistance organisations of SIDA and SADEV? Delimitations: Instead of investigating all organisations involved, we will specify our enquiry on two organisations that handle strategic evaluation in the development assistance business, SIDA and SADEV. Within SIDA we have included only the Department for Evaluation and Internal Audit and the Department of Policy and Methodology. Finally we have decided not to investigate any specific strategic evaluations due to time constraints. Methodology: A hermeneutic approach was chosen as the thesis will be influenced by our interpretation and understanding. Both secondary and primary data have been used. The secondary data consists of relevant literature for the thesis as well as manuals written by the organisations themselves. The primary data consisted of qualitative interviews with seven respondents working in either SIDA or SADEV with strategic evaluation. These data are supposed to be a sufficient (in terms of validity and reliability) and manageable (due to time constraints) interview base. Conclusion: The most prominent purpose of strategic evaluation is to gain and maintain legitimacy from the organisational environment. Institutionalised structures combined with organisational hypocrisy and de-coupling are crucial features to preserve the legitimacy and in assisting the organisations in their quest for further legitimacy and towards a successful survival. Further research: An investigation of the implications of strategic evaluation in the countries which receive development assistance would be of interest as well as a comparison of strategic evaluation internationally. Moreover, an interesting idea for further research would be to examine whether the concept of strategic evaluation exists in the private sector and within profit organisations.