The document summarizes a five-year global program launched in 2010 to strengthen existing academic institutions and think tanks in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and results-based management (RBM) capacity development for governments and civil societies. The program is funded by bilateral and multilateral donors and housed within the Independent Evaluation Group of the World Bank. In the first two years, centers were selected in Africa, South Asia, and China to provide regional M&E training, knowledge services, and advisory support. Going forward the program aims to select centers in Francophone Africa and Latin America while the existing centers begin implementation and annual global forums are held to facilitate peer learning among participants.

1. WHAT IS CLEAR? April, 2010

3. Rationale: Increasing demand for performance measurement and accountability

4. Objective: Strengthen competitively selected existing academic institutions or think tanks to provide capacity development services in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and results-based management (RBM) to government and civil society

5. Governance Structure: Board (the decision-making and oversight body), Regional Advisory Committees, and Secretariat (housed at IEG).

7. 4 Context Increasing demand for evaluation knowledge Internal, within countries: Increasing pressure for transparency (access to information), value-for-money, and accountability Decentralization, public sector reforms Civil society engagement External, from development agencies: Greater emphasis on using country systems (Paris Declaration; Accra Agenda for Action); shift to financing based on results Limited supply of relevant, cost-effective, and sustained evaluation capacity development services Need for: Customized but cost-effective capacity development services Peer-to-peer learning and exchange of knowledge A range of opportunities to learn and apply practical and policy-relevant monitoring and evaluation approaches, build systems for M&E Regionally accessible capacity development services

8. Program Components Global (small) – implemented by Secretariat at IEG Capacity-building streams for selected Centers (courses on Performance-based budgeting, Impact Evaluation, Rapid Reviews, Evaluation Systems and Policies, Other) Peer-to-peer learning among Centers Technical assistance on Centers’ work program Regional (big) – implemented by centers based in regional institutions Each center develops its own work-program, responding to the regional contexts, demand, and needs Training Knowledge Services (e.g., research, support to networks) Advisory Services (e.g., engagement in evaluations, technical assistance for government agencies’ evaluation system design) Multi-regional activities organized by centers themselves Coordination with other related initiatives (e.g., 3IE, statistical capacity building) 5

9. Results Expected Regionally based recognized centers providing relevant, cost-effective, and customized services to government and civil society on a sustainable basis Greater awareness, practice, and implementation of high quality M&E in the centers’ client countries Part of IEG’s results framework under “outcomes and influence” 6

11. The Secretariat is housed in IEG. The Secretariat implements the Board’s decisions and conducts day-to-day operations of the program

12. The Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) is selected by the center, with Board approval. RACs play an advisory role and help the centers develop a work program responsive to regional needs and demands Each RAC will comprise about six members representing civil society, a professional association, academia, government, donors, and the Bank

13. Regional Component – Selection of Institutions in 2010 and 2011 Selection in Anglophone Africa and South Asia (2010) and Francophone Africa and Latin America (2011), using a two-stage selection process (spanning 6-8 months) Stage 1 Region-wide open call for expressions of interest Shortlisting by an independent selection committee CLEAR Board review of shortlist Stage 2 Shortlisted institutions invited to submit full proposals, including an assessment of demand (CLEAR funding for these assessments) Secretariat site visits Selection committee assessment and recommendation of top two institutions per region to Board CLEAR Board selection of center 8

14. Centers Selected in 2010 Africa- The University of Witwatersrand (WITS) with partners: Kenya Institute of Administration (KIA) Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) South Asia – JPAL at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) Selection process currently underway in Francophone Africa and Latin America (to be finalized in November 2011) The Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Center in China also part of the program 9

19. 13 Accomplishments and Looking Forward Global Component Annual global forum (first global forum in Paris, June 27-30, 2011) Forum for peer-exchanges and networking among centers and stakeholders Capacity Building Streams Performance-based budgeting course – piloted in China, AfCoP meeting in Kenya Rapid evaluations course being completed (principally for managers of evaluation units) “How to” Practical Impact Evaluation course under development. Featured at the conference “Mind the Gap: From Evidence to Policy” in Cuernavaca, Mexico, June 15-17, 2011 Other courses planned – Evaluation Systems and Policies; Civil Society Approaches to M&E, Others Regional Component AFDC (China) already operating Selected centers beginning implementation Centers being selected in Francophone Africa and Latin America; work to begin in East Asia