Fafo and evaluations

Fafo’s portfolio of evaluation projects focusing on international topics is modest but rapidly increasing. A key strategy is to infuse evaluation studies with the experience gained in policy relevant research world wide and nationally.

Projects
Projects include evaluation of the Norwegian Human Rights Yearbook, Evaluation of the Norwegian plan for strengthening Norwegian business links with Asia and evaluation of the projects of the Danish NGO IBIS in Ecuador and Bolivia.

A particular field for Fafo has been evaluations related to the labour market, such as evaluation of Workers Education Institute in Egypt, of the cooperation between the Zambian and Norwegian Confederations of Trade unions, of the cooperation between the Botswana and Norwegian Confederations of Trade Unions, of the cooperation between the OTM labour federation in Mozambique and the Norwegian Confederation of trade Unions and of the cooperation between the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions and of the Transnational Company Education Project of the International Union of Foodworkers.

Fafo has evaluated the “Training for Peace Program” that is implemented with Norwegian support in Southern Africa, and carried out an evaluation for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway’s mixed credits scheme. We have made an evaluation of Norwegian aid to higher education and research in Eastern and Central Europe.

Fafo also has carried out a number of studies that are intended as background documents for policy. Such studies include assessment of Social and Economic Conditions in East Timor, assessment of the development of the Palestinian Economy, land mine victims and their care in Jordan, and a background paper for SIDA on poverty in the Middle East.

Evaluation strategy
Currently Fafo is developing its capacity for evaluation along three lines:

• First, the aim is to employ the researchers’ considerable competence in survey design to feed into evaluation studies. This entails among other things the use of case control designs (“experimental designs”).
• Second, Fafo wishes to focus its evaluation work on geographic and thematic areas within its core competence. Fafo does not envision its role as a firm within the general evaluation and consultancy field.
• Third, Fafo wishes to develop research especially within labour relations and business development where research and action are intertwined in participatory processes. An example of such work is Fafo’s assistance to Botswana Productivity Centre.

Internal quality management
As a large organisation Fafo has developed internal systems for quality management. It also has a systematic approach to obtaining feed back from clients and users on performance. Historically Fafo has a very good track record for delivering services on time, within budget and with the agreed upon quality.

Funding sources
Most of Fafo’s funding for international research comes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NORAD. UN organisations such as UNDP and UNICEF are also important, as is the World Bank.