UNICEF training equips leaders with evaluation skills to drive positive change
Eastern Caribbean partners see opportunities to achieve better results for children
12-July-2024, Bridgetown - Public sector leaders across the Eastern Caribbean are gearing up to make a bigger impact on children's lives, thanks to a recent intensive training programme.
The Executive Course for Evaluation Leaders (Excel), a two-week collaboration between UNICEF, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and the University of the West Indies, equipped 23 senior government officials and UNICEF partners with the tools they need to drive positive change.
The programme wasn't just about technical skills. Participants from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Belize, Brazil, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago honed their leadership abilities through sessions on management, oversight, communication, and teamwork. They also delved into crucial topics like theory of change, negotiation, inclusive evaluation practices, and risk management.
Building a Culture of Evaluation for Lasting Impact
"Our goal is to empower these leaders to plant seeds of knowledge within their organizations," explained UNICEF Knowledge Management Specialist Troy Barker. "We want them to focus on children and families, ensuring programmes deliver the best possible results."
Nailah James, Senior Planning Officer at Grenada's Ministry of Education, described the course as "invaluable." The opportunity to learn and collaborate with colleagues was particularly valuable, she noted.
James is especially excited to apply her newfound skills to an integrated early childhood development strategy currently under development in Grenada. "Being in the design phase creates a perfect opportunity to build evaluation into the strategy from the ground up," she explained. "This will allow us to monitor progress from the outset and ensure our strategies are well designed and create a lasting impact on our children's lives."
Andrea Titus, Principal Youth Development Officer at Barbados' Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, echoed the importance of evaluation expertise. "We have a project that will require these newly acquired skills across all aspects," she said.
