MENA Parliamentarians emphasized the Role of Parliamentarians in Supporting an Enabling Environment for Evaluation

[Asela Kalugampitiya]

Parliamentarians from six countries (Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) in MENA region held a meeting in Amman, Jordan, on 28^th April 2014, in parallel to the EvalMENA conference. The purpose of the meeting was to share views on role of parliamentarians in evaluation; strengthening enabling environment for evaluation and discuss way forward in engaging parliamentarians in the region. The meeting was organized jointly by UN Women, EvalPartners and EvalMENA.

Addressing MENA parliamentarians, Marco Segone, Director, Independent Evaluation Office – UN Women, highlighted the importance of policy makers engaging in evaluation and global trends in working with parliamentarians in establishing evaluation culture at national level.

Hon. Kabir Hashim, Member of Parliament from Sri Lanka emphasized the need for political participation in development evaluation and how South Asian parliamentarians organized together to make a difference.

Moroccan Evaluation Association and Egyptian Evaluation Association also joined the meeting ensuring possible partnership between parliamentarians and evaluation community for a dialogue.

[Rituu B Nanda]

Congratulations Asela for getting MENA region Parliamentarians on board for evaluation. I appreciate how national evaluation associations are playing a role in this process. 

[Asela Kalugampitiya]

Thanks Ritu, national evaluation associations are also involved in discussions with MPs and both MPs and NEAs going to work together, however this will be an interactive process which will be an ongoing process.