Management Response Template This template is included as a recommended template in the CAMSA. August 2014 Please consult the Oxfam Evaluation Guidance1 when planning an evaluation. This template should be filled out when closing an evaluation. What’s this template? This template summarizes the reflections of your team and program/project stakeholders in relation to the evaluation’s findings and recommendations and offers an opportunity to comment Oxfam Policy on Program Evaluation on the utility of the evaluation process and final report. The template is All evaluation reports must be divided into two parts: The first part should be published together with accompanied by a management the evaluation report (or its executive summary); the second part is for response that communicates careful internal use only as it helps you define and track a detailed action plan consideration of the evaluation’s findings and recommendations, detailed actions in response to the evaluation findings. that will be taken to respond to these Why should this template be filled out? findings, and offers an opportunity to The overall purpose of a management response (MR) is to ensure that comment on the utility of the evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendations from Oxfam evaluations process and final report. are given careful consideration and are acted on. Developing a (Page 4: Paragraph 11) management response in consultation with the relevant stakeholders helps us document our main learnings from evaluations as well as track our actions in response to the recommendations. Who should fill it out? The evaluation manager is responsible for ensuring that a management response is prepared within a reasonably brief period of time after the finalization of the evaluation report or other products (see Oxfam Policy on Program Evaluation). The team that is responsible for the program implementation should participate in the development of the response. If the evaluated project or program has been implemented together with partners and/or communities, these stakeholders should, in a way appropriate to the evaluation context, also participate in the discussion of findings and the development of a response (specifically regarding recommendations that are addressed to them). When should this tool be filled out? The management response should be filled out when you discuss the findings and recommendation of an evaluation with relevant stakeholders, i.e. at the end of an evaluation. Before responding to the evaluation findings and recommendations, you should assess the quality of the evaluation and the validity of its findings and recommendations (see Evaluation Quality Assessment Tool in CAMSA). Where you choose to not act upon findings and recommendations, because they are not clearly justified by the evidence presented in the evaluation report/products, this should be clearly communicated. However, together with the relevant stakeholders you should discuss also those recommendations on which Oxfam may not be able to act directly (e.g. when partners are addressed in recommendations) and agree on options to address these. The preparation of the management response, review by senior management and posting on SUMUS (as well as submission for posting on the Oxfam public website) should happen within a reasonably short timeframe from the moment the evaluation is submitted to the evaluation manager. What to do with the tool once completed? Internally, the MR should be used to track actions as agreed. After an evaluation is completed the MR should be posted on SUMUS and the Oxfam website together with the evaluation product itself (i.e. the evaluation report) and the evaluation quality assessment tool. Please notify the OI secretariat by email (meal@oxfaminternational.org) where the documents are posted. CAMSA minimum requirements regarding the management response 1. The commissioning manager must issue a management response to the review or evaluation. The team that is responsible for the program implementation can participate in the development of the response. It should include how Oxfam plans to use the findings and recommendations to review program planning and strategy. 2. To ensure transparency to Oxfam’s constituents, Oxfam will routinely place the executive summary and management response for all evaluations of Oxfam programs or projects on www.oxfam.org and/or the affiliate’s website. Barring unacceptable risk or repercussions to staff, partners or program efforts, the complete reports from all final program or project evaluations will be posted on the website.
1 Also available in the relevant sections in CAMSA.