Monitoring & Evaluation

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The DAAD regularly reviews its programs internally and externally for their efficiency, effectivity and impact. The goal is to continually improve its funding programmes.

The DAAD's self-image implies that its funding programmes have a positive impact on individuals, institutions, science systems, and society that is consistent with both DAAD's goals and those of its funders, higher education institutions in Germany and abroad, scholarship recipients, and other partners.

In order to meet the increased requirements of the past years with regard to monitoring and evaluation, the DAAD has created the Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation Concept. The standards and principles laid down there shall enable evaluation and monitoring projects to be planned realistically, valid results to be obtained, and synergies to be created by interlinking these two processes.

Below you will find a brief overview of the results-oriented monitoring at DAAD as well as the work area evaluations.
 

Results-oriented monitoring (RoM)

One instrument for the ongoing review of programmes is the Results-oriented Monitoring (RoM). The RoM is now implemented in numerous DAAD programs. The starting point was the development of a results-oriented monitoring system for development cooperation programmes. The conceptual basis was prepared in the monitoring concept for funding programmes funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). In the RoM, monitoring activities take place both at the level of individual projects and at the level of entire programmes. In a first step, a results framework is developed, for clearly identifying the programme's objectives and intended positive results. In order to verify the achievement of these goals, the second step is to define indicators that can be used to continuously measure changes.

Further information on the RoM as well as support documents for project applications with RoM can be found here.
 

Evaluations

Progress reports and evaluations are firmly anchored in the work of the DAAD. Evaluations serve internal learning, the internal steering and the further development of funding programmes, and provide accountability to the public and funding bodies. Furthermore, findings from evaluations contribute to the public and academic discourse on internationality in the field of research and teaching.

The DAAD's projects and programmes are therefore regularly reviewed by external evaluators with regard to their cost-effectiveness, effectiveness, and impact . Conducting evaluations in cooperation with external partners does not provide transparency and a better understanding of progress achieved, but also serve as a basis for developing and optimising the programmes further. Evaluations can focus on an individual project or programme, or more generally on cross-programme related, strategic or regional issues.


Evaluation of projects, programmes and cross-cutting evaluation formats

There are three distinct types of evaluations:

  • Project evaluations, i.e., objective and professional assessments of individual projects which usually have a larger scope. The evaluation process involves independent assessment teams conducting field visits of the projects.
  • Programme evaluations, i.e., the systematic analysis and empirical investigation for assessing individual funding programmes
  • Cross-cutting evaluation format, e.g. country evaluations or synthesis evaluations, for gaining an overview from a certain perspective in order to reach comprehensive, strategic recommendations

All evaluations conducted by the DAAD are based on national and international standards, such as those of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Evaluation (DeGEval), featuring the criteria usefulness, feasibility, fairness and accuracy. The results and impacts of DAAD projects and programmes are regularly assessed according to internationally established criteria such as relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, sustainability and impact.

DAAD - Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst - German Academic Exchange Service