MS at the Crossroads

The long awaited evaluation report of MS is finally out. Overall, the conclusions are positive. However, there is room for improvement – especially when it comes to the role of the Development Workers.

“While the impact of MS activities may be uneven, their relevance is not an issue. MS deals with problems and challenges that are important to all of us. Overall, it does so in a vibrant and professional way,” states the evaluation report MS at the Crossroads, which the Danish aid agency, Danida, had asked the Chr. Michelsen Institute to conduct. The evaluation report came out in February 2004.

“In comparison with many other organisations that talk about partnerships with the countries in the South, MS has come a long way with aiming for equity in the partnerships. However, perhaps too much importance is given to posting of Danish Development Workers,” said the director of the Institute, Gunnar Sørbø to the Danish press after the report was released.

Will follow recommendations

MS-Denmark is ready to follow the recommendations in the report:

“The posting of development workers has traditionally been linked with MS – and will continue to do so. The evaluation report suggests specific recommendations which MS will follow, and in the long-term introduce many changes in the personnel programme. This will be done by sending a larger number on short-term contracts as well as by employing more Development Workers from the South to supplement the large number of Danish Development Workers,” said MS-Denmark in a comment to the report.

The conclusion of the evaluation report is encouraging for MS. Partly because the government had beforehand indicated that the results of the evaluation will be the deciding factor for the allocation of the Danida grants in future, and partly because MS has been able to make use of a number of recommendations voiced in the evaluation report in order to proceed with quality development and innovation.

MS-Zambia will distribute copies of the evaluation to all partners.

In the next issue of NewZ we shall take a closer look at the recommendations made for MS-Zambia based on the evaluation, which took place among MS-Zambia partners, Development Workers and the MS-Zambia Country Programme.