VOPE Toolkit

This section will help you think through some of the initial steps that you need to take if you want to found a VOPE. You will find some valuable advice and examples under the resources listed at the end of this section.

When a group of evaluators decide to start a VOPE, it is natural to think about both form and function. The form of a VOPE should be decided on once the goals of the VOPE have been determined, in other words when the function of the VOPE has been defined. This means that, before a VOPE becomes too concerned about who will be the president and who will be allowed as members, its champions need to identify opportunities and priority areas for making an impact. This process defines the vision, mission and key objectives.

Once you have decided to formalize your organization, you may need to register it as a separate legal entity. Depending on the country or state or province in which you choose to register your VOPE, there might be different organization types from which to choose; each organization type is usually associated with specific legal, accounting and taxation requirements. What should be considered are structures that allow the greatest flexibility while also allowing sufficient legal status to operate a separate bank account and put potential donors’ and members’ minds at ease about the governance of the resources?

Requirements for an AGM may be spelled out in your VOPE’s constitution or other (legal) documents. This usually determines the agenda, frequency of meetings, the notice period for meetings, the minimum number of people required to constitute a quorum at an AGM, the records (such as minutes and attendance registers) that must be kept, and voting processes.

It is quite common for VOPEs to have a capacity building or advocacy focus in their mission, which would require that they occasionally host evaluation events such as conferences, workshops and seminars. The advent of online webinar facilities, have made it possible to host some of the capacity building events in an online space, but a good old fashioned face-to-face get together is often extremely valuable for building the credibility of your VOPE. Conferences, workshops and seminars are often also a useful way for an association to build their financial resources – evaluation professionals often do not mind paying for professional development opportunities of high quality.

This section introduces the EvalPartners Advocacy toolkit that VOPEs could use to create support for evaluation in their context.

This section suggests a process for developing Evaluation guidelines and standards, and links to a variety of examples created by other VOPEs.

Even if a VOPE operates in only one country or sub-region of a country, it is still important that it connects regionally and internationally with other VOPEs because this provides opportunities for shared learning, mobilization of resources and more effective use of resources. The International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation (IOCE) publishes information on international, national and regional VOPEs which could help a VOPE to find other evaluation associations in its area.

The first ingredient of your VOPE’s journey toward professionalization is the establishment of a clear definition of what it is and what it means for your VOPE.

This section considers the concrete mechanisms that aim to build capacity and continually enhance or maintain the capacity of individuals, institutions, and ecosystems.

It is well established that change initiatives that do not involve the people concerned do not last. Initiatives should focus on the needs and rights of the community; this will ultimately establish people’s ownership of the initiative and such ownership will bring sustainability to the change. The role of the change agent (for example, the VOPE) will be as a facilitator during the implementation of the initiative.