December 14, 2011

Abu Dhabi, 14 December 2011: The UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (OCFA) hosted a one-day workshop today in Abu Dhabi for the UAE’s humanitarian donor community on the principles and practices of evaluating humanitarian programs. The workshop was chaired by the UAE Red Crescent Authority and held in partnership with DARA, an independent organization committed to improving the quality and effectiveness of aid for vulnerable populations suffering from conflict, disasters and climate change.

Participant in the workshop with his diploma

The event was conducted, in Arabic and English, by leading experts in the field, and allowed participants to review current evaluation practices by UAE donors, as well as introducing guidelines to help humanitarian organizations improve the evaluation of their programs.

“This initiative is part of OCFA’s on-going commitment to help UAE donor organisations improve the delivery of their humanitarian programs by facilitating knowledge transfers and bringing international and local aid organizations together to exchange best practices” said OCFA Executive Director Sultan Shamsi. “The introduction of guidelines for humanitarian evaluation will help the UAE’s humanitarian community to ensure that their programs are reaching those most in need.” Al Shamsi added that the workshop emphasized the importance of factoring in evaluations at the earliest stages of project planning.

The event took the form of an interactive and open discussion on humanitarian evaluation, guided by the experts from OCFA and DARA who brought the session to life through vivid case studies of humanitarian programs carried out in Somalia and Pakistan. Seasoned humanitarian professionals Ross Mountain, Director General of DARA, and Riccardo Polastro, Head of Evaluation, brought long and wide-ranging experience in humanitarian work around the world.

Speaking at the event, Ross Mountain said, “UAE organizations have contributed generously to humanitarian efforts. Drawing lessons and applying good practice can ensure enhanced impact for the people we seek to help (referring to the victims of conflict and disasters).”

The UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (OCFA) was established in 2008 by federal government mandate to support the nation’s foreign aid sector by building capacities, sharing information and facilitating cooperation among donor organizations for the benefit of communities in need worldwide.

View the full workshop program in English and in Arabic.

Photos