Our Vision of Linking Evaluations and Learning: ACF Learning Review 2011

How can we effectively evaluate humanitarian programmes and use lessons learned to strengthen organisational policy and practice?
For the past two years, the Evaluation, Learning & Accountability (ELA) Unit at Action Against Hunger UK (ACF-UK) has been helping ACF International answer this very question. For us this process was completely new, and despite an initial hesitancy about potentially exposing ourselves in a learning review, we decided that we want to do more. Now we want to hear other organisations' experiences.
Our approach was simple: to create a clear and consistent framework to evaluate ACF programmes around the world. We wanted to come up with a framework that could allow us to capture ACF performance in key areas, but also flexible enough to capture best practices. The information generated by the development and use of the Evaluation Policy & Guidelines, has been used to create ACF’s first ever annual Learning Review. The Review brings together some of the most innovative experiences and important lessons identified during 2011, shedding light on some of the challenges and opportunities facing the organisation and the wider humanitarian sector.
The ACF Learning Review presents in a concise and user-friendly way three different – but complementary – types of information garnered from our 2011 evaluations.