The IOB Evaluation Report 'Investing in Stability' and Beyond
The Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law has initiated a series of events dedicated to the IOB Evaluation of the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
The purpose of this first event on 5 December is to facilitate the exchange of views on specifc challenges identified in the IOB Evaluation and its possible consequences, with partners from knowledge institutions, NGO’s, governments and international organizations.
After a word of welcome, the event will start with a panel discussion that invites critical reflection on the ways practitioners, policy makers and researchers use context knowledge and current research to either support or nuance their views or theories about effective engagement and promoting stability in fragile states. Moreover, consideration should be devoted to identifying what hinders actors from using empirical evidence and/or academic discussions to review or revise their theories or programmes. What would enable this process of critical reflection?
The second session will be dedicated to more interactive discussions among the event attendees, as they delve deeper into some of the specific challenges identified in the IOB evaluation.
After a plenary presentation of each break out group consisting of a general feedback and identification of key points for further exploration, today's event will be followed by a lunch reception.
Program:
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09:30 - 10:00 Welcome and opening by Jeroen de Lange Introduction Dutch Foreign Policy Fragile States 2005– 2011 by Mr. Ronald Wormgoor, MFA/DSH Presentation IOB evaluation and main findings Mr. Geert Geut, Deputy Head IOB |
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10:00 - 11:30 Panel discussion | moderation Jeroen de Lange ‘’How do practitioners, policy makers and researchers apply – or are hindered from applying - context knowledge and current research to inform our Theories of Change for effective engagement and promoting stability in fragile states?’’ Panelists: Dr. Willemijn Verkoren, Mr. Chris Underwood, Geert Geut and Julia McCall (IOB) |
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11:30 - 12:30 Break out sessions on specific challenges identified in the IOB Evaluation •‘’Theories of Change as a Critical Reflection of Foreign Policy in Fragile States’’: A theory of change can help make explicit the underlying assumptions on which engagement is based, thereby exposing these assumptions to critique. But does this actually happen in practice? If so, how? If not, why not?
•‘’Science meets Foreign Policy Fragile States’’: What current research is particularly relevant for critiquing or revising Dutch fragile state policy? Could these current discussions be more directly addressed in Dutch fragile states policy? If so, how?
•‘’Complexity in Fragility’’: Given the dynamic and complex character of many fragile states; is it possible or even useful to come up with a “Theory of Change” for Dutch fragile state policy?
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12:30 - 13:00 Plenary presentation & closing remarks by Jeroen de Lange 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch reception |