This is your community, and we want to make sure your voices are heard. In order to understand how UR can better serve the community, the managing team commissioned an independent evaluation of the community and its activities. The results were positive with a number of helpful recommendations. Thank you to all those who took part in the evaluation. Access the full report.
Executive Summary
A snapshot performance evaluation using mix methods and random sampling was conducted from November, 2016 to January 2017. Thirty-two people were interviewed for this study in an effort to address the following seven evaluation questions:
- What are the effects of UR Forums on partners? (Partners refer to all categories of organizations that have been either financial or content partners of UR Forums.)
- What are the effects of UR Forums on attendees? (Attendees include those from academia, governments, NGOs, bilateral and multilateral institutions, the private sector, etc.)
- What are the main factors affecting UR community member participation/non-participation in the UR biennial events?
- What factors contribute to attendee and content partner interest in becoming future financial partners?
- How do all past and present partners view UR?
- Which factor(s) contributed most to outcome-level results, where applicable?
- Were there unintended consequences, positive or negative, as a result of the Forums?
Findings showed that the logic model underlying UR Forums is robust, providing strong evidence in support of the six outcome-level results these global events seek to achieve. Namely, this study found evidence which supports the first level in the Forum’s theory of change:
If risk information innovations are showcased at biennial forums; communications products are showcased; bilateral meetings are facilitated; training sessions are held; Expo space is offered; networking space is offered; technical sessions are held; initiatives are launched; Forum attendees are diverse; registration costs are low; creative settings are offered throughout the events; a publication is produced; Forum materials are made available online; a cocktail reception is held; lunch/coffee breaks are provided daily; an opening reception is held; and cultural entertainment is held, assuming there is significant interest and funds to attend among the risk information community, then the understanding of risk is improved; disaster risk assessment (DRA) and disaster risk communication (DRC) capacity is built; new partnerships are formed; knowledge is shared; targeted Communities of Practice are strengthened; and technical expertise is applied at the country level.
Recommendations include the creation of a Steering Committee to provide input on content for future UR Forums, communicating the UR Forum logic model with the UR community of practice, planning UR events 18 months in advance, using the results of this evaluation to revise the UR Forum logic model, and consideration of charging a registration fee.