Check out UN Women Independent Evaluation Service guide on the Inclusive Systemic Evaluation for Gender equality, Environments and Marginalized voices (ISE4GEMs) approach.
The Inclusive Systemic Evaluation for Gender equality, Environments and Marginalized voices (ISE4GEMs) is an approach for the SDG era. It is part of a larger response to shift the way development actors (from donors, multilateral organizations, bilateral agencies, non-governmental organizations [NGOs] and the participants themselves) view the process of economic or social development, as well as humanitarian action.
The ISE4GEMs approach brings together innovative systemic evaluation practice with intersectional analysis. It promotes transdisciplinary evaluation methods, rethinks systemic evaluation methodology, and introduces the Gender equality, Environments and Marginalized voices (GEMs) framework.
The ISE4GEMs is a shift not only for evaluation practitioners but also for those who commission evaluations. The approach challenges them to rethink the way they are asking evaluations to be conducted, the budget allocated and the flexibility and scope given to evaluators to do their work.
This guide is mainly written for the experienced evaluator who may be new to using systemic evaluation or applying the GEMs dimensions in a transdisciplinary manner. It is divided into two main parts and assumes that the reader has at least basic to intermediate-level experience in evaluation. Anyone interested in having a better understanding of how social change happens, what strategies and interventions worked (and did not work) in particular contexts, and how to empower stakeholders by developing their capacity during the evaluation process, will be interested in this guide.
The ISE4GEMs provides a clear process for defining objectives, activities, and analysis for developing findings and recommendations, and then disseminating what has been learned. A systemic mode of thinking is incorporated into each stage or step of the evaluation. It encourages a critical15 and holistic analysis of the opportunities, constraints and relationships between the interrelated pieces of the situation as a system of analysis. The outcomes of an ISE4GEMs are legitimate, valid and can capture a wide scope of outcomes and impacts relative to the context of the intervention.
This guide provides an introduction to the new approach and includes both a summary of the key theoretical concepts and guidance and tools for applying it in practice.
You can download this guidelines for free here.
