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The objectives of the PEO: evAluAtion As PlAn scheme
(i) Objective assessment of process and The 10th Plan document pointed out that one
impact of the development programmes, of the most common reasons for the failure of
(ii) Identifying the areas of success and failures programmes and schemes was the faulty and
at different stages of administration and incomplete design of the programme/projects/
execution, and analysis of reasons for scheme. Care and attention must be taken to
success or failure, formulate programmes, projects and schemes in
(iii) Examining extension methods and a more systematic and professional manner. It is
people’s reactions thereto and deriving essential to strengthen the existing mechanisms for
lessons for future improvement in the monitoring and evaluation, in order to make sure
formulation and implementation of the that plans are being implemented as envisaged and
new programmes/schemes. the impact is also as planned. The strategy proposed
above would definitely contribute to efficiency in
orgAnisAtionAl structure resource use and improved performances of plan
The PEO is primarily a field level organisation programmes. But the evaluation capacity within
under the overall charge of the Deputy Chairman, and outside the government is limited. To make
PC. It has a three-tier structure: evaluation, an effective tool for this, capabilities of
evaluation organisations will have to be enhanced.
First Tier: At the apex is the Headquarters at
The ‘Working Group for Strengthening Monitoring
the PC, which is responsible for evolving suitable
and Evaluation System’ set up (late 2012) by the PC
methodologies, including statistical designs for
recommended to enhance the evaluation capacity
various type of evaluation studies, organising
and incorporate evaluation in the Plan Scheme.
execution and monitoring of sample surveys, data
processing, statistical analysis and interpretation The PEO also encourages State Evaluation
of qualitative and quantitative data generated Organisations (SEOs) to send the evaluation
by the field units and also for bringing out the reports to the PC so that these reports can also
Evaluation Reports. The organisation is headed by be put on the Internet (now, it may be sent to
the Adviser (Evaluation). the NITI Aayog—a decision yet to be taken by
the government). By late 2014, the government
Second Tier: The middle link of the PEO decided to strengthen the PEO—further actions
represents Regional Evaluation Offices, which in this direction is awaited.
are 7 in number located at Chandigarh, Chennai,
Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow and nItI AAyoG
Mumbai.
Third Tier: The Field Units, known as Project By mid-2014, India did show a quite strong
Evaluation Offices constitute the third tier of mandate and a very stable government came at the
PEO. These are located in the capital cities of Centre. We find the new government showing a
8 major states of the country, viz., Guwahati, renewed vigour and zeal in several areas. One such
Bhubaneshwar, Shimla, Bangalore, Bhopal, area has been its attempts at ‘redefining’ the federal
Patna, Thrivananthapuram and Ahmedabad. polity of the country for the purpose of promoting