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Strategic Plan Evaluation Workshop

On September 14-15, 2008, a workshop on the primary findings from the Heifer Cambodia Strategic Plan Evaluation was held at the Cambodiana Hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Participants included all Heifer Cambodia staff, 18 existing project partners and the Heifer China co-mentoring team led by Country Director Chen Taiyong. The two-day workshop was facilitated by a consultant team from Mekong Think Tank Co. Ltd (MTT), who was contracted by Heifer Cambodia to conduct the strategic plan evaluation. The purpose of the workshop was to present the primary findings and to seek feedback, comments and further input contributed to the findings. Three methods for data collection were carried out in the process of the study, such as a literature review of relevant documents related to Heifer organizational and program managements, individual and group semi-structure interviews and observation of the information received by other methods. The objectives of the evaluation were to provide an external review of Heifer Cambodia’s fiscal year 2005-2009 strategic plan in terms of five key issues, objectives and strategies, which were implemented by Heifer Cambodia, project partners and communities; to find out three levels of impact (ground, deeper and external) and to draw recommendations related to strategic issues for Heifer Cambodia developing the next five-year strategic plan for 2010-2014. In his speech at the opening ceremony, Heifer Cambodia Country Director Sen Sovann said it is time for us to review how and what we have done and achieved over the last five years in relation to the current strategic plan. “We have a lot to do and need to work more,” stated Sovann. “Today, we need to find out the outside views from the consultants who are not Heifer, to really help us to look at the good we have done and at other opportunities where we can do even better to strengthen our program in Cambodia.” He also encouraged the participants to fully participate in reviewing and contributing to the findings. After the opening session, the consultant team presented the results of the primary findings related to achievement of the five key issues set in the current strategic plan, including Accountability, Institutional and Organizational Capacity Building, Holistic Development Approach for Food Security/Nutrition and Income, Networking and Communication, and Gender. The findings reflected the achievements at the country program, project partner, and community levels. However, challenges and areas for improvement were also found. Then the participants were divided into small groups for discussion about the strengths and weaknesses in achieving the five key issues, which were found in the evaluation study. From the results, they could identify the opportunities and focal points to be set in the next five-year strategic plan. During the workshop, the participants shared enthusiastically their ideas and comments on the review of the strategic plan. Expressing his impression on the important event, Mr. Chen Taiyong, Heifer China Country Director, said he observed and learned that Heifer Cambodia had achieved many things during the strategic plan period in promoting Values-Based Holistic Community Development, self-help groups and other community developments. Through the workshop, areas for improvement and key areas had been identified for the next strategic plan. “Our Heifer China team can learn a lot from this process,” said Taiyong.

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