Pan Asia Networking (PAN), as stated within its prospectus, is a strong proponent of using regional thematic networks as a chief modus operandi in its programming strategy. In fact, a large portion of PAN’s project portfolio is comprised of multi-country thematic networks. Given the central role of the network modality, a formative learning-focused evaluation has been designed to analyze PAN's ongoing network-based programming, and to inform and improve similar programming in the future. The issue of “networks” was also identified as one of the four issues to be evaluated at the PAN program level within PAN’s prospectus.

 

Building on the Centre-wide evaluation study  examining networks commissioned by IDRC’s Evaluation Unit (EU), this study enabled the PAN team to systematically collect data on several flagship networks and to test a number of hypotheses -- many of which draw on prior research conducted by IDRC and others. In PAN’s current 2006-2011 prospectus, notably in Section 2.3 Programming Approaches and Modalities (pages 26-28), the document reads "experience has shown that networks can ensure greater knowledge sharing, have more scope for research activities, enable greater capacity building through peer support and mentoring and generally show more administrative resilience." These four outcome areas serve as guiding posts in the design of this evaluation study. Other defining aspects of the study include its formative nature, the focus placed on learning rather than on accountability, and the participatory design that engaged all of the network leaders and the different members of the PAN team.

 

The four flagship networks selected for this study include PAN Localization (PANl10n); PAN Distance and Open Resource Access (PANdora); PAN Asian Collaboration for Evidence-based e-Health Adoption and Application (PANACeA); and OpenNet Initiative Asia (ONI-Asia).

 

The general objective of this participatory, formative, and learning-focused evaluation study is to systematically collect data, analyze and learn from the experiences of the sample of  PAN-supported networks, and derive meta-level learning that can be formalized and consolidated across PAN networks and applied to ongoing and emerging PAN regional thematic networks. Specific objectives include:

 

-         To examine the administrative resilience and network competency in four networks. Collectively referred to as the 'health' of a network (which includes both favourable and unfavourable findings), this would include examining leadership, legitimacy, resource mobilization, participation, network management, communications and knowledge management, and adaptive capacity;

-         To examine the extent to which the four networks are achieving with respect to the four outcome areas outlined in the prospectus: i) greater knowledge sharing, ii) supporting a broad scope of research, and iii) mentoring and peer support to build the capacity of its members;

-         To examine the actors and factors contributing to the health and outcomes of the four networks, from their inception, throughout their development; and

-         To conduct meta-level analysis across the four networks that provides PAN with a list of issues to consider for regional thematic network-based programming in the future.