Jeddah, KSA, 19 August — Dr. Hilal Houssain, Associate Manager of Knowledge Solutions and Br. Mohamad Naamani, Senior Knowledge for Development Specialist at the IsDB Institute (IsDBI), conducted an insightful Brown Bag Knowledge Session on the Islamic Finance Artificial Intelligence Assistant (IFAA). The session, organized by the Independent Evaluation Department (IEvD), brought together 18 participants from various departments, eager to learn about this cutting-edge project. Dr. Houssain and Br. Naamani provided an overview of IFAA, an AI-powered chatbot trained on peer-reviewed publications related to Islamic finance. They highlighted the benefits of the platform in generating tailored content for knowledge seekers, as well as the challenges faced during the development phase, particularly the need to fine-tune the bot's answers. This was addressed by involving subject matter experts in Islamic finance to review and refine the bot's responses to ensure accuracy and reliability. The session provided an opportunity to gain insight into the various types of Large Language Models (LLMs) and explore their potential applications across the Islamic Development Bank. Participants engaged actively, asking pertinent questions about the future opportunities IFAA and similar chatbots present. They also considered how such innovative tools could be used to streamline their own work, enhance efficiency, and foster learning.
Rabat, Morocco, 19 July 2024 – The Independent Evaluation Department (IEvD) organized a capacity-building training for executives of the Court of Accounts from 15 to 19 July 2024, in collaboration with the Cooperation and Capacity Development Department and the Rabat Regional Hub. Twenty staff members of the Court of Accounts participated in the training, which focused on the evaluation of public programs and projects.
The training was delivered by Dr. Abdourahamane Dit Baffa Keita, who designed the program to enhance participants' abilities to evaluate public programs, ensuring they can effectively assess and improve the impact of these initiatives. Participants praised the training for its valuable insights and practical knowledge. Brothers Said Mourabit and Adamou Mayaki contributed to the delivery and design of the workshop.
Mr. Loumissi Abdeslam, one of the participants, shared his thoughts: "We have participated in many evaluation trainings, but we have never experienced such comprehensive learning. The training began with an in-depth exploration of the Theory of Change. It seamlessly integrated it with evaluation design and implementation, all framed within results-based management principles." This training is part of IEvD's ongoing capacity-building outreach to support member countries' institutions in promoting accountability and learning. It is the second such activity organized by the department this year, following a session for the Malaysian EXIMP Bank in March 2024.