Transcript Title

EVALUATION
THE INDEPENDENT
EVALUATION OFFICE OF UNDP
INDEPENDENCE, CREDIBILITY AND USE
IPDET,
Indran A. Naidoo
Director
30 JUNE 2014
Independent Evaluation Office
Outline
Make evaluation count!
Dynamic triad of independence, credibility & utility
Experience from the IEO of UNDP
Credibility
Independence
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Utility
Independent Evaluation Office
Evaluand
UNDP in 177 countries
Country
Presence
Budget
FOCUS
AREAS
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Annual Budget is more than 5 Billion
dollars
Poverty alleviation; democratic
governance; energy & environment; and
crisis prevention & recovery
Independent Evaluation Office
Influencing the evaluand at all levels
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IEO evaluations have influenced the new Strategic
Plan of UNDP – 2014-2016 – thus all of UNDP
work
90% uptake of IEO recommendations
Management reflects in its documents how it has
addressed recommendations & updates public
website
All new programmes must be preceded by and
include response to an evaluation
Independent Evaluation Office
Recent Evaluations from IEO
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Independent Evaluation Office
Recent Evaluations from IEO
Visit IEO website @ www.undp.org/evaluation
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Independent Evaluation Office
The critical “how question”
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Professional evaluation, what does it mean in
practice
Principles, approaches and ensuring that the end is
in sight
Independent Evaluation Office
Importance of the ‘Evaluation Triad’
Utility
Credibility
Independence
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Independent Evaluation Office
Independent Evaluation Office in UNDP
Structurally
Independent
Reports directly to
UNDP Executive Board
who appoints/renews/
dismisses Director
STRUCTURE
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IEO work is guided by
the Board approved
Evaluation policy
Evaluation Policy
periodically reviewed
Management
engagement
from
inception to
conclusion
POLICY
PROCEDURES
Independent Evaluation Office
Independence
Reporting Line
Director reports to
Executive Board to
prevent censorship and
enhance transparency
INTERNALLY @ IEO
Quality Assurance
 Staff protected from
occupational detriment
 Director takes full
accountability
 Policy review
 Evaluation Advisory Panel
 Peer Reviews
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Independent Evaluation Office
Credibility
Methodology
Professional
Forums &
Networks
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Credibility
Institutional
Linkage and
Capacity
Guidance
Independent Evaluation Office
Utility
Uptake of recommendations
• Management responses to evaluations and key actions publicly available in Evaluation Resource
Centre in IEO website
• UNDP strategies and policies are informed by evaluations
(UNDP strategic plan 2014-2017)
Stakeholder engagement
• Management engagement throughout the evaluation process
• Stakeholder workshop organized for all evaluations to share its findings and recommendations.
Government, civil societies and all other stakeholders participate at these workshops
Organizational accountability & learning
• Implementation of evaluation recommendation and associated key actions reported to UNDP
Executive Board in Annual Report on Evaluation
• Assessment of Development Results(ADR) provides substantive in put for development of new
UNDP Country Programmes
• All new country offices are required to submit fully costed evaluation plan with their new country
programme documents (CPDs)
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Independent Evaluation Office
UN Evaluation Group (UNEG)
The United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) is a unique interagency
professional network in the UN system that aims to advance the
effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the UN system’s
work by promoting and strengthening evaluation. UNEG brings
together units responsible for evaluation in the UN system, including
UN departments, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, and
affiliated organizations. It currently has 45 such members and three
observers.
UNEG’s mission is to:
 promote the independence, credibility and usefulness of the
evaluation function and evaluation across the UN system;
 advocate for the importance of evaluation for learning, decisionmaking and accountability;
 support the evaluation community in the UN system and beyond.
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Independent Evaluation Office
Professionalization
Evaluation is emerging as a mature profession.
For evaluation to be taken seriously it needs to distinguish itself
as a profession which requires policies, strategies and practices
that bring changes at the agency and the staff level.
UNEG advances the professionalization of evaluation within
the UN system and promotes adherence to the norms and
standards through the external review processes of
evaluation functions, the development of relevant guidance
materials, as well as the development of a professional
competency framework for UN evaluators.
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Independent Evaluation Office
UNEG Strategic Objectives 2014-2019
Strategic
Objectives
1
Evaluation functions
and products of UN
entities meet the UNEG
Norms and Standards
for evaluation;
Strategic
Objectives
2
UN entities and
partners use evaluation
in support of
accountability and
programme learning;
Strategic
Objectives
Strategic
Objectives
3
4
Evaluation informs UN
system-wide initiatives
and emerging demands;
UNEG benefits from
and contributes to an
enhanced global
evaluation profession.
(UNEG Strategy 2014-2019 available at: www.unevaluation.org/uneg_strategy)
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Independent Evaluation Office
Engaging with governments
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The National Evaluation Capacity
development initiatives …
Independent Evaluation Office
National Evaluation Capacity
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Independent Evaluation Office
National Evaluation Capacity
Independence
Credibility
Utility
‘National evaluation capacities are
increasingly critical to countries’ overall
ability to capture and demonstrate results
to a variety of constituencies and to
promoting learning and enabling decision
makers to make informed decisions and
plan strategically.’
- Rebeca Grynspan, Associate Administrator
UNDP (2010-2014)
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Independent Evaluation Office
2015 – Year of Evaluation
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Declared by EvalPartners and currently working on
a UN resolution to have 2015 declared Year of
Evaluation
Motto: Empowering nations and people through
evaluation
Independent Evaluation Office
EvalYear
EvalYear, a
catalyst to
promote
demand and use
of evaluation in
policy-making
Evaluation policy
process at
country level
Inauguration of
EvalYear at
country level
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Strengthening
work with
parliamentarians
and policy
makers
(enabling
environment)
Promote national
evaluation
capacity
building
Strengthening
stakeholders and
facilitate
collaboration/
partnerships
among them
Independent Evaluation Office
Concluding thoughts..
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It is necessary to drive evaluations at many levels &
ensure that all of the complexity and context is
addressed.
Evaluation principles should not be lost in this pursuit
Working across sectors and with partners helps build
support
Evaluation should ultimately help to improve the lives of
people through ensuring development effectiveness.
Professional and well capacitated evaluation functions
remain critical for this, and training such as IPDET is
invaluable.
Independent Evaluation Office
Thank you
United Nations Development Programme
Independent Evaluation Office
220 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
www.undp.org/evaluation