Report on the Evaluation Function

Evaluation Office

Two Sections of the report

In keeping with the Board decisions this report comprises two major sections •A review of the implementation of the Evaluation Policy •A summary of major evaluations

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

The Evaluation Policy

• Policy approved January 2008 •Executive Directive issued March 2009 We are at an early stage of policy implementation

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Executive Directive

Executive Directive issued in March 2009: • Clarified accountabilities at different levels • Emphasized a strong leadership role for the Evaluation Office • Emphasized the importance of management attention to evaluation

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Executive Directive ctd

The Evaluation Office: • Conducts a programme of independent evaluations • Provides leadership and oversight to the evaluation function

Executive Directive ctd

Country Representatives, Regional Directors and headquarters Divisional Directors, will ensure that: • New programmes are designed in a way that permits evaluation at a later stage • Evaluations are strategically selected and adequate human and financial resources are allocated; • Appropriate management arrangements are in place; • Evaluations are fully considered and management responses are prepared.

Focus of the review

The focus of the internal review is on decentralized evaluations As emphasized in the policy, most evaluative work in the organization takes place at the decentralized level Decentralization is a key characteristic of the UNICEF evaluation system

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Timing of review

• No holistic external review carried out since the policy was adopted. The last external review was the Peer Review of the evaluation function in 2006 • 2008 Global Accountability Report reviewed the evaluation function and gave a very positive rating • A comprehensive review could be considered in the future, carrying out such a review once every five years would be in line with good practice

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Internal review of policy

Sources include: • Evaluation Office reporting • Submissions from Regional Offices • Management information systems reporting • A report by the Office of Internal Audit

Active dissemination and training

• Considerable efforts have taken place at Regional and Country level to ensure that the Evaluation Policy and Executive Directive are properly disseminated; • High visibility of evaluation at key regional and country meetings; • Accountabilities have been clearly understood • In a large organization such as UNICEF, dissemination and training needs to be ongoing.

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Strengthening links with Regional Offices

• A major development in the Evaluation Office has been the creation of a new post to strengthen the link with Regional Offices and to promote sharing of best practice between the regions.

• The monitoring and evaluation functions have been strengthened at Regional Offices.

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Capacity building through Knowledge Management

• Considerable effort at building the skills of monitoring and evaluation staff and programme staff; • Development of intranet to support knowledge management and capacity development; • Use of webcasts; • Dissemination of good practice; • Community of Practice on evaluation initiated, this should help provide support to those interested in evaluation throughout the organization.

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Ongoing challenges

• Need to develop guidance on human resource requirements in different contexts • Need to develop strategies to ensure that evaluation plans are adequately funded To address these issues senior management (through the Evaluation Committee) should continue to monitor investment in evaluation and provide appropriate guidance

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Ensuring excellence

Strengthened oversight of evaluation planning: • Ensuring strategic choices for evaluation- stronger oversight of evaluation planning at country level • There have been major developments in quality assurance but there is still a need to ensure that all regions have appropriate mechanisms in place

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Management response

• It is widely recognized that greater attention needs to be given to the development of management responses to evaluations.

• Draft guidance has been developed and an IT system has been successfully piloted and will be rolled out globally by the end of the year.

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Developing National Capacities

• UNICEF is active within UNEG on this issue • Aim to ensure a coordinated approach to national capacity development with other actors • Continued work with Regional Offices on developing strategies for national capacity development

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Conclusion of review

Considerable progress has been made after 18 months of policy implementation. Strengthening an evaluation function requires continued management attention

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION

Summary of major evaluations

• A cross-section of evaluations has been included in the report; • A number are cross-country studies that promote learning at a regional level or globally; In general there is evidence that these evaluations have been used effectively to improve programmes and influence policy.

UNICEF REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE EVALUATION FUNCTION