Evaluation

Evaluation in the Secretariat

The Evaluation Section contributes to quality and effectiveness of Secretariat programmes in two main areas:

• The conduct and management of an annual evaluation programme and the dissemination of findings and lessons from these studies; and,
• Performance information and the implementation of results monitoring and reporting across the programme.
  

The evaluation programme

Since the formation of the Evaluation Section in 1993 it has managed over 30 evaluation studies. These studies and reviews were designed to assess programmatic effectiveness and contribute to enhanced organizational performance through the provision of recommendations that focus on lessons learned from past experience.  Working closely with other divisions, the Evaluation Section promotes the adoption of good practices in project design and management identified in evaluation studies.

The approach to evaluation in the Secretariat has changed over recent years, with greater emphasis now given to thematic and regional reviews of programmes. This reflects the fact that the Secretariat's programmes are not designed as country programmes but are developed around key themes or technical areas of emphasis. It is also more cost effective to undertake regional and thematic evaluations, given the limited size and resource base of the Secretariat programmes. All our evaluations include a strong examination of processes, particularly design and delivery, as these are seen as critical aspects which contribute to programme effectiveness.  This also strengthens the applicability of recommendations as our work is designed along broad thematic or sector lines.

Although the Secretariat does not have the resources to adopt long-term impact assessment, using baseline studies or extensive ex-post assessment procedures, we do use questionnaires and detailed interviews of key stakeholders to develop a broad consensus of effectiveness and impact. One area the Secretariat is examining more carefully, as are most other donors, is in developing lessons and feeding these back to inform the planning and design of new activities. Through collaboration in evaluations with our development partners and member countries we can build on others' lessons and share in the utilization of evaluation findings.