Review of the Use and Utility of Centralized Evaluations

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

Development Evaluation Unit (EVA-11) of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs carries out centralized strategic level and policy evaluations, meta-evaluations as well as syntheses of decentralized and centralized evaluations. In addition, different types of preliminary evaluability or background reviews on wider evaluations, or on other issues of importance to the organisation, are commissioned by EVA-11. The use of evaluations is high on the agenda of EVA-11, prompting the commissioning of this review of the use and utility of centralized evaluations. The ultimate prupose of the review is to strengthen the use of evaluation evidence for decision-making, learning and accountability and to enhance the use and utility of centralised evaluations. Ultimately, the review contributes to improvement of the implementation and effectiveness of development policy and cooperation. The review will cover the period of 2015–2022. In order to assess the use and utility the review will include annual evaluation plans, evaluation reports, management responses and reporting back on the management response, annual reports of development evaluation as well as processes related to them. The review will cover centralised evaluations commissioned by EVA-11 (in total 23 evaluations and 3 assessments, see Annex 1) excluding joint evaluations. The review will start in October 2022 and be finalized in March 2023.