Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Independent Evaluation Office
EV
ALU
ATIO
N
PROFESSIONALIZATION FOR UTILITY,
WITH CREDIBILITY THROUGH
INDEPENDENCE
30 June 2015
Indran A. Naidoo
Director, IEO UNDP
Lecture to IPDET
Independent Evaluation Office
Outline
2
Historic moment for Evaluation:
2015, a first ever UN Year of Evaluation -UNEG as a global driver
A profession coming of age: opportunities and challenges
A revised UNEG: advancing evaluation on a global level
IEO implementing the professional model
Independent Evaluation Office
UNEG joins EvalPartners in declaring 2015
as the International Year of Evaluation
2015 was declared as the International Year of
Evaluation (EvalYear) at the 3rd International Conference
on National Evaluation Capacities (NEC) organized in Sao Paulo, Brazil in Oct
2013
Lighting of the Evaluation Torch - International Year of
Evaluation
So far, more than 70 events are scheduled to celebrate the international year of
evaluation
United Nations General Assembly Adopts Resolution "Capacity building for the evaluation of development
activities at the country-level"
3
Independent Evaluation Office
Building National Evaluation Capacity
4
Conference Partners
NEC 2015Road map for National Evaluation
Capacity Development
Independent Evaluation Office
NEC Journey
5
55 participants
from 30 countries
80 participants
from 20 counties
160 participants
from 70 countries
Expected: > 200
participants from > 80 countries
Independent Evaluation Office
What this means for you …
6
Evaluation as a profession is coming of age
IPDET played a central global role by ‘reading the future’ - accountable context
In 2001: starting IPDET, training and popularizing, building personal capacity
Capacity building – accreditation -professionalization – before you practice?
Membership of associations, participation in networks, densification of networks
Independent Evaluation Office
Now that we are many, and a
community - the work begins
7
The appetite for evaluation and accountability varies globally and all intersections of democracy, accountability are aligned
Variation in evaluation policy, resources and competence and context affects organizational power relations
Push back arguments:
‘evaluation is like
any other function,
no special
dispensation is
required (it serves
management and
learning) and is not
about
accountability
‘cannot use funds for
evaluation, it takes
away from
programming – fear
to talk truth to
political or
administrative power
Independent Evaluation Office
As a professional, you do not work in
an ideal environment but: you can!
8
Make an impact through being skilled and professional
Have the technical and professional skills (IPDET) to build confidence and do good work
Advocate for an evaluation policy and occupational class
Independent Evaluation Office
UN Evaluation Group (UNEG)
9
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, decision-
making and accountability;
support the evaluation community in the UN system and beyond.
Independent Evaluation Office
UNEG Norms and Standards
10
Independent Evaluation Office
UNEG Code of Conduct
Independence
Impartiality
Conflict of Interest
Honesty and Integrity
Competence
Accountability
Obligations to Participants
Confidentiality
Avoidance of Harm
Accuracy, Completeness and
Reliability
Transparency
Omissions and Wrongdoing
11
Independent Evaluation Office
Professionalization
12
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.
Independent Evaluation Office
UNEG Strategic Objectives 2014-2019
How we work together
13
Independent Evaluation Office
Independent Evaluation Units
in the UN System
14
Most UNEG member agencies are not independent, and report to management – thus subsumed within and subject to the will of the administration
The most independent units report directly to the Executive Board: UNDP IEO, IFAD IEO and GEF IOE - It is independent when the reporting is to the governing body of the “evaluand”
UN Agencies with Independent Evaluation Units
Independent Evaluation Office
IEO experience and changes
15
In 2012 model
changed from
outsourcing to IEO lead
Investment in external exposure, training
and mentorship
Establish Evaluation Advisory
Panel
ADR Reform
Independent Evaluation Office
Evaluation Advisory Panel
EAP members discuss strategic, overarching, emerging, or imminent activities
and issues in plenary:
Presenting differing opinions
Combining areas of expertise
Allowing quick and free debate
Allowing a laser focus onto each issue
Resulting in concrete outcomes and actions
Engaging with those external to IEO
16
Independent Evaluation Office
How it works at UN Headquarter
17
Preparing and tracking of management response
Independent Evaluation Office
How it works at UN Headquarter
18
Evaluation conclusions
Independent Evaluation Office
Back to UNEG
and your role as a profession
19
Professionalize evaluation
Policy for evaluation
that addresses the ICU
Reflect on norms and standards
Moving between agencies
Occupational category for
evaluator
Utility
Credibility
Independence
Independent Evaluation Office
Concluding thoughts …
20
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 (supported by IEO, UNEG, UN).
Thank you
United Nations Development Programme
Independent Evaluation Office
220 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
www.undp.org/evaluation
