Independent Evaluation Office

EV

ALU

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PROFESSIONALIZATION FOR UTILITY, WITH CREDIBILITY THROUGH INDEPENDENCE

30 June 2015Indran A. NaidooDirector, IEO UNDPLecture to IPDET

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Outline

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

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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

"

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Building National Evaluation Capacity

Conference Partners

NEC 2015Road map for National Evaluation Capacity

Development

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NEC Journey

55 participants from 30

countries

80 participants from 20 counties

160 participants from 70

countries

Expected: > 200

participants from > 80 countries

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What this means for you …

Evaluation as a profession is coming of ageIPDET played a central global role by ‘reading the future’ - accountable contextIn 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

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Now that we are many, and a community - the work begins

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

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As a professional, you do not work in an ideal environment but: you can!

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

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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, decision-making and accountability; support the evaluation community in the UN system and beyond.

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UNEG Norms and Standards

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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

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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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UNEG Strategic Objectives 2014-2019How we work together

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Independent Evaluation Units in the UN System

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

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IEO experience and changes

In 2012 model

changed from

outsourcing to

IEO lead

Investment in

external exposur

e, training

and mentors

hip

Establish Evaluati

on Advisory

Panel

ADR Reform

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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

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How it works at UN HeadquarterPreparing and tracking of management response

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How it works at UN Headquarter

Evaluation conclusions

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Back to UNEG and your role as a profession

Professionalize

evaluation

Policy for evaluation

that addresses

the ICU

Reflect on norms and standards

Moving between agencies

Occupational category

for evaluator

Utility

Credibility

Independence

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Concluding thoughts …

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 Office220 East 42nd StreetNew York, NY 10017www.undp.org/evaluation