The evaluation of official development programmes has grown tremendously over the past two decades; with the public and taxpayers demanding credible information and assessments of development co-operation efforts. Calls to hold OECD DAC members and partners accountable for the outcomes of development co-operation have contributed to the growing interest in evaluation. The Network supports DAC members’ evaluation units in collective learning which helps reinforce DAC member’s evaluation systems. 

The Network has undertaken studies (2023, 2016, 2010) describing the role and management of evaluation in development agencies, ministries and multilateral banks. The studies are based on questionnaires, findings from peer reviews by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), interviews and a literature review. The studies include information about the specific institutional settings, resources, policies and practices of DAC Evaluation Network members, and also include specific profiles on each member’s evaluation system. The studies identify major trends and current challenges in development evaluation, covering: human and financial resources, institutional set-ups and policies, independence of the evaluation function, reporting and use of evaluation findings, management response systems, donor co-ordination, joint evaluation, and the involvement of partner countries in evaluation work.

 

The 2023 Review of Evaluation Systems in Development Co-operation is part of the DAC Network on Development Evaluation’s ongoing efforts to increase the effectiveness of development co-operation policies and programmes by promoting high-quality, independent evaluation.

The 2016 Review of Evaluation Systems in Development Co-operation is part of the DAC Network on Development Evaluation’s ongoing efforts to increase the effectiveness of development co-operation policies and programmes by promoting high-quality, independent evaluation.

The 2010 Evaluation in Development Agencies study is part of the DAC Network on Development Evaluation’s ongoing efforts to increase the effectiveness of development co-operation policies and programmes by promoting high-quality, independent evaluation.