Summary

The present biennial report provides evaluative evidence on the organizational performance of the Secretariat, including an assessment of evaluation coverage and utility. In addition, it contains information on four key components of evaluation capacity. The 12 commitments set out by the Secretary-General in his report entitled “Our Common Agenda” were used as the analytical framework for the review.

Since the previous biennial report, Secretariat evaluation capacity functions have been strengthened with additional policies and plans, but dedicated resources and report production have been more uneven. The number of evaluation policies and plans nearly doubled, signalling progress in establishing a foundation for the conduct of evaluations. However, the production of reports has fluctuated and, as noted in previous biennial reports, remained concentrated among a few relatively well resourced Secretariat entities. The review found that evaluations were primarily used to inform programming and to report on results.

The adoption of the Pact for the Future provides an opportunity to strategically align evaluations with organizational priorities and shared goals with Member States. Although Member States and senior leaders place great importance on evaluation as a tool for reflecting on and strengthening organizational performance, its value added could be more fully harnessed within the Secretariat. Some progress towards a strong foundation of entity-specific evaluation policies and plans has been achieved. However, the findings of the present biennial report underscore the need for a more balanced and comprehensive evaluation approach. Strengthened evaluation practices are essential to generate the insights necessary for informed decision-making on the prioritization of the Organization’s resources and activities.

The Office of Internal Oversight Services makes an important recommendation for the Evaluation Management Committee to continue fostering demand and use of evaluation as a learning tool for managers to inform decisions on achieving organizational priorities, including wider mandates, such as the Pact for the Future.