Independent Magazine - issue 12

FEATURE STORY FEATURE

IMPORTANCE OF EVALUATION: Results are key in current landscape

In the current international landscape, it has become even more important to show results and learning, and to demonstrate that funds are devoted to the impact being sought on the ground. In this context, having an Independent Office of Evaluation (IOE) is something that IFAD cherishes. Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD, made this point whilst welcoming the members of the Evaluation Cooperation Group (ECG) to the Fund’s headquarters, for the ECG 2025 Spring meeting. The event, which took place from the 10th to the 12th of March 2025, marked the second time in history that IOE hosted the bi-annual gathering, the first dating back to 2017. The Office took over the mantel of host institution from the Independent Evaluation Department (IEvD) of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Independent Evaluation Office of Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), who chaired the Spring and Fall sessions of 2024, respectively.

In his remarks, President Lario noted that IFAD uptakes almost 100% of IOE’s recommendations, which stem from very valuable findings that show the impact and the results that the Fund achieves at grassroots level. For this reason, IFAD counts very much on the work of IOE. The way in which the Office is regarded internationally is in of itself a strategic asset, further emphasized the President referring to the findings of the 2021 Quality of Official Development Assistance Report, which ranked the quality of IFAD’s evaluation function very highly among Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).

The ECG 2025 Spring meeting brought together the heads of the evaluation offices of all the major MDBs. The Chair of the event, Dr Indran A. Naidoo, IOE Director, was joined by Dr Véronique Salze-Lozac’h, Chief Evaluator, EBRD; Dr Sabine Bernabè, Vice President and Director General of Evaluation, IEG-World Bank; Monique Koning, Inspector General, European Investment Bank (EIB); Emmanuel Pondard, Head of Evaluation, EIB; Pablo Moreno, Director, Independent Evaluation Office (IEO), International Monitory Fund (IMF); Dr José Efraín Deras, Head of the Independent Evaluation Office, CABEI; Karen Rot-Münstermann, Evaluator General, African Development Bank (AfDB); Todor Dimitrov, Director, Independent Evaluation, Black Sea Trade & Development Bank (BSTDB); Marialisa Motta, Director, Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE), Inter-American Development Bank; and Dr Emmanuel Jimenez, Director General, Asian Development Bank (AsDB).

In his opening remarks, Dr Naidoo put the spotlight on IOE’s strategic priorities going forward. These include a heightened country focus, which will result in a 100% increase in the geographic coverage of the Office’s evaluations. IOE will also make growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and continue its work on mainstreaming a neuroscience-based approach to evaluation communication. In recent years, this approach has contributed to strengthening a solid working relationship with IFAD Management through a process of principled engagement. Following a round of institution-specific updates, the Spring meeting began by welcoming the application of the New Development Bank’s IEO to join the ECG, by granting it temporary observer status. Thereafter, seven thematic discussions unfolded over the course of the three days. IOE’s substantive contributions featured prominently during these sessions.

Dr Naidoo co-chaired the first thematic session, on AI, alongside, Dr Bernabè. The session included a joint presentation by Steven Jonckheere, IOE Senior Evaluation Officer, and Hannah den Boer, IOE Associate Evaluation Officer. Contributions to the session included presentations by EIB, IEGWB and AsDB. The IOE Director also co-chaired the second thematic session, on the private sector, alongside Dr Efraín Deras. The session included a presentation by Dr Kouessi Maximin Kodjo, IOE Lead Evaluation Officer. Contributions to the session included presentations by CABEI and AsDB. On the second day of the meeting, Dr Naidoo co-chaired the fifth thematic session, on knowledge management (KM) and communication, alongside Ms Rot-Munstermann. Dr Alexander Voccia, IOE Senior Evaluation Communication and KM specialist, delivered the opening presentation. Contributions to the session included presentations by IEG-WB, AfDB and AfDB.

Vibrant discussions also unfolded over the course of the other thematic sessions. These included the sessions on climate change, co-chaired by Mr Moreno and Dr Salze-Lozach, with presentations by IMF, EIB, AsDB and EBRD; on good practice standards and methodologies, co-chaired by Ms Motta and Dr Bernabè, with presentations by IDB and BSTDB; on additionality, chaired by Mr Pondard, with presentations by IEG-WB and EIB; and on institutional change, co-chaired by Dr Bernabè and Mr Dimitrov, with presentations by IMF, EBRD, EIB and IEG-WB. The meeting also included a side event on KM and communication, during which Dr Voccia delved into the details of how IOE has been leveraging neuroscience-based principles in its evaluation communication undertakings.

IOE will also host the next meeting of the ECG, at IFAD headquarters in Rome. The event will take place in October 2025.