has recently examined the agency’s adoption of results based management
(RBM). I would like to refer to this evaluation in relation to our recent
exchanges around changing information needs, and the ‘missing middle’ due
to the emphasis on collecting information on outcomes and impact. The main
purpose of this evaluation was to examine the degree to which RBM has
fostered a results culture within the organization, enhanced capacity to
improve management decisions, and strengthened UNDP’s contribution to
development results.
The UNDP website summarises the evaluation results as follows:
“The evaluation concludes that UNDP is largely managing for outputs rather
than outcomes and that the linkages between outputs and intended outcomes
are not clearly articulated. The introduction of corporate systems and
tools, which have had some efficiency benefits, have not however,
strengthened the culture of results in the organization or improved
programmatic focus at the country level. The current approach of defining
and reporting against centrally defined outcomes tends to undermine UNDP’s
responsiveness and alignment to nationally defined outcomes and
priorities. The evaluation makes a number of recommendations to address
these and other challenges.”
Here is a link to a page on the UNDP website, where you can download the
report, the individual chapters, and the management response:
http://www.undp.org/eo/thematic/rbm.html