The DAC Network on Development Evaluation, OECD, 2010. Download a pdf copy
“Introduction
In June 2009, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Network on Development Evaluation agreed to undertake a study of its members’ evaluation systems and resources. The study aims to take stock of how the evaluation function is managed and resourced in development agencies and to identify major trends and current challenges in development evaluation. The purpose is to inform efforts to strengthen evaluation systems in order to contribute to improved accountability and better development results. It will be of interest to DAC members and evaluation experts, as well as to development actors in emerging donor and partner countries.
To capture a broad view of how evaluation works in development agencies, core elements of the evaluation function are covered, including: the mandate for central evaluation units, the institutional position of evaluation, evaluation funding and human resources, independence of the evaluation process, quality assurance mechanisms, co-ordination with other donors and partner countries, systems to facilitate the use of evaluation findings and support to partner country capacity development.
This report covers the member agencies of the OECD DAC Network on Development Evaluation.1 See Box 1 for a full list of member agencies and abbreviations. Covering all major bilateral providers of development assistance and seven important multilateral development banks, the present analysis therefore provides a comprehensive view of current policy and practice in the evaluation of development assistance.
The study is split into two sections: section I contains an analysis of overall trends and general practices, drawing on past work of the DAC and its normative work on development evaluation. Section II provides an individual factual profile for each member agency, highlighting its institutional set-up and resources.”
