EvalPartners 10 Years Together: Taking stock, Moving Forward

In 2022, EvalPartners celebrates its ten-year birthday. Exactly ten years since the birth of the global network in Accra, Ghana, and the launch of the Chiang Mai Declaration, EvalPartners is at a crossroads: a new EvalPartners Strategic Plan towards 2030 are being developed and the Global Evaluation Agenda 2030 is in the process of being co-created. It is critical for EvalPartners to engage deeply with all stakeholders, specifically VOPEs and clearly articulate its value offering. EvalPartners is also driving the promotion of Country-led Evaluation of the Sustainable Development Goals through its Flagship 1 and Flagship 2 programmes. The purpose of the ‘10 Years Together’ session is to provide the EvalPartners family with an at a glance overview of the status of these key initiatives and answer the following questions: • What did we learn from the EvalAgenda stocktaking exercise? When and how will the new EvalAgenda be shared with the global evaluation community? • What is the role of VOPEs in the EvalAgenda, and how can they engage more actively in the process? What were the highlights of the VOPE Leadership Bootcamp? • What were the key takeaways from the EvalPartners Strategic Plan consultation process? What are the implications for EvalPartners and its networks? • How is EvalPartners working towards the vision for the uptake of Country-led Evaluation of the SDGs? What can VOPEs and other stakeholders in the global evaluation community do to support this process?

How has country-led evaluation of the SDGs evolved since the landmark 2014 UN Resolution? How have countries and development partners responded? EvalPartners, with EvalForward, convene this virtual panel discussion to continue the momentum already gained for country-led evaluation of the SDGs. The panellists will explore the evolution of National Evaluation Capacity Development (NECD) and country-led evaluation since the 2014 Resolution based on a recent UNEG report. They will share lessons and perspectives on the Evaluation of SDG 2 from FAO; highlight WFP experience on how engaging in joint evaluation work with the Governments of Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Benin and Kenya could build capacity for country-led evaluation; and learn from the Government of Uganda how M&E systems have evolved in the country. The panel also discusses how a possible new UN General Assembly resolution could scale up Country-led Evaluations of the SDGs in the coming years.

National ownership of the evaluation process will lead to better, more relevant national evidence that could help steer countries towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Flagship EvalPartners programme Strengthening National Evaluation Policies & Systems have supported inclusive, multi-stakeholder partnerships to develop national development roadmaps, and establish resilient national evaluation systems in 16 countries globally. The progamme aimed to develop voluntary national reviews (VNRs) that incorporate evaluative evidence, and consider it as critical to the follow up and review of the SDGs. In its second phase of implementation, eight countries have recently completed their projects. Join EvalPartners on a journey towards evidence-informed policymaking and country-led evaluation of the SDGs in Serbia, Macedonia, Ethiopia, Paraguay and Palestine as they share their experiences and engage with their peers. The country partners will exchange lessons, best practices and challenges, with ample time for the audience to join in the discussion, pose questions and share reflections.