UNFPA Evaluation Policy 2024
Resource date: 01 Feb 2024
The Evaluation Policy 2024 outlines a comprehensive framework for evaluation principles and procedures, and sets out roles and responsibilities for the evaluation function. The policy guides the planning, management, conduct and use of evaluations. It applies to evaluation at all levels of the organization, including project level and humanitarian evaluations. The policy was endorsed by the UNFPA Executive Board at the First Regular Session 2024.
The policy is the result of an extensive consultative process, and is informed by the independent peer review of the evaluation function, which ensures that evaluation is fit for purpose and effectively supports the strategic priorities of UNFPA in a rapidly changing landscape.
As an additional step in reinforcing the independence, positioning and the credibility of evaluation, the policy rebrands the Evaluation Office as the ‘Independent Evaluation Office’. The policy also enhances the partnership between evaluation with other oversight functions within the organization, while also strengthening the independence, coverage and quality of decentralized and humanitarian evaluations.
The use of evaluation for decision-making, accountability and learning remains a central focus of the policy. Further, the policy strongly emphasizes innovation, especially in developing the capacities of youth in evaluation and meaningfully involving them throughout the evaluation process. The policy also sharpens the focus on leveraging ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence in evaluation. It also reinforces the commitment to joint and system-wide evaluations, multi-stakeholder engagement, and intergenerational evaluation partnerships, towards developing national evaluation capacities.
