The Evaluation Function Working Group is dedicated to enhancing the quality, effectiveness, and impact of evaluation practices within organizations or projects. This group focuses on building and maintaining robust evaluation systems that provide insights into the performance, outcomes, and value of initiatives. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement, the group ensures that evaluations are not only compliant with standards and regulations but also contribute to informed decision-making and accountability.

History of the Group

The UNEG Evaluation Function Working Group (EFWG) was established in 2023 to address the unique challenges faced by smaller evaluation functions within the UN system. With a vision of inclusivity, EFWG focuses on supporting evaluation offices with limited resources, aiming to elevate their capacity, foster meaningful engagement within UNEG, and enable these offices to contribute to UNEG’s overarching evaluation objectives effectively.

Key Activities and Achievements

In 2023, the EFWG accomplished several significant initiatives:

• Engagement and Inclusivity Efforts: Through a series of consultations, workshops, and regular meetings, the EFWG engaged diverse UNEG members, facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration across different function sizes. Key initiatives included the first UNEG Workshop for small evaluation functions in October 2023 and a survey targeted at gathering feedback from small functions within UNEG.
• UNEG Small Evaluation Function Strategy: Approved by the UNEG Chair and released in October 2024, this strategy was crafted with input from UNEG members. It provides a structured approach for UNEG to step up the support for small evaluation functions to strengthen their capacities and increase their integration and visibility within UNEG.
• Good Practices Compendium: Released as an appendix to the Small Evaluation Function Strategy, this compendium offers good practices shared by UNEG members to assist small evaluation offices in navigating and overcoming common constraints, supporting their growth and operational effectiveness.

Current Areas of Focus in 2024

Building on the momentum of 2023, EFWG is now focusing on embedding the Small Evaluation Function Strategy into the forthcoming UNEG Strategy (2025-2029), as mandated by the UNEG AGM decision of 2024. To achieve this, EFWG is actively:

• Conducting consultations with UNEG leaders, members, and the lead expert for preparing the next UNEG Strategy, to raise awareness about the Small Evaluation Function Strategy.
• Expanding advocacy efforts within UNEG and collaborating with the Peer Review Working Group to explore suitable modalities for small evaluation functions.
• Producing newsletters and hosting a second UNEG Workshop for small evaluation functions to continue fostering collaboration and capacity-building.

Future Vision

By prioritizing inclusivity, the EFWG is instrumental in creating a robust, accessible evaluation ecosystem that supports all UNEG members, ensuring that small evaluation functions have the resources and representation needed to thrive within UNEG.