Special update to ECOSOC (July 2011)
By the Chief of the Secretariat to the Independent Evaluation
Introduction
- The independent evaluation of lessons learned from the "Delivering as One" (DaO) initiatives is being implemented in accordance with ad-hoc arrangements proposed by the Deputy Secretary-General on 21 May 2010 to which reference is made in General Assembly resolution 64/289 on system-wide coherence adopted on 30 June 2010.
- To ensure its independence and credibility, the evaluation is overseen by an Evaluation Management Group (EMG) composed of nine outstanding evaluation experts from the five regions, from the pilot countries as well as from JIU and UNEG. The group was appointed by the Secretary-General on 15 February 2011 (Note A-65-737).
- Its first EMG meeting took place on 7-10 March 2011 in New York. Members of the EMG elected from among their midst the expert from the Latin American and Caribbean Region, Ms Liliam Flores (Mexico), as the chairperson, and experts from the region of Western Europe and Other States and from the pilot country Uruguay as vice-chairs.
- In my capacity of secretary to the EMG, I would like to brief you on the outcome of the first meeting of the EMG, on progress made with the evaluation so far and the process foreseen until the completion of the evaluation report to be presented by the chairperson of the EMG during the 66th Session of the General Assembly.
- But before doing that, I would like to acknowledge extra-budgetary financial contributions made by many Member States as well as from within the UN system. Given its ad-hoc nature, this evaluation would not be possible without support from Member States.
- Generous financial contributions have been received from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, India, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The following UN organizations have also made contributions: UNDP, UNEG, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIDO and WFP.
- The total budget now amounts to US$ 2.2 million. UN-DESA has made available a trust fund for this purpose. The EMG and UN-DESA wish to express their deep gratitude for this support and for the trust expressed in the proposed arrangements for the implementation of the evaluation.
Outcome of and follow-up to the EMG Meeting 7-10 March 2011
- The EMG agreed that the conceptual framework for the Independent Evaluation needs to be anchored in the recent TCPR resolutions (2001, 2004 and 2007) and the resolutions on system wide coherence adopted as a follow-up to the 2005 World Summit Outcome. The emphasis will be on results achieved in terms of national ownership and leadership, national capacity building and development as well as on lowered transaction costs.
- New modalities in the functioning of the UN system, including innovative funding instruments, coordination mechanisms and simplification and harmonization of business practices will be duly considered.
- The EMG agreed that the Independent Evaluation should not repeat what was done in the country-led evaluations in seven of the eight pilot countries. While it is recognized that the country-led evaluations were conducted in view to generate lessons learned in the respective national contexts, the Independent Evaluation should assess the validity and credibility of each of the country-led evaluations and make use of the respective evidence and analysis, whenever possible. The EMG will determine at a later stage, to which extent additional evidence in the seven countries needs to be collected for the purpose of the Independent Evaluation.
- The EMG considered it important to include the DaO experience of Pakistan as part of the Independent Evaluation. A specific approach needs to be developed how to draw evaluative evidence and lessons learned from the DaO approach in Pakistan.
- The EMG decided to recruit a Core Evaluation Team immediately composed of a team coordinator, a deputy team coordinator, a senior evaluation specialist and a UN development assistance specialist. This recruitment has been completed and the Core Evaluation Team has started working under the Inception Phase scheduled to be completed by September 2011. The same team, possibly expanded with additional expertise, will most probably be asked to remain in place for the Implementation and Report-Writing Phases as from October 2011.
- The EMG also decided that a Quality Assurance Panel should be put in place for the Independent Evaluation. TOR and interim products of the Independent Evaluation should be reviewed by two prominent development professionals: preferably one leading expert on the role and contribution of the UN development system to development effectiveness and one leading expert in development evaluation. This Panel has also been appointed.
Expected outcomes of the Inception Phase (July – September 2011)
- The purpose of the Inception Phase is to inform the EMG and support its decision-making on the further design and conduct of the evaluation both in the pilot countries and at the systemic level.
- The objective of the Inception Phase is to conduct an extensive review of key documents on the DaO initiatives and to further develop the scope, approach, methodology and implementation modalities of the independent evaluation.
- The emphasis will be on lessons learned from the experiences of the eight pilot countries having voluntarily adopted the "Delivering as One" approach. At the same time, the evaluation will assess initiatives at the systemic level related to or triggered by the "Delivering as One" approach at headquarters and regional levels.
- Examples of systemic issues to be assessed are the Management and Accountability System of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), including the “firewall” between the responsibilities of the resident coordinator and those of the resident representative of UNDP, the "Delivering as One" Expanded Funding Window, the ways in which cross-cutting issues such as gender have been addressed, the process of simplification and harmonization of business practices as well as the relationship of the "Delivering as One" approach with humanitarian assistance.
- At the end of the Incepton Phase, the main outcome will be detailed terms of reference for the implementation of the evaluation, and notably a clear picture of what additional information needs to be collected in the pilot countries and of studies to be undertaken at the systemic level.
- The EMG will review the outcomes of the Inception Phase during its next meeting that will be hosted by the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) in Geneva on 12-14 September 2011.
Overall conclusions
- Although the preparation of the evaluation, notably the establishment of the EMG and the mobilization of extra-budgetary resources, took more time than initially expected, the process is now well under way and the final deadline for the presentation of the evaluation report during the 66th Session of the General Assembly will be met.
- The evaluation can hence be an important input into the deliberations of the General Assembly for the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) at the end of 2012.
