Title: Evaluation Cooperation Group Presentation to the DAC Network on Development Evaluation 9/10 November 2004 Role and functioning of the Evaluation Cooperation Group
1 Evaluation Cooperation GroupPresentation to
the DAC Network on Development Evaluation 9/10
November 2004Role and functioning of the
Evaluation Cooperation Group
- Fredrik Korfker
- Corporate Director for Evaluation, EBRD
- Chair ECG
2Establishment of the Evaluation Cooperation Group
(ECG)
- Development Committee, Report of the Task Force
on Multilateral Development Banks, March 15,
1996, DC/96-01, p. 18 referred to the importance
of evaluation - But earlier, anticipating a request by the
Development Committee, the heads of the
independent evaluation departments in the MDBs
created the Evaluation Cooperation Group (ECG) in
October 1995 - The first meeting of the ECG was in February 1996.
3Objectives of the ECG
- Strengthen cooperation among evaluators
- Seeks to harmonize evaluation methodology in its
member institutions - to enable improved comparability of evaluation
results while - taking into account the differing circumstances
of each institution.
4Harmonisation
- Harmonisation in the ECG includes increased
information sharing and improved understanding of
commonalities and differences in evaluation
policies, procedures, methods and practices - Harmonisation is not interpreted by members as
standardisation of evaluation policies and
practices. - To harmonise is to bring into consonance or
accord. - It allows for different voices and diversity
among institutions in their quest to achieve good
practice standards.
5The scope of the ECG
- The ECG may take up any matter relating to
evaluation in the MDBs that will - enhance the effectiveness of independent and
self-evaluation, - engage in the sharing of lessons, and
- promote harmonisation among the MDBs.
6Membership of the ECG
- The ECG has a three-tier structure and is
composed of founding members, core members and
observers - ECG membership is restricted to the founding and
core members. - Sub-regional development banks and other IFIs may
be invited to the working group meetings as
observers for participation on specific topics. - Members may organize meetings to brief
sub-regional development banks and other IFIs on
evaluation developments and ECG progress in key
areas
7Founding ECG members (1995)
- Heads of Evaluation of the five MDBs AfrDB,
AsDB, IDB (including IIC), EBRD and the World
Bank Group (including IFC and MIGA). - Only the founding members are bound by the
original harmonization mandate set by the MDB
Heads in 1996, - Only founding members may therefore vote on ECG
harmonization-related issues, such as good
practice standards.
8Core ECG members
- Those members who have subsequently joined the
ECG. They are the EIB (1998) and the IMF
(2001). - Core members may not vote on harmonisation-related
issues, the core members are encouraged to move
towards harmonisation.
9Observers
- UNDP's Evaluation Unit, as Chair of the United
Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG), - the Chair of the DAC Network on Development
Evaluation - Observers are not ECG members and have no voting
powers
10Governance
- ECG members will select yearly a chairperson on a
rotational basis from among the founding members,
and if deemed desirable, a co-chairperson. - The ECG chair proposes meeting agendas after
consultation with the members. - The chair prepares an aide-memoir for the ECG
meetings and the Progress Report on the ECG
submitted to the Heads of MDB and MFI annual
meetings, and submits these documents to members
for their approval. - In executing its activities, the ECG may set up
working groups, as needed, with specific Terms of
Reference. Working group members will be drawn
from the ECG membership and consultants may be
recruited for assistance.
11Work Programme
- Considering the increasing importance of the
Millennium Development Goals, the Monterrey
Consensus, and Managements commitment to a
results framework, the ECG is focusing now on the
following four priority areas of work - Country Program and Country Assistance Evaluation
Methodology - Policy Based Lending Evaluation Methodology
- Evaluation Capacity Development in DMCs
- Role Refinement between Independent and
Self-evaluation
12Other priority areas
- ECG Members will also devote greater attention to
comparative evaluation - governance
- disclosure of evaluation findings
- attestation and evaluability
- regional and global public goods
- annual reporting
- joint evaluations
13Evaluation Products of ECG
- Good Practice Standards on the evaluation of
individual public sector operations - Good Practice Standards on the evaluation of
individual private sector operations - Good Practice for the evaluation of policy based
lending operations in MDBs (soon to be published) - Work is ongoing among the core ECG members to
harmonise around these Good Practice Standards
(see report on recent ECG meeting)
14ECG Meeting - October 2004
- Discussion on harmonisation and results agendas
and contributions of ECG members in preparation
for HLF-2 in Paris (March 2005) - Reviewed the preparation of Good Practice
Standards on PBL (phase 2 to PBL publication) - Revisited the Independence of evaluation
function - External Review of the WBs Evaluation Function
and DGOs mandate - ECGs cooperation in the pilot phase of the
Evaluation of Multilateral Organisations study
initiated by the DAC Evaluation Network
importance of collaboration
15ECG Meeting (cont.)
- Working Group on Private Sector Evaluation
- Discussion of outcomes of the second Benchmarking
exercise of GPS on private sector evaluation - Comparability of sets of indicators to show
comparable results among MDBs taking into account
the mandate of each of the institutions - Decided on initiating a benchmarking exercise on
GPS of Public Sector Evaluation
16ECG Meeting (cont.)
- Evaluation Capacity Development
- Compared recent developments and plans for next
ECG meeting (exchange of experience by AfrDB and
AsDB) - Evaluation of technical assistance (TA) review
of IMF experience and decision that no GPS on TA
imminent - Action on dissemination of Lessons learned
- Video conference on exchange of lessons among
MDBs - Establish more formal contacts to enhance use of
lessons learned in the institutions
17Conclusion
- ECG has progressed on key good practice standards
- Established good relationships among ECG members
and observers (bilaterals and UN) - Contributions by ECG towards harmonisation and
results agendas - Willingness among members to push for
comparability of results
18"By three methods we may learn wisdom First, by
reflection, which is noblest Second, by
imitation, which is easiest and third by
experience, which is the bitterest.Confucius
(c. 551-479? BC), Chinese sage