IEG plays a leading role in the evaluation ecosystem, largely by working to enhance evaluation practices and expand educational opportunities for the evaluation community. IEG works both internally and externally with partners to create opportunities for learning and growth.

The Global Evaluation Initiative and Partners

IEG continues to support the advance of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to foster evidence-based decision-making, accountability, and improved development outcomes. This work is carried out through the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI)—a global partnership supported by a multidonor trust fund with contributions from Canada, France, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank Group.

In FY25, GEI engaged 29 countries through various initiatives that strengthened 38 national and subnational M&E systems. Support included diagnostics, technical assistance, policy guidance, and institutional capacity development—delivered primarily through GEI’s regional partners, the Centers for Learning on Evaluation and Results (CLEARs).

Notable country-level achievements included the following:

• Eswatini: Revised the national evaluation framework and policy, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund.
• Côte d’Ivoire: Built capacity of parliamentarians through a focus on AI in policy evaluation.
• Madagascar: Restarted efforts to institutionalize evaluation, updating the 2022 road map with priority actions for 2025.
• Andhra Pradesh, India: Guided reforms in data systems and policy planning using rapid M&E diagnostics.
• Benin: Operationalized the Management Performance Assessment Tool to improve institutional performance.
• Cabo Verde: Supported the evaluation of the Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development, guiding the next national strategy.
• Uzbekistan: Partnered with the Agency for Strategic Reforms to draft an M&E decree and integrate 300 key performance indicators into the Uzbekistan-2030 Strategy.
• Africa (regional): Assessed monitoring and reporting systems in countries through the Capacity Development for Africa’s Structural Transformation project, in collaboration with the African Capacity Building Foundation.

Capacity building is central to GEI’s work. In FY25, GEI organized 56 training events, reaching 2,854 participants globally. The flagship IPDET (International Program for Development Evaluation Training) program in Bern trained 117 professionals from 61 countries, and the CLEAR centers held regional workshops and internships across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, equipping stakeholders with practical M&E skills.

GEI also delivered more than 100 collaborative activities with partners such as the Ford Foundation, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Programme, and national governments. Highlights included

• A National Evaluation Capacity Readiness Assessment in Tanzania;
• Volume 2 of the Equitable Evaluation book, Voices from the Global South, developed with the Ford Foundation and other partners from across Africa; and
• A self-paced, online course for government decision-makers, codeveloped with the International Labour Organization.

In response to complex global challenges, GEI prioritized four cross-cutting themes: climate change, gender equality, youth engagement, and fragility. Of 306 activities in FY25, 117 addressed one or more of these themes. Key initiatives included

• Five rapid climate finance evaluations conducted by Climate Investment Fund observer groups after GEI training and using Climate Investment Fund–supported grants;
• Expansion of the Research for Impact Fellowship in South Asia; and
• Six fellowships awarded under the Feminist Innovation in M&E program.

GEI expanded its knowledge-sharing efforts, producing 73 knowledge products and 80 communication materials and hosting 46 events. Its open-access platforms remained vital.

• Glocal, held June 2–6, 2025, reached over 16,000 participants in 73 countries through 372 events.
• The BetterEvaluation platform was enhanced with new thematic and career hubs for young and emerging evaluators.

The 2024 National Evaluation Capacities Conference, held October 14–18 in Beijing, cohosted by the United Nations Development Programme and GEI, was a key milestone. More than 500 delegates from more than 100 countries attended, culminating in the Beijing Action Plan—a strategic roadmap for building responsive evaluation systems by 2030.

GEI’s achievements in FY25 reaffirm its role in supporting countries to lead their evaluation agendas while ensuring policies are grounded in evidence, inclusive voices, and shared global knowledge.

To learn more, visit the Global Evaluation Initiative.

Knowledge Sharing with the Private Sector

IEG continues to strengthen its collaboration with private sector counterparts by leading technical working groups, participating in learning events, and synthesizing information for private and public sector audiences.

Multilateral Development Bank technical-level working group on private sector project evaluations. IEG is at the forefront of guiding the informal technical working group focused on evaluating private sector projects among multilateral development banks. During its seventh meeting, the group explored two significant topics: Leverage and Multipliers in Private Sector Mobilization and Measuring Private Sector Development and Market Impact.

International Fund for Agricultural Development Learning Event on Financing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Agribusiness. IEG participated in a learning event titled “Financing Agribusiness Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (M-SMEs): Insights from Evaluation,” organized by the International Fund for Agricultural Development. During this event, IEG delivered a primary presentation highlighting key findings from six of its evaluative products. Additionally, IEG provided a concise intervention focused on methodologies for evaluating support to agribusiness micro, small, and medium enterprises, drawing from IEG’s methodological guidance and relevant evaluation experience.

The event underscored significant opportunities and challenges in supporting local agribusinesses, particularly in the design of interventions and the importance of learning from past experiences. The event attracted over 200 online participants and about 25 in-person attendees in Rome, including representatives from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, and the World Bank Group.

The International Finance Corporation’s Investments in the Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Sector: Findings from Clustered Project Performance Assessment Reports. This report synthesized findings from a cluster of evaluations on six private sector projects committed during FY17–18. The report informed IFC about the efficacy of investments related to generic pharmaceuticals, management of environmental and social risks, internal and external factors enabling or constraining effectiveness, and IFC’s additionality. Lessons learned include that stronger collaboration, strategic project selection, and better analytics can improve pharma and life sciences outcomes, and consolidating sector knowledge and supporting client partnerships could expand IFC’s nonfinancial additionality. In addition, enhanced environmental and social practices and sharing best practices are key to sustainable growth.

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