Beijing, 14 October - Over 500 government leaders and development evaluation professionals gather this week in the Yanqing District of Beijing to participate in the 8th National Evaluation Capacities (NEC) Conference.

The world is entering a critical moment for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite remarkable progress in some areas, expanding conflicts and the effects of the climate emergency continue to severely disrupt people’s livelihoods, widening the impact of persistent inequalities. In a world full of uncertainty, evaluations provide policymakers with trusted data on the relevance and effectiveness of their proposed solutions. They also offer a space for inclusive dialogue and recommendations on necessary adjustments to promote a better, safer, and fairer planet – for current and future generations.

“Evaluations are a critical accountability tool and also a platform for learning, encouraging us to draw lessons from the past to inform future development efforts. Robust evaluation systems are essential for governments to reflect on both successes and failures, respond effectively to citizen needs, and ultimately achieve their development objectives,” said Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP.

Over 100 countries are represented at the NEC Conference. Among the participants are government officials, evaluation experts, leading academics, and representatives of international organizations. Speakers include Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Xiao Jie, Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress, China; Edward Mulbah, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Liberia; and Gamil Helmy, Assistant Minister for Monitoring Affairs, Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Egypt.

The Conference is co-hosted by the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of the UNDP, the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI) and CIDCA.

“China is a major contributor to advancing research and the field of impact evaluation. Co-hosting the NEC with China represents a truly remarkable opportunity to continue fostering South-South Cooperation and create bridges between governments and professionals from all around the world to promote evidence-based decision-making,” said Isabelle Mercier, Director of the Independent Evaluation Unit of UNDP.

The 3-day conference will be held from 14-16 October followed by an additional two days of professional development workshops for participants on 17 and 18 October. This year marks the 8th iteration of the NEC Conference, with previous conferences held biannually in partnership with different host governments.

The theme of this year’s conference is Responsive Evaluation”, with sessions focused around three tracks:

A. Government: Building strong national evaluation systems and leveraging them to promote evaluation use and a culture of learning.

B. Inclusion: Making sure that evaluations include the voices of the most marginalized and incorporate diverse forms of knowledge.

C. Future: Harnessing the power of technology, innovation, and data management to anticipate tomorrow's challenges.

By creating a space for learning and sharing experience, UNDP, GEI and CIDCA hope to further the use of evaluations for good governance, shaping the way decisions are made towards more evidence-based approaches. The conference will conclude with a collective agreement by participants, called “the Beijing Five Actions Towards Responsive Evaluation Systems for 2030”. The document will articulate a shared vision and commitments to promote responsive evaluation systems, recognizing the importance of promoting context-specific solutions and systems that meet the needs of the most vulnerable and address complex, shifting socio-economic dynamics.