LocationsGovernment officials from 100 countries meet to discuss strengthening accountability mechanisms, and assess progress towards the SDGs
November 3, 2022
Over 300 officials, representing government and civil society in 110 countries, met in Turin, Italy last week for the seventh National Evaluation Capacities conference (NEC 2022). The event was organized by the United Nations Development Programme's Independent Evaluation Office in collaboration with the Global Evaluation Initiative.
Participants came together to assess where national monitoring and evaluation systems stand post-pandemic, and how evaluators can step up to strengthen democratic governance systems that ensure accountability and learning in a world increasingly beset by crisis. Among participants were ministers in key government positions from ten countries, including a delegation from the Republic of North Macedonia who was led by UNDP CO North Macedonia: Zoran Dimitrvoski – Deputy Minster in the Ministry of Local Self-Government, Maksim Acevski – General Auditor in the State Audit Office, Ramiz Rexhepi – Director of the Bureau for Regional Development, and Trajko Slaveski – President of the Council of City of Skopje.
Evaluation has an important role to play in supporting good governance, and discussions at NEC 2022 covered multiple aspects of evaluation’s role in upholding accountability. From the ways in which evaluation can support countries recover from the pandemic, including through digital innovation, to preparing for future shocks, guarding against fragility, and promoting democratic values like equity, social justice and representation.
Mr. Oscar A. Garcia, the Director of UNDP’s Independent Evaluation Office and co-organizer of the conference, highlighted the importance of the conference.
“Every system is designed to produce results. The development model, as we know it, is not working for all,” said Mr. Garcia. “Incremental change is not enough; we need transformational change. Evaluation can assess the progress made and provide recommendations to improve.”
“Evaluation ensures systems are resilient enough to change course quickly in response to the challenges of our times,” continued Mr. Garcia. Events like the NEC are an important part of building resilience. The discussions taking place here in Turin over the next three days push the practice of evaluation forward, which in turn helps keep public action accountable.”
NEC 2022 was held in the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization in Turin, Italy. Proceedings reflected upon ‘Resilient National Evaluation Systems for Sustainable Development’, following the upheaval and uncertainty of the global pandemic. Proceedings aimed to provide the evidence needed in the critical next few years for the global community to get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by the 2030 target.
The three-day conference was held from 26 to 28 October 2022. The agenda can be viewed on the NEC 2022 website, hosted by UNDP’s Independent Evaluation Office.
More about NEC 2022
This year’s National Evaluation Capacities conference is the seventh in a series that began in 2009. It brings together key players from middle-income and less-developed countries, UN evaluation bodies and development professionals to strengthen the systems that promote accountability and transparency in governance, while taking account of the growing global challenges like inequality and environmental instability.
The NEC venue moves across continents from one convention to the next. In 2009 it was held in Morocco, South Africa in 2011, then Brazil in 2013, Thailand in 2015, Turkey in 2017 and Egypt in 2019.
NEC 2022 builds on the success of past conferences. The event is an opportunity for dialogue, with renewed emphasis on sharing progress and lessons learned over the pandemic years on strengthening national evaluation systems, and the role these systems can play in the collective endeavour to get back on track towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
For more information, contact:
In New York
Kate Pond
Communications Specialist, UNDP Independent Evaluation Office
+19176647590
