Updates
Formative evaluation of the UNFPA engagement in the reform of the United Nations development system presented to the Executive Board
07 Feb 2023
On 2 February 2023, Marco Segone, Director, UNFPA Evaluation Office presented the formative evaluation of the UNFPA engagement in the reform of the United Nations development system, to the Executive Board First Regular Session 2023.
The evaluation is the first-of-its-kind exercise in the United Nations system. It assesses the contribution of UNFPA to the design, development, and operationalisation of the reform, and the effects of the reform on the strategic positioning, the ability to deliver and the institutional efficiency of UNFPA.
In her opening address to the Executive Board, Dr Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director, welcomed the evaluation and noted that the lessons and evidence emerging from the evaluation will help UNFPA to further contribute more effectively to the reform.
Ib Peterson, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director, Management, presented the management response to the evaluation. Following the evaluation recommendations, UNFPA will prioritise strengthening its internal processes, strategic direction and ownership of the reform amongst all staff.
A joint statement by 25 Member States (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Moldova, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and the United States of America) commended UNFPA for the first-of-its-kind evaluation in the United Nations system and encouraged other United Nations entities to follow the trailblazer role of UNFPA to evaluate their respective engagement in the reform.
Following the evaluation recommendations, the joint statement also noted clear areas for actions identified by the management, such as the development of an overall engagement strategy with the reform; institutionalising and internalising the reform, addressing human resource challenges, and ensuring that those working in humanitarian contexts make the best use of the reform.
In addition, Canada, Colombia, the Republic of Moldova and Switzerland also commended UNFPA for the evaluation and for generating recommendations for UNFPA to more effectively contribute to the implementation of the reform and benefit from its results.
