Annex III: Types of Evaluations Conducted by OE

Project Evaluations

Project-level evaluations are undertaken throughout the implementation cycle. The different types of project-level evaluations share the purpose of assessing implementation achievement, impact and sustainability, thus contributing to learning and ultimately to the improvement of project impact and performance.

• Interim evaluations are mandatory at the end of a project before embarking on a second phase of the same project or launching a similar project in the same region. The findings, conclusions and recommendations of such evaluations are used as the basis for assessing the justification of a second phase and improving the design and implementation of subsequent interventions. Over the years, the number of interim evaluations has increased dramatically. In 2002, they accounted for more than 90% of all project evaluations undertaken by OE.

• Completion evaluations are normally conducted after the finalization of the project completion report prepared by the borrower, with the assistance of the cooperating institution, generally 3-18 months after the project closing date.

• Mid-term evaluations are undertaken at around the mid-life of project implementation, when approximately 50% of the funds have been disbursed.

Thematic Evaluations

Thematic evaluations and studies are designed to assess the effectiveness of IFAD’s processes and approaches and to contribute to increasing the Fund’s knowledge on selected issues and subjects. In this way, thematic evaluations are expected to provide concrete building blocks for revisiting existing or formulating new and more effective operational strategies and policies. Such evaluations not only build on the findings of project evaluations but also draw on a variety of external sources, including evaluation work done by other organizations and institutions on the same theme or issue.

Country Programme Evaluations

Country programme evaluations provide an assessment of the performance and impact of IFAD’-supported activities in countries with a large IFAD portfolio. Based on such assessments, these evaluations are expected to provide direct and concrete building blocks for revisiting existing or formulating new country strategy and opportunities papers. In particular, country programme evaluations are expected to provide information on the most essential aspects of project performance and to contribute to developing strategic and operational orientation for IFAD’s future activities in individual countries. They are also expected to contribute elements to IFAD’s policy dialogue on rural poverty reduction.

Corporate-Level Evaluations

Corporate-level evaluations are conducted to assess the effectiveness and impact of IFAD-wide policies, strategies, instruments and approaches. They are expected to generate insights and recommendations that can be used for the formulation of new and more effective policies and strategies.