Evaluation

Evaluation Presentations

Full Publication

In 1978, ADB established a Postevaluation Office reporting directly to the President to assess whether the actual benefits of completed projects matched those expected at appraisal.

The need for greater accountability and learning broadened the scope of evaluations and subsequently led to the formation of the Operations Evaluation Office in 1999. The office became a department in 2001.

In January 2004, an important organizational change established the independence of the Operations Evaluation Department. OED began to report directly to the Board of Directors through the Board's Development Effectiveness Committee.

Since then, the function of operations evaluation has changed from recording history to shaping decision making throughout the project cycle, and in ADB as a whole.

Today, OED's core task is the systematic and objective assessment of policies, strategies, country and sector programs, and projects, including their design, implementation, results, and associated business processes.

OED conducts evaluations to find out what results are being achieved, what improvements should be considered, and what lessons can be learned.

Producing credible, timely, and objective data, information, and knowledge on ADB's performance promotes development impact if it informs decision making.

All the while, through the evaluation process, ADB demonstrates three elements of good governance: accountability, transparency, and improved performance.

Evaluations that focus on key issues and provide actionable and timely recommendations are a cost effective means to improve performance.

Recent influential evaluations have stemmed from work to improve country partnership strategies and sector assistance programs, promote portfolio performance, build a results-based management framework, and contribute to safeguard policy updates.

Directions in evaluation include harmonizing evaluation standards, evaluating country and sector assistance programs, validating completion reports, evaluating impact, developing evaluation capacity, evaluating business processes, and continuing promotion of portfolio performance.