By Isabelle Mercier, Director, UNDP Independent Evaluation Office
In many countries, national evaluation systems lack the capacity, robustness, and institutional ties needed to reach their full impact. Since 2009, the UNDP Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) has tackled these challenges through biennial National Evaluation Capacities (NEC) Conferences, bringing together government officials and evaluation experts from around the world. Having attended as a participant the last NEC Conference in 2022, I am now deeply honored, as the new Director of the UNDP IEO, to be part of organizing the 8th NEC Conference in Beijing, China. This event is not just a gathering of stakeholders. It is a testament to our shared commitment to driving meaningful change and fostering a global culture of evidence-based decision-making.
A place to connect
NEC brings together government representatives, private sector leaders, civil society, academia, and international organizations from across the globe. To date, we've welcomed participants from 150 countries, each bringing their unique perspectives and expertise. This diversity not only enriches our conversations but also strengthens our collective ability to advance evaluation practices worldwide.
NEC has always been a place where countries can learn from one another. Our conference encourages a dynamic exchange of ideas, allowing us to draw from a multitude of experiences and contexts. This year, we’re excited to continue this tradition of learning and sharing, which is essential to address complex challenges and promote inclusive development.
Past attendees have highlighted how the NEC represents a rare, incredible opportunity to connect and engage deeply with a range of topics. We’ve heard time and again that the sessions are so engaging that participants wish they could be in multiple places at once. The feedback from the 2022 NEC Conference in Turin was a testament to this, with 96% of participants expressing satisfaction and finding the sessions highly valuable. This year, we’ve carefully structured the program to maximize participation, ensuring that everyone can dive into the sessions that matter most to them. Our goal is for everyone to leave with new knowledge, inspiration, and a renewed commitment to enhancing their national evaluation systems and strengthening global partnerships.
This year’s programme
The main theme of the 2024 NEC conference, “Responsive Evaluation: For Government, For Inclusion, For the Future,” underscores the importance of sharing progress and lessons learned in strengthening national evaluation systems.
This year’s sessions will be organized around three intersecting strands:
Government: Turning evaluations into powerful tools for change
Reflecting on the efforts and results since the 2022 NEC Conference in Turin, it’s clear we must rethink how we support governance systems to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving global landscape. Our community of practice is a powerful force in this space, equipped with vast resources and deep connections, poised to foster governance rooted in transparency, accountability, and evidence. This year, NEC will explore how evaluations can move beyond the collection and analysis of data to become indispensable tools that actively shape and guide policy decisions. By sharing our collective insights and strategies, we can strengthen governance systems worldwide, ensuring that evaluations are effectively utilized to bring about meaningful, sustainable change.
Inclusion: Building evaluation systems that embrace equity
In our pursuit of accountability and learning, it's essential to move beyond a definition of inclusion as “taking into account diverse perspectives” — we must build evaluation systems that fundamentally embody diversity, equity and sustainability at every level. This year’s NEC will challenge us to weave context and inclusivity into evaluation processes, ensuring they truly reflect the realities and needs of all stakeholders. Embracing the principle of Leave No One Behind, we can create evaluation systems that support the Sustainable Development Goals while fostering trust and inclusion, essential for the integrity and effectiveness of our work. The discussions will emphasize how context shapes evaluations that are not just representative but transformative, driving progress towards a more just and equitable world.
Future: Adapting evaluation systems for an unpredictable world
As we face an ever-changing world, it’s essential that our evaluation systems evolve with us. This year’s conference is set to explore some exciting innovations that could transform how we approach complex global issues. We’ll dive into how systems thinking can help us better understand the interconnected nature of these challenges and how digital tools are revolutionizing our work. At the IEO, our AI-based AIDA tool showcases our commitment to exploring innovative approaches in evidence extraction and analysis. We’re eager to see what insights and breakthroughs emerge from these discussions and how they’ll help us tackle the challenges ahead.
Workshops
The upcoming conference will feature a series of dynamic workshops designed to enhance participants' skills in various aspects of evaluation and evidence-based decision-making. These workshops cover a broad range of topics, including the use of AI in evaluations, how to visualize evidence through interactive mapping tools, and what it takes to foster sustainable, equity-focused evaluation systems. With expert trainers from international organizations, government and academia, these sessions promise to provide valuable insights and practical tools for participants.
We look forward to welcoming you to NEC 2024 for another enriching week of learning and connection. This conference is an opportunity to advance our collective goals and make a lasting impact.
Nominated participants have been contacted and are invited to register, and we’re excited to announce that the registration to watch the livestreaming of all sessions will open soon. This will allow a broader audience to benefit from the rich discussions and insights shared during the event.
How will the lessons learned at NEC 2024 shape the future of global development? We can’t wait to find out together.
