Defining and implementing UNEG's Work Programme

UNEG's Work Programme runs between April - March and is defined at the UNEG Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM is the forum for UNEG members to review progress and to endorse or approve Task Force deliverables from the past years work-plan and budget.

The Work Programme is implemented by Task Forces and Working Groups. Task Forces are established as result of the outcomes of the AGM. The Terms of Reference of each Task Force is defined in consultation with all members either during or immediately after the AGM. Working Groups are established to implement areas of work that arise on an ad hoc/ needs basis. They are convened through consultation with the UNEG Chair for determined period of time.

Both the Task Forces and Working Groups are led by elected co-Chairs and are made up of members willing to contribute time and resources to produce 'deliverables' on behalf of UNEG. Once complete, these deliverables are presented to UNEG's wider membership for comment and approval before dissemination to the wider evaluation community.

UNEG's Work Programme April 2008 - March 2009

UNEG's Work Programme (April 2008- March 2009) was defined at the AGM held 2-4 April 2008, in Geneva. The 2008/09 Work Programme continues with a focus on three areas of substantive work:

• UN Reform and Evaluation under which the following Task Forces were created:
• System wide evaluation mechanisam (continued from 2007/08)
• Evaluation of the One UN Pilot Initiative (continued from 2007/08)
• South Africa Country evaluation (continued from 2007/08)
• Country Level Evaluation
• The Evaluation Function under which the following Task Forces were created:
• Distinctiveness of the evaluation function (continued from 2007/08)
• Evaluation quality enhancement (continued from 2007/08)
• Human rights and gender equality (continued from 2007/08)
• Impact Evaluation
• Professionalising Evaluation under which the following Task Forces were created:
• UNEG training (continued from 2007/08)
• Evaluation Capacity Development (continued from 2007/08)

UNEG's Work Programme April 2007 - March 2008

UNEG's Work Programme (April 2007- March 2008) was defined at the AGM held 18-20 April 2007, in Geneva. The Work Programme focuses on three areas of substantive work:

• UN Reform and Evaluation - developing a One UN Evaluation System, an evaluation of the One UN Pilot initiative and the joint evaluation with the South African Government.
• The Evaluation Function - developing a code of conduct and ethical guidelines; publishing guidelines on harmonising evaluation methodology (in particular vis-a-vis gender and human rights); working on ways to improve the evaluation function and defining the distinctive role of evaluation, and its synergy with other functions.
• Professionalising Evaluation - enhancing evaluation capacity development and developing the UNEG website as a platform for knowledge sharing.

The 2007/08 deliverables were presented at the UNEG AGM held  in Geneva, 2-4 April 2008. At this meeting:

• The UNEG Code of Conduct and Ethical Guidelines were completed and endorsed.
• The UNEG Core Competencies of Heads and Job Descriptions for evaluators were presented and endorsed.

Other highlights from the 2007/08 work programme included:

• The World Food Programme Peer Review was completed.
• UNEG conducted six evaluability missions of the UN Delivering as One pilot countries (the remining two were conducted immediately after the AGM).
• The scoping mission for the joint evaluation South Africa was conducted in Feb 2008.

UNEG's Work Programme April 2006 - March 2007

UNEG's Work Programme 2006/07 was defined at the AGM held in Paris, 27-28th March 2006. Five Task Forces (Quality Stamp, Evaluation Capacity Development, Country Level Evaluation, Results Based Management, Evaluation Practice Exchange) and two Working Groups (Evaluation and Oversight, and Principles for Working Together) were established to implement the Work Programme (see UNEG Work Programme 2006/07)

Highlights from the 2006-07 Work Programme include:

• UNEG's revised Principles of Working Together were formally and unanimously adopted.
• The Core competencies for Heads of Evaluation Offices in the United Nations, prepared by the Evaluation Capacity Development Task Force, were adopted.
• The Country Level Evaluation database was launched and now contains over 300 reports.
• The Evaluation and Oversight Working Group published it's final report on the role of evaluation in Oversight in the UN System.
• A two day Evaluation Practice Exchange Seminar was held prior to the Annual General Meeting. The seminar provided an opportunity for UNEG members to share experiences on three areas: management response and follow up to recommendations; capturing and using lessons learned from evaluation; and strengthening evaluation methodology. Full details of the outcomes of the AGM 2007 are available in the UNEG Annual Meeting Report 2007.