Evaluation Cooperation Group: Strengthening Evaluation Practices and Harmonization

1. Evaluation Cooperation GroupPresentation to the DAC Network on Development Evaluation 9/10 November 2004Role and functioning of the Evaluation Cooperation Group Fredrik Korfker Corporate Director for Evaluation, EBRD Chair ECG

2. Establishment of the Evaluation Cooperation Group (ECG) • Development Committee, Report of the Task Force on Multilateral Development Banks, March 15, 1996, DC/96-01, p. 18 referred to the importance of evaluation • But earlier, anticipating a request by the Development Committee, the heads of the independent evaluation departments in the MDBs created the Evaluation Cooperation Group (ECG) in October 1995 • The first meeting of the ECG was in February 1996.

3. Objectives of the ECG • Strengthen cooperation among evaluators • Seeks to harmonize evaluation methodology in its member institutions • to enable improved comparability of evaluation results while • taking into account the differing circumstances of each institution.

4. Harmonisation • Harmonisation in the ECG includes increased information sharing and improved understanding of commonalities and differences in evaluation policies, procedures, methods and practices • Harmonisation is not interpreted by members as “standardisation of evaluation policies and practices.” • To harmonise is “to bring into consonance or accord.” • It allows for different voices and diversity among institutions in their quest to achieve good practice standards.

5. The scope of the ECG • The ECG may take up any matter relating to evaluation in the MDBs that will • enhance the effectiveness of independent and self-evaluation, • engage in the sharing of lessons, and • promote harmonisation among the MDBs.

6. Membership of the ECG The ECG has a three-tier structure and is composed of founding members, core members and observers: • ECG membership is restricted to the founding and core members. • Sub-regional development banks and other IFIs may be invitedto the working group meetings as observers for participation on specific topics. • Members may organize meetings to brief sub-regional development banks and other IFIs on evaluation developments and ECG progress in key areas

7. Founding ECG members (1995) • Heads of Evaluation of the five MDBs: AfrDB, AsDB, IDB (including IIC), EBRD and the World Bank Group (including IFC and MIGA). • Only the founding members are bound by theoriginal harmonization mandate set by the MDB Heads in 1996, • Only founding members may therefore vote on ECG harmonization-related issues, such as good practice standards.

8. Core ECG members • Those members who have subsequently joined the ECG. They are the EIB (1998) and the IMF (2001). • Core members may not vote on harmonisation-related issues, the core members are encouraged to move towards harmonisation.

9. Observers • UNDP's Evaluation Unit, as Chair of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG), • the Chair of the DAC Network on Development Evaluation • Observersarenot ECG members and have no voting powers

10. Governance • ECG members will select yearly a chairperson on a rotational basis from among the founding members, and if deemed desirable, a co-chairperson. • The ECG chair proposes meeting agendas after consultation with the members. • The chair prepares an aide-memoir for the ECG meetings and the Progress Report on the ECG submitted to the Heads of MDB and MFI annual meetings, and submits these documents to members for their approval. • In executing its activities, the ECG may set up working groups, as needed, with specific Terms of Reference. Working group members will be drawn from the ECG membership and consultants may be recruited for assistance.

11. Work Programme • Considering the increasing importance of the Millennium Development Goals, the Monterrey Consensus, and Managements’ commitment to a results framework, the ECG is focusing now on the following four priority areas of work: • Country Program and Country Assistance Evaluation Methodology • Policy Based Lending Evaluation Methodology • Evaluation Capacity Development in DMCs • Role Refinement between Independent and Self-evaluation

12. Other priority areas • ECG Members will also devote greater attention to comparative evaluation: • governance • disclosure of evaluation findings • attestation and evaluability • regional and global public goods • annual reporting • joint evaluations

13. Evaluation Products of ECG • Good Practice Standards on the evaluation of individual public sector operations • Good Practice Standards on the evaluation of individual private sector operations • Good Practice for the evaluation of policy based lending operations in MDBs (soon to be published) • Work is ongoing among the core ECG members to harmonise around these Good Practice Standards(see report on recent ECG meeting)

14. ECG Meeting - October 2004 • Discussion on harmonisation and results agendas and contributions of ECG members in preparation for HLF-2 in Paris (March 2005) • Reviewed the preparation of “Good Practice Standards on PBL” (phase 2 to PBL publication) • Revisited the Independence of evaluation function: • External Review of the WB’s Evaluation Function and DGO’s mandate” • ECG’s cooperation in the pilot phase of the “Evaluation of Multilateral Organisations” study initiated by the DAC Evaluation Network – importance of collaboration

15. ECG Meeting(cont.) • Working Group on Private Sector Evaluation: • Discussion of outcomes of the second Benchmarking exercise of GPS on private sector evaluation • Comparability of sets of indicators to show comparable results among MDBs taking into account the mandate of each of the institutions • Decided on initiating a benchmarking exercise on GPS of Public Sector Evaluation

16. ECG Meeting(cont.) • Evaluation Capacity Development • Compared recent developments and plans for next ECG meeting (exchange of experience by AfrDB and AsDB) • Evaluation of technical assistance (TA): review of IMF experience and decision that no GPS on TA imminent • Action on dissemination of Lessons learned • Video conference on exchange of lessons among MDBs • Establish more formal contacts to enhance use oflessons learned in the institutions

17. Conclusion • ECG has progressed on key good practice standards • Established good relationships among ECG members and observers (bilaterals and UN) • Contributions by ECG towards harmonisationand results agendas • Willingness among members to push for comparability of results

18. "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.“Confucius (c. 551-479? BC), Chinese sage