SDGs Spotlights
“Empowering National Evaluation for SDGs:
from Evaluation capacities toward national evaluation capabilities”
The Spotlight initiative aims to redefine the landscape of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) evaluations by reorienting the focus from traditional evaluation capacities -such as training, manual, or policy development – to a broader understanding and enhancement of national evaluation capabilities leading to a sustainable country-led evaluation system.
This paradigm shift emphasizes the importance of enhancing individual and collective skills, competencies, and the professionalization of evaluation practices and linking these with the systemic infrastructure and governance frameworks essential for implementing these practices effectively. By expanding beyond the notion of capacities with these expanded capabilities, the initiative advocates for a comprehensive approach to building a robust evaluation ecosystem central to modern public management to support a functional evaluation system to inform progress and actions towards the achievement of the SDGs.
1. Introduction to EVALSDGs
As a pioneering effort by EvalPartners, EVALSDGs dedicates itself to:
- Promoting conducive environments for integrating SDG evaluations into national and global frameworks.
- Serving as a nexus for advocacy, dialogue, and the exchange of knowledge related to SDG evaluation.
- Enhancing the capabilities of VOPEs and evaluators to underpin national SDG evaluation efforts.
- Fostering collaborations across various initiatives to establish a unified front for SDG evaluations.
2. EVALSDGs Spotlights: A New Direction
The initiative uniquely positions itself by:
- Prioritizing the development of evaluation capabilities — including the knowledge, skills, and professional standards necessary for effective evaluation practices and;
- Integrating these capabilities within the governance structures, thereby redefining traditional views of national capacities to include a comprehensive suite of evaluation capabilities.
- Highlighting the critical interdependence between advanced evaluation skills and supportive governance mechanisms for sustainable development and policy effectiveness.
3. Scope and Vision of the EVALSDGs Spotlights
Through this innovative lens, the Spotlights are designed to:
- Showcase how nations are transforming their approach to SDG evaluations by focusing on capabilities that encompass both individual competencies and systemic support structures.
- Offer detailed insights into the synergy between enhanced evaluation skills and robust governance frameworks, illustrating their combined impact on achieving SDGs.
- Encourage collaborative efforts that bring together diverse stakeholders to share expertise, resources, and best practices in building national evaluation capacities and their linkages with national evaluation capabilities and governance systems.
- Encourage the identification of pathways toward building national evaluation capabilities, lessons learned, and guidance for country and development partners who wish to engage in these pathways.
This approach ensures a rich repository of knowledge and experiences, fostering a global community dedicated to advancing SDG evaluations through enhanced capabilities.
4. Strategic Pathways and Deliverables
With a redefined focus, the initiative sets forth to:
- Raise awareness and mobilize support for the crucial role of capabilities in the context of national and global SDG evaluations.
- Advocate for targeted interventions and technical assistance that foster the development of comprehensive evaluation capabilities.
- Cultivate a vibrant network of partners and stakeholders, enhancing the collective capacity to engage in meaningful evaluation practices and policy-making.
In essence, the SDG’s Spotlight initiative champions a transformative approach to SDG evaluations, where the expansion of capabilities — encompassing both the development of human skills and the optimization of governance frameworks — becomes the cornerstone of effective, sustainable, and impactful evaluation practices. Through this lens, the initiative aspires to contribute significantly to the global effort towards achieving the SDGs, underscoring the pivotal role of advanced evaluation capabilities in navigating the complexities of sustainable development.
Click here to see the Country Spotlights
For more information and guidance contact:
EVALSDGs Co-Chair: Denis Jobin (djobin@unicef.org)