UNEG High Level Event on: Empowering Countries through Evaluation:

[Asela Kalugampitiya]

Dear colleagues,

As part of the 2014 ECOSOC Development Cooperation Forum at UN Headquarters in New York, UNEG is organizing a high-level panel event from 1.15pm to 2.45pm (NY time), on 11 July 2014, entitled “Empowering Countries through Evaluation: Evaluation as a country level tool for the new development agenda”. The session will consider how building evaluation capacities at the country level can lead to greater ownership of the development agenda and how stronger national evaluation systems can be part of an inclusive and robust global accountability framework. The event aims to spark an engaging and open discussion among the audience which will consist of ambassadors, Parliamentarians  and UN senior staff.

Please watch the event on UN WebTV (http://webtv.un.org/).

Please see more information about the event and the speakers below.

Best regards,

Marco Segone

UNEG Vice Chair

Empowering Countries through Evaluation: Evaluation as a country level tool for the new development agenda

A High Level Side Event Organized by the United Nations Evaluation Group

Fourth Development Cooperation Forum (DCF)

July 11, 2014 1.15pm – 2.45 Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium

The Secretary General, in his report “A life of dignity for all” (A/68/202) observed that “Strong monitoring and accountability will be crucial for the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda.” One of the four objectives of the Fourth Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) is to identify ways to enhance national and global accountability and effective monitoring of development cooperation. Specifically, the DCF seeks to support the development of minimum accountability standards and individual countries in their efforts to put in place full-fledged accountability mechanism and dialogue forums. 

Evaluation is a powerful tool for greater national and global accountability in development cooperation. By explaining what works and what doesn’t work evaluation can help guide decision making, update priorities, and improve development results. Importantly, it also strengthens national ownership of development outcomes.

This High Level Side Event will explore the role that evaluation can play in empowering countries.  It will consider how building evaluation capacities at the country level can lead to greater ownership of the development agenda and how stronger national evaluation systems can be part of an inclusive and robust global accountability framework. In doing so, the side event will put the issue of national evaluation capacity building on the post-2015 development agenda, act as a catalyst for evaluation at the national, regional and global levels and within the UN system, discuss the 2015 International Year of Evaluation global initiative, and help create an enabling environment for evidence-based decision making. 

The speakers include:

•                    Mr. Kabir Hashim, Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament

•                    Mr. Arsenio Balisacan, Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority (Philippines)

•                    Ms. Amina Mohammed, Special Advisor of the Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning

•                    Mr. John Hendra, Assistant Secretary-General Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Programme

•                    Ms. Deborah Rugg, UNEG Chair (event chair)

Speakers Biographies

Mohamed Hashim Mohamed Kabir is Member of Parliament from the United National Party from the Kegalle District in Sri Lanka. He is an economist by profession, and started his parliamentary career in 1994, and was re-elected to office in 2001 and 2004.

Arsenio Balisacan is the incumbent Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning of the Philippines and concurrently the Director-General of the Philippine National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). Prior to his appointment as socio-economic planning secretary by President Benigno S. Aquino III he was dean of University of the Philippines School of Economics where he holds the rank of Full Professor.

Amina J. Mohammed is the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning. Ms. Mohammed was previously Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the Millennium Development Goals after serving three Presidents over a period of six years. In 2005 she was charged with the coordination of the debt relief funds towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria. From 2002-2005, Ms. Mohammed served as coordinator of the Task Force on Gender and Education for the United Nations Millennium Project.

John Hendra has served as UN Women’s Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Programme at the Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) level since May 2011. In this capacity, he leads UN Women’s global policy work, overseeing its programmes in over 70 countries and management of the Bureau supporting policy analysis, research and programme management.