About National Evaluation Capacities

There is general consensus that evaluating public policy is an important instrument for good governance. It helps governments and development partners understand what works, what does not, and why — strengthening accountability and improving outcomes for citizens.

Despite widespread agreement on the value of monitoring and evaluation (M&E), significant gaps persist between policy commitments and actual implementation on the ground. Many countries face challenges in building the institutional frameworks, technical skills, and political support needed to embed evaluation into decision-making.

Innovative practices emerging from developing nations provide important lessons. Across regions, governments are experimenting with home-grown approaches to evaluation that reflect local contexts, constraints, and priorities — offering valuable insights for the global evaluation community.

The International Conference on National Evaluation Capacities was established as a platform to exchange these experiences. Four conferences were convened between 2009 and 2015, bringing together policymakers, evaluation practitioners, and development partners to advance national evaluation capacity worldwide.

Conference Timeline

• 4th Conference: 26–30 October 2015, Bangkok, Thailand — co-hosted by the IEO and the Royal Thai Government
• 3rd Conference: 29 September – 2 October 2013
• 2nd Conference: 30 March – 30 June 2011
• 1st Conference: 17–19 December 2009

Key outcomes from these gatherings include the Bangkok Principles on National Evaluation Capacity for the SDG era and a baseline study providing insight on national evaluation capacities across 43 countries. Proceedings, presentations, and video recordings from each conference are available in the Documents and Video Gallery sections.